108. An Archangel Called Ivan by Barbara Cartland Page A

alive, there used to be people coming in for luncheon, inspecting the horses and admiring the garden. Where have they all gone to? They cannot all be dead!”
    Arliva knew the answer to this one was that they found the old man, who was clearly almost in his dotage, too dull to bother about.
    Then she said,
    “I hope you will not mind, my Lord, if I ask other boys and girls in the neighbourhood to come to luncheon or tea. Then to ride or swim with your grandchildren.”
    “If you can find them, you ask them,” he replied. “Where are you thinking of swimming?”
    “In the lake of course,” Arliva answered. “I believe it will be fun for them to learn to swim and also good for their health. We can also hold a large party with lots of balloons.”
    “Ideas! Ideas!” Lord Wilson said. “It’s always the same. Women come here with ideas, then before they have even put them into operation they leave. Too lonely here, they tell me. What do they expect, an Army of soldiers to amuse them?”
    Arliva laughed.
    “I expect it is what some of them expect these days, but I am sure that there are many people in this part of the world who would love to come to see this beautiful house, admire your pictures and, of course, your superb library.”“Books I am too old to read,” he remarked sharply.
    Arliva realised that if he had trouble with his eyes, it was a sore point.
    “I have some ideas that I hope you will approve of, my Lord,” Arliva said. “If they provide companions for your grandchildren, I am sure that it will make them very happy.”
    There was a pause and then, as he did not speak, she went on,
    “Thank you so much for saying I can arrange things as I want them to be, my Lord. I don’t think you will be disappointed with the result.”
    The old man did not answer and she turned towards the door.
    “Thank you, my Lord,” she said, “and I hope that I will be able to do all that I have suggested.”
    She did not wait for him to answer, but went from the room closing the door quietly behind her.
    At least he had not prevented her in any way from putting into action the plan she had at the moment, which she thought it would be a mistake to talk about until it was in full swing.
    *
    She spent the time before supper playing the piano in the music room.
    She suggested that the children should sing some of the songs that were popular in London. They enjoyed them and she made a mental note that she must buy more songs for them.
    When the children had gone up to bed, she asked Evans,
    “Where is the nearest town?”
    “Now you’re asking,” Evans replied. “There be two, but they’re each about the same distance from here.”
    “Which one has the best shops?” she enquired.
    He laughed.
    “And you should add to that, ‘which are the most expensive’.”
    “We will go to one of them tomorrow morning,” she announced, “as I have some items I want to buy that I am sure will be of interest to the children.”
    “When I heard them singing this evening,” Evans said, “it were like the old days. Their father and mother, when they first married, would often sing duets together.”
    He paused before he continued,
    “Every few weeks we’d have an orchestra to play after the dinner parties and there’d be dancing. Ah, them were the days. I had three footmen under me then and I can assure you they were all busy.”
    “I am certain they were,” Arliva said. “And I am positive that, if my plans work out as I hope, you will need them again.”
    “That’ll be the day!” Evans exclaimed.
    “You wait and see. Anyway don’t forget that we want a carriage at nine-thirty tomorrow morning to take us to the town.”
    She knew that Evans was longing to ask her more questions as to what she wanted to buy.
    She slipped away upstairs feeling that, if her plan worked, it would be very exciting. But if it did not, they would all laugh at her.
    She looked into the girls’ room and saw that the twins were both fast