Alyona's Voice Read online

  ‘Yes, we met in the hall.’

  ‘I’ve never seen him make such a fuss. Everything’s got to be perfect, invitations, catering, flowers etcetera.’ She smiled and said, ‘I must go and get back to the children so Tony can leave. Will you be OK?’

  ‘Yes, there’s plenty I can do here.’

  Lizzy walked towards the double doors, turned back and pointed to the wall above the fireplace. ‘That sour-looking guy is Silas Franklyn.’ A dour-face, surrounded by a hefty gold leaf frame looked down. ‘The maintenance crew swear at him. I hope that won’t bother you.’

  Claudia was less bothered by Silas Franklyn’s face than she was by Fraser’s cold eyes. ‘Thanks for the warning, but I can cope.’

  Claudia strolled to the window and looked at the marquee. A sharp pain hauled itself from the past and gripped her heart when she put the clues together, invitations, catering, flowers, everything perfect. This was obviously Fraser’s wedding. It didn’t seem possible. Somebody, at last, had persuaded him to change his negative attitude towards matrimony. But then that particular person looked fantastic, even when she’d just rolled out of bed.

  Claudia had been a good friend to Fraser, but she had to deny that she was hopelessly in love with him. With practice, her ability to bluff in his presence became second nature. She wore her pretence like a theatrical costume, a motley for a fool with an aching heart.

  Once more she considered leaving but then gave herself a good talking to. It was just the shock of meeting the past, head on at the front door. It’ll pass. You could never have him. You were his friend, he needed that from you and nothing more. You got over him, so stay that way. Don’t hang around to see Natalie, looking fabulous, or Fraser in his morning suit and cravat. Just stay the hell out of it, wait until after the wedding, and then they’ll be off on a long, hot honeymoon in Tuscany. By the time they get back, you’ll be done here.

  A young man strutted into the banqueting room. He was dressed in jeans and a scant vest top that enhanced a body that could only be achieved by many hours of slog and sweat at the gym and a strict diet of chicken and broccoli. He was very good-looking and possessed an added layer of expensive grooming, tanning, trendy hairstyling and cosmetic dentistry.

  ‘Hi!’ he called, ‘I’m Todd.’

  ‘Claudia.’

  Todd moved closer, ‘I won’t shake hands, they’re grimy―mine that is. I’ve been in the attic, sorting out some old frames for Eliot.’

  ‘Eliot?’

  ‘Eliot Gallier, Tony’s cousin.’

  ‘Another cousin?’

  ‘Yes, they’re more like brothers though―very close. Eliot’s an architect, with a passion for rescuing dilapidated buildings. He’s overseeing the makeover, but he won’t be here until Wednesday.’

  ‘You work here?’

  Todd shrugged his toned shoulders and said, ‘It’s a temporary job—preparation work before the decorators move in. I’m doing that recess at the moment.’ He indicated to the end of the banqueting room. ‘Around there.’ Then his cheerful disposition dropped, along with his shoulders, and he groaned. ‘God, it’s so boring.’ He laboured on the word boring and made it last for several beats. ‘And all I’ve got for company is a bloody great picture of dead pheasants and rabbits―not very inspiring. Are you part of the interior design team?’

  ‘I’m a textile restorer. I’m here to help the knight get his head together.’

  ‘Textile restorer,’ Todd echoed, ‘I’ve never met one of those before.’ He struck a dramatic pose and said, ‘I’m an actor.’

  ‘Well, I’ve met plenty of those.’

  Todd was suddenly very interested. ‘Anybody we know?’

  ‘Not anymore. It was a long time ago.’

  Todd lost a little of his enthusiasm. ‘This job’s just to keep me ticking over until my career gets going.’ He beamed with pride and said, ‘Got my equity card now.’

  ‘Congratulations, that’s quite an achievement.’

  ‘Ain’t that the truth? I had to go on a gruelling tour to get it. Eight weeks in Turkey―gyrating in a white sailor suit. That is, in it and out of it. The only thing I didn’t fling on the floor was my hat.’

  Claudia laughed. ‘Well, you needed something to protect your dignity. So, now you can look for a job with more dialogue.’

