Loving

'Well,' said Miss Burch. 'But wasn't that the lady I read about the other day, the mother I mean?'

'Yes,' the nanny answered, 'times are hard for a number of them now, there's big changes under way. I shouldn't wonder if things were never the same say what you will. But don't mistake me. I wouldn't put myself above a doctor. Though we can all bear witness about Mr Eldon how that poor man lay calling on a name and Doctor Connolly no more than paid him a call every so often, when we all know what we had under our very eyes with him growing weaker each day that passed, I don't say but someone might have taken matters into their own hands. And I'm sure they could have made free with my medicine cupboard and welcome.'

'You'll excuse me,' Agatha gently said, 'but that's a topic I can't mention.'

'Why certainly,' Miss Swift said bright. 'You don't want to take notice. The truth is,' she said frank, 'I'm an old woman and I'm growing simple.'

'Now Miss Swift…'

'Thank you," the nanny interrupted rather breathless, 'and perhaps it's understandable. After all there's not a woman after a life spent with her charges but doesn't get an eye for illness. It may start as no more than a snivel when you put 'em to bed and then before you've time to adjust yourself you're right in the middle of it, day and night nurses under your feet with oxygen bottles and all that flummery. Prevention is better than cure I say. And there's many a one I've saved when those others in stiff cuffs had their backs turned.'

'I dare hazard it's no different to what I am with a floor,' Miss Burch said conversationally. 'Take a good polished parquet, now, that they've let go. With my experience I can tell at a glance, tell at a glance,' she said.

'There you are,' the nanny exclaimed and lay back grey about the lips. She was wrapped round in the huge crocheted shawl Miss Burch had lent her on the first visit.

'And there's some won't learn their lesson,' Agatha went on. 'Take Raunce. There's a man gone forty, been in good places all his life but his silver's a disgrace. I know of houses, houses I've worked in mind, where he could never have lasted seven days.'

'I won't have Arthur in my nursery.'

'Mrs Welch won't let him enter her kitchen. But then you've both of you a place you can call your own. Not like me with no more than a door opening into the sink and a bit of a cupboard in all this mansion. Now there's one woman been very different lately. Hardly the same at all. Mrs Welch.'

'Time was I wouldn't even venture into her scullery,' the nanny said, 'but since her little Albert's been over there's a noticeable change. He's a sweet child if he may be a bit of a monkey.'

'I suspicion whether it's all the child Miss Swift.'

'I've seen so many,' Miss Swift said, 'oh dear such a number I've looked after and not one but has a soft spot in their hearts for old nanny.'

'I shouldn't wonder if it wasn't the gin again,' Miss Burch said grim.

'Oh dear oh no I wouldn't wish to listen. Why fancy. Oh no I'm an old woman. I've seen things you'd never believe but I wouldn't wish to hear such a thing.'

'It's true for all that,' Miss Burch announced with what seemed to be satisfaction.

'There now I've forgotten every bit of it poor nanny,' Miss Swift replied. 'I don't know I'm sure but you gave me quite a shock with what you just said. But there, I've forgotten all about it. Bless me yes.'

There's things I wish I could forget,' Agatha said in a far-off voice.

Miss Swift squirmed in bed.

'Take Raunce,' Miss Burch began, then stopped.

'You think I should be told?" the nanny asked.

'You'd never guess what he's been up to now,' Miss Burch went on adamant.

•I'm not strong, leastways that's how I've felt lately, weak,' the nanny muttered.

'He's took that peacock little Albert killed, which Mrs Welch hid away, and he's hung it in the outside larder. Swarming with maggots over our meat. How do you like that Miss Swift? It's wicked or worse it is.'

'Little Albert killed?' the nanny cried with a sort of wail.

'No. One of the peacocks crossed 'is path so he up and killed the thing. That's a flea bite, there's plenty more of the creatures. But from what I can make out Mrs Welch must have took umbrage. And who is there to say she was mistaken if she thought her life in peril even with that mad Irishman with his ear to every keyhole? So she put it back of a piece of cheese cloth away in her kitchen. Then she thought she'd dispose of the thing after, one way or another, but the carcass turned up again in such a fashion as Raunce could get hold of it. Crawling with maggots all over which is what my girl Kate tells me. Can you imagine the like Miss Swift? Infecting all our food.'

'Oh dear,' the nanny said come over limp. 'Arthur. I see yes, Arthur.'

'But that's a trifle,' Miss Burch continued placid yet firm, her eyes on her knitting. 'Now I went into the Red Library after dinner to see to the fire. Mrs Tennant will have fires lit to keep the rooms right for the pictures. And d'you know what I found. Why Edith and that man, the impudence, sat back in the armchairs they'd drawn to the fender. As if they owned the Castle.'

'Oh dear,' Miss Swift moaned.

' "Why whatever's this," I said,' Miss Burch went on. ' "It's my neck," he answered me. "Your cheek my man," I said and then Edith she did have the grace to get up on her two feet after that. But he went on sitting there. "What's it to you?" he asked though I could see he was ashamed for both of them. "Just this," I said so he couldn't be in doubt upon it. "There's right and wrong," I says, "and there's no two ways about which this is," I said.'

'His neck?' Miss Swift asked faint. 'You never can tell. Oh dear perhaps if I could have a glance.'

'He's kept his neck wrapped up the last two weeks,' Miss Burch announced, 'he makes out the glands are enlarged. But it's his whole head has swelled.'

'They can be dangerous swollen glands can,' the nanny said firmer.

'Well if you ask me things will go from bad to worse if Mrs Tennant won't come home soon. And I love that girl of mine Edith, I love that child Miss Swift.'

'She's a good girl Miss Burch. The children will do anything for her.'

'There it is Miss Swift, she's had her eyes on him a long time and wishing's not likely to make things different. But I'm afraid for her with that man. He's up to no good,' Miss Burch pronounced and then paused.

The nanny did not seem anxious for more. She merely repeated once again, 'She's a good girl Edith is.'

'I've never had a better,' Miss Burch began afresh. There, I'll go so far as that, never a better under me,' she said. 'In this great rambling place we have a week's cleaning to do each day. But you can depend on her. And that's something can't be said of the other, Kate. Sometimes I even wish with that one I'd been given an Irish girl to train up instead.'

'No Roman Catholics thank you,' Miss Swift said sharp.

'Yes,' Miss Burch agreed, 'we don't want those fat priests about confessin' people or taking snuff.' She stared from her knitting at Miss Swift for a moment. 'Are you feeling quite well?' she asked.

'Me?' the nanny said in a quavering voice. Thank you I'm sure. Poor nanny…' she began as if about to continue but Agatha broke in, Then that's all right. But I'm sorry for the girls nowadays,' she announced. 'It puts me in mind of the South Africa war. They see the men going out to get killed and it makes them restless. I remember how it was with me at the time. Then they look at us old women and they say to themselves they don't wish to end up like us. I was the same at their age. It's only after they've lived a few years longer that they'll come to realize there's worse than sleeping alone in your own bed, with a fresh joint down in the larder for dinner every day.'

'And a pension at the end, not just the old age,' Miss Swift put in quite bright once more. 'It was a weight off poor old nanny's mind I can tell you when they asked nanny to come back to Miss Violet after she'd done for her from a baby. To take on her own child's sweet babies the little angels.'