supper?’
‘Yes, whenever you are,’ Grania replied faintly.
Alexander stood up. ‘I’ll go and tell Mrs Myther we’re ready.’
Grania watched him leave the room, puzzled as to how a man such as he could seem so ill at ease. In her experience, rich, successful men who looked like Alexander had an arrogance and a natural confidence that came with being universally admired.
‘Everything’s ready,’ Alexander said as he put his head round the door. ‘We’re in the dining room, I find it far warmer than the kitchen.’
Grania followed Alexander across the hall and into a room on the other side of it. The highly polished, long mahogany table was set at one end for two. Another large fire was burning in the grate and Grania headed for the chair furthest away.
Alexander sat down at the head of the table next to her, and Mrs Myther entered the room carrying two plates which she set down in front of them. ‘Thank you,’ he nodded as the housekeeper left the room. He glanced at Grania and gave a wry smile. ‘I apologise for the basic qualities of the dish in front of you, but fancy cooking is not her strong point.’
‘As a matter of fact, ham, colcannon and gravy is one of my favourites,’ Grania reassured him.
‘Well, when in Rome … and this is one dish I can always rely on for Mrs Myther to cook adequately. Please,’ he indicated, ‘start.’
They ate in silence for a while, Grania casting surreptitious glances at her companion. Eventually, she broke the silence. ‘So, what was it you needed to see me about?’
‘I wanted to ask about your plans for next month,’ Alexander explained. ‘Presumably, if you’re merely visiting your family, you’ll be returning soon to New York?’
Grania put her knife and fork together. ‘To be honest with you, I haven’t decided what I’m going to do.’
‘Do I gather then, from that, that you are running away from something?’
It was a perceptive observation, coming from somebody she’d hardly met. ‘I suppose you could put it like that,’ she agreed slowly. ‘How did you know?’
‘Well,’ Alexander finished his supper and wiped his lips with his napkin. ‘For a start, you have an air of sophistication about you that’s unlikely to have been nurtured in the village of Dunworley. For seconds, I saw you, probably before Aurora did, taking walks along the cliffs. You were obviously deep in thought about something; I deduced it was most likely you were wrestling with a problem. And lastly, it is unlikely that a woman such as yourself would normally have the time or inclination to spend every day in the company of an eight-year-old child.’
Grania could feel her cheeks reddening. ‘I’d say that’s a fairly accurate assessment of my current situation, yes.’
‘My daughter seems awfully fond of you, and you are not averse to her either, from the look of things –’
‘I think she’s a delightful little girl, and we’ve had a fine time together,’ Grania butted in. ‘But she’s lonely.’
‘Yes, she is lonely,’ Alexander conceded with a sigh.
‘Would you not think of sending her to school? There’s a very good primary only a mile away; it might mean she meets some friends of her own age.’
‘That would be pointless.’ He shook his head. ‘I haveno idea how long we will be here, and forming ties she will then have to break is the last thing Aurora needs.’
‘What about boarding school? Surely then, wherever you are, she could at least have a sense of stability?’ Grania suggested.
‘Of course, that thought has crossed my mind,’ Alexander said. ‘The problem is, after her mother died, Aurora developed problems – emotional problems – that prohibit it. So, even though it’s less than ideal, she has to be educated at home. Which brings me to the reason I invited you here tonight.’
‘Which is?’
‘Mrs Myther worked for us in our London house and kindly consented to come over here with us when we left, just
‘Yes, whenever you are,’ Grania replied faintly.
Alexander stood up. ‘I’ll go and tell Mrs Myther we’re ready.’
Grania watched him leave the room, puzzled as to how a man such as he could seem so ill at ease. In her experience, rich, successful men who looked like Alexander had an arrogance and a natural confidence that came with being universally admired.
‘Everything’s ready,’ Alexander said as he put his head round the door. ‘We’re in the dining room, I find it far warmer than the kitchen.’
Grania followed Alexander across the hall and into a room on the other side of it. The highly polished, long mahogany table was set at one end for two. Another large fire was burning in the grate and Grania headed for the chair furthest away.
Alexander sat down at the head of the table next to her, and Mrs Myther entered the room carrying two plates which she set down in front of them. ‘Thank you,’ he nodded as the housekeeper left the room. He glanced at Grania and gave a wry smile. ‘I apologise for the basic qualities of the dish in front of you, but fancy cooking is not her strong point.’
‘As a matter of fact, ham, colcannon and gravy is one of my favourites,’ Grania reassured him.
‘Well, when in Rome … and this is one dish I can always rely on for Mrs Myther to cook adequately. Please,’ he indicated, ‘start.’
They ate in silence for a while, Grania casting surreptitious glances at her companion. Eventually, she broke the silence. ‘So, what was it you needed to see me about?’
‘I wanted to ask about your plans for next month,’ Alexander explained. ‘Presumably, if you’re merely visiting your family, you’ll be returning soon to New York?’
Grania put her knife and fork together. ‘To be honest with you, I haven’t decided what I’m going to do.’
‘Do I gather then, from that, that you are running away from something?’
It was a perceptive observation, coming from somebody she’d hardly met. ‘I suppose you could put it like that,’ she agreed slowly. ‘How did you know?’
‘Well,’ Alexander finished his supper and wiped his lips with his napkin. ‘For a start, you have an air of sophistication about you that’s unlikely to have been nurtured in the village of Dunworley. For seconds, I saw you, probably before Aurora did, taking walks along the cliffs. You were obviously deep in thought about something; I deduced it was most likely you were wrestling with a problem. And lastly, it is unlikely that a woman such as yourself would normally have the time or inclination to spend every day in the company of an eight-year-old child.’
Grania could feel her cheeks reddening. ‘I’d say that’s a fairly accurate assessment of my current situation, yes.’
‘My daughter seems awfully fond of you, and you are not averse to her either, from the look of things –’
‘I think she’s a delightful little girl, and we’ve had a fine time together,’ Grania butted in. ‘But she’s lonely.’
‘Yes, she is lonely,’ Alexander conceded with a sigh.
‘Would you not think of sending her to school? There’s a very good primary only a mile away; it might mean she meets some friends of her own age.’
‘That would be pointless.’ He shook his head. ‘I haveno idea how long we will be here, and forming ties she will then have to break is the last thing Aurora needs.’
‘What about boarding school? Surely then, wherever you are, she could at least have a sense of stability?’ Grania suggested.
‘Of course, that thought has crossed my mind,’ Alexander said. ‘The problem is, after her mother died, Aurora developed problems – emotional problems – that prohibit it. So, even though it’s less than ideal, she has to be educated at home. Which brings me to the reason I invited you here tonight.’
‘Which is?’
‘Mrs Myther worked for us in our London house and kindly consented to come over here with us when we left, just
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