The Room on the Second Floor by T A Williams

Author:T A Williams [Williams, T A]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781472074508
Publisher: Carina
Published: 2014-09-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 30

Linda and Roger had been back home for a few weeks, before natural curiosity took her up the stairs to the second floor. She, like everybody else in the manor, kept on seeing attractive girls going up and down the stairs. She had often wondered just what services the Salon offered. Part of her was keen to see if some of the beauty secrets clearly enjoyed by these lovelies, might be extended to her. Now that everybody, even her mother, knew that she was a fallen woman, she thought joyfully, there was no harm in maybe spending a little on her own appearance. But her quest turned out to be fruitless. At least on the first occasion.

All she found was a comfortable lounge, with a television tuned to a repeat of Strictly Come Dancing. A quite monumentally muscle-bound man in a tank top was dancing lightly around. As he saw her, he gave a friendly wave, and flounced over.

‘Hello, darling. How’s your rumba?’

She blushed, and replied hesitantly that she was looking for the beauty salon. She might just have caught a hint of concern on the face of the muscle man, but he collected himself in a flash.

‘Oh, I’m so, so sorry. They’re all in a meeting. There’s a new manager just started and she’s going through things with them.’ A look of pique crossed his face. ‘I wasn’t required.’

‘Shall I come back tomorrow?’

Again that look of caution.

‘Yes, by all means. Who should I say was looking for them?’ He was really very smiley and attentive. The thought crossed her mind that maybe he might be a little on the effeminate side, in spite of his physique. Or maybe because of it, she wondered, as the notion took hold. She wasn’t really quite as green as many thought.

‘I’m Linda, Linda Reid. Professor Dalby’s girlfriend.’ That sounded rather fine. She was pleased to see recognition in his eyes.

‘Well, I’ll be sure to tell them, just as soon as they come out. See you tomorrow.’ He blew her a kiss and swept back to the rumba. She turned and retraced her steps to the first floor.

Roger was once more deep in the past. He was puzzling over the fact that André de Montbard, St Bernard’s uncle, had apparently left no written record of his time in the Holy Land. And the leader of the founding Knights Templar, Hugues de Payns, had left nothing either. It was as though any reference to them in their early years had been censored.

‘Jasper, old friend. We should always remember that history is written by the winners.’ The dog opened one eye and the long black tail wagged uncertainly.

Jasper then opened the other eye, but it was because Linda had walked in. The rhythm of the tail increased as she stooped down to pat him.

‘Are you still trying out your theories on Jasper?’

She gave Roger an affectionate peck on the cheek. Jasper lapsed back into unconsciousness, happy to let her take up the intellectual challenge.

‘Why, oh why, did the church hush up the Templars? There is so very little left behind.

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