“Thanks, Samantha, but I stocked up on everything the last time we went.”
“Are you sure I can’t pick anything up for you? You know, we’re driving down to Devon in the morning and I could swing by when I drop Pushkin off.”
Annie assured her that her larder was stocked full, so Samantha told her that she would see her in the morning on their way out.
She made the run in record time. Her iPhone had just rung when she pulled back into her driveway.
“Sam, it’s Alex. I’m all checked in here. The hotel’s lovely, by the way.”
“Do you want me to drive over and you can follow me back?” She asked. “These twisty ‘B’ roads can be tricky if you’re not familiar with them.”
“I think I’ll be okay,” he said. “I went ahead and got a GPS on the rental car. If you’ll give me your street address I’ll just tap it in. I’ll be there around one, if that’s okay.”
***
Samantha had lunch ready to set out on the table when he got there. She checked to make sure she had remembered to put a couple of the beers in the fridge just in case he wanted one, and then went upstairs to change into her better pair of jeans.
She had telephoned Stephany down in Devon to make sure that it would be alright for them to come down for just two days. As it was, they would be pressed for time. She had explained that Alex was a good rider and that she had ridden out with him when she was in Virginia. They had agreed that he and Hari would be a good match. Stephany assured her that she would reserve Campanero for her.
At almost exactly one o’clock Alex pulled into Samantha’s drive and parked behind the Figaro.
“Right on time,” Samantha grinned as she opened the front door before he had a chance to knock. “Come on in.”
He gave her a quick hug and then stepped into the living room.
“Now this is what I’d call a perfect English cottage,” he said as he took in the moulding and other original features. “Do you mind if I look around at the rest of it?”
“Not as long as you promise not to do the white glove test above the doors,” Samantha laughed.
That was only one difference between the way the British and Americans viewed etiquette. Even English friends who knew each other well would not dream of asking to explore their friends’ houses. Americans, she knew, would be slightly insulted if guests did not want to look around and admire their homes. She supposed that having had an American mother and a British father had helped to bridge the cultural gap, but she was still far more British in her own behavior, as her Cousin Julie was always quick to point out. She was certain that what Julie actually meant was that she was far too uptight.
Samantha showed him her bedroom and tiny office upstairs before she brought him back down to give him the grand tour of the rest of the house. The entire process took less than five minutes.
“This is terrific,” he said when he saw the large Victorian fireplace that dominated the kitchen. “Was that original or did you have to scour the countryside for it?” He pointed to the magnificent carved cherry Mantelpiece and surround.
“So, I wasn’t as clever as I thought,” she said after she had told him about buying the mantel because it was such a bargain only to find when she got it home that it was six inches wider than the chimney breast. “I was determined to have it, so I just had the builder extend the breast out enough to accommodate it.”
“Well, it may have been slightly less of a bargain after all of that,” he agreed, “but it really does make the room.”
“They were here anyhow to do the extension,” she explained and showed him back to the little television room.
“Why don’t you just sit back here where it’s more comfortable while I set lunch out?” Samantha suggested. “I’m afraid there’s not much to look at in the garden this time of year, but I won’t be a minute.”
After lunch Samantha suggested that they take a walk down to the village. It was fairly chilly out, but it was a dry bright day. She figured that Alex had had enough of being in close quarters on the plane, and she could do with a bit of exercise herself. As they strolled through the small hamlet, Samantha explained how she had completely fallen in love with both the village and her little cottage the very first time she saw it, years before she actually bought her house. She told him a little about the history of the area as they meandered around and admired many of the other listed homes.
“I love those old thatched roofs,” Alex said as they passed several of the old fashioned cottages.
“So do I,” she agreed. “It was one of the things that made me fall in love with my little place.”
Samantha told him that thatched cottages had enjoyed a revival in recent years.
“For centuries it was the poor man’s roof,” she explained. “Then when farmers began using the modern combine harvester, all of that changed. It chopped the stalks as a by-product of harvesting the wheat, and the stocks of thatching materials dried up. Tile and slate became more popular alternatives.”
“But there seem to be quite a lot of them here,” Alex observed. “Where do they get the materials?”
“Just like before. They can use any sort of reed, but mostly it’s still wheat. It’s a lot more labour intensive and weather dependent than using modern methods, but now it’s become the roof of choice, even for a lot of new builds. The downside is that it’s certainly not the poor man’s roof any longer. In fact, it’s by far the more expensive option.”
“But well worth it,” Alex said as he admired a particularly impressive example right at the crossroads in the town.
By the time they got back to Samantha’s cottage the sun had begun to sink in the sky.
“The days are pretty short this time of year,” she said as she looked at her watch.
“And I thought we had short winter days at home,” Alex said. “It’s only half past three and it’s already getting dark.”
They sat in the back room and chatted about what they planned to do for the next few days. Samantha told Alex that she had arranged with Stephany for them to go down to Devon for a short break.
“I’m afraid that the only time she could fit us in was if we went down tomorrow and rode on Monday and Tuesday,” Samantha explained. “They’re booked up for the weekend after New Year’s. Anyhow, I hope you won’t be too worn out.”
