The Lady and the Lake (13 page)

5

I
enjoyed
my
first
day
at
the
school,
the
children
were
delightful,
very
obedient
and
friendly,
all
except
Clara
who
was
quiet
all
day
and
didn’t
join
in
verbally
with
any
of
the
lessons.
At
the
end
of
the
day
I
took
her
to
one
side.

‘Is
something
bothering
you,
Clara,
for
you’ve
not
spoken
to
me
all
day,’
I
questioned.
Her
answer
was
to
shrug
her
shoulders
and
look
away.
‘How
old
are
you?’
I
asked
gently.

‘Eight,
Miss,’
she
replied
reluctantly.

‘Perhaps
you
don’t
like
me
and
are
missing
Miss
Anderson,’
I
said.

‘I
do
like
you
Miss,
but
Ma
and
Pa
told
me
I
wasn’t
to
have
anything
to
do
with
you
as
you
live
at
the
Hall,’
she
said
quietly
not
looking
me
in
the
face.
So,
I
thought,
even
the
children
couldn’t
escape
the
animosity
towards
the
Kershaw
family.
Quickly
I
cleaned the
blackboard
and
tidied
up,
then
placing
my
bonnet
on
I
took
hold
of
Clara’s
hand.

‘I’m
walking
you
home
Clara
as
I
wish
to
speak
to
your
mother
and
father,’
I
said
firmly.
The
child
didn’t
object
and
led
me
to
one
of
the
white
cottages
in
the
village.
A
woman
was
on
her
knees
polishing
the
brass
step
at
the
front
door.

She
turned
her
head
around
at
our
arrival
and
I
was
quite
shocked,
although
relatively
young
she
had
dark
circles
under
her
troubled
eyes
and
her
face
was
as
white
as
the
sheets
on
my
bed.
Getting
up
she
pulled
Clara
from
me
placing
a
protective
arm
round
the
girl’s
shoulder.

‘What
do
you
want?’
she
asked
with
hatred
in
her
voice,
‘go
home
where
you
belong.’

‘Strictly
speaking,’
I
said
quietly,
‘Kerslake
Hall
isn’t
my
home
and
I
am
not
a
Kershaw,
and
have
indeed
been
here
only
two
days.’

‘That’s
as
may
be,
but
you
were
there when
my
Gladys
was
found.’
Her
voice
broke
as
she
spoke
the
words
and
my
heart
missed
a
beat
for
I
had
not
expected
Clara
to
be
Gladys’
sister.

‘Mrs
White,
I
am
so
sorry.’
So
saying
I
went
to
her
and
put
my
arm
gently
around
her
shoulder.
I
half
expected
her
to
push
me
away,
but
instead
she
cried,
blowing
her
nose
on
the
hem
of
her
apron.
As
she
calmed
down
she
looked
at
me,
‘Have
you
any
bairns?’
she
asked.

‘No,’
I
said
simply.

‘Well
when
you
have
you’ll
understand.
A
good
girl
Gladys
were,
I
still
can’t
believe
she’s
gone,’
she
said
sniffing
into
her
apron
once
more.

‘Mrs
White,
I
understand
how
you
must
be
feeling,’
I
said,
an
idea
forming
in
my
mind,
‘would
you
allow
Clara
to
come
up
to
the
Hall
next
Thursday
for
Emily’s
party?’
At
my
words
Mrs
White
looked
at
me
aghast.

‘What!
And
have
her
murdered
too!’

‘
Not
at
all,
I
want
you
to
see
all
is
not
bad
at
Kerslake
Hall,
and
young
Emily has
no
friends,’
I
spoke
with
encouragement.

‘I’ll
think
on
it,’
she
conceded,
‘and
I’ll
have
to
ask
my
husband,
I
doubt
he’ll
be
agreeable.’

‘Yes,
please
think
about
it
and
I’ll
call
on
you
next
week
if
I
may.’
My
voice
was
soothing
as
I
spoke
and
as
she
stepped
through
the
door
with
Clara
she
looked
back
at
me.

‘You
do
that,
Miss,’
she
said
grudgingly.

***

Later,
back
in
my
bedroom
while
freshening
up
my
face
with
some
cold
water,
I
thought
how
foolish
I
had
been
to
invite
Clara
to
the
Hall
and
that
I
would
have
to
speak
to
Antony
Kershaw
about
it
as
it
wasn’t
my
place
to
hand
out
invitations
to
anyone.

But
my
thoughts
had
been
with
both
Emily
and
Clara,
having
a
strong
feeling
that
they
would
get
on
well
together.

There
was
a
tap
on
the
door
before
I
had
a
chance
to
change
my
grey
dress
for
the
pale
green
one.
Without
any
ado
or
by
your
leave
Mrs
Grafton
appeared
in
the
doorway.

‘The
Mistress
wishes
to
see
you
now,’
she
instructed,
a
sly
smile
to
her
lips
as
she
spoke.