Page 74 of One More Christmas at the Castle
‘I think on that note we’ll stop for today, Sabine,’ Xan said, reaching forward to switch off the microphone. ‘In the next few sessions we’ll go into those years in more depth – the discoveries and the documentary making.’
‘I’ll look forward to it,’ I said, but I knew that eventually another dark cloud would appear on the horizon …
21
Completely Chilled
Henry, intrepid as always, had been out early for the papers when I came downstairs next morning.
He said, when Xan had arrived and the three of us sat down at the table to eat breakfast – four, if you counted Plum, who was under it – that the roads were a little icy, but well gritted and he’d had no real problems negotiating them.
He sounded regretful, but added more cheerfully, ‘The snow’s lying just as thickly on the fields, though I don’t think it’s going to last much longer, according to the forecast, so we should make the most of it. Why don’t we all go out to the slope below the Roman site later? I’m sure I saw some sledges hanging on pegs in the garage.’
‘Yes, there are some out there,’ Xan agreed. ‘A big old wooden one and a couple of smaller ones.’
‘There you are, then – and you can have a go on my snowboard, too, if you want to.’
We both declined this handsome offer.
‘I think our centres of gravity are too high,’ I told him.
‘Are you saying I’m short?’ demanded Henry indignantly.
‘No, just a different build,’ I said hastily.
Xan said he hadn’t been on a sledge for years and he looked tempted. ‘But I should really be working.’
‘It’s Sunday, so you could take some time off,’ I suggested. ‘I could come out for a bit too, but since dinner is at two today, I’ll be cooking all morning. I’m making beef Wellington followed by a blackberry and apple crumble with custard.’
Xan groaned. ‘I’m not going to be able to resist second helpings.’
‘You’ll need some exercise to work it off, then. Why don’t you two head out right after dinner and I’ll follow, once I’ve cleared up?’ I suggested.
‘I suspect Mrs Powys will still want tea at the usual time, even after a big dinner, but I could come back and make that,’ offered Henry.
‘Thanks, Henry,’ I said. ‘And after that, there’s only cold supper to lay out in the dining room.’
‘It seems a shame that one of you will have to dash back, just to make tea,’ Xan said.
‘Well, we’re here to work, you know,’ I said.
‘That’smymain purpose in being here too,’ Xan said, ‘but I’ll skive off for the afternoon, if you will, Dido.’
‘OK,’ I said, then got up. ‘I’d better see if Lucy’s still in the morning room, though she never seems to want anything more than toast.’
‘AndI’dbetter get on with my house fairy chores,’ Henry said, ‘because I’ve offered to drive Lucy to church later. She wants to go, but is afraid of the icy roads.’
‘That was kind,’ I said.
‘It’s no problem, and her friend Daphne will bring her back, if the roads are OK then.’
Xan said he’d better put in some work now if he was taking the afternoon off, and he made himself a cup of coffee to take with him – and one for me, too.
‘Seeing as it’s your coffee machine and pods I keep using,’ he said.
‘It’s OK, I’ll give you a bill for the hire of the coffee machine and the pods at the end of our stay,’ I told him, and he went off, grinning.
When I had the beef Wellington well in hand and the vegetables prepped, I baked a couple of quiches to use up various odds and ends in the fridge.
