with trunks and bags and carrying a few passengers.
“Here they come!” Millie grabbed Abigail’s hand and dashed back toward the front door to greet Kate, Penny, and the children.
“Are you ready, my dear?” William glanced down, a deeper question reflected in his eyes.
Julia pulled in a slow breath, summoning her strength. “Yes.” She took her husband’s arm again, and they followed the girls back to greet their guests.
• • •
Lydia held tight to the side of the wagon as it passed through Highland’s main gate and followed the two cars toward the front entrance. Helen sat beside her on the hard wooden bench, holding fast to her daughter, Emily, who sat on her lap. Mrs. Murdock and Donald rode on the opposite side of the wagon, almost hidden by the trunks and bags stacked in the middle. The wagon seat might be hard, but it gave Lydia a good view. Rolling green hills dotted with sheep, shady forest glades, and spacious parkland spread out around them.
The road curved to the right, opening up a new view. Lydia pointed to the house. “There it is. That’s Highland Hall.”
Helen turned and gasped. “Why, it looks like a castle!”
“Wait till you see the inside.”
Mrs. Murdock, the cook, gave an appreciative nod. “It’s a grand place, that’s for sure and certain.”
Donald stared past Lydia’s shoulder, a slight frown dipping his brows. “It looks more like a big school or a government building.”
Helen twisted around for a better view. “Oh, no. It’s much too nice for that.”
Highland Hall was quite a sight—four stories high at the tallest point and built of sand-colored stone. It had scores of arched windows, several chimney stacks, and a tall round tower at one corner. Lydia had loved working here those two years before she moved to London with the Fosters, and it still gave her a thrill to see the great house surrounded by wide green lawns and colorful gardens.
She glanced across at Donald. “Highland Hall is called a manor house.”
The boy tipped his head and studied it.
“Mrs. Kate’s cousin, Sir William Ramsey, is in charge here,” Mrs. Murdock added. She had cooked for Sir William and the family when they came to London for the season, and it seemed she wanted to remind them she was well acquainted with the Ramseys.
Lydia held back her smile. “Mrs. Murdock is right, Donald. Sir William Ramsey is Baronet and master of Highland. But he’s a fair and generous man, and you’re to show him proper respect.”
Donald gave a shrug, trying to look unimpressed, but Lydia could tell he was storing her words away.
She looked toward the house again. Sir William and Lady Julia waited by the front entrance with Miss Millie and Abigail. My, how those little girls had grown! What other changes had happened at Highland since she’d been away?
She looked at Lady Julia again, her heart sinking a bit. She’d overheard Dr. Jon and Mrs. Kate talking about Lady Julia losing a baby recently. What a heartbreak that must have been, especially when she dearly loved children.
Mr. Lawrence, the Ramseys’ butler, stepped outside and joined the family. Patrick, the tall footman, followed him out the door. Mrs. Miranda Dalton, the housekeeper, came next and stood beside Lady Julia. Lydia had worked under Mrs. Dalton for only a few months before Kate and Jon had married. Mrs. Dalton was a kind woman, though she liked things done her way and did not tolerate sloppy work.
The cars ahead of them rolled to a stop. Patrick sprang forward and opened the rear passenger door. Kate, Penny, and several children climbed out. Julia greeted Kate and Penny with a kiss on the cheek.
The wagon rolled to a stop behind the cars. Donald jumped down and joined the other children, looking a bit uncertain. The driver walked around to the back of the wagon and reached out a hand to help Helen climb down, then he lifted little Emily and set her on the ground by Helen. He turned back and helped Mrs. Murdock, and
Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Amira Rain, Simply Shifters