The Scarlet Gown Page 12

  ‘Not that the master wanted her to pander to him,’ remarked the housekeeper, smiling at the memory. ‘Quite nonplussed he was, whenever he found she put his comfort before her own. Told her she was mistress now, and must order things the way she wanted. He even gave her leave to have her bedchamber redecorated in any style she wished, but she wouldn’t change a thing. To my mind I think she would have preferred to live in the London house, but she would not say so. Never one to make a fuss. But that was my lady’s way.’ She sighed and shook her head. ‘A saint, she was, always looking to everyone else’s happiness.’

  Lucy found herself stopping in the Long Gallery to look at the portrait of Helene, now back in its original position. She tried to read her expression, to discern if she was happy or miserable, but the painted face merely stared down at her, a faint, wistful smile lifting her mouth. She wished she had the courage to ask Ralph about his wife, but even though she thought they had achieved an excellent understanding they only met at dinner or in the drawing room with Mrs Dean present, and Lucy did not feel she could mention it in company.

  * * *

  Mrs Sutton arrived towards the end of the following week, bringing with her all the remaining outfits, save the scarlet gown. She explained that she had had to send to London for the silk. However, she had brought so many other gowns and pelisses that Lucy was in no way disappointed. After trying them all on, she left the dressmaker and her assistant in the morning room, making the final adjustments while she went off to the stables. She had sent word earlier that she wanted to ride out and she found Brandy saddled and waiting for her. A young stable hand called Robin helped her to mount and explained that Mr Greg had gone off to Ingleston with Lord Adversane.

  ‘So I’m to come with you today, miss,’ he ended with a grin.

  Brandy was fresh, and as soon as they entered the park Lucy gave him his head and enjoyed a gallop. It was only when she reached the trees and slowed up that she realised the young groom was quite some distance away. She stopped and waited for him to catch up with her. He was looking a little red in the face, and she laughed.

  ‘I did not mean to leave you so far behind.’

  ‘Nay, miss, that were my fault. Fair took me by surprise, you did, setting off so fast. I weren’t expecting you to be such a good rider.’

  He looked at her with new respect in his cheerful, open countenance, and as they turned and walked on Lucy could not resist asking if he had accompanied Lady Adversane on her rides.

  ‘Aye, miss, for she wouldn’t ride out alone. Wouldn’t travel anywhere on her own, and that’s a fact. Very nervy she was, which didn’t suit my lord. Neck or nothing, he is. Bruising rider.’

  ‘Yes, he is.’ Lucy knew she should not ask, but Robin was a friendly lad, and there was no harm in her questions, surely. ‘How did they get on, riding out together?’

  ‘They didn’t, miss. My lady was frightened of all his lordship’s cattle, especially Jupiter. Horses knows, see, they can smell that sort of thing. The master said at first that my lady would have to get used to ’em, but it was no good, and after a few weeks he asked Sir James to send over the grey my lady had always ridden.’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘Overfed old mare, no pace at all. Mr Greg said he’d never expected to see such a slug in the master’s stables, and ’twas no wonder my lord never rode out with his lady.’ He stopped, flushing. ‘I beg yer pardon, miss. I should not be saying this to you.’

  Guiltily aware that she had encouraged his confidences, Lucy hastened to reassure Robin that she would not repeat it to anyone. She knew she should put all thoughts of Lady Adversane out of her mind, but Lucy was beginning to feel a little sorry for her, if she did not share her husband’s love of horses. She could well imagine Ralph’s impatience, but surely he could have curbed it and indulged his wife in a gentle ride around the park occasionally? She shook her head. It was not her concern. She would only be here for another two weeks. After that nothing at Adversane would be her concern at all.

  * * *

  Lying in her bed, Lucy stared into the enveloping darkness.

  ‘You would think,’ she said aloud, ‘that after spending the day helping Ariadne arrange all the guestrooms I would be exhausted. So why am I now wide awake?’

