Marchwood Hall

Chapter 5

Their dinner meeting was one chilly taxi drive away. Once the sun went down, Winter took back its grip upon the world and already a heavy frost made the ground glitter in the moonlight. It was not an especially long journey they could have spared the expense, but Catherine had not wanted to make Thomas walk in such potentially treacherous conditions. It would not do to have him slip and fall on the way. Besides, it was really quite cold by then, even bundled up in her rich fur coat, Catherine still felt the chill reach right to her bones.

"He could have given us a little more notice." Thomas tugged irritably at his tie. As much as he desired information about Marchwood Hall, the day's events had left him in a rather grey mood, and he had not woken from his rest in any better spirits.

"Oh, now don't grouch, Thomas," Catherine said, smoothing his black bowtie back to the way she had set it to begin with. It had been a while since she had insisted on Thomas dressing for dinner. The place where they were heading was not especially grand so she had foregone demanding that he wear the tail-coat and white tie, but he had not been allowed to escape the formal suit and black tie.

"We should be grateful he can see us so soon, and it will give us the rest of our week here to get more things with the Manor in order. It will save us having to make repeated trips to this village when we cannot even stay in our new property. This is precisely what we wanted when we sought him out, now cheer up and do try to enjoy dinner. I know you have plenty of questions that you want to ask Mr Elsworth, so try to keep your focus on that."

Thomas sighed. "Yes, I suppose you are right, mother. Though I do wish we'd been able to meet with him tomorrow instead, I'm far from in the mood for a social dinner."

"It's hardly going to be a dinner party, Thomas, just you, me and this old country lawyer. You need not put on much effort to impress. I'm even quite certain he won't have invited that pretty young secretary of his along, it wouldn't be proper after all." She cast a sideways glance at her son as a thin smile brightened her face in the dim light of the car.

"Oh mother, please." Thomas rolled his eyes. It was not unusual for Catherine to point out pretty, young women to her son. He was past the age when a man would normally have found himself a wife, but of course the war had changed many things, and Thomas did not find the idea of courting now that he was crippled appealing. Though of course his mother would never stop wishing for a brood of grandchildren.

"Only trying to lighten the mood, dear. Ah look, this must be the place."

The taxi drew to a halt outside a smart brick building. Warm and inviting lights glowed in the windows and a steady plume of smoke rose from the chimney, telling of the fire that must be roaring inside the walls. It looked a nice enough place, quaint, not exactly five star but Catherine felt more confident upon seeing the place that they could be in for a decent meal. If Mr Elsworth had any useful information about their new estate, then the first day of their trip to the country would have proven far more fruitful than she could ever have anticipated after their less than successful morning.

Stepping through the door was like plunging head-first into a warm bath. Catherine immediately shrugged off her thick fur and had no sooner hung it upon a rack beside the door when they were greeted by a thin, balding gentleman who had clearly been awaiting their arrival.

"Mrs Crawford?" he asked, still cradling a small glass of sherry in one hand. Catherine nodded and Mr Geoffrey Elsworth grinned brightly. "Might I say you look quite splendid this evening. And this must be Mr Crawford?"

"My son, Thomas, yes. It is very kind of you to have met with us so urgently, Mr Elsworth. We would have been quite at a loss for much more to do this week without your advice."