That Would Be a Fairy Tale - By Amanda Grange Page 0,28

every well bit as developed as his own.

But she was still a Haringay. Still from a long line of landowners who thought that ordinary people were beneath them. Still the kind of person who would have dismissed Katie for something she didn’t do.

The thought sobered him.

Yes, Cicely came from a different world and he would do well to remember it.

He turned the corner of the stable yard and almost bumped into Roddy coming in search of him.

‘There you are!’ said Roddy. Before stopping and looking at him in amazement. His face broke into a grin. ‘What happened to you?’

‘Don’t ask,’ said Alex in exasperation.

Roddy laughed. ‘Fell in a duck pond?’ he enquired humorously.

Alex laughed, too. ‘If you must know, I fell in the horse trough.’

‘The horse trough! What on earth were you doing falling in the horse trough?’

‘I was riding a bone-shaker and the brakes didn’t work. It pitched me off, head first.’

‘That explains it. Or at least, it explains why you’re so wet. But why are you covered in dried grass?’

Alex brushed the hay off his jacket. ‘It’s a long story,’ he said. Adding to himself, And one I am not going to tell you.

‘It’s a good thing Miss Haringay didn’t see you, otherwise she would have been able to get her own back on you.’

‘Miss Haringay did see me,’ said Alex, ‘and I assure you she paid me back in full.’

Roddy laughed even louder. ‘Good for her!’

‘And now I have to get out of these wet things - which are probably ruined,’ said Alex, looking ruefully at his suit. ‘What was it you wanted me for?’ he asked as the two of them returned to the Manor.

Roddy’s eyes took on a bright gleam. ‘I wanted to tell you the news. Our plan has worked - or, at least, the first part of it. The Honourable Martin Goss has replied to your invitation to the house-warming ball.’

Alex’s eyes became alert. He stopped and faced Roddy. ‘And?’ he demanded.

‘He thanks you for your kind invitation, and expresses himself delighted to be able to attend.’

‘Hah!’ Alex’s eyes lit up. ‘We’ve tempted him, Roddy. And once tempted I have no doubt we’ll catch him.’ His face became more thoughtful. ‘Now all we have to do is make sure we have a sufficiently attractive bait.’

Chapter Six

Shall I or shan’t I? thought Cicely, as she prepared to go to the Manor on Wednesday morning. Shall I or shan’t I wear my gloves?

Long gloves formed a part of the fashionable outfit customarily worn by young ladies, but for her job at the Manor they were hardly practical, which was why she had not worn them on the previous Monday. She could not write easily whilst wearing them, nor could she operate the typewriter. On the other hand, they would protect her from any more electrical sensations if she should accidentally come into contact with Mr Evington.

She put her gloves back on her dressing table at last, deciding that she could not wear them, but she would take care she did not touch Mr Evington again.

Fortunately, he seemed to have the same idea, for when she joined him at the Manor half an hour later he sat determinedly on the opposite side of his desk and adopted a coolly formal manner, treating her very much as a secretary and not as a young woman he had nearly kissed on the sweetly-scented hay.

Slowly they settled into a polite way of dealing with each other, and the immense tension which had filled the room when Cicely had entered it began to return to more manageable levels.

‘I want to complete the arrangements for the housewarming ball,’ said Mr Evington, when they had dealt with the most pressing letters. ‘As you know, I’m holding it towards the end of July. My guests from London will be coming down on the Saturday beforehand. They will spend the week at the Manor, attending the ball on the Friday before leaving again on the following - Saturday - afternoon.’

‘Good,’ she said briskly, trying her best to behave like a perfect secretary.

‘I am going to need some more help around the house when my guests arrive. I’ve brought enough servants from London with me to cope with the day-to-day running of the Manor, but they won’t be able to manage a house full of guests. Do you know of anyone in the village who might be prepared to come in for a few days and help?’

‘I’m sure there are a lot of people,’ said