Too Close to the Sun (33 page)

‘Anyway,’ Mrs Spencer turned back to Grace, ‘ – I didn’t ask you come here just to hear me go on about my painting. I had another reason.’ She paused. ‘You left Sophie at work, did you?’

‘She’s doing some arithmetic. Simple addition and subtraction.’

‘Well done.’ She gestured towards a wicker chair standing nearby. ‘Please sit down. I won’t keep you long.’

Grace sat, and Mrs Spencer sat in the old grandfather chair, the one that Grace had sat in for her portrait.

‘Now …’ Mrs Spencer said, ‘as I said to you just now, I didn’t drag you out of your lesson with Sophie merely to ask your opinions on my painting. The reason I asked you is because I’ve just been having a little chat to Mr Fairman, and he’s asked me if it will be possible for you to go to his house and teach Sophie once he’s moved in.’

‘Well – yes, I suppose so.’

‘Good. He’s going to speak to you about it when he comes back to collect her this afternoon, but I thought I’d mention it to you first. He says he also would like your assistance in another way.’

‘Oh?’

‘He would like you to help, so I understand, in the placement of all the ornaments and pictures and such things in the house.’

‘But – but why me?’

‘He says he wants someone with an artistic eye. Going by what Mr Spencer tells me, Mr Fairman’s wife would have revelled in it. An artistic woman, by all accounts. But, Grace, you don’t have to do it. I merely told him that as far as I was concerned you would be perfectly free to help out. But of course you’re not obliged to.’

Grace would so much rather she had not been asked. But how could she refuse? What reason could she give?

‘If you’d rather not,’ Mrs Spencer said. ‘If you have some reason not to, then it’s better you say so.’

A pause, then Grace said, ‘If there’s some way I can help Sophie and Mr Fairman then I’m happy to do so. So long as it’s perfectly all right with you.’

Mrs Spencer smiled and gave a little nod. ‘Yes, of course. Thank you, my dear. Mr Fairman will be very pleased.’

It was not easy for Grace to concentrate on Sophie’s lessons after the meeting with Mrs Spencer, and she was a little anxious when the time came for Sophie’s lessons to come to an end.

She was so attuned to the sounds of Mr Fairman’s arrival that she could not have missed hearing them. First came the sound of the horse-drawn carriage on the forecourt and then the ring at the front doorbell.

‘It’s Papa,’ Sophie said. ‘He’s a little early this afternoon.’

When Sophie was dressed in her light cape and hat, Grace escorted her to the stairs. There was no longer any point in trying to avoid Mr Fairman. She had already agreed to help him at his new home, so she must face him and get used to the situation. And she comforted herself with the knowledge that it wouldn’t be for much longer, for once they had settled into the new house Sophie would be enrolled in school and would no longer have need of a governess.

As she and Sophie walked down the stairs Mr Fairman
turned from looking at a painting on the wall and started towards them. He met them at the foot of the staircase, his hand coming out towards Grace in greeting.

‘Ah, Miss Harper, how nice to see you again. It’s been some days.’

‘How do you do, sir.’

Mr Fairman turned to address his daughter. ‘Sophie,’ he said, ‘would you be a good girl and sit here in the hall for a few minutes while I have a private word with Miss Harper? We shan’t be long.’ He gestured to a bench beneath the window. ‘Sit over there, if you will.’

Obediently Sophie moved to the bench and sat down, hands clasped in front of her. Mr Fairman turned to Grace. ‘Miss Harper, could we go somewhere and talk for a minute?’ Then without waiting for an answer he added, ‘I’d suggest we walked outside, but you’re not dressed for it and the day is not overly warm. What about the conservatory? I’m sure Mrs Spencer wouldn’t object if we went in there for a while.’

‘We can go outside,’ she said, drawing her shawl more closely about her shoulders. ‘I shan’t be cold.’

He smiled. ‘As you wish.’

Grace moved to a hook beside the door and took down the front door key that hung there. Fairman moved to the front door, opened it, then said to Sophie, ‘I’ll come back for you in a minute.’

