Free The Two Mrs. Abbotts by D. E. Stevenson Page B

worked. What did Jerry think of the idea?
    Markie sat down to wait for a reply but she did not wait long. She received a wire the following day saying, “Come at once.”
    It was a great relief to find that somebody wanted her, that she was not utterly and completely useless. Of course Jerry did not want her as a governess, nor even as a companion. Jerry wanted somebody to cook and clean the rooms. Markie had no illusions at all, she was aware that she was going back to Ganthorne as a cook-general.
    It is just as well that I can cook, thought Markie a trifle bitterly as she packed her box. But once at Ganthorne the bitterness vanished and she settled down to her new job. It was different work, but it was just as important in its way. She was providing food for Jerry’s body instead of Jerry’s mind—and Jerry was such a dear.
    Nearly eight years had passed since Markie had come back to Ganthorne and she was still there. She had suggested leaving once or twice, in a tentative sort of way, not because she wanted to leave Ganthorne, but just to see how Jerry felt about it (for her greatest fear was that she might become an incubus) and each time she had mentioned the matter Jerry had implored her to stay, had implored her in such a manner as to leave no doubts as to her sincerity. Markie had suggested leaving when Jerry married Sam Abbott, and they had both implored her to stay. “We can’t do without you,” Jerry had declared and Sam had backed her up, saying earnestly, “If you’re bored with us take a holiday, but for goodness’ sake come back.”
    Markie was not bored with them. She adored them both. She did not want a holiday—where would she go? She was perfectly happy cooking and cleaning and mending…and of course there was no need to allow one’s brain to rust because one brushed the carpets and prepared the meals—dear me, no! Markie read history (history had always been her subject); she studied ethnology and anthropology with pleasure and diligence. She delved into the works of Blumenbach, Flower, Keane, and Dixon as she waited for the kettle to boil, and digested their theories as she dried the plates and put them away on the rack. Sometimes her fine strong capable hands hesitated in their task as a particularly interesting theory and a hitherto unrelated fact clicked together in her mind…
    The war, the departure of Jerry’s husband, and the arrival of the 7th Westshires made changes at Ganthorne but the changes came gradually and Markie took them in her stride. She was not the only person whose life was completely revolutionized by the war and who accepted the revolution without question.
    ***
    On this particular afternoon toward the end of August Markie was busier than usual for she had decided to give Jerry’s bedroom a thorough clean. She had turned it out methodically—as was her way—and now she gathered up the cretonne covers, which she had taken off the chairs, and bore them down to the wash house. She was not in the least surprised to find three soldiers there (in fact she would have been surprised to find it empty). One was shaving, one was scrubbing his equipment at the sink, and the third was sitting on an upturned bucket playing “Home Sweet Home” on a mouth organ. They all greeted Markie cordially and the one at the sink—who was Colonel Melton’s batman—turned around with a smile and said he was “through.” He and Markie were particular friends because they had both seen light for the first time in the Kingdom of Fife—it was a strong bond between them.
    â€œI’ll wash it out for you,” he said, suiting the action to the word. “I’ve mended the plug. I got a wee bit of chain from the quarty.”
    â€œThank you, Fraser,” said Markie, smiling back at him. She put the covers to soak and went into the kitchen, and here she found more soldiers. One was sitting at