Page 56 of The Secrets of Ashmore Castle (Ashmore Castle #1)

Rachel never received the letter from Victor Lattery.

It arrived with the rest of the post, and Moss, sorting through, picked it out with a frown, then put it with her ladyship’s letters.

Lady Rachel was not of age, not even out, and for her to be receiving letters her mother did not know about was something Moss did not feel he could be responsible for.

Added to which, the hand was plainly not a woman’s.

Lady Stainton opened it at the breakfast table, and fixed Rachel with a basilisk glare. ‘What is this?’ she demanded, throwing the letter down on the table. ‘Have you been corresponding with this person ?’

Rachel’s blush was automatic, but it made her look guilty. ‘Who? What?’

Sebastian, in the seat next to Lady Stainton, looked at the signature and said, ‘Victor Lattery? Wasn’t there a daughter of that solicitor in Canons Ashmore married a Lattery? What was her name – Mildred? Tall, pretty girl.’

Rachel’s mouth was dry, but she managed to say, ‘I met him at the Brinklows’ party, Mama. He said he was getting up a bicycle party—’

‘So it seems,’ she snapped. ‘And has the impudence to invite you. Did you encourage him, after I told you not to?’

‘No, Mama. But you didn’t say – you only said – his aunt—’ Rachel faltered.

‘We do not know her,’ Lady Stainton thundered. ‘You will have nothing to do with her or anyone connected to her, and certainly not this – this youth !’ The word might as well have been reprobate .

Sebastian tried to intervene. He didn’t like to see the girls so cowed. ‘Now, Maudie, a bicycle party! It could hardly be more respectable. A group of young people, healthy exercise in the open air—’

She turned on him. ‘Don’t interfere!’ she spat. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about. Rachel, go to your room. It’s clear you meant to defy me. You are not to be trusted. You will not leave this house for any reason for a week.’

Rachel, in tears, ran.

Linda, who had been staying since the wedding and hoping for some reason not to go back to Dorset, said, ‘You’re quite right, Mama. Bicycles are so horribly middle-class. Knickerbockers and sketching parties. Not our sort of thing at all.’

Lady Stainton had a glare to spare for her, too, and breakfast was concluded in silence.

Afterwards, Alice went up to the nursery, where Rachel was just coming out of her sobs. She fetched a cold flannel and bathed her swollen face for her. ‘It’s so unfair!’ Rachel cried. ‘I didn’t do anything ! I didn’t tell him to write to me.’

‘You didn’t tell him not to,’ Alice pointed out. ‘Oh, never mind, don’t cry any more.’

‘I would have asked permission, if I’d seen the letter.’

‘Well, that’s where you’d have gone wrong. You know Mama says no to everything. Much better not to ask – she never knows where we are, anyway. If anything like that comes up again, just go and don’t tell.’

‘Oh, Alice!’ Rachel was torn between envy and disapproval.

‘It’s not as if you meant to do anything wrong,’ Alice encouraged her. ‘Why don’t you write him a note, and slip it to him on Sunday?’

‘He doesn’t go to our church. They’re Catholics.’

‘Oh. Well, you could give a child a penny to put it through their letter-box.’

Rachel cheered up at the thought. ‘I suppose I could.’

‘Only be sure to tell him not to write to you here,’ Alice went on, getting interested in the conspiracy. ‘Now, who can we trust to receive a letter from him for you? Not Daisy – she’d tell straight away. Uncle Sebastian?’

‘I don’t think he’d go behind Mama’s back.’

‘No, you’re right. Not Josh, that’s for sure – he’s hateful.

Oh, but what about Axe? Victor could give a letter to him at the forge.

And then Axe could give it to whichever of us he saw first.’ They often stopped at the forge when they were in the village, for something to do.

And Alice sometimes went over to his house on a Sunday afternoon.

‘Do you think he would?’ Rachel asked.

‘I don’t see why not,’ said Alice. ‘He’s awfully nice.’

As the girls came out of church on Sunday, Alice was going to look out for Axe, when she saw Victor Lattery, leaning on the railings of the house opposite, hands in pockets.

She nudged Rachel, who gasped. It was obvious he was waiting for her, because as soon as he saw her he pushed himself upright and started across. Rachel made a violent negative gesture.

Alice turned to her mother, who was just concluding a conversation with the rector. ‘Mama, it’s such a nice day, Rachel and I would like to walk back, instead of going in the carriage.’

Lady Stainton was indifferent. ‘Very well. But don’t dawdle. I’ll take your prayer books.’

‘What was all that about?’ Lattery said genially, when they finally joined him. He was looking at Rachel. Again, Alice felt invisible – just a child . ‘I stayed away from mass this morning on purpose to see you. Didn’t you get my letter?’

‘No, our butler took it to Mama, and she was angry because I’m not out, you see,’ Rachel said, blushing at the shameful admission, ‘so I shouldn’t get letters from men. So, please, you mustn’t write to me at the Castle again.’

