Page 132 of One More Christmas at the Castle
‘It was. She clearly had no idea the law had changed, though she recovered almost instantly.’
‘Poor Dad! I had to laugh, because he would have been so horrified to find all the responsibility for the estate hung around his neck. Possessions mean absolutely nothing to him!’
‘Just as well she’s going to sign a will and make sure he doesn’t get it all, then,’ he said. ‘I get the feeling, whatever she says, that she’s already made up her mind how to leave it.’
‘To the National Trust, I should think,’ I agreed.
‘That would be a good outcome. They’d look after the house and estate well.’
‘You love Mitras Castle, don’t you?’
‘It has happy associations for me – and there’s something welcoming about it that makes me feel at home here. You feel that too, don’t you?’
‘Yes, right from the moment I arrived. And I love the garden, too – there’s a magic about it.’
He smiled at me. ‘I suppose we’d better go, but first …’
The kiss lasted a long time … and might have gone on even longer had we not been disturbed by the sound of the door to the library opening behind us and Sophie’s voice exclaiming furiously, ‘Oh, don’t letmedisturb you!’
Then it closed behind her with an almighty slam.
‘Damn,’ said Xan.
Henry must have guessed where I was, because he’d already made the coffee and taken it through.
He came back just after I did, shutting the baize door behind him and saying, dramatically: ‘Fly, all is discovered!’
‘What do you mean?’ I said defensively. ‘And I’m sorry I left you alone to clear up.’
‘I wasn’t alone, because Dom helped, and don’t change the subject,’ he said. ‘Sophie just burst into the sitting room, looking like a Fury and told everyone she’d just found Xan in the study, “snogging the help” – her words.’
‘He was,’ I said. ‘I didn’t really expect her to make an announcement of it, though!’
‘Nancy put her in her place. She said: “I don’t want to be unchristian, but you are a very ill-bred girl, Sophie!” And then Xan walked in and no one seemed to have any idea what tosay, so I expect they’re all pretending they never heard what Sophie said.’
‘I wish they hadn’t,’ I said. ‘It’s going to make things awkward, and Mrs Powys isn’t going to like it.’
‘She’s probably cutting him out of one of the wills already,’ he said flippantly.
‘I don’t suppose he was in one in the first place. I’m sure she was only dragging him into the discussion earlier to get up Nigel’s nose.’
‘She succeeded, then. She’stotallywicked!’ he said, but in an admiring kind of way.
Sabine
When I excused myself and went up to bed early, Nancy followed me into the boudoir and said, brightly, ‘Well, this has been an evening of interesting revelations, hasn’t it?’
‘You might say that,’ I replied, taking the whisky decanter out of the cupboard. ‘A quick snifter?’
She looked at me keenly. ‘I think you’d be better letting me pop down to make us some cocoa and then taking one of those painkillers you’re hoarding with it.’
‘I do realize there’s no point in stoicism just for the sake of it, so yes, I’ll take one – but I’ll wash it down with this.’
‘All right – I’ll join you, then,’ she said, and when she’d taken her glass and sat down, watched while I fetched a tablet from the bedroom and took it. When she spoke again, though, it was on an entirely different subject.
‘You know, Sabine, I had a feeling there had in the not too distant past been a new law, or act, or whatever they call it, about the legal rights of illegitimate children.’
‘Did you? It was a complete surprise to me! If I’d had any idea that Faye’s son would inherit everything if I died intestate, I’d certainly have made a will long before this.’
