I was physically tired but mentally alert. I went to bed and lay there wakeful for some time. A great excitement gripped me. I was certain that Drake had brought me here to ask me to marry him. He was showing a certain caution; and I guessed this was because he would be asking me to give up my business—at least to a large extent—and he was not sure how I should feel about that. I felt there was a certain restraint in him and I could only think that was the reason.

After breakfast next morning, Isabel took us round the house. It was larger than I had thought. We began with the kitchen with its enormous brick oven and roasting spits.

“Made for the days when people had gargantuan appetites,” said Isabel. “Mind you I have dared to introduce a little modernity so that we can cook without too much inconvenience.”

We explored the outhouses which included a buttery and a laundry.

Then we came to the main hall with its stone walls and vaulted ceiling.

“We use this when there are many guests,” Isabel explained. “Sometimes we have to give dinner parties for the dignitaries of the neighbourhood. For smaller occasions we use the dining room. On Christmas Day there will be several guests so we shall eat Christmas dinner here. These stairs lead up to the dining room and the drawing room; and then on the next floor are the bedrooms. There are twenty of them, of varying sizes; and above that is the long gallery which goes across the whole length of the house; above are the attics and servants’ quarters.”

Drake had joined us. “You’re stealing a march on me, Isabel,” he said. And to us: “You must see the gallery. It’s the oldest part of the house … the remains of the Saxon section. It was not changed when the lower part was renovated.”

I stood there in that gallery. There was an eeriness about it. Even though it was bright daylight there seemed to be shadows.

“The windows are so small,” said Drake. “We could have them changed but that would be frowned upon. Of course we can’t change the character of the place which we should do if we altered anything.”

”Is it haunted?” asked Cassie.

Isabel and Drake exchanged glances.

”Did you ever hear of any old house which was not supposed to be haunted?”

“So it is,” said Cassie.

“It’s the old part of the house you see, and in a house where people have been living for centuries there are bound to be legends.”

Cassie shivered. I looked at Katie. I did not want her to be frightened but she was looking out of the window where she could see the stables. She said there was a man on a horse. Drake went over to her.

“Yes, that’s the stables,” he said. “Your pony is there.”

He stood beside her talking to her.

“Who sleeps up there?” asked Cassie.

“The servants,” Isabel told her.

“Have they ever. . ,”

“We don’t talk about it. You know what people are? They build up things in their minds and start imagining things.”

Grand’mere asked about the pictures.

“They are all members of the family,” said Drake who had joined us with Katie.

“Are you here?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Our family home is really in Worcestershire. My father’s sister came here a long time ago and it was reckoned to be her home. She was unmarried and devoted herself to the house and the affairs of the neighbourhood. And when I was as they say ‘nursing’ Swaddingham, it seemed a stroke of good luck that this place was in the family. I came here for a while and lived with her. She was a martinet… a woman of great character; but we liked each other; and when she died the house passed on to me.”

“I think it is a wonderful house,” I said.

Drake smiled at me happily. “I’m so glad.”

True to his promise he took Katie riding. She was in a state of bliss; and it was such a joy to see her seated on the pony and Drake himself holding the leading reins and taking her round the paddock. With Grand’mere and Cassie I watched.

“Look at me,” cried Katie. “I’m riding.”

That was such a happy morning..

After luncheon, Katie was tired out—I think with excitement more than anything else. I thought she should have a rest, so she went to bed. Drake asked if I would care to go for a ride with him. I said I should love to. I had ridden a great deal when I lived at The Silk House but there had been few opportunities to do so since.

Grand’mere said she would like to rest too and Cassie volunteered to go and sit in my room so that if Katie woke she would not find herself alone in a strange house.

Drake procured a suitable mount for me and we rode off.

”I want to show you the neighbourhood,” he said. ”It’s rather beautiful. You wouldn’t believe you were so near to London. It couldn’t be more convenient for me.”

“No, and your sister is so helpful.”

“I was hoping you would like her. Isabel is a good sort.”

