I found this the other day, I'd started writing it a while back, and decided to finish it (even though I have loads of other stories that I should be working on). Timeline wise, it can take place anywhere between the end of series 2 and the last episode of series 3, though probably more towards the end of series 3
A conversation at lunch leads to a misunderstanding and, well, you know how tongues wag when one person gets the wrong end of the stick…
Sighing heavily, Audrey hefted the weight of her basket in a futile attempt to ease the pressure of the handle digging into her arm. Life really was becoming particularly tedious at the moment. As if it wasn't bad enough that her shares were paying very poorly, but Mrs Patterson's prices seemed to have mysteriously increased as soon as she set foot in the establishment, burning through the already sparse cash Audrey had to spare. Then, to make matters worse, she was finding herself unable to afford to put petrol into her Rolls and so was trying to cut down as much as possible on driving, meaning trips into the village were now to be done on foot.
Trying to move the basket onto her other arm in an attempt to ease the now throbbing pain, she sighed again and continued to trudge in the direction of the Lodge, and Grantleigh Manor, her once home. What she'd give to be back there again, everything had been so much simpler back then…
So consumed in her thoughts, she missed her name being called twice and the figure waving to her as they emerged from their own Rolls Royce. She only realised that someone was there when she nearly crashed straight into the masculine figure.
"Careful," Richard Devere said, more in amusement than irritation, as he placed his hands on her shoulders to prevent a collision.
"Oh Richard," Audrey gasped. She could feel her face growing warm, but she put that down to the embarrassment of being caught unaware rather than the prolonged grasp of his hands on her shoulders. "I'm so sorry."
"That's alright," he grinned, "Though I didn't think you'd try and run me over with witnesses about. Mind you, a car might have done more damage…" At her scowl he cut off, chuckling slightly and let his arms drop to his sides. "I'm only teasing Audrey." He looked around them, apparently searching for something and then turned back to her, an eyebrow slightly raised. "Not in the Rolls?"
"No, I decided to enjoy this beautiful day by walking." She pointedly ignored the overcast sky and small umbrella tucked in her basket.
"That's the third time this week." Richard said, all trace of humour now gone from his face.
"Sounds like somebody has been spying on me." She retorted with a light smirk, cursing his observance. "Perhaps I'm trying to save the environment."
"Of that I've no doubt." Richard grinned back, "Although it must get tiring doing all that walking. Perhaps I could give you a lift back to the lodge, if you don't mind the slight damage to the environment."
"Didn't you come to the village for a reason?"
"Oh yes; it's the staffs' day off and mother's gone up to London, so I thought I'd have lunch at the pub." A slight smile curved the corner of his mouth as he let his gaze sweep appreciatively over her in a way that sent delicious shivers up and down her spine. "Maybe you'd like to join me and then I can drive us back afterwards?"
A smile flitted across her face before she frowned and looked down at her basket. "Oh Richard I'd love to but I…"
"It'll only be an hour or so," he said, looking slightly crestfallen. "Surely you could spare that?"
Finding herself unable to refuse, Audrey gave him a smile and replied "Alright, I suppose I have time." What was money anyway?
Richard took the basket from her and placed it on the backseat of his Corniche, if only so she couldn't make a quick getaway from lunch, and offered his arm to her, which she readily accepted. They wandered towards the small local inn and, despite it being rather full when they entered, managed to get a seat in a more seclude booth that enabled them some privacy from the rowdy lunchtime merrymakers.
On the whole Audrey enjoyed her lunch with Richard. They had chatted about everything and anything, from recent events to more humorous and whimsical tales from their deep and distant pasts. Eventually, as the coffee was served, they moved on to village gossip and in particular, the rumour of an impending marriage between the gamekeeper's daughter and the butcher's son.
"It's just a rumour, Audrey." Richard chuckled, "They're close, yes, but they don't appear overly romantic with each other. Mother was in the butcher's the other day and heard an outright denial that there was anything going on between them."
Audrey took a sip of her coffee and shook her head lightly. "Rubbish. Would you tell you're over protective father that you are romantically entangled with a young man, knowing full well that he would probably go and box the poor boy's ears? Besides, I've seen them."
