What happens when a brash, independent female American journalist meets a repressed male English aristocrat weighed down by centuries of land stewardship? No prizes for guessing! But under the comic veneer lie sad, thoughtful observations.
Extract
A fox stopped and stared at us from the middle of a pathway, his front paw raised questioningly. I was dazzled and in awe and I told Rory so.
'They say that in a place this beautiful, the disappointment of death is softened,' he said wistfully.
'How come you know so much about it?'
'I did some work here once.'
'Grave robber?'
'Archaeological work.'
'What do you mean?' I said curiously.
'I worked for the V & A ... still do occasionally, when not squiring unhousetrained Americans round the country!'
'Whoah, wait a minute. You're an archaeologist?'
'Don't ask!' He gave a bitter laugh, 'Let's just say I got waylaid by family business.'