  Todd rolled his eyes. ‘Looking is all I get to do. It’s a minefield. Got an audition tomorrow though, “Othello”, I’m reading for Iago. I’ll be late in.’ He performed a sweeping bow and delivered a dramatic quote, ‘We cannot all be masters. Nor all masters cannot be truly followed.’

  Claudia gave him a moment’s genteel applause. ‘Bravo! I’d give you a job.’

  ‘Yeah right!’ He made his exit into the recess.

  Todd’s friendly company, his hopes, ambitions and his obvious efforts to prepare for his career were so positive. Until recently, Claudia’s ambition burned brightly, but now Alyona and Zara’s amazing escape from St Petersburg, their work in Ballet Russes, along with Alyona’s passionate, controversial love for her English gentleman, were all still locked in the diaries. Writing the story was a dream that had now plummeted to the bottom of Claudia’s to-do list, and Alyona’s voice remained silent.

  *****

  Tony was driving. He looked ahead at the road as he said, ‘So, after today, we should have a better idea of how to pitch the conference. It’s fragile, but if we handle it carefully…’ He lifted his voice a little. ‘Fraser, are you listening to me?’

  Fraser turned his head. ‘Yes, I’m listening.’

  ‘It’s not apparent. What the hell’s the matter with you?’ Fraser’s mind was elsewhere, turning up memories. ‘It was a big surprise to see Claudia this morning―a shock even.’

  ‘You know her?’

  ‘Yes, in London. I haven’t seen her for nearly two years and suddenly out of the blue she turns up at Larchwood… incredible coincidence.’

  ‘Life’s full of those,’ Tony said. ‘But you seem to be more than just surprised. Is it going to be complicated, an ex in the house while Natalie’s there?’

  It seemed odd to Fraser to hear Claudia being referred to in that way. ‘She isn’t an ex. We were friends.’ He was silent for a few moments, his fingers drummed on the arm of the car seat. ‘Good friends, very special, but we lost touch.’

  ‘Well, as the cliché goes, that was bloody careless.’

  Fraser felt restless talking over this part of his past. He drew a long steadying breath. ‘She just faded away without a word. It was as if she was kidnapped and never came back. I missed her. God, how I missed her! It totally threw me off kilter. You think friends will always be there, don’t you?’

  ‘I suppose good friends expect that of each other. Did you look for her?’

  ‘Yes, as soon as…’ Another troubling memory crashed into his head, and he stopped talking. He was silent for a while and then continued to explain. ‘She moved house, her phone numbers were a dead end. Short of putting a PI onto it, there was no more I could do. I’d be arrested for stalking. I presumed she was in a relationship and moved on with her life.’

  ‘Without saying goodbye or explaining?’

  ‘That’s what grates. It doesn’t make sense.’

  ‘Couldn’t you ask her friends?’

  ‘I didn’t know her friends.’

  ‘So what did you know about her?’

  ‘Not much.’ His voice softened. ‘I knew her favourite Champagne―it’s the same as mine. She liked pine cones and absolutely loved daffodils.’

  ‘Cristal Champagne, pinecones and daffodils? If you knew so little about her, what was there to miss?’

  Fraser’s mouth twitched into a faint smile. ‘Her,’ he said softly. ‘I missed her. I wasn’t curious about who she was, I just liked to spend time with her.’

  Tony shook his head. He didn’t appear to sympathise. ‘When it suited you,’ he suggested, ‘but not all the time I suspect.’

  ‘I guess I’m guilty of tha
t. I needed her friendship, and I was gutted when it was gone.’

  ‘You never mentioned her before.’

  ‘Didn’t I?’

  Tony shook his head.

  Fraser discarded his nostalgic thoughts and prepared himself for a morning of business. ‘She made her choices. I just wish this had come at another time. I’ve got enough changes to deal with.’

  ‘Are you getting cold feet?’

  ‘Course not. I’m totally committed. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.’

  Chapter Three

  Fraser quietly closed the door of the guest suite and approached the staircase. He had no need of the bannisters because his feet had trodden these stairs many times. As a boy, staying during the holidays, he had occasionally found the shiny, polished oak too tempting and had managed to slide down to the hall before Tony’s grandfather, more generally known as Grandpa Franklyn, saw him.

