history…’
‘My husband?’ Barbara queried.
‘Didn’t he tell you he’d made me an offer? I think he wants to pull it down to build houses. He could get a lot of those little boxes on this land. I should hate that.’
Barbara had not known of the offer but, then, George never told her anything. ‘There is an alternative,’ she said. ‘A temporary one, at least. That’s why I brought Penny to see you.’ She turned to Penny, who had been standing with her cup and saucer in her hand, looking out of the window onto the terrace with its steps down to the lawn. ‘Pen, do tell Lady Isobel about your project.’
Penny sat down opposite Isobel and explained what she had in mind. ‘We won’t be tramping all over the house, I promise you,’ she ended. ‘It’s the exterior, and perhaps one or two downstairs rooms, we would like to use, especially this one because of its view of the terrace and gardens. We’d pay you very handsomely for the privilege, and believe me, it will be a privilege.’
‘How long would it take?’
‘Two or three weeks, after that you have your house back and a nice fat cheque in the bank.’
‘Then I’ll give it some thought.’ She turned to Barbara. ‘Does your husband know about this?’
‘Not a thing.’ It was said with a chuckle. ‘It’s nothing to do with him.’
They spent a little time going into more detail and then Penny and Barbara left. Hal Erikson would have to come down and have a look, but Penny’s recommendation that the house was ideal for their purpose meant his agreement was almost a foregone conclusion.
Chapter Eleven
Melsham was invaded by strange people in strange garb, talking earnestly in little groups and calling each other ‘darling’. That is when they weren’t in the caravans parked in the grounds of Melsham Manor, where the actors were dressed and made-up and where they rehearsed their lines. There were cameras and miles of cable and a great deal of shouting, followed by minutes of intense silence while everyone waited for the girl with the clapperboard to announce the next take.
The manor had received an external facelift: the gardens and gravel drive had been weeded and raked, the lawns cut, the windows cleaned so that they sparkled with new life. To Penny and Hal’s delight, they had even found the old Quarenton carriage under a pile of dust sheets in the coach house. It had been dragged out, cleaned up and repaired and was now being used behind two beautiful bay horses to bring the heroine to her new home. It astonished Barbara, who had gone at Penny’s invitation, that her friend was able to act with all the hubbub, and she was impressed by how much patience she had, doing the same scene over and over again until both she and the director were satisfied.
‘It’s one way to have the gardening done,’ Isobel said, coming to stand beside Barbara, while cameras, lighting and sound were adjusted for the next shot. ‘The trouble is that it’s a reprieve, not a final solution.’
‘Then we shall have to think of something else.’
‘We?’ Isobel took a sideways glance at Barbara who wore a pleated skirt and a matching jacket over a plain blouse. She didn’t know how old Barbara was, but judging by the ages of the children she must be about thirty-three or -four, some twenty years younger than she was. But a good friend. She found herself smiling. ‘What do you suggest?’
‘Why not a hydro? I saw an advert for one in the hairdresser’s the other day. That was a converted stately home.’
‘What on earth’s a hydro?’
‘A kind of clinic where wealthy women come to lose weight and be cosseted. There’s an awful lot of money in it.’
‘But that would mean expensive alterations and equipment, wouldn’t it? And trained staff. Where would I go for that kind of money, bearing in mind all the collateral I’ve got is this crumbling ruin?’
‘It isn’t crumbling, that’s just George talking. You could ask Penny. I bet she’d know how to go about it.’
‘You mean it, don’t you?’
‘Why not?’
‘Pie in the sky,’ Isobel said, laughing. ‘But fun to think about. Now, I must go and find James. He’s probably sulking somewhere.’
Barbara watched her go, a tall upright figure in purple silk. She couldn’t be all that old, but she dressed and behaved like a grand dame. Until you got to know her and realised she had a wonderful sense of humour and great compassion.
‘Barbara.’