Page 27 of Linenfold (The Alice Chronicles #4)

I had no idea he was going to do that,’ Alice assures Olivia. ‘In fairness, I don’t believe he had, either.’

Juliana’s glare at Philip and Alice in apparent embrace preceded her abrupt departure, heels sharply clicking across the stone flags of the hall.

Olivia, about to enter the parlour, stood with a puzzled expression.

For a moment, Philip stared, then he shrugged, locked the pieces of paper back in his box and excused himself, ‘Forgive me, Alice, Mistress Egerton, I have matters to discuss with Cranley.’

In the winter parlour where she has stayed with Alice, Olivia says, ‘Well, I see I was right that Juliana is a deal less impartial than she pretended. I’m impressed he didn’t follow her.

With her beauty she’s so used to being chased after, it will be good for her to be left to recover alone. What prompted it?’

‘We have been on a quest to solve a puzzle he found in his uncle’s papers and had just made a slight breakthrough. That’s all.’

Olivia laughs. ‘If he responds like that to a slight breakthrough, beware the solving of the puzzle!’

‘It’s just a bit of writing, but some of the words are missing and he is trying to piece it back together.’

‘Two of the sheriff’s men arrived just as we did,’ Olivia tells her. ‘Is there about to be an arrest?’

‘No, Sir Malcolm wants them here for reasons best known to himself and I am to co-operate with any requests they have. I must go and talk with them.’

‘This has to do with His Lordship’s death?’

‘They guard His Lordship’s boxes until Sir Malcolm delivers his verdict.’ She looks at her friend. ‘No, it doesn’t convince me, either.’

‘We came to invite you to supper to escape your surroundings for a space. In truth it was Juliana’s idea, though she didn’t mention Philip.

When I suggested his name, I received a very offhand response from her ladyship, if you please.

I thought also to invite the Secretary, so that your household are spared cooking specially for him. ’

‘That one’s another puzzle. I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps a flagellum to subdue the flesh and cage his humours firmly in the melancholy.

’ Alice lays a hand on the swelling under her skirts.

‘He is embarrassed by my condition and regards me as some sinful inferior creature he would sooner not acknowledge. Lord Hardcastle took him to task for it at one point. I should add that all this I heard by eavesdropping on their conversation, so he has the right of it that I am a sinful creature!’

‘Well, he is invited anyway.’

‘In truth, Olivia, I cannot leave while these two men are in my house. Why do you not stay now and have supper with us? In fact, you are the very person to help me out at what you do best. You shall enchant Master Cranley for an hour or two. I’m tired of his endless carping.’

And as Alice predicts, Master Cranley is no match for the allure of Olivia’s address, the way she has with this elderly clerk.

He is flattered to have his company sought and is easily persuaded to join them for a meal.

Alice stokes up the fire in the hall for them and sees them ensconced on the settle before the hearth.

Juliana soon returns and fits herself between the two.

Alice makes for the kitchen to arrange supper, where Philip has retreated.

‘Olivia and Juliana are in the hall with Master Cranley, if you want to join them,’ she tells him.

‘I’ll not follow her around for her to underline her disapproval. I wanted to say, I made a tangle of matters back in the winter parlour. I apologise for doing such a stupid, upsetting thing.’

‘You didn’t upset me. It was no more than the impulse of a moment. But I don’t suppose Juliana will long hold her resentment.’ Curiosity prods her to add, ‘So she did not previously disdain your kindnesses?’

‘No, when I went – well, never mind. I suppose it was clumsy of me … She has been delicately raised.’

Delicately raised, Alice will allow, but a bold nature is not distressed as a result.

More likely, angry and thwarted that he did not do what she expected and chase after her to apologise.

And why should he indeed? They have only known each other a few days.

‘Perhaps if you can persuade her to apply her mind to your riddle, she might be diverted?’

‘If she deigns to appear at supper.’

Olivia comes into the kitchen a few minutes later, a smile dancing on her lips.

‘What?’ Alice says.

‘Juliana attempted to make polite conversation with Master Cranley,’ Olivia explains, ‘only to be told she was unwomanly in her “chattering” and took up too much room on the settle with her “nether skirts” as he called them. Which was very ill-advised because Juliana proceeded to draw up her “nether skirts” to show him that she is wearing only the one underskirt, can you imagine? I thought he’d have a seizure when he caught sight of her ankles! ’

‘It’ll do him no end of good,’ Philip says bluntly. ‘About time he realised he’s not the arbiter of virtue.’

‘Juliana told him that his own “nether garments”, along with his gown take up far more room. I left them to their duel of insults. It will be interesting to see how supper progresses!’

By the time they come to table in the hall, Juliana is as flushed as when she swept out of the winter parlour.

The air around her sparks like fire fed with resiny wood.

Fetching dishes from the kitchen with Olivia’s help, Alice comments, ‘I wonder if Master Cranley has been favouring her with his little dictums.’ She nudges aside a collapsed pie of Maureen’s making and hands her friend a dish of orange-flavoured potato.

