by Anne Fraser
He sent her a sideways glance before turning his attention back to the road ahead. ‘I dare say your job isn’t easy, either. I thought you handled the situation with young Matthew very well yesterday. It must have been very worrying for you, knowing how badly he had overdosed, and especially with the mother looking on. It’s always difficult to explain to a parent what’s happening, and when you’re not able to reassure them over the outcome it’s distressing all round.’
‘That’s true. I suppose, after a while, you get used to it, though it doesn’t make it any easier to cope when things go wrong.’
‘How is the boy, do you know?’
‘There hasn’t been much change, so far. I spoke to Jenny over the phone this morning and she said he was still very poorly.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘So am I. I managed to get him into intensive care yesterday, before I left the hospital. I went to take a look at him, and he was just lying there, not moving, not responsive, and it was heartbreaking.’
‘Paediatrics can be a difficult specialty. What is it that makes you go on doing the job, do you know?’ He shot her a quick glance before turning the car on to a country lane.
‘I’m not sure,’ she admitted. ‘I often ask myself the same question, but perhaps it comes down to the fact that I look on them like my own children…my own family, really. I never had any brothers or sisters, and I don’t remember much about my parents, so the children in my A&E are all very special to me.’
He sent her an oblique glance. ‘So what happened to you as a child? Who took care of you?’
She frowned. ‘My parents were lost in a tragic accident when we were on holiday and a bus overturned on a mountain pass. I escaped injury, but there were no relatives to take care of me, and so when I was brought back to England I was sent to a children’s home.’
A line etched itself into her brow. ‘After that, I went to live in various foster homes. Nothing really worked out very well, because there were unexpected problems within the foster families—nothing to do with anything I had done—but it meant that I was moved around quite a bit until I was old enough to fend for myself. It was unsettling.’
His brows met in a dark line. ‘It must have been.’ He turned the car on to a wide road that led towards huge iron gates. ‘You seem to be pretty well adjusted these days, though, so I imagine you must have managed to turn things around for yourself.’
She nodded. ‘I think the turning point was when I realised that I wanted to study medicine. Then, when I specialised and started working with children I felt as though I had finally found where I belonged.’
James smiled. ‘It’s good when that happens.’ He stopped the car and pushed open the door on the driver’s side, getting ready to step out.
‘Are we here?’ Louise looked around. She could see a house, set apart among trees, on the other side of the gates. It looked like a lodge on the edge of a large country estate. ‘Is this where your grandfather lives…in the lodge?’ she asked, waving a hand in the direction of the house. She made as if to get out of the car.
‘No, we have a little further to go. Sit tight. I just need to open the gates to the estate.’
‘Oh, I see.’ She frowned. ‘I expect there are a number of farm cottages dotted around, are there? There must be several farm workers if the land covers a large area.’
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘There are about half a dozen, along with a converted barn and a stable block that has been turned into accommodation.’
Louise settled back into her seat and watched as he unlocked the heavy wrought iron gates. It made sense that his brother would live deeper into the estate, closer to the land he was farming.
Then James came back to the car and drove through the open gates, halting the vehicle once more on a wide driveway while he went to close them again. Ahead, the view was obscured by an avenue of trees that followed the curve of the road.
‘I expect your brother has his work cut out for him,’ Louise said when they were on the move once more. ‘From the look of things, this is a huge estate. I imagine the farm workers are tenants on the land…though I’ve always wondered what happens to the workers once they leave the job. They don’t always have secure tenancy, do they? Does your brother worry about that?’
James was silent for a moment and she wondered if she had overstepped the mark with her questions. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘It’s none of my business; I shouldn’t have asked.’
‘No, that’s all right.’ James seemed to be amused by her remark, and Louise couldn’t imagine what she had said that would make him smile. ‘The question hasn’t actually arisen, but I think we could say that Robert is pretty sure of having a home for life,’ he murmured.
Louise was so busy watching his expression, that it came as something of a shock when he drew the car to a halt in front of a grand country mansion. It must have dated from around the seventeenth century but, unlike her own house, this was an extremely large property. Her eyes widened.
It was beautiful in its simplicity. Built out of stone, it had three gabled elevations to the front, forming an E shape, and the roof was covered with reddish-brown clay tiles, which added warmth to the whole building. The windows were made up of small rectangular panes of leaded glass, reaching upwards almost to roof level, and the lower windows were set in casements that were surrounded by tall decorative arches formed out of stone.
In front of the whole edifice was a sweeping lawn, bordered by mature trees and shrubs, and all about were flower borders, bright with the colours of lavender, blue and pink.
A small gasp escaped her. ‘This is beautiful,’ she said, her voice awestruck. ‘But why have we stopped here? Do you have to check in at the main house?’
‘No.’ His gaze meshed with hers. ‘This is where we live.’
She stared at him. ‘This is your house? I don’t understand…’
‘The Manor House has been our home for generations, ever since it was first built.’
She blinked, still having difficulty grasping what he was saying. The Manor House was his home? How could that be?
CHAPTER FIVE
LOUISE shook her head. ‘I don’t think I follow any of this. You said that your brother worked on a farm. I was expecting to find that he lived in a farmhouse.’
