Page 50 of Beyond the Grave
"That it is, miss. The Fox is the oldest and best inn for miles. You won't get a fireplace as cozy as the one in the dining room, and our beds are clean, unlike some places I could mention. Be sure to dine with us this evening and enjoy our cook's special. You won't be disappointed."
"I look forward to it."
He led us up the narrow staircase, worn smooth in the center from centuries of trampling boots. Lincoln had to duck as we passed from the ground level to the next, and the top of his head almost skimmed the thick, black beams holding up the corridor ceiling. The innkeeper showed us into our rooms, then left. After fifteen minutes, Lincoln tapped on the door leading to the sitting room.
"Ready?" he called.
"I'll fetch my cloak and gloves."
A few minutes later we were outside, hailing a cab to take us to Emberly Park, a few miles west of the village. The term "cab" could only loosely describe the vehicle. It wasn't the hackney variety that crowded London's streets, but a crude wagon that happened to be going to the big house to deliver sacks of flour, tea, sugar and other supplies.
I sat on one side of the squinting, stooped driver and Lincoln sat on the other. Fortunately it was a lovely sunny autumn day, albeit a cool one, and we didn't require protection from the weather.
"Does Lord Harcourt own this village?" I asked as we drove along the main street, lined with shops that seemed to be a mixture of old and new. Three of them were the narrow black and white Tudor type, all leaning drunkenly to the right. "It's very pretty."
"He owns a few buildings here and there," the driver said.
"Is he a good landlord?"
He shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. He ain'tmylandlord."
"Have the Buchanan family lived here long?"
"Long as anyone alive can remember, and well before that."
"The baronetcy was named after the village when it was awarded to the Buchanan family, a little over a century ago," Lincoln explained. "They lived at Emberly Park for two centuries before that, however."
"You know their history well."
"I know the history of every noble family in the British Empire. My tutor on the subject made sure I memorized family trees."
"That sounds horrible."
"It wasn't."
Probably because he possessed an excellent memory. "Does the baron's brother come here often?" I asked the driver.
"Wouldn't know."
"Do you know if he was here recently, say about a week ago?"
"No."
We'd already asked the stationmaster, but he claimed not to know what Buchanan looked like, never having met the fellow in the year since he'd moved to the village. We couldn't rule out Buchanan having arrived by train. Not yet.
I fell into silence as we drove past thatch-roofed cottages, over a stone bridge that crossed a gently babbling stream and out of the village. I was too in awe of the beauty of the countryside to bother attempting conversation with two of the poorest conversationalists in England. Sunshine speared through the remaining autumn leaves clinging to the elm trees, turning them a fiery gold. Beyond the trees, green hills rolled into the distance, as smooth as carpet, with only some sheep and the occasional hedgerow to break it up.
I breathed deeply, drawing the cleanest air I'd ever known into my lungs. It was so clean that it eventasteddifferent to the London air. The colors were much brighter than in the city too, as if someone had dipped trees, grass and sky in the same dyes used to color silk gowns and waistcoats. I'd thought the Lichfield Towers grounds were pristine—and they were, compared to London—butthiswas magical. If fairies existed, they would surely make their homes here.
"You've never been to the countryside," Lincoln said quietly.
The driver glanced at him then returned to concentrating on the horse and road.
"Not this far outside of London," I said. "Is the rest of England like this?"
The driver snorted, and I instantly regretted asking. I sounded so unworldly. Lincoln had been to the continent and perhaps further. He must think me childish. The driver certainly did.
"The countryside changes, depending on a variety of factors from the weather and soil, to the proximity to the sea, mountains and other natural landmarks."
