While the mysterious visitor was becoming acquainted with Lady Catherine, Jay was being reminded how fearsome his master could be when in a bad mood. He had caused offence in so many different ways it was difficult to know which was going to be the most serious. Making a mess of the introduction was merely the last straw, but what could he do? The girl said her name was Rosie Wilson, and if he had said that, everyone would have burst out laughing. But to introduce her merely as Rosie made her seem like a servant, someone who had only one name. So he had stumbled and invented. So be it. He’d done his best; it was not as if he had time to prepare and besides, the welcome given them had been so unexpected he felt quite proud he had managed to say anything. He’d expected to be thrown into jail; instead they had been progressed through so many levels of greeting — six for himself, the number a scholar might expect, and Rosie was getting even more. Actually to go into the house — that was the sort of thing that only the greatest might expect.
Henary led him into a small room with a chair and a desk and closed the door.
‘Well,’ he said. ‘Where should I begin?’
Jay shook his head and opened his mouth to reply, but Henary held up his hand to silence him.
‘Just for once, Jay...’ he said.
Henary rested his head in his hands. ‘You really seem quite incapable of doing anything you are told. I cannot tell you how distressed I am that I am unable to punish you over the matter.’
Jay peered at him carefully.
‘The Lady of Willdon has prepared a great festival to mark the fifth anniversary of her accession, part of which will now also be to honour the guest you discovered. As the first person to encounter her, you will continue as her escort for the occasion. Please do not smile, speak or show any sign of pleasure, or you will provoke me beyond endurance.’
Jay sat completely immobile.
‘When we get back to Ossenfud I will have dreamed up a punishment which will be time-consuming, difficult and acutely unpleasant for you. Until then, I propose to say no more on the matter, although I trust you will do me the honour of not thinking that I am so addled that I will forget something which will be as satisfying to me as it will be miserable for you.’
Jay, who could not believe his good fortune and could not understand it either, nodded mutely.
‘Now, you have a few hours to prepare yourself, so you will go, bathe and dress in clothes which do not bring disgrace either on East College or on me.’
‘But Master...’
‘Well done. Well done indeed. I believe you have kept quiet for nearly two minutes. That must be a record. If you wish to speak, you can answer questions instead, not ask them. This girl. Her name is Rosalind?’
‘Yes.’
‘Where does she come from? Who is she?’
‘I don’t know. She talked a little about herself, but I couldn’t make sense of it. We didn’t have much time. She said she wanted to go home, and kept talking about a light which wasn’t there any more.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘She just said a light,’ Jay replied helplessly.
‘A light? In the woods?’
‘That wasn’t there.’
‘Are you — or is she — playing some sort of elaborate joke?’
‘Believe me, I would not dare at the moment.’
‘A credible answer.’
‘As for her — I don’t know. I don’t think so. She seemed very worried, and annoyed. You should ask her. She was very willing to answer the few questions I put to her. I just didn’t understand the answers.’
‘I will certainly do so. Meanwhile she must be treated with the utmost care.’
‘Why?’ A question. Henary raised an eyebrow.
‘Because, young man, she may well be the key to knowledge of immense importance. We must not frighten her and must not lose her. Your job — and the reason your punishment is to be postponed temporarily — is to make sure my wishes in this matter are respected. You know her already. Did she like you?’
Jay blushed.
‘Perhaps she did. Perhaps she trusts you. You must live up to that trust. Watch over her carefully.’
‘If she has to be protected and kept from others, why display her at a festival?’
‘The festival, not a festival. The grand ceremony to confirm the rule of the domain holder. The etiquette is complicated and precise. Believe me, I would keep her locked away if I could, safe from prying eyes. If that is understood, you may go and prepare yourself, and I will go and meet your fairy.’
‘Ah! Henary,’ Catherine said, turning as the door opened. ‘How was that?’
‘Most enjoyable,’ Henary said with a smile.
‘Good. Now, you two know each other already, so there is no need to go through that. Henary has asked to speak with you alone for a while. I trust that is acceptable?’
‘Um... yes. Why not?’ Rosie said. ‘As long as you haven’t been mean to Jay. If you have, I won’t say a word to you.’
Henary appeared to find this answer highly pleasing. He rubbed his hands together in satisfaction. ‘We are the very best of friends,’ he assured her. ‘All his limbs and bodily organs are exactly where they should be, and I have packed him off for a long bath.’
‘That’s all right, then. What do you want to know?’ she asked. Catherine nodded to them both and slipped quietly out of the room.
‘Well,’ Henary replied, as he gestured for her to sit, waited until she had done so, then sat himself, ‘I would like you to answer a question. How do you speak so well?’
Rosie did her best. ‘Mummy tried sending me to elocution lessons, because she thinks ladies should speak properly, and of course we have to recite poetry at school, you know. I never win, but I do well enough.’
‘So you are a scholar?’
‘A what? Oh, a scholar, I suppose you mean.’ She was perplexed by the way he pronounced the word for a moment. ‘Oh! No. Everyone knows I’m not clever enough for that. Are you a foreigner? I suppose that explains why you talk so oddly.’
‘I’ve always been told my enunciation of the values of the speech is perfect,’ he said stiffly. ‘Skoo-LAIR. Short, then long, emphasis on the second syllable.’
‘It isn’t said like that,’ Rosie said. ‘It’s SKOL-ur. Short o, emphasis on the first. Hard ch.’ She looked at him suspiciously. ‘Are you French?’
The conversation was not going as Henary intended. He walked to a large box in the corner and brought out a manuscript, which he lovingly removed from its protective casing. ‘Would you come over here, please?’ Rosie obediently did as he asked. ‘Now tell me, can you read this?’
She reached out to take it, but Henary grabbed her hand. ‘Careful!’
He was so obviously and genuinely alarmed that Rosie instantly apologised, although she could not see what she was really meant to be apologising for. She craned her neck and peered over his arm.
‘What is it?’
‘A fragment from a document I have been working on for many years.’
‘I’ll give it a whirl. “In the autumn of his life,”’ she read swiftly, ‘“Esilio gathered all his followers, and spoke. ‘My friends, my journey is at an end. You must continue without me, knowing that for you, also, an end is near. This place belongs to all men, all women equal. I will see you no more, until we meet again at the end of time.’ The old man lay down his head and died. He was an hundred and twenty, yet his eye was not dim, nor his force abated.” Well,’ Rosie said, looking up at the reverent face of Henary, ‘that’s a bit odd. All women equal? His eye not dim? It should be “all women equally” and “eye not dimmed”. It must have been written down in a real hurry.’
She noticed to her very great surprise that Henary was looking at her with disbelief. ‘What’s the matter?’