"You have?" Richard raised an eyebrow at her slightly triumphant look.
"Round the back of the village hall."
"Really?"
"Yes." Audrey lent forward and in hushed tones said, "I was helping with the organising of the bring and buy sale and, well, I couldn't find the white table covers. You know, the ones they used at the New Year's party?" At his nod, she continued. "Anyway, I asked Mrs Beecham and she said that they were in a box out back. When they cleared out the cupboards, some bright spark thought that they were rubbish and put them there." Audrey rolled her eyes. "So I went out and managed to find them and there they were."
"The table covers?" Richard questioned, failing to see what this had to do with the gamekeeper's daughter and butcher's son.
Audrey sighed with exasperation. "No, the young couple in question caught in, what can only be described as, a very passionate embrace."
"No," Richard barked out a laugh. "They were there…"
"In broad daylight, plain for all to see." Audrey joined in his laughter. "I wouldn't be surprised if a secret and rather hasty marriage was on the cards."
Richard looked into Audrey's eyes, carefully reading her expression. "You don't mean…"
"Eloping." Audrey confirmed.
"That really would cause a scandal."
"Several I imagine."
Richard smoothed his moustache and thought for a moment. "It would upset a lot of people. They might be offended if they weren't informed of the wedding, let alone invited to it."
"Well when one is in love, that doesn't really matter does it?"
"No, I suppose it doesn't." Richard agreed, a slight smirk appearing. "I should imagine Gretna Green would be on the cards."
"Most certainately," Audrey replied. "Where else?"
"Then what about living arrangements?" Richard pointed out.
A mischievous grin engulfed Audrey's face as she looked up through her lashes, unable to resist teasing him. "How do you think married couples live once they have tied the knot?"
"Yes, I know that bit." Richard rolled his eyes and shuffled slightly in his seat. He leant forward and lowered his voice. "They can't exactly come back to the village, knowing how her father would react."
"I suppose you have a point there," Audrey conceded. "Still, I suppose we'll have to wait and see what happens won't we?"
Meanwhile, as this conversation was taking place, an elderly man was sat at the bar quietly nursing his pint, occasionally striking up a conversation with the other patrons around him. At present, there was a lapse in the conversations he wanted to join in and so he sat listening to them instead.
It was a tradition that Old Ned had upheld religiously. He would come into the pub at around lunchtime, when it was busiest, and rest his aching feet for a while, catching up on the local gossip as he did. However today, he'd found that only a handful of regulars where there, and most of those occupying the pub were not even locals, but rather city folk that were just passing through, who viewed the locals as nothing more than a novelty and showed little interest in engaging in conversation.
As he continued to sit there, he was sure he heard the voice of Mrs fforbes-Hamilton. In fact, he was positive that it was her sharp, crisp tone that was resonating from the booth behind him. He was even more surprised to hear the voice of her companion, which belonged to one Mr Devere. Intrigued, he tried to listen in to what they were saying, however his position, as well as the noise surrounding him, prevented him from hearing the whole conversation.
There something about canoodling behind the village hall, but most of the pair's words were lost to him. His eyebrows shot up and he nearly choked on his ale as he heard what came next.
"You don't mean…"
"Eloping." Audrey confirmed.
'What,' he thought as they continued to discuss what a scandal it would be. 'Mrs fforbes and Mr Devere eloping? I wouldn't have thought Mrs fforbes would care very much for Gretna Green.'
"Then what about living arrangements?"
Ned shifted uncomfortably on his stool. If there was one thing he didn't want to think about, it was the post-nuptial arrangements of Mr, and apparently soon to be Mrs, Devere. There was another hushed portion of conversation before Mrs fforbes-Hamilton's voice rang out clear.
"I suppose you have a point there. Still, I suppose we'll have to wait and see what happens won't we?"
"Are you sure though?"
"I've never been more certain of anything in my life."
He listened as the two exited the booth, naturally Mr Devere insisted on paying which Mrs fforbes half-heartedly protested, and calmly left the tavern together, completely oblivious that their conversation had been heard by any other ears but theirs.
