Samantha had just switched on her computer when the telephone rang. She walked to the bedroom to answer it.
“It’s Caroline,” her sister announced as soon as Samantha picked up.
“I just got to Ella’s this very minute, but I wanted to ring and let you know when to expect us.”
Samantha was always surprised that Caroline sounded so well organized and adult. In her mind, she remained much as she had when they were growing up: the not quite old enough younger sister who was as different to her as night and day.
“Thanks, Caroline. Lunch is ready and waiting whenever you and Ella get here.”
“I imagine it’ll be nearly one before we get everything unloaded and drive over to your house. Can we bring anything?”
“I can’t think of a thing. I’ll see you when you get here.”
They chatted for two or three minutes before they rang off.
Samantha had no idea why she was nervous about her sister’s visit. After all, it was not as though they had ever quarreled or anything like that. She was very fond of Caroline, and she hoped that her sister felt the same about her. It was just that the ten years difference in their ages had meant that they had had little in common growing up. Then when Samantha embarked on her career as an art historian at Christ Church College, Oxford, and Caroline and Heywood married and began a family, they drifted even further apart. The fact that Samantha had remained in the South and Caroline and her family lived in Lincolnshire had not helped to bridge the gap.
In the short years of their marriage before his untimely death, she and Robert had not had children of their own. That was perhaps one reason why, when Caroline’s daughter, Ella transferred from Cambridge to pursue her post graduate studies in music at St Catherine’s, Oxford, Samantha had sought out the opportunity for closer ties with the family. Samantha also felt somewhat responsible for making certain that her niece was happily situated in her little corner of academia. She need not have worried on that score. Ella was as confident and independent minded as Samantha had been at that age. She was exactly the sort of daughter Samantha would have wished for herself.
Her Conference at the College of William and Mary in Virginia was less than a week away. This time her paper was on previously untrodden territory. When she had first put forward her application, she had decided to write a Paper on Equine Sporting Sculpture and had provided a rough outline of the topic to the Conference Committee. Then, less than two days later, she had seen a programme on the Arts channel about Rembrandt Bugatti. She had become fascinated by the work of the artist from the illustrious family better known to Top Gear fans than to art historians such as herself.
Before Samantha advised the Conference Committee that she wanted to change her topic, she needed to make certain that she would not step on any toes with her new subject. She had shared the podium with a young woman from the Savannah College of Art and Design on several occasions. Elaine Matthews had a passion for anything Italian and had focused her research on contemporary Italian sculptors. Samantha had no desire to infringe on her territory. She had emailed Elaine to see how she felt about it, but Elaine had explained that she was knee deep in exam scripts and would not attend the William and Mary event. She assured Samantha that even if she were going to be there, the artists she was interested in were a hundred years further along the timeline than Bugatti, and for Samantha to feel free to explore his work to her heart’s content. She had also reminded Samantha that she laid no special claim to Italian sculptors and that most Conferences treated Papers on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Once she had the ‘all clear’ from Elaine, she dashed off a quick amended proposal to William and Mary. They seemed quite happy for her to change the focus of her Paper.
She had already completed her research and hammered out a rough draft. All she needed to do now was to polish it a bit and select the slides she wanted to take with her to supplement the Paper. Her Cousin Julie had had to drag her kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century, but she had finally come around to the view that power-point added that little zip that made for a much more compelling presentation. She perused the internet until she found images that dovetailed perfectly with her Paper and demonstrated graphically why she was so excited by Bugatti’s work. By the time she had reread and revised her Paper for the umpteenth time and checked that the slides were in the same order as her written descriptions, it was eleven o’clock. She was satisfied that what she had put together would make for an interesting and well-researched topic.
Samantha was happy with her efforts, but she always felt more comfortable about any lecture if she had seen the artist’s work first hand. She knew that The Sladmore Gallery had a large collection, not only of Bugatti’s Animalia sculptures, but that of several other nineteenth and twentieth century artists that she was keen to see.
She decided to give her friend Annie a quick call and see if she was up for a day out in London later that week. Annie was more interested in art from the earlier periods, but there was no reason why they could not visit the Victoria and Albert as well as the Sladmore. Perhaps they would treat themselves to somewhere special for lunch while they were in the City.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Annie said when Samantha told her why she was calling. “I need to get my mind wrapped around my next protagonist, and there are several paintings I’d like to see at the V and A that might help inspire me. I’m free all week. When’s the best time for you?”
“Actually, if we made it Wednesday, I could drop Pushkin off when I come to your house. That way I wouldn’t have to make a special trip just to bring him,” Samantha said. “That is, if that suits, you. Oh, and I wouldn’t mind stopping in at Selfridges if we have time. I really could use a warmer jacket for when I’m out and about in Virginia next weekend. I thought I’d call ahead just to check that Ms Grantham would be in.”
They agreed to meet at Annie’s at nine on Wednesday morning. It was only a five minute walk from her house to the mainline station at Kingham. Samantha had gotten so accustomed to going in with Annie by train that she barely noticed the slightly longer journey time than if she drove in by car. Besides that, it was practically impossible to find a place to park in the City. What with that and the congestion charge for cars during the week, the train was a hassle free option.
