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‘I’ve breakfasted, thank you, Freddie. You’d better introduce the new guests to me when they choose to make an appearance. I’ll be in the library if anyone wants me.’ Lady Dorrington swept out of the room.
Nancy sank back onto her seat. ‘Your mama doesn’t approve of me, Freddie. She doesn’t seem to think much of Mrs de Marney, either. I do hope our being here isn’t going to prove awkward.’
‘Mama is like that with most people.’ Freddie refilled his coffee cup. ‘She has to do what my father says when he is here, but when he’s away she decides to take charge. Anyway, when we’ve finished our breakfast, let’s escape before the other guests descend upon us.’
Chapter Twelve
Freddie’s gig was ready and waiting for them when they walked to the stable block, which incorporated a large coach house complete with living accommodation. Freddie handed Nancy onto the driver’s seat and climbed up to take the reins from the stable boy.
‘Are you comfortable?’ Freddie asked as he guided the horse skilfully out of the stable yard. ‘There’s a blanket under the seat if you’re cold.’
‘I’m fine, thank you. Although I’m sure we could have walked around your estate. The exercise would be welcome.’
Freddie laughed. ‘You would regret that if I agreed. It’s a long way if we do a tour of the farms and the village. Beside which, just look at that sky. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had some snow.’
Nancy huddled in her warm cloak. ‘Now you come to mention it, the clouds do look a bit threatening.’ Even so, she sat back and enjoyed the view of the extensive deer park, and the surrounding woodland.
There seemed to be a folly built on the top of a steep rise, which Freddie explained had been erected by the fourth Earl of Dorrington so that his young wife could entertain her friends without getting wet in bad weather. ‘The view from up there is lovely,’ Freddie added. ‘You can see the lake and the surrounding countryside for miles around. We’ll have to make a special trip to see it, but you’ll need a stout pair of boots.’
‘That’s one item of clothing I do have,’ Nancy said, smiling. ‘I had to do a lot of walking at Rockwood, even if it was just to visit Patricia in her home next to the sawmill.’
‘I’d love to see Rockwood Castle. It sounds very romantic.’
It was Nancy’s turn to laugh. ‘It’s more like something from a gothic novel when compared to Dorrington Place, but I do love it, even if the windows don’t fit properly, the damp creeps in through the stone walls, and there are parts of the castle still in need of repair.’
‘Will you return there, do you think? Or will Mrs de Marney take you on her next tour, wherever that might be?’
‘I don’t know, Freddie. That’s the honest truth. Felicia walked out on Garson Thorne, and I don’t know how that will go down in the operatic world. She hasn’t any other bookings, as far as I know, but they don’t discuss business with me.’
‘You could go home to Rockwood.’
‘Yes, but the older I get the more aware I become of my position in the household. Can you understand that?’
‘I’m not sure I do. From what you’ve told me, they treat you like one of the family.’
‘Perhaps that’s the trouble. If Hester had had her way I would have been brought up in the servants’ quarters and trained to be a housemaid or a cook. I would know my place.’
‘But you said that Rosalind treats you like a sister.’
‘That’s true, but Rosalind is lovely to everyone. I would give anything to know where I came from, but that isn’t going to happen. I just have to live with the knowledge that I was abandoned when I was a tiny baby. Nobody wanted me.’
Freddie reached out to clasp her hand. ‘There must have been extenuating circumstances. If you think about it, Rosalind saw that you were a special person. She chose to save you from a life of drudgery when she could have simply walked away.’
‘You’re right, of course, and I’m being maudlin. I’m sorry, Freddie. Let’s enjoy the drive. I do love what I’ve seen of your home and the estate.’
‘There’s the pleasure garden and the lake still to see. We’ll walk there tomorrow, if the weather permits. What I had in mind now was to choose a Christmas tree. I’ve arranged for some of the groundsmen to meet us in Foxhole Woods. I’ll leave the ultimate choice to you.’
‘How exciting. We do this at home every year. I love decorating the tree.’
When they reached the wood, which to Nancy’s eyes looked more like a forest, Freddie left the horse in the care of one of the under gardeners and they went on foot into the cool darkness of the ancient woodland. Gnarled oaks and stately beeches raised their bare branches to the sky, together with ash and coniferous trees, a group of which was being cleared of undergrowth to enable Freddie and Nancy access.
After much deliberation they chose a huge fir tree for the grand entrance hall, and a slightly smaller one for the drawing room. Freddie instructed the men to cut another tree for the servants’ hall.
‘We have a servants’ ball a few days before Christmas,’ he explained as they walked away. ‘The family join in the dancing, although the meal is for the servants only. The rest of us make do with a cold collation above stairs. It’s an old custom and one we are keen to keep up.’
‘We do something similar at Rockwood, but not on such a grand scale. I think it’s a splendid idea.’
‘There’s a clump of holly bushes close by,’ Freddie said, taking Nancy by the hand. ‘I’ve told the men to choose the best branches with as many berries as possible.’
