Sidney Chambers and The Shadow of Death (The Grantchester Mysteries)

of income that would allow him to dress as Frank Sinatra or that they had arranged to meet in the more comfortably raffish surroundings of Soho.
    He looked nonchalantly at a comely blonde singer with The Savoy Hotel Orpheans singing ‘I’m a Fool to Want You’ but loitered too long. Amanda pulled him away to a reserved corner and insisted they drink champagne cocktails. There was something she wanted to say, she told Sidney. She needed cheering up.
    ‘My father thinks that I am being too independent,’ Amanda began.
    ‘I thought you liked being independent?’
    ‘He also thinks, extraordinarily, Sidney, that you are not a good influence upon me. He said that I should stop seeing you. I refused point-blank of course. I told him that what he was saying was rot and that what’s been going on could have happened to anyone but it was hard to argue when he pointed out that, as a result of our friendship, I have been part of two criminal investigations, kidnapped and assaulted; all within the space of a single year.’
    ‘I agree that it does not look good.’
    ‘That is what he said.’
    ‘And what does he want you to do?’
    ‘Marry, of course.’
    ‘I see.’ Sidney knew that he had to be careful. ‘Do you have someone in mind?’ he asked.
    ‘There are always people around, but there is no one specific. It would be so much easier if I could marry you but we’ve agreed that I can’t possibly marry a clergyman.’
    ‘We have?’
    ‘You know that I would be absolutely hopeless as a clergy wife and I don’t want to ruin what we already have. You understand that. Don’t you?’
    ‘I do, Amanda. The only problem is that if you marry someone else things might change. Your husband might not like us seeing each other.’
    ‘I can sort that out. I am certainly not prepared to “obey” if that’s what you mean. And, by the way, if I ever do marry I obviously want you to take the service.’
    ‘Of course. Although I might find it rather difficult.’
    ‘You mean you would be jealous?’
    ‘I am afraid so.’
    Amanda thought for a moment. ‘And how do you think I will feel when you marry yourself?’
    ‘I don’t think that’s likely.’
    ‘I am not so sure about that. For all I know I could be in Germany next Christmas, sitting in the front row of a cold Lutheran church while you tie the knot with Mrs Staunton.’
    ‘How do you know about that?’
    ‘From Jennifer, then from Inspector Keating, and even from Leonard Graham. They all think something’s up. You never talk about her at all and that, my dear friend, is a bit of a give-away. I’ve also heard about the prominence of a piece of porcelain on your desk. I presume you correspond?’
    ‘We do.’
    ‘And do you have any plans to see her again?’
    ‘I don’t think she will return to Grantchester.’
    ‘But you might go to Germany?’
    ‘I would like to see her; that is true.’
    ‘Well, there you are then. I don’t know why you are worried about the possibility of my marrying when you might be doing so yourself.’
    ‘That is a very distant possibility.’
    ‘Then you admit it is a possibility?’
    ‘I still don’t think it’s likely. It’s certainly not as probable as you marrying one of your suitors. Who does your father have in mind?’
    ‘Eddie Harcourt.’
    ‘And who is he?’
    ‘An old Etonian. His father owns half of Somerset, and they have a large home in the centre of Bath. I think it may even be in the Royal Crescent. So the family have money and Eddie’s a decent enough sort but he’s awfully dull. I don’t think I could last more than ten minutes with him before running off with the nearest blacksmith.’
    ‘Do they have blacksmiths in Bath?’
    ‘I imagine so.’
    ‘And did you tell your father this?’
    ‘I did, as a matter of fact, and do you know, he was quite cross with me? “After all I’ve done for you,” he said, before going on and on for so long that I had to stop listening. The gist was that he didn’t want me to be a disappointment like my brother.’
    ‘He doesn’t approve of David?’
    ‘He’s furious with him. As you may remember, David ran off with a divorcee and now Daddy thinks he’s lost control of us both. He still believes that I should have married Guy Hopkins. He said that we were in danger of ruining his reputation; and that if neither of his children did what he said then he would cut us out of his will and then either emigrate or kill us. Obviously he was exaggerating and