Twilight over the Downs

As we had not arrived until late afternoon, we decided to eat in the mansion’s original dining room. I had a very succulent loin of lamb, Frances had a tenderloin of pork, and most importantly, Kate had a hamburger, which made her very happy, indeed. After dinner, we took the remains of our wine and sat out on the patio and watched the sun make its languid descent beyond the mottled emerald line of box and oak.

"We're in with the servants, madam!"

Of course, nothing is perfect. Some of the bedrooms were wonderfully appointed with four poster beds. Rooms for couple traveling alone. We were given the original servants quarters at the very top of the house, up several steep flights of stairs. Even though our room was huge and filled with charming furniture, it was still the attic. The location was obviously geared for families traveling with small children, who could scream to their hearts content without disturbing the other guests. Poor us.
“They’ve put us in with the servants, madam!” I groaned rather dramatically.
“Must have known you came from Dagenham.” Frances smiled.
In spite of myself, I grinned back.