Page 37 of The House of Hopes and Dreams
‘If Mrs Danvers had expended only a fraction of the care she’s taken on the Elizabethan wing to this part of the house, it would have made a difference,’ he agreed.
‘If we keep calling her Mrs Danvers, we’ll do it to her face one day,’ I pointed out, and he laughed.
‘Do you fancy this room, or would you like to see the others?’
‘No, I love this one,’ I told him.
‘Come on, then. The rest will keep for tomorrow.’
‘Yes, to be honest, I’m starting to wilt. It’s been a long and eventful day.’
‘Of course it has. Just have a quick look in here at the bathroom, and then I’ll take you home.’
Through the open door I glimpsed a large, chilly Victorian bath and loo, the white tiling making it look even colder. I shivered.
‘Does it come with hot and cold running polar bears?’
‘Thereiscentral heating,’ he said indignantly. ‘I’ve got it turned low, to save money, because it runs on oil and costs a fortune. And at least the kitchen is always warm,’ he added as we headed back down there.
I shivered and followed him, glancing back only once along the long corridor, half expecting a ghostly figure to emerge from the heavy shadows …
Then I shook myself free of tiredness-induced fancies, for any ghostly apparitions would surely haunt only the old wing, and scurried after Carey through the swinging baize door.
The porch led into the half-glazed inner hallway where my designs, if they found favour with Mr Revell, would replace the plain opaque panes currently installed.
By now it was almost dark outside, but the white-painted walls and panelling, together with several gas lamps of interesting design, made everything seem quite light and airy.
Father was much interested in the lights and Mr Revell explained that he had his own gas plant adjacent to the stables.
A housekeeper showed me up to my room, which looked out over the courtyard – I could just make out the black and white of the Elizabethan wing – and was furnished beautifully. Lily would have loved the tapestry with its scene taken from the story of King Arthur, the colours and theme of which were echoed in the bed furnishings and the tiles of the fireplace, in which bright coals burned.
I washed in the warm water provided, unpacked and changed into my best dress, though I feared I would look very unfashionable next to Miss Revell, who though in no way modish, at least showed that she had more interest in her clothes than I had. In any case, I don’t suit the fuss and frills that so become Lily, so my plain amber evening dress would have to do.
My eye fell on the small enamel clock that ticked away on the mantelpiece and I snatched up my shawl and hastened downstairs. I didn’t feel at all nervous, but was instead enjoying all these new experiences to the full, for they might not again come my way.
15
Sudden Appearances
When we came back from inspecting the bedroom, Fang was still curled up in his basket by the stove, though his snores came to an abrupt halt as we went into the kitchen and he eyed us balefully.
‘He’s not daft – this must be the only warm room in the house,’ I said. ‘If you want anyone to come and help you renovate Mossby, you might have to offer them free thermal underwear as an incentive.’
‘It’s not that bad, Angelique! And I promise to turn the heating up a bit when you move in, though I expect we’ll be so busy most of the time that we’ll be warm enough anyway,’ Carey said optimistically.
I gave him a look. ‘I’m not prepared to freeze to death in order to save you money and if I spend all my savings on setting the workshop up, I won’t be able to afford to rent somewhere else to live for ages. So, if you want another free pair of hands to help you, that’s the deal.’
‘You know you’re more than just a free pair of hands, Shrimp – and it’ll be hard work but fun!’ he said enthusiastically. ‘Remember how great it was when we spent all our time together, the last two terms at uni, when I gave up leggy blondes and your only passion was dead female glass artists?’
‘I suppose we did have fun,’ I admitted.
‘Every weekend and the hols I drove you round all the places with windows you wanted to see, not to mention glass museums I never knew existed.’
‘Andyoumade me go on that weekend course in stone carving,’ Isaid. ‘My lump of stone looked much the same as it did before I gave myself a blister chiselling at it, but you came back with a gargoyle.’
‘I’m naturally talented at these things,’ he said modestly. ‘Nick’s coming up next week with the gang to do a bit of filming and he’ll probably want you to pretend to see the workshop for the first time.’
‘I’m not very good at acting, but I’ll do my best.’
