Second Night (17 page)

‘Thank you very much, Sir Jonas. I will do my very best, I promise you.'

‘I have no doubt of that, my dear Lady Sara, no doubt at all.'

They looked at each other and laughed. The interview was ended. Sara stood up and prepared to leave. It was all she could do not to hug him. ‘I'll take the tray to the kitchen.'

‘That is most kind. I would venture to carry it back myself except that poor Madame Marguerite appears to become unduly nervous regarding my state of health whenever
I
step into the kitchen.' The blue eye twinkled. ‘Now is there anything else I can do for you before you go? Do you have any particular request you would like to make of me?'

‘Actually there is one thing.'

‘Well?' he enquired encouragingly.

‘I would love to learn to ride,' she said.

He clapped his hands as though he were about to summon a genie from a bottle. ‘Nothing could be more simple! I shall speak to Caspar on your behalf. He is an extremely gifted instructor and Nanna is a very amenable first mount. Do you have any previous equestrian experience?'

‘No, but I'm pretty good with motorbikes.'

‘Then I am quite sure that you will manage the earlier, blood-fuelled model equally well.' He stood up and made a little bow, then shook her hand. ‘I must say that I am delighted you have accepted our offer. We will try to arrange to take a modest working luncheon together at least once a week, which will be useful for you perhaps and perfectly pleasant for me.'

Sara cleared the table and took away the tray. Jasper was applying the final coat of paint to the doors in the office when she stopped by for a smeary, fume-laden kiss.

‘So how did you get on with the old boss?' he asked.

‘Brilliantly! I got a fantastic job and a title over tea and coffee cake, and I start in a week.'

‘Huge cash?'

‘Enormous! We'll celebrate down the pub tonight.'

Jasper's eyes narrowed. ‘And what's the title?'

She curtseyed. ‘You may now address me as Lady Sara,' she said.

CHAPTER 28

It was no secret that Genista Peacock considered the new vicar her particular customer in the pub. She would stop whatever she was doing to serve him, regardless of how long anyone else might have been waiting. Percy only complained when his own mug was left high and dry on the bar.

When the Reverend Adrian Windlesham had accepted the challenge of taking the living at what was known to be a generally non-practising parish, his bishop had recommended that he meet the locals on their own ground. Accordingly, he dropped in at the village pub for the occasional quiet pint as his duties allowed. When his nephew, Julien, came to stay for the weekend, they soon got into the habit of eating in the pub restaurant on the Saturday night.

‘Was everything all right, Reverend?' asked Genista, with a beaming smile when he came to the bar to pay the bill.

‘It was very nice, thank you,' he replied.

Simon took her firmly by the elbow and propelled her back to the regular customers.

‘Can I get you another drink, vicar?' he asked.

‘No, thank you, we must be on our way.'

‘Evening, vicar,' said Percy, seated on the stool beside him. ‘Getting all sorted down the old rectory cottage then?'

‘Yes, I'm getting myself quite settled in, thank you. Everyone has been most kind, and please, all of you, do call me Adrian.'

The group of local women who looked after the church and the flowers, had been politely impolite about Genista and dismissive of her father's favourite tale of the mystery of the man-eating tree and the disappearance of Tom Poore. Their leader, Mrs Louisa Renfrew, was London-born and bred. Not only the owner of the village shop, she also played the church organ and considered herself amply endowed with the necessary worldly wisdom to merit the position she had assumed in the locality.

‘Percy Poore comes from one of the old families, Reverend Adrian,' she had simpered over her teacup, implying that centuries of close inter-breeding had reduced the greater part of the local inhabitants to a state of – hopefully – harmless idiocy.

But then there was the question of the site of the mysterious tree, which led inevitably to the subject of the manor and its reclusive, pagan knight. The ladies looked from one to the other, nodding mysteriously.

‘He's not a church-goer, never has been, even though it's his family vault in front of the altar,' said Fig Petter, rather more loudly than she had intended. ‘He won't take the parish magazine and refuses to donate to any of our worthy causes.'

