Chapter 2

Caroline hardly had time to feel the full extent of her loss in the days that followed and it was not until the day after the funeral (a Friday), that she felt at her lowest and most desolate. She had just returned to her grandfather’s home - now hers - after a talk with her accountant - a Miss Fortescue.

Janet Fortescue was a pleasant youngish woman who had got to know a lot about the old man in the last ten years and formed a deep regard for him. As Caroline left to go back to her now empty home, Janet wished her a pleasant weekend and arranged to meet her again on Monday afternoon.

She was just settling down into her favorite easy chair, becoming all too aware of her loneliness and total inner desolation, when the phone rang. At the other end of the line was the voice of a very young woman, sensuous, lilting and with a curiously hypnotic quality.

“Hello Caroline. I’m Grace Barlow, one of your grandfather’s tenants, and now yours. I think I know how you must be feeling and I’d like to help.”

There was a whole world of warmth and comfort in that beautiful voice. Caroline felt at once that she must meet its owner and as soon as possible. Grace continued.

“I live on a farm in Derbyshire. Get the train to Derby, and then take a local train from there to Fordham Magna. There’ll be someone to meet you there. I do look forward to seeing you. We’ll have so much to talk about.”

The more that amazing voice continued, the more Caroline fell under its spell. She must meet this Grace Barlow, whoever she was. Strange that nobody had mentioned her grandfather having property in that part of the country. She would certainly mention this to Janet when she met her on Monday.

“Can I come and see you tonight?”

“Please do. I’m so very glad you’re coming, Caroline.”

She put a few things into an overnight bag and phoned for a cab to take her to Euston. Derby station was almost deserted when she arrived there and a two-carriage train was waiting in a side platform. She asked a porter if this train were going to Fordham Magna and he said that it was.

She boarded the train and fell asleep soon after it drew away. She dimly thought she heard the sound of a steam locomotive pulling the train and fell deeply asleep before the absurdity of this struck home. When she woke up, they were at a standstill in a station. Caroline looked out of the window and saw that she was at Fordham Magna. She pushed open the door and carried her bag out into the forecourt. A solitary car was outside and she walked across to it.

“I’m Caroline Bingham. Are you here to meet me.?”

The driver nodded and Caroline got into the back of the old car, which immediately drove away. She was still unaccountably tired and fell asleep again. Waking up, she found that the car had stopped at a gateway. The driver turned around. She could not make out his features.

“The house is down the drive. You are expected”

This uncommunicative individual, whose face she had still not seen, then left Caroline standing at the roadside and feeling a little apprehensive. She walked through the gate, which was open, and found herself in a short, graveled drive. The front door of the house was ajar and, after receiving no reply, Caroline pushed her way inside. On the hall table was an envelope with CAROLINE written on it in large letters.

She opened the envelope and read the message inside. ‘ Sorry not to be here to meet you. Your room is straight ahead at the top of the stairs. See you early in the morning. Help yourself to supper. The kitchen is straight through. Grace’

Caroline found the kitchen, poured herself a glass of milk and ate a couple of bread rolls, which tasted delicious. Like nothing she had ever tasted before. Grace must bake her own bread and there was nothing processed about the milk!