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Authors: Gwen Kirkwood
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said, summoning a smile. ‘Maybe funerals are not the time and place for such things but we don’t have a lot of time in Scotland right now so I need to seize every opportunity to make contact and find out what I need to know. Please forgive me. I think you will understand, Rosemary, my grief for my brother is deep and sincere, but for Kimberley’s sake I must move on.’
‘We all understand, Ellen,’ Rosemary said gently. ‘I didn’t really think you would remember me after all these years, but if there is anything we can do to help….’
‘Of course I remember you.’ Ellen gave a glimpse of the old mischievous smile Rosemary remembered. ‘Trevor and I never forgot when your mother invited us all to that lunch at Langton Tower.’ She lowered her voice and glanced across the room. ‘And you put our snooty neighbour in his place. We did admire your spirit. I think it was that which helped me stand up to my own parents when they were so opposed to me planning my own future.’
‘Gosh, is that Harry Lanshaw?’ Rosemary gasped, following her gaze. ‘He looks very … er, portly.’
‘He looks an old man, if you ask me,’ Ellen said bluntly. ‘Fat and bald already. You made a much better choice with Samuel.’ She smiled at Sam.
‘Thank you, I’m glad you approve,’ he said, smiling back at her.
‘Indeed I do. Some people have all the luck.’ She turned her eyes on Alex. ‘Do you have a wife, Mr Caraford?’
‘Call me Alex, please, everyone else does, including your brother when he came round for his annual inspection of the farm. And no, I’m not married. I’m a confirmed bachelor. My brother had all the luck when it came to choosing a wife.’
‘I see.’ Ellen raised her eyebrows. Both Alex and Sam had kept their thick thatch of chestnut-coloured hair and the sprinkling of silver at their sideburns added an air of elegance, especially today, when they were smartly dressed in their dark suits and white shirts. Neither of them ever seemed to put on weight so they looked tanned and fit. Rosie was proud of them.
‘It is your son, Billy, whose advice I think we need first,’ Ellen went on. ‘This is my niece, Kimberley. She is at school in Gloucestershire but I am selling my business down there and both of our houses. I feel we should make a new start. Kimberley agrees, don’t you, dear?’
‘Yes, I loved coming to Scotland whenever Daddy brought us here for the holidays,’ the girl said simply. Rosie guessed she would have her father’s and aunt’s merry smile when the occasion was not so sad.
‘This will mean a change of school. Maybe Billy will tell us about the school he attended and whether he would recommend it?’ She looked at Billy. ‘Would you have time to call on us one day soon? We need to go back south to wind up our affairs down there but we would appreciate hearing your opinion, Billy. Wouldn’t we, dear?’
‘Yes. I shall be moving to secondary school,’ Kimberley said. ‘That will be bad enough, but I’d prefer it if I only need to move once. Although I knowit’s making everything a rush for Aunt Ellen.’ She glanced apologetically at her aunt.
‘Don’t worry about that, darling. You’re all I have now and I shall do everything in my power to make you happy. We both miss your father so much, but he wanted us to be happy and he seemed pleased to know we would be moving back to Scotland, even though we are selling the remainder of the estate.’
‘Ah, so Bengairney will be to sell then?’ Alex said.
‘I’m afraid so, and Highfold. We must have a meeting to discuss things but I would like to settle our affairs in Gloucester first and get Kimberley settled at school up here.’
‘That makes sense,’ Rosemary said, ‘but it might be better if you could both come to Martinwold to talk to Billy. You could come for coffee, or for Sunday lunch if you like? You see, Billy lost part of his left leg in an accident in the summer and he is not driving again
‘We all understand, Ellen,’ Rosemary said gently. ‘I didn’t really think you would remember me after all these years, but if there is anything we can do to help….’
‘Of course I remember you.’ Ellen gave a glimpse of the old mischievous smile Rosemary remembered. ‘Trevor and I never forgot when your mother invited us all to that lunch at Langton Tower.’ She lowered her voice and glanced across the room. ‘And you put our snooty neighbour in his place. We did admire your spirit. I think it was that which helped me stand up to my own parents when they were so opposed to me planning my own future.’
‘Gosh, is that Harry Lanshaw?’ Rosemary gasped, following her gaze. ‘He looks very … er, portly.’
‘He looks an old man, if you ask me,’ Ellen said bluntly. ‘Fat and bald already. You made a much better choice with Samuel.’ She smiled at Sam.
‘Thank you, I’m glad you approve,’ he said, smiling back at her.
‘Indeed I do. Some people have all the luck.’ She turned her eyes on Alex. ‘Do you have a wife, Mr Caraford?’
‘Call me Alex, please, everyone else does, including your brother when he came round for his annual inspection of the farm. And no, I’m not married. I’m a confirmed bachelor. My brother had all the luck when it came to choosing a wife.’
‘I see.’ Ellen raised her eyebrows. Both Alex and Sam had kept their thick thatch of chestnut-coloured hair and the sprinkling of silver at their sideburns added an air of elegance, especially today, when they were smartly dressed in their dark suits and white shirts. Neither of them ever seemed to put on weight so they looked tanned and fit. Rosie was proud of them.
‘It is your son, Billy, whose advice I think we need first,’ Ellen went on. ‘This is my niece, Kimberley. She is at school in Gloucestershire but I am selling my business down there and both of our houses. I feel we should make a new start. Kimberley agrees, don’t you, dear?’
‘Yes, I loved coming to Scotland whenever Daddy brought us here for the holidays,’ the girl said simply. Rosie guessed she would have her father’s and aunt’s merry smile when the occasion was not so sad.
‘This will mean a change of school. Maybe Billy will tell us about the school he attended and whether he would recommend it?’ She looked at Billy. ‘Would you have time to call on us one day soon? We need to go back south to wind up our affairs down there but we would appreciate hearing your opinion, Billy. Wouldn’t we, dear?’
‘Yes. I shall be moving to secondary school,’ Kimberley said. ‘That will be bad enough, but I’d prefer it if I only need to move once. Although I knowit’s making everything a rush for Aunt Ellen.’ She glanced apologetically at her aunt.
‘Don’t worry about that, darling. You’re all I have now and I shall do everything in my power to make you happy. We both miss your father so much, but he wanted us to be happy and he seemed pleased to know we would be moving back to Scotland, even though we are selling the remainder of the estate.’
‘Ah, so Bengairney will be to sell then?’ Alex said.
‘I’m afraid so, and Highfold. We must have a meeting to discuss things but I would like to settle our affairs in Gloucester first and get Kimberley settled at school up here.’
‘That makes sense,’ Rosemary said, ‘but it might be better if you could both come to Martinwold to talk to Billy. You could come for coffee, or for Sunday lunch if you like? You see, Billy lost part of his left leg in an accident in the summer and he is not driving again
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