The Body on the Beach (The Weymouth Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF Page B

than my son.’
    Mr Berkeley was paying her the respect of listening intently to her story and perhaps it was this that had encouraged Kathryn to say so much. The circumstance of their meeting – the intimacy necessarily and almost instantly acquired as a result of this – and the comfort provided by the gentle lapping of the sea behind them had perhaps lulled her into articulating what should, had the situation been a more usual one, most definitely have remained unsaid. Perhaps they both realised this, for instead of asking further questions regarding her obvious regrets about her marriages, Mr Berkeley decided to return to safer ground and pick up on the issue of her birthday instead.
    ‘So you say your birthday is in April? My sister, Jane’s, birthday is in April as well – on the 27 th . She will, if my memory serves me correctly, be three and twenty this time – she is a little less than seven years my junior.’
    ‘How strange – then we are not too far apart. Mine is on the 24 th , and we must have been born in the self same year, for I shall be three and twenty this time as well. It must have been a good year for babies, Mr Berkeley – and certainly a lot better than the one a few years previous to it – the one in which you yourself were born!’
    ‘I am mortified that you should even think such a thing, Mrs Miller – let alone suggest it. May I tell you that 1775 was a particularly good year for babies – particularly male ones - and most particularly for those born in the Weymouth area. You shall have to ask my sister, when you meet her. I am sure she would endorse my view, if you were only to press her hard enough.’
    It was perhaps this conversation which finally suggested to Mr Berkeley that it might be advisable to contact his sister to assure her of his safe arrival at Preston. That this had no t occurred to him before was apparently due to the fact that his own plans for returning to Belvoir had remained quite uncertain, so that his sister was unaware of the exact date on which she should expect him. But scarcely had they returned to the house than he made his request for materials and asked, most politely, whether perhaps Tom might be prevailed upon to deliver a letter to High Street – a letter in which he requested her to arrange a carriage and pair from Belvoir, together with a selection of the clothing that she should find there awaiting his return, in order to fetch him home the following week. This the obliging Tom instantly agreed to do the following day (particularly as this was a Saturday and his errand would provide the perfect excuse to part with some of his money in the company of many of the locals in his favourite Black Dog hotel).
    At one time Friday evenings had traditionally been celebrated by music and dancing in the kitchen at Sandsford House. This tradition had fallen by the wayside since Giles’ arrival there as he was not especially fond of music or dancing and preferred to keep Kathryn to himsel f in the parlour rather than sit in the kitchen with Sally, Tom and Bob . But now that Giles was safely up in Town Kathryn felt able to indulge in one of her favourite past-times once again . So, his letter now written, she somewhat diffidently suggested that Mr Berkeley might like to join them in the kitchen to hear Tom upon his flageolet – a suggestion to which Mr Berkeley acceded with some alacrity.
    Kathryn’s intention had been merely to listen to Tom and maybe sing along to the music for a while. However, it quickly became apparent that Mr Berkeley and Sally had other ideas, for no sooner had Tom launched into an enthusiastic (if not altogether technically correct) rendition of his favourite country dances than they were up on their feet and dancing together around the broad kitchen table. After this it proved impossible to keep Bob quietly upon his stool. Up he rose, too, dragging his not totally unwilling mama to her feet and requiring her to join in the fun. Round