Page 58 of The Secrets of Ashmore Castle (Ashmore Castle #1)

‘Intellectually lazy, I mean. You’ve always got your nose in a book, but if I have an hour to myself, I’d sooner get out the water-colours, or go for a walk and gaze at nature.

I don’t mind learning, if someone else does the hard work – hence these lectures.

One can sit still and be fed like a baby bird.

So you’re interested in Egyptology? Is that a new thing? ’

Nina managed not to blush. ‘Fairly new. Archaeology in general, but Egyptology in particular.’

‘Well, Margaret Murray’s awfully good. She studied under Flinders Petrie.’

‘I’ve heard of him,’ Nina said, sipping more tea to hide her face.

Giles Stainton had told her how he had studied under Petrie, had been one of his favourite students, in fact.

She wondered whether Margaret Murray would have known him.

It would be a way to be connected with him, to be taught by her, even if it was only a public lecture.

Lepida was watching her covertly, wondering what she was thinking. ‘You know,’ she said at length, ‘if you’re really interested, you should think of going to university yourself.’

‘Oh, I don’t think I’d be good enough,’ Nina said.

‘I’m sure you would,’ said Lepida. ‘And there are so many more openings for women now – not just University College, but Bedford College too.’

‘But I’m sure it would cost a lot of money,’ Nina said. ‘I don’t think I could ask my aunt to keep me for all that time. That’s why I’m going to be a teacher.’ She sighed. ‘I suppose I shall have to start after the summer, when the new term begins.’

‘You don’t sound very enthusiastic,’ said Lepida.

‘I expect I shall like it once I start,’ said Nina. ‘One must do something.’

Lepida left it at that, and poured more tea. ‘What about the evening lectures, then? Do you care to join me?’

‘Yes, please – if Aunt says I may.’

The leaves on the trees were July-thick and July-dark, the shadows deep and sharp under them.

The tracks were dry, and the ruts had been beaten out into dust so Alice hardly needed to watch where Pharaoh was stepping any more: she could relax into his rocking canter and just enjoy the movement.

She thought about Giles and her new sister-in-law, who would be in Italy by now.

It seemed a waste to leave England just when England was at its best. She wondered how life would change when they came back.

Rachel would be seventeen next month, so she supposed she would start going to parties, and be brought out next spring.

Would Kitty chaperone her? Their mother had never shown any interest in them, or any desire for their company.

Pharaoh turned off onto the track of his own accord – he had been here several times now. She slowed him to a walk, and as they arrived in the yard, Dolly came bustling out with a single bark, announcing her. She freed her foot, unhooked her knee and slid off, stooping to caress Dolly’s head.

Axe came to the door. ‘Oh, it’s you,’ he said.

‘You don’t mind?’

‘Welcome,’ he said. ‘Want me to tie him up?’

‘I can do it.’ The rope halter was hanging from the ring for her.

Axe went to get an armful of hay while she loosened the girths.

When she turned round, the three fat puppies had come wobbling out into the yard and were approaching her with large, inefficient enthusiasm.

She knelt to do them justice. They pawed at her and licked her fingers, nudged and snuffled and overbalanced.

Dolly went off to sniff in the bushes. ‘She’s not interested in them any more,’ Alice said, as Axe came back.

‘She’s about sick of ’em,’ he said. ‘They’re always at her, trying to suckle. Time they was weaned.’

She watched the puppies tumbling over each other, play-biting. ‘And then you’ll be getting rid of them, I suppose?’

He regarded her indulgently. ‘They’ll go to good homes. Dolly’s famous hereabouts. Everyone’ll want one of her pups.’

‘Oh, good,’ Alice said, standing up and brushing off her skirt. ‘Only our head man Giddins got rid of some pups once, when Papa’s spaniel was visited by the wrong dog.’

‘Did you think I’d knock ’em on the head? My Dolly’s pups?’

‘No, of course you wouldn’t.’

‘Want to come in? I’ll put the kettle on.’

‘Thanks.’ She followed him into the dark, cool interior. There was a book on the table. ‘Oh, what are you reading?’ she said, picking it up.

‘It’s not mine,’ he said sharply. ‘It’s borrowed.’

She glanced at him, surprised. ‘I won’t hurt it. I know how to handle books.’

‘Course you do,’ he said, blushing slightly and looking away.

‘ Gulliver’s Travels ,’ she discovered. ‘It’s good, isn’t it? How far have you got? My favourite part is about the Houyhnhnms.’

‘I don’t know that bit. I’m only at the beginning, about the little people.’

