A Dream Come True (14 page)

‘It must be costing a fortune,' thought Lucia, as she waited for the driver to start the engine. ‘But I expect he will send his bills to Longridge Manor, so I will see how much they are.'

She willed the motor car along the roads to Bingham Hall and soon, they were travelling up the drive to the house.

As soon as they arrived, she jumped out and ran straight upstairs.

To her delight her Mama was indeed looking much better.

“How is she?” she asked Mrs. Darrowby.

“A great deal better than she was. Doctor Heidweg has prescribed some strange cures. We have to give her all manner of baths and inhalants, but they appear to be working.”

“Yet, she still sleeps?”

“He says she must rest to recover her strength. I just wish she would eat a little more and then I would be happy.”

Lucia kissed her sleeping mother and went to change.

As soon as Mary-Anne had helped her dress for dinner, she sat down and wrote to Edward. In her letter she described her displeasure at Lady Shelley's disclosure and asked him for an explanation.

“If it is true, what she says she found out from your brother, then you must know there is no chance that I would accept your proposal and will not wish to see you again,” she wrote fiercely.

The gong sounded before she had the opportunity to finish, so she put down her pen and sighed.

‘I shall continue with this later. In any case it cannot be posted until tomorrow.'

But later that evening, after she had put the finishing touches to her letter to him, she lay in bed and tried to imagine what it would be like to be married to Edward.

To her shock each time she attempted to picture them together, it was not Edward who manifested himself in her fantasy, but Lord Winterton!

‘I must stop this nonsense,' she told herself crossly, thumping her fists into the soft feather mattress.

Even more worrying, she could not help but fantasise about how her wedding night might unfold, if it was Lord Winterton she had ended up marrying, rather than Edward de Redcliffe!

‘It's all his fault. His bad influence is causing me to have such unnatural thoughts,' she sighed, pushing her face into the pillow.

She awoke the next morning feeling quite exhausted, but she tried not show her tiredness as she walked in to see her mother.

“Lucia,” she called. “I must have been asleep when you returned home yesterday. I must say, this new doctor is wonderful. I am feeling a great deal better.”

“You must continue to rest,” counselled Lucia, smoothing down her hair. “Mrs. Darrowby tells me that he has said you must not exert yourself.”

“I like him much more than that old fool from the village, although I must say that some of his methods seem a little eccentric.”

“I'm certain he knows what he's doing,” replied Lucia. “Now, you must try and eat some breakfast for me. Maybe a little toast. Nice and soft with butter. Mrs. Darrowby, will you attend to it?”

She kissed her mother on the forehead and then went downstairs. In her pocket was the letter for Edward.

At the foot of the stairs, she gave it to Moston asking for it to be sent at once.

‘There, it is done,' she said to herself. ‘I think I will go for a drive after breakfast. I need to think and to clear my head.'

An hour later, she was striding towards the stables wearing her new hat with the scarf that tied it firmly to her head and her soft, leather driving gloves.

“Briggs. Can you bring the Rolls Royce out for me, please?” she asked confidently.

“You going for a drive, miss?” he asked with a grin. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, thank you. I want to drive myself. I have been cooped up all week at Longridge Manor and wish to get some air in my lungs.”

She jumped into the driving seat while Briggs held the door open for her.

As he helped her start the engine, she thrilled as she put her foot on the accelerator and it purred into life.

Slowly releasing the handbrake and next the clutch, the car moved forwards.

It was always at this point that Lucia felt a shiver of excitement. Concentrating on her driving, she took the car along the drive and turned left at the gates.

Soon she was speeding along the country lanes with her cares blowing behind her.

‘What a beautiful day,' she thought, as the sun came out from behind a cloud and the banks shimmered with daffodils.

Turning right at the junction, she soon became lost but continued on, thinking it all a great adventure.

After a while the road came to a dead end and she realised that she was near the river.

Stopping the car she turned off the engine and climbed out.

