Constant Lovers by Chris Nickson Page A

dismissed me for insolence,’ she announced.
    â€˜Oh, pet,’ Mary began, but Emily cut her off.
    â€˜It’s not like that, mama,’ she protested, tears spilling from her eyes again. ‘This morning Mrs Hartington took the girls out. Mr Hartington came to my room and he  . . .’ She shook her head rather than say it. ‘When I said no he told me to go, that I was insolent.’
    Mary pulled her daughter close again, stroking her back as she cried, just the way she’d done when Emily was little. Over the girl’s shoulder she looked up at her husband, raising her eyebrows.
    Nottingham didn’t move. Instead he breathed deeply, going over the words once more in his mind. The father in him was ready to dash up to Headingley and beat Hartington senseless, but he’d been part of the law for too long to do that. He had to cap the rage that was building inside him.
    Tonight he’d talk to Emily, comfort her, and hear the full tale. Then he’d decide what to do. He knew it happened often enough, masters taking advantage of the female servants. If they wanted to keep their posts they had no choice but to agree.
    He was proud of Emily for refusing. The girl snuffled and gazed up at him. ‘You do believe me, papa?’
    â€˜Of course I do, love.’ He smiled and took hold of her hand, cradling the thin fingers. ‘You just get yourself settled. We’ll look after you, you know that.’
    She didn’t want to eat, didn’t want much of anything except to curl into herself. That was simply the way she was, and he knew it was better to let her be for now. He’d talk to her once she was in bed. For the moment she needed to feel safe.
    Neither of them fussed around her; they treated her normally, as if nothing had happened, as if she’d never gone away. Finally, as the sky grew fully dark, Emily went off to her room.
    He followed a few minutes later, a candle in his hand. At the door he looked in, seeing her under the cover and unable to forget that Rose had once shared the bed with her.
    He placed the light on the table and eased himself down on to the old wooden chair.
    â€˜I’m sorry,’ he told her.
    Emily rolled over to face him. ‘Why are you sorry, papa?’
    â€˜I’m sorry all this happened to you.’
    She was silent for a long time. Then, ‘Does it happen a lot? With men like that?’
    â€˜Sometimes.’ He sighed. ‘It always has, I suppose. Give some men money or power and they get to thinking they have rights just because a girl works for them.’
    â€˜He told me exactly what he wanted me to do.’
    â€˜Did he try and force you?’
    â€˜No,’ she said.
    â€˜That’s something,’ Nottingham conceded softly. ‘Many men don’t take no for an answer.’
    â€˜But what am I going to do?’ Her eyes were moist again. ‘I loved the girls. And Mr Hartington said he’d never give me a reference. He was going to tell his wife I’d been insolent and he’d had to dismiss me.’
    â€˜You leave that to me, love.’
    â€˜I’m sorry, papa.’
    â€˜Don’t be,’ he said, reaching over and stroking her cheek. ‘You’ve nothing to be sorry for. You go to sleep, it’s been a long day.’
    â€˜What are you going to do?’ Mary asked later, lying against him in the bed, her head on his chest.
    â€˜I’m going to talk to Hartington tomorrow.’
    â€˜Richard  . . .’ There was a quiet warning in her voice. He stroked her hair lightly.
    â€˜Don’t worry. Everything will be fine, I promise.’
    She kissed him.
    The Constable was at the jail soon after dawn, hoping that Lister would be as good as his word and that his enthusiasm hadn’t been a sham. He heard the clock at the Parish Church chime quarter to the hour and began to pace.
    Just before the hour rang the door opened and Lister