The Christmas Card: The perfect heartwarming novel for Christmas from the Sunday Times bestseller. Dilly Court
arms akimbo, glaring at Alice. ‘Miss Flora is not allowed outside unless accompanied by a responsible person.’
Alice drew herself up to her full height. ‘Flora is in my charge and I’ll see that she comes to no harm.’
‘That isn’t good enough. Miss Flora can be very persuasive when she wants to be and we’ve had incidences.’ Mrs Upton seized Flora by the shoulders and propelled her towards the staircase. ‘It’s back to the nursery for you, miss. Your mama will send word when she wishes to see you.’
‘But this is so unfair,’ Alice protested angrily. ‘I promised her that we could go out into the gardens and play snowballs. She’s just a child, Mrs Upton. I’ll keep an eye on her.’
Flora stamped her foot. ‘It’s always the same. They all hate me and want me to be miserable.’ She threw herself down on the floor, drumming her feet and screaming.
‘Now see what you’ve done.’ Mrs Upton spoke through clenched teeth. ‘She’ll make herself ill and we’ll have to send for the doctor.’
‘Why?’ Alice demanded, raising her voice to make herself heard above Flora’s screeching. ‘Why do you want to keep the child prisoner in her own home? Surely a breath of fresh air and some healthy exercise would do her more good than being shut up in the nursery?’
Mrs Upton drew her aside. ‘She has tried to run away several times. Keeping her under strict supervision is the only way to protect her from herself.’
Ignoring her, Alice went down on her knees beside Flora. ‘Stop this at once. This sort of conduct won’t get you anywhere.’
Flora quietened for a moment, eyeing her warily. ‘You’re supposed to be my friend.’
‘I am your friend, but if you continue like this you’ll only make things worse for yourself.’ Alice rose to her feet, holding her hand out to Flora. ‘Get up.’
‘Do as Miss Radcliffe says, Miss Flora.’ Mrs Upton’s voice shook with barely controlled anger. ‘Your mama will hear about this.’
Flora’s answer was to go into a fresh tantrum, sobbing and beating her fists on the floorboards.
‘What is going on?’ Lydia Dearborn leaned over the banister. Tendrils of fair hair escaped from beneath the goffered frill of her linen nightcap and she clutched her wrap around her. ‘Why is Flora dressed for outdoors? I gave explicit instructions that she was not to be allowed out of the house, Mrs Upton.’
‘It’s not my fault, ma’am,’ Mrs Upton said hastily. ‘It was I who prevented them leaving.’
‘Miss Radcliffe, I will have words with you later, but please stop the child making that dreadful noise.’ Lydia retreated to her room, slamming the door.
Flora stopped howling, but her whole body shook with suppressed sobs. ‘I – I hate you, Upton.’
‘That’s no way to speak to Mrs Upton,’ Alice said severely. She pulled Flora to her feet. ‘Say you’re sorry.’
‘But I’m not sorry. It’s the truth. I hate you all.’ Flora stamped her foot and genuine tears spurted from her eyes.
‘The child is a she-devil.’ Mrs Upton shook her head. ‘She’s past redemption. That’s what you get when you take a brat from the slums into a decent home.’
Alice placed her arm around Flora’s shoulders, holding her close. ‘It’s no wonder she misbehaves if that’s what you think of her.’
‘Mrs Dearborn will hear more of this and you will be replaced, Miss Radcliffe.’ Mrs Upton turned on her heel and marched off with the keys on her chatelaine jingling, but it was not the happy sound of Christmas bells.
‘Never mind, Flora,’ Alice said, taking her by the hand. ‘We’ll go back to the nursery and I’ll explain everything to your mama when she sends for me. I’m sure if she understands why we were going into the gardens then she’ll change her mind.’
Flora wiped her eyes on her sleeve. ‘Do you think so?’
‘I do indeed. After all, it is almost Christmas, the season of peace on earth and goodwill to all men.’ She chuckled. ‘And women, including Mrs Upton.’
The summons to the morning room came two hours later. Mrs Dearborn was seated by the fire, hands folded in her lap with a judgemental look on her face that did not bode well.
‘What did you think you were doing, Radcliffe? You know that Flora is easily upset and yet you decided to go against my wishes and take her out.’
‘I only intended to take her into the gardens, Mrs Dearborn. I thought that she would enjoy playing snowballs and running around like any ordinary child.’
‘I don’t pay you to think, Radcliffe. You will know by now that a previous employee filled the child’s head with nonsense about her natural mother. Flora is obsessed by the idea that she wants to find the woman.’
‘Then it is true, ma’am?’
‘Flora was adopted by my husband and me. She would never have known had it not been for the nursemaid who turned out to be a drunken slattern. Flora is unstable and given to bouts of temper tantrums that can only be controlled by large doses of laudanum. You were supposed to take care of her and prevent such outbursts.’
‘No one told me what to expect, Mrs Dearborn. But I don’t think that Flora is unstable, as you put it, and I decry the use of laudanum on such a young child.’
‘You dare to tell me what to do?’ Lydia stared at her, delicate eyebrows raised until they disappeared into her hairline. ‘What gives you the right to question my authority?’
Angry and undaunted by her employer’s indignation, Alice faced her squarely. ‘I don’t question your authority, ma’am. But from what I’ve seen of Flora she is a little girl who needs love and affection.’
‘Flora has the best of everything. My husband spoils her and she wants for nothing.’
Alice could see that this was going nowhere. Lydia Dearborn did not seem to have any maternal feelings towards her adopted daughter, but arguing was not going to help. ‘I can see that she is a lucky little girl to have come into such a comfortable home, but I was an only child and it’s a lonely path to tread. Might I suggest that she be allowed a little more freedom? She is intelligent and talented, and if she were allowed out under my supervision I think I could help her.’
‘I haven’t decided yet whether or not to sack you, Radcliffe. If you are a bad influence on Flora then you must leave.’
Alice said nothing. She clasped her hands behind her back, feeling like a naughty schoolgirl standing in front of an irate headmistress, but there was little she could do other than wait for Mrs Dearborn to decide her fate. She could imagine Aunt Jane’s smug expression if she were dismissed. It would give her added encouragement to see marriage as the only solution, but the thought of marrying Horace made Alice feel physically sick.
Lydia relaxed her hands with a sigh. ‘I suppose I will have to allow you stay on for the time being, Radcliffe. Apart from upsetting Flora even further, it would be difficult to find a replacement at such short notice, and at this time of year.’
‘I’ll do my best to look after her, Mrs Dearborn.’
‘You will indeed. There will be no more trips out unless you have my permission.’
‘I understand.’
‘You may go, but I expect you to work tomorrow, even though it’s Christmas Day. I have guests coming and I don’t want Flora to ruin my party.’
Alice nodded, biting back the sharp words that rose to her lips. This woman, she decided, was selfish to the core and she disliked her intensely.
‘You may go.’ Lydia dismissed her with a wave of her hand. ‘Wait. On second thoughts you can