I presume you are talking about Margaret,” said Anne with more than a hint of rancour in her voice. “What has she done?”
Charles pressed the buzzer on the telephone and waited impatiently for Susan to answer. “Been making a real exhibition of herself with some young yob … pictures of them … with no clothes on … in a damned park … for all to see and some creature is now making a mint out of selling his filthy pictures to the tabloids. My God, if she was here now. In fact, she better be soon before she does even more damage.”
With Dick Joyce and the gardeners informed to man the gates, Susan told to contact the Heads of Roedean and Eton as a matter of urgency so that Charles could alert them, a call put through to Canleigh House to see if his errant wife would answer it and instructions for Hardy to be sent to the library as soon as he returned from Harrogate, Charles felt the situation was a little more under his control.
“Dick says the damned press are apparently swarming around the village already, no doubt trying to rake up as much dirt as they can,” he said through gritted teeth. He had never been as angry in his life as he was now and he was trying to keep it in check so as not to upset his mother more than necessary. She looked stricken and really didn’t need this.
The calls to the schools proved embarrassing. Both Heads were already aware of the situation and had taken steps to prevent reporters entering their establishments and gaining access to Richard and Victoria. Charles advised them that he would journey down that day to speak to both children. He would dash down to Eton first and then go on to Roedean.
A tap on the library door just as Charles replaced the telephone receiver made him turn. Hardy entered the room with a copy of the offending newspaper in his hand. He walked up to Charles and handed it to him.
“I wasn’t sure if you would want to see this or not, Your Grace”, he said quietly and looked at Anne in acknowledgement. “Your Grace.”
Charles took the paper and looked at it disbelievingly.
“What’s it like out there, Hardy?” asked Anne, twirling the rings on her fingers anxiously.
“The village is awash with reporters and photographers, Your Grace. It was pretty difficult getting through the main gate.”
“Oh God!” exclaimed Charles, throwing the paper into the bin beside his desk. “Hardy, we need to get Delia home so can you go back to Harrogate please and collect her? I’ll ring Thistledown and explain the situation. The predators will be expecting her to leave this afternoon so it will take them by surprise if they are intending to target her. You might well be able to get her away without any aggravation … and bring her in the back entrance. Don’t go via the village.”
Charles winced painfully and rubbed his chest. Hardy and Anne noticed the gesture with concern.
“Are you feeling unwell, Your Grace,” asked Hardy. “Would you like me to get you anything?”
“It’s just a touch of indigestion. It will go but thank you, Hardy. Please tell Betty that I shan’t need lunch. As soon as you have Delia back here, I am driving down to speak to Richard and Victoria. I can eat en-route if need be. I’ll need an overnight bag and a suit,” he looked down at his casual attire. “I can’t turn up looking scruffy.”
He turned to Anne. “I don’t know whether to bring Richard and Victoria home or not.”
“They will be quite safe where they are. But you do need to see them,” said Anne firmly. “That’s very important. They need to know you are putting them before anything else. They will need plenty of reassurance that their lives aren’t going to be disrupted and that we love them very much.”
“Yes, you’re probably right … and both schools have experience of unwanted publicity with previous pupils. The children will be shielded well.
“Mother,” he said, glancing at Anne. “What will you do? Would you like lunch here or are you going back to the Dower House? Hardy can drop you and the dogs on his way to fetch Delia.”
“I think I shall stay here, darling. Someone needs to be here with Delia and it had better be me … and we are less likely to be disturbed here than at the Dower House … the press could soon find their way across the fields if they are that determined.”
She turned to Hardy. “Would you mind asking Betty to prepare my old room, Hardy?”
“Of course, Your Grace,” nodded Hardy.
The butler left the room and Charles threw a grateful look at his departing back. He simply had no idea what he would have done without the man for the past eighteen years. His first impressions of Hardy; a slight, dapper young man, serious and polite with an honest face had proven totally accurate. Hardy was a perfectionist in his duties and treated Charles with the deepest respect and devotion. Nothing was too much trouble and Charles had never been looked after so well and since Hardy had married Betty and she had joined him as Housekeeper, the house had run like clockwork. The pair were indispensable to Charles, the family and the Hall; utterly loyal and steadfast and could be trusted implicitly.
Unlike the woman, who above all others should have possessed those traits. Margaret just made him feel
