Free Gunpowder Plot by Carola Dunn Page A

silver, blue, and green sparks from the remaining rockets, would provide enough light to prevent his breaking a leg. She lost track of him as a brilliant rainbow followed the sun and showers. It faded in turn, leaving one small golden glow, which gradually grew tall and put forth branches. Green leaves appeared, followed by white blossom, then red fruit. As the tree faded, there was a round of applause.
    Down in the meadow, flames flickered around the base of the bonfire. Up on the terrace, everyone headed for the house.
    Babs and Gwen stood at the French doors, handing out sparklers to children and directing adults to the dining room, where the buffet supper was laid out. Daisy debated staying outside to watch the children, but her toes were frozen and she was famished. She stayed just long enough to see the bonfire blaze up below.
    Inside, maids were relieving people of their wraps. Daisy joined Miller and Mr. Gooch at the rear of the chattering crowd of fifty or sixty guests moving slowly into the dining room. Gooch asked the engineer about the motive power of rockets, but he hardly listened to Miller’s explanation. He seemed uneasy and kept looking about— for his wife, Daisy presumed.
    People started coming out of the dining room with piled plates. Most of them headed straight through the drawing room to the entrance hall, now warmer, with luck, as the front door had been closed for some time. The maids circulated with trays of drinks.
    Daisy and her escorts reached the dining room at last. Gwen and Addie were there, making sure everyone got what they wanted, aided, or perhaps hindered, by the tottery butler. Addie made a beeline for Daisy.
    “Do you know where Jack is, Daisy? And hasn’t Babs sent the children up to the nursery yet?”
    Gwen came over. “It’s your children she’s entertaining. Stop fussing!”
    “I don’t live here.” Addie pouted, and it was all too obvious where her boys had learnt their whine. “I’m a guest. I shouldn’t have to help like this.”
    “For pity’s sake, you’re family!”
    “I saw the children coming in,” Daisy reported, “so Babs will be here in a minute, I’m sure. Is there anything I can do?”
    “Certainly not!” said Gwen. “You really are a guest, and we’re nearly finished anyway. Here, take a plate. What would you like—”
    Jack burst into the room. “Addie, your little beasts pinched a dozen rockets! I’ve had enough. They’re going to get a leathering they’ll remember for a long time.”
    “You always blame Reggie and Adrian for everything! They’ve been with me every moment.”
    “Oh no they haven’t,” announced Babs, coming in.
    Daisy, Miller, and Gooch edged away from what was rapidly deteriorating into a full-fledged family row. The half a dozen other guests still in the room finished filling their plates and departed in haste.
    Miller and Gooch looked as if they wanted to flee, but Daisy was far too hungry, and they were too polite to desert her. Gwen came over to them.
    “I’m so sorry.” She was very upset. “Please help yourselves and I’ll go and tell them to pipe down.”
    Miller reached for her hand. “Keep out of it,” he advised. “You’ll only make it worse, and if Sir Harold hears them, you’d be in for it with the rest. Come and have something to eat with us.”
    “He’s right, Gwen,” said Daisy. “Let them fight it out. These vol-au- vents look delicious. What’s in them?”
    They turned to the table. Daisy, at least, managed to concentrate on choosing among the many dishes, ignoring Jack’s and Addie’s raised voices punctuated by Babs’s acerbic comments. When those voices suddenly fell silent, however, she turned with the others.
    Lady Tyndall had come in. White-faced, exhausted, she laid her hand on Jack’s arm and said in a failing voice, “One of our guests told me you’re having words. My dears, this is no time to quarrel.”
    “Sorry, Mother,” said Babs. “I’ll go and make sure