“Not at all,” he assured her. “I’m looking forward to this Cheriton Ridge that you told me about.”
After they had a bit of a makeshift supper and Alex went back to his hotel, Samantha called Annie back.
“I just wondered if it would be too much trouble for me to drop Pushkin by tonight,” Samantha asked. “It’s just that I’d like to get an early start in the morning so we won’t be driving in the dark going down to High Bullen.”
Annie said to bring him on over. She said that she had wondered about that when Samantha told her she would bring him on their way out.
***
Alex insisted on taking the hire car. He said there was no need to put wear and tear on hers when they had a brand new SUV complete with all the bells and whistles at their disposal. He assured her that he had slept right through and was fully recovered from the trip over.
“I thought maybe we’d stop by Stonehenge on the way down,” Samantha said once they were on their way. “I went ahead and booked our tickets online after you left last night.”
“That sounds good. I’ve never been.”
“It’s a bit early, but shall we go ahead and stop for lunch now?” Samantha asked as they passed the notice for Marlborough. “It could be crowded when we get further south, and there’s not much choice once we turn off on the A39 for High Bullen. It’s only a couple of miles further on,” Samantha said.
“I think I’ve heard of Marlborough,” Alex said. “Isn’t that where the British mint used to be?”
“How on earth do you know that?” Samantha asked. “I knew it was a medieval market town, and I’m sure I read that it’s in the
Domesday Book, but I didn’t know that it had been a mint as well. I thought I was meant to be the tour guide on this trip,” she laughed. “Oh, one more thing I do know about it. There’s an old pub there called The Lamb, and I hear it has really good fish and chips. Shall we give it a try?”
***
They made excellent time the rest of the way down. They pulled into the practically empty car-park just beyond Stonehenge off the A303. There were only a handful of cars there.
Alex got audio headsets from the kiosk and they made their way to the ancient Standing Stones.
“I imagine you’ve been here dozens of times,” Alex said. “Unfortunately I was stuck in London and never got the chance to really explore the countryside when I was here before; and that was twenty years ago.”
“Actually, apart from last summer when my Cousin Julie was over from California, I hadn’t been here for at least that long myself,” Samantha said. “I remember the first time I came, there wasn’t much apart from the Stones and a bit of grass with some cows grazing on it,” she said as she untangled the cord and listened to make sure that the headset was working properly. “Now they’ve turned it into a theme park. When Julie and I visited last summer it was packed to the gunnels with visitors.”
“It’s certainly far from crowded today,” Alex observed as he took in the three or four groups of twos and threes. “I guess no one’s out and about because of the holidays.”
“Well, that suits me fine,” Samantha said.
“Has anyone figured out yet what the significance is?” Alex asked as he listened through the audio set to the various theories about how the monoliths had gotten there, who brought them, or why.
“Not so far as I know,” Samantha admitted. “I think all they really know is that they’ve been here for more than four thousand years. Anything else is just speculation.”
“Still, I’m glad I got to see them,” Alex said once they had completed the tour. “The weather’s still nice and it’d be a shame to miss one of the famous English landmarks when we were literally passing right by it.”
***
They arrived at High Bullen just as the sky turned a dusky grey.
“I don’t think we need to drive all the way down to the house to unload the car since we only have one bag each,” Samantha said as she gestured for Alex to turn into the little car-park before the first stable block.
“If we’re that decrepit we probably shouldn’t be here at all,” Alex laughed.
He insisted on carrying both bags so Samantha was left with just her patchwork tote. She stood her ground when he tried to take that as well.
Stephany was not in the big old farmhouse kitchen when they went in. The note she had left on the table said that Samantha was in her regular room at the top of the stairs and she had put Alex in the Blue Room at the other end of the hall next to the shower. It had also said ‘unless you want to share the big room’. Samantha did not mention that part to Alex as she balled up the note and tossed it in the bin before she led the way upstairs and showed him to his sleeping quarters. Stephany had told her that there would be another couple staying there as well, but that they were in one of the separate lodges in the grounds.
By the time they had unpacked and sorted themselves out it was nearly time to go down to dinner. Gerald and Aimee were already in the big lounge having a cup of tea and chatting. The two couples introduced themselves and compared notes on riding holiday experiences until Stephany came in and said that dinner was on the table.
Samantha had been there so many times that she was not surprised to see the mushroom risotto with fresh cashews and orange sections that occupied the centre of the large farmhouse table. It was the recipe she had pinched several years earlier that required only the addition of the nuts and the orange to turn a Marks ready meal into gourmet fare.
Stephany came in as they had their dessert and explained who would be riding which horses the following day. As promised, she and Alex were on Campanero and Hari. Gerald had Hero and Aimee was on Charlie Brown. Everyone seemed happy with the arrangements. Stephany left them to themselves and they chatted a while longer until everyone turned in.
The day dawned crisp and cold.
“I imagine they’ll be a bit frisky with this sharp wind,” Alex observed as they mounted up from the stone block next to the barn.
