Anna's Return Read Online Free

met you,” said Anna. “It is not their fault that the snobbish values
in this country prevented them from marrying when they were in love.”
    “How dare you speak to me like that? I know what you’re
about, sneaking around your father’s study so that you can find out if he’s
made provision for you in his will. Well I can tell you now that he has not so
you’re wasting your time.”
    Anna was infuriated by the injustice in Geraldine’s words. She
had no interest in inheriting from her father. The only reason she stayed on at
Silverton Hall was because she had nowhere else to go. “I am not snooping,” she
said, clenching her hands into a fist to try and stem the growing anger and
despair.
    If Geraldine believed she was and passed on that gossip to
Sir Lionel, Anna might well find herself out on the street. Not for the first
time in the eight years since she had come to Silverton Hall did she ponder on
how fragile her place was in this house.
    “Go on, back upstairs,” said Geraldine. “I shall speak to
Mrs. Palmer and tell her that in future you are to keep to the kitchen and the
upstairs rooms. I don’t want you in the public rooms or the private family
apartments.” She emphasised the word ‘family’ to let Anna know that she was
most certainly not counted amongst that group of people.
    “I haven’t finished…” Anna started to say.
    “You have finished! Now go!”

 
    Chapter Four
    Anna wiped her eyes with a hankie as Mrs. Palmer put a cup
of tea in front of her. “There now, child, don’t take on so,” she said, gently.
“Oh that woman… There’s been nothing but trouble since she came to this house.
You might think she’ll throw you out, dear, but I know she won’t. So many
servants have come and gone since she married your father. She doesn’t know how
to treat them. In the old days, servants didn’t have much choice, but since the
war young girls can have different careers in shops and offices, and that’s
what they want. Who’s going to clean up after others, and work till past
midnight having to get up again at six, when there are better paid jobs out
there where you can be home by five o’clock and in bed by ten? I’d go myself.
I’ve often had dreams of running a guest house by the sea, but…”
    “What?” Anna looked up at her, teary eyed. “Oh, Mrs. Palmer,
please don’t say you’re only staying because of me? I’d feel awful.”
    “Then you mustn’t. I promised that lad and God I’d take care
of you, and take care of you, I will. As long as I’m here, no harm will come to
you.”
    Anna sipped her tea, feeling humbled by Mrs. Palmer’s
sacrifice. It was not fair that the housekeeper carried on working somewhere
she was clearly miserable because of Anna. “Mrs. Palmer,” she said quietly, a
few minutes later.
    Mrs. Palmer was peeling potatoes. It was not her job, but
the cook had quit the week before, and the kitchen maid the week before that.
The other staff was stretched to the limit with the demands that Lady Silverton
made of them. “What, dear?”
    “You said you’d quite like to run a guesthouse?”
    “Ay, it’s an idle dream, but my sister’s husband left her a
bit of money in his will. Did I tell you?”
    “Yes, you did.”
    “Well, me and our Elsie thought we’d run a guesthouse
together. It’s something we talk about in our letters. She works as a cook for
the Duke of Northumberland, you know. I suppose it helps us to dream a little.
Makes the days go a bit quicker.”
    “Oh.”
    “What? Do you not think it’s a good idea?”
    “Oh yes, it’s a wonderful idea. It’s just that I was going
to suggest I come and help you. Then we could both leave here.”
    Mrs. Palmer turned around and smiled. “Now why didn’t I
think of that? I’ll write and ask our Elsie what she thinks, but I’m sure she
won’t mind. You could be a chambermaid. Not that we’d be able to pay you much.”
    “I don’t mind, honestly. As long as it’s away from