Oh, and heard it had been. Quickly, he drained the last of his drink and hobbled out of the front of the pub. He would never have believed it, even now was struggling to, had he not heard it first-hand. Mrs fforbes and Mr Devere tying the knot. And in secret no less.
Well he'd always known that there was something going on there.
"Hello Ned." Mrs Patterson said as he past her.
"Oh, hello Mrs Patterson," he replied, stopping beside her. "And how are you this morning."
"Well I can't complain. Shop's been on the slow side this morning so I thought I'd run a few errands while I had time to myself." She fixed Ned with a hard look, and jerked her head towards the street. "Here, was that Mrs fforbes-Hamilton I saw with Mr Devere just now? I saw 'em coming out the pub together and get into his car." She chuckled lightly and nudged his shoulder. "'Ere, maybe they're finally starting to get on with each other."
"I should say that's very likely, Mrs Patterson." He said with an important expression he saved for the juiciest bits of gossip. "You'll never guess what I heard them talking about in the pub..."
"I hear he proposed to her some time ago and they've been keeping it quite. Planning to run away and get married. I wonder if they'll both move back into the manor after the wedding?"
Audrey had been getting odd looks all week. First she'd noticed them when she attended church service on Sunday and had seen, out of the corner of her eye, that people seemed to be looking directly at her and whispering in hushed tones. Occasionally they would openly point at her and gesture between her and Richard.
He seemed to be getting odd looks as well. It was all very mysterious.
When she had questioned Richard about it, he simply shrugged his shoulders and said although he'd noticed, he wasn't too concerned. "There always seems to be a rumour circulating about me," he said, looking pointedly at her.
She didn't notice this however. He may be used to it but she certainately wasn't. The odd looks eventually transformed into mischievous smirks and little winks and nudges.
And when she'd said good morning to the Rector, and he'd simply trounced off in a huff muttering something about 'the church not being good enough for her', well then she really was convinced that she was the only sane one left.
"They've been at it for ages. Ever since that party Mrs fforbes-Hamilton threw when she got back from her holiday. Snuck off for a bit of hanky panky, if you know what I mean. Anywhere they can. Why, I hear Brabinger's caught them several times. Not that he'd ever admit it, respectable chap like that…"
He'd simply thought that she was overreacting. After all, it wasn't unlike Audrey to put two and two together and come up with sixty-five. Her storming up to the manor with the dreaded phrase "I hear…" was evidence enough of this; however this time he believed that she was on to something.
At first he'd simply shrugged it off. After all, he was used to being the subject of local gossip, but he was beginning to realise that this was not the usual 'he's tearing down the local wood to make way for a new supermarket' rumour. No, this was something more personal and, for once, nothing to do with his supposed 'shady' business dealings, though what it was he didn't have the faintest clue.
It did have something to do with Audrey though, that much he was sure of.
"She's pregnant you know; with his child. No wonder they're not announcing it, they'd lose all respectability. I'd like to know how they'll explain that one away. He may be a successful businessman, but it won't wash with me, oh no."
Marjory had always been one to know the latest gossip that was circulating around Grantleigh. She was in a unique position where she was seen as an ordinary villager who others could confide the latest rumour to, and also the best friend of the great Lady of the Manor, so knew the gossip circulating about the landed gentry, and so many would come to her to hear all about the latest goings on up at the big house. Of course, that had changed somewhat in the last few years, however she still was quite knowledgeable on all the comings and goings.
Despite this, she felt somewhat in the dark about the latest rumour that seemed to be circulating. She knew that it had something to do with Richard and, if Audrey's ranting had been anything to go by, Audrey as well, though she couldn't find out for the life of her what it was.
It wasn't until one morning, when she was in the village shop, that she eventually found out what all the fuss was about. She had entered, the cheerful little bell announcing her arrival, to find the Rector and Mrs Patterson whispering in hushed tones.
"Good morning," she said cheerfully to the pair, reaching into her basket to locate her shopping list.
