Daisy’s Betrayal. Nancy Carson

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СКАЧАТЬ as if anticipating being blamed for it.

      ‘Missing?’ Daisy queried incredulously. ‘How can any be missing?’

      Elsie shrugged. ‘I don’t know, Miss, but they bain’t nowhere. I’n searched high and low.’

      ‘Which pieces can’t you find, Elsie?’

      ‘At fust, I thought as it was just two servin’ platters, but when I come to fill the salt cellar, I could see as the cruet’s gone an’ all.’

      ‘They have to be somewhere,’ Daisy said calmly. ‘Things don’t just go missing.’

      At that point, Mrs Cookson came along. ‘Good morning, ladies.’ She always greeted her girls as ladies. ‘Is everything all right?’

      Daisy naturally felt obliged to report what Elsie had just told her and did so. ‘I wonder if it has anything to do with that burglary in January,’ she suggested.

      ‘No, Daisy. I think not. We have used the silver since then and nothing was missing.’

      ‘Yes, you’re right, ma’am. I’ll have a proper search made.’

      ‘Please do, Daisy. And let me know the outcome.’

      ‘As soon as I can, ma’am.’

      Daisy went into the kitchen, which was always the centre of activity when meal times were due. She asked if anybody knew anything of the whereabouts of the missing silverware. There was a general shaking of heads. ‘Perhaps we can all double check cupboards and sideboards,’ Daisy suggested. ‘Before lunch.’

      As they all dispersed, leaving Cook and a kitchen maid who had been hired just for the day to help out, Sarah beckoned Daisy to one side.

      ‘I think I know where the missing silver plates and cruet are,’ she said.

      ‘Thank God. Then you’d best tell me, our Sarah, before Mrs Cookson blows her wig.’

      She took Daisy’s hand and led her out of earshot, through the heavy door of the kitchen. ‘I think they’m at the pawnbrokers in the town.’

      ‘At the pawnbrokers? How come they’re at a pawnbrokers?’

      ‘I can explain,’ Sarah bleated defensively in a pathetic little voice.

      ‘I think you’d better.’

      ‘Roland … You know, that lad I told you about …’

      ‘Parker’s the grocer’s boy?’

      She nodded. ‘He asked me if he could borrow some silver. He asked me if I would get some for him.’

      ‘What the devil did he want with Mr Cookson’s best silver?’

      ‘He said he was going to pawn them to get money to wager on a horse. He said he needed the money desperate and he pleaded with me to help him. He said that if the horse won he would be well off and be able to buy the silver back and pay me some money for my trouble besides. I remembered all that money you won on that bet, our Daisy, and thought it would be a good idea. I mean, he was going to bring it back.’

      ‘Oh Sarah,’ Daisy rasped angrily. ‘Are you out of your mind? Do you know how serious this is? Didn’t you realise it wasn’t your property to lend in the first place? Do you understand what this could mean? For both of us?’

      Daisy saw tears tremble on Sarah’s long lashes. The poor, innocent, beguiled child. She had never been as canny as Daisy, nor would she ever be.

      ‘I’m so sorry, our Daisy,’ she said sincerely. ‘I didn’t mean any harm. I just thought I would be a shilling or two better off when he brought it all back.’

      ‘And can he get it back? Can he get it back quick? Before Mrs Cookson finds out?’

      ‘Shall I run up to Parker’s and see if he’s there?’

      ‘I think you’d better … Right now. This minute. And don’t come back without it.’

      Daisy waited on tenterhooks, concerned that Mrs Cookson might come seeking news and she would have to lie. She waited half an hour. Three quarters. An hour. Eventually, Sarah returned. She was carrying nothing and her eyes were red from crying.

      ‘He said he sold the pawnbroker’s ticket, our Daisy,’ she whined breathlessly. ‘I went to the shop and had a look. I asked them not to let go of the silver, as we would be back for it. But they said as it ain’t there any more. It’s already gone.’

      ‘Oh, my God.’ Daisy covered her face with her hands in horror. ‘You know what this means?’

      ‘Oh, Daisy, I’m so sorry,’ Sarah blubbered. ‘Have I got you into trouble as well?’

      ‘I sincerely hope not.’ Daisy sighed gravely. ‘I just wonder what’s the best way of handling it to save you getting into trouble … If I can get away with denying that I know who’s responsible I will. I’ll try and protect you. But Mrs Cookson isn’t stupid … Oh, I know you’re not the brightest of God’s children, our Sarah, but you’re no criminal. I’d better go and see Mrs Cookson.’

      Daisy found Mrs Cookson just as she was about to take lunch.

      ‘Any news on the silverware, Daisy?’

      ‘Bad news, I’m afraid, ma’am. It was lent to somebody – on the strict understanding that it would be returned, of course. Sad to say, the person who borrowed it pawned it.’

      ‘Pawned, did you say?’

      ‘Yes, ma’am.’

      ‘Why would anyone want to pawn my silverware, Daisy?’

      ‘To raise money, ma’am. The idea was to gamble the money, then win enough to buy it back and return it safely here.’

      ‘And who was that person?’

      ‘I’m not certain, ma’am. One of the trades people, I believe.’

      ‘Daisy, you are being evasive. I want chapter and verse. If the police need to be involved, I want them here. Do you hear?’

      Daisy let out a great, troubled sigh, and nodded.

      ‘But who from this household has been impertinent and stupid enough to lend my best silverware to one of the tradesmen?’

      ‘I cannot say, ma’am.’

      ‘Does that mean cannot, or will not?’

      ‘I cannot, ma’am.’

      ‘Very well. Then every servant in this house is under suspicion. What has happened here is tantamount to stealing and no employer will tolerate it. Lord knows, enough of this kind of thing goes on, but I thought we had earned sufficient respect from our staff to prevent such things happening in this house. I will not tolerate it and neither will Mr Cookson. We try, as employers, to be fair with everybody. We go out of our way to be fair.’

      ‘Indeed СКАЧАТЬ