Whispering Echoes - Maya Chandel (best books to read non fiction .txt) 📗

Their visit had been quite short-lived, indeed they surely could not have been there above an hour, and yet it had felt like quite an eternity such had been the long and uncomfortable silences. Still at least the duty was now over; it would have been deemed most impolite after all if they had not returned Mrs Ellis’ call. That she had done so only out of the obligations of polite etiquette herself was now quite apparent and indeed in hindsight Kitty rather thought it had been a blessing for both parties that they had not been at home yesterday to receive her.

If Kitty had thought Agnes Ellis to be rather an odd sort of woman from her first impression of her that day in Truro, today’s visit had only served to confirm it. Of course superficially her manner and appearance were all that were to be expected from a lady of her background and social standing. She was the very epitome of the Lady of the Manor; her every move a study in the art of grace and elegance as she played out her role of hostess as though she had been born to it. Yet that it had but all been an act could not have been more apparent.

Beneath her simpering smiles, Kitty had not detected an ounce of warmth; indeed she had the impression that behind that façade was rather a cold and hard woman. Kitty supposed she was the sort for whom appearance and the respect of society was everything. Indeed most of her conversation had revolved around her grand hopes for Michael, whom as it most unlikely transpired, had graduated with a First-class Honours in Law from Cambridge. From the way she spoke anything less than him becoming Justice of the Supreme Court was likely to be deemed a disappointment. As for Letty, it was quite clear that she had grandest of ambitions for her future marriage. Indeed it would seem that the poor girl was the main subject for whom the grand upcoming garden party was being held. Of course at no point in the conversation had any reference been made to the source of the wealth that would fund the party or the exquisite dress that was being designed as they spoke in Paris for Letty. It was only through Aunt Elizabeth’s knowledge of the family that Kitty had learned that the Ellis’ had owned one of the county’s largest China Clay mines for nearly over a century now.

Yet it was not any of that which had deemed Agnes so strange; Kitty rather supposed there were any number of ladies in the country whose conversations would run in exactly the same vein. It had been something else. Perhaps it had rather been of what she did not speak; the subject she seemed desperate to avoid at all lengths even when Aunt Elizabeth had made any number of approaches to the topic of Theo and Evie and their past acquaintance. At first Kitty had assumed it was merely the pain of old memories that she wished to avoid; yet at every allusion to the past there had been a nervousness about her which seemed to belie something more. It was odd indeed.

‘Well I must say that visit did not pan quite as I had envisaged,’ said Mrs Allen as they made their way across the vast driveway. ‘Anyone would think she had hardly known Theo or Evie; that they had been merely the most distant of acquaintances. Why she acted as if she could barely recall any of those parties I ventured to speak of; and she hardly appeared to take much of an interest in you.’

‘Perhaps they were not as close as you thought Mama,’ offered Freddy.’

‘No but that is just it, they were.’

‘I suppose that may be her way of dealing with it then; some people just try to forget don’t they. Anyhow I won’t argue it was a disappointing morning; just my luck that Miss Ellis should not be at home,’ grumbled Freddy.

Though she rather supposed the call might have passed a little more agreeably if Letty had been present, Kitty was willing to forgo that pleasure if her presence had also meant Michael’s. The two had apparently gone on some sort of errand for their mother; which Kitty thought had served rather well since she did not at all care for his company.

She still had not forgiven his remarks from the other day, which it had to be confessed she had taken perhaps a little over-dramatically. The fact was that she was not entirely accustomed to gentlemen behaving so indifferently towards her, let alone picking fault. When compared to Oscar Bentford who positively fawned over her, it was only natural she should find it a little hard to accept that not every gentleman would find her so worthy of worship; and that Michael did not was perfectly apparent to her. Of course it did not help that she herself was rather attracted to him; on a purely physical level of course! She was quite sure she disliked him excessively as a person; indeed no-one could be more diverging from her ideal as a gentleman. Still that did not alter the fact that she always found herself feeling horribly flustered in his presence; though she rather prided herself that she did not at all reveal it. Now that truly would be unbearable!

Her thoughts as they were preoccupied with Michael Ellis, Kitty almost jumped in surprise as she heard her Aunt suddenly call out, ‘Mr Ellis, I thought it was you!’

Inwardly groaning she turned her head expecting to find herself facing Michael’s insufferably handsome countenance; such that she was surprised when she did not! The face before her she would hardly have described as handsome; though regarding the gentleman a little closer, Kitty knew that he had once been so. Indeed it was a face that struck very familiar with her, altered though it was now by the weary lines of time and the harsh abandonment of youth. The eyes had not changed though; indeed they were the same hazel eyes as Michael’s, although lacking the spark.