James’s mouth made an odd shape. ‘Perhaps that was the wrong way of putting it. The estate is made up of the house and the land all around. Our income comes mostly from the farmland and the produce that we sell in the farm shops, and my brother oversees all that. Then there’s a small amount of income from the tenants who live on the estate, but mostly that’s put aside for upkeep of the buildings. My grandfather prefers to keep control of the property side of things.’
Perhaps he had heard himself mentioned in their conversation because, in the back of the car, Joseph stirred. ‘What’s happening?’ he asked. ‘Are we home?’
Louise’s mouth had dropped open, but now she clamped it firmly shut. When Joseph had talked about wanting to get out and about, she had imagined him sitting in a little house or flat somewhere, staring at the four walls. Not once had it occurred to her that he was surrounded by this vast estate.
‘We’re here, Grandad. I’ll come around and help you out.’
James glanced briefly at Louise. She was still overcome by shock and simply stared ahead. ‘Why didn’t you tell me, before this?’ she asked.
‘I thought you knew,’ he said simply. ‘Most people know about Ashleigh Manor. Though I suppose if you’re not originally from around here, it might have passed you by. There’s been a Lord Ashleigh in residence at the Manor for centuries.’
Lord Ashleigh? For a moment or two, Louise felt as though her head was spinning. A feeling of faintness washed over her, as though her mind was refusing to take any of this in.
By now, James was helping his grandfather from the car. The old gentleman was unsteady on his feet and that was enough to bring Louise to her senses and make her scramble out
of her seat.
‘Let me give you a hand,’ she murmured, going to assist by supporting Joseph on one side as they climbed the steps that led to the main door.
‘Thank you, my dear,’ Joseph managed. ‘You’re like a breath of fresh air that has come into our lives.’
Louise was at a loss as to how to answer that. ‘I’m glad you think so,’ she said.
‘Where would you like to go, Grandad?’ James asked when they were inside the house. ‘Do you want me to help you up to bed, or would you like to sit in the drawing room for a while?’
‘No, no. It’s such a lovely day. We’ll sit out in the garden.’
‘As you like. I’ll ask Catherine to bring us some cold drinks out there.’
Louise wondered who Catherine might be. Was she the one who was responsible for the elegant display of flowers that graced the table in the great hall?
They were beautiful, as was everything in this lovely place. Exposed oak timbers arched across the ceiling, burnished to a hue that was golden in colour, and on one side there was a wonderful mezzanine floor, edged with a carved wooden balustrade, overlooking the hall.
‘That was the minstrel gallery,’ James told her, following the direction of her gaze. ‘In years gone by they would hold celebrations in here, and the musicians would sit up there and entertain the guests. Of course, there would be a fire burning in the grate then, to make things more cheerful.’ He waved a hand towards the huge carved fireplace that was situated at the far end of the room.
Louise could hardly take it all in. The walls were hung with bright tapestries that enlivened the room with their patterns woven with thread of red and gold. Beneath her, the floor was laid with oak timbers, polished to a sheen that lent warmth to the whole area.
‘I’ll give you a quick tour later on, if you like,’ James offered. ‘For the moment, though, I think it would be best if I get my grandfather settled down outside. Catherine will bring us some lunch and, while she is preparing that, I’ll go and see if I can hunt out the picture of Watermead House. I’m not quite sure where to begin to look for it. My great-great-grandfather had so many of these things that we’ve tended to put them away in various places. There aren’t enough walls to accommodate his collection.’
‘Please don’t trouble yourself,’ Louise said, as they went out into the lush garden. She helped to settle Joseph in a comfortable lounger chair under the shade of a sprawling cherry tree and glanced at the old man, who had closed his eyes wearily and appeared to be falling into a slumber once more. ‘I really feel bad about him offering it to me. I just happened to mention that that’s where I’m living. It’s a lovely old seventeenth century house and I feel privileged enough to be there. I really don’t want to rob you of your picture.’
Joseph’s eyes opened. ‘I want you to have it,’ he said in a wheezy voice. He patted her hand. ‘Sit down and keep me company.’ He looked at James. ‘It might be locked away somewhere in the old chapel. Have a look in there for it.’
James nodded, and then glanced briefly at Louise. ‘I hope you don’t mind if I leave you alone for minute or two. Catherine will be out in a while with some food. It’ll probably be cold cuts of meat and salad, but she always puts on a good spread. I hope you’re hungry.’
‘That’s okay. Thank you.’ Louise’s whole perception of him and his family had been turned on its head in a matter of minutes, and she wasn’t at all sure that she could manage a morsel, but she supposed no one would notice if she was to hold back from eating.
‘This part of the garden is glorious,’ she said, turning to Joseph as James left them. They were seated by a white wrought iron table, and all around there were flower borders filled with glorious country garden flowers—tall hollyhocks, lupins, foxgloves and, at a lower level, bright purple phlox.
‘Yes, it is. I like to sit out here of an afternoon,’ Joseph agreed. ‘I like the scent of the honeysuckle.’
