Cavendon Hall (29 page)

Charlotte could not hide her astonishment. “But how clever of you! What better trademark than the white rose of York? And, of course, the white swan will look wonderful on a label.”

Cecily beamed at her. “I’m trying to think of everything.”

Nodding, still smiling, Charlotte said, “Well, it’s a good beginning, and if I have any ideas I shall pass them on to you. Are you going upstairs to the sewing room now?”

“Yes, to say hello to Mam, and look at the white ball gown. Lady Daphne is going to wear it at the summer ball tomorrow night.”

“I think I’ll come with you, I’d like to see it too.”

Cecily bent down to pick up her satchel and the piece of bone fell out of her pocket. As she picked it up, Charlotte exclaimed, “Did Genevra give that to you?”

“Yes, she did. How did you know?”

“She gave me something similar the other day. May I look at it, Ceci?”

“Yes.” She handed it to her great-aunt, and said, “There’s a carving like a swan, and one like a bell.”

Examining it carefully, Charlotte saw that Cecily was correct, although the carving was rough, amateurish, as were the symbols on her piece of bone. “There was a heart and crosses on mine, and I’ve no idea what they mean.”

“Neither do I. I mean, I don’t know why there’s a bell. But I suppose the swan is for my name.”

“Well, she means no harm, she’s harmless, in fact. She just wants to be friendly,” Charlotte remarked, walking with Cecily to the back staircase. “Her family has been here for years. Actually, I think Genevra was born here on the estate.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Cecily said as they went upstairs together, heading to the sewing room, surprised by this comment.

*   *   *

Charlotte and Cecily had been in the room for only a few minutes, admiring the white ball gown hanging on the rack, when DeLacy came hurtling through the door and into the room.

Automatically, Alice and Cecily stood in front of the white gown protectively. And then they all laughed hilariously when DeLacy said, “The white gown! I’d better stay in the doorway, hadn’t I?”

“I think so,” Charlotte answered, but she was smiling.

“I came to thank you, Mrs. Alice,” DeLacy said. “My chiffon frock is lovely, and I’m glad we picked the pink and scarlet floral. It’s so summery and pretty.”

“Lady Gwendolyn will be overjoyed,” Charlotte interjected pithily. “She’ll be thrilled that it’s not blue.”

The two girls giggled, and DeLacy said, “Can Cecily come down to have afternoon tea with us, Mrs. Alice? Please say yes. Mama said I could invite her, and she’s even letting me bring Dulcie.”

“Of course Cecily can come,” Alice murmured, smiling at the girl.

The two of them disappeared immediately, and Charlotte went and sat down in the small armchair in the corner. “Join me for a minute,” she said to Alice. “I’ve something important to tell you.”

Pulling up the other chair, Alice sat down, and looked at Charlotte quizzically. “What is it? You have a funny look on your face.”

Charlotte whispered, “She’s told him everything … even that she’s pregnant.”

“Oh my God!” Alice exclaimed, and then clapped a hand over her mouth, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“But it’s all right,” Charlotte said, leaning even closer. “He doesn’t care and he still wants to marry her. So we’ve got to do everything we can to bring that about.”

Alice could only nod. But her heart lifted with genuine happiness for Daphne. Hugo was the perfect solution to her dilemma.

Thirty-seven

T
he ball was in full swing, and Lady Daphne Ingham was the belle of the ball. In her silver shoes, and the white lace gown, which swirled around her as she moved, she was a vision of beauty and grace.

Hugo had danced with her at the beginning of the evening, but then other men had clamored around her and claimed their turn to whirl her across the dance floor. Now, at last, he had her in his arms once more and was waltzing to the strains of Strauss’s
Blue Danube
with her.

“You’re as light as a feather,” Hugo murmured against her hair, breathing in the fragrance of her skin that smelled faintly of flowers, mostly roses mingled with hyacinths.

“Soon I won’t be,” she said, leaning back slightly, looking up at him, laughter in her eyes. “I’ll be as fat as a tub of butter.”

He gave her a huge smile. “That’s one of the things I love about you, Daphne, your sense of humor.”

“And what else do you love about me?” she asked, still gazing up into his face.

Hugo looked down at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re flirting with me,” he murmured in surprise, pleased and amused by this sudden turn of events.