Both the Rector and Mrs Patterson looked at the woman as though she held the answer to all their problems. Mrs Patterson quickly jerked her head towards Marjory, gesturing frantically to the Rector with her eyebrows, who was rapidly shaking his head at her. Eventually, the old woman huffed with irritation and turned to address Marjory.
"You'll be able to tell us; what's wrong with the church then?"
"I'm sorry," Marjory replied absentmindedly. Triumphantly, she produced the illusive shopping list from the basket. Now then, two pints of milk, butter…
The Rector huffed with irritation. "I mean Mr Devere has always been so generous to our church's cause. And Mrs fforbes-Hamilton? She has always valued tradition so much that I struggle to believe that she would abandon it now, especially for something so important."
"It's probably the hormones," Mrs Patterson supplied, shaking her head ruefully. "Makes a woman all over the place, they do."
Wrinkling his nose slightly in distance, the Rector tried not to think about Mrs Patterson or her experience with hormones. He turned back to Marjory, "Well, is it?"
"Is it what?" Marjory asked, well and truly lost on this conversation.
"The hormones?"
Marjory blinked, her cheerful smile wavering in her confusion. "Hormones?"
"Yes, you know dear," Mrs Patterson said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "The hormones."
For a moment Marjory could only stand and stare at the two elders, unsure if when she'd entered the shop she'd actually stepped into one of those cartoons, were everyone talked funny and nobody made any sense. She decided that perhaps the pair had become slightly confused in their aging state, and decided that she would humour them, speaking slowly in the hope that one of them might begin to make sense. "What hormones?"
"Well I for one say that I'm not surprised," Mrs Patterson turned back to the Rector, completely ignoring Marjory's question. "It was only a matter of time before she set her cap at him. Well, good luck to him with that one, he'll certainly have his work cut out with her."
The Rector nodded in agreement. "Yes, eloping would suggest a more dubious motive." He shared a look with the older shopkeeper, who made a gesture with her hand, outlining a bump over her stomach.
Marjory's ears pricked up at this, as she bounced slightly with excitement. "Someone from the village is eloping?" She gushed with delight, her eyes lighting up. "Oh how exciting, how romantic. Who is it? Do tell."
Again the Rector and Mrs Patterson shared a glance. "You mean, you don't know?" The Rector asked in surprise.
"Poor dear," Mrs Patterson said, patting the younger woman's hand in sympathy. "Leaving you in the dark as well, I for one think that their behaviour is disgraceful. Carrying on like that, no regard for anyone else, I hope that they've at least had the decency to tell his mother."
"Well we can't just assume that they haven't told anyone," the Rector added. "They must have at least told someone otherwise we wouldn't all know about it."
"Who?" Marjory was practically chomping at the bit.
"Why, Mr Devere and Mrs fforbes, of course."
Marjory gawped at the elderly woman, unable to speak for a moment as she allowed the statement to sink in. Of course, it all made sense now. The pointed stares, the winks and nudges that were driving Audrey up the wall. They all thought that…
"You mean, you think that Audrey and Richard are eloping?" She whispered faintly, nails digging into her palms.
"We don't think, dear." Mrs Patterson gave her another overly sympathetic smile.
"Well, we don't know for definite," the Rector added. "However it would seem that everyone in the village has somehow got the idea that Mr Devere and Mrs fforbes-Hamilton are eloping to Gretna Green."
"It's true," Mrs Patterson huffed, puffing out her chest. "Old Ned even heard them talking about it the other day. And they're going to have be quick about it before she starts showing, if you know what I mean." Again she made a gesture to her stomach, this time for Marjory's benefit.
This struck a chord with the Rector, as he appeared to have a moment of enlightenment. "Of course, that could explain why she felt that she could not get married in the house of God, if she were…" he trailed of as the pair began to contemplate this thought.
"Oh dear," Marjory whispered, furiously worrying her lip. She wasn't sure what to make of it, whether or not she felt jealous that it was Audrey that had been so readily paired with the handsome businessman, or amused by the absurdity of it all. However there was one thing that she was certain of.
Audrey was not going to be happy when she found out.