The sun was warm and she felt quite carefree. She walked along the riverbank for a while and then sat down by a tree. Taking off her hat and gloves, she soon dozed off.

“Well, what a surprise!”

She opened her eyes with a start to find Lord Winterton standing in front of her.

His horse was drinking from the river and he looked very handsome in his rustcoloured riding habit.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” she asked, equally as startled as he.

“This river borders the land I am seeking to acquire. I thought I'd take a ride out to inspect it and I must say this is quite a pleasant surprise.”

Lucia jumped up as if she had been stung.

‘I must get away quickly,' she said to herself.

Suddenly without the comforting familiarity of the walls of Longridge Manor around her, Lucia felt incredibly vulnerable.

“Where are you going?” he asked, catching hold of her arm.

“I – I must return to the Hall. Mama – ”

“How is she?”

“She has improved, thank you.”

Lord Winterton stood there, still holding on to her arm.

His blue eyes burned into her face and she noticed him lick his lips beneath his clipped moustache.

They remained staring into each other's eyes for a few seconds and then Lord Winterton suddenly pulled her towards him and his urgent mouth was on hers, kissing her in a manner she had never experienced.

She felt something inside of her soar before realising what she was doing.

“No!” she cried, pulling away – her face red and her head reeling from the kiss. “Let me go!”

“I am so sorry, I don't know what came over me,” said Lord Winterton. “Forgive me, Lucia, I was lost in the moment.”

Without waiting to reply, Lucia ran towards the car, jumped in and started the engine. With a swift turn of the wheel, she manoeuvred the car back along the bank and onto the road again.

‘If I needed further proof of how his loose morals have infected me, then I have just had it,' she scolded herself, as she drove like the wind back to Bingham Hall. ‘I will speak to my stepfather the moment I return and see if this terrible arrangement cannot be cancelled at once. I don't care, I cannot marry the man. He is no good – no good at all.'

Lucia was still really upset by the time she turned the Rolls Royce into the drive of Bingham Hall.

Briggs could not contain his astonishment as she leapt out of the motor car, leaving the engine still running.

‘Well,' he said to himself. ‘There's a fine thing!'

He turned the key and the engine shuddered to a halt.

Hot tears of anger ran down Lucia's face as she swept inside.

‘Now my day has been ruined,' she fumed, running up the stairs to her bedroom.

She washed her face and then went in search of Sir Arthur. Unfortunately, he was out and Moston seemed to think that he would not be returning until dinner.

Lucia was left to her own devices.

Although she should have been happy to be home, she now felt so restless and ill at ease, that she did not know what to do with herself.

‘It is true, I enjoyed his kiss,' she admitted to herself, as she paced the gardens. ‘But it is wrong. I know that I am promised to him, but I wish I could persuade my stepfather that it would not be right for me to marry a man with such loose morals. I do not care for the effect that he has on me and I do not believe he would make a good husband.'

There was also the problem of Edward.

Lucia wondered how quickly he would receive her letter. She knew that he had told her he would be at Greensides, but what if he had changed his mind and had returned to London?

‘Oh, I wish I could just run away,' she thought, as she sat down on a stone bench overlooking fountains. ‘But with Mama so unwell, I would not dare.'

She ruminated and not for the first time, that if her father had never met Sir Arthur McAllister, not only would he still be alive, but she would not now be facing her current predicament.

‘Then, it would simply be a matter of whether I cared enough to accept Edward's proposal and nothing more,' she mused. ‘Papa would have known what I should do.'

To keep herself occupied, she sat with her mother until dinner. She was looking brighter and feeling well enough to listen to Lucia reading aloud to her.

“Do read it again,” she said with enthusiasm, as Lucia finished reading the court circular in The Times.

“Mama, I have some news you may care to hear. Lord Winterton has been charged with the responsibility of raising a monument to an important local couple who went down with the Titanic and he has now said that he will include Papa's likeness and name on the monument. The King is to unveil it.”

“That is indeed wonderful news. It does not seem possible that a year has passed and to think, I will be too ill lying in my bed to visit the cemetery.”

