Majorca Flats -- 270

“Mrs Ellesmere, we're nearly there. Jace, I'll stop the car just outside the house and you can get out and help your nan to the door while I find parking.”

Lucasta Ellesmere woke up with a start. The car was turning into a street lined with 19^th century terrace houses, fronted with plane trees, their leaves just starting to turn for autumn. The names on the terraces showed the English or at least British origin of their builders and owners. “Surry Court” presumably after the collector earl who spelled his name like that such a bore always being beheaded and attainted though they eventually got their title back didn't they not that it helped those who'd been beheaded poor things what if the blade wasn't sharp enough or the axeman inept? “Devon Place” such a charming county and so much milder climate that the north though she was quite partial to a good winter storm provided the fires were kept up she didn't think she could live in Malaysia with that continuous heat though Lucy seemed happy enough but then you can get used to practically anything.

And then, giving her a start, “Ellesmere Terrace” with three houses in the terrace, each named after a woman, “Emily”, “Betty” and “Mildred” she supposed the builder's or the owner's daughters how charming he must have adored them but that name “Ellesmere” almost as if it were meant though perhaps he was from the Lake District so beautiful she must take Parker there when she got back to England. But the significance of the name bounced around her head and made her feel oddly happy. It was right that Jason might find himself here, in this street, in this outflung post of Empire.

[Author's note and apology.  Alert readers will at once detect that Lucasta Wellbury has morphed into Lucasta Ellesmere.  The pressing reason was that Wellbury, the surname Jason is using, is his mother's maiden name.  But Lucasta is his paternal grandmother.  So that can't be her name.  The other reason is one I prefer to keep quiet about for now.]

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