"It's all about the manor, isn't it? She's always wanted that place, and hasn't hid the fact that she intends to get it back. Well that's it then, isn't it? She's blackmailing him so he'll have to marry her and she can regain control. The poor man…"
"Marjory, would you be kind enough to tell me what is going on?"
"I don't know what you're talking about Aud," Marjory replied, trying very hard not to look at Audrey and biting her lip to prevent the laughter that bubbled in her throat from bursting past her lips.
"You know perfectly well what I mean." Audrey's patience had all but run out. "I want to know what this rumour about me entails."
"What makes you think that there is a rumour about you?" A slight giggle managed to break free from between the seams of Marjory's lips. The scowl on Audrey's face told Marjory that she did not find this anywhere near as amusing as she did. "Marjory," Audrey's clipped tone was cutting. "If I hear one more person ask me, when I'm due, am I sure it's his, what are we planning afterwards, are we going to wait, or even tell me I'm not showing then I shall scream. What is going on?"
"All right," Marjory couldn't hold it in anymore. She was desperate to tell her. "It appears that someone got the impression that you and Richard were somehow, romantically, involved and that you were planning to elope together to Gretna Green."
"Richard and I?"
"Yes."
"They think that we are eloping?"
"Yes."
"To Gretna Green?"
"Yes."
"And can I hazard a guess they think I'm pregnant too?"
"Yes."
"With Richard's child?"
"In most versions, yes."
"But to Gretna Green." Audrey wrinkled her nose in disgust and slumped back in her chair, prodding at the arm in frustration. "Why of all places would they think that I would get married there?"
"Well they did think it a bit unusual at the time," Marjory brightly admitted. "But you know how things get when there's an interesting bit of gossip going round."
Audrey continued to think, a small wrinkle appearing as she furrowed her brows. "Yes but why would they think of…" She trailed off, her face losing all colour as her eyes widened with realisation. "Oh my God…"
"He's blackmailing her. No doubt got some dirt on her past, those blue-bloods always have skeletons tucked away in some dark corner. Probably looking for a stable footing in respectable English society, and well, the old girl's got more respectability in these parts than anyone else I know. Lives for traditions…"
"Bedrich, why did you not tell me?" Mrs Maria Polouvicka swept into the room with grandeur, wagging a crooked finger at her son in disapproval.
"Tell you what mother?" Richard sighed with exasperation. No matter how many times he told her, she still refused to listen when he asked her not to disturb him during business hours.
"All this time I have been trying to tell the two of you, and know I found out that you have already done it, and without even telling me." She cried tragically. She glared at him with irritation. "There is a saying in old Czechoslovakia; those who have a secretive start will have a public end. Be very careful how you proceed, my boy!"
Richard lent forward and observed the elderly woman before him as though she had grown a second head. "What are you talking about?"
"You and Audrey."
"What about me and Audrey."
She spread her arms out in a wide sweeping gesture. "Why, you are engaged." She then muttered miserably, "And you didn't even think to tell your poor mother."
"The reason I didn't tell you, mother, is because it isn't true." He replied, stunned, after recovering from his initial shock.
"It isn't?" She sounded, if possible, even more miserable than before. "Why not?"
"Because neither of us has ever said anything about getting married."
"I have told you before Bedrich that she is the one for you," Mrs Pou returned to reproaching her son. "If only you would listen and ask her…"
"Oh not now mother, please." Richard snapped feeling slightly irritated. "Where did you hear that Audrey and I were getting married?"
"In the village shop. Everyone is talking about it, saying that you are planning to elope." Then she added, "we have a perfectly good church here you know."
"Yes, thank you mother."
She looked at him suspiciously. "Well then if that is not true then I hope the other rumour is not true either."
"What other rumour."
"That you are having to marry her because you…" She hesitated.
"Because I what?"
"Because you…got her…into trouble."
"Pregnant?" He blanched. "I can assure you that no such thing happened." He arose from behind his desk and grabbed his jacket, making his way towards the door.
"I am glad to hear it. I have raised you better than to act so carelessly. Where are you going?" She cried when she noticed Richard making his way out of the room.