  She clasped her hands behind her head. Perhaps working in the house had brought it home to her that Ralph’s family would be arriving soon. She had grown very comfortable at Adversane with only her host and his cousin for company, but she would have to be on her guard once their guests arrived. She sighed, realising how happy she had been for the past week, but it could not continue. She had been employed for a reason, and she must play her part. Lucy blinked. The inky blackness around her was almost total, only relieved by the bluish square of the window. Silently, she slipped out of bed and padded across the room. After wrestling for a moment with the catches, she threw both casements wide.

  Balmy night air flooded in, bringing with it the heavy fragrance of the newly scythed lawns and the faint, tantalising hint of roses from the flower garden. Lucy curled up on the window seat and rested her arms on the sill, leaning out to catch the cool air on her face. With a sigh, she dropped her chin on her arms and gazed across the drive to the park beyond. She felt the heavy weight of the single plait of her hair slide over her shoulder to dangle into nothingness. The darkness was not so thick out of doors, for although there was no moon the clear sky was sprinkled with stars.

  “Well, Rapunzel, what are you doing out of bed at this hour?’

  Lucy jumped and looked down to see a figure standing beneath her window. His face was little more than a pale blur in the darkness, but the deep voice was instantly recognisable.

  ‘One might ask the same of you, Lord Adversane,’ she retorted. ‘And what did you call me?’

  ‘It is from a German folk tale. Rapunzel is a maiden who is locked in a high tower and the only way her lover can reach her is to climb up her hair.’

  Lucy laughed. ‘That sounds very painful. Besides, my hair is far too short for that.’ However, she still flicked the braid back over her shoulder, out of sight. ‘I might ask you what you are doing beneath my window.’

  ‘Jupiter lost a shoe on the way back from Halifax this afternoon. I have been to the stables to check up on him.’

  ‘No serious damage, I hope?’

  ‘No, Greg will take him to the smith in the morning. I am more concerned at why I should find you at your window in the middle of the night.’

  ‘I could not sleep.’

  ‘Are you anxious about anything? Can I help?’

  His response was unexpected and surprised her into replying more freely than she had intended.

  ‘No, thank you, sir. I have no idea why I am awake, I have been busy all day and in truth I should be very sleepy, but I am not. So I am star-gazing.’

  ‘A good night for it. The moon will make an appearance tomorrow.’ He paused. ‘If you are truly awake...’

  ‘I am.’ A sudden sense of anticipation made the breath catch in her throat.

  ‘We could take my telescope onto the roof and you could look at the stars properly.’

  ‘Oh, I should dearly like to—’ She stopped, aware of just what he was suggesting. Why, it must be nearly midnight. Regretfully she shook her head. ‘That is, no, my lord. Thank you, but I cannot keep you from your rest.’

  He ignored her objection.

  ‘Put on a wrap and be ready. I will come for you. And do not light a candle, you need to keep your eyes accustomed to the dark!’

  * * *

  This is madness, thought Lucy as she stood by the door, listening. As soon as she heard a soft tread in the passage outside her room she opened the door a fraction and peeped out. The darkness there was leavened by a small lanthorn that gave out sufficient dim light for her to see Lord Adversane, still wearing his evening dress. Nervously, on
e hand went to her neck as if to assure herself that the enveloping wrap covered her from chin to toe.

  ‘Good, you are here,’ he murmured. ‘Come along then. The staircase is at the far end of the east wing.’

  I should not be doing this, she thought even as she stepped out of her room. Her wrap looked ghostly pale in the dim light, and she began to feel a little nervous until her fingers were taken in a firm, warm grasp.

  ‘It will be easier if I hold on to you,’ he whispered. ‘Follow me.’

  He led her through the gallery and into the east wing, where a long corridor brought them to a door.

  ‘My workshop,’ Adversane told her. ‘There are stairs to the roof in the far corner.’

  She followed him into the room. He placed the lanthorn down on a table, and Lucy looked around her. A large cupboard filled one wall. She had seen something similar once before—a cabinet of curiosities, it was called, and it could be filled with all sorts of odd things, from antiquities to rare books and stuffed animals, whatever caught the owner’s interest. How she would love to come and explore here in daylight! Reluctantly, she turned away and spotted a large circular stone on the table by the lanthorn. She picked it up, turning it so that the feeble rays of the lamp showed her that it was formed like a coiled snake.

