Unexpectedly Called Away
If you subscribe to my Patreon you receive a piece of flash fiction every month; at higher levels you get it sent to you on a postcard, or as part of a monthly booklet. This was the piece for June 2019, which involves two characters from my novels The Inexplicable Affair Of The Mesmerising Russian Nobleman and The Convoluted Adventure Of The Vengeful Transatlantic Financier (other links on the Bibliography page, linked above). It also reveals exactly how many children Lady Jane has. The mystery of the source of their names can be answered by driving south on the A256 Tilmanstone Bypass.
Unexpectedly Called Away
Heinrich von Schneemann was somewhat surprised to discover Lady Jane Glenshire opening her own front door. Usually she would have a butler, footman or at the very least a parlour-maid to perform such services.
“Thank you for coming at such short notice Mr von Schneemann.”
He tipped his hat and came inside. “Your telegram indicated that it was urgent.”
“Oh my. That wasn’t quite...” She paused for a moment. “Well perhaps it was at that. Come through, come through.”
She took him up the stairs into a part of the house that he had not been before. “You see it was not until this afternoon that I realised that it was the servants’ ball! If I had recalled then... well I suppose I would still have let Alice go to her home, her father is not expected to live out the week and it would be heartless to retain her here. I am without doubt perfectly competent to manage without assistance for the evening, don’t get me wrong! I was looking forward to quite a jolly time.”
The noise from ahead was increasing. It sounded as though an entire brigade of cavalry, along with wagon train and attached artillery, was passing through.
“But then Katy sent a message asking for help and I intended to send you, but of course the case has got caught up in the Ladies’ Bathhouse in Leopold Street where you would not be permitted entrance.”
She stopped outside the door of the mustering ground and loudly cleared her throat. The noise stopped and a suspicious looking girl in a pinafore, a slightly smaller grumpy boy in shorts and a tiny child of indeterminate sex dressed in what appeared to be a potato sack emerged.
“This is Ashley, Studdal, and of course Little Mongeham.” She turned. “And this is Mr von Schneemann who will be looking after you tonight. I believe you know where the kitchen is for their tea. Very well, must be off.”
Heinrich von Schneemann was somewhat surprised to discover Lady Jane Glenshire opening her own front door. Usually she would have a butler, footman or at the very least a parlour-maid to perform such services.
“Thank you for coming at such short notice Mr von Schneemann.”
He tipped his hat and came inside. “Your telegram indicated that it was urgent.”
“Oh my. That wasn’t quite...” She paused for a moment. “Well perhaps it was at that. Come through, come through.”
She took him up the stairs into a part of the house that he had not been before. “You see it was not until this afternoon that I realised that it was the servants’ ball! If I had recalled then... well I suppose I would still have let Alice go to her home, her father is not expected to live out the week and it would be heartless to retain her here. I am without doubt perfectly competent to manage without assistance for the evening, don’t get me wrong! I was looking forward to quite a jolly time.”
The noise from ahead was increasing. It sounded as though an entire brigade of cavalry, along with wagon train and attached artillery, was passing through.
“But then Katy sent a message asking for help and I intended to send you, but of course the case has got caught up in the Ladies’ Bathhouse in Leopold Street where you would not be permitted entrance.”
She stopped outside the door of the mustering ground and loudly cleared her throat. The noise stopped and a suspicious looking girl in a pinafore, a slightly smaller grumpy boy in shorts and a tiny child of indeterminate sex dressed in what appeared to be a potato sack emerged.
“This is Ashley, Studdal, and of course Little Mongeham.” She turned. “And this is Mr von Schneemann who will be looking after you tonight. I believe you know where the kitchen is for their tea. Very well, must be off.”
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