he drawled, and then she was free,
and his long stride was taking him down the passage to the
kitchen, and the delectable aromas which were seeping round the
half-opened door.
Morgana stood quite still, watching him go, wondering if the note
she had heard in his voice had been a warning or a caress—and
why it should matter anyway.
CHAPTER FIVE
It was one of Elsa's more distinguished meals—the ducklings crisp
and succulent, followed by an apple tart with a great bowl of
clotted cream—but Morgana only went through the motions of
eating and pretended enjoyment.
All her attention was concentrated on Lyall, who sat opposite,
watching him charm her mother into unquestioning submission. It
made her blood boil, and turned the food to ashes in her mouth.
She was conscious too of Elsa giving him approving glances as she
bustled backwards and forwards with the food for the dining room.
He was talking about the improvements he was planning for the
house, and she knew that what he was saying made a great deal of
sense, but that did not lessen her resentment. It infuriated her to
hear him talk of things that had needed doing for years, but for
which the money had never been available. She felt she would
rather live with the damp that discoloured the wallpaper in the
ground-floor rooms and the faulty wiring than submit to what she
could only feel was the rape of her home.
'Some of the bedrooms have large built-in cupboards,' he was
saying to Elizabeth,-who was listening with rapt attention. 'They're
really so much wasted space. It would be far better to convert them
to shower units. Each room should have some form of washing
facility.'
Morgana broke in sarcastically, 'Wouldn't it be easier just to pull
the whole house down and start again?'
He didn't even bother to reply, just looked at her wearily and lifted
his shoulders, in a slight shrug, before continuing his conversation
with her mother.
'I'll get Paul Crosbie down,' he said. 'He's a qualified surveyor as
well as being one of our advisers. He'll be able to say how far any
structural alterations or repairs will have to go. But at the same
time it's essential that the character of the place should be
preserved.'
'I suppose we must be grateful for small mercies,' Morgana
muttered, pushing her uneaten portion of apple tart away from her,
to a disapproving cluck from Elsa.
'And I shall be glad to hear any suggestions for improvements that
you have,' Lyall went on as if she hadn't spoken. He smiled at
Elizabeth. 'I'm sure there are things you'd have liked to have done
over the years.'
'Many things,' she said wistfully. 'This kitchen, for instance . . .'
She paused and Elsa broke in indignantly, 'No one's to lay a hand
on my range, mind! 'Tes a good old stove and years of life left in
it. I know it and it knows me.'
'It's a relationship I heartily approve of,' said Lyall, leaning back in
his chair and contemplating his empty plate with satisfaction.
'Would'ee like another morsel of tart?' Elsa wheedled., but he
shook his head regretfully.
'I have things to do this afternoon.' He shot a swift glance at
Morgana. 'I'd like to see the rest of the house, particularly the
attics.'
'Well, I'm sure Morgana would be only too pleased to show them
to you,' said Mrs Pentreath without the slightest certainty.
'Is this farce really necessary?' Morgana flared. 'The house is
yours. Do you really need a conducted tour?'
'You know its history. I don't,' he gave her a level look. 'Look on it
as part of the duties for which I'm paying your salary. That may
make it rather less distasteful for you.'
'Nothing will do that,' she said coldly, pushing back her chair and
rising. 'Besides, I had other plans for this afternoon.'
'Then they'll have to be postponed or cancelled,' he said. He
grinned sardonically as he saw her brows draw together in a swift
scowl. 'You could bear in mind that the quicker I see the rest of the
house and can make some
and his long stride was taking him down the passage to the
kitchen, and the delectable aromas which were seeping round the
half-opened door.
Morgana stood quite still, watching him go, wondering if the note
she had heard in his voice had been a warning or a caress—and
why it should matter anyway.
CHAPTER FIVE
It was one of Elsa's more distinguished meals—the ducklings crisp
and succulent, followed by an apple tart with a great bowl of
clotted cream—but Morgana only went through the motions of
eating and pretended enjoyment.
All her attention was concentrated on Lyall, who sat opposite,
watching him charm her mother into unquestioning submission. It
made her blood boil, and turned the food to ashes in her mouth.
She was conscious too of Elsa giving him approving glances as she
bustled backwards and forwards with the food for the dining room.
He was talking about the improvements he was planning for the
house, and she knew that what he was saying made a great deal of
sense, but that did not lessen her resentment. It infuriated her to
hear him talk of things that had needed doing for years, but for
which the money had never been available. She felt she would
rather live with the damp that discoloured the wallpaper in the
ground-floor rooms and the faulty wiring than submit to what she
could only feel was the rape of her home.
'Some of the bedrooms have large built-in cupboards,' he was
saying to Elizabeth,-who was listening with rapt attention. 'They're
really so much wasted space. It would be far better to convert them
to shower units. Each room should have some form of washing
facility.'
Morgana broke in sarcastically, 'Wouldn't it be easier just to pull
the whole house down and start again?'
He didn't even bother to reply, just looked at her wearily and lifted
his shoulders, in a slight shrug, before continuing his conversation
with her mother.
'I'll get Paul Crosbie down,' he said. 'He's a qualified surveyor as
well as being one of our advisers. He'll be able to say how far any
structural alterations or repairs will have to go. But at the same
time it's essential that the character of the place should be
preserved.'
'I suppose we must be grateful for small mercies,' Morgana
muttered, pushing her uneaten portion of apple tart away from her,
to a disapproving cluck from Elsa.
'And I shall be glad to hear any suggestions for improvements that
you have,' Lyall went on as if she hadn't spoken. He smiled at
Elizabeth. 'I'm sure there are things you'd have liked to have done
over the years.'
'Many things,' she said wistfully. 'This kitchen, for instance . . .'
She paused and Elsa broke in indignantly, 'No one's to lay a hand
on my range, mind! 'Tes a good old stove and years of life left in
it. I know it and it knows me.'
'It's a relationship I heartily approve of,' said Lyall, leaning back in
his chair and contemplating his empty plate with satisfaction.
'Would'ee like another morsel of tart?' Elsa wheedled., but he
shook his head regretfully.
'I have things to do this afternoon.' He shot a swift glance at
Morgana. 'I'd like to see the rest of the house, particularly the
attics.'
'Well, I'm sure Morgana would be only too pleased to show them
to you,' said Mrs Pentreath without the slightest certainty.
'Is this farce really necessary?' Morgana flared. 'The house is
yours. Do you really need a conducted tour?'
'You know its history. I don't,' he gave her a level look. 'Look on it
as part of the duties for which I'm paying your salary. That may
make it rather less distasteful for you.'
'Nothing will do that,' she said coldly, pushing back her chair and
rising. 'Besides, I had other plans for this afternoon.'
'Then they'll have to be postponed or cancelled,' he said. He
grinned sardonically as he saw her brows draw together in a swift
scowl. 'You could bear in mind that the quicker I see the rest of the
house and can make some
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