“I know. And every other woman in the ballroom is jealous, because you’re dancing with me instead of with them.”

“I hope not all the women are jealous. Some of them are quite old.”

Daphne laughed, and drew closer to him. “I’ve noticed something about you, Hugo, something I find very intriguing.”

“And what’s that?” he asked as he swirled her around, guiding her toward the terrace doors, which stood open on this balmy night.

“Women seem to swarm all over you, like bees around a pot of honey. They just won’t leave you alone. At one moment, I couldn’t get near you. Actually, what I—”

She stopped abruptly, merely offered him an enigmatic smile and remained silent as they went on dancing to the doors.

“And
what
? Finish your sentence, please,” he said.

“I felt something peculiar. Inside, I mean.”

“You were jealous. Admit it, Lady Daphne Ingham. You were jealous, weren’t you?” His eyes were fixed on her intently.

“Yes,” she murmured. “I suppose that was it.”

He held her tighter. “It’s
you
I love and adore. You I want to marry. You I want to spend the rest of my life with. I wouldn’t know what to do with any of those women eyeing us now.”

“Would you know what to do with me?”

For a moment Hugo was startled by this question, which he thought was bold for her, and certainly a little provocative. He decided to respond accordingly. “Oh yes indeed, I would know exactly what to do with you, my darling.”

“So tell me,” she answered, and then exclaimed in a low voice, “Oh, do look, Hugo! Every woman is ogling you.”

“
Us,
” he replied. “They’re ogling us,” he repeated as he waltzed her through the French doors, out onto the terrace, and down to the far end. When he released her, he backed her into the corner, and stared into her eyes. “The first thing I would do with you is kiss you. May I?”

She nodded.

Hugo took her in his arms and kissed her on the mouth. She responded ardently, and this emboldened him. His kisses grew more passionate, yet she did not pull away. She suddenly put her arms around him, moved much closer. And they went on kissing until he knew he must bring it to an end. He was dangerously close to exploding.

He gently pulled away, stepped back, and took several breaths.

Daphne leaned against the low terrace wall, also breathless.

After a moment or two, Hugo said, “Has your mother explained anything about marriage to you, Daphne?”

She shook her head, grimaced. “Mama would never bring up things like that, and I wouldn’t dare to ask her. Also, lately she’s been worried about my aunt, her impending death.”

“Yes, that I do know,” Hugo responded, wondering why Felicity was so neglectful of Daphne at this moment, when there was so much at stake for her daughter. It beggared belief that all of Felicity’s attention was focused on her sister. He knew how close they were, and that Anne had brought Felicity up, after their mother’s sudden death. But, nonetheless, he believed her daughter needed her love and wisdom at this difficult time in her life.

Daphne broke the silence when she said softly, “I spoke to Mrs. Alice and Miss Charlotte the other day. They invited me to Miss Charlotte’s for tea, and asked if I needed help … about those matters … to do with marriage. I told them I did, and I asked them some questions.”

“I’m sure they helped you, didn’t they?” He raised a brow quizzically.

“Yes, they did. They were kind, and explained a few important things they thought I should know. And I’m much less afraid now, actually.”

Hugo nodded, and then he laughed lightly, shaking his head. “Thank God for the Swanns! Whatever would the Inghams have done without them over the years?”

Daphne laughed with him. “I agree with you, and don’t forget, it was a Swann who completely remade this dress I’m wearing. Which you so much admire.”

Hugo drew closer, put his arms around her, held her next to him as they both gazed out across the gardens and Cavendon park beyond.

Daphne nestled against him, feeling comfortable, and safe. Suddenly, she said, “I do feel much better about things now, Hugo. Honestly, I do.”

“About men and the marriage bed? That is what you mean, isn’t it?”

Daphne nodded.

“I must admit, I’ve worried about those particular things myself. As any intelligent man would. Being violently attacked, the way you were, would make any woman fearful of men and marriage, and all that it entails.”

“I was afraid in the beginning, when it first happened. But I calmed down, and began to think more clearly. And then, when you first came here in June, I reminded myself there were nice men in this world. Men like you, like Papa and my two brothers. I thought you were so nice, Hugo, so caring and charming. That was before Papa told me how you felt about me.”

