‘Please don’t trouble yourself,’ Doris said, sighing.‘I will be in in a moment.’Just then Honor reached the side door, and Doris heard the sound of the bolt being drawn back, then the key turned.
‘What are you doing out here?’she whispered once she had got the door open.
‘Nothing much.Come on, back to bed.We can talk in the morning.’
‘It is the morning.’
‘Later in the morning,’ Doris said firmly.‘I must get a few hours’ sleep.’
By the time she got up and bathed and dressed, a few hours later, the promise of the dawn had been more than fulfilled with a day that sparkled and enticed, begging her to step out into it.
Downstairs, breakfast was laid in the morning room.Silver dishes covered with silver domes were heaped on the sideboard, the long table set with many places, most occupied.
‘Doris.’Chips, of course, looked up immediately she came in.‘I’m surprised to see you.’
‘Surprised and no doubt delighted,’ she said, crossing to the sideboard.
‘Surprised that you have not already breakfasted,’ Chips explained patiently, ‘when you were up and about so early.What were you doing, out in the garden at that hour?’His eyes gleamed at her and she felt the force of his curiosity like a dog or horse, nudging at her, demanding something.
‘An early walk,’ she said, shrugging slightly.She looked around for the coffee pot.
‘Must have been early indeed, if it happened before Andrews made a tour of the house and locked all the doors,’ Chips said, eyes open wide and innocent.‘Usually, he does that shortly after everyone has gone to bed.Certainly while it’s still dark.And yet there you are, locked out in the bright light of early morning.’
‘Perhaps your house is not as well run as you like to think,’ Doris replied.‘Perhaps Andrews goes to bed earlier than you know, and cheats by doing his rounds in the morning.’She saw the footman who stood beside the sideboard, ready to lift the dome on any dish, stiffen.
‘Perhaps,’ Chips said with sly delight.‘Perhaps.Or perhaps it was Fritzi’s man who took the responsibility.He was up and about at the same early hour.I watched him walking in the direction of the stables.Did you meet him, on your early walk?’He opened his eyes very wide and looked at Doris, waiting for an answer.
‘No,’ she said, turning towards the toast dish and uncovering it before the footman could reach it.‘I did not.I saw no one at all.’She took two slices of toast, then a heap of mushrooms.‘But then, I wasn’t looking.Not peering around and watching.Not like you, Chips.’
‘I wasn’tpeering,’ he said with dignity.‘Orwatching.I heard a noise and just happened to look out the window, that’s all.I saw you fumbling with the locked door, and then I looked the other way and I saw Albert making his way towards the stables, and I thought,I wonder did those two meet?That’s all.’
‘How did you get in?’Rose asked.She took a tiny bite of toast-and-marmalade, then laid the slice down.
‘Honor came down and opened the door,’ Doris said cheerfully.‘And really, none of it was nearly as exciting as Chips has made it out.An early walk, on such a beautiful day.One of the servants must have noticed the door I left on the latch, and very properly locked it.But Chips does love a mystery.If he can’t find them, he invents them.Even so, I don’t know why he thinks five on a summer’s morning is so very early.’
‘No,’ Rose agreed, ‘I am often up at that time.’
‘But in that coat …’ Chips pursued.
‘First thing that came to hand,’ Doris countered.‘Now, please don’t spend any more of your valuable time on me.I know you have an excursion to plan.’She smiled sweetly at Chips and, taking her plate, retired to the far end of the table.‘Duff,’ she muttered, ‘if you have forgiven me, give me some of your newspaper, for the love of God, that I may hide in it.’Duff’s lips twitched.He handed her a section from the middle ofThe Timesand they both bent their heads low over the print.
‘I have ordered the cars for eleven,’ Chips said.‘That means we will reach the outskirts of Colchester shortly after midday.We can take lunch with us.Honor has had a bad night and won’t be joining us.’
‘And I alas am unable,’ Doris said.‘There are things I must do here.’
‘As am I.’Duff looked up.‘I must make a phonecall.Chips, may I borrow the library for an hour?’
‘Yes, of course, but really, it’s too bad!I had thought we would be a larger party.I don’t imagine for one moment that Elizabeth will be down in time.’
‘Probably for the best,’ Rose said with a chilly smile.She couldn’t fathom Elizabeth at all, Doris had noticed.Indifferent to Elizabeth’s charm – which was grown patchy, but still considerable when she marshalled it – all Rose saw was the immense fecklessness and indulgence.The drinking, the smoking, the foolish remarks that were never, really, as foolish as they seemed.But this was lost on the Kennedy parents, who observed her with mistrust.
‘Brigid and Kathleen, you will both come with us?’
‘Yes, but may we swim first?’
‘And Fritzi?’
‘Happily.I believe these ruins are particularly fine.’Doris watched as Brigid rolled her eyes.Watched too as Fritzi saw her doing it and, instead of being offended, grinned at her.She smiled to herself.And looked up to find Chips watching her, one eyebrow raised.She shook her head slightly and bent over her newspaper again.
