Page 92 of The Secrets of Ashmore Castle

‘Oh, Ray, you aren’t going to do anything really bad, are you? Just walk along and talk to a person. There’s nothing wrong with that.’

‘I suppose not,’ Rachel said. Then, more cheerfully, ‘He’s nice, isn’t he?’

‘He’s all right,’ Alice said. She thought he was a bit weedy, compared with – say – Axe Brandom. ‘If you think he’s worth it, that’s all that matters.’

‘I really like him. But you’ll stay with me, if we do meet him?’

‘Only as far as Shelloes, then I must go and see Empress’s new litter. You know how one can’t resist tiny piglets – so sweet! Like little fat ladies in tight shoes.’

‘You’ll get your dress dirty.’

‘I won’t. I’m only going to look.’

Crooks had managed to get away from the other servants, and lingered in sight of the north door until the choir came out. He strolled casually in the direction of the lych-gate, to reach it at the same time as the unmistakable figure of Axe Brandom. Brandom paused when he saw Crooks, and stepped out of the way, taking off his hat. The others streamed on past him with barely a glance. Service being over, there was the prospect of Sunday dinner for most and a pint or two for the rest. Either way, anticipation trumped curiosity.

‘Good morning,’ Crooks greeted him.

‘Fine day, sir,’ Axe said shyly.

‘It is indeed. And the Te Deum was very lovely today. Thomas Tallis, wasn’t it?’

Axe looked more comfortable, talking about music. ‘Yes, sir. Mr Arden, he likes all that early music. It’s hard, till you learn it, but to my mind, it’s finer than the more modern stuff.’

‘You prefer polyphony to harmony? I think I do, too.’

Axe looked a little at a loss. ‘You know bigger words than me, sir. I just know the way it sounds. Mr Evercreech, our lead bass, says it’s too Roman, the Tallis, he don’t approve of it. But my view is, if you’re singing to God, it doesn’t matter if you’re Roman or C of E.’

‘Well said,’ Crooks exclaimed. ‘We are too ready to make divisions where none is needed. It’s a long time since I’ve seen you,’ he went on. ‘I’ve been in London with his lordship.’

‘Yes, sir – got married, didn’t he? Such a pity he couldn’t have the wedding here. We’d have loved to do a choral service for him. But you didn’t go away with him? Gone to France, I believe, him and his new lady.’

‘Foreign travel doesn’t agree with me,’ Crooks said. ‘His lordship kindly said I could stay at home. Which means I have some time on my hands. I wondered if you would like me to help you improve your reading.’

‘It’s most kind of you to offer, sir,’ Axe said, blushing, ‘but you don’t have to worry about me. I couldn’t take up your time like that.’

‘Not at all, not at all. It would be my pleasure. Now, when would be convenient? Do you have a half-day?’

‘Not a half-day as such, sir, but I finish early of a Tuesday, most in general. Mr Rowse lets me go about three o’clock, unless there’s a big job come in.’

‘Tuesday happens to suit me very well,’ said Crooks. Actually, he was never wanted at that time of day. Mr Sebastian didn’t need a great deal of valeting anyway, and until it was time to dress him for dinner, Crooks was pretty much at a loose end. ‘There’ll be too many prying eyes at the Castle – I don’t want you to feel self-conscious. Suppose I come over to your house, and we’ll see how we get on. Where do you live?’

‘I’ve a cottage over the other side of the Carr, sir. But it isn’t much – not the sort of place for gentry-folk to visit,’ Axe said anxiously.

Crooks smiled. ‘I’m not gentry-folk, you mustn’t think that. I’m just a working man, like you. I shall come on Tuesday – shall we say, half past three? I’ll bring a few books and see what suits you best. We’ll have you reading fluently in no time, I’m sure.’

He smiled, nodded, and walked past, under the lych-gate and away down the street before Axe could raise any difficulties. He felt immensely cheerful. Doing good was always a raiser of the spirits. He sang a little of the Te Deum under his breath as he walked.

There were so many museums and art galleries in Paris – and Giles did them all so thoroughly – that they were sure to last them for the two weeks. Kitty liked looking at paintings, in moderation, but Giles would stand for a long time before each, and after a few hours her feet and her back started to ache. Also, when she had said the few things she had to say about art, she was reduced to agreeing with him – not that she wouldn’t have agreed with him anyway, but just saying, ‘Yes,’ to everything made her sound stupid. After a while, he stopped making comments, and they went round in silence.

One day they took a ride out to Versailles to see where the French kings had lived in such splendour. The journey was nice, and the park of Versailles was beautiful, but the fountains weren’t running, and though the inside of the palace was very lavish with elaborate plasterwork and gold paint, it wasn’t furnished, unlike palaces at home, so there wasn’t much to see.

She’d have liked to look at the shops, but that was not anything Giles suggested. Out of consideration to her feet, she’d have enjoyed sitting in one of the parks to watch people stroll by, or having a ride in one of the boats down the Seine, but that wasn’t on offer either. He took her to the Sainte-Chapelle, which he said was finer than Notre Dame, and it might have been for all she knew, but she’d have preferred to stroll through the wonderful flower-market on the Île de la Cité, which she glimpsed as they were going in.

Still, she was in the wonderful city of Paris, and she was married to Giles, and she was plainly the luckiest girl in the world. Le Meurice, where they were staying, was simply gorgeous – more luxurious by half even than Dene Park – and all the staff were very attentive and called her ‘milady’ at every turn, which was awfully nice.

And the nights were wonderful.

Giles had no acquaintance in Paris, and it was the wrong time of year to encounter English visitors there. It was too hot in July: as with London, people started to go out of the city, and by August it would be deserted and most of the shops shut. It meant that he and his new wife were pretty much thrown on each other’s company, which was perhaps not the best idea for two people who hardly knew each other and were not madly in love.