Nice boyfriend for your Lucy,’ mused Tony.
Catherine had been thinking exactly the same. She was going to have to think of a way of at least giving Lucy a bit of a warning about what sort of man she was getting involved with.
‘Quite! What was the second thing, not more blackmail I hope?’
‘ No, something very different. My contact in Downing Street tells me they are about to start floating the names of some of the possibles for the New Year’s Honours List.’
Catherine’s eyes widened and Tony grinned.
‘Yeah, you’ve guessed it. How does Sir Marcus Delacroix grab you?’
Or Lady Lucy Delacroix, wondered Catherine. Had she completely misjudged the seemingly unambitious young woman?
FIVE
Lucy loved Graylings from the moment she caught sight of its ivy clad mellow stone walls, mullion windows and tall chimneys standing in line like soldiers on guard. Beyond the beautiful formal gardens surrounding the house her eye was drawn to the small orchard and wild flower meadow some little way in the distance. Entering for the first time through the rose festooned front porch she felt immediately at home. With the gentle ticking of the grandfather clock and the faint smell of wax polish, the house had an air of peaceful well-being.
‘ I can see why you come here as often as you can, Marcus,’ she told him.
Pleased, he replied, ‘Let’s just put the groceries away and then I’ll show you around.’
They had stopped off at the nearby small market town which boasted an excellent delicatessen where they had stocked up for the weekend , reaching Graylings just before noon.
When Marcus had arrived to pick her up that morning, it was Amy who opened the door to him. Coming down the stairs a minute later Lucy was relieved to find they had introduced themselves and Amy was chatting pleasantly with him in the small hallway, obviously on her best behaviour. They all wished each other a good weekend and Marcus carried Lucy’s bag out to the car.
She looked at the Aston Martin with admiration. ‘No Saule today then?’ she asked.
‘ I almost always drive myself at the weekend,’ he told her. ‘I enjoy it and Saule has a deep seated apathy towards the English countryside, if I make him leave London he sulks.’
She wasn’t sure if he was serious or not but the vision this conjured up amused her.
It had rained overnight, the city streets had a fresh newly washed look but the sun was out again now and not a cloud in the sky.
As they made their way out of town Marcus said, ‘I should warn you, I don’t care to talk much on this journey. I’m invariably alone of course, but I like to drive as fast as I can get away with, listen to Mozart and let the events of the past week wash through my mind one more time before I switch off for the weekend.
‘ Suits me,’ she replied. ‘I like to sleep in the car, in fact I have trouble staying awake.’
‘ There then, the perfect couple,’ he said lightly and again she couldn’t tell if he was serious.
It wasn’t long before they reached the motorway. Marcus turned up the music and hit the accelerator. Reclining her chair Lucy shut her eyes, but she didn’t sleep. She thought instead about what Catherine had to say when she called the previous evening.
‘ Got a fancy for a title have you, young Lucy?’ Catherine had asked without ceremony.
‘ Sorry, Catherine, I don’t get you,’ Lucy answered, bemused.
‘ The word is your new boyfriend is up for a knighthood in the New Year’s honours, didn’t he mention it?’
‘ What! No, he hasn’t said a word. Bloody hell!’ Catherine knew Lucy well enough to believe her amazement. Lucy went on to ask, ‘Would he know about it?’
‘ Oh yes, he’d know alright. People are approached privately well in advance to avoid any embarrassing refusals, no doubt he and his chum, our beloved PM, have had a good chat about it. It’s not an unusual way to reward an influential supporter of the government who also
Catherine had been thinking exactly the same. She was going to have to think of a way of at least giving Lucy a bit of a warning about what sort of man she was getting involved with.
‘Quite! What was the second thing, not more blackmail I hope?’
‘ No, something very different. My contact in Downing Street tells me they are about to start floating the names of some of the possibles for the New Year’s Honours List.’
Catherine’s eyes widened and Tony grinned.
‘Yeah, you’ve guessed it. How does Sir Marcus Delacroix grab you?’
Or Lady Lucy Delacroix, wondered Catherine. Had she completely misjudged the seemingly unambitious young woman?
FIVE
Lucy loved Graylings from the moment she caught sight of its ivy clad mellow stone walls, mullion windows and tall chimneys standing in line like soldiers on guard. Beyond the beautiful formal gardens surrounding the house her eye was drawn to the small orchard and wild flower meadow some little way in the distance. Entering for the first time through the rose festooned front porch she felt immediately at home. With the gentle ticking of the grandfather clock and the faint smell of wax polish, the house had an air of peaceful well-being.
‘ I can see why you come here as often as you can, Marcus,’ she told him.
Pleased, he replied, ‘Let’s just put the groceries away and then I’ll show you around.’
They had stopped off at the nearby small market town which boasted an excellent delicatessen where they had stocked up for the weekend , reaching Graylings just before noon.
When Marcus had arrived to pick her up that morning, it was Amy who opened the door to him. Coming down the stairs a minute later Lucy was relieved to find they had introduced themselves and Amy was chatting pleasantly with him in the small hallway, obviously on her best behaviour. They all wished each other a good weekend and Marcus carried Lucy’s bag out to the car.
She looked at the Aston Martin with admiration. ‘No Saule today then?’ she asked.
‘ I almost always drive myself at the weekend,’ he told her. ‘I enjoy it and Saule has a deep seated apathy towards the English countryside, if I make him leave London he sulks.’
She wasn’t sure if he was serious or not but the vision this conjured up amused her.
It had rained overnight, the city streets had a fresh newly washed look but the sun was out again now and not a cloud in the sky.
As they made their way out of town Marcus said, ‘I should warn you, I don’t care to talk much on this journey. I’m invariably alone of course, but I like to drive as fast as I can get away with, listen to Mozart and let the events of the past week wash through my mind one more time before I switch off for the weekend.
‘ Suits me,’ she replied. ‘I like to sleep in the car, in fact I have trouble staying awake.’
‘ There then, the perfect couple,’ he said lightly and again she couldn’t tell if he was serious.
It wasn’t long before they reached the motorway. Marcus turned up the music and hit the accelerator. Reclining her chair Lucy shut her eyes, but she didn’t sleep. She thought instead about what Catherine had to say when she called the previous evening.
‘ Got a fancy for a title have you, young Lucy?’ Catherine had asked without ceremony.
‘ Sorry, Catherine, I don’t get you,’ Lucy answered, bemused.
‘ The word is your new boyfriend is up for a knighthood in the New Year’s honours, didn’t he mention it?’
‘ What! No, he hasn’t said a word. Bloody hell!’ Catherine knew Lucy well enough to believe her amazement. Lucy went on to ask, ‘Would he know about it?’
‘ Oh yes, he’d know alright. People are approached privately well in advance to avoid any embarrassing refusals, no doubt he and his chum, our beloved PM, have had a good chat about it. It’s not an unusual way to reward an influential supporter of the government who also
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