Lost heritage by Rebecca Stratton Page B

voice. 'In the meantime, mademoiselley may we proceed?'
    CHAPTER FOUR
    It was a relief when Mademoiselle Duclair was declared fit to return to duty in two days' time. The fact that Raoul was suspicious of her, even though he was on the wrong track, made it necessary for Charlotte to take extra care whenever she was with him, and she felt restricted enough as it was. If she was to find out anything about her background she had to ask questions, and in the present climate, asking questions was evep more difficult than usual.
    The first occasion on which she began to see light arose quite by accident. On her way downstairs to collect the mail one morning she met Celine Bouchet, coming up with Madame Menais' morning coffee, and exchanged a few words with her as she usually did.
    It had occurred to her once or twice that Celine was probably the one person, other than a member of the Menais family, who could tell her all she wanted to know, but asking her was simply not possible. Her years of service with the Menais had bound her too closely in loyalty to the family she worked for to make gossiping about them even thinkable.
    Lizette often slept late in the mornings, particularly after a resdess night, and on those occasions Charlotte left

    her to sleep and found odier things to do until she woke. Usually she fetched the mail and sorted it ready for Lizette to deal with when she was ready, and it was on one of these Occasions that she met Celine on her way to Madame Menais' bedroom with her regular morning coffee.
    She was obviously feeling less than usually composed this morning and she followed her greeting with some murmured complaint about a tradesman, using both French and English, so that Charlotte gained only half the mforma-tion. Some crisis in the running of the household, ap-parendy, and it was quite automatic for Charlotte to offer to relieve her of the tray she carried.
    Rather to her surprise the offer was accepted, although quite clearly Celine considered it quite an honour, and gave her firm instructions on the right way to perform the ritual of taking Madame her coffee. *Knock two times before entering,* she instructed, and seemed as if she was already having second thoughts about entrusting Charlotte with die errand. 'Madame does not always hear the first summons and one must make allowances. Comprenez?^
    TVL remember, Celine,' Charlotte promised as the tray changed hands. *Don't worry, I'll be very careful.'
    The weight of the tray was unexpected, but she took it carefully and without spilling anydiing from the cream jug or coffee pot, both of fine porcelain set on the heavy silver tray along with a matching cup and saucer and a pile of mail. Celine must be very fit for her age to carry it up the stairs every morning of her life.
    She did as Celine had instructed her, and knocked twice on the door of the old lady's bedroom, dien opened it and, not without difficulty, manoeuvred the big tray in through the opening. It was rather Uke walking into anodier century, for Madame Menais had obviously kept most of the original furnishings and the richness of it took Charlotte's breath away at first sight. The bed was enormous; a four-

    poster with a deep canopy of figured brocade, and heavy brocade curtains swept back by long gold tassels. It gave the impressicm of being a smaller room within the big one and was very impressive.
    Madame Menais herself sat propped with fat feather pillows, looking so much smaller than she normally did that for a moment Charlotte did not recognise her. A lacy bed-jacket was draped about her shoulders and her grey hair was slighdy dishevelled, and with her elegant hands bereft of their rings she looked so much more ordinary that Charlotte found the sight of her unexpectedly touching.
    ^Bonjouvy Madame Menais!'
    She carried the huge tray across to the bed while the old lady watched her with mildly curious eyes, then her thin brows drew together, as if the reason for the substitution suddenly