that night. She nearly fell inside the cottage in her haste, but then wondered if her good news had somehow preceded her, for there seemed to be a party going on already. Molly, Bessie and Toby were all seated at the table, a half-empty jug of ale and a bottle of elderberry wine between them. They all seemed to be in good spirits and Amy beamed at them.
‘Oh, so you’ve heard then,’ she said.
Molly nodded. ‘Oh aye, lass, we’ve heard all right. It’s wonderful news, ain’t it? Bessie here is as proud as a peacock.’
Toby raised his glass to her, more than a little tiddly. ‘I reckon I’ll enjoy being an uncle.’
‘A what? What are you on about?’ Amy was totally confused.
‘Why – the baby, o’ course. Our Mary is to have a baby. Me mam’s goin’ to be a gran just like yours.’ He fell about laughing at his own joke as Bessie cuffed him playfully around the ear.
‘Cheeky young bugger,’ she grinned. ‘I just hope that the little ’un has better manners than its uncle.’
As the meaning of their words sank in, Amy pulled up a chair to join them and her eyes shone.
‘You mean Mary is expecting a baby?’ She was so delighted that she momentarily forgot her own good news.
‘She is that. About seven more months, the doctor reckons, so you’d best get yer knittin’ needles out, or better still, get designin’ some baby bonnets.’
The mention of bonnets brought Amy’s mind back to her own news.
‘Well then, we’d better make this a double celebration as I’ve got some good news of my own to tell you.’
‘Oh, God above, don’t tell me you’re wi’ child an’ all,’ Molly cackled playfully.
Laughing, Amy slapped her hand. ‘Now then, Gran, I reckon you’ve had enough of that wine, you know it always goes to your head.’ Her voice was stern but her eyes were dancing, and now that she had their attention she hurriedly began to tell them of the day’s events. She was so excited that her words ran one into the other, and every now and then she had to stop to draw breath.
‘I’ll tell you, you could have knocked me down with a feather,’ she confided as they stared at her in awe.
Molly shook her head as if to clear it, then placing her hands firmly on the table, she stared into Amy’s sparkling eyes.
‘You mean to tell me, you are the new head o’ the design department?’
When Amy nodded, Molly gaped incredulously.
‘Well I’ll be,’ she muttered softly. ‘Didn’t I allus say my girl was destined fer better things?’
‘Yer did that, Molly, yer surely did,’ Bessie agreed. ‘By, what wi’ our Mary’s news and now this on top, well, it’s turned out to be a day to remember an’ no mistake.’
Toby, who had said not one word whilst Amy had been speaking, leaned across the table and squeezed her hand.
‘I always told you you could do it, didn’t I?’ he said quietly. ‘You were always meant for greater things.’
And inside his heart was saying, ‘Yes – far greater things than I could ever offer you,’ and although he smiled and offered his congratulations, inside he knew that she had gone yet one step even further away from him.
She arrived at Forrester’s Folly promptly at two o’clock the next day, boldly going to the front door as the elderly mistress had told her to. Lily was sick and confined to bed in the servants’ quarters, so it was Mary who opened the door to her and gave her a crafty wink. She looked smart in her frilled apron and mob cap, and as they walked along the huge hallway, she whispered, ‘Well done, Amy.’
Amy grinned at her. ‘You too,’ she whispered back, and Mary proudly patted her stomach. Then she knocked sedately at the door, formally announced the visitor and showed her into the study before quietly withdrawing.
Mr Forrester and his mother were waiting for Amy and both immediately noted her glowing cheeks and bright eyes.
‘So, how’s our new Head of Design feeling today then?’ asked the old woman.
Amy beamed at her. ‘I’m feeling wonderful.’
‘Good, good, well come and take the weight off your feet. You know I’m not one for formalities and then, happen when we’ve had a cup of tea, I’ll have something to tell you that will make you feel even more wonderful.’
Amy was intrigued and sat impatiently while another maid pushed the tea-trolley in. As was habit now, once the maid had gone, Amy