She reddened and coughed into her hand. Mrs Frances Irene Gwendolyn Petter was a grey mouse of a woman whose husband's untimely death had been the result of a misadventure with a combine harvester. She had been left to a solitary life of pale blue cardigans and small suede boots with zips, while she cared for his loudly lamenting mother who had been cheated of the well-deserved clutch of grandchildren he had vowed to provide for her. Fig Petter's upper lip quivered, her round, brown eyes blinking rapidly as she looked frantically to Mrs. Renfrew for support.

‘Sir Jonas is not an asset to the community,' Louisa Renfrew graciously confirmed.

Percy Poore examined the latest asset to the aforesaid community over his beer, while his daughter did her best to blush and be helpful.

He's not a bad looking fella for a vicar,
thought Percy.
I can see why our Genny's set her cap at him. I might as well test the waters and find out how much chance she's got.

‘So will your wife be joining you soon then, Adrian?' he asked.

‘I'm not married,' replied Adrian. He indicated the tall, young man standing next to him. ‘This is Julien, my nephew. I was hoping there would be some young people that he could be introduced to while he is here.'

‘I've got a daughter, Bryony,' said Genista immediately. ‘I'm sure she'd be happy to show you around, Julien.'

‘Of course she would,' agreed Percy.

But Simon had other ideas. He called to the tall, black-haired woman talking to the elderly man sitting at the ‘manor' end of the bar. ‘What about your boys, Maddie?'

‘Looks like you're wanted, girl,' whispered John.

Maddie had avoided Adrian Windlesham since he had spoken to her that first time in the pub. Everything about him came dangerously close to many aspects of the life she had left behind before she came to the manor. She shrugged her hair forward to hide her face and picked up a cloth, wiping the bar vigorously to put off making eye contact with him.

‘I have two sons and a daughter,' she said. ‘They're in the snooker room.' She pointed the cloth to the door. ‘Well, at least two of them are. My other son will be here later.'

‘Would it be too much to ask if they might be introduced to my French nephew? He's studying English in London for a year.'

‘I can do it now, if you like.'

Julien grinned. ‘Thank you, that would be very nice.'

‘Let me buy you a drink while you're waiting, Adrian,' said Percy, determined to keep his daughter's best interests to heart. ‘What'll it be? Another beer?'

Adrian shook his head. ‘It's very kind of you but I have to be up bright and early tomorrow morning. Duty calls. You are all welcome to join us for the services,' he said generally.

There were various polite nods and muttered excuses around the tables. Genista came scurrying back to serve him.

‘I'll do you a nice pineapple spritzer while you're waiting, Adrian,' she said happily.

‘Do him a double,' said Percy, getting out his wallet.

CHAPTER 29

Jasper danced around the snooker table, head-banging in time to the band playing on the big TV screen on the wall. He set up his shot, aimed, fired and won the game. ‘Yes!'

Laurence gave his cue to Tristan and sat down with the girls at the table. ‘See if you can slay him, Tris.'

‘Go on, Tris!' cheered Melanie.

Jasper crept behind Sara and dropped a kiss on her neck. A hand walked on pointy fingers towards her pint of beer. She slapped the hand off the table. ‘Hey! Stop that!'

‘Forty… three… days!' he said significantly, tapping her head with the cue to emphasise every word.

‘And then what happens?' asked Lauren.

‘Ma gets to serve me my first legal pint!'

‘And I'll be buying it,' said Sara.

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Beer snog in the meantime?'

‘Not in the pub.'

Laurence took Jemima's hand. She took it back on the pretext of getting her drink.

‘What's the matter with you?' he whispered. ‘You don't answer my calls and you haven't been online. What's going on?'

Jemima sighed. ‘It's nothing personal. I just haven't felt much like talking to anyone lately.'

‘So we've all noticed. Are you feeling okay?' He took both her hands. Her fingers were cold. He started to rub them.

She pulled away crossly. ‘Yes. I'm fine. Don't fuss!'

At that precise moment Jemima's sword-absorbed world turned around. The door opened and Maddie came in with a truly awesome boy who was already looking her way.

