She shook her head. ‘I can’t see anything unlucky about having someone run a wonderfully efficient service that means I and my staff can have heat and hot water over the festive season.’
For the first time in the conversation he looked her in the face.
‘You got me thinking a couple of weeks back when you invited me to lunch. Included me like I counted for something. Didn’t even get your butler, old Mr Stiff, to ask me, did it yourself.’
She smiled despite herself. Quite an appropriate name for Clifford, really. Sometimes, anyway.
‘But, Mr Canning, you used to live right here in the village before you moved to Chipstone. And you’ve delivered here for years, long before I came, so why wouldn’t I invite you?’
He glanced over his shoulder at his wagon. Apparently satisfied his horse wasn’t about to bolt, he turned back to her. His eyes bored into hers once more. ‘Because. That’s why. No one else in Buckford would have asked me. Or Chipstone. But I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I’ve done what’s right.’ He turned on his heel and strode back to his wagon. He climbed into his seat and took up the reins. ‘None of us can choose how we enter this world, m’lady, but we can damn well choose how we leave. Excusing the language again.’ He urged his horse into a fast trot and was soon lost from sight round one of the many bends in the Hall’s drive.
What on earth was that all about, Ellie?
Aware that Clifford had stepped noiselessly out behind her, she spun round and gave him a questioning look. ‘What was he talking about?’
‘Regrettably I did not overhear the exchange. There is, however, a minor catastrophe we need to address, if you are free?’
‘Oh golly! Now what?’
‘Master Gladstone has collected all the prizes earmarked for the treasure hunt and secreted them in his bed. He is now lying on top of them, refusing to give them up.’
‘Oh dear, that won’t do at all.’ She tried to hide a smile as she followed Clifford inside.
Miraculously the morning’s preparations were finally concluded to Clifford’s satisfaction, but only two minutes before the villagers were due to arrive. Eleanor sped down the stairs, now changed into an emerald-green silk dress and matching shawl, her stomach knotting.
Having been brought up abroad by bohemian parents and having spent the last few years in South Africa, she was fine tackling dangerous animals or crash landings in the desert. Society events, however, and welcoming the entire population of Little Buckford into Henley Hall as lady of the manor were a different matter. She waited in the centre of the hallway as Clifford stood ready to open the front door.
She straightened her dress. ‘Wish me luck.’
‘I am sure, my lady, that you will do his lordship proud.’
How does he always know exactly what you’re thinking, Ellie?
Clifford reached for the door handles. ‘Shall we?’
Three
The villagers’ excitement hadn’t diminished after the stowing of winter coats and hats, and a full rundown of the afternoon’s festivities. Nor had it after the complicated process of getting all fifty of them seated at the three long tables set out in the ballroom.
Eleanor had greeted them all personally and now looked to her butler for her next move. ‘You’ve done this before with Uncle Byron, Clifford,’ she whispered. ‘What’s the correct etiquette? Do I just say “tuck in!” when the food arrives or am I supposed to recite a limerick while standing on one leg?’
‘This afternoon is the only time in the entire year when the barriers are lowered a fraction and the rules are relaxed, my lady. You may do as you wish.’
‘Clifford!’ She stared at him. ‘I can’t have heard you correctly. You said the words “rules” and “relaxed” in the same sentence.’
‘And like the villagers, my lady, you will need to wait until December twenty-fourth next to hear them in the same sentence again.’
With three courses on the lunch menu, she opted to take one at each of the long tables. Over the carrot and turnip soup, she enjoyed joining in with the chatter of everyone’s plans for Christmas Day. As she moved to the second table, conversation paused with a collective gasp as the main course arrived. The roast geese with chestnut and sausage-meat stuffing were accompanied by dripping pudding, crispy parsnips, creamed leeks and mashed potato with cabbage peppered with slivers of bacon.
‘To Lady Swift and her wonderful staff!’ a voice called from the far end of the table, setting off a raucous stamping of feet that reverberated around the room. Eleanor beamed across at Mrs Trotman and mouthed a ‘Thank you, well done!’
At that moment, Clifford approached. ‘You have a visitor, my lady.’
She looked around the room. ‘I’d say I have about fifty, Clifford!’
‘Indeed, but your extra visitor is waiting in the hall.’
Intrigued, she hastened out of the ballroom and stopped dead. A broad-shouldered man in a blue wool overcoat and with his bowler hat in his leather-gloved hand stood looking at her uncle’s portrait.
‘Inspector!’
DCI Seldon turned to her with a grunt. ‘Lady Swift.’
What’s he doing here? When she’d first come to the Hall, she’d developed a love-hate relationship with the handsome detective. They’d crossed swords on several murder investigations she’d been caught up in. Of late, however, it had been more love than hate. The fact that he had saved her life only a few months previously had helped.
For a moment there was an awkward silence. ‘Inspector, please forgive me, but I wasn’t expecting you. It’s my first Henley Hall Christmas Eve lunch and games for the villagers. Unfortunately I’m rather… busy.’ Blast, Ellie. If only he’d called yesterday!
‘I’m sorry.’ He ran his hand through his chestnut curls. ‘I was passing on my way to Oxford and then London, and on impulse I thought it would be… churlish not to extend my best Christmas wishes to you. And to Master Gladstone, of course. But I shouldn’t have called unannounced, especially’ – he nodded towards the raucous noise coming from the ballroom – ‘as you say, you are entertaining most of the surrounding population.’
Think of something, Ellie! ‘Would… would you care to join us though, Inspector?’
He grunted. ‘I would love to, Lady Swift, but unfortunately I have a confoundedly tricky case that will keep me occupied throughout Christmas.’
‘So you’ll be working all over the festive season? That’s such a shame. Well, the minute you are free, do come again. Only do call ahead, I should hate to miss you.’ She blushed. ‘I mean, I know your time is valuable.’
He held her gaze and then looked down, turning his hat in his hands. ‘Yes, I’d like that.’ He glanced at the grandfather clock. ‘And speaking of time, I’m afraid I must be leaving.’ He placed his hat on his head and nodded. ‘Goodbye, Lady Swift.’
As she watched him drive away, she shook her head and wished again that he hadn’t chosen today of all days to call unannounced.
Back at the lunch and now seated at the third table, she laughed along with everyone at the silly jokes that were told as the pickled walnuts and slices of cheese were devoured. With the plates cleared, she looked up in surprise as Clifford turned off the lights. Her guests, however, seemed to have been waiting for this, as hushed whispers of excitement ran round the room.