Part 13 (1/2)
”I'd best go now, miss, in case 'is Lords.h.i.+p sees me.”
Amy smiled at her, slipped out of the room and turned the key in the lock.
Ula sat gazing at the closed door.
Then she had an idea.
chapter six.
It was after half past eight when Amy came back with Ula's dinner.
By this time she was really hungry, despite the fact that she was so frightened that she thought the food might choke her.
But then she had eaten nothing since breakfast in London.
She lay in the dark thinking about the Marquis and, when Amy came in to light the candles and pull the curtains, she felt almost as if he was inspiring her to find a way of salvation.
The plate of fish that Amy had brought upstairs was delicious and she watched with satisfaction as Ula ate nearly all of it.
Then, when she had drunk a little of the cocoa, Ula said, ”I am going to ask you to help me, Amy.”
”You knows I'd do anythin' you ask me, miss, but I can't let you escape and your room with your clothes in it 'as been locked and 'is Lords.h.i.+p asked for the key.”
Ula reflected that her uncle was taking every precaution to prevent her from escaping.
Then she said, ”Sit down, Amy, and I will tell you my idea.”
A little apprehensively Amy sat down on the edge of a chair, looking at Ula with worried eyes.
”I have to get away from here,” Ula began. ”If I cannot escape, then I shall have to kill myself and that is not an idle threat.”
”You can't do that, miss, it'd be real wicked!”
”I know, Amy, and my father would be very upset if he knew. At the same time I cannot marry Prince Hasin.”
Even to think of him made her tremble, but she forced herself to go on, ”What I want you to do, Amy, if you are brave enough, is to come back here when the others have gone to bed and say, if anybody asks you, that you had forgotten to collect my tray.”
She saw Amy was listening, so she continued, ”Your story tomorrow will be that I overpowered you, tied you up and escaped before you could prevent me or call for help.”
She looked at Amy, who was staring at her wide-eyed as she went on, ”One thing I promise, that if my uncle does turn you out, which I think in the circ.u.mstances will be unlikely, you can go to the d.u.c.h.ess of Wrexham or to the Marquis of Raventhorpe and I am certain because they are fond of me that they will give you a position the same as you have here.”
”You're sure of that, miss?”
”Quite sure,” Ula replied. ”Frankly, my only alternative would be to throw myself out of the window, but I don't think I would be killed, only maimed, perhaps for life.”
Amy gave a cry of horror.
”I can't let you do that, can I? But, miss, I'm afeared for you and for meself.”
”I know, Amy, that I am asking a great deal of you,” Ula answered, ”but you are literally the only person I can turn to for help.”
Her voice was pleading and after a moment, as if she could not help herself, Amy said, ”I'll 'elp you, miss. It ain't right you should be treated that badly by 'is Lords.h.i.+p.”
”Thank you, Amy. There is nothing I can give you to show how grateful I am, but I feel that one day you will be rewarded for being so brave.”
”It'll be in 'eaven, if his Lords.h.i.+p guesses the truth!” Amy replied with a flash of humour.
”If you are clever, his Lords.h.i.+p will think that I overpowered you when you least expected it. After all, you are not very big, and he would believe anything of me as long as it was bad enough.”
There was a little pause and then Amy enquired, ”Will you tell me, miss, what you wants me to do?”
”I want you to come up before his Lords.h.i.+p goes to bed, but when it is late enough for the other servants not to notice you have disappeared.”
”I understands, miss. I'd better go now.”
She stood nervously looking over her shoulder as if she half-suspected that somebody was listening to their conversation.
She peeped out of the door and then hurried away, locking Ula in as she had before.
It was an hour and a half before she returned and, as she turned the key, Ula, watching the door, was apprehensive in case instead of Amy it would be her uncle.
But Amy came in quickly and closed the door behind her, saying as she did so, ”I tells 'em down below I were a-goin' to bed and they paid no attention.”
”Where is his Lords.h.i.+p?” Ula asked.
”Sittin' in the study and Mr. Newman said he were 'drunk as a Lord' afore he leaves the dinin' room.”
Ula thought that was encouraging and Amy went on, ”Mr. Newman says Lady Sarah were goin' on at 'im to beat you as 'e says 'e would, but 'e tells 'er you 'ad to be well enough to be married as soon as the Prince arrives.”
Ula did not wish to hear any more.
”Now, listen, Amy, I want you to lie down on the bed as you will be tomorrow morning when they find you.”
Amy did as was suggested and raised her head so that Ula could tie a napkin, which had come up with her dinner over her mouth and knot it at the back.
Then she pulled it down onto her neck and said, ”It will not be uncomfortable, for you need not adjust it until just when you think you might be discovered and are shouting for help.”
”When'll that be, miss?”
”As late as you can. The longer they a.s.sume I am here and not you, the more chance I have of getting away.”
Amy seemed to understand this and then Ula showed her how to tie her ankles together with the silk cord which had held back the long curtains over the window.
”You can put that on easily,” she said, ”but now, this is the one difficult part.”
She had taken a soft linen face towel from the wash basin and twisted it so that it made two holes into which Amy could easily slip her hands.