Page 31 of It Always Snows on Mistletoe Square
‘Can I try some, Mrs Bow?’ Iris asks.
‘No, you certainly cannot. Tasting is the cook’s prerogative. We can’t be wasting it – the master has some important guests coming for dinner tonight.’
‘Do you know who?’ Iris asks, agog.
‘I do.’ Mrs Bow looks smug. ‘But I can’t tell.’
‘Please do,’ Iris says. ‘I like a bit of excitement. Is it a star of the music hall?’
‘It most certainly is not,’ Mrs Bow says with disapproval. ‘We don’t want none of them sort in this house.’
‘Then who?’
Mrs Bow looks behind her in case someone might be listening.
‘He writes books.’
Iris looks disappointed. ‘I don’t read books.’
‘Do you read anything?’ Mrs Bow asks.
Iris shrugs.
‘Can you read?’ she asks, this time a little more gently.
Iris shakes her head.
‘Would you like to be able to?’
‘Oh, yes, very much I would.’
‘Then I shall teach you.’
‘Really?’ Iris asks, her eyes wide. ‘You’d do that, for me?’
‘Everyone should have the best chances in life,’ Mrs Bow says stoutly, but I can tell she’s moved by Iris’s reaction. ‘I wasn’t at school for long when I was a gal. But long enough to learn the basics. Everything else I’ve taught myself. The master upstairs, he’s a good, kind man. He lets me borrow books from his library, so I can keep improving my reading.’
Iris stares at Mrs Bow. ‘Really?’
‘Yes,’ Mrs Bow says proudly. ‘But don’t you be getting any ideas though. I’ve known the master since he was a young boy. My mother was the cook here before me, just like her mother was before her, so the master and I grew up together in this house. I like to think he trusts me. So now I’d like to help you, like he helps me.’
‘Gosh. Thank you, Mrs Bow.’ Iris smiles. ‘It’s ever so kind of you.’
Mrs Bow looks pleased. ‘Not at all. We’ll have you reading in no time, young Iris.’
‘When can we start?’ Iris asks eagerly.
‘Not today, girl, that’s for sure!’ Mrs Bow replies, returning to her sharper tones. ‘We have far too much to prepare for this dinner party, and we haven’t even started peeling the potatoes yet. We’ll start as soon as we can, though,’ she adds softly. ‘Don’t you fret.’
‘Let’s leave them now to their preparations,’ Estelle says as she moves towards the kitchen door.
‘Thank goodness.’ Ben’s voice is muffled by his handkerchief. He allows Estelle to pass, then quickly follows behind. ‘I have no idea what’s going on right now, but the sooner we leave that God-awful smell behind the better!’
‘Now,’ Estelle says as she climbs the stairs with ease. ‘We’re moving on a little timewise. When we arrive upstairs again it’s a few hours later the same day.’
We all follow Estelle to the top of the stairs.
‘Are we feeling brave enough to step outside for a little while?’ Estelle asks as she heads towards the door.
