‘I will, Mrs Darwin, light of my life … oh, Mrs D, will you make sure my shirts are not folded, just put on the hangers, can’t stand the creases … thanks awfully.’ Mrs Darwin shrugged her shoulders and plodded back down to the basement, passing Minnie.
‘Prince Edward himself wants his shirts not folded, he’ll be wanting me to press his socks next.’
The marble bathroom was like a wonderland. Evelyne touched the white bath, the washbasin, and gasped with delight as she turned on the taps. Hot and cold water!
What would Lizzie-Ann have to say, hot and cold, and a toilet of their own with a cord that flushed it.
‘Evelyne, dear, have you run your bath? Don’t be too long, we won’t have too much time for sightseeing.’
In his room, David sighed. ‘Sightseeing’ … dear God, he hoped none of his friends would show up during his aunt’s stay.
Doris and Evelyne spent the rest of the afternoon in the museums and wandering around the castle. Everything was a wonder to Evelyne. They were both tired when they returned so Doris suggested they take a little nap before dinner. Evelyne was loving every minute of it. Her small single bed with its crisp white sheets was heaven, and she dozed blissfully. She was still snoozing at dinner-time, and Doris woke her. She was embarrassed to see that Doris had changed. She had only one clean blouse.
‘Shall I wear my other blouse, Mrs Evans?’
‘I don’t think so, dear, the gong has already rung, and you’ll need it for tomorrow … just give your hair a brush, would you like me to do it for you?’
Doris had never brushed a girl’s hair before, and she was not much good at plaiting it. At the end of all her hard work it looked as if it still needed brushing.
‘Thank you, Mrs Evans.’
Doris gave her a small, tight smile, patted her and then straightened her cardigan.
‘Well, shall we go down? Don’t eat too fast, dear, don’t speak with your mouth full, and keep your voice lowered, no need to shout, all right?’
The meal was an agony of uncertainty for Evelyne, and she spoke not a word, terrified she would choke or be caught with her mouth full. Her bread crumbled so much that she kept glancing at Doris and picking up each crumb from round her place setting. She watched Doris coping with the lukewarm soup, moving her spoon away from her and then sipping from the side of it, and followed suit. It tasted like her mother’s gravy.
‘So, Aunt, how is village life? Do you not miss Cardiff?’
‘I don’t, David … Evelyne, have you finished your soup?’
The main course consisted of roast beef, carrots, peas, and small, crisp roast potatoes.
‘Do start, dear, don’t want it getting cold.’
Evelyne began to eat and felt David’s half-amused stare making her go hot and cold. She could feel her legs sticking together.
‘You are to be a lawyer, David?’ Doris asked her nephew. ‘Congratulations.’
‘Well, I will no doubt be called up. Bit of a nuisance really, in the middle of studies, but then one has to do one’s bit. Wretched business, this war.’
The pudding was served, a chocolate sponge with thick, bright yellow custard.
‘You know, I really must go to the valleys one day. Spent last vacs in London, met some of Mother’s relatives there, jolly nice people.’
‘She was a good woman, miss her you know, Doris,’ put in Dr Collins. ‘She ran the house like clockwork, didn’t she, David?’
‘So, Elaine, tell me how you like Cardiff?’
‘Her name’s Evelyne, and she’s a very clever girl, my best pupil.’
Evelyne couldn’t meet his blue eyes. She bit her lip, loving the sound of his voice.
‘I do apologize, you should have corrected me before, Evelyne … so, Ev-e-lyne, you are still at school?’
Every time Evelyne opened her mouth to speak Doris butted in until David laughed, a lovely, chuckling laugh. ‘Good God, Aunt, can’t the gel speak for herself?’ ‘Mrs Evans is teaching me private.’ ‘Oh, I see … oh I say, Pa, did I tell you I’m playing polo? Charlie Withers said I could use one of his ponies, rather chuffed about it, actually. You know Freddy Carlton’s always said I should try my hand … did you know Lord and Lady Carlton, Auntie?’
Doris pursed her lips, dabbed them with the napkin. ‘No, when I was a girl I didn’t mix in those exalted circles, but I have seen pictures of their estate. Your grandfather did their gardens, when he retired from the railway.’
Doris’ quiet reproach to her nephew went over Evelyne’s head. She was happy to listen to him talk, and when his attention was directed to his aunt or his father it gave her the opportunity to study him. He had a habit of running his fingers through his silky hair, then tossing his head slightly. He wore a large gold ring on his little finger. Evelyne had still not spoken more than two sentences when everyone rose and went into a small sitting room. It was cosy and informal with a huge, round bowl of fresh roses on the table. The maid wheeled in the trolley with coffee and small, round peppermints covered in dark, home-made chocolate. Evelyne slipped one into her pocket for little Davey, and tucked her worn shoes as far out of sight beneath her skirt as she could.
The fire was stacked as high as it could be and made the small room hot and stuffy, but it was a pleasant stuffiness. Doris sat next to her brother and talked with him in whispers. Evelyne had never tasted coffee before and she found it bitter but nice, like a cross between hot chocolate and very strong tea. She nearly spilled it as she sensed David standing beside her. Evelyne was too shy to look up, and all she could see was his grey trouser-leg and soft leather boot. Her blush was even worse than at supper.
‘Would you care for another?’
David held out the peppermints and smiled. Evelyne was sure he had seen her pocket one, so she shook her head and felt her hair begin to come loose from its braid. She tried frantically to push it back, but the harder she tried the more the strands worked loose.
David picked up the family photograph album and carried it to the table, moving the roses aside and laying it on the crushed velvet cloth. He gave Evelyne a look to join him. She sat next to him with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, knowing her hair was all over the place and feeling her rough skin above the worn shoes, but she never once turned her face towards him, seeing only his hands with their long, tapering fingers, and the immaculate cuffs of his shirt. The village boys seemed so rough and unkempt in comparison. David wore his hair slightly long, whereas they had to keep theirs short because of the coal dust, and Evelyne had never seen hair with such a sheen on it, even on a girl.
At bedtime Evelyne scrubbed her face, neck and arms, then spent a long time washing the face cloth so it wouldn’t look grey. She unfolded her mother’s old, greyish nightgown that had once been white and pulled it over her head, then folded all her clothes neatly, and unlocked the door.
She tiptoed along the corridor and heard Doris below saying goodnight to her brother. About to enter her bedroom she caught sight of David’s half-open door opposite. She couldn’t help herself, she stared. David was sitting on the side of his bed wearing only his grey trousers and boots, nothing on the top at all. He was leaning forward, reading a book, and running his fingers through his hair. Evelyne knew she shouldn’t be standing there, but she couldn’t move, she wanted to touch his soft, clean white skin. She had never felt like this in her life before. She was used to seeing and touching male skin from bathing her menfolk, but this was somehow different, she didn’t know quite why, but she had a pain in the pit of her tummy, and her whole body felt hot.
There were footsteps on the stairs, and she turned quickly, dropping a shoe. Mortified, she grabbed it and heard David’s door close as she scurried into her room. Oh, dear Lord, had he seen her watching him?