Samantha glanced out of the front window just as a newish Audi estate car pulled into her drive. She watched for a few seconds as Caroline and Ella got out of their car and walked towards her cottage. Caroline looked wonderful. She had a trim athletic physique that belied her fifty plus years and from a distance she and Ella looked more like sisters than mother and daughter. Samantha opened the door just as they walked up the little brick path.
“You look fantastic,” she said sincerely to her sister as they exchanged awkward hugs. “Come on in. We can get your bag after lunch.”
“I’ll get it, Mum,” Ella said. “You and Samantha go ahead and get started. I know you have a lot to catch up on.”
Samantha led the way back to the old fashioned kitchen where she had already laid the table for lunch. The gas coal fire in the grate of the Victorian fireplace made for a cozy welcome.
“Samantha, your cottage is lovely. How on earth did you find it?”
Samantha realised with a pang of guilt that it was the first time her sister had visited her home. She had been to Caroline and Heywood’s place in Lincolnshire, of course, but that had been years ago. Samantha explained that she and Robert had lived in a flat right in Oxford when they were married, and that she had just stayed put after he died. She told her that they would often drive past the cottage when they were in the area and had always admired it.
“Of course it was way out of our price range, but that didn’t stop me coveting it,” she laughed.
“I can see why. It’s absolutely perfect,” Caroline said.
“I don’t know if it would suit everyone, but it’s exactly right for me,” Samantha agreed. “Anyhow, when
I knew I’d be retiring soon, I began to think about where I wanted to spend my dotage, and I was drawn back here. Of course by that time the recession had really hit the housing market and I thought that if I was ever going to do it, the time was right. I had to delve into Grandmama’s money a bit, but I’ve never regretted it.”
“We did the same, only in reverse,” Caroline admitted. “Once the boys and Ella had left home, we didn’t want to rattle around in a big house with just the two of us, so two years ago we downsized. Our new place is in the same area, but it’s only three bedrooms, so it’s much more manageable. Heywood uses one for his office and the other’s in case one of the children comes for a visit, or anyone else, for that matter.”
Samantha had set the salads out and was just about to take the crusty bread out of the oven when Ella came in with Caroline’s bag.
“Is Mum in my room?” She asked her aunt as she took it back to the little den without waiting for a reply.
“I told you it would be delicious,” Ella said to her mother as they sat down to lunch.
“I’m just so glad to have you both here at one time,” Samantha said.
“Yes, it’s time we got reacquainted,” Caroline agreed.
“I expect that Ella will want to show you around Oxford while you’re down,” Samantha said between mouthfuls.
“I do, but I only have a little time because we have a rehearsal at noon. I especially wanted to show Mum the Cathedral over at Christ Church. Why don’t you go with us and you can give her a tour of the College and the Church?” Ella suggested.
“I’d love to,” Samantha said. “If I drive you in, then we can park in the College car-park. You won’t find anywhere on the street.”
“I don’t want to put you out,” Caroline protested.
“I think we need to get past all these formalities right now,” Samantha said. “As I remember it, when you wanted to go to your ballet classes or for a sleepover with your friends when you were a kid, you had no such concerns about using me as a taxi service.” The sisters grinned at each other as they recalled their not always harmonious relationship when they were growing up.
“Ella, do you want to camp on the sofa or shall I run you back to your flat?” Samantha asked her niece after they had finished their lunch and sat in the back room talking for the better part of two hours.
“I think I’ll just leave you two to catch up. I need to practice a piece for the concert tomorrow night. You are coming, aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Caroline said. “And Samantha needs to come with me or I’ll never find my way back to her house.”
“I’d love to hear you play,” Samantha said.
“I can get the bus back,” Ella said. “You and Mum don’t have to take me.”
“Nonsense,” Samantha said. “Your mum and I can drive you home. I haven’t been out of the house all day, and I’m sure Caroline would like to see some of the countryside.”
They dropped Ella off at a little after four with a promise to meet her at ten the next morning at Christ Church College. Ella had her rehearsal in the afternoon, so they only had a couple of hours to hit the high spots.
The sky was already darkening by the time they got back to Chipping Norton.
“Samantha, you weren’t planning on making us supper tonight, were you? I’d be just fine with a sandwich.”
“Not to worry, Marks does all of my gourmet cooking for me,” Samantha said as she held up several of their ready meals for Caroline to choose. Caroline pointed to the chicken carbonara. Samantha decided to have the same thing.
They both wanted an early night since they needed to be out fairly early the next morning.
“If you’d rather a bath you can come upstairs,” Samantha offered once they had cleared away their supper dishes and pulled out the sofa-bed.