  Fraser smiled at the memory and made his way to the kitchen, a place of comfort to the family. There was a wood burner set in the old fireplace. In Grandpa Franklyn’s day, it was an open fire where logs, from the estate, crackled and spat. When the flames died, and the embers glowed hot and red, it became a fine place for toasting bread, marshmallows, as well as drying socks and gloves after tobogganing and making snowmen. These were old-fashioned pastimes, because Grandpa Franklyn was old-fashioned, but they were fun and comforting and still held precious memories.

  The kitchen table―so big it could seat everybody no matter who turned up―was laid for breakfast. Fraser smiled at Stella, the family treasure, she had been at Larchwood as long as he could remember. She kept them in line when they were boys and still spoke her mind now they were grown up.

  ‘Morning, Stella,’ he said as he poured a glass of orange juice. ‘It’s very quiet, where is everybody?’

  ‘There’s a new baby elephant at the zoo. Tony and Lizzy have taken the children to see it.’

  Fraser drank down the juice in one go and then strolled over to the window. The sight of the marquee made him feel tense, this next move was going to change his life beyond recognition. It had to work, promises had been made, and he was determined to deliver. But what of the things beyond his control, the quirks of fate, the unexpected twists in life’s plot, such as finding Claudia on the doorstep yesterday? The situation was far too distracting. He was drawn to her, wanted her friendship back, yet he couldn’t find forgiveness in his heart for the way she just suddenly dropped out of his life.

  Stella called across the kitchen. ‘You’re like Tony, looking out of that window in the morning, as if the answer to everything was hovering over the lake.’

  ‘If only,’ Fraser said with his eyes fixed on the marquee. ‘What makes you think I’m looking for answers?’

  ‘Your fingers are drumming on the wood. You always had twitchy fingers when something was on your mind.’ She approached him and handed him a cup of coffee. ‘Why don’t you stop looking at the marquee, it only makes you edgy?’

  ‘It’s an important step, and it’s not just about me, is it? It’s a partnership. We have to make it work.’ He smiled. ‘That’s enough to make a guy’s fingers twitch at least.’

  ‘Tony asked if you’d look in on Claudia. Make sure she’s got what she needs. Eliot gets here tomorrow. He can take over then.’

  Fraser expelled a gentle laugh of affection. ‘He’s never as happy as when he’s working on this place.’

  Stella chuckled. ‘Even when he was just a boy, he was the house-builder, hedgehog shelters, bird boxes…’ she shook her head and smiled as if to enjoy the thought. ‘Tony was the inventor.’

  ‘And the patriarchal one,’ Fraser added.

  ‘Grandpa Franklyn used to say he was born to run Larchwood, and it was a pity he wouldn’t inherit it. I hope the old man can see him now.’ She opened the drawer at the end of the table, pulled out her daybook and took her reading glasses from her apron pocket. ‘Grace, bless her, tended your wounds and kept the peace between you.’ She looked at Fraser over her glasses. ‘But you…’

  Fraser raised his brow and stared at her. ‘What about me?’

  ‘You were the big mystery, couldn’t find a vocation that really inspired you.’

  Fraser frowned and shook his head. ‘I was more than happy to join Dad’s business.’

  Stella continued to talk even though she was writing in her daybook. ‘And you’ve made a huge success of it, but did you really want it? Or were you just being loyal?’ She glanced up from her task. ‘Are you in for dinner tonight?’

  ‘Yes, but not lunch.’ He looked at his watch. ‘What time is Claudia expected?’

  ‘She’s already here, had coffee with Lizzy. They’re soul mates already, talking about working together. You’d think they’d known each other for years. I suppose it’s because they have a common interest.’

  ‘They’re both good with people too. I guess they can fast track into friendships. Where is she staying?’

  ‘I understand that she’s got a place up on Heather Brow, by the farm.’

  ‘I’ll go and see if she needs anything.’

  ‘Be careful now, those shiny, brown eyes of hers would fetch the ducks off the lake.’

  ‘Then I’d better not look―had I? Maybe she’s got a jealous partner up there on Heather Brow.’

  *****

  Claudia was doing some stabilising work at the top of the tapestry. Todd was away at his audition, so she was alone. She could almost feel a pair of eyes on her back as she worked.

  ‘It’s no good glowering at me, Silas Franklyn,’ she called out. ‘I didn’t give the poor knight a hole in the head.’

