“That’s fine by me. I’ll pay rent with pancakes.”
“I’d say you don’t have to, as you’re family—but I won’t turn down the offer of pancakes.” She sat at the end of the table and began to eat hers. He glanced at the jug of mix. “Are there any more?”
“As many as you can eat.”
“I have a big appetite.”
“I know. You’re a big man. I accounted for that.”
“A cook who can ski—is there anything you can’t do, Phaedra?”
“There’s lots I can’t do. I’m just showing off the things I can do.”
“I’m yet to believe it.”
“Let me endear myself further by making you another pancake.”
After breakfast Phaedra took a long, luxurious bath before walking with David and Rufus to the big house. They took a route through the woods, where the sunshine fell onto the track in glimmering puddles of light and the cheerful twittering of birds resounded in the branches of ancient oak and beech trees. A trio of roe deer leapt nimbly over the bracken and blackberry bushes, disappearing into the hazel, and Rufus gamely chased hares and pheasants out of the undergrowth. Phaedra was enchanted and smiled contentedly as she listened to David telling her about the farm and his childhood growing up on such a magnificent estate.
They emerged into the open countryside where fields of growing crops rustled in the breeze and climbed a small hill to where a classically proportioned stone folly stood alone and neglected amidst overgrown shrubs and piles of wind-blown brown leaves. From up there they could see the lake to the left and the chimneys of Fairfield Park, partially obscured by trees.
“Your home is very beautiful,” said Phaedra. “What’s this little house for? It’s adorable but so forlorn.” She let her gaze wander over the soft honey-colored walls and sensed a gentle tugging somewhere deep inside her, as if the building was whispering to her to step inside.
“It’s called a folly,” David informed her.
“Is it just ornamental?”
“Perhaps, or it was built as a teahouse,” said David. “I don’t really know.”
“A teahouse? All the way up here?”
“Yes, they used to build follies for afternoon tea.”
“Who are they?”
“I have no idea.”
“Have you ever asked?”
“No.”
She frowned. “It looks forgotten. But how could anyone forget such a magical little house?”
“We used to play in it as boys, but besides that, no one ever bothers with it. I agree with you, it’s very pretty.”
“It’s more than pretty. It’s warm and alluring. Don’t you feel the urge to go inside and curl up on a sofa? Perhaps there’s a fireplace in there? Look, there are chimneys. It must have been very special to someone once, because it’s beautifully designed and built with real care. I mean, the view is spectacular. If it were mine, I’d restore it to its former glory and sit up here to watch the sunsets. It’s very romantic.”
“Perhaps Amber will play in it when she’s a little bigger.”
“Oh, it’s more than a child’s playhouse. That’s a waste: I mean, a child wouldn’t appreciate it. It needs to be loved, David. Shame on you all for leaving it to the mercy of ivy and moss and Lord knows what else.” She sighed and ran a hand over one of the pillars holding up the pediment.
“I’d love to have grown up in a place like this. It’s full of enchantment,” she continued softly.
“Do you think so?”
“You have no idea because you know no different. This is straight out of Enid Blyton and C. S. Lewis.” She grinned. “I bet if you walk inside, you’ll enter a whole different world.”
“What world did you grow up in?” He looked at her quizzically.
“A concrete one. My mother didn’t much like the countryside. She said it was boring. She was very sociable, out all the time, full hair and makeup, always.”
“What did she do?”
“She didn’t do anything. Her father had brought her up to think she was a prize. Women like that don’t work; they find men to do that for them.” She smiled bashfully. “I left home at sixteen and went to work in Whistler. At last I was in the mountains: you know, high peaks and big skies and loads of climbing and skiing. I worked as a rep for a ski company. I loved it so much I stayed three years.”
“Why did you leave?”
“Well, you can’t live your whole life in a place like that. I got restless and wanted to see the world.”
“Is that when you learned to be a photographer?”