“And how do
you
feel about
me,
my lady? And when will
I
know?”

A smile flickered on her mouth. “Sooner than I thought. Miss Charlotte said I should make up my mind as quickly as possible, that it wasn’t fair to you. And she was correct.”

He was silent a moment, thinking of the right words to say, words to reassure her. They came to him at once. “I promise you that if you do marry me, I will expunge all of your bad memories, give you nothing but happiness, pleasure, and love for the rest of my life.”

“I think I know that, Hugo…”

They continued to stand with their arms around each other, staring into the distance, now lost for a moment in their private thoughts.

It was a lovely evening. Bright stars littered the midnight sky; there was a full moon hanging so low it looked as if it was resting on the surface of the lake. The air was fragrant with the scent of flowers, and especially night-blooming jasmine.

This little corner on the terrace was tranquil and private, and no one could see them. It was entirely theirs for a moment.

I am home, I’m where I belong, Hugo thought. With the woman I belong to, and who I know belongs to me, even if she does not realize it yet. A sudden rush of happiness flowed through him. Vaguely, in the background, he could hear the music, the laughter, the chatter of people enjoying themselves. And here he was, in a cocoon of love. With Daphne. Nothing else mattered in this world. She was all he would ever need for as long as he lived.

*   *   *

“We’d better go inside, Hugo,” Daphne said gently, stirring in his arms.

“Yes.” He released her, took her hand in his, and led her down the terrace. “Tell me soon, my lady. Waiting for an answer is unbearable.”

“I will, I promise,” she said.

When they went back into the ballroom, Hugo was immediately conscious of everyone’s eyes on them. And so he swept her into his arms and danced down the room with her, holding her apart from him, most properly and with total decorum. Once the music stopped, they went to join Charles, who was standing with Diedre and DeLacy near the entrance to the ballroom.

“There you are,” Charles said, smiling at them. “I was beginning to wonder where you were.”

“Taking a breath of air,” Hugo answered.

“I’d like to have a chat with you later, Hugo,” the earl continued. “If you’d care to have a nightcap after the guests leave?”

“I’d enjoy that, Charles. Thank you.”

“We haven’t had a chance to catch up since you arrived, and I must admit I’m anxious to hear what transpired in Zurich. Not your private business, of course, but things in general. What the mood is like over there, that sort of thing…” The earl let his sentence drift off.

“I understand exactly, and I’ll be happy to fill you in,” Hugo answered. Turning to Diedre, he said, “Would you care to dance?”

“Thank you,” she replied, smiling at him, and immediately stepped toward him. He led her onto the dance floor, thinking how lovely she looked tonight. In fact all of the Ingham women did, and their guests were equally as elegantly gowned and bejewelled. And certainly the men were just as handsome, and well dressed in white tie and tails.

*   *   *

It was one-thirty in the morning when Charles and Hugo settled down with a brandy in front of the dying fire in the library. All the guests had departed. The family had gone to bed. And Charles had just told Hanson to lock up for the night.

“I’ve got guards on duty,” Charles confided quietly, once they were alone. “After that damnable fire, Percy Swann deemed it vital that we have plenty of woodsmen out and about on the estate. Most especially when we’re having guests, people from the outside. So he went ahead and hired extra men from our villages. They’re all over the estate, and especially around the stable block. We’ve got to protect all our horses, you know.”

“I do indeed, and Percy’s right, once bitten twice shy, that’s my motto.”

“Percy has been a fine head gamekeeper; the best, in my opinion.”

“As all the Swanns who’ve gone before have been,” Hugo murmured, meaning what he said. But he couldn’t help a small smile surfacing. There were Swanns here, there, and everywhere, but then there had always been a bevy of Swanns at Cavendon. They were part of the scenery, virtually part of the family.

Settling back, Charles said, “Our talk, when you were last here, alerted me. Now when I read the newspapers, I notice things I might have never paid attention to before, Hugo. So thank you for that.”

“You’re reading between the lines, as I do a lot,” Hugo muttered. “Everything I told you in June is bound to happen, of that I am sure. I just don’t know when. There is constant talk of the kaiser’s lust for power, of ruling the whole of Europe, and basically that’s where all of the trouble is … between Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I’m just afraid we might get drawn into the conflict. If they go to war, that is.”