  ‘You’re coming very close to making one in mine,’ Fraser called back from the doorway.

  Claudia’s body jerked in surprise. She automatically donned her old motley, it would still serve the same purpose and allow her to communicate with him unemotionally. ‘Fraser! Don’t creep up on me like that.’

  ‘What the hell are you doing up there?’

  ‘Up here needs fixing,’ Claudia answered and returned her attention to her work. ‘I have to stabilise it.’

  ‘Not on that contraption, you don’t.’ Frasers’s voice was sharp and authoritative.

  Claudia sighed, but she willed herself to keep her cool. Hang in there, Claudia, he’ll be gone by Saturday. She turned and looked down at him. ‘It’s not a contraption,’ she said evenly, ‘it’s a beautiful set of library steps.’

  ‘And when Queen Victoria was on the throne, it would have been a very suitable workstation―for a librarian. How on earth did you get it in here?’

  Claudia pointed her finger down to the floor. ‘It’s got wheels. That’s what it does, it moves from room to room so you can reach…high places.’

  ‘Don’t be sarcastic,’ Fraser chided.

  ‘Then don’t push my buttons when I’m trying to work,’ she returned. ‘This isn’t the Sistine Chapel, Fraser, I’m only a few feet off the floor.’

  ‘High enough to break your neck if you fall off it,’ he said. ‘Say nothing of the chances of stabbing yourself with that enormous needle you’re using. You can’t work pivoting on that.’

  ‘I can pivot on whatever I choose.’ Claudia’s tolerance was wearing thin. This was her job, and she wasn’t about to be told how to do it. ‘I have handrails on each side, very deep treads and a perfectly adequate platform. Apart from that, I’m here on a freelance basis, responsible for my own safety and insurance. But I’m not sure I’m covered for people who burst in and yell at me.’

  ‘I’d forgotten how sharp you can be,’ Fraser said. Then he softened his voice and held up his hands as if to accept responsibility for his action. ‘I apologise for the sudden intrusion, but will you please get off that thing?’

  Claudia suddenly felt a sense of power as she looked down at him. ‘Haven’t you ever used it?’

  ‘Yes, I have, when I was about six. And I was in big trouble.’

  ‘Claudia laughed a
s she pictured him, as a small boy, being ticked off. ’What am I, six? You got told off, so now you lay this learned behaviour on me?’ She noted Fraser’s clothes, smart, pale grey slacks and a fine black sweater. Such men might call it casual wear, but Claudia felt that it was way too expensive for chilling. It suggested that he would be going out with Natalie, possibly for a few hours. She was relieved, but Fraser stared at her as if to say that he wouldn’t leave until she had her feet on the floor. She sighed and stepped down, and he offered his hand to help her as if she couldn’t manage the last two steps. ‘So kind, Mr Knightley,’ she said, like a lady vacating a barouche.

  ‘You can be as cynical as you wish, but I still prefer to see your feet on these floorboards.’

  ‘I respect your concern, but I need this job, and I’m not likely to risk my neck?’ Claudia paused a moment and then spoke more formally. ‘Will you please report back to Tony that I’m preparing the tapestry, so it can be taken down without causing any more damage to it? Then the rest of the work will be done down here on a frame…nice and close to the floorboards.’

  ‘Frame?’

  ‘I’ve only done this kind of thing in a museum, and they had their own equipment. I’m trying to find out if I can hire one, but I’ve had no luck so far.’

  Fraser scowled, ‘Nobody expects you to do this alone, Claudia. You should say if you need anything. I’m sure Tony’s told you that already. What kind of frame are you talking about? Can you describe it?’

  Claudia went to her worktable. ‘Here, I’ll show you.’ She began to make a rough sketch to explain. It wasn’t easy, Fraser leaned so close to her as she worked. She didn’t love him, but he still had the same potent, sex appeal. Her hand was unsteady, she was afraid he would notice, but at least he couldn’t hear her inner voice begging her cheeks not to blush.

  ‘So you don’t want a solid top?’ Fraser said, peering at the drawing.

  ‘No. I need access through it.’

  Then Fraser seemed to understand. ‘Ah! I see now. You roll it onto one pole, complete a piece and then roll it on to the next part. Like a scroll.’