“I saw one,”
she told me, her face scrunched up in both distaste and worry as she held her
cup of tea. How my mother managed such
an expression I’ve never understood.
“You saw one
what?” I asked, accepting a cup of tea from my butler, Winston.
She brought
her unencumbered hand up, shielding her mouth in case anyone nearby might
overhear her. Not that she needed to
worry. There was only Winston in the
room with us and he would never tell a soul.
She leaned a little closer to me and stage whispered “A vagrant.”
“A vagrant?”
I obviously asked it a little too loudly as her grey eyes widened. She pursed her lips in disapproval. “Mum, there are no vagrants anywhere near our
estate. We are too small. What could possibly attract them to here of
all places?”
“What do you
think is going to attract them?” She took a sip of her tea as I regarded her in
silence. “Work.”
“We’re not
hiring anyone.”
“Well they
don’t know that. Or at least not until
someone tells them as much.” She took
another sip of her tea. “I almost did,
to tell you the truth.”
“Did what?” I
took a sip of my own tea, a very lovely English Breakfast.
“Tell him we’re
not hiring. Only I didn’t think it was
my place.”
“Why not?” I couldn’t imagine much that would stop her from
chasing someone off.
Now she
looked pointedly down her nose at me. “This
is your estate, not mine. If your father
were still alive, believe me, I would have said something.”
“Do you want
me to go and say something to this man?”
She turned
her attention back to her tea. “It’s up
to you. As I said, it is your estate
now.” I put down my tea cup and
rose. She looked up at me in alarm. “Surely there’s no rush?”
“I thought
it best to speak with him immediately.”
I shot her a sly smile. “I mean,
what would the neighbours think?”
“Suit
yourself.” She took another sip. “I’d just hate to think something like this
would be more important than having tea with your dear old mum.”
I hid a sigh
as I sank back into my chair. There was
no winning with this woman.
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