Alex and Hari seemed to hit it off very well. Samantha, of course, was in hog heaven with her favourite mount, and their companions seemed quite happy as well.
“Everyone all set?” Their guide, Amanda said as they collected themselves at the start of Cheriton Ridge.
This was everyone’s favourite part of the ride. Samantha was no exception. She loved the way her powerful sure-footed Spanish horse covered the ground and the exhilaration of galloping up the slight incline that seemed to stretch for miles before they reached the levelled off area where it began it’s descent to the other side.
“Sam, you weren’t exaggerating one bit, were you?” Alex said when they reached the top and let the horses graze for a few minutes while everyone caught their breath.
“The first time I galloped up that ridge I felt like I needed a nap when I got to the top,” Samantha admitted.
“I can see why,” Alex agreed. “But you certainly look like you could do another lap now.”
“I think I must have got used to it,” she said as she and Alex walked their horses down the gentle slope on the other side.
The next day was every bit as exciting, but too soon it was time to leave and head back home.
“I can see why you love going down there,” Alex said as they drove back. “What wonderful horses. And that old farmhouse has so much character. Too bad the walls can’t speak.”
It had been an excellent way to begin Alex’s visit, Samantha thought. They had certainly been lucky with the weather. She was glad that she had been able to show him a bit of the famous English countryside, and the horses had certainly lived up to her hype.
“Why don’t we stop off and get a bite to eat on the way back,” Alex suggested. “I’m sure you don’t feel like cooking after being on the road all day.”
“There’s a pub just a few miles away that Annie and I go to that has excellent food,” Samantha said. “They’ve turned it into one of these new gastro-pubs that seem to be popping up all over the place.”
“That looks like Michael’s car,” Samantha said with surprise as they pulled into the car-park next to the vintage Phantom II at The White Hart.
Sure enough, Annie and Michael were seated near the log fire at a table for four. Annie waved them over and Samantha introduced Alex to everyone.
“I thought you weren’t arriving until tomorrow?” Samantha asked Michael.
“The Baltic Princess got to Southampton this morning. I’d planned to spend the night at my house and drive up in the morning, but it seemed ridiculous to stay down there by myself when I could have an extra day up here with Annie.”
“Your lifestyle sounds a lot more glamourous than mine,” Alex said when Annie explained that Michael was first officer on the ship that she and Samantha had been on the previous spring when they took a Baltic cruise.
Samantha saw Annie give a slight smile when she ordered the Dover sole. She knew that her eating habits had become a standing joke, but that did not stop her from ordering her favourite thing on the menu.
“So have we got any special plans for tomorrow night?” Samantha asked.
“As a matter of fact we do,” Michael said. “But it’s a bit of a surprise. Alex, did you by any chance bring any formal wear?”
“Actually I did,” Alex confessed. “Sam told me I wouldn’t need to, but one never knows. The boy-scout in me, you know; semper paratus!” He laughed. What he had not told Samantha was that Annie had somehow got hold of his email address from the College and dropped him a note to tell him to bring his Tux along.
“But where are we going and what should I wear?” Samantha asked as she looked down
at her ancient cashmere jumper, jeans and her sandals and socks.
“It’ll be a surprise,” Annie said. “I think that dress you bought for Abbigail’s wedding would be perfect.”
***
“Now this really is a class act,” Alex said as Michael gave their names to the concierge who directed them to the Savoy Grand Ballroom.
“How on earth did you get tickets?” Samantha asked as the valet took their coats and the maître d’ showed them to their polished black and gold chrome table beneath the art deco chandeliers.
“When I mentioned to Michael that you had brought me here for lunch, he checked on what they had on for New Year’s Eve. Of course they were fully booked, but he managed to get a table through his automobile club.”
“I guess it was just fortunate that Alex brought the right clothes,” Samantha said as she looked pointedly over at Annie.
“I hope you don’t mind, but we had to let them know when we booked, so I ordered for you,” Annie said. “I wasn’t sure about Alex, so I got the same for both of you.”
Samantha could not have been happier with her quail with sweetbreads and wild rice. By the look of his empty plate, it had been a good choice for Alex as well. Michael had the rack of lamb and Annie had some sort of veal in a white wine sauce.
Once the tables had been cleared, the musicians began to file in. They were reminiscent of the swing bands like Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey that Samantha had seen clips of in some of the old black and white films.
“Have I mentioned how lovely you look tonight?” Alex asked as he led her onto the floor.
Samantha was pleased with the Armani evening dress she had bought for Abbigail and Michael’s wedding back in the summer. She loved the lush silk crepe fabric and the faultless tailoring of the dusty rose three quarter length 1940s style gown. She wasn’t tall and lithesome like Annie, but her hips were narrow and she knew that the slight ruffle effect of the mock jacket over the pencil slim skirt suited her figure. She was thankful for the long sleeves; no amount of diet and exercise could compensate for the ravages of time in that department.
Dancing at the Savoy: A Samantha Duncan Mystery (Samantha Duncan Mysteries Book 9) Page 12