Page 94 of Sunday's Child

‘Of course. I agree entirely.’

‘So you will go to Greystone Park and speak to Gervase.’

‘I will try. That’s all I can say.’

‘Excellent.’ Christina made for the doorway. ‘I’ll leave now, but thank you, Nancy. I’ll see myself out.’ She left the room, allowing the door to swing shut behind her.

Nancy sat down suddenly. The last thing she wanted was to see Gervase North again, but she had promised to help, and the memory of Sylvia, who had looked so pale and thin when she left for Switzerland, made it impossible to go back on her word. After all, she would just pay a quick visit to Greystone Park and put the case to Gervase.

Next day, Nancy drove herself to Greystone Park in the dog cart. She had not told Hester the real reason for Christina’s visit, nor had she told her that she intended to call on Gervase North. Patricia would be furious if she found out, and Bertie would certainly forbid her to get involved. Tommy was in his first year at university, and there was no one else in whom she could confide. It would be a very brief visit, she managed to convince herself, and she handed the reins over to a stable boy, telling him to walk the horse while she was inside the house.

Foster opened the door in answer to her knock and he ushered her into the entrance hall.

‘Is Mr North in residence, Foster?’

‘I’ll go and enquire, miss.’ Foster made his way slowly across the hall. He returned moments later followed by Gervase himself.

‘Nancy, my dear. This is a pleasant surprise.’

‘Good morning, Gervase.’

‘As a matter of fact I planned to visit you at Rockwood this very day.’

‘That is a coincidence.’

‘Come to the drawing room where we can talk properly. Foster, we’ll have coffee and biscuits or cake, if there is any.’ Gervase dismissed Foster with a brief wave of his hand. ‘Come with me, Nancy. The fire should have been lit hours ago. I’m having difficulty with the lack of proper servants at the moment.’

Nancy followed him to the drawing room. The last time she had been here was when Sylvia had left for Switzerland where she hoped for a cure. It seemed a very long time ago and the house felt quite strange. The drawing room was not untidy, but there were hints of male occupancy everywhere. A pile of field sports magazine spilled over onto the floor; a pair of walking shoes complete with mud were abandoned by the French windows, and there was a distinct smell of stale cigar smoke in the room.

‘Do take a seat, Nancy. Make yourself comfortable.’ Gervase stood with his back to the fire. ‘As you see, I am very much at home here. This is my family seat and I have taken ownership, as is my right.’

Nancy remained standing. ‘But it isn’t yours, Gervase. The estate belongs to Christina and Sylvia.’

‘Sylvia is an invalid and Christina is married to that prosy bore, Oscar the clergyman. What use have they for Greystone Park?’

‘Whatever you think, this is their home. You have no right to be here.’

‘I have every right. As the only surviving male member of the Greystone family the estate should have come to me in the first place.’

‘But as I understand it, your mama was a Greystone but your papa was a member of the North family. Surely you should have inherited something from your father’s side of the family.’

‘I might have exaggerated the extent of my fortune in the past. Papa gambled on the stock market and lost. The only relatives I have are all poor, begging for scraps from my table. I have nothing to do with them.’ Gervase’s brows drew together in an ominous frown. ‘Anyway, why are you here? Who sent you?’

Nancy sat down on a high-back chair, folding her hands in her lap. She did not like the way Gervase could suddenly change from being charming to being overtly threatening. ‘Christina asked me to come. To put it bluntly, Gervase, she wants you to leave.’

‘Why couldn’t she come and tell me that to my face?’

‘Apparently you won’t talk to her.’

‘I’m a reasonable man, as you know. I will soon have proof of my right to inherit the house and the estate. Until then she will have to be patient.’

‘Come now, you don’t expect her to believe that, do you? She could call in the bailiffs and they would oust you from the property.’

‘She would need a court order. I know my rights, Nancy. Besides which, you are also involved.’

Nancy stared at him in disbelief. ‘How so?’

‘I’m not prepared to reveal that now, but soon you will know who you are and why you are important to me. But never mind that now. I need your help to prove my case one way or the other.’