Page 10 of A Sense of Fate
‘Luke tells me that Violet and Mary are planning to visit you,’ Archie told her, waiting for her to seat herself before taking the chair across from her and stretching his stiff leg out in front of him. Flora had made this room, the entire cottage, warm and inviting and Archie relished his visits. Visits that he forced himself to limit.
‘I look forward to it. I dare say they will be full of wedding plans. Not that I can offer much in the way of suggestions in that regard, although I did live through Emma’s and Mary’s preparations and can recall some of the ideas that we discounted as being impractical. Anyway, I shall certainly find Luke’s wedding far more agreeable than today’s strained affair.’ She sighed. ‘Poor Pamela. I cannot imagine a more disinterested bridegroom than Mr Janson. Nor can I help thinking that married life will prove to be a disappointment for my sister.’
‘Here we are, my loves.’ Beatrice, Flora’s cook and never one to stand on ceremony, bustled into the room with a loaded tray which she placed on the low table in front of Flora. ‘I expect you could do with warming up after travelling all over the place on such a cold day.’
‘Needs must, Beatrice. Anyway, thank you. We’ll serve ourselves.’
‘Will his lordship be remaining to dine?’
‘Will he?’ Flora elevated a questioning brow.
‘It’s braised pheasant,’ Beatrice told him.
‘If that is an invitation, then I accept with pleasure.’
‘You don’t need to wait for an invitation, Archie. You are always welcome. Thank you, Beatrice, Lord Felsham will remain to dine, and I dare say that Mr Pawson will find a way to entertain himself,’ she added, grinning.
‘Did I mention that Sam plans to return from America for Luke’s wedding?’ Archie asked, stirring the tea that Flora had handed to him once Beatrice left the room.
‘No, you did not.’ She smiled. ‘I am so glad. I don’t suppose Luke would feel properly married without all his brothers here to witness the event.’
‘Very likely not.’
‘You look distracted, Archie,’ Flora said after a short pause. ‘Bored with my company and regretting your decision to remain for dinner? If that is the case, you can be sure that I will excuse you.’
‘Quite the opposite, I do assure you.’ He smiled at her. ‘I was simply wondering if Magda could somehow be behind Conrad’s interest in you.’
‘I don’t see how. I fully appreciate that your former mistress is out for revenge, considering you gave her no hope of rekindling your affair. Why she should suppose that you would be willing, given that it was her window that you fell from, is beyond me, and also beside the point. I have never understood the self-entitled attitude of beautiful women.’
‘Don’t underestimate your charms, little one.’
‘Oh, Archie, you are a loyal friend, but you are also biased. I am well aware of my own shortcomings. I am far too opinionated, too willing to speak my mind at inopportune moments and decidedly average in appearance.’
‘Then we shall agree to differ.’ He grinned across at her. ‘At least insofar as the third shortcoming is concerned.’
‘But you have no difficulty agreeing with the first two assertions, you beast! Anyway, as to Magda,’ Flora said, her expression sobering, ‘I am aware that she doesn’t like me, but even she couldn’t forge an alliance between my father and Mr Conrad. From what you tell me about that gentleman, he and Papa have absolutely nothing in common.’
‘I shall make enquiries and see if I can discover what he’s been up to of late. But if he calls upon you, I would advise against receiving him.’
‘I expect I shall be at home if he calls,’ Flora replied with a casually dismissive wave. ‘Although if he works in London, I don’t suppose he has much time to travel the country making social calls on people with whom he is barely acquainted. But if he does find his way to my door then I need to discover what Papa hopes to achieve by pushing him in my direction.’ She grinned. ‘He wasn’t particularly subtle.’
‘He is hardly likely to tell you,’ Archie pointed out.
‘Oh, don’t be so sure.’ She flashed another of the playfully enticing smiles that so comprehensively captivated Archie. ‘One of the benefits of being a woman is having an inferior brain, since naturally we ladies are not the intellectual equals of you men…’
‘Of course you are not,’ Archie replied, enjoying himself enormously.
‘My point is that I am sure Mr Conrad will assume that I am a dimwit, unable to harbour two successive sensible thoughts, and will likely give himself away in an effort to impress. He certainly will not assume that he is the one being interrogated.’
Archie shook his head. ‘I almost feel sorry for the man.’
‘Excuse me please, Archie,’ Flora said, placing her empty cup aside. ‘No! Do not stand up. You know I don’t expect you to. I shall be just a few minutes. I need to wash the dirt of the journey away and get out of these outdoor clothes.’
‘Take all the time you need. Zeus will keep me company.’
Archie relaxed in his chair, thinking there was nowhere else he would rather be. He was amused when Zeus, as though understanding Archie’s remark, roused himself, indulged in an expansive feline stretch and then jumped onto Archie’s lap.
‘You are in danger of becoming sociable, much like me,’ Archie remarked, stroking the cat’s back as he settled down, kneading at Archie’s knees and purring. ‘She has that effect upon us both, it seems.’