‘Oh, the Houyhnhnms are a race of intelligent horses. The horses are the masters, and the humans are the slaves – and they’re horrible, primitive humans, too, nasty and violent. I’ve always thought Swift got that right – horses are so much more noble than us.’

He smiled faintly. ‘I don’t know about that. A horse’d never do you a favour, or look after you when you were sick.’

‘Who did you borrow it from? It’s a nice copy.’ She turned it over in her hands – leather-bound, gilded, with marbled end-papers. ‘We’ve got one at home just like this.’

‘I’m practising reading,’ he said, taking it from her and putting it on the dresser, out of the way. ‘I learned in school, but I was never quick at it. I’d like to read better so I can enjoy stories and such.’

‘Good for you,’ said Alice, not noticing that he hadn’t answered the question.

‘I love reading, though most of the books in our library are pretty boring. But there’s The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor .

Have you read that? I’ll get it for you when you’ve finished Gulliver .

No-one will notice – I’m the only person who goes into the library now Giles is away. ’

‘Had any word from him?’ Axe asked, pouring water into the teapot.

‘No, but I wouldn’t expect to. People don’t write home from their honeymoons – or do they?’

‘Your guess is as good as mine.’

‘I expect they’d be too busy,’ Alice said. He sat down opposite her, and put milk into the cups. She was facing towards the range and noticed the ornament on the mantelpiece. ‘Will you tell me about your china shepherdess? I’ve been meaning to ask you.’

‘What makes you think there’s a story?’

‘Well, it’s the only ornament you’ve got, so it must be special.’

He poured the tea before he spoke again.

He would never be hurried. It was one of the things Alice found so restful about him.

What Axe did happened at Axe’s speed. ‘’Twas when I was a nipper,’ he said.

‘Before I was prenticed to Mr Rowse. I went into service as boot boy to Mrs Eddowes, the solicitor’s wife. ’

‘Is that the—’

‘Miss Eddowes that lives there now, she’s the daughter.

Two girls there was, Miss Violet and Miss Mildred, and one boy, young Master Tom.

Doted on him, the whole fambly, for all he was a rough boy, always in trouble.

Teased them young ladies something cruel, spoiled their things.

Always breaking stuff. Kicked a football in the drawing-room one time, smashed up a load o’ things off of the mantelpiece.

Only bit what survived was a china shepherdess, and that was cracked on the base. ’

‘That one?’

‘The same. Had a shepherd to match, but he was in shards. Anyroad, Master Tom, like I said, he was always in trouble. One time, he bet he could swim across the mill-race – mill used to be down the end of the village.’

‘Where Mill House is?’

He nodded. ‘Mill wheel was taken away – what? – ten years since. But the river was in flood that day, race was running fast. In Master Tom goes, but he couldn’t make any way, got swep’ down and hit his head on something – tree root or summat.

Well, I was just passing, and when I see him go by unconscious, I jumps in.

I was big for my age,’ he added reassuringly.

‘You rescued him?’

‘I got him to the bank, and others helped pull him out.’

‘Alive?’

Axe nodded. ‘Alive then. But he got pewmony and died a week later. They never got over it, the Eddoweses. Well, I left soon after, to be a prentice blacksmith, but Mrs Eddowes, she give me the china shepherdess to remember Master Tom by. Only I remember her by it. She was a real lady. Tom, he’d have come to a bad end, one way or the other. ’

‘What a lovely story,’ Alice said. ‘Well, sad, of course – but you were a hero.’

‘Never thought about it,’ he said indifferently. ‘Just jumped.’

‘And you still do things for Miss Eddowes.’

‘Paying work, them gates. Where else’d she go for them?’ he said, but added in a mutter, ‘Keep an eye on her. She’s the last of them. Got no-one else to count on.’

‘What is it that she does – this philanthropy I’ve heard about?’ Alice asked.

‘Couldn’t say,’ said Axe. ‘More tea?’

‘Why does my mother hate her?’

Axe met her eyes. ‘She don’t. Not her .’

‘What do you mean?’ Alice begged, intrigued. But Axe wouldn’t tell.

James was lonely and bored. There was not much to do in the middle of the day and, far from joining forces, Marie had taken to disappearing when they were not wanted.

He couldn’t talk to the hotel staff, who didn’t speak English.

It seemed no-one in the whole of Paris spoke English, and he was used to a whole household to chat to.

He took to wandering the streets, feeling quite hard-done-by, though he could not exactly pinpoint whose fault it was.