‘Why? What’s happened?’ he asked, concerned to see her so anxious. ‘What did you want to talk to me about?’
‘It’s best if I show you. Come with me.’
Intrigued, he followed her up a spiral granite staircase and along a series of passages which led away from the east wing and into the main body of the house. The castle’s geography was confusing, built as it was on different levels and linked by numerous corridors that twisted this way and that, doubling back on themselves until he lost all sense of direction. There were steps up and down where they were least expected, and he stumbled a couple of times in the fading light as he tried to keep up with his guide. Eventually, they reached the Long Passage that ran parallel with the church, its walls lined with portraits of the St Aubyn family. He was struck by a magnificent oil painting of Hilaria’s stepmother, who had died earlier that year. ‘How is Lord St Levan?’ he asked. ‘I’m sorry he won’t be with us for Christmas.’
‘Yes, so am I, but it’s much more sensible for him to spend winters on the mainland now. It can be bitterly cold here, as you know, and he’s very frail. Julia’s death hit him so hard. He’s been blessed with two happy marriages, but to lose them both – well, it takes its toll. That, and the state of the world. It’s a terrible thing to say, but I half wish he could be spared what we’re heading for.’
‘Yes, I can understand that. It will mean big changes for you, though.’
Hilaria stopped to straighten one of the pictures, conveniently not meeting his eye. ‘You’re right, it will. I’m trying not to think about that, though. Not until I have to.’
They were in the Victorian part of the house now, and Archie followed her down the kitchen stairs to the staff quarters. The door swung heavily shut behind them, marking the point where the tapestries and richly coloured rugs gave way to bare stone floors and walls painted an anaemic shade of green. It was draughty in the bowels of the house, and the passage – which was actually more like a tunnel – echoed with the footsteps of staff going purposefully about their work. Archie wondered why they were there.
‘Do you remember Henry Lee?’ Hilaria asked, stopping outside the door to the pantry. ‘He’s been here for nearly fifty years now. He was a footman when you and I were growing up.’
She knocked and went in, and although the name had only rung the faintest of bells, Archie recognised the elderly butler instantly. The room was spacious, with a high ceiling, good natural light and a cosy fire in the grate, and two footmen sat at a long table, polishing silver. Their stools scraped back noisily on the wooden floor as they stood to greet the lady of the house, and Hilaria nodded to them. ‘You’ll be pleased to see Archie Penrose, Lee. He often came over from the Loe Estate when we first arrived here. He and I used to get up to no end of tricks, and I seem to recall you colluding in most of them.’
‘Yes, of course, Miss.’ Lee smiled and bowed his head. ‘Very good to see you again, sir – and happy Christmas.’
‘And to you, Lee. It’s nice to be back.’
‘We’ve just had a message from Trannack, Miss. Mrs Carmichael wasn’t on the scheduled train, and there isn’t another service now until this evening. I’ve made arrangements with the Godolphin Hotel for her to stay there overnight if she arrives late. Depending on the weather, we can try and bring her over tomorrow.’
Hilaria sighed. ‘Very well, Lee. I don’t see what else we can do. Perhaps she’ll telephone to let us know. In the meantime, is that item still in the flower room?’
‘Yes, Miss. Locked, as you instructed. I’ll take you there now.’
‘Thank you.’ She turned to leave, but paused to admire a work in progress on one of the wide shelves that lined the room’s longest wall – a beautifully scaled model of the castle, made entirely from champagne corks and meticulous in its detail. ‘This is coming along well, Lee. We’ll do our best to give you plenty of raw materials to work with over Christmas.’ She cast a wry glance at Archie. ‘Heaven knows, we’ll need a drink. You could probably have it finished by Boxing Day.’
The butler led the way further into the staff quarters, past the kitchens and servants’ hall and up a short flight of steps to a room on the castle’s cold outer wall. As he unlocked the door and stood aside to let them pass, Archie was taken aback by the overpowering scent of exotic flowers. Three dramatic centrepieces took pride of place on the table – arrangements of holly, red carnations and white lilies in various combinations – and more holly stood soaking in buckets on the flagstone floor. A bench ran the length of the room, littered with scissors, string and vases, and the next candidates for display – roses and chrysanthemums in shades of gold and burnt orange – were waiting in the sink. Two crates with a Scilly Isles stamp stood by the door, and the simple, tightly budded daffodils – their yellow-green heads promising the first sign of spring – came as something of a relief.
‘Shall I get it down for you, Miss?’ the butler asked.
‘Yes please, Lee.’ He moved the floral displays carefully to one end of the table, then took down a long gift box from the top shelf. ‘This arrived yesterday for Miss Dietrich,’ Hilaria explained, seeing the look of confusion on Archie’s face. ‘I’ll let you open it.’ He took the lid off and looked down at the perfect red roses. ‘There are thirteen,’ she said, as he began to count them. ‘Look at the card.’
He picked it up and read the message. ‘Mein Engel, mit wärmsten Wünschen für Weihnachten – und mit Bewunderung – Adolf Hitler.’
‘I was hoping you might reassure me that this couldn’t possibly be genuine,’ Hilaria said.
‘I’m afraid it probably is.’ He told her about the visitors to Marlene’s hotel suite. ‘Ironically, she came here to get away.’
‘We’ll have to tell her, won’t we?’ Hilaria said reluctantly. ‘We should at least give her the option to leave if she feels she’s being threatened – and sooner rather than later. There are blizzards coming in tonight, and a boat won’t get to the mainland once they start.’
‘I’ll talk to her, but I doubt she’ll want to go anywhere. She strikes me as someone who likes to face up to things rather than run from them.’ Archie read the card again. ‘Now I understand why you were so sensitive when Fielding made that comment about Marlene being in safe hands.’
‘Yes, it was unfortunate under the circumstances, but I’m hoping it was just a turn of phrase on his part. The last thing we want is this in the newspaper – although he seemed just as impressed by your celebrity as he was by hers.’
Archie smiled. ‘You say these arrived yesterday?’
‘That’s right. About four o’clock, wasn’t it, Lee?’
‘Yes, Miss.’
‘Before it was announced in the paper that she’d be here. Did the guests know in advance?’
‘Only you and Fielding, but he was sworn to secrecy by his editor.’
‘I didn’t think Barbara Penhaligon looked in the least bit surprised to bump into Marlene.’
‘No, but I assumed she’d seen it in the paper this morning.’