Her mother sighed again.

“Will you have Moston put some flowers around your father's picture on the landing on the anniversary? And ask that the candles should remain alight all that day and the next.”

“Of course, Mama,” replied Lucia. “Perhaps I should ask Lord Winterton for time off to visit the cemetery.”

“I'm still not happy about your working for him. Why do you have to?”

“Because Stepfather has borrowed a great deal of money from him and I am providing him a service until such time as the debt is repaid. Besides, I don't mind working.”

“But we are gentlewomen – we do not work!” her mother answered horrified. “To think a daughter of mine lives in such reduced circumstances.”

“It is the modern way, Mama. Lots of women now find gainful employment to occupy themselves. It is no longer the fashion to be idle, even if one has the means.”

“I don't understand, you speak as if you were one of those hideous suffragettes!” Lucia laughed. “I don't think that because I work, it makes me a suffragette, Mama.”

“I am glad to hear it. Your stepfather would be very angry if he thought he was harbouring one under his roof. Now I feel very tired and would like to sleep a while. Would you close the curtains and ask Mrs. Darrowby for my dinner?”

Lucia looked at the clock and thought that it was time that she dressed, so she rang for Mrs. Darrowby and left her mother in her capable hands.

Mary-Anne had laid out her sapphire-blue silk dress. She sighed as she noted that the cuffs had been repaired. Even though their creditors had now been paid, there was no money for new gowns.

She was not looking forward to the conversation ahead.

She felt she had to inform her stepfather of Lord Winterton's advances and of the fact that he persisted in entertaining a married woman.

At the sound of the gong, she walked downstairs, trying hard to calm herself as she took each step.

Sir Arthur was already seated when she entered the room. He was always very punctual for meals and became angry if others were late.

“Good evening, Lucia. How are you?”

She took a deep breath.

“I am a little out of sorts, Stepfather. There is something I would wish to speak to you about.”

“Oh?” he replied, not appearing very interested.

“It is Lord Winterton. I believe his character is questionable.”

“Nonsense, he is a fine man.”

“Stepfather, he entertains a married woman in private. And I have reason to believe that their liaison is not – proper.”

“Lucia, I grow weary of your attempts to extricate yourself from the bargain I have struck. I had thought, because of the favourable reports I have had from Lord Winterton, that you had become accustomed to your fate. Attempting to blacken his character will not make me change my mind. I am indebted to him enormously and you know the terms of our arrangement.”

“But Stepfather – ”

Lucia looked at him pleadingly, but Sir Arthur's face turned puce and he slammed down his fork.

“Lucia, I warn you. Do not arouse my ire!”

“But today he tried to kiss me and I don't care for how he conducts himself!”

“Dammit, girl! You are almost betrothed to him!” he shouted, so loudly that Moston jumped. His eyes bulged and spittle hung from his lips.

Lucia had never seen him so angry.

“He is entitled to kiss you if he so wishes!” he fumed, barely pausing for breath. “What did you expect? He is not a lily-livered boy – he is accustomed to taking what he wants. No, you will go to the Manor on Monday as arranged. Do you want your mother to die? If you anger Lord Winterton and he refuses to pay for your mother's doctor's account, then that is just what will happen.”

Subdued Lucia sat in silence while Moston served dinner, her appetite all but vanished.

Dinner was an interminable affair that evening and all Lucia wished to do was return to her room. Eventually when the meal was over, she excused herself.

As she made her way into the hall, she asked Moston if there had been any messages or telephone calls for her.

“No, miss. Are you expecting something?”

“Yes. If Mr. de Redcliffe telephones or a letter arrives, I want you to come and find me at once.”

“Very good, Miss Lucia.”

‘It is most strange that he has not replied,' she thought, as Mary-Anne helped her undress. ‘Perhaps he has gone to London after all. In which case, by the time he responds, I may well be back at Longridge Manor. Oh! I am no nearer solving this mystery.'