It had clearly been written in two parts: the first, spitting with fury at the unmannerly conduct of her James, the second, recounting a quite different treatment at his hands. Her poor friend had it bad: she did not seem to realize that her strong swings of emotion betrayed her deeper feelings. What remained a mystery was quite what he felt towards Jane.‘Mistress, there’s a young man to see you,’ Henny announced, hovering in the doorway to the upstairs parlour, wringing her hands.Milly tried not to be irritated by her servant’s nervous habit – and failed.‘What manner of man is he?’ she asked, threading her embroidery needle with azure silk. ‘Not the bailiff I hope? I thought all my accounts were settled.’‘No, no, not him.’ Henny tugged her black apron straight. ‘He’s one of those blackamoor fellows like you see in the households of the great lords. Dark as the devil himself.’Milly put her work aside with a huff of displeasure. ‘I beg you not to speak so.’Her reproof sailed over the head of London-born Henny who shared the prejudices of her fellow citizens.
