1 #2
I hadn’t meant to sound dismissive, not being used to having servants, but Mrs. Harding seemed to take it that way.
She gave me a slight nod and retreated, closing the door softly behind her.
It felt odd to be treated so deferentially, but I might as well enjoy it while I could, I told myself as I rummaged in my bag for my dressing gown and turned on the taps.
* * *
Lord Everly was already downstairs by the time I arrived and went about pouring out the tea like the best of hostesses. He smiled as he urged me to try a piece of Victoria sponge.
“My absolute favorite. No one makes it like Stella—Mrs. Harding, I mean.” He winked at the scandalized housekeeper and put a thick slice on my plate.
It was indeed heavenly, and I took a sip of tea and let him talk while I took his measure.
Max Everly was well-groomed, expensively dressed, and very charming.
His brown eyes sparkled with good humor, and he was quick to smile—a trait that I found very appealing in people, especially when the smile actually reached the eyes.
Having spent several years around actors whose egos needed to be stroked every hour of the day, and who were usually acting even when not in front of the camera, I was perhaps quick to pick up on certain techniques used for putting people at ease and winning their trust, which Lord Everly was using with or without actually meaning to.
Despite his rank and wealth, he spoke to me as if I were his equal, serving me rather than allowing the housekeeper to do it, and talking to me in a manner I could only describe as confidential, as if I were an old friend rather than a woman he had met only a few hours ago.
Max Everly seemed to be an old hand at winning people over.
“I hope your other locations didn’t suit,” he said with a wicked grin.
“Or, if they did, Everly Manor is sure to outdo them. As I mentioned on the telephone, we have two houses: the rambling Georgian manor in which we now sit, and the Tudor-era mansion which is now the museum. The ‘new house,’ as we call it, was built in the late 1700s after my great-great-great-grandfather made a fortune selling gunpowder to the army during the Revolutionary War. He moved the family here and left the old house to crumble. I had it restored and opened it to the public nearly a decade ago.”
I set down my cup and leaned back in the chair, feeling pleasantly full. “You mentioned earlier that your mother objects to the museum…” I let the sentence trail off, hoping he would fill in the rest.
“Yes, she does,” Lord Everly said as he poured himself another cup of tea and took a second slice of cake, silently offering me one as well.
I knew I shouldn’t, but I accepted nonetheless and tucked in, enjoying the mouthwatering goodness. The cake was so moist and light that it didn’t make one feel stuffed. It just settled pleasantly, giving a feeling of utter contentment.
“Mother is a proud woman, reared in a different time and with different values. Believe it or not, there are those in her circle who still see any kind of business venture as ‘trade’ and think it ‘common.’ I don’t know where these people think money comes from, other than inheritances and trust funds.
The truth is—and I’m not ashamed to admit it, although it makes Mummy turn puce with rage—that a house like this takes a fortune to maintain.
There are just the two of us, and we have twenty bedrooms. There’s always a leaking roof, dry rot, termites, or plant fungi—you name it.
I would gladly sell the lot and move to my flat in London, but Mummy won’t hear of it—family seat and all that.
She won’t allow herself to die until I produce an heir, so there’s no rest for the wicked. ”
I couldn’t help laughing. He was so easygoing and amusing that I fervently hoped I’d like his offer and get to work with him for the next few months.
“Can you show me the museum now?” I asked, putting down my empty plate and resolutely refusing another helping of cake.
“I’d rather do it tomorrow, if you have no objection.
The museum closes to the public at 4 p.m., and then there are still people in the gift shop and the tearoom, and I’d like it to be empty when we visit.
Since it gets dark so early, we’d need candles, which would make it kind of authentic.
There’s no electricity, you see. The house is as it was in its heyday.
It’s fully furnished, and there are trunks and trunks of clothes, which you would be welcome to should you choose Everly.
Some of the dresses are rather elaborate, and I had them cleaned and preserved.
Some of the more interesting ones are on display downstairs. ”
“Lord Everly,” I began, but was interrupted.
“Please, call me Max. Lord Everly was my father.”
“All right, Max; would you not mind closing the place to tourists for a few months?” I knew what he’d say, but I still had to ask.
“Not at all. The tourists will flock to this place once they hear that a movie was filmed here, especially if someone famous was in the cast. It will give us much-needed marketing clout, if you will. The house and grounds would be completely at your disposal, as well as the car park. The villagers would welcome the additional business as well, and what’s good for them is good for me.
They still view me as something of a feudal overlord, I’m afraid, since we own some properties in the village, and they feel as if they work for me. ”
“All right, tomorrow it is then.” I glanced at the light beyond the window, which had grown a deep shade of violet while we talked.
It would be dark in a few minutes, and I was grateful for the merry fire that crackled in the fireplace and the warmth of the tea.
My room at the inn last night had been drafty and uncomfortable, so I was glad to be warm and snug.
“I do hope you’ll join me for dinner tonight. I had Stella prepare something special in your honor,” Max said, smiling at me warmly.
“There was really no need. A sandwich in my room would have been just fine,” I replied, somewhat embarrassed to be the object of so much attention. I didn’t expect to be entertained, but Max Everly seemed determined to treat me like an honored guest.
“There was every need, and I won’t take no for an answer. We dine promptly at eight,” Max announced, “and I think Mummy will come down to meet you. Her bark is worse than her bite. She’s actually quite a charmer when she cares to be, and I think you and her will get on like a house on fire.”
“I’m sure we will. I’ll see you at dinner then.
” I certainly hoped I wasn’t expected to dress for dinner.
I had only brought one nice dress just in case.
In the meantime, I’d take a little walk in the wintry garden.
There was plenty of light from the windows to light the path, and I was feeling restless after my nap.
I dashed upstairs, took my coat and gloves and made my way out into the garden.
The flower beds were nothing more than dark circles, and the rose bushes had been pruned and covered for the winter, making them look like shapeless globs in the near darkness.
A biting chill quickly turned my nose and cheeks red, but I huddled deeper into my coat and continued to walk.
The inky sky was strewn with countless stars, which paled in comparison to the nearly full moon which shone like an electric torch in the darkened heavens.
I tilted my head upwards, filled my lungs with the wintry air and closed my eyes, suddenly realizing that it’d been several hours since I’d thought of anything other than the forthcoming project.
This was definite progress, and I smiled to myself and turned toward the door, ready to dress for dinner and meet Lady Everly.
*
Keep reading!