"To see Audrey," he replied tightly. "She's been avoiding me for the past few days and now I know why." And with that he was gone from the room.
Sighing, the old woman raised her hands in defeat, glancing upwards. "Is it so much to ask that one day it will be true?"
"It was all very shady. I heard they were having an affair back when Marton was alive, whilst they were both still married. Had a love child no less and it was locked in the attic to keep it all hush hush. Some say that the child's still locked in the attic to this very day…"
"Hello, Audrey."
Her head snapped up at the sound of someone entering through the French windows, which led out onto the small patio area. When she saw who it was, Audrey wasn't sure whether she felt relieved or worried. "Oh, Richard," she gasped, straightening up in her seat, clasping the magazine that she had been reading tightly in her now clammy hands.
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" He flashed her one of his most charming smiles, hovering just outside the door.
She swallowed. "No, not at all."
"Good. May I come in?"
"By all means." She gestured to the chair opposite her with a slight wave of her hand and he entered, taking a seat where she had gestured. She watched as he sat down, pulling the up material at the front of his trousers as he did. There was a moment of silence again, before Audrey decided to speak. "Was there something you wanted?"
"I came to see how you were, actually," he said, his eyes fixed on her face. "I haven't seen you about recently."
"W-well I've just been so busy," the slight stutter at the start of her sentence was so minute that anyone would have been forgiven for missing it. However, Richard wasn't just anyone, and by now he prided himself on being able to read his neighbour's moods with considerable accuracy.
"Oh yes, of course all your charity work must keep you very tied up."
"Quite."
Richard lent forward, smoothing his moustache as he tried to suppress a smile. "You've been avoiding me."
"Nonsense." She shuffled in her chair. "Like I said, I've just been very busy recently."
He hummed, raising his eyebrow. "Too busy to visit the father of your child?"
Audrey blanched, choking on her own tongue. "I beg your pardon," she managed to gasp once she had recovered herself.
"I can't imagine what people would say if they found out that you were ignoring your fiancé."
Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open, faint lines forming and disappearing between her brows as she tried to comprehend what he had just said. Finally she sighed, a slight smile forming on her lips as she glanced downwards. "So you've heard then?"
"About what?" Richard couldn't resist teasing her, secretly enjoying the glare she sent in his direction. "Oh, you mean the rumour that seems to be making its way around the village that you and I are meant to be eloping to Gretna Green after I 'got you into trouble'?"
"Yes. That," she replied, scowling as he began to chuckle. "This is no laughing matter, Richard."
"I'm sorry," he said, not at all sounding it. "But you must admit the whole thing is quite amusing. I just don't understand why you've been avoiding me?" He suddenly looked at her curiously, his eyes still twinkling. "Unless of course…"
"I most certainly did not," she snapped, truly scandalized. "What a thing to suggest, that I would lower myself to even considering starting such a…"
"Oh alright," he conceded. "That is a bit farfetched." Another chuckle escaped him.
"You don't seem bothered by this in the slightest," Audrey shook her head, baffled at how this man could find amusement in such a malicious rumour.
"Oh I wouldn't say that." His smirk did nothing to dampen her irritation.
"Richard, they are accusing us of having…carnal knowledge of one another."
He laughed even more at this, flashing that charming smile at her again. "Well we both know that isn't true." He softened his voice to a murmur as he spoke again. "I'd like to think that I'd have some recollection if that were the case."
In all the years he'd known her, he could safely say that he had only seen Audrey embarrassed on a handful of occasions, and even then she had coolly recovered herself. Rarely, had he ever seen her blush and as he watched the light pink hue stain her cheeks, and creep down her neck, he couldn't help but feel slightly awed. It was very becoming on her.
"It doesn't matter whether it is true or not," she huffed, trying to ignore her flushed face. "All we need to do is be in the same room together for people to think that we're going at it like wild animals!"
He was about to make a remark, however paused as realisation suddenly hit him. "So that's why you've been avoiding me."
Another blush appeared with feverous rigor. "I had thought," she began hesitantly. "That if there was some distance between us, that people would realise that there was nothing going on and that the rumour would eventually die a natural death as the gossip moved on to other subjects."
