Chapter 16 – What Mr Taylor Knew
She barely managed to put the shoes back in their boxes, shove the boxes back into the wardrobe, close the wardrobe door and stand in front of it, panting and perspiring before Mr. Dennis Mowbray came in, dressed in evening wear.
He cast a suspicious glance at her.
‘What are you doing here?’
“I was helping your wife to get ready for dinner, sir and I was just tidying up.’
To prove her point, she moved across to the bed and picked up the hideous dress.
‘Hurry up and finish, then.’
‘Is there anything I can help you with, sir?’ She was sure that was what a good servant would ask.
‘No,’ he growled, ‘just get on with it.’
She finished tidying up while he went to the chest of drawers and pulled out something out, she couldn’t see what.
‘Good night, sir,’ she said and got out of there as fast as she could.
She had a lot to think about. What was the importance of the geology report? Was it what she thought it was? And had Dennis Mowbray really been having an affair with Evangeline Spinoza?
She went down to the Servants’ Room that she had only recently discovered existed. It was a small and rather shabby room but it served its purpose of allowing servants to have somewhere to go when off duty rather than just go to bed or go the village.
Mrs. Wagstaff had explained it to her, ‘Sir James and Lady Mowbray are very enlightened, they realise that it is better for the lower servants to have somewhere to go and to receive visitors than encourage them to go elsewhere with the temptations that can prevail.’
Jen assumed that she was talking about the nearest pub and felt a twinge. She would have liked a good, stiff drink to help her through this crisis.
‘So it’s only for the lower servants?’ she asked.
‘No, it’s for all the servants although naturally Mr. Cook and I do not normally visit as we have our own sitting rooms.’
That must really annoy Mrs. Butler, thought Jen.
Solomon Taylor was sitting in a dilapidated chintz armchair, reading a book. He put it aside and Jen approached him. Jen could read the title on the spine, “Nature and Selected Works by Ralph Waldo Emerson.” No Peg’s Paper for him. Jen quickly looked around the room. There were only a couple of other servants there, John the footman and Kate the senior housemaid. They were sitting so close together on a sofa, Jen realised that they must be a couple. They were totally absorbed in one another. Jen stood in front of Solomon.
‘I think I’ve found something,’ she said softly.
Solomon flicked a glance round the room. ‘Do you have it with you?’
‘Yes.”
‘May I see it?’
‘Only if you tell me what this is all about.’
Solomon raised an eyebrow. ‘But surely you already know. ‘
‘Remind me.’
But before he could say a word, Lily hurtled into the room and rushing across to Jen, said breathlessly, ‘Miss James, please, do tell me all about the police chasing you and your lady this morning. I only just heard about it.’
‘There’s nothing to tell,’ Jen said shortly.
‘But I heard that your lady, Miss Ashcroft got past the policeman on the gate and drove off really fast and she only got caught because Inspector Brighton was just arriving. And Inspector Brighton chased after her and there was a car chase and she only stopped because the police car overtook her and swerved in front and she nearly went into the duck pond.’
Jen was amazed that Lily could continue to talk for so long with pausing for breath. Anyone would think she was a politician. Someone had clearly been busy.
‘That’s rather an exaggeration,’ she said. ‘We just went for a drive, not realising we still needed permission and Inspector Brighton stopped us from going any further.’
Lily looked disappointed. ‘So there was no high speed car chase?’
‘Inspector Brighton’s car did drive after our car,’ Jen conceded, ‘but I’d hardly call it a high speed car chase.’
She was conscious of Solomon Taylor looming beside her. She turned and caught him frowning. ‘Most ill-judged, if I may so,’ he said.
‘You may not,’ snapped Jen.
John and Kate had overheard the conversation and had crowded round as well.
‘Did they arrest you?’ Kate asked.
‘Don’t be stupid,’ John said and punched her in the arm. ‘She wouldn’t be here if they’d arrested her.’ He turned to Jen. ‘So, did they caution you?’
He seemed to be quite familiar with the law, Jen thought.
‘No,’ she said.
The younger servants’ faces fell.
‘He did tell me not to leave the premises, though,’ she added.
They all brightened up at this with the exception of Solomon Taylor, who was still frowning. They seemed quite awed to have an almost criminal in their midst.
‘We weren’t trying to get away,’ Jen explained. ‘Miss Ashcroft simply wanted some air.’
This was met with disappointed faces. But Lily’s interruption had stopped Jen’s conversation with Solomon Taylor and there were no more opportunities that evening for continuing it. Jen burned with frustration but knew that there was nothing to do but wait for another opportunity.