Sinful Seduction Read Online Free

woman, in an immaculate black dress that made her mother’s look like the shoddy article it was, appeared. ‘Well?’ she demanded, folding her arms on her formidable bosom. ‘What do you want? Didn’t the maid tell you? We want no beggars here.’
    A look of hurt bewilderment crossed her mother’s face. ‘Don’t you recognise me, Moll?’ she asked. ‘It’s me, Kate. We were in service together.’
    The woman stared at the ragged apparition. ‘Kate? Kate who?’ She looked closer and an expression of horrified recognition crossed her face. ‘Kate Ellis?’ She struggled to hide her dismay at the state of her friend. ‘Good heavens! Little Kate Ellis! Well I never! And this is your girl, is it?’
    Maggie’s mother nodded proudly, and Moll shook herself and forced a smile. ‘Where’s my manners? You must be frozen stiff standing there. Come into the kitchen and we’ll have a nice cup of tea and a chat about old times.’
    Inside, Maggie looked round, wide-eyed. Cor, the kitchen was enormous! Their cellar room would have fitted into it four times easy. A massive black range took up half one wall and was covered in bubbling pots. At a long scrubbed deal table two girls with aprons over their brown uniform were sorting eggs and flour. Through a doorway was a scullery where another was peeling a huge mound of vegetables, and the smell of hot food made Maggie’s mouth water. Her stomach rumbled loudly and she blushed with embarrassment.
    Moll looked at her shrewdly and clapped her hands. ‘Emily, make a pot of fresh tea,’ she ordered. ‘And fetch a couple of slices of that cold game pie from the larder, for me guests.’
    Emily hurried to do as she was told - and if she had any thoughts about the pitiful state of Mrs Hardcastle’s ‘guests’, she was wise enough not to express them. Or at least not until she was safely out from under her eagle eye.
    Ten minutes later they were comfortably sitting in front of the range, drinking steaming hot tea. Maggie spooned in more sugar, bit into her slice of game pie, wiped the juices from her chin and smiled blissfully. This was the life - a roaring fire and a full belly. She wiggled her toes inside the tight boots with the sheer pleasure of being warm and well fed, and then unexpectedly emitted a belch. She turned scarlet again and looked round furtively to see if it had been noted. It hadn’t. Luckily everyone was too preoccupied to notice her lapse of manners. The kitchen maids were bustling about their tasks and ma and Mrs Hardcastle were making polite conversation.
    The amenities over, her mother got down to brass tacks. ‘I’m looking for a favour, Moll,’ she said bluntly.
    Mrs Hardcastle looked apprehensive. ‘Depends what it is,’ she said cagily. ‘But if I can help, I will.’
    â€˜I need a place for our Maggie,’ her mam went on. ‘Any chance of you taking her on?’
    Maggie squirmed on her chair as Mrs Hardcastle looked her over with the air of someone offered a pig at market and discovering it was the runt of the litter.
    â€˜I don’t know,’ she muttered doubtfully. ‘She’s a scrawny little thing, ain’t she. Don’t look very healthy.’
    â€˜Don’t you believe it!’ exclaimed her mother eagerly. ‘Strong as a horse that one, for all she’s small. Never been sick a day in her life. And she’s a grand little worker.’
    Mrs Hardcastle plucked thoughtfully at her lower lip. ‘Well... I suppose Mrs McAlister could do with another tweenie.’ She pointed to one of the girls who was rolling out pastry with a dreamy expression on her face. ‘Ellen there’s going off to get married.’ She snorted. ‘Silly young madam! Being some man’s slave will soon wipe that smirk off her face. At least in here you get paid for working your arse off.’