Charnswell Park

The Letter of Interest

Marion Potter wondered into the Servants Hall which sat most of the house staff beside Jeffrey, Dale and Mr Westfall as they remained up in the Dining Room to assist with the family dinner.

Marion was carrying a tray which was stacked with multiple stacks of ceramic plates, "Does anyone else keep dreaming about the Titanic because I cannot seem to get it out of my mind," Marion said placing the tray on the table.

Miss Callahan rolled her eyes as she turned to face Marion, "Not again, Marion, just give it a rest," Margaret said.

"Marion it is time to let that go," Katherine said.

"But I think off all them people freezing to death in that midnight icy waters," Marion said.

"Oh you sound like a penny dreadful," Miss Callahan said.

Mr Graves wondered into the servants hall where he sat at the table but he ignored the conversation by remaining to read the book that he had walked in within his possession, "I expect that you would have seen worse things while you were in the boer war, Mr Graves?" Margaret asked.

"Not worse, Margaret but quite bad," Mr Graves said.

Marion had moved down the table and she placed a large stack of plates onto the table before each of the servants. Marion had just reached the position of Mr Graves, "Did you enjoy the war?" Marion asked placing the plate before Mr Graves.

"I don't believe that anyone actually enjoys war, Marion but there are some good memories that I have got from the war," Mr Graves said.

Margaret rose to her feet before she crossed the room and stood on the other side of Marion, "I'm sure there are," Katherine said.

Margaret rolled her eyes as she spotted the tray of cutlery which she had left at the other end of the table near the head of the table. Margaret attempted to lean over the table and grab the tray but the tray was to far away from her, "Mr Graves, could you please hand me that tray?" Margaret asked.

Mr Graves closed the cover to his novel and placed it upon the top of the Dining table before he rose to his feet to pass the tray down to Margaret but when he had the tray in his hand he suddenly had a sharp pain shot through his leg which caused Mr Graves to spill the cutlery and the tray onto the floor of the Servants Hall. Mr Graves leaned down and used his right hand to clench his right knee.

Mr Westfall wondered into the Servants Hall as Mr Graves dropped the tray of cutlery from the Dining table. Mr Westfall watched as Katherine rose from the chair beside Mr Graves, "I'll do it," Katherine said.

Mr Westfall moved from the doorway and into the direction of the wooden chair which was his position at the head of the servants Dining table, "The Ladies are in the Drawing Room and we have given them coffee while His Lordship has taken his port into the Library," Mr Westfall looked down to the table to the maids, "Katherine, Margaret head up to the Dining Room and assist Dale, Jeffrey and Gianna to clear," Mr Westfall looked away from the two maids as they dashed away which he looked at the tray of cutlery in Katherine's hands before he looked into the direction of Marion, "Marion, tell Mrs Sherwood that we will eat in 20 minutes," Mr Westfall said.

Mr Westfall, Mr Graves and Miss Callahan remained sitting at the large wooden dining table as Katherine and Margaret headed up the staircase to the empty upstairs Dining Room. Mr Graves slowly settled himself down to the wooden dining chair before he grabbed the novel from off the table and reopened the novel to the page were he had left it as Miss Callahan looked down the table into the direction of Mr Westfall as he sat at the head of the table where he was also looking up the table into the direction of Miss Callahan.