Richard found himself nodding, understanding her logic even though he didn't quite agree with it. "I see."
"Well what would you suggest we do?" Audrey eventually cried in frustration, her nerves having about as much as they could take.
"Nothing," Richard replied, calmly leaning back.
"Nothing?"
"What does it matter what other people think," he shrugged. "There's always a rumour of some description going around about this place. And it's not the first time that you and I have been accused of this."
Audrey didn't need to be reminded of the night she had thrown a party after returning from her 'holiday', where Richard had shown her the badgers that he and Marjory had been trying to see all that week. "Well you may be used to it, but I-…"
Richard felt some sympathy for the woman as she cut herself of. He could clearly see the frustration and hurt that she must be feeling, as she refused to look at him. Whilst he had got off lightly, with wolf whistles and laddish nudges and winks, he wondered if perhaps Audrey hadn't been so lucky.
"Look, Audrey I'm sorry that this has upset you so much. If I'd known about it sooner I would have stopped it."
She turned to smile at him softly, a sign that at least she didn't blame him for the rumour's spread. "It's fine, Richard. If you had said anything it would likely have just added fuel to the fire, you know what people are like when they hear a juicy piece of gossip." She sighed and Richard felt a stab of anger, not at her, but at those that had caused her such misery. Whilst Richard considered himself a strong man, being a self-made businessman he had to be, he knew that he had a few chinks and weakness in his armour, and was beginning to realise that one of those concerned Audrey fforbes-Hamilton.
"If anyone has said-"
"Oh, Lord no, nothing like that," she replied, breezily. "Only the usual wink and nudge sort of thing." This was a lie. There had been one or two unsavoury comments made about her character, about his as well, however there was no point in giving those remarks the wasted energy needed to utter them.
By the look he gave her, however, she could tell that he was not completely sold on this lie. "But what I don't understand is how the rumour started in the first place." To his knowledge they hadn't done anything that would cause people to think that they were having an affair. Of course they had shared a chaste kiss on the cheek last New Year's, however so had many others. Hell, even poor Brabinger had become entangled in the vice grip of Mrs Patterson in her inebriated state.
"Us," Audrey replied, pressing her lips together as she looked down at her lap.
"I'm sorry?"
She couldn't help but smile at his bewildered expression. "They got the idea from us, or rather I should say they thought the idea was about us." Again, he looked at her in confusion and so she decided to put him out of his misery. "Do you remember when we had lunch the other week, in the village? We were talking about local gossip, and I said that the butcher's boy and gamekeeper's daughter-…"
"…Were going to get married by eloping to Gretna Green." Richard finished, realisation finally dawning. "Someone must have overheard us and thought that we were talking about ourselves."
"Yes, and I don't suppose we'll ever know who that person is." Audrey peered at Richard again "Of course we still haven't decided what we're going to do."
"There isn't really much we can do apart from wait for it to die on its own," Richard said.
"And supposing it doesn't?"
Richard chuckled lightly. "Well, I'm sure that they'll begin to realise in a few months when there's still no baby." Again, she shot him a look, however he was relieved to see that there was some trace of humour in it. Abruptly, he got up from his seat and moved to stand beside her. "Come on," he said, determinedly.
"Where are we going?" Audrey asked, leaning back slightly so that she could look up into his face.
"Locking ourselves away is hardly going to solve anything. So, how would you like to have lunch with me? In the village?"
Audrey raised her eyebrow sceptically at him, however still arose to stand beside him. "And that's going to convince people that there is nothing going on between us?"
"Probably not," Richard shrugged. "However, avoiding each other like the plague is hardly going to convince people otherwise, so I think if we go about our day-to-day lives as normal, eventually people will get bored and move on."
"And us having lunch together is showing a normal 'day-to-day'?"
Again he looked at her in that way that made her breathes shorten, and her stomach flutter. "I'd call it more of a pleasant advantage from the current situation."
Feeling more carefree than she had in days, she laughed and allowed herself to be led outside, neither of them commenting on the way his hand was resting gently against the small of her back.
