A Dream Come True (4 page)

“Dashed right, old girl,” he replied heartily. “And I think a dance is the order of the day, wouldn't you?”

Lucia took his proffered arm and laughed, allowing him to lead the way.

‘I will try and be happy for Mama,' she told herself, as Geoffrey swung her around the dance floor.

*

 They were gone for three weeks and Lucia made the most of enjoying her time alone in Bingham Hall.

After the clearing up, she wrote herself out a list of things to do and set about organising the redecoration of her bedroom, but once the decorators had moved in, she became bored and listless.

She wandered outside into the grounds and eventually, found herself by the new timber garage that had been built to house the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.

Briggs had brought the vehicle outside and was washing it.

“Good afternoon, miss,” he said, touching his cap with his soapy hand and leaving suds dripping from it.

Lucia laughed out loud.

“Hallo, Briggs. Now, look what I have made you do!”

“That's all right, miss. A bit of soap and water doesn't hurt. I thought I'd clean the car as there is nothing much to do while the Master's away.”

Lucia walked around the wet car and inspected the leather seats and acres of chrome. She ran her hand along the carriage work as an audacious idea occurred to her.

“Briggs, would you teach me to drive this car?” she asked, half expecting him to shoo her away.

He put down his sponge and looked at her.

“Well, you're the boss while the Master's away, miss. If you order me to teach you to drive, then I must obey. He said I was to do as you said in his absence.”

Lucia almost hugged herself with delight. She had longed to sit behind the wheel, but had never found the right opportunity – and now, this was it!

“Let me run inside and put on a hat and gloves. Briggs, will it be very breezy? Will we be going very fast?”

“That depends on you, miss,” he replied with a cheeky smile.

It took her some time to find her gloves but, soon, she was running down the stairs and out through the front door where Briggs had brought the Rolls Royce.

“Hop inside and I'll show you the controls,” he said.

“This is the steering wheel and you turn it left to go left and right to go right. That's the accelerator – push gently on it to go forward. But first, you put it in gear, like so – ”

Within half an hour, Briggs had her driving around the outside of the house, very slowly.

Lucia screamed with joy as she took off the handbrake, released the clutch and the car moved forwards.

“Show me again how to change gear,” she cried.

“You're a very fast learner, miss, for a young lady.” he said in awe.

They practised until she heard the gong sound for afternoon tea, but she was too excited to do more than drink a cup of Earl Grey.

‘How thrilling!' she said to herself, as she looked forward to her next lesson with Briggs.

‘Very soon, I shall be able to visit all my friends and show off what a fine driver I am.'

And so, Lucia spent the rest of the week practising as much as she could. Briggs showed her how to pull up the hood and how to fill it with petrol.

Very soon, she was speeding along the drive and out onto the country roads.

“I can see I shall have to put in extra pins” she cried, one day after almost losing her hat in a hedgerow.

“I think you're ready to go out on your own,” suggested Briggs, “but mind you be careful with it. This here Silver Ghost is the only one for miles around and Sir Arthur will blame me if anything happens to it.”

“It was my father's car,” countered Lucia, quietly prickling at the mention of Sir Arthur's name.

“Sorry, miss. I didn't know that,” replied Briggs embarrassed. “The Master led me to believe that it was his car.”

Lucia fell silent as they returned to the Hall.

‘Is there anything that he has not laid claim to?' she fumed to herself.

*

 A few days later it was bright and sunny and so Lucia put on her gloves and hat and ran out to the garage. Briggs was in the stables chatting to Jack and he soon broke off his conversation to drive the Rolls Royce out of the garage.

‘I shall surprise Emmeline,' she said to herself, as the engine warmed up.

Lucia thrilled as she drove along the lanes with the wind tugging at her hair.

She was soon driving through the gates of the Grange, where Emmeline and Geoffrey lived and she could not wait to see their faces as she bowled up in the car.

Outside the front door she tooted the horn noisily as Briggs had shown her.

