Chapter 14“Mr. Bartlett! What on earth are you doing downstairs at this hour?”
From the kitchen, Joshua raised an eyebrow as he heard the stern tone in his mother’s voice, usually reserved for her nearest relatives. On her instructions, Joshua had readied a tray of coffee and toast to take upstairs to Frank to consume in his bedchamber, appropriate for a person recovering from a serious indisposition. Joshua couldn’t hear Frank’s muted reply, but as she swept into the kitchen, her lips tight with disapproval, Mrs. Jones said, “You can take that through to the back parlour, Joshua.”
Frank was sitting in an armchair, a rug over his knees, looking slightly overwhelmed as Joshua entered, placing the tray on a nearby table.
“Thank you,” Frank said. “Apparently, I’m not allowed to stir from t