Grace stood on the gravel while he closed the front door behind them. He was right, she thought, the day was not warm, and she pulled her shawl more closely about her. He came to her side and they set off slowly over the gravel, walking along on the forecourt with the house on their left. After they had moved just a few paces, Grace said, ‘Mrs Spencer’s already spoken to me about your moving. I told her I’d be happy to help in any way if I can.’

‘Oh,’ he said in a tone of disappointment, ‘I didn’t want
the request to come from her. I wanted to speak to you myself.’

‘It’s quite all right. There’s no harm done. She was thinking of me.’

‘And quite right too. I didn’t know what to do for the best. I approached Mrs Spencer first as I didn’t want her to think me presumptuous. After all, you’re here to help her, not me and Sophie. I’m already deeply in your debt, what with all the lessons you’re giving Sophie. So much so that I don’t know how I can ever repay you.’

‘It’s nothing,’ she said. ‘Sophie is an excellent pupil, and if I can help her with her learning then I’m happy to do it.’

‘Even so …’ He paused. ‘So – so you’re agreeable to coming over to Birchwood House to help us out a little, once our things are moved in?’

‘Yes. Though I’m sure I don’t know how much use I can possibly be.’

‘Oh, you can be a great help,’ he said, ‘a great help, make no mistake about that. We have so many things – paintings, sculptures, lamps, so many
objets d’art
. And it’ll be so useful to have another pair of eyes when it comes to the placing of the various bits and pieces.’

‘Well, as I said, if there’s any way I can help, I’ll be only too glad to.’

They had reached the end of the house, and they came to a halt, standing on the gravel, a few feet away from one another.

Mr Fairman said, ‘Our furniture and effects are to be delivered next Friday. The painters will be gone by then, and all the carpets will be down. I should think the following Monday would be a good time to begin putting the things in order. What do you think about Monday? Could you come then? Would that be convenient?’

‘Yes, I should think that would be all right.’

‘I thought perhaps Sophie could have her lessons during
the day as well. She’ll get bored with nothing to do, so if she’s set some of her school tasks she can get on with them while we try to get the place in order. Sophie’s nurse will be there too, so she can help us out in various ways as well. I would guess it’ll take about a week. But you help out just as long as it suits you. I’ll send a fly to meet you at the station each morning, and take you back again at the end of the day.’

Grace nodded. ‘Yes. That sounds fine.’

They stood in silence. Then, increasingly conscious of their proximity, Grace made a move to turn and start back towards the house. At once Mr Fairman said, ‘Don’t go – not for a moment.’

Grace stayed. After a second he said, ‘Why have you been avoiding me?’

She could not bring herself to speak.

‘You have,’ he said. ‘I’m sure you have. Ever since the day when we saw you at the market you’ve avoided me. I bring Sophie here for her lessons and you’re nowhere to be seen. Neither when I arrive nor when I depart. Why is that? It’s not as it used to be. Why? Is it coincidence? Or have I done something to offend you?’

‘No, not at all,’ she said.

‘I’m glad to hear that, at least. But then, why have you been avoiding me?’

Now she remained silent. In fact, had she spoken and tried to speak the truth she would not have had much of an answer to give him. For she was still so much in the dark. All she was primarily aware of was a sense of turmoil, almost familiar now – and all connected with him. And somehow Miss Lewin was there in the picture too.

A sharp, keen wind came around the side of the house, ruffling Fairman’s hair and blowing at Grace’s skirts. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘it’s too cold to stay out here,’ and he put his hand under her elbow in a gentle urging to move away.
She needed no second such gesture. Side by side they made their way back to the front door where Grace let them back in with the key.

‘So,’ he said to Sophie as they entered the hall, ‘Miss Harper’s going to come over to Birchwood and help us with our moving. Isn’t that splendid?’

When, nine days later, Grace arrived at Birchwood House she found it newly papered and painted and the carpets and furniture in place. After setting Sophie some school-work to complete at a little table in one corner of the drawing room, Grace set about helping Mr Fairman in the task of arranging the various artefacts that still remained packed away. They had help in the shape of Sophie’s nurse Nancy, a young maid from the village, and a general carpenter-cum-handyman. Other than a number of larger paintings, most of the items were still stored in several tea chests. As the time passed, the paintings were hung on the walls and the artefacts were taken out of their wrappings. Newly dusted, and polished where necessary, the clocks, the lamps, the ornaments, the silver, the glass and the china were set out in their newly chosen places.

