A Suitable Match

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The boys were still sleeping and the house was quiet. She padded down to the kitchen and put the kettle on. A cup of tea would help her to start what was going to be a difficult day. She was warming the teapot when Sir Colin joined her. He was dressed and shaved and immaculately turned out, and he looked to be in complete control of his feelings.

‘Did you sleep?’ asked Eustacia, forgetting to add the ‘Sir Colin’ bit. And when he nodded, ‘Good—will you have a cup of tea? The boys aren’t awake yet. When do you plan to tell them?’

He stood there, drinking his tea, studying her; she was one of the few girls who could look beautiful in an old dressing-gown and with no make-up first thing in the morning, and somehow the sight of her comforted him. ‘Could we manage to get through breakfast? If I tell them before that they won’t want to eat—we must try and keep to the usual day’s routine.’

‘Yes, of course. May I tell Grandfather before breakfast? He is a light sleeper and there’s just the chance he heard the car last night and he might mention it and wonder why you came.’

‘A good point; tell him by all means. Samways will be down in a few minutes, and I’ll tell him. He was fond of my brother…’ He put down his cup. ‘I shall be in the study if I’m wanted.’

She did the best she could to erase the almost sleepless night from her face, thankful that her grandfather had taken her news quietly and with little comment save the one that he had heard the car during the night and had known that someone was up and talking softly. Satisfied that she couldn’t improve her appearance further, she went to wake the boys.

‘Have you got a cold?’ asked Teddy.

‘Me? No. I never get colds. But I didn’t go to sleep very early. I had such an exciting book…’

They discussed the pleasures of reading in bed as they dressed, and presently the three of them went downstairs and into the dining-room.

Sir Colin was sitting at the table, a plate of porridge before him, reading his post; her grandfather was leafing through the Guardian. The scene was completely normal and just for a moment Eustacia wondered if she had dreamed the night’s happenings.