heart surgery and can’t take care of Lowri this time.’
Hester looked thoughtful as she helped herself to salad. ‘Does Lowri like boarding school?’
‘She took to it like a duck to water, thank God. Now,’ he added briskly, ‘down to business.’
Connah Carey Jones made his requirements very plain. Without letting his daughter feel she was being watched every minute of the day, Lowri’s safety was to be Hester’s main concern.
‘Sam will drive you to the park, or into town for shopping. This last, by the way, is urgent. Lowri needs new clothes. She’s growing rapidly, particularly her feet. But you can leave school shoes until the end of the holiday,’ he added, with an unexpected touch of economy.
‘I shall do my best for her,’ she assured him.
He nodded briskly. ‘I feel sure you will, Miss Ward. In this household, by the way, we’re all on first name terms. Are you happy with that?’
‘Of course.’
‘Good.’ He smiled briefly. ‘I hope you enjoy your stay with us. Feel free to ask me for anything you need.’ He looked up as Sam appeared with a coffee tray. ‘Hester has agreed to work with us during Lowri’s school holiday, Sam. I’ve put your many and varied services at her disposal.’
‘Right you are.’ Sam gave Hester a friendly smile and set the tray down in front of her. ‘I live in the basement flat, so I’m always on hand.’
‘Thank you.’ Hester smiled at him warmly. ‘I’ll depend on you to show me the ropes.’
‘You can run Hester home later, Sam,’ said Connah. ‘I’ll give you a call when she’s ready.’ He leaned back, relaxed, as Hester dealt with the coffee. ‘This is pleasant. I should eat out here more often.’
‘Does Lowri share your evening meal, or should I make supper earlier for her?’
‘When I’m home we eat together, to make the most of each other’s company. But I’ll let you know in good time if I can’t make it.’
‘Thank you.’ She smiled. ‘It would also help if you could give me an idea of Lowri’s tastes. At her age I was a bit picky.’
He shrugged. ‘Lowri will coax for fast food because the school doesn’t allow it. Indulge her now and again as a treat, but otherwise just make sure she keeps to a balanced diet. Sam normally shops online, but Lowri might enjoy looking round a supermarket. Choose what you want, pay in cash, and Sam will carry the bags. And right now he’ll give you a tour of the house before you leave.’ Connah downed his coffee and got up. ‘I collect Lowri on Friday, Hester. Are you free to start on Monday morning?’
‘Yes. What time shall I come?’
‘About eight-thirty. Unfortunately I need to be in London afterwards for a day or two so I’m throwing you in at the deep end. But Sam has my contact numbers.’
‘Mr Carey Jones—’
‘Connah,’ he reminded her.
‘I just wanted to ask after your mother.’
‘She had a triple heart bypass and her convalescence is worryingly slow. When I fetch Lowri we’ll spend time with her before coming back here.’ He glanced at his watch and collected his jacket. ‘I must be off.’
‘Thank you for lunch,’ said Hester, as they went back into the house.
‘My pleasure.’ He beckoned as Sam appeared. ‘Show Hester round, then drive her wherever she wants to go. I’ll see you on Monday, Hester. All right, John,’ he said, resigned, as his assistant opened the study door. ‘Put your whip away, I’m coming.’
‘If you’re ready, Hester, we’ll start at the bottom with my quarters and work up,’ Sam suggested.
She followed him down a short flight of stairs to a compact, orderly basement flat. His sitting room doubled as an office, with electronic equipment to screen visitors, and the control panels of a very complicated alarm system.
‘Connah’s very hot on security,’ he explained.
‘So I gather. Have you worked for him long?’
‘Since I left the military. The lower stairs lead to a cellar Connah converted into a double garage,’ Sam added as he led her up to the ground floor into a kitchen with tall sash windows and a door that opened on to the back patio. ‘My quarters used to be the kitchen and scullery, and this was the original dining room,’ he explained. ‘The old butler’s pantry leads off it—very handy for the freezer and washing machine and so on.’
‘Very nice indeed,’ she commented. The large kitchen was fitted with every modern appliance possible, including a state-of-the-art electric range. ‘You’ll have to give me a teach-in on that before I start producing meals.’
Sam chuckled. ‘If I get a share in the result sometimes, no problem. I’m a dab hand with a potato peeler.’
‘I’ll remember that!’ They went up to the next floor and passed by the closed study door to enter a drawing room furnished with the emphasis on comfort and lit by the multi-paned windows typical of Regency architecture. The adjoining dining room was more formal and painted an authentic shade of pale green Hester found cold. The master bedroom on the next floor was part of a suite with a bathroom, dressing room and guest room, Sam informed Hester as they passed by on the way to the top floor.
‘You’re up here, next to Lowri,’ he said, leading the way to two adjoining bedrooms, each with a small bathroom and a view over the trees in the square to the hills encircling the town. ‘You wouldn’t think so now, but these were the attics at one time. Suit you all right?’ added Sam.
Hester nodded, impressed. ‘But how is it so cool up here on a hot day like this?’
‘Air-conditioning.’
Sam’s phone rang as they went downstairs. ‘Right you are, Connah. Coming down now. He wants to see you again before you go, Hester,’ he added.
Connah looked up as she put her head round the study door. ‘Come in and sit down. Is your room satisfactory?’
‘Very much so.’
‘Good.’ He consulted a list. ‘Next on the agenda, time off. You’re free to go out some evenings when I’m home, Sundays are your own, also the occasional Saturday from noon onwards. You’ll have to ring the doorbell to gain entry, but Sam will either be with you or waiting for you, so it’s not a problem.’ He paused, as though gauging her reaction. ‘Or is it?’
‘Of course not,’ said Hester, though it was, a little. ‘Otherwise I’d need the code for your impressive security system.’
‘Other than myself, only Sam knows that.’
‘Not even Mr Austin?’
‘No. John’s London based so he isn’t here very much, but when he is he rings the bell.’ He paused, giving her a very direct look. ‘One last point. In your application you say you’re single but precisely how single are you?’
