wondered whether this Mrs Leonard could be making things up, but then Sir Oliver wouldn’t have published it if he wasn’t satisfied it was true. He was not only a scientist, but the head of a university somewhere. Late last night, after she had said her prayers, Margaret had lain in the darkness, her eyes shut tight, thinking of Fred happily carving wooden animals as he used to in the gardens on the other side. He couldn’t be healing them for there wouldn’t be any to heal in heaven. Or would there? Maybe he helped out on the curing side when all those shot pheasants arrived. True, Sir Oliver had said nothing about animals so far, but then maybe Raymond didn’t like them.
‘You mustn’t read that!’ Isabel looked horrified. ‘It’s just a panacea.’
For the first time in her life Margaret was rude to a member of the family. ‘I’ll read what I like, if it’s all the same to you, Mrs Isabel.’
‘But Father says—’
‘I’ll listen if he can explain how this medium got hold of all the details about that poor young man Raymond. Whatdo you think mediums do? Spend all their time going round the country like the Unseen Hand, questioning the servants on what he likes for dinner, how the poor man died, etc? How do you explain that this medium could describe a group photograph of Raymond and his mates which at that time Sir Oliver himself had never seen? There are more things in heaven and earth, Mrs Isabel, as my mother used to say.’
‘Shakespeare, actually.’
‘And I daresay he got it from his mother.’ Margaret wasn’t going to give Mrs Isabel the last word, not in her own sitting room.
Isabel flushed, and rose from her chair to leave. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. I was just so surprised.’
Margaret did not reply, but watched Mrs Isabel walk to the door. Then, as she walked out of the room, she delivered her olive branch. ‘I’ll do those demonstrations for you, Mrs Isabel. We’ll call it The Same Boat campaign.’
Everyone was in the same boat in this war, and if Mrs Isabel couldn’t see that some of the passengers in that boat were unseen visitors from the other side, what did that matter? They were still there, however invisible to the rowers.
Last week Felicia had moved back to the Rectory, and Luke had stayed there at the weekend. Caroline tried not to mind that Luke was welcome in the home she was forbidden to enter, for after all it had been by her own choice, but nevertheless it was hard. She had gone out with Penelope to see a Mary Pickford film yesterday evening, in order to not be at Queen Anne’s Gate when Luke returned, andthough she enjoyed it she was disconcerted to find that he hadn’t yet come back. Nor was he at breakfast. Luke finally arrived at the office halfway through the morning.
‘And before you ask me what time I consider this,’ he said disarmingly, before she could speak, ‘I went to see Sir John at the Dower House last night, and the train was late this morning. And slow, and crowded. Does that satisfy you, ma’am? You won’t dock my king’s shilling?’
‘How is she?’ Caroline struggled to overcome her unreasonable resentment.
‘Doing well. She’s up and about – chiefly because the Dragon Grandmother refused to let me into Felicia’s bedroom unchaperoned.’
‘Serves you right. The very idea.’
‘I haven’t seen Felicia laugh so much in years. In fact, I’d never seen her laugh like that before. I can’t say it amused me. Anyway, Felicia climbed out of bed in her nightie, asked me to help her into her dressing gown and to carry her downstairs. That put Dragon Lady to silence. Unfortunately, as I did so, Daniel came through the front door, which was open for Rector’s Hour, and found me bearing her off like young Lochinvar. He was not amused either, though he tried not to show it like the gent he is. Felicia thought that was even funnier, so Daniel forgave me on the grounds that I was cheering her up. We sat
‘You mustn’t read that!’ Isabel looked horrified. ‘It’s just a panacea.’
For the first time in her life Margaret was rude to a member of the family. ‘I’ll read what I like, if it’s all the same to you, Mrs Isabel.’
‘But Father says—’
‘I’ll listen if he can explain how this medium got hold of all the details about that poor young man Raymond. Whatdo you think mediums do? Spend all their time going round the country like the Unseen Hand, questioning the servants on what he likes for dinner, how the poor man died, etc? How do you explain that this medium could describe a group photograph of Raymond and his mates which at that time Sir Oliver himself had never seen? There are more things in heaven and earth, Mrs Isabel, as my mother used to say.’
‘Shakespeare, actually.’
‘And I daresay he got it from his mother.’ Margaret wasn’t going to give Mrs Isabel the last word, not in her own sitting room.
Isabel flushed, and rose from her chair to leave. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. I was just so surprised.’
Margaret did not reply, but watched Mrs Isabel walk to the door. Then, as she walked out of the room, she delivered her olive branch. ‘I’ll do those demonstrations for you, Mrs Isabel. We’ll call it The Same Boat campaign.’
Everyone was in the same boat in this war, and if Mrs Isabel couldn’t see that some of the passengers in that boat were unseen visitors from the other side, what did that matter? They were still there, however invisible to the rowers.
Last week Felicia had moved back to the Rectory, and Luke had stayed there at the weekend. Caroline tried not to mind that Luke was welcome in the home she was forbidden to enter, for after all it had been by her own choice, but nevertheless it was hard. She had gone out with Penelope to see a Mary Pickford film yesterday evening, in order to not be at Queen Anne’s Gate when Luke returned, andthough she enjoyed it she was disconcerted to find that he hadn’t yet come back. Nor was he at breakfast. Luke finally arrived at the office halfway through the morning.
‘And before you ask me what time I consider this,’ he said disarmingly, before she could speak, ‘I went to see Sir John at the Dower House last night, and the train was late this morning. And slow, and crowded. Does that satisfy you, ma’am? You won’t dock my king’s shilling?’
‘How is she?’ Caroline struggled to overcome her unreasonable resentment.
‘Doing well. She’s up and about – chiefly because the Dragon Grandmother refused to let me into Felicia’s bedroom unchaperoned.’
‘Serves you right. The very idea.’
‘I haven’t seen Felicia laugh so much in years. In fact, I’d never seen her laugh like that before. I can’t say it amused me. Anyway, Felicia climbed out of bed in her nightie, asked me to help her into her dressing gown and to carry her downstairs. That put Dragon Lady to silence. Unfortunately, as I did so, Daniel came through the front door, which was open for Rector’s Hour, and found me bearing her off like young Lochinvar. He was not amused either, though he tried not to show it like the gent he is. Felicia thought that was even funnier, so Daniel forgave me on the grounds that I was cheering her up. We sat
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