Page 88 of Fire Must Burn

‘Ah, that would be Mrs Kendall,’ said Mrs Dorter, smiling fondly. ‘I was their housekeeper many years ago in Cambridgeshire. It was kind of her to remember me.’

‘That must have been quite the place to manage,’ said Gwen. ‘She said she and her brother and sister ran pretty wild back then.’

‘They were rich and rambunctious,’ said Mrs Dorter. ‘I cleaned up after them. But eventually, they all grew up and left. Now, here I am, in another big house in the country. Only this one is mine, which makes quite the difference.’

‘How so?’

‘Now, when I’m cleaning up after people, I know that what remains belongs to me, and I put more effort into making things perfect again,’ she said.

‘Well, the inn is lovely and the dinner is marvellous, so here’s to perfection achieved,’ said Gwen, raising her glass.

‘You’re very kind,’ acknowledged Mrs Dorter.

The trout course arrived and was duly consumed and praised by all present. The conversation was taken over by the guests, with the men pressing Gwen and Iris for details of their lives which they fended off with grace and skill.

Yet once the Knickerbocker Glory had been demolished and the guests had repaired to the game room, the onslaught of the males continued.

‘The name’s Norris,’ said one of them to Gwen.

‘How do you do?’ she replied. ‘Mrs Bainbridge. Is Norris a first or last name?’

‘The last seems to be Smith at the moment,’ he said.

‘Quite of few of you Smiths here tonight, if the register is any indication,’ she remarked. ‘Is there a family reunion going on?’

‘Not exactly,’ he said. ‘Although there may be a fair amount of reuniting happening. You two came all the way from London, eh?’

‘We did.’

‘Interesting.’

‘How so?’

‘London folk go to Bath to get away from London,’ he said. ‘People in Bath go to Bradford to get away from Bath and Londoners. And this place is outside of Bradford. Getting Londoners here is unusual. You must really have wanted to get away from things.’

‘The air is fresh, and there is ample opportunity for exercise and good food,’ said Gwen.

He snorted.

‘Exercise will be had,’ he said, glancing about the room. ‘Although I doubt that much of it will take place outside.’

‘Oh?’

‘One of the attractions of Dorter’s Inn is its remove from the hustle and bustle,’ he said. ‘Another is the discretion of its staff.’

‘I see,’ said Gwen.

‘In fact, should you fancy a respite from the fresh air, give us a knock,’ he suggested. ‘I’m in room seven.’

‘Wouldn’t your wife have some objections to that?’

‘No doubt,’ he said. ‘But she’s in Gloucester at the moment. Susie, who’s here with me, won’t mind at all. She’ll either be grateful for the break, or want to join in.’

‘I’ll pass, but thanks for the offer,’ said Gwen.

He left her for a card table where a game of whist was in progress. Gwen sidled up to Iris.

‘I’m not sure what we’ve stumbled into here,’ she whispered. ‘But I think I was just propositioned.’