Page 59 of The Affairs of Ashmore Castle

‘You’re very kind,’ Nina began.

‘Not at all. Selfish as the day is long,’ said her companion cheerfully. ‘I’m desperately short of a really good bosom friend. I’ve been married ten years, and I still miss my brothers and sisters. Isn’t it silly?’

‘Not at all. I never had any, but I still miss my mother and father – they were good friends as well as parents.’

‘No brother or sisters? Oh dear, poor you! You must have been so lonely. Don’t you think marriage is a very lonely thing, anyway? Aubrey, my husband, is the dearest creature, but he’s always busy about his own concerns, and hasn’t time for my nonsense and chatter. And he’s quite a lot older than me, so he was brought up in a different sort of world and half the time doesn’t understand what I’m talking about.’

‘Mr Cowling – Joseph – is a lot older than me,’ Nina said, and as her new friend nodded understandingly, she had the odd idea that she had known that already, and had been giving Nina an opportunity to talk about it. ‘What did you hear about us?’ she asked, a little stiffly.

‘That he’s a powerful businessman and a friend of the King’s, and that his wife is a delicious young creature, very clever but rather shy.’

‘Is that what people are saying?’

‘That’s just the first ounce of gossip.’ She was laughing. ‘There’s pounds more of it! But don’t give it a thought. No one has said a disobliging thing about either of you, I promise. And I’ve been longing to meet you, and wondering how to go about it, since you haven’t left cards yet. What tremendous luck our dogs brought us together like this. We can be friends, can’t we?’

‘I would like that very much,’ Nina said.

‘Then,’ She held out her hand, ‘please call me Bobby. Absolutely everybody does.’ They shook hands. Bobby grinned. ‘My dear Nina – may I call you Nina? – you remind me of me when I was first married and didn’t know anything. I was lucky and had a family to steer me right. Will you let me – in the nicest possible way – guide you a little? You don’t think me presumptuous, I hope?’

‘I should be very glad of help,’ Nina said. ‘I have an aunt who has washed her hands of me, and my only female friend lives in London and isn’t married so I can’t ask her anything.’

‘Well, you can ask me anything you like,’ Bobby said, slipping a companionable arm through Nina’s. ‘And you and your Joseph must come and dine at the Hall so you can meet my lovely Aubrey, and we’ll have a proper dinner party and invite all the people you ought to meet. Then you’ll feel more comfortable. And you must come up to the Hall and go riding with me.’

‘I’d love to,’ Nina said, ‘but I haven’t a riding habit. I shall have to get one made.’

‘Garner’s, in the Square, have some very good ready-made things that can be altered to fit. Mention my name – I’ve had an account there for years, they know me. I don’t see any point in being terribly smart, just for day-to-day riding, when no one is watching one, do you?’

‘I hadn’t thought about it, but you’re right.’

‘Good. So that’s all settled. Now, tell me some more about India. Did your father play polo? I’ve always wanted to try it.’

‘I did too,’ Nina said. ‘The polo ponies were so lovely – gentle and clever and so beautiful.’

They walked on, talking. Nina felt already as if she had known Bobby for years.