“The staff at Sandringham have been made aware of your arrival and that you are to be given every courtesy, as well as access to all areas. If you should need to remain for an extended period of time, you will be provided accommodations.”
Remain? I had not anticipated that. It was my intention to complete our inquiries quickly.
What did you expect?That inner voice piped in.
“That should cover everything,” Alex concluded. “Again, Sir Avery has requested that you are to remain in contact with any progress,” he added as the last call went out for us to board.
“Do either of you have any questions?”
“That will do,” Brodie responded, the first words he had spoken since my arrival, as I walked to the railcar where we were to board.
We had been provided accommodations in a compartment rather than seats in the main carriage, although that would have been preferable as it would have eliminated the necessity for any conversation.
Perhaps a window seat, I thought now, where I could simply ignore him.
That hope was dashed as other passengers, an older man and woman, had already arrived and had taken window seats across from each other.
“We most certainly have a pleasant day for our trip,” the woman commented with a smile.
That depended on one’s definition of pleasant, I thought. Brodie seemed to be of the same opinion as he removed his hat, his expression appearing quite doomed. That was the only word for it. I was in agreement.
“It was dreadful when we first arrived a week ago,” our companion prattled on. “It rained the entire time. We have been to theater several times though. Most enjoyable.”
That of course required my part of the conversation. I politely inquired which play they had seen.
“As You Like It,” she replied. “And only in London for a brief engagement. We are celebrating our anniversary and were fortunate to obtain tickets.”
And that required the next obvious question as I took my seat at the other end of the compartment near the door by the outside passageway, and Brodie took the one across.
“We’ve been married thirty-five years.” She glowed in response. “Three daughters and two sons.”
Thirty-five years? Good heavens! Brodie and I hadn’t been able to manage one year and some months.
“Ye are to be congratulated,” he commented.
“May I ask, how long you have been married?” the woman inquired, making the natural assumption as we were traveling together, and I was still wearing the bronze wedding band Brodie had given me.
That dark gaze met mine. I started to reply something vague that wouldn’t bring about more questions. Under the circumstances, I had no desire to be drawn into a conversation about the merits of marriage.
“I apologize. You must forgive my wife’s curiosity.”
“We’ve been married a few months,” Brodie finally provided.
“You are quite recently married then,” our companion chirped. “How delightful.”
Delightful? I ignored the look Brodie gave me from across the compartment.
“You are just beginning your lives together, a very exciting time,” she continued. “I do hope that you will celebrate many happy years together.”
At present that seemed highly unlikely.
I didn’t reply. It wasn’t necessary, the woman was capable of carrying on a full conversation on her own.
“My dear husband, I am certain, would tell you that patience and understanding are the key to a happy marriage. And the ability to admit when one is wrong.” She aimed a look at her husband with that last remark.
Patience? Understanding? Admitting one was wrong? Oh, my.
Her husband was very definitely not a Scot.
