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“We have met on one or two occasions, madam.”
“He’s travelling down from town tomorrow morning, bringing some people with him and very much looking forward to seeing you. We don’t disappoint James.”
Joe was aware of Hu
The two men watched the horses trot off down the road in silence.
“One or two surprises there. Come on inside, man,” Hu
“Hu
“Ah, but it’s not a whim,” Hu
INSIDE WAS MORE delight. Joe ducked and stepped through the front door of the yeoman’s dwelling into a neat and sparkling room ru
“I had the floor lowered a foot,” Hu
The stout floorboards underfoot had been polished to a high shine and one or two red turkey rugs were scattered over. In the open fireplace, still-glowing embers were evidence that Hu
Hu
“You’ll want to wash your hands and tidy up a bit. Those horses gave you a right going over. There’s a bathroom through the back door there, in the outshot, beyond the kitchen. I have no electricity but I’ve made sure the plumbing’s as good as it can be. There’s two bedrooms on the floor above. I had thought you could have the one on the left. Up those stairs.” He indicated a narrow spiral staircase that was more of a ladder. “It’s not the Ritz but it’s a long way from the trenches.”
When Joe reappeared, Hu
Joe always reckoned that five minutes with a man’s bookshelves revealed the man and saved him hours of exploratory conversation or interrogation. Hu
When called to table, Joe kept silent about his encounter with Lady Cecily in deference to the hospitality on offer from Hu
Hu
They ate their way through, swapping war memories and comments on local customs and farming life, avoiding for the moment what was in the forefront of their minds. In view of the ordeal by nettle soup which was to come, Joe refused the cheese and the custard tart and sat back to smoke a cigarette while Hu
Finally, Hu
He waited for Joe’s explanation.
Joe took a letter from his pocket. “In a ma
“I think so. Dictated, I shouldn’t wonder, to her maid. I’d say that old lady enjoys a bit of intrigue.”
“It’s her middle name.”
“This proven, I’d say, by her behaviour just now in the lane. All that: ‘There you are! Di