She nodded. “You sleep well, too.” She slammed the door shut and watched him drive off, already missing him.
I like you, Gertie McBride he’d said. Like, not love. He’d never said he loved her. Not once. So many times she’d been tempted to say it, but had always changed her mind at the last minute, afraid he’d feel trapped or something and she’d never see him again.
It was hard, loving him like she did, without ever knowing how he really felt about her. It was all very well for him to say he’d left London to be with her, but that could simply mean he liked living on the coast better than the city and enjoyed her company.
If only she knew for sure, one way or the other. How she hated all these guessing games. One of these days she’d just come right out and say it, and then it would be up to him. Only she knew full well that she’d be a lot more miserable without him than she was now, even with the not knowing.
“Men,” she muttered, as she closed the yard gate behind her. “Bleeding more trouble than they’re worth, they are.” Shivering in the cold, she drew her thin shawl closer to her neck as she hurried across the yard to the kitchen door. All she hoped now was that no one would see her sneaking back to her room.
It was warm inside the kitchen, with coals still glowing in the stove. She held her hands out to the heat, and breathed in the delicious spicy aroma of mince pies and fruit cake. Mrs. Chubb had been busy.
The smell made her hungry, and she turned her back on the stove, knowing she should get to her room so that Daisy could get some sleep. Reluctantly she left the kitchen and made her way down the darkened hallway to her room.
Quietly opening the door, she peeked in. The twins were asleep in their beds, and Daisy was on her back on Gertie’s bed, snoring like a drunk docker.
Gertie crept across the floor, wincing as the floorboards creaked under her feet. She shook Daisy’s arm, and the snoring cut off with a snort.
The nanny stirred and slowly opened her eyes. Blinking, she demanded, “What time is it?”
“Shhshh!” Gertie put her finger to her lips. “You’ll wake the twins.”
“Sorry.” Daisy swung her feet to the floor. “I’ll get off to my room.”
“Thank you, Daisy. See you in the morning. And remember, mum’s the word.”
Daisy nodded, blew a kiss to the sleeping twins, then disappeared into the darkness.
Gertie closed the door and sank onto the edge of the bed. She was too hungry to go to sleep. Having been so excited at the thought of going out with Dan, she’d hardly eaten any supper, and the pickled egg she’d eaten down the pub didn’t exactly fill her up.
The thought of all those mince pies cooling in the pantry made her stomach growl. If she was going to get any sleep at all, she’d have to eat something. Surely Mrs. Chubb wouldn’t miss one or two mince pies.
After making sure the twins were still sleeping peacefully, she picked up the oil lamp and crept to the door. She’d only be gone a minute or two. Just long enough to grab something to eat and a glass of milk. But just in case, she left the door open a little bit. If the twins cried out she’d hear them down the hallway. Hurrying toward the kitchen, she licked her lips in anticipation of the treat in store.
The coals had died down in the few minutes she’d been gone, with only a faint glow left to warm the room. Carrying the lamp over to the pantry, she looked inside. There on the shelf stood platters of mince pies and five large fruitcakes waiting to be decorated with royal icing.
The smell made Gertie feel faint. She would have loved a hefty chunk of fruitcake, but she could just imagine Chubby’s face if she walked into the pantry the next morning and saw a slice cut out of her precious cake.
Gertie grinned at the thought. Mince pies now, well, that was a different matter. She balanced the lamp on the shelf, then scooped up three of the miniature pies. After slipping two of them into her pocket, she took a bite out of the third.
With a sigh of pure pleasure she chewed it down, then shoved the rest of the pie in her mouth. It tasted even better than it smelled. Swallowing the last of it, she reached for the jug of milk.
She thought about getting a cup, then shrugged and tipped the jug so she could drink a few mouthfuls from it, before replacing it on the shelf. With a quick swipe of her mouth with her sleeve, she grabbed the lamp and hurried out of the pantry, being careful to close the door behind her.
A moment or two later she was back in her room and closing the door. As she was putting the lamp back on the dresser, James spoke from his bed. “Where have you been?”
Gertie spun around, to see both twins sitting up in bed staring at her. “I went out tonight. Remember? I told you I was going to see Uncle Dan.”
“Where did Daisy go?”
He sounded accusing, and Gertie felt guilty. They must have woken up and realized they were alone. “I went to get you these,” she said quickly. She pulled the mince pies from her pocket and took them over to the beds. “Here, you can eat it now if you like.”
James took his and immediately jammed it in his mouth.
Lillian looked at hers as if it would bite her. “What is it?”
“It’s a mince pie.” Gertie nodded at James. “Look, he likes it. You’ve eaten them before. Last Christmas you ate a lot of them, remember?”
Lillian gingerly took the mince pie in her fingers. “Where did the elf go?”
Gertie frowned. “The elf?”
“She’s been dreaming,” James said, his mouth still full of mince pie. “She’s always dreaming, aren’t you Lilly.”
Lillian took a small bite of the pie. “I don’t like it.” She held it out to Gertie.
“I’ll have it.” James grabbed it before Gertie could take it.
“I bet the elf would have liked it,” Lillian said.
“Give that to me.” Gertie took the mince pie away from James. “One is quite enough. Now the two of you, go to sleep. You know Father Christmas is watching you, and if you don’t do what you’re told, he won’t leave you no presents.”
“He sent the elf to watch us, too,” Lillian said, snuggling down under the blankets.
“I told you she’s always dreaming.” James plopped down, too. “Go back to sleep, Lilly.”
For answer Lillian murmured a sleepy “G’night.”
Gertie smiled. “Goodnight you two precious things.” She tucked them up then went back to her own bed. The bedclothes were still rumpled from Daisy’s doze, and she straightened them, then glanced over at the twins. They both appeared to be sleeping. Quickly she popped the rescued mince pie in her mouth, and went over to the dresser.
After pulling out all the pins from her hair she dropped them in the little dish she kept on her dresser. As she did so, she noticed a piece of white cotton poking out from one of her drawers.
Easing the drawer open, she saw all her unmentionables rumpled up and thrown about. That Lillian, she thought darkly. She was always getting into her clothes and trying them on. She’d asked Daisy to see that the twins didn’t touch anything while she was gone, but once that girl got her nose in a book she wouldn’t notice if Father Christmas hisself came down the chimney.
Glancing over at the bedside table, she saw that the clock and the photograph of her, Dan, and the twins had been moved as well. The twins must have had quite a game together while she was gone.
On impulse she crossed the room and opened the wardrobe. Sure enough, her clothes were shoved back to one side and the lid was off her good shoe box. She’d have a word with those little blighters in the morning and set them straight once and for all. No doubt Lillian would blame it all on a bloody elf.
Quickly she undressed and climbed into bed. Now she could close her eyes and dream about Dan asking her to marry him, which was a whole lot more interesting than Lillian’s elves.