‘It’s very fragrant and it’s easy to see why you would enjoy being out here, especially on a day like this.’
He nodded. ‘I’m glad you were able to come here with us today. James told me that you are working at the same hospital, and I was hoping that I would see you again.’
He stopped speaking as a middle-aged woman came across the lawn towards them. She was carrying a tray, set out with jugs of iced juice of different flavours and tall glasses, along with a selection of hors d’ oeuvres.
‘These are just to keep you going until I bring out the main course,’ the woman said.
‘Thank you, Catherine.’ Joseph smiled at the woman, who returned his gaze with a curve of her mouth. ‘This is Louise, the doctor who’s working with James. Louise, this is our housekeeper, Catherine. She’s a treasure. We really couldn’t manage without her.’
He indicated Louise, by his side, and she greeted the housekeeper in return. ‘Hello, Catherine. Thanks for this. It looks delicious.’
‘You’re very welcome.’ Catherine had a friendly face, with soft blue eyes and feathery brown hair that framed her face. ‘I heard how you went to help Joseph the other day. We appreciate what you did, very much.’ She glanced at the table. ‘I’ll bring the food out in a moment.’
By now, James had come out of the house and was striding across the lawn towards them. He was holding a framed picture, about eighteen inches wide, and as he approached he showed it to Louise.
‘It’s in really good condition, considering that it was painted over a century ago,’ he said. ‘Do you think the house has changed very much from the outside since this was done?’
Louise looked down at the watercolour he showed her. ‘No,’ she told him. ‘It’s pretty much the same, except that it looks as though the roof has been tiled over since that time. Of course, you can’t see round the back of the house from this painting, but a kitchen was built onto the house around a hundred years ago, so the local historians tell me.’ She glanced up at him. ‘This is a wonderful picture.’
‘The picture is yours to keep,’ Joseph said. ‘I’m glad that you like it.’
Louise was about to object, but a look from James stilled her. ‘Please take it,’ he said. ‘My grandfather wants you to have it.’
Louise could see from the set of his jaw and from the look of contentment on Joseph’s face that she was fighting a losing battle. ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘It’s lovely, and I’m very grateful to you. I shall give it pride of place in my living room.’
‘Good. Artwork like that takes us back in time, but it takes us forward as well, into the future.’ Joseph made an odd little smile and then sat forward in his seat. ‘Ah, here comes lunch.’
Louise wasn’t at all sure what he’d meant by that remark about the future. Perhaps he’d simply meant that paintings could show the passage of time.
Catherine had done them proud with a delicious honey roast ham, part of which was already carved for them, and that was accompanied by roast chicken and a platter of nibbles, including chicken goujons and stuffed tomatoes. Added to these, there was a variety of cheeses, a dish of salad, herb mayonnaise dips, a selection of relishes and a basket of different types of bread.
‘Will you try some crab cakes?’ James asked, handing her a plate and reaching out to serve her with an assortment of food.
‘Thank you.’ Louise suddenly discovered that she had an appetite after all. She might well be in the wolf’s lair, but at the moment he was a fairly amenable wolf, and even though that might be because his grandfather was present, she felt relaxed enough to let her guard down a little.
She tasted the food and discovered that it was every bit as mouth-watering as it appeared. ‘This is heavenly,’ she said, glancing at James. ‘You’re very fortunate to have Catherine to prepare all this for you.’
‘She’s been with us for years.’ James helped himself to bread and added a generous helping of butter. ‘She only comes in during the weekdays, because she has a family of her own to look after, but she always leaves food for us to tuck into o
ver the weekend—home-made pies, casseroles, rice dishes and the like. Of course, my grandfather eats like a bird these days, so it’s down to the rest of us to polish it off.’
He looked across the table at his grandfather and saw that he had finished with his food and was leaning back in his chair, dozing quietly. James’s mouth made a faint curve. ‘See what I mean? He must have had all of one chicken drumstick and a piece of bread, and that’s it.’
‘Is there no help to be had for his condition?’ Louise was sad to see the old man looking so fragile. James shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not. The doctors have done everything they can for him with various medications, but his heart is worn out and the diuretics can only do so much to clear his lungs and lower his blood pressure. We just have to make sure that he isn’t stressed in any way, and see to it that he takes things easy.’
‘I’m sorry.’
He nodded. ‘So am I. But I guess he’s had a good life, and certainly he’s seen to it that the estate is preserved in a way that honours tradition and keeps it within the bounds of what we can manage. He’s never been one for bringing about change.’
He saw that she had laid down her fork. ‘Have some fruit salad and cream,’ he said. ‘I think you’ll find it’s out of this world. We produce some of the fruit in our own greenhouses, and we have apples in season, and of course much of the food we eat is taken from our crops—peppers, cucumbers, and all the salad vegetables.’
‘Do you have your own kitchen garden as well?’
‘We do. We grow vegetables in one section, and then there’s a herb garden. As soon as we’ve finished eating, I’ll show you around.’
‘Thanks, I’d like that.’
A short time later, when they were both replete, James got to his feet and held out a hand to bring her from her seat. ‘Are you ready?’ he asked.
