put in. “Youngsters champ at the bit to get here because they know his lordship’ll look after ’em while they’re here, same way he looks after me.”
“Lord Elstyn’s created a kind of college of craftsmanship,” Emma explained, “to keep traditional skills from dying out.”
“We’re dying out, though.” Mr. Harris nodded complacently. “Only a few of the old faces left. Saw one the other day I hadn’t seen in years. Took me right back. It happens from time to time, the old ones coming back. Derek never came back, though, not after university. Too angry with his father. Never understood it, his lordship being so kind and all, but there you are: fathers and sons.”
It was the second time in as many hours that I’d heard an employee praise the earl’s kindness. In the library, Jim Huang had made a point of telling me that Lord Elstyn treated his staff well, and Mr. Harris seemed to consider the earl the most generous of men. I found it difficult to reconcile their image of Lord Elstyn with that of the father who’d so heartlessly dismissed his son’s nanny.
“What was Derek like as a boy?” I asked.
“Serious,” said Mr. Harris. “Didn’t say much, but took everything to heart. No mischief from him, not ever.” His eyes nearly disappeared in a mass of wrinkles as he smiled at Emma. “Emma here was hoping for more, but there’s no tales to be told of young Derek. He was solemn as a preacher, like his son was before you came along, Emma.”
Emma nodded. “Peter had a difficult time of it, after his mother died. When I first met him, he was holding the household together while Derek grieved. It was a lot to ask of a ten-year-old boy.”
“He got over it, though, thanks to you.” Mr. Harris patted Emma’s knee. “Saw the change the first time young Peter came to visit, after you’d come into the family. Did my heart good to see the boy bouncing around, driving his granddad mad with mischief. Peter must be closing in on twenty-one by now. Where is the young rascal?”
“New Zealand,” said Emma. “Peter’s been all over the world, Mr. Harris, climbing volcanoes, studying whales, collecting medicinal plants in the Amazon basin.”
“Making up for lost time, I shouldn’t doubt,” said Mr. Harris.
I tilted my head to one side. “Have you ever left Hailesham, Mr. Harris?”
“Not since the war,” he said. “When you find a place you love, you stick there. No sense looking for what you already have.” He pulled a pocket watch out of his apron and consulted it. “It’s been a pleasure, ladies, but I must be off to my cottage. His lordship won’t let me work more than half-days. Says it’s too hard on my ticker.”
“Mr. Harris,” I said, “if you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?”
“Not as old as some, but older’n most.” The old man grunted as he got to his feet, but his eyes were merry. “I’m aiming for a century.”
Emma and I accompanied Mr. Harris through the workshop’s back door, where he climbed into a golf cart and drove toward the woods, waving.
Emma was beside herself with delight and chattered happily as we made our way back to the house.
“Can you believe it, Lori? The original Derek Harris. And Derek—my Derek—doesn’t know he’s here. I’m not going to tell him, either. I’m going to bring him to the workshop and stand back. I don’t know if I can wait until tomorrow morning to see his face. He’ll be so pleased. ”
“Is Mr. Harris the good news you wanted to tell Derek?” I asked.
“What?” Emma looked at me blankly, then shook her head. “No, that’s something else entirely, though Derek will be glad to hear it. Did you manage to find him?”
I told her that Derek was waiting for her in their room and watched her fly upstairs to meet him. I thought it best to keep my concerns about Nell to myself until I had something concrete to offer. At the moment I had nothing but suspicion.
I wanted to return to the nursery,
“Lord Elstyn’s created a kind of college of craftsmanship,” Emma explained, “to keep traditional skills from dying out.”
“We’re dying out, though.” Mr. Harris nodded complacently. “Only a few of the old faces left. Saw one the other day I hadn’t seen in years. Took me right back. It happens from time to time, the old ones coming back. Derek never came back, though, not after university. Too angry with his father. Never understood it, his lordship being so kind and all, but there you are: fathers and sons.”
It was the second time in as many hours that I’d heard an employee praise the earl’s kindness. In the library, Jim Huang had made a point of telling me that Lord Elstyn treated his staff well, and Mr. Harris seemed to consider the earl the most generous of men. I found it difficult to reconcile their image of Lord Elstyn with that of the father who’d so heartlessly dismissed his son’s nanny.
“What was Derek like as a boy?” I asked.
“Serious,” said Mr. Harris. “Didn’t say much, but took everything to heart. No mischief from him, not ever.” His eyes nearly disappeared in a mass of wrinkles as he smiled at Emma. “Emma here was hoping for more, but there’s no tales to be told of young Derek. He was solemn as a preacher, like his son was before you came along, Emma.”
Emma nodded. “Peter had a difficult time of it, after his mother died. When I first met him, he was holding the household together while Derek grieved. It was a lot to ask of a ten-year-old boy.”
“He got over it, though, thanks to you.” Mr. Harris patted Emma’s knee. “Saw the change the first time young Peter came to visit, after you’d come into the family. Did my heart good to see the boy bouncing around, driving his granddad mad with mischief. Peter must be closing in on twenty-one by now. Where is the young rascal?”
“New Zealand,” said Emma. “Peter’s been all over the world, Mr. Harris, climbing volcanoes, studying whales, collecting medicinal plants in the Amazon basin.”
“Making up for lost time, I shouldn’t doubt,” said Mr. Harris.
I tilted my head to one side. “Have you ever left Hailesham, Mr. Harris?”
“Not since the war,” he said. “When you find a place you love, you stick there. No sense looking for what you already have.” He pulled a pocket watch out of his apron and consulted it. “It’s been a pleasure, ladies, but I must be off to my cottage. His lordship won’t let me work more than half-days. Says it’s too hard on my ticker.”
“Mr. Harris,” I said, “if you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?”
“Not as old as some, but older’n most.” The old man grunted as he got to his feet, but his eyes were merry. “I’m aiming for a century.”
Emma and I accompanied Mr. Harris through the workshop’s back door, where he climbed into a golf cart and drove toward the woods, waving.
Emma was beside herself with delight and chattered happily as we made our way back to the house.
“Can you believe it, Lori? The original Derek Harris. And Derek—my Derek—doesn’t know he’s here. I’m not going to tell him, either. I’m going to bring him to the workshop and stand back. I don’t know if I can wait until tomorrow morning to see his face. He’ll be so pleased. ”
“Is Mr. Harris the good news you wanted to tell Derek?” I asked.
“What?” Emma looked at me blankly, then shook her head. “No, that’s something else entirely, though Derek will be glad to hear it. Did you manage to find him?”
I told her that Derek was waiting for her in their room and watched her fly upstairs to meet him. I thought it best to keep my concerns about Nell to myself until I had something concrete to offer. At the moment I had nothing but suspicion.
I wanted to return to the nursery,
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