Love and the Loathsome Leopard Read Online Free Page A

but her eyes were still worried.
    “You will perhaps think that what I have to tell you is very – reprehensible.”
    “I can only answer that when I hear what you have to say.”
    “Yes – of course.”
    She drew in her breath and then she began,
    “When the late Lord Cheriton died nine years ago, there was no provision made for his servants.”
    “His servants?” Lord Cheriton exclaimed.
    This was something he had not expected to hear.
    “They had all been here for many years,” Wivina explained. “Mrs. Briggs, the cook, was nearly seventy, and naturally it would have been impossible for her to find another position at her age.”
    “I can understand that.”
    “And there was old Rouse, the gardener, who had come to Larks Hall as a boy and had never known any other place.”
    Wivina’s voice dropped as she said,
    “He was told to vacate his cottage. Although he was given a small pension, as was Mrs. Briggs, it would not have provided him with a roof over his head.”
    Lord Cheriton’s lips tightened, but he said nothing.
    “And there was Pender, the Head Groom, who was getting on for retirement, and he had hoped that he would not only have a pension but also a cottage provided for him in the village.”
    “Did they speak to the Solicitor about this?”
    “Of course they did! But he said he had no instructions to do anything about those who looked after the house.”
    “So what happened?” Lord Cheriton asked.
    “They struggled in vain to find other posts and when their cottages were taken from them, they – moved into Larks Hall.”
    “They came to live here?”
    Wivina nodded.
    “It was Mrs. Briggs who thought of it, because she was determined not to move.
    “‘I comes here as a scullery-maid, miss,’ she said to me once, ‘and when I goes it’ll be feet first in me coffin!’”
    Lord Cheriton smiled, then he asked:
    “And where do you come in?”
    “My father – the Vicar of the Parish – died four years ago.”
    “I am sorry.”
    “It was an – accident.”
    There was a little pause before the last word and Lord Cheriton looked at her speculatively as he repeated,
    “An accident?”
    “It – must have been– although I have so often – thought – ”
    She stopped once again and he knew that she was putting a check on her words. After a moment she went on,
    “My brother and I were left with very little money.
    “Your brother?”
    “Yes, my brother, Richard. He is seventeen now, but then he was only thirteen and had just had a fall out riding.”
    Wivina’s voice was unhappy, as she continued,
    “He broke his leg and it was wrongly set, or perhaps the fracture was a complicated one, I don’t know, but anyway ever since then he has been crippled and walks with a limp.”
    “That must be very unfortunate for him,” Lord Cheriton said gravely.
    “It is,” she answered, “and he hates not being able to do all the things other boys do, but fortunately he is very clever.”
    She gave a little sigh, then almost to herself she said,
    “If only he could go to University, it would mean everything to him, but of course it is impossible.”
    “Because you cannot afford it?”
    She smiled at him as if he was a rather stupid child.
    “When my father’s affairs were cleared up, we found that Richard and I had under one hundred pounds a year on which to live. We could hardly pay the fees of a University out of that.”
    “No, of course not,” Lord Cheriton agreed.
    Wivina made a little gesture with both her hands as she said:
    “So we came to live here.”
    She spoke very simply. Then, as if he would not understand, she explained,
    “The new Vicar is very kind to Richard. He teaches him for nothing and we are deeply grateful. But we could not expect him also to keep us at the Vicarage.”
    “I suppose not.”
    “And this house is so large. Do you know that there are eighty bedrooms here?”
    “Room for you all,” Lord Cheriton said.
    “A great many of the ceilings have