"I saw them together, last week, having lunch in the pub. Well you know what, I say good on them. So what if they are keeping it secret? They're not hurting anyone, and I say it's they're business, and not ours."
It had been a few weeks since they had spoken about the rumour, and Audrey was quite pleased to say that things had indeed eventually died down, especially since new events overshadowed them, and proved to be more irresistible than speculation of what was going on up at the manor.
"Yes, I heard earlier this morning," Richard said, having popped into the Lodge on his way home from the village to return some papers for the parish minutes he'd had to sign. "I saw them in the shop and they told me themselves. Sometime next March I think they were planning for."
They were stood in front of the fireplace, unconsciously close to one another. As it turned out, it was a day for celebration as it had just been announced that the butcher's son and the gamekeeper's daughter were to be married in the parish church, and surprisingly with the blessing of both of their fathers.
"I'm glad they decided to announce it," Audrey agreed, then sent a pointed look towards Richard. "And it rather spares us from being the subject of anymore idle gossip."
Richard hummed in agreement, before adding, "For the time being anyway."
Audrey chuckled, shaking her head. "Fancy them thinking that we were secretly conducting an affair." Now that she was no longer the subject of conversation, she could see the more amusing side to some of the more outlandish rumours that had been circulating.
"Yes, I must admit some of the stories were a bit farfetched, even for Grantleigh."
"And some people even thought that we were already married," she added in bewilderment. "Can you imagine that?"
"Oh, I don't know." Richard said, turning to look at her. "I can think of worse people to spend the rest of your life with."
At that moment, Audrey turned her head to look at him and they both realised just how close that they were. Propriety would dictate that they should move back to a more respectable distance, however neither of them felt compelled to do so. Audrey then realised that their heads had slowly been inching closer and closer, his lips so close to hers that they were practically sharing the same breath. She tilted her head up to meet his lips and then, finally…
"Excuse me madam." They both sprang apart as though they had been burned. Audrey turned to see her elderly butler entering through the door, and felt a desire to snap at the man, which she quickly squashed.
"What is it, Brabinger?" She tried to keep her tone light however, judging by the considerable scowl on Richard's face, she could tell that he was just as annoyed by the interruption as she was.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, madam, however that was the Manor. They just telephoned to inform that there is a telephone call for Mr Devere, from one of Cavendish's suppliers. They informed him that you were currently out, however he was quite insistent that he speak to you immediately."
"It's alright, Brabinger," Richard sighed, briefly glancing down at Audrey. "Tell them that I'll be right over."
"Of course, sir." With that, Brabinger bowed and left the room once again.
Once the butler had departed, Audrey turned to Richard, attempting to smile at him. "Business calls."
"Yes," he said remorsefully.
"Well, thank you for dropping of those papers," she said after a pause, gesturing to the long forgotten stack of sheets of the coffee table. Knowing that there was no way to delay it any longer, she began to make her way to show him out of the front door, however was halted by the feather light touch of his fingers on her elbow.
"It's alright," he murmured, gesturing to the French windows. "I'll slip out the back way."
They both slowly made their way to the doors, as Richard turned to look at her once again. "Goodbye, Audrey."
She gave him a soft smile. "Goodbye, Richard." And then he was gone. For a while she stood there, leant against the doorframe with her arms crossed in front of her, watching his retreating figure. She couldn't help but wonder what might have happened if Brabinger hadn't entered when he did, if they hadn't been interrupted. Would he have kissed her? Would she have kissed him back? She knew that in that moment she had wanted to, still wanted to if she was being completely honest with herself, but what would have happened afterwards?
Shaking her head, she headed back into the sitting room, deciding that it was best not to dwell on such matters. After all, she was convinced that by now she knew the answer to those questions. She sat down and silently picked up a magazine, and began thumbing her way through the pages. Her mind turned back to the young couple, whose secret relationship had started this whole fiasco. A few weeks ago she would have bet money that there would have been no way that they would be able to have a publicly accepted relationship. Now however, it gave her hope for her own future. And Richard's too.
It may have not been their time yet, however she hoped that there would be a moment in the not too distant future where they would not be interrupted.