LITMIR.BIZ

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her way back to the carriage, relieved to see that she continued to be its only occupant. She huddled in her coat in the corner of the seat, and attempted to sleep. She did doze intermittently, but for most of the journey she was coughing and blowing her nose, and by the time the train arrived at King’s Cross she was feverish, her eyes were watering and she was running a temperature.

      She alighted from the train into drenching rain, and flew down the grimy, smoke-filled platform, heading for the ticket barrier, clutching her suitcase, praying that the queue for taxis would be short. Fortunately she was one of the first passengers to arrive at the taxi stand and she managed to get a cab relatively quickly. Within minutes the cabbie was manoeuvring through the congested traffic towards Marylebone and across town, heading in the direction of the West End and Mayfair. The rain was falling in torrents, as if there had been a cloudburst, and several times Francesca caught the flash of lightning streaking across a sky that was sombre and growing darker, and there was the cracking of distant thunder as the storm swept over London.

      Francesca’s physical discomfort increased during the cab ride to the house in Chesterfield Street, and she could hardly wait to get home. She was beginning to feel miserable. Every bone in her body ached, she was shivering so much she could hardly keep a limb still, and several times she was seized by coughing and sneezing. It was with some relief that she paid the cabbie, went up the steps to the house and let herself in quickly. As she closed the door behind her, Mrs Moggs sallied forth from the dining room, a feather duster in one hand, a broad smile on her face, worn but cheery underneath the outrageous hat bedecked with flowers. Francesca wondered if she ever took it off.

      ‘There you are, your ladyship,’ Mrs Moggs cried, and nodded her head so hard in greeting the poppies shook. ‘Best get out of your wet fings, and have a barf. I’ve got a nice pan of ’ot soup bubbling. You can drink a cup in bed,’ she instructed in a commanding tone. ‘Got to watch these colds, that we have, M’lady.’

      ‘Hello, Mrs Moggs,’ Francesca managed to get in at last, smiling weakly. She put down her case, took off her damp coat and hung it in the hall cupboard. Turning, she stared at Mrs Moggs, puzzlement registered on her face. ‘And how did you know I had a cold?’

      ‘Mrs Asternan! That’s ’ow!’ Mrs Moggs announced, bursting with importance. ‘She rung me up ’ere this morning to tell me. To give me instructions. She said to make you some ’ot soup and get you to bed immediately. What a nice lady she is. Yes, an’ she told me His Grace ’ad ’ad a ’orrible accident.’ Mrs Moggs clucked sympathetically, and breezed on, ‘Blimey, what a shame! But them stepladders is ever so dicey, as I’m always telling my Albert when ’e’s cleaning me winders. Still, it ain’t so bad really, if you stop to think. His Grace might ’ave broken ’is bloomin’ neck.’ She nodded to herself. ‘That ’e might, your ladyship.’

      Francesca shivered, conscious of chilliness in the small hall, and picked up her suitcase, stepping out towards the stairs. But she stopped and swung around, as Mrs Moggs exclaimed: ‘Oooh, I almost forgot. That there Miss Temple rung up as well. About an hour ago.’

      ‘Miss Tempest,’ Francesca corrected quietly. ‘Did she leave a message, Mrs Moggs?’

      ‘Yes, your ladyship. Miss Temple wanted to remind you about dinner. And I told ’er that you was bloomin’ poorly, and wouldn’t be up to ’aving no dinner. I told ’er Mrs Asternan ’ad rung me up, and I passed on the bad news about His Grace’s ’orrible accident. She was ever so upset, Miss Temple was. Anyways, she said she’d ’phone you later, ’cos she was orf to luncheon. In a ’urry, she was. She told me to tell you not to worry about tonight. She’s calling the dinner orf, your ladyship. And a good fing, if you don’t mind me saying so.’

