Chapter Four: The Bird
As I return to the main stem of the house, I run into Mrs. Catria, the housekeeper. I decide not to ask her about the end room, as clearly if she had known of residency there she would have been having the room made and heated by one of the servants, and it was not. Also, the location of the room, at very east of the house, past all the rooms unused, suggesting someone living there in secret. I nod and smile at her as she bustles past, into another room. I feel have seen enough living rooms today, I take to my own room, and prepare for dinner. Through the window, I can see the front lawns of the house, and Lord and Lady d'Narley cantering up the driveway, both dressed in full riding costume. I observe them for a moment, they do look the health of happiness, and full devoted to one another. At this I feel rather lonely. I remember Katrina, some four years ago, and Lady d'Narley since then. I have had chance for love, and been turned away twice. I feel the time has come to settle down, I am nearing forty years and would long for a wife, a companion, someone to stand by me, and someone I would stand by myself. Someone I could support, and love.
There is a knock on the door.
"Come in," I invite. Maisy opens the door. She curtsies.
"Dinner is served sir," she informs me.
"Thank you, I will be down in a moment," I reply. She begins to close the door. "Maisy," I call out to her. She stops, and looks at me. "The east wing of the house, to your knowledge it is all living rooms?" I ask.
"Ye sir. The master has the covered in the winter so we do not heat unused rooms. Very clever thought, sir, do you not think?"
"Yes," I reply, "Very time and finance saving. Thank you." Maisy smiles, curtsies again, adjusts the maids cap on her head, and leaves the room.
If the servants do not know of the room, then it must be the master, Lord d'Narley himself, or Lady d'Narley, who have knowledge of the occupier of it. However, due to its obvious secrecy I will not bring its existence into conversation as of yet. I will check upon its occupancy every day, to see if the room is neat or bed slept in, and maybe discover its resident. But this I somehow do not think will happen.
Dinner was grand, Mrs. Caddeston again had done herself proud and the spread was delectable. Lord d'Narley asked me what I had learnt from the servants speak.
"Nothing of great interest, I think, my Lord. Only that you were absent on the day, and Natty had assisted you with something the previous day. May I ask what?" I ask, politely. The Lord is still for a moment, as if trying to remember.
"Yes, there had been a bird in the chimney of the Blue Room, our chimney-sweep was not due to serve the house for at least a month, and I was too large built to help the poor thing myself. Natty had exactly the right figure for the job," he explains.
"And the bird?" Lady d'Narley asks after its welfare.
"Perfectly unharmed in the process of building a nest in the chimney, we released it in the rear garden," Lord d'Narley says. Lady d'Narley sighs a sigh of relief.
After we had finished eating, Lord d'Narley rises and invites me to the billiard room for a cigar and round of billiards. I accept, asking just for a moment to my room, which he grants. I leave the dining room and ascend the stairs to my bedroom, where I take the small notebook I had for questioning and note down the story of the bird. I hear a knock on the door.
"Enter," I say blandly, assuming a servant had come to stoke the fire as it was slowly dying. But it was not a servant. Lady d'Narley entered the room.
"My Lady," I address her. "Are you in need of anything?" She is quiet for a moment, hands clasped together in front of her. She looks directly at me.
"You didn't believe that bird story, did you?"