At the end of the afternoon Grace was sent back to the station in a cab. She was glad to see the end of the working day, finding herself somewhat exhausted from having been on her feet for so many hours.

She was back again the following morning, and the task was resumed. And so it went on for four days when, on Thursday afternoon, Mr Fairman pronounced the work finished.

The house looked complete now. Grace had rarely known such coming and going: the seemingly endless round of unpacking, dusting and polishing and then finding the right sites for the various items, whether the item in question was a porcelain statuette or a pan for the
kitchen. Sometimes it took more consideration and several tries before the right home could be found for a particular piece, but in the end everything had been found a place.

And Grace would have had to admit that she had more or less enjoyed the experience, though she had still, at times, found herself less than easy in the company of Mr Fairman. She could not have explained why, but she was only aware that she was more at ease with him when others were present, such as the maid or the nurse, and she did not feel – as she sometimes did – the unaccustomed focus of his concentration.

She ate lunch each day with him and Sophie, sitting in the dining room, the three of them, and served by Emma the new maid. And there were moments at such times when they laughed together. Mr Fairman would relate some anecdote that would set Sophie giggling and before long Grace would be brought into the laughter, unable to resist.

While there on one occasion Mr Fairman spoke again of finding a school for Sophie, and although Sophie protested, saying that she was very happy having Miss Harper as a governess, and would like to continue to do so, it was pointed out by her father that such a situation could not continue. Miss Harper, he made clear, was teaching her only as a special favour, and would soon have to return to her main task, the help and support of her employer, Mrs Spencer.

When Grace set off back to Asterleigh at the end of that Thursday, she found that although she was glad that the task was finally finished, she was also sorry that her time at the house had come to an end.

On arriving at Asterleigh late that afternoon, she thanked the cab driver and made her way round to the rear of the house. Billy came to her from the stables as she walked across the yard. He had been helping Mr Johnson with the
horses, he said, and then asked whether she would be going back to Mr Fairman’s house the next day. No, she told him; her work at the house was finished; tomorrow Sophie would be coming back to resume her lessons at Asterleigh.

She left Billy to his work then and went into the house. As she drew level with the kitchen door she saw Mrs Sandiston at work at the table. The cook looked across the room and greeted her, going on to say that Mr Spencer was back.

As she moved towards the rear stairs Jane came from the front of the house. Grace wished her a good evening and Jane returned the greeting, though in a rather half-hearted manner. Briefly Grace wondered at the girl’s coolness, but then Jane was saying:

‘I’ve just come from Mrs Spencer, miss. She was asking me if you were back yet.’

‘Do you know what she wants me for?’

‘No, I don’t, miss. She’s up in her sewing room.’

Grace went on by and into the hall and along the passage to where the sewing room was situated. There she tapped on the door and a moment later heard Mrs Spencer’s voice calling to her to enter. She went in and found her mistress sitting by the hearth. There was a small fire burning in the grate.

As Grace moved across the room, Mrs Spencer said, ‘Hello, Grace, I was just asking Jane if you were back from Upper Callow yet.’

‘I just saw her. She said you were asking for me.’

Mrs Spencer pulled her shawl more closely about her shoulders. ‘Look at me, Grace,’ she said, ‘ – a beautiful May day with fine weather and here I am sitting by the fire. I just can’t seem to get warm these days. Did you just get in?’

‘Just a minute ago. Can I do something for you, ma’am?’

‘Yes, you can. Mr Spencer’s back, did you know?’

‘Cook just told me as I came in.’

‘He got back this afternoon. I wanted to ask you if you’d mind doing my hair for me tonight. Would you mind?’

‘Of course not. I’d be glad to. What time d’you want me?’

‘Say in an hour? About half past six – quarter to seven?’

‘In your room?’

‘Yes, in my room.’

‘I’ll be there.’

Grace let herself out, moved along the landing and started down the stairs. Only a few steps down and she heard her name called from above her. Looking up, she saw Mr Spencer looking down from the gallery on the top floor.

‘Grace,’ he said, smiling, ‘how nice to see you.’

‘Good evening, sir,’ she said.

‘You’ve been out all day, is that so?’