“I think she is charming.”

“She likes you very much.”

“She hardly knows me yet.”

“She has heard of you … from me. She is full of admiration for your enterprise. I told her about all that. She thinks it is wonderful to have achieved so much.”

“I must say I have enjoyed my work.”

“Do you think people ever succeed in anything they don’t enjoy?”

“Perhaps not.”

”Still worried about that expansion?”

“Well, we do have it on our minds. The Countess talks of little else, and I know Grand’mere thinks we ought to do it. So do I for that matter. …”

“Yes, you are deeply immersed.”

“We have been lucky. Knowing the Countess was the best thing that could have happened.”

“It was a way of escape … from your unhappiness.”

“Yes, exactly that.”

“But you are growing away from that now.”

“One does … in time, I suppose.”

“But you still think a great deal of the past?”

“It is there. One can’t escape from it.”

“I understand. Do you think …”He paused and I waited for him to go on. But he seemed to change his mind. “This is where our land ends,” he said.

“It’s quite an extensive estate.”

“It needs a lot of managing. Fortunately I have a good man. It’s a part time job with me.”

“The main one being politics.”

“Yes, but I don’t have to worry. If I’m detained in London everything goes on smoothly here.”

“You seem to have it all worked out beautifully.”

”I have been so anxious for you to see it… and to realize what it is like here … and in London. I have to do a lot of entertaining in both places. My sister of course is a great help here … but she does have her own home.”

“She is so fond of you.”

“Yes. She has always been the little mother.”

I felt I wanted to sing. He was going to ask me to marry him; and I was going to say Yes. Life was going to change. He would be a good father to Katie. Children needed a father—and some women—like myself—needed a husband.

We had come to a field. I said: “Let’s gallop.” And we did across the field, pulling up sharply before a hedge. It was most exhilarating.

I thought I understood. He was going to ask me to marry him but he was hesitating. He would ask me before I left. He wanted me to understand all that marriage with him would entail. He wanted to be absolutely sure that I could forget the past. That was why he had been so eager for me to come here for the Christmas holiday. He could not forget that I was Lenore and that my name was that of one of the most exclusive dress estab-lishments in London. He wanted so much to be sure … for both of us to be sure. I had to convince him that although I was dedicated to a successful business, I should consider love and marriage more important.

It had been a most happy afternoon but there was an unpleasant surprise awaiting me.

We returned to the stables, a groom took our horses, and we went into the house. Isabel was there with a woman splendidly attired in sables. It was Julia.

She rushed forward to greet Drake.

“Here I am,” she said. “It is so good to see you.”

Drake looked bewildered.

“I shall stay only until after Christmas. Of course we had to spend that together. I understood perfectly what you meant when you said you had to be here.”

“Hello, Julia,” I said. “I had no idea that you were coming here.”

“Well, Drake and I understand each other. He was very insistent on my knowing that he was spending his Christmas here so I knew what he meant and that he was expecting me. Drake dear, I’m sorry I couldn’t come before. There was the Harringtons’ dinner party last night. I had to go. They insisted. Otherwise I could have come yesterday.”

Isabel said: “We shall have to get a room ready.”

”How sweet of you.”

“And you have your maid with you?”

“Annette … yes.”

“She will have to sleep in one of the attics. There is one she could have.”

“How kind! Drake you are very remiss, you know. Why didn’t you tell Mrs. Denton that I was coming?”

“It is a surprise to me.”

“Oh Drake … when you told me … I thought it was understood. …”

“Well, now you are here … Isabel will see to everything.”

“Isn’t that nice? I love this old place. It’s so quaint. And Cassie is here?”

I nodded.

“I’m so pleased. Families ought to be together… especially at Christmas.”

The visit had changed now. Julia had spoilt it.

Christmas! It should have been such a happy time. The carol singers came as soon as it was dark. They stood outside with their lanterns and rendered all the well-loved carols: “Once in Royal David’s City”; “Come All Ye Faithful”; “Good King Wenceslas” … and many more.