The Charlton's butler came rushing out and his face broke into a wry smile.

“Meek, would you mind bringing Miss Charlton out to the car, please? I want to surprise her!”

The Butler nodded and disappeared back inside, only to bring a puzzled Emmeline out to the car five minutes later.

“Goodness,” she cried. “I thought poor Meek had taken leave of his senses when he said I was to come outside. And now, I can see why. Did you really drive over here all on your own? Are you certain that your chauffeur is not hiding in the bushes and this is some joke?”

Lucia laughed.

“No, Emmeline. Briggs is responsible for teaching me. Is Geoffrey at home? Do run and fetch him.”

“No, he is out, but I do have guests who have come for coffee. Please come and join us. I am certain that they will find your new skill most interesting.”

Lucia jumped out of the car and dusted off her jacket. Emmeline took her friend by the hand and led her into the morning room.

“Everyone, I want you to meet my very dear friend, Miss Lucia Mountford. She has driven over here in a motor car, all on her own. What do you think of that?”

Emmeline had a look of triumph upon her face, knowing what kind of kudos this would lend to her by proxy. Very few people in the County owned cars and not only did she know someone who did, but she also drove it herself!

“This is Cecily Armstrong, and her sister, May. That gentleman by the piano is Lord Hornby's youngest son, Tristram.”

Lucia shook hands with them all and then blushed, as her eyes met those of a rather good-looking young man who had just moved forwards. He was tall and slender with neat black hair and friendly hazel eyes.

“Lucia, this is Edward de Redcliffe,” said Emmeline with a smile.

It had not escaped her notice that he could not stop staring at her friend.

“We have not met before,” began Lucia, as she shook his hand.

“I think I would have remembered, had we done so,” he replied with a warm smile.

“I am sorry that Geoffrey is not here to witness your great surprise,” said Emmeline. “He is in London today buying books for his new job.”

“When does he start?”

“A week on Monday. I think earning an honest day's crust will come as a complete shock to him after gadding about Italy and France for so long.”

“Dear old Geoffrey,” interjected Tristram. “I give him a month, tops!”

Lucia sat down and at once, Edward de Redcliffe came and sat beside her.

“You are a very brave young lady,” he remarked. “Driving a motor vehicle.”

“It is – was my father's,” she answered, correcting herself quickly. “Mama and my stepfather are on honeymoon at the moment and I found myself with time on my hands, so I asked the chauffeur to teach me how to drive.”

“So, do you live nearby, Miss Mountford?” asked Edward in his quiet voice.

“Yes, quite nearby. At Bingham Hall.”

“Ah, I do not know it. I live in Mayfair mainly, but my parents have a house just outside Hertford.”

“Then that is not too far away,” replied Lucia, thinking that she might care to see Edward de Redcliffe again.

“You must come to the Hall for tea with Emmeline.”

She blushed as she spoke, hoping that she was not sounding as if she was being too forward.

As they chattered, she noticed that Edward seemed to prefer to listen, rather than join in. Although with both Tristram and Cecily dominating the conversation, it would have taken a forceful soul to make his presence felt.

“Well, I must be going,” announced Lucia eventually, as the clock in the hall struck midday. “With Mama and my stepfather away, it has fallen to me to be in charge and there is so much to be done.”

She went round to everyone in turn and shook their hands.

“It was very nice to meet you,” she said firmly, as she lingered over her goodbyes to Edward.

“Let me walk you to your motor car,” he offered.

Outside he closed the car door behind her and admired the Silver Ghost.

“It's a fine vehicle. They say it is the best on earth.”

Lucia chuckled.

“I could not possibly make that judgement as it is the only motor vehicle I have ever been in.”

“Miss Mountford, might I call on you tomorrow?”

Lucia blushed with pleasure. She felt a surge of excitement, as if her life was really beginning again.

“Yes, I would like that very much. Come for afternoon tea at three o'clock. I shall make certain that cook bakes one of her fine coconut cakes.”

