Chapter TwoStrangely enough, the Earl did not leave the next day or the day after that.
Minerva had expected to hear that everyone in The Castle had left.
Instead rumours came back from the village of wild parties and of gentlemen who rode at what seemed impossibly high jumps after dinner.
A number of other things were also whispered about by the older women.
And Minerva tried not to listen.
At the same time she could not help feeling insatiably curious.
Then, unexpectedly, she received a note from Tony, which was carried to her by a young groom riding one of the Earl’s superb horses.
She opened it a little apprehensively.
Tony had written,
“The Earl is obsessed by The Castle and asks me a thousand questions that I cannot answer. Please send back by this groom, whom I hope I can t