  ‘That is a fossil,’ he said, coming up. ‘An ammonite, sometimes called a serpent stone. It is the petrified remains of a creature that lived in the very distant past.’

  ‘Oh, I have heard of these,’ cried Lucy. ‘Is this not evidence of the flood, as it is told in the Bible?’

  ‘Some might believe that.’

  ‘But you do not?’

  ‘I think this might be evidence of much older life forms.’

  ‘Really? But I thought someone—a clergyman—had calculated the exact age of the earth.’

  ‘I am a product of the Enlightenment, Miss Halbrook. I believe in logic and need to be convinced by reasoned argument and experiment. There are a great many theories on the origins and age of the earth, and much work yet to be done to prove them.’

  ‘But surely not everything can be explained by reason and logic, my lord.’

  ‘Not yet, perhaps, but one day. The Royal Society’s own motto is “Nullius in verba” which means “take no man’s word for it”. A good maxim, I think.’ He picked up the lanthorn and held it out to her. ‘Time is going on. We must take the telescope up to the roof. Can you light the way?’

  He ushered her across the room to a door that opened onto a flight of stairs. Indicating that she should precede him with the lamp, he shouldered the large brass instrument and followed her. The stairs were steep and narrow, and it was as much as Lucy could do to hold up her skirts and keep the light steady. At last she reached the top and opened the door to find herself upon the roof. Outside the starlight was faint, but bright enough to make the lamp unnecessary. It was possible to make out a flat walkway around the perimeter of the building, and Lucy was relieved to note that it was edged by a sturdy stone balustrade.

  Ralph stepped in front of her and strode off, leaving Lucy to follow as best she might. They soon reached a small platform, where Lord Adversane set the telescope upon its tripod and began to angle it towards the sky. She put down the lamp and watched him.

  ‘Mercury and Venus are only visible at twilight,’ he said, turning back to her. ‘But there is a good view of Saturn tonight, and I shall be able to show you the major constellations.’

  ‘I know some,’ she said, looking upwards. ‘There, that is Ursa Major, is it not, leading to the North Star? Papa taught me that. He said if I knew which way was north I would always be able to find my way home.’ She laughed. ‘Not that I have ever needed to do so. As I told you, my lord, this is the farthest from London I have ever travelled.’

  ‘And would you like to travel more, Miss Halbrook?’

  ‘Oh, yes. When the war is over I would love to go to the Continent, especially Naples and Rome.’

  ‘To do the grand tour, perhaps?’

  ‘Oh, no, I shall not have that much money, but what you are paying me for being here will be a good start to my savings—’ She broke off, suddenly conscious of her situation, alone in the dark with her employer. Alone in the dark with Ralph Cottingham, fifth Baron Adversane. She thought back to his explanation of their encounter in the rain-soaked garden. It had sounded very reasonable at the time, but no amount of reasoning could dispel her unease. She said briskly, ‘But that is all for the future and I should not be wasting your time with it. Now, let me see, what other patterns can I recognise? That is Ursa Minor, is it not?’

  ‘That’s right. And there, the brighter stars that make an elongated letter “W”, is Cassiopeia....’

  He continued to describe the night sky, standing behind her and directing her eyes up to the heavens. He pointed out Draco, Hercules and Cygnis, as well as the bright star Arcturus in the constellation of Bootes, the herdsman. Lucy tried to concentrate, but when he laid one hand casually on her shoulder it took all her resolution to stand still. It was a relief when he finished his brief tour of the skies and invited her to look through the telescope.

  ‘But the stars are not much clearer,’ she exclaimed, a laugh in her voice. ‘I fear you have misled me, Lord Adversane.’

  ‘That is because they are so distant. Now, look at Saturn.’ He turned her around and stood behind her, pointing over her shoulder. ‘Look, there it is. Follow my finger, do you see it? A bright spot in the south.’

  ‘Yes, yes, I do.’

