Page 6 of Sunday's Child

‘It will be cool in the carriage with the windows open. There’s no point taking chances.’ Mrs Pennington turned to Patricia and Nancy with a beaming smile. ‘So good of you to come and see us off.’

‘Good luck, Sylvie,’ Patricia said gently. ‘Do remember to write.’

Mr Pennington helped his niece to her feet. ‘Come along, dear. Let’s start on our journey. This is the beginning of the cure you’ve been waiting for.’

‘I hope so,’ Sylvia said breathlessly. ‘I won’t say goodbye, Patsy. Au revoir, as the French say. Until we meet again.’ She rose to her feet and between them her aunt and uncle helped her across the marble-tiled floor and down the steps to the waiting carriage.

‘Do you really think she will get better in Switzerland?’ Nancy asked anxiously.

‘We can but hope.’ Patricia slipped her arm around Nancy’s shoulder and gave her a hug. ‘Let’s go home. There’s nothing more we can do here.’

‘It seems sad to abandon such a beautiful house,’ Nancy said, gazing at their elegant surroundings. ‘It’s such a shame that Sir Michael didn’t leave it to you in his will.’

‘That’s one of those strange things that happen in life. I should have been able to live here, but in a way it was the best thing that happened to me. Had I settled down to a comfortable life in Greystone Park, I might never have married Leo. That would have been the tragedy.’

They strolled across the marble-tiled floor to the door, where Foster waited patiently to see them out.

‘It’s a sad day, my lady,’ he said softly.

‘I’m sure you will look after Greystone Park as always, Foster,’ Patricia said graciously.

‘I will do my utmost, my lady.’

‘I’m Mrs Wilder, now Foster. I have no title.’

‘You will always be Lady Greystone in my eyes, if you’ll forgive me saying so, my lady.’

Patricia acknowledged this with a wry smile. ‘Thank you, Foster. Good day.’ She stepped outside into the sunshine with Nancy close on her heels.

A strange carriage was in the castle bailey when Nancy and Patricia arrived. It could only have drawn to a halt a few minutes before them as James, the footman, was busy unloading luggage and the coachman was still on the driver’s seat.

‘Tommy!’ Nancy leaped to the ground and ran to hug the boy who had been her friend from the first moment he had arrived at Rockwood Castle. At seventeen, Tommy Carey looked like a younger version of his father. He had Sir Bertram’s golden-brown eyes and dark blond hair that flopped over his brow. He was tall for his age, and broad shouldered from activities on the sports field at his boarding school, but the person who caught Nancy’s eye, and brought her to a sudden halt, was Tommy’s companion. The handsome young man leaned nonchalantly against the coach door, eyeing them all with a look of amusement in his moss-green eyes. He was fashionably dressed and he held a silver-headed cane.

‘Nancy, you look wonderful,’ Tommy said enthusiastically. ‘I swear you get prettier every time I see you.’

She knew that this was untrue, having been told by Hester that she must have been behind the door when God handed out good looks, but praise from Tommy gave her a warm glow inside.

‘It’s good to see you too, Tommy.’ Nancy shot a sideways glance at the stranger, but he said nothing and Tommy seemed to have forgotten his manners.

Patricia handed the reins to Pip Hudson, who had risen from stable boy to under groom. ‘Aren’t you going to introduce us to your guest, Tommy?’

‘Of course. What was I thinking? Aunt Patricia, may I introduce my good friend, Gervase North?’ Tommy turned to his friend. ‘Gervase, I would like you to meet my aunt, Mrs Wilder.’

Gervase bowed from the waist. ‘How do you do, ma’am?’

‘And this is my adopted sister, Nancy,’ Tommy added, grinning.

Nancy bobbed a curtsey, suddenly at a loss for words.

Patricia extended her hand to Gervase. ‘How do you do? It’s always a pleasure to meet one of Tommy’s friends, but how do you know each other?’

Gervase raised Patricia’s hand to his lips. ‘We met at school, ma’am.’

‘Surely not,’ Nancy said, frowning. ‘You’re much older than Tommy.’

‘I’ve led a dashed hard life, Miss Nancy. Instead of studying I spend my time gambling, attending parties and generally having a good time. I am in fact just a couple of years Tommy’s senior.’

‘Don’t take any notice of him, Nancy,’ Tommy said, laughing. ‘Gervase is a tease. He was my teacher and when I first started school he saved me from the bullies.’