‘You look suspiciously happy this morning. What are you up to?’
Unless your name is Rikkard Ambrose, of course.
‘Rick!’ From across the table Lady Samantha sent her son a reproachful look, which he completely ignored. I gave him a friendly smile.
‘Oh, nothing. I guess I’m just in a good mood this fine morning. Good as in “positive” or “buoyant”. In case you’d
like to find out the meaning of those words, you’ll find them under p and b in the dictionary.’
Several of the gentlemen at the table chuckled. The ladies didn’t, but then again, you can’t really expect hyenas to laugh at an antelope’s joke. Unless maybe it starts with ‘A lame antelope came into a bar full of hyenas waiting for their dinner, and…’
Breakfast passed without any major events. Now and then, Mr Rikkard Ambrose threw me a suspicious look or two, but since he did the same with the lady next to him, who was trying to get his attention through giggling and eyelash-batting, I wasn’t particularly worried he was suspecting something. Oh no, he felt secure in the knowledge that his big, bearded bulldog would follow me wherever I went.
Big mistake.
After breakfast, the gentlemen departed. Most to go shooting or riding, a few, like Mr Ambrose, to burrow into their happy world of paperwork and business correspondence, from which this inconvenient Christmas invitation had so cruelly torn them. Only we ladies remained behind. Soon, most were engaged in activities traditionally associated with the fair sex - needlework, mindless little musicales, and general undermining of the feminist cause. Only one little detail didn’t quite fit into the homely idyll…
‘Um…what is he doing here?’ Adaira whispered, leaning over to me and, as inconspicuously as possible, pointing at Karim. The giant Mohammedan was standing in one corner of the room, arms crossed, spearing a young lady doing her needlework with a glare so fierce, you’d think he suspected her of planning an assassination by needle-stabbing, or maybe yarn-garrotting.
I pulled a face. ‘Haven’t you heard? Since my little adventure in Newcastle, I have my own personal bodyguard. He follows me everywhere.’
‘Everywhere? Even to the-’
‘Yes.’
‘Inside?’
‘If he tries that, I’ll stab him with my parasol.’
‘Good for you!’
I sighed. ‘But it’s bad enough as it is. I stumble over him everywhere I go. I hardly have a moment’s peace anymore. And it’s all so unreasonable! I’m perfectly safe here. I don’t know why he insists on it! Your brother-’
The two little magic words worked like a charm.
Your brother.
Slumping back in her armchair, Adaira covered her face with a pillow. ‘Don’t get me started on him! He’s the most stubborn-’
‘-unreasonable-’
‘-cold, calculating-’
‘-block of ice you could find-’
‘-south of the North Pole.’
Slowly, Adaira pulled the cushion from her face, just far enough for me to see the smile that was tugging at the corners of her mouth. ‘You know…it really is wonderful to be talking with a sensible girl for a change. I have a feeling that the two of us could become friends. We seem to understand each other on such a deep, basic level.’
I grinned back. ‘My thoughts exactly.’
Adaira’s eyes slid back to Karim. ‘You know…in the spirit of friendship…’
‘Yes?’
‘If there’s something I could do to help…’
This was what I had been waiting for.