Chapter 21
Sybil sneaked out from the front door. There were butterflies in the garden at this time of the year and the little girl was so desperate to see them. However much she asked Nanny, she wouldn't take Sybil there, postponing the visit every time without any reason. Sybil asked her mother and Cora agreed to take Sybil out to see the butterflies but she was so busy and Sybil didn't like to impose. So thinking that she would go on an adventure, Sybil stepped into the gardens in search of butterflies. And maybe if she was lucky enough, fairies.
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Mrs Patmore knocked on the Housekeeper's sitting room door very cautiously. This had to happen today of all days! When an annoyed "Yes" came from within Mrs Patmore opened the door and stepped in.
"There's something I'd like to speak to you about Mrs Hughes," she said knowing that she was threading on thin ice.
"What is it?" the Housekeeper inquired without looking up from her paperwork.
"There seems to be a small problem concerning today's dinner."
"What is the problem with dinner?" the Housekeeper asked in a loud and annoyed voice. The Scottish notes in her voice screaming at the poor Cook.
"Well, I've mentioned unsalted butter in the grocery list last week, alongside salted butter. And due to some reason we've been given three pounds of salted butter instead of two pounds of salted and one pound of unsalted."
"And you are saying it's my fault?" Mrs Hughes asked raising an eyebrow.
"Well I was not saying it exactly was but somehow it seems a bit like it," Mrs Patmore replied trying to cushion her accusation.
"Mrs Patmore! It most certainly said so on list. Three pounds of salted butter!" Mrs Hughes face reddened with rage and Mrs Patmore's face clouded.
"I most certainly mentioned the two separately," Mrs Patmore persisted.
"Well we both overlooked when we got the store cupboard stocked didn't we?" Mrs Hughes said and for a moment Mrs Patmore was lost for words. They had both checked it indeed. Mrs Hughes opened a drawer and from a pile of papers fished out one and held it towards Mrs Patmore.
"This is last week's grocery list. See for yourself," Mrs Hughes thundered handing the Cook the list, "and this is precisely the reason why I always retain the month's lists. Because heaven forbid the Cook from making any mistake. It's always that old Housekeeper who's the blundering one, isn't she?" Mrs Hughes let out all her fire and the Cook surveyed the list with quietly, stunned. It was indeed 3 pounds of salted butter.
"What does it say?" Mrs Hughes asked still cross. Extremely cross.
"I see…" the Cook swallowed hard. "God protect me from the almost rabid Scot in front of me," she thought to herself.
"But I can't get desert done without it!" the Cook protested in a much louder tone.
"Send one of the lads down to the village. Or should I get it for you personally?" Mrs Hughes all but shouted at Mrs Patmore.
"No one would have to if I'd have had that key," Mrs Patmore muttered under her breath.
"Don't you dare pull in that wretched key in here! Give it a rest Mrs Patmore! It's your fault here!" Mrs Hughes stated in most loud yet voice she could muster.
"Fine! I'll ask William!" the Cook said as she walked out of the room not bothering to shut the door.
"Mary Queen of Scots thinks she can get on her horse and chop the heads off the rest of us when she's got a cloud in her sky!" Mrs Patmore voice echoed from within the kitchen.
Mrs Hughes got up and slammed the door shut muttering a long string of "colourful" Gaelic words underneath her breath and all but fell on her chair, sighing.
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Sybil walked as far as she dared to. Her mouth opened in wonder when she saw all the butterflies among the tall grass and the flowers. Swarms of them were flying around as if they were dancing together, each and every one of them. And Sybil jumped into the middle of the beautiful chaos the butterflies created and laughed out loud. To her, it seemed so magical. Even more magical than fairies and pixies. Grass against her knees, the smell of flowers in her nose and the beautiful creatures twirling around her like in a fairy tale. Sybil felt as if there could be nothing more brilliantly happy than this.
Time flew as Sybil skipped around the gardens with the butterflies and the bees. When realisation dawned on her that she was away from the house for much more time than she had intended to, she ran across the garden. Her arms flying behind her along with her dress. Her pretty shoes skipping over the grass. The wind in her hair and a smile on her hair.
It was only when she reached the gravel nearing the house did disaster strike. Sybil lost her footing and tumbled on to the little stones. She didn't scream but scrunched her face in fear and pain. For a few moments she lay on the gravel, painful tears on her eyes and chewing on the inside of her cheek to prevent her from screaming out. What would she do if her mother found out? She'll get a mighty telling off not to mention her mother's extreme panic and her father's angry face. Not to mention Nanny who'll get hysterics at the sight of her. There was only one choice that Sybil had to make the damage look less serious. It would not be a pleasant one, certainly not today of all days but it was her only choice.
To be continued…
Thank you so much for all your reviews. I'm ever so grateful. Hopefully I'll be able to update the next chapter very soon too. And it would be so lovely if you could send in a reviews to tell what you think about the story if you have the time. It would be make me more than happy. Hope you are enjoying the story so far. See you soon with the next chapter. Stay tuned!