“Until tomorrow,” he called, waving as she pulled off down the drive.

*

 When Lucia returned to the Hall, she noticed a telegram in amongst the pile of letters on the desk in the study. She picked it up, at first fearing it was for her, but then she noticed that it was addressed to her stepfather.

She put it back down at once, remembering only too clearly the day that the telegram had arrived from Mr. Urwin.

‘I hope it is not bad news,' she mused, suddenly filled with the urge to go upstairs to where she had erected a small shrine to her father.

Leaving the study, she ran up the stairs to the tiny alcove where a candle always burned next to a photograph of Lord Mountford.

‘I wonder if my stepfather will have this removed once he returns?' she thought, as she stroked her father's face.

‘They say that he had his house in Manchester razed to the ground and a new one built before he would occupy it. If he has such a mania for change, might he not attempt to do the same at Bingham Hall?'

Lucia lit another candle and placed it in a vacant holder and she prayed fervently to her father,

‘If you have any influence up in Heaven, please, Papa, do not let Sir Arthur change one little thing at Bingham Hall.'

She turned her face Heavenwards and prayed hard and long until her knees began to ache.

‘If I can do anything to prevent change at the Hall, then I shall,' she resolved, getting up. ‘Papa, I swear it to you!'

*

 The next afternoon, as promised, Edward de Redcliffe arrived at Bingham Hall on horseback.

They went for a ride together and Lucia felt very much as if their conversation consisted of a list of questions designed to ascertain whether or not she would make a suitable wife.

On returning, she had the distinct impression that she had discounted herself by expressing sentiments that he could instantly label as suffragette.

Although sympathetic to their cause, Lucia had bridled at being described as such.

She thought she would hear no more from him, but a few days later a note arrived asking her to a grand ball to be held at a mutual friend's house the following week.

She accepted in writing and then threw herself into preparing the Hall for her mother's return that weekend. She had received a few cards from her, saying how much she was enjoying herself, but had missed her a great deal.

The return of the McAllisters to Bingham Hall was greeted by a flurry of activity. The servants all lined up outside as the Rolls Royce drew up by the front door.

Moston led a half-hearted cheer as Sir Arthur climbed out of the car, while everyone seemed delighted to see her mother again.

Lucia ran towards her and was swept up in her arms.

“Mama, you look so very well!”

“I feel wonderful, darling. Venice was a complete tonic although I must confess to a slight cough that developed whilst we were there. A doctor, however, assured me that it is nothing.”

Lucia linked arms with her as they walked into the Hall.

“Moston has tea ready in the drawing room and I want to hear all about your trip.”

She noticed that Sir Arthur had walked straight into the study. She wondered how he would react to the telegram awaiting him and was curious as to what news it contained.

In the drawing room, Lucia and her mother had not been talking for long when he entered the room with a look on his face that confirmed Lucia's suspicions.

“Serena,” he said with a look on his face like thunder. “I wish to see you alone at once. Lucia, please make yourself scarce.”

Feeling hurt, Lucia arose from her chair and left the room.

‘Why could he not speak while I was in the room? I am no longer a child.'

The April sunshine enticed her outside and so, she wandered out into the garden to stretch her legs. She could hear the horses in the stables whinnying and the shouts of the ostlers and stable boys as they went about their duties.

After a while, she could not contain her curiosity. She was close to the French windows of the drawing room and she could see inside if she moved a little nearer.

But her stealth was not well rewarded.

‘Mama. She is crying! It must indeed be bad news as she was in such good spirits when she arrived. Oh, I do hope that she will not become ill with the strain.'

After whiling away a nervous half-hour in the garden, Lucia could bear it no longer.

‘I cannot wait until someone deigns to tell me what is going on,' she said to herself, feeling upset at the way her stepfather was treating her.

But as she entered the Hall, Moston came towards her. “Ah, Miss Lucia, I was about to look for you. The Master wishes to see you at once in the study.”