At least she had been when Emily started her work, but the scene in the kitchen was very different now. Most of the servants seemed to have gathered there and were talking in an excited manner. A hush fell over them as she walked in and they looked at one another, as if wondering what to say to her. ‘I’ve finished the dishes and I’ve cleaned the sinks and surfaces. What should I do now?’ ‘You’d best come and sit down and have a cup of tea, same as the rest of us, Emily. We’ve had a bit of a shock if you want the truth,’ Mrs Hattersley said and pointed to a spare stool. Emily approached but didn’t sit immediately. She looked at the faces of the other servants. Everyone seemed very serious. ‘Has something happened?’ ‘It’s terrible that’s what it is,’ Mrs Marsh said. ‘I’ve never known such a scandal in the family.’ ‘Sir Arthur wasn’t really family – yet,’ Tomas Phillips objected. He was wearing black trousers, a white shirt and a waistcoat with a striped red front.