Caroline told her that she preferred a shower, so Samantha showed her where she had put everything out for her, and how to work the tricky taps in the downstairs bathroom. Caroline said she was more tired than she had thought. Samantha was not surprised. She must have left at dawn to get down as early as she had that morning. Then she’d had to help Ella unpack the things she had brought down for her to use in the flat. With a start, Samantha realised that even her little sister was hardly a kid anymore; Caroline must be exhausted. Samantha left her to get some sleep and retreated to her bedroom upstairs. She found that she was a teeny bit sleepy herself. She had read only a few pages before she turned out her light.
***
They pulled into the car-park just after nine-thirty.
“We were lucky with the traffic this morning,” Samantha said. “I guess the students must either be sleeping in or else they’ve gone away to some event or other for the weekend. Usually you can barely get through the town for the droves of them on their bicycles.”
“Samantha, do you realise that this is the first time I’ve ever seen where you taught?” Caroline said. “Where has all the time gone?”
“Well, come on then. I’ll show you around a bit before Ella gets here. She’s already had the grand tour.”
By the time Samantha had shown her sister where her office had been and some of the common rooms and the big dining hall, it was time to meet Ella.
“Mum, you’ll love the Cathedral. Samantha brought me here when I came last spring to take a look at the College and sort out my accommodation.”
“Do you mind, Samantha? I know you must have been there a thousand times,” Caroline said.
“I rather like my role as the Christ Church docent,” Samantha laughed. “Shall I tell you a bit about the architecture first, or do you want to just go on in?”
“I can see that it’s beautiful, but I’m quite ignorant about things like architecture,” Caroline admitted. “I think you’d better give me the full spiel.”
Samantha explained that the building was more than five hundred years old and that the style dated back to Norman times.
“Ella may have told you that at one time it was the smallest cathedral in England, although that title has been usurped. I can’t recall which one holds the distinction now.”
Once they were inside, Samantha explained that the College still used it as a chapel and that the Christ Church choir still sang there on occasion. They stood and admired the nave and the arched ceiling and the intricate woodwork that had been carved so long before.
“Shall we just take a quick tour of some of the other colleges?” Samantha asked.
“I know it can’t be that exciting for you and Ella since you’re here all the time, but I wouldn’t mind a quick look around before Ella has to leave for her rehearsal,” Caroline said.
Samantha provided a running commentary as they walked through the grounds of several of the colleges.
“That’s Magdalen, of course,” she said as they passed what was probably the most well-known of the constituent colleges. “Shall we just walk over the bridge and I’ll show you St Hilda’s?”
“Isn’t that an all-women’s college?” Caroline asked.
“Not anymore,” Samantha explained. “They started admitting men about five or six years ago.”
“What a wonderful place to live,” Caroline observed. “I’m just so happy that Ella has the chance to study here. Cambridge was lovely, of course, but somehow this place seems almost like a living history lesson everywhere you look.”
“I always felt privileged to be a part of it,” Samantha agreed. “Of course, now I’m a free agent I don’t get into town nearly as often as I should.”
They circled around and left Ella outside her flat before they returned to Christ Church to collect the car.
***
They polished off the leftovers from the seafood salad for their lunch. Caroline caught Samantha up on what she and Heywood were up to and on what was going on with their sons.
“James really loves living in America. We miss him, of course, but the last time we spoke he told us about a girl he’d met, and I wouldn�
��t be at all surprised if he doesn’t propose to her. He emailed some photos of them hiking at one of the national parks over there. She’s quite pretty and I must say they both looked very happy.”
“And Peter? Ella mentioned that he’s with HSBC in the City, I believe.”
“Yes. He seems to be doing very well with them. He loves living in London, and he seems to have made some good friends; no special girlfriend at the moment, or if there is, he hasn’t told us about her. But what about you, Samantha? You’ve said practically nothing about what you’re doing now that you’re retired from teaching.”
Samantha told her sister how she had been afraid that she would have nothing worthwhile to fill her time once she retired, but that she had been busier than ever with her lecture circuit. She also told her about her friend Annie and how much she enjoyed having someone to do things with.
“I must say that you look wonderful,” Caroline said. “Obviously all of these changes must agree with you. I know that Ella can’t sing your praises enough whenever we talk to her.”
“Well, she’s a delightful young woman,” Samantha said. “You’ve done a splendid job raising her, Caroline. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she doesn’t make a big name for herself in the world of classical music.”
“We’re very proud of her,” Caroline said. “Of course, all parents must feel that way about their children.”
Samantha was happy for her sister. She had worked very hard to raise her family and they had not been a disappointment.
“I didn’t realise it had got so late,” Samantha said when she noticed the time on the clock over the sink. “I think I’ll go ahead and get my bath and get ready now. We’ll want to leave by four just in case we run into traffic.”
They got to the Old Sheldonian well before the five o’clock start. Maxim Vengerov, the resident artist was not on the programme, so when the orchestra filed in, Ella was in the First Chair. Samantha glanced over at Caroline as the first strains of Scheherazade swept over the theatre. No wonder her sister and Heywood were so proud of their daughter.
Dancing at the Savoy: A Samantha Duncan Mystery (Samantha Duncan Mysteries Book 9) Page 2