The Hazardous Measure of Love by Louise Allen

Author:Louise Allen [Allen, Louise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-01-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

After luncheon Luc sent a note to Alexander Prescott to tell him that we had arrived and to enquire about the arrangements for the funeral. I was disappointed not to be able to attend, although I knew that upper-class females were considered too fragile to cope with the trauma of the graveside, but Lady Radcliffe said that while the men were at the interment we could call on the ladies of the house to offer sympathy and support. And, she pointed out, once there, we could sneak in to listen to the reading of the will. Luc intended telling Alexander that his own presence to observe this ritual was essential for the investigation.

Then we set up the evidence boards in a room that could be secured and the family, with me in tow, set off to investigate young Matthew’s new house.

He and his twin were profoundly uninterested in the number of bedchambers, the state of the roof, the condition of the gardens or the effectiveness of the kitchen range. They wanted to explore the cellars, the attics and, most definitely, the moat.

‘Please, Papa, may we have a boat?’

‘Not this time,’ Luc temporised. ‘We do not know yet how deep the water is. We may need a punt or we might be able to use a rowing boat. But, unless I have your word of honour, both of you, that you will not go within six feet of the edge without either Uncle James or myself, then there will be no boat of any sort, ever.’

‘What if someone falls in and is drowning?’ That was Matthew, of course. I had a vivid image of him as a teenager and shuddered.

‘If that happens you run and get help,’ Luc said sternly. ‘Now – do I have your word?’

‘Yes, Papa,’ they chorused obediently. Matthew, I could tell, was already trying to think of an honourable way around their promise, but at least they had been brought up to regard breaking their word as just about the worst sin they could commit.

‘Better drowned than duffers, if not duffers won't drown,’ I quoted from Arthur Ransome, then had to explain what duffers were and all about Swallows and Amazons.

Lady Radcliffe was making copious notes on what need to be done with furnishings, cleaning and the kitchen, James and Luc cast knowledgeable eyes over roofs, gutters and brickwork and I was consumed with house-envy. It was gorgeous and I wanted it.

One of the first things I was going to do when I was back in my time was to check it out. Was it still there? Hopefully. Was it for sale? Unlikely. Could I ever hope to afford it? Never in a million years. Was it three times larger than I could possibly need? Yes. That didn’t stop me organising, decorating, furnishing…dreaming.

‘What are you brooding about?’ Luc asked when he found me slowly rotating in the middle of the drawing room.

‘This house. I love it.’

‘If it were mine I would give it to you,’ he said, suddenly very serious.

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