‘Oh, Lord, I’m sorry. I never meant to make trouble.’

‘We know,’ Alice said. ‘But the thing is, our mother absolutely hates your aunt.’

‘Good God,’ said Lattery blankly. ‘Why on earth? Everyone loves Aunt Violet.’

‘We don’t know why. And Mama isn’t the sort of person you can ask,’ Alice said.

‘I’ll ask Aunty if she knows,’ Lattery said. ‘It’s bound to be some silly misunderstanding. Honestly, you couldn’t hate Aunt Violet, not if you tried ever so hard.’

‘Oh, Mama’s a good hater,’ said Alice. ‘I don’t think she even likes us very much.’

‘I’m sure that’s not true,’ Lattery said gallantly.

‘Anyway, she’s forbidden Rachel to have anything to do with you.’

‘Ah,’ said Lattery. ‘Well, in that case, I suppose I had better say goodbye and make myself scarce.’

‘Oh, please don’t,’ said Rachel.

‘I don’t want to get you into trouble.’

‘It’ll be all right if we’re careful,’ Rachel said.

‘Clandestine meetings?’ Lattery said. Alice couldn’t tell from his tone whether he approved or disapproved. But then he grinned. ‘How exciting!’

Alice said, ‘Not very clandestine, standing here where anyone can see you! Ray and I are going to walk home now. We’ll go the long way round, by Cherry Lane and up Mop End. There’ll be nobody about. If you should happen to come across us on the walk …’

‘That would be a very happy coincidence,’ said Lattery, and walked away.

The girls turned in the other direction. ‘Do you think it’s wrong,’ Rachel said, ‘going against Mama’s orders?’

‘Not if they’re unreasonable,’ Alice said stoutly. ‘If she really wants us to have nothing to do with him, she should tell us why. And even if she has a reason to hate Miss Eddowes, she shouldn’t involve Victor and us.’

‘I don’t know …’

‘Oh, Ray, you aren’t going to do anything really bad, are you? Just walk along and talk to a person. There’s nothing wrong with that.’

‘I suppose not,’ Rachel said. Then, more cheerfully, ‘He’s nice, isn’t he?’

‘He’s all right,’ Alice said. She thought he was a bit weedy, compared with – say – Axe Brandom. ‘If you think he’s worth it, that’s all that matters.’

‘I really like him. But you’ll stay with me, if we do meet him?’

‘Only as far as Shelloes, then I must go and see Empress’s new litter. You know how one can’t resist tiny piglets – so sweet! Like little fat ladies in tight shoes.’

‘You’ll get your dress dirty.’

‘I won’t. I’m only going to look.’

Crooks had managed to get away from the other servants, and lingered in sight of the north door until the choir came out.

He strolled casually in the direction of the lych-gate, to reach it at the same time as the unmistakable figure of Axe Brandom.

Brandom paused when he saw Crooks, and stepped out of the way, taking off his hat.

The others streamed on past him with barely a glance.

Service being over, there was the prospect of Sunday dinner for most and a pint or two for the rest. Either way, anticipation trumped curiosity.

‘Good morning,’ Crooks greeted him.

‘Fine day, sir,’ Axe said shyly.

‘It is indeed. And the Te Deum was very lovely today. Thomas Tallis, wasn’t it?’

Axe looked more comfortable, talking about music. ‘Yes, sir. Mr Arden, he likes all that early music. It’s hard, till you learn it, but to my mind, it’s finer than the more modern stuff.’

‘You prefer polyphony to harmony? I think I do, too.’

Axe looked a little at a loss. ‘You know bigger words than me, sir. I just know the way it sounds. Mr Evercreech, our lead bass, says it’s too Roman, the Tallis, he don’t approve of it. But my view is, if you’re singing to God, it doesn’t matter if you’re Roman or C of E.’

‘Well said,’ Crooks exclaimed. ‘We are too ready to make divisions where none is needed. It’s a long time since I’ve seen you,’ he went on. ‘I’ve been in London with his lordship.’

‘Yes, sir – got married, didn’t he? Such a pity he couldn’t have the wedding here. We’d have loved to do a choral service for him. But you didn’t go away with him? Gone to France, I believe, him and his new lady.’

‘Foreign travel doesn’t agree with me,’ Crooks said. ‘His lordship kindly said I could stay at home. Which means I have some time on my hands. I wondered if you would like me to help you improve your reading.’

‘It’s most kind of you to offer, sir,’ Axe said, blushing, ‘but you don’t have to worry about me. I couldn’t take up your time like that.’

‘Not at all, not at all. It would be my pleasure. Now, when would be convenient? Do you have a half-day?’

‘Not a half -day as such, sir, but I finish early of a Tuesday, most in general. Mr Rowse lets me go about three o’clock, unless there’s a big job come in.’