The Woman of Gratz

5: A House-Party

Back at Curzon Street, Leon and Mirabelle entrusted the Spanz to the garage in the mews and went into the house through the back door, pausing in the servants' hall to tell the news: 'We rescued Maria, and now we're going to clean up.'

'Yes, you tidy yourselves up,' said Mrs Dorran. 'Your hair's a sight!' She nodded at them approvingly, adding, 'and when you've done that, there's a cup of tea waiting for you - you can come and tell us all about it.'

'They're dying to know,' said Mirabelle, as the pair went upstairs hand-in-hand.

'Yes, Bob would have loved to have come with us,' her husband agreed.

Upstairs in their attic bedroom, they took it in turns to take a shower bath - as they hadn't had a wash since the previous day - and then to dress in clean clothes. Leon shaved and Mirabelle helped him to get a comb through his mop of grey hair. Her own hair had stayed firmly under its cloche hat throughout events, but was in dire need of a brush and comb. When at last they were restored to respectability, they paused to share a kiss and then went back downstairs to fulfil their duty, by telling their exciting tale in the servants' hall.

Emily was sitting at the table, threading Maria's black pearls on to a thread. 'I collected them up,' she said. 'I expect some are lost, but I thought she'd like them back.'

'That's very kind of you,' said Mirabelle, impressed by her thoughtfulness; 'I'm sure she'll be very grateful to you.'

'She's such a lovely lady,' said Emily, with a sigh. 'She has some lovely clothes in her trunk!'

'Has she emptied it yet?' asked Leon, accepting a cup of tea from Mrs Dorran with a 'Thank you.'

'No, but the master and Mr Poiccart put some of her things into boxes and took them upstairs.'

I'm sure you were not intended to know about that, thought Leon. George had never trusted servants; that was why the servants at 233 Curzon Street were only here for 10 hours a day, eight until six. Aloud, he said: 'I expect there was too much to store it all in her room.'

'Will she be sharing a room with the master?' asked Emily. 'After all, you share with Mrs Lightning.'

'Emily! That's nothing to do with you,' Mrs Dorran chided her. 'Posh people don't share rooms.'

'Some of them do,' persisted Emily, continuing to thread beads.

'They do in the pictures,' added Megs.

'That's just for - for - cinematic convenience.' Mrs Dorran remembered hearing the phrase, and thought it sounded very appropriate.

'Well! Perhaps this would be for convenience, too.' Emily knotted off her threads and held up the necklace. 'Done! I've fitted the clasp back on, but I think it's about two inches shorter than it was.'

'I think I hear them coming in now,' said Mirabelle. 'Do you want to take it upstairs to her?'

'Oh, yes!' Emily hesitated. 'Could you come with me? You've spoken more to her than I have.'

'Of course.' Mirabelle rose from her chair and went upstairs with the blushing housemaid.

Maria was sitting in the drawing room, while George talked to Raymond in the hall. The men looked around as Mirabelle approached with Emily. 'Emily's repaired Maria's necklace,' said Mirabelle quickly, 'we were just going to take it to her.'

'Please go ahead,' said George, smiling kindly at Emily, 'she will be very pleased to see it.'

So Mirabelle led Emily into the drawing room, and Emily followed, very nervous and ready to curtsey. However, as soon as Maria saw her she greeted her with: 'My little friend Emily! How good to see you. George told me that you warned him that I had been captured. That was good of you, and very brave.'