Chapter 6

I started to descend the slope back to the Dower House. The drumming of horse's hooves alerted me to take more notice of my surroundings. It was that woman. I stopped, startled. What name did she give me, Annabel, Annabel ... then it came to me. Swinson! She was galloping the horse across the turf, clods flying from the horse's hooves. She must have noticed me as she turned the horse's head and headed in my direction. I waited as she brought the horse down from its gallop to walking pace, turning into wide circles to calm the beast. The horse seemed unhappy not to be galloping, shaking its head and pawing the ground. She leaned forward in the saddle and patted the horse's neck. "Come on, Drummond, there's a good boy." Her voice was soft and soothing and slowly the horse, Drummond? Calmed. Miss Swinson turned her head to me. "Good morning, Mr. Chandler."

"Good morning, Miss Swinson."

"Annabel."

"Ok. Good morning Annabel. I am Daniel."

"Daniel? A 'D'! From gossip it seems that all the Chandler males were given a name beginning with 'D'. Are you sure you are not part of the family?"

"Yes. Well no, I mean yes. It seems that I am related. A rather tenuous link though."

"How tenuous?"

"I believe that I am the great grandson of Robert Chandler."

"I have never heard of Robert. Who was he?"

"An illegitimate son of Lady Chandler, Dashwood's wife."

"Wow!" Her eybrows went up. "That must have caused some ructions."

"I would imagine you are right." We both smiled. "While we are talking ancestry, would you be related to Arabella Swinson?"

"Good Grief! You have done your research. Arabella was my great, great aunt. I may have left out a great. I believe she was engaged to Danbury Chandler, but he was killed in the First World War. She never married."

Of course I knew this, from Mr. Prescott. "I have just been up to the summit. They certainly knew the best place to build their house. It's a tremendous view from there."

"You are not thinking of building there?"

"No. I am having a survey done to see what work is needed in the Dower House. Apart from that, the land will be untouched. You can ride your horse as often as you wish."

"Thank you, kind sir. Perhaps you will take to the saddle as well. It would be good to have someone to ride out with."

"I don't think so, Annabel. I am a Londoner. Horses are for the Royal Artillery or the Life Guards. For anything else Londoner's take the bus or the tube."

"No buses or trains around here I'm afraid." She tightened the reins and Drummond raised his head. "We will have to work on you and turn you into the landed gentry."