  ‘Now.’ He realigned the telescope and beckoned her over. ‘Now, what do you see?’

  She peered through the lens and caught her breath in a gasp.

  ‘But it is beautiful,’ she breathed. ‘I can see it so clearly, and it has hoops around it—’ She straightened and moved away from the telescope to stare once more at the night sky. ‘It is quite marvellous, my lord.’

  He laughed and, clearly encouraged by her eagerness to learn, pointed out even more constellations to her.

  ‘But this is not the best time of year for stargazing,’ he told her. ‘Once the darker nights are here you have more opportunity to see the planets and track them across the heavens.’

  They stood in silence, gazing up. Lucy felt a strange contentment and was emboldened to ask, ‘Did Lady Adversane share your enthusiasm, sir?’

  She felt him drawing away from her, even before he moved.

  ‘No,’ he said shortly. ‘I brought her here once or twice, but she found it tedious and very cold. We have done enough for tonight. Come along.’

  Putting a hand under her arm, he took her back to the stairs, scooping up the lanthorn as they went.

  ‘What about your telescope?’

  ‘I shall come back for it later. For now I must get you indoors.’

  The easy camaraderie they had shared was quite gone, and Lucy knew she had caused the change by asking him about his late wife. Silently, they descended to his workshop, where Lucy thanked him politely for showing her the stars.

  ‘I only hope you have not caught a chill in that flimsy wrap.’

  ‘Not at all. The night is very warm.’

  He put down the lamp.

  ‘Let me feel your hands.’ He reached out and took them in his own warm grasp. ‘You are cold.’

  ‘No, no, I assure you it is only my fingers.’

  Lucy stared at his hands. Her throat dried, a voice inside was screaming that she should pull away, and she knew she was standing far too close for safety. The darkness swirled around them, edging her closer still, like a solid hand on her back. How easy it would be to lean into him, to rest her cheek on the smooth silk of his waistcoat and feel the hard chest beneath. Perhaps she might even hear the thud of his heart. The very thought sent her own skittering around like a frightened bird and when Ralph rele
ased her hands and reached for her, she quickly moved away.

  ‘I—I must get back.’

  ‘Of course.’

  She tried to avoid any further contact, but as soon as they stepped into the dark corridor he put out his hand and hers slid into it, as if of its own accord. The silence of the house pressed in around them, the only sound the faint rustle of their moving. When they reached Lucy’s room Adversane stopped, standing between her and the door.

  ‘It will soon be dawn. I hope you will sleep now, Miss Halbrook.’

  ‘I am sure I shall.’

  I don’t want to sleep. I want to stay awake and live again everything that I have seen and experienced with you!

  She was shaken by the sudden thought and could only hope she had not spoken aloud. She forced herself to release his hand. He nodded.

  ‘Very well, I shall leave you now.’ His fingers grazed her cheek. ‘Goodnight, Rapunzel.’

  Lucy slipped into her room and closed the door. She leaned against it, listening for the sound of his footsteps moving away, the soft thud of his door closing. Her heart was singing with happiness. Quite foolish, of course, but she could not help it.

  She smiled and whispered, ‘Goodnight, my lord.’

  Chapter Seven

  Ralph’s sisters and their husbands arrived the following afternoon, a day early, while Lucy and Ariadne were on a shopping trip to Ingleston.

  ‘Perhaps it is not such a bad thing,’ remarked Mrs Dean, when Byrne informed them that their guests were in the drawing room with Lord Adversane. ‘You have not had time to get into a panic.’

  Lucy tried to smile. She could not forget Adam Cottingham’s remark that Ralph’s sisters were fearsome ladies. However, there was no going back, for Mrs Dean had taken her arm and was marching her towards the drawing room.

  The next ten minutes passed in a flurry of introductions and exclamations. Lucy was presented to Lord and Lady Wetherell and Sir Timothy and Lady Finch. The ladies had the same rather hawk-like features as their brother, but their smiles were warm, and however fearsome they might be, she took comfort from the fact both Sir Timothy and Lord Wetherell had the genial, well-fed look of contented spouses.