The gentleman, caught completely unawares, started in surprise and for a few moments merely stared in rather bewilderment, an odd look of displacement upon his face. Presently recovering himself, recognition dawned in his eyes, and Kitty could but marvel at the transformation that the sudden flicker of interest that had sparked within them had upon his whole persona.

‘Mrs Allen,’ he exclaimed. ‘What a surprise to see you!’

‘I take it Agnes forgot to mention that we were here,’ smiled Mrs Allen.

‘Yes apparently so; though really it is wonderful to see you again. It has been a long time.’

‘It has indeed.’

‘You must be Kitty?’ he said, his eyes resting upon her with a warm fondness. ‘You must have been that high when I saw you last. Permit me to say that I’m sure your parents would be glowing with pride if they could see you now.’

‘Thank you Mr Ellis,’ smiled Kitty.

‘I dare say you don’t remember me,’ he continued a little sadly.

‘Actually I rather think I do,’ said Kitty warmly, knowing somehow that she had always liked this gentleman.

He smiled at her before turning to ask the usual polite enquiries of Mrs Allen, though Kitty sensed a genuine interest behind them which had notably been lacking from his wife’s conversation. Presently learning of their plans to sell Rosevale, however, he appeared rather startled and turned to Kitty almost in alarm.

‘You cannot really mean to sell it?’ he asked, rather an urgency in his voice.

‘I…’ Kitty felt oddly guilty. ‘I think it should be rather selfish of me to keep it when I should spend very little time here in the future, if any at all. Far better for it to have a proper set of owners who shall be able to keep it properly.’

‘Owners to whom it would mean nothing more than any other house in the country,’ he replied a little abruptly. Recollecting himself he continued a little more calmly, ‘I apologise… I… of course Rosevale is yours to do as you wish with it. It is just that I know how much that house meant to your mother. A family legacy such as that is not something you should part with lightly.’

‘I shall bear it in mind.’

‘Yes well, I am sure you shall reach the right decision,’ he said with a weak smile as he bid them farewell and continued up the drive towards the house.

Kitty watched his progress, rendered rather slow by a marked limp in his right leg which he dragged behind him. Somehow he posed a rather sad figure.

‘Well I’m sure I’ve never seen a man so altered in all my life,’ exclaimed Mrs Allen once he was out of earshot. ‘Why Daniel Ellis used to cause heads to turn when he entered a room; I should know for mine was one of them.’

‘Mother!’

‘Oh it was just one of those silly little fancies one secretly harbours; all ladies are permitted them, even married ones, so long as they remain harmless of course,’ she said with a faint blush. ‘It was his charm more than anything; he had such an easy manner about him, such a way with words. I must say it is rather a sorry sight to see him as he is now; I wonder what could have happened to make him so?’

‘I’d wager it has something to do with that leg,’ said Freddy as he held open the Crossley’s door for them.

‘Mmm, the scars that war left. Oh and it was sad indeed to hear that both Agnes’ brothers had died in duty; and both of them unmarried, without any family. They have all obviously had their fair share of tragedy over the years too,’ sighed Mrs Allen as she stepped into the car.


Permitting Walcott to take his coat and hat as he entered the house, Daniel leaned with a heavy sigh against the banisters; his eyes closed tightly as though he were in physical pain.

‘Oh it is you,’ came Agnes’ disappointed voice from across the hallway. ‘I thought it was Letty and Michael returned.’

When her husband made no reply she merely drifted past him towards the stairs, pausing only to say, ‘Tell Letty to bring the lace up to me in my room when she returns. I have had rather an exhausting morning and think I shall take a lie down.’

‘Why did you not tell me that Kitty was returned to Rosevale?’

Agnes halted mid-way up the stairs, though she did not turn around to face him. ‘I did not think you cared for idle gossip, besides it slipped my mind. It might have escaped your notice but this garden party requires more of my attention with each passing day.’

He laughed as he replied, ‘How could the garden party possibly escape my notice?’

‘You would be surprised at what generally does,’ came Agnes’ dry reply as she continued up the stairs. Though as she did so she could not help but add, ‘You know she is selling it?’

‘She won’t sell it; she shall change her mind.’

‘I would not be so sure; she seems rather a sensible sort to me.’

Left alone, Daniel slowly wandered into the front sitting room; pouring himself a stiff glass of whiskey before drifting over to the window that overlooked the driveway. He generally preferred the quiet solitude of his study at the rear