‘He told me my sheep could die because Christmas falls on a Friday this year.’

‘That would only make her laugh,’ says Olivia.

‘Exactly. He takes himself very seriously. I should be interested to hear her side of the exchange.’

Throughout the meal, Juliana pays bright attention to Olivia, little to Alice, and entirely ignores the two men, neither of whom attempts conversation with her.

Supper becomes a battle between Juliana’s efforts to engage Olivia’s attention, and Philip’s counter-efforts to do the same.

Master Cranley quietly chews his way through various dishes and stolidly answers Yes or No to questions put his way.

Towards the end of the meal Philip breaks the stalemate. ‘Mistress Egerton,’ he says to Olivia, ‘I have a mystery I should like to consult you on, if you will oblige me.’

‘It is of all things what I should like, sir. Please, mystify me.’

‘First, I must ask for pen and ink.’ While Alice rises to fetch these from the court cupboard, Philip explains, ‘I am trying to think of words to place in a sort of short poem, and I find myself stuck at certain points. For instance, I need a word that ends in “lated”, like the word “crenellated”.

‘Any word will do?’

‘Any word.’

‘There you are, paper and ink.’ Alice places them by him. ‘And a quill.’

‘What about related?’

‘Very good, Mistress Egerton, that’s just the sort of word,’ Philip says, dipping quill in ink. ‘Related. Any more?’

Olivia thinks. ‘Simulated.’

‘Annihilated,’ Juliana offers.

Philip keeps his eyes down and writes. ‘Yes, those are good. More?’

‘Inflated,’ Alice says.

‘Deflated,’ Master Cranley adds.

‘Excellent, Master Secretary, thank you.’

‘Immolated,’ the Secretary adds. ‘Isolated.’

‘Manipulated.’ This from Juliana.

‘Desolated.’ Master Cranley’s suggestions, Alice muses, are every bit as melancholy as his humours.

‘Emasculated.’ Juliana rolls the word out, glaring at Philip, who shifts minutely in his seat but doggedly continues writing.

And Juliana can be piercingly creative .

‘Is that the only word you need to rhyme, Philip?’ Olivia asks.

‘No indeed, I have another. This one does not rhyme exactly, it starts with “cy”, that’s C and Y, and I need words that start with those two letters.’

There is silence while they all think, then,

‘Cyclops,’ Olivia suggests.

‘The one-eyed monster, very good,’ Philip says, scribbling it down.

‘Cyder,’ Alice says, and seeing the secretary’s blank look, ‘It is a drink, sir. A little like ale but made from apples.’

‘Anyone who’s not a straw-head knows it too,’ Juliana murmurs, not softly enough.

As Master Cranley swells with affront, Olivia says in soothing tones, ‘Our cook uses cyder in some dishes, sir. It is pleasantly refreshing, and no stronger than, say, March beer.’

‘I do not touch strong drink.’ He purses his lips. Alice remains mute about the potent October ale he has been consuming at High Stoke.

A silence follows, then, ‘Cyprian,’ Juliana says. ‘Aphrodite was a Cyprian, wasn’t she?’

‘A whore exposing her corruption under lewd Cyprus-linen ,’ the secretary counters. ‘Shame on thee, madam, to cite such a creature in gentle company!’

Juliana rounds on him. ‘Aphrodite was the goddess of love, sir!’ she declares. ‘If Our Lord is the God of love, I do not see the wrong in speaking of a Goddess of the same.’

‘Profanity to speak the celestial and the sensual thus together!’

‘I speak fair, sir, though you may think what you will!’

‘I’m trying to catch up with you.’ Philip interrupts the simmering melée. ‘We had cyclops and cyder, then what was that word you said, Master Secretary?’

‘I did not offer a word.’

‘No, tell me. You said Aphrodite was under … cy something.’

Cranley seems to diminish into his seat as he murmurs, ‘I could not say.’

‘Oh, come now. Would you deny me? What was the word?’

‘My Lord, it was …’ He murmurs low, ‘Cyprus-linen.’

‘That’s a new one for me. What’s Cyprus-linen?’

‘It’s a fabric,’ Olivia explains. ‘A delicate linen lawn.’

‘Oh, is that all?’

Cranley adds, ‘—worn by light women.’

‘Ah.’ Head down, writing, Philip bites his cheek. ‘So Aphrodite had a covering of this Cyprus-linen, did she, like the seventh veil?’

Juliana’s eyes glow. The smile she makes no effort to suppress does not escape the Secretary’s notice and he bursts out, ‘Your adversary the devil, madam, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour!’

Juliana gives a spurt of laughter, which she has the grace to turn into a cough. Alice lends credence by clapping her on the back and Philip reaches for the comfit dish. ‘Mistress Juliana, allow me to recommend these for your relief. I find them both sharp and sweet.’