Be still my fluttering heart,
she thought excitedly.
Maybe the Goddess is looking out for me after all.

The Master of Hounds had yet to make an appearance since the ceremony at Thunderslea. Several, less appropriate requests to view Andy, on account of the reputation earned by previous Meane Manor colts, had been turned down, with not a word mentioned to Mister Charles as Sir Jonas had been quick to assure her. So far no one had died or even looked like dying, and there had been no mention of any imminent invasion on the telly.

Julien shook hands with the boys and kissed the girls on both cheeks. He knocked over Jasper's cue set up on the snooker table.

‘Oh, pardon,' he said.

‘Granted,' said Jasper grandly.

Julien pulled up a spare chair from one of the other tables and sat down opposite Jemima.

‘I have seen you already,' he said.

‘Have you?' she asked, surprised.

‘You were in the little shop in the village a few days ago. You have cats.'

‘How do you know that?' asked Lauren.

She had been pleased to be introduced as
‘my other son Caz's girlfriend'
, but the lack of an invitation home was becoming a sore point with her.
Considering I have only just this evening been introduced to his mother, and then by his brother's girlfriend,
she thought indignantly.

Jemima was radiant. ‘Yes, I was buying huge packets of cat food. But I didn't see you.'

‘I was behind you in the queue.'

Laurence was red in the face and furious, but Sara was glad to see Jemima smiling again.

‘We're doing a late, late movie tonight, Julien,' she said. ‘You're very welcome to join us, if you want. We're sharing a taxi.'

‘Thank you, but not tonight,' he said, regretfully. ‘I have to go. My uncle is waiting for me.'

Lauren seized the chance to get into Jemima's good books. They hadn't warmed to each other at all and Lauren didn't need a jealous kid sister coming between her and Caz.

‘Then why don't you pick up a costume and come to my Hallowe'en party instead?' she suggested.

‘We'll give you a lift,' said Jemima immediately.

‘Great band gig,' remarked Tristan, potting the black ball at the snooker table.

‘Not to mention the Devil on Disco for starters,' said Jasper, patting his shoulder genially when he missed the next shot.

Jemima scribbled her phone number on one of the beer mats and gave it to Julien. ‘Call me if you can make it and we'll pick you up. You might as well have my email address too while we're about it.'

He stood up, smiling, and put the beer mat into his back pocket. ‘Thank you, I'll do my best to come.' He turned at the door and gave a little wave as he left. Jemima was delighted.

‘Where's my guy?' grumbled Lauren in her ear. ‘Why must he always be so late?'

‘He'll be here,' she answered, feeling a hundred times better disposed towards Lauren already.

‘I didn't see him once over the half-term break.'

‘You were in London.'

‘But my dad invited him to come too. Didn't he tell you?'

‘No. Why should he?'

‘We saw some great shows and did the museums. It was a lot of fun but it would have been so much better if he had been there too.'

‘Love and hassle don't mix, Lauren,' said Sara. ‘You either love Caz or you hassle him. You can't do both.'

‘I thought love was hassle,' said Jemima irreverently.

Laurence slapped down his glass and went back to the snooker table.

Jemima shrugged. ‘If Caz says he's going to do something, he does it, Lauren. He'll be here, just be patient.'

‘So right now I'm just hassling him, is that what you're saying?'

‘Yes,' said Sara.

The door opened again, this time to admit Blue, Alan and Caz. Alan went straight to the snooker table. Blue laid his head in Jemima's lap. Lauren jumped up and flung her arms around Caz.

‘You're here!' she cried.

‘I'm here,' he agreed.

Jasper looked at the clock. ‘Well done, bro. You're just in time to get the last round.'

‘Did you walk?' asked Sara.

‘I got a lift with Al.' He sat down. Lauren sat on his lap.

‘I've missed you,' she said. ‘It's been a whole week!'

‘Has it?'

‘Yes, and I'm expecting you to help me get the party together, to make up for neglecting me so shamefully.'

‘I've got a lot going on.'

‘I can't believe it's more important than being with me,' she pouted.

‘I'll be there for the party, not before.'

‘But that's not until Wednesday!'