regimental sword.
‘Very fetching, darling.’ Helena poured them both some water and drank thirstily from her glass. ‘This really isn’t the thing to be doing on a boiling hot afternoon. But
I reckon we’re over halfway there.’
‘Yeah, but what are we going to do with it all? I mean, you can’t throw this away, can you?’ Alex wielded the sword, which was extremely heavy.
‘I think it might be an idea to hang that on a wall somewhere in the house, and we can store the boxes of photographs and other memorabilia in the outhouse until I get a chance to look
through them. As for the rest . . . we do need a skip. I’d better call Alexis, as Dad suggested, see if he knows where I can get one.’
Alex made no comment as Helena dialled a number on her mobile, then disappeared onto the terrace to talk. She came back and nodded. ‘Good news. He’s going to come over with his
truck, load up the rubbish and take it to the dump for me. We won’t need a skip after all. Come on, let’s get back to work. Alexis is coming at five.’
When William pulled up in the drive at Pandora, he saw Alexis carrying a large box into the outhouse. The back of the truck parked in front of the house was full of broken
furniture, old lampshades and moth-eaten rugs. He left Immy and Fred asleep in the back of the car, with the doors open to let in the early evening breeze, and went inside to find Helena.
‘Hello, darling.’ Helena stood upstairs at the door of the empty box room with a broom, dusty but triumphant. ‘Isn’t it great? It’s much bigger than I thought. I
reckon we can easily get a double bed in here. Alexis says there’s one in a spare room of his we can borrow.’
‘Oh. Good.’
‘It needs a coat of paint, of course, but it’s got such a lovely view of the mountains and the floor isn’t tiled, just boards, so I thought we could varnish them
eventually.’
‘Great,’ said William. ‘So, your friend’s been helping you.’
‘Yes, he came over with his truck about an hour ago. He’s put all the boxes I want to look through in the outhouse, and the rubbish on the truck to take to the dump.’
William nodded. ‘I’m sure he’s been very helpful, but you could have asked me to move those boxes, you know.’
‘You weren’t here, William, and Alexis offered, that’s all.’
William didn’t reply. He turned and walked back along the corridor towards the stairs.
‘You’re not cross, are you?’ she called after him.
‘No.’ William disappeared down the stairs.
Helena thumped the door frame. ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake! You were the one who suggested I call him,’ she muttered under her breath as she followed him downstairs to find Alexis
standing in the kitchen.
‘All is done. I will go now to the dump to take the rubbish.’
‘Will you not stay for a drink with us?’
‘No, thank you. I will see you soon.’
‘Yes. And thank you so much, once again.’
Alexis smiled, nodded and left through the back door.
Having removed two grumpy, tired children from the car, fed them, then put them on the sofa in the drawing room in front of a DVD, Helena poured herself a glass of wine and went out onto the
terrace. She could hear Alex splashing around in the pool, and saw William leaning on the balustrade at the end of the terrace. She sat down under the pergola, not inclined to announce her
presence. Finally he turned towards her and walked back across the terrace to sit beside her.
‘Sorry, Helena, that was churlish of me. It just feels odd, that’s all, another man doing stuff that I’d usually do. I feel as though I’ve entered your world here and I
don’t belong.’
‘Darling, you’ve been here less than a day. You’re still adjusting to the place.’
‘No, it’s more than that,’ he sighed. ‘This is your kingdom, your house, your life from another time. Whether it’s true or not, that’s how I feel.’
‘You don’t like it here?’
‘I think it’s beautiful,
‘Very fetching, darling.’ Helena poured them both some water and drank thirstily from her glass. ‘This really isn’t the thing to be doing on a boiling hot afternoon. But
I reckon we’re over halfway there.’
‘Yeah, but what are we going to do with it all? I mean, you can’t throw this away, can you?’ Alex wielded the sword, which was extremely heavy.
‘I think it might be an idea to hang that on a wall somewhere in the house, and we can store the boxes of photographs and other memorabilia in the outhouse until I get a chance to look
through them. As for the rest . . . we do need a skip. I’d better call Alexis, as Dad suggested, see if he knows where I can get one.’
Alex made no comment as Helena dialled a number on her mobile, then disappeared onto the terrace to talk. She came back and nodded. ‘Good news. He’s going to come over with his
truck, load up the rubbish and take it to the dump for me. We won’t need a skip after all. Come on, let’s get back to work. Alexis is coming at five.’
When William pulled up in the drive at Pandora, he saw Alexis carrying a large box into the outhouse. The back of the truck parked in front of the house was full of broken
furniture, old lampshades and moth-eaten rugs. He left Immy and Fred asleep in the back of the car, with the doors open to let in the early evening breeze, and went inside to find Helena.
‘Hello, darling.’ Helena stood upstairs at the door of the empty box room with a broom, dusty but triumphant. ‘Isn’t it great? It’s much bigger than I thought. I
reckon we can easily get a double bed in here. Alexis says there’s one in a spare room of his we can borrow.’
‘Oh. Good.’
‘It needs a coat of paint, of course, but it’s got such a lovely view of the mountains and the floor isn’t tiled, just boards, so I thought we could varnish them
eventually.’
‘Great,’ said William. ‘So, your friend’s been helping you.’
‘Yes, he came over with his truck about an hour ago. He’s put all the boxes I want to look through in the outhouse, and the rubbish on the truck to take to the dump.’
William nodded. ‘I’m sure he’s been very helpful, but you could have asked me to move those boxes, you know.’
‘You weren’t here, William, and Alexis offered, that’s all.’
William didn’t reply. He turned and walked back along the corridor towards the stairs.
‘You’re not cross, are you?’ she called after him.
‘No.’ William disappeared down the stairs.
Helena thumped the door frame. ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake! You were the one who suggested I call him,’ she muttered under her breath as she followed him downstairs to find Alexis
standing in the kitchen.
‘All is done. I will go now to the dump to take the rubbish.’
‘Will you not stay for a drink with us?’
‘No, thank you. I will see you soon.’
‘Yes. And thank you so much, once again.’
Alexis smiled, nodded and left through the back door.
Having removed two grumpy, tired children from the car, fed them, then put them on the sofa in the drawing room in front of a DVD, Helena poured herself a glass of wine and went out onto the
terrace. She could hear Alex splashing around in the pool, and saw William leaning on the balustrade at the end of the terrace. She sat down under the pergola, not inclined to announce her
presence. Finally he turned towards her and walked back across the terrace to sit beside her.
‘Sorry, Helena, that was churlish of me. It just feels odd, that’s all, another man doing stuff that I’d usually do. I feel as though I’ve entered your world here and I
don’t belong.’
‘Darling, you’ve been here less than a day. You’re still adjusting to the place.’
‘No, it’s more than that,’ he sighed. ‘This is your kingdom, your house, your life from another time. Whether it’s true or not, that’s how I feel.’
‘You don’t like it here?’
‘I think it’s beautiful,
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