but Amy wisely held her tongue although she stared back defiantly and unafraid.
The woman was impeccably dressed in a jade-green riding habit topped off with a matching velvet hat that sported an ostrich plume. On her feet were gold buckled leather riding boots and she slapped her crop against them threateningly as she continued to glare at Amy.
Amy had guessed that this was Eugenie, Master Adam’s wife. At one time, the woman must have been very attractive, but time and too much good living had robbed her of her good looks, which was partly why she was gazing so jealously at Amy now.
Even with her auburn curls tumbled and her skirts spread about her, the girl was beautiful and Eugenie took an instant dislike to her. She was sick of hearing her name. Sick of hearing the praise that poured from the lips of her father-in-law, and Adam and his grandmother every time her name was mentioned. But more than anything, she was sick of no longer being the centre of attention. Her fury was such that she could barely contain it, and afraid of what she might do, she turned on her heel and mounted her horse none too gently.
‘Just make sure you use the servants’ entrance next time,’ she said spitefully. ‘If I ever come across you again, I’ll mow you down like the common little guttersnipe that you are.’
And then with a crack of the whip to the terrified horse’s rump, she galloped away. Amy could only stare after her indignantly. It had taken all her self-control not to answer the woman back, but now the confrontation was over she shuddered, wondering how anyone as nice as Adam could have saddled himself with such an unpleasant wife.
For the first time she entered the house from the rear, and when she was eventually shown into the study where old Mrs Forrester awaited her, the latter stared at her with concern. Amy had straightened her clothes and tidied her hair as best she could, but there was nothing she could do about the grass stains on her skirts.
‘What’s happened to you then?’ The old woman missed nothing. ‘You look as if you’ve been in a boxin’ match.’
‘Oh, it’s nothing really.’ Amy was trying to make light of things, not wishing to cause any trouble. ‘I took a short-cut through the woods and as I was crossing the lawn I got in the path of a woman on a white horse.’
‘Hmph, that’ll be Eugenie, no doubt, galloping around the grounds like a mad thing as usual. She’ll kill one o’ them poor horses one o’ these days, you just mark me words. Too fond o’ the whip by far, that spoiled little madam is. Why, there’s nothing I’d like more than to take a whip to her meself!’
Amy believed her and suddenly grinned, seeing the funny side of it. ‘Well, there’s no harm done,’ she assured her. ‘As Miss Eugenie said, I was the one in the wrong. I should have approached the house from the servants’ entrance.’
Mrs Forrester’s eyes stood out from her painted face with rage. ‘She dared to say that to you, did she? Well, you listen to me, I’m saying you may approach the house any damn way you choose, and if that vicious little minx ever says otherwise again, she’ll have me to answer to. Do you understand?’
Amy nodded dumbly. The old lady was obviously furious, and eager to turn her mind to other things, Amy quickly removed the sketches from her bag and began to discuss them. Luckily, after a time the old mistress calmed down and the rest of the afternoon passed uneventfully. In fact, Amy might even have said pleasantly.
That evening, for the first time in her whole life, Amy lied to Molly – about the grass stains on her skirt.
‘I slipped on the lawns,’ was all she would say, although she was careful to keep her eyes averted from her gran’s as she said it. She could well imagine the explosion that would have occurred had she told her the truth, and she could see nothing being gained by it. She knew that today she had made a formidable enemy in Eugenie Forrester, and were Molly ever to find out, she would only worry.
The following evening, Amy finished work at six o’clock. Lately she had often worked until much later but the last order had just been finished and sent off to London and she was looking forward to a quiet