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large heavily decorated dining room. The table was laden with china, silver and crystal glass stemware, with an elaborate floral arrangement in the centre accompanied by bowls of fresh fruit on either side. The remaining space was taken with bowls of olives, celery and radishes. The six course meal included asparagus soup, salmon, chicken, ham, mousse, pastries, sorbets and ice cream. Their voices and jovial laughter grew over the course of the evening, in part to the fine wines served, and wafted through the halls and corridors of the manor. There was a constant flurry of activity to and from the kitchens to the dining room as courses were brought and removed. Servants hurried down the passage to reach the destination of the over heated noisy kitchen where pots and pans were hastily washed to be ready for reuse if required. In the midst of the activity stood Mrs Friggens, hot, red faced and exhausted. Miss Petherbridge strolled around the workforce inspecting the presentation of the servants and pointing out a hat that had become unpinned or an apron that required changing. Food that had not been served up at the table was set aside for the servants to eat later in the evening. Finally the ladies took their leave to retire to the drawing room while the gentlemen smoked their cigars and talked of politics.
    Janey entered the drawing room where five ladies were seated around the mistress of the house . They were beautifully dressed in creams, olive greens, blues and deep reds, making Janey feel uneducated, dowdy and clumsy. She held in her hand a book Lady Brockenshaw wished to lend to one of her guests and made her way over to her to let her know she had arrived. She did not miss the exchange of glances between the women when Lady Brockenshaw called her by her first name rather than her surname of Carhart. She also saw the raised eyebrow when Janey touched her mistress’ hand to let her know where she was standing. Such informality was needed to make use of the other senses and communicate where sight would normally suffice but this was not obvious to the young, privileged guests seated in the room. They looked Janey up and down, openly assessing her and then just as quickly ignored her. She was dismissed from their world if not from the room. They praised Lady Brockenshaw’s home, her dress, her gardens. They praised her husband’s collection of art and her son’s riding skills and good looks. Janey was much relieved when she was finally allowed to leave the room. She left her mistress surrounded by the gushing women. Each one hoped to become a favourite of Lady Brockenshaw, for they had all come to realise the best way of obtaining the title of Lady in the future was through the present one who sat amongst them.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 3
     
    At the end of the three days the guests took their leave and waved goodbye from their carriage windows to James and his aging parents. Calmness descended on Bosvenna Manor once more and Mrs Friggens, the cook, finally reclaimed her sense of humour again.
    Where once the day had been filled with picnics, th e playing of cards or lawn croquet the manor now felt empty, quiet and, to James’s mind, boring. In Bath his day had been filled with attending balls, going to the theatre and visiting his club. He knew his return to Bosvenna would require a transition and to prepare himself for the change he had invited his friends to Cornwall. Now they had returned to Bath and he was left with his aging parents, in the middle of Cornwall, living the life of a country bumpkin. To top it all his favourite horse had become lame.
    ‘ It’s good of you to drop by Daniel,’ James said greeting his neighbour with a handshake. ‘I hear you have a way with animals and thought you could advise me.’ 
    Daniel hadn’t wanted to come over . He had just finished stacking the hay into his barn ready for winter when a