      ‘Honestly, Mrs Moggs!’ Francesca began crossly, on the verge of reprimanding her for being an interfering busybody. But instantly she bit back the words. Mrs Moggs was a well-intentioned old dear, and she was only being her usual bossy self. ‘I suppose you’re right, Mrs Moggs. I think I had better stay in bed for the next twenty-four hours. I do feel pretty ghastly, and it’s a perfectly awful day. I think I’ll go and have that bath. It might warm me.’ Climbing the stairs to her room Francesca realized with a tiny spurt of disappointment, that she would not be seeing Victor Mason tonight after all. It was he who had arranged the dinner, and now Katharine had cancelled it. Damnation, she muttered to herself, and then grimaced wryly, baffled by her many inconsistencies.

       Chapter Twenty-One

      Victor Mason gave Jerry Massingham a long, hard stare and said in his briskest tone, ‘You’d better make sure we take out plenty of insurance on Langley Castle itself, apart from our overall insurance for the film. And I do mean plenty, Jerry. I sure as hell don’t want problems, should there be any accidents or damage to their valuables. In fact, I’d prefer to think we were over-insured.’

      ‘I’ve already spoken to Jake about it, so don’t worry,’ Jerry answered him quickly, wondering if Victor thought he was a dimwit. Certainly for the past hour he had sounded as if he was trying to teach him how to suck eggs. But then Jake Watson had also been at the receiving end of similar treatment. Jerry grinned to himself, fully aware that Victor was simply in one of his businesslike, take-charge moods this morning: the executive producer rather than the star, well-versed in every facet of the production and shrewdly assessing the minutest detail. And letting us know it, Jerry added silently.

      Suddenly conscious of Victor’s dark eyes resting on him, Jerry felt obliged to add, ‘I also intend to remove most of the lamps, vases and ornaments in the rooms we’ll be shooting in, and I’ll be replacing them with reproductions, to be on the safe side –’

      ‘Yes, you’d better,’ Victor cut in. He leaned back in his chair, flicked a speck of dust off the sleeve of his dark blue jacket and remarked, ‘I imagine the place is full of expensive carpets, isn’t it?’

      ‘Yes. The Earl pointed out an Aubusson, several Savonneries and a couple of antique Orientals. Seemed a bit worried about them, but I explained we’ll be using transparent plastic sheets underneath the cameras and the other equipment, whether there are carpets down or not. And we’ll take up the rare carpets I’ve just mentioned. Actually, Victor, the castle is jam-packed with the most incredible treasures, priceless objects of art, so we can’t take any chances.’ He shook his head wonderingly. ‘It’s an amazing old place and extraordinarily beautiful. And the paintings!’ He whistled in admiration, shaking his head again. ‘My God, they’ve got to be worth a small fortune. But look, don’t worry, I’ve got everything well in hand. I don’t miss a trick.’

      ‘I know you’re a stickler for detail, but then so am I, Jerry. I like to be doubly sure, and surprises don’t sit well on me. Particularly nasty surprises.’ Victor threw Jerry a brief smile, and turned his attention to the many black and white photographs Jerry had taken in Yorkshire the previous week. He spread them out on the table, studying them closely and with keen and expert eyes.

      Jerry sat back, tensely waiting for judgment to be passed, as he knew it would be. Victor could be relied upon to speak his mind, and with a candour that sometimes startled in its bluntness.

      Victor was concentrating on the photographs. ‘When will the colour shots be ready?’ he asked without raising his head.

      ‘Later this week. And you’ll be stunned. Yorkshire is quite a magical place. I hadn’t realized that before. Actually, the scenery took my breath away.’

      ‘Yes, I can see from the black and whites exactly why it did. You hit on some truly great photogenic spots.’ Victor looked up, nodding approvingly, impressed. A wry smile touched his mouth. ‘Better than the back lot any time, eh, Jerry?’

      ‘Not half,’ said Jerry, happy to hear this unexpected approbation. ‘And I do think we found some superb locations, I really do. ’Course that was no accident. It was entirely due to Francesca. Lovely girl. Surprisingly diligent, and very sweet. Not a bit toffee-nosed, like the usual deb.’

      Victor’s

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