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?? said Belstead, “may I suggest you slip back into the chamber and take your place on the end of the front bench. For the next few days, I would advise you to observe the workings of the House, accustom yourself to our strange ways and traditions, before you consider delivering your maiden speech.
“The only speech you’ll make when no members will even consider interrupting you, and whoever follows will praise your contribution as if you were Cicero.”
“And what then?”
“You must prepare for your first questions as undersecretary of state for health,” said Belstead, “and try not to forget there will be several senior members of the medical profession in attendance.”
“When the gloves will be off,” said Giles. “And you needn’t expect any brotherly love, even from your kith and kin. The gentle smiles and hear hears will only be coming from your side of the House.”
“And you won’t always be able to rely on them,” said Belstead with a wry smile.
“Nevertheless, sis, welcome to the House. I confess, I feel a glow of pride whenever one of my fellow peers says, ‘Did you know, that’s Lord Barrington’s sister?’”
“Thank you, Giles,” said Emma. “I look forward to the day when one of my fellow peers says, ‘Did you know, that’s Lady Clifton’s brother?’”
* * *
Tap, tap, tap. Karin was the first to wake. She turned over, assuming she must be dreaming.
Tap, tap, tap. A little louder.
Suddenly she was wide awake. She climbed slowly out of bed and, not wanting to disturb Giles, tiptoed across to the window. Tap, tap, tap, even louder.
“Is that what I think it is?” said a sleepy voice.
“I’m about to find out,” said Karin as she pulled open the curtain and stared down at the pavement.
“Good God,” she said, and had disappeared out of the bedroom before Giles could ask her what was going on.
Karin ran down the stairs and quickly unlocked the front door to find a young boy hunched up on the doorstep, shivering.
“Come in,” she whispered. But he seemed reluctant to move until she put an arm around his shoulder and said, “I don’t know about you, Freddie, but I could do with a hot chocolate. Why don’t you come inside and see what we can find?”
He took her hand as they walked along the hall and into the kitchen, just as Giles appeared on the landing.
“Do sit down, Freddie,” said Karin, pouring some milk into a saucepan. Giles joined them. “How did you get here?” she added, casually.
“I took the train down from Edinburgh, but I hadn’t realized how late it was by the time I arrived in London. I’ve been sitting on your doorstep for over an hour,” he explained. “I didn’t want to wake you, but it was getting rather cold.”
“Did you tell your headmaster or Lord Fenwick that you were coming to see us?” asked Giles, as Karin opened a tin of biscuits.
“No. I sneaked out of chapel during prayers,” he confessed. Karin placed a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of shortbread biscuits on the table in front of their unexpected guest.
“Did you let anyone know, even a friend, that you planned to visit us?”
“I don’t have many friends,” admitted Freddie, sipping his chocolate. He looked up at Giles and added, “Please don’t tell me I have to go back.” Giles couldn’t think of a suitable reply.
“Let’s worry about that in the morning,” said Karin. “Drink up, and then I’ll take you to the guest bedroom so you can get some sleep.”
“Thank you, Lady Barrington,” said Freddie. He finished off his hot chocolate. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”
“You haven’t,” said Karin. “But now let’s get you off to bed.” She took his hand once again and led him out of the room.
“Goodnight, Lord Barrington,” said a far more cheerful voice.
Giles switched on the kettle and took a teapot down from the shelf above him. While he waited for the kettle to boil, he picked up the phone, dialed directory inquiries and asked for the number of Freddie’s prep school in Scotland. Once he’d made a note of it, he checked to make sure he had Archie Fenwick’s home number in his phone book. He decided that seven a.m. would be a sensible hour to contact them both. The kettle began to whistle just as Karin reappeared.
“He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, poor fellow.”
