A Battle of Brains (12 page)

She and the maid who accompanied her drove there from the shop in Bond Street.

Yolanda felt that she was being somewhat disloyal to her stepfather, but at the same time it was honourable to try to pay back some of the huge debt her father owed Lord Milborne.

Grosvenor Square was indeed the largest and most impressive square in London and yet to Yolanda it seemed somehow overpowering.

When the carriage drew up by an important-looking house, it was with difficulty that she prevented herself from instructing the coachman to drive on.

Then she remembered the smile on her father's face when he had come back from his walk with Lord Milborne in Baden-Baden, and how he had bent to kiss her mother before he told her the good news.

‘I am sure,' she pondered, ‘this is what Papa would want me to do.'

The first footman on the carriage rang the bell of Number 93, the butler opened the front door and Yolanda stepped out.

“I would like to see Lord Milborne,” she asked.

“Is his Lordship expecting you, madam?” the butler enquired.

“No,” she replied.  “But will you please inform him that Lady Yolanda Wood wishes to speak with him.”

The butler was obviously impressed by her title, so instead of asking her to wait, he took her across a high-ceilinged hall and opened a door on the other side of it.

He announced Yolanda in a stentorian voice as she entered what she guessed was a study or a library.

There were many books everywhere, a fine painting by Stubbs hung over the mantelpiece and two big French windows opened on to a walled garden at the back.

For a second Yolanda thought there was no one in the room and then a man rose from behind a writing desk.

The butler closed the door behind her.

As the man walked towards her, Yolanda stared at him in surprise.

He was not the Lord Milborne she remembered, but a young gentleman, tall and good-looking.

He reached her and held out his hand.

“I am delighted to meet you, Lady Yolanda.  I have heard a great deal about you.”

“But you are
not
Lord Milborne!”

The young gentleman smiled.

“You were expecting to meet my father who I know was a friend of yours.  I am afraid, however, that he died two years ago.”

“Oh, I am so sorry!” exclaimed Yolanda.  “I met him a long time ago in Baden-Baden, when he was so very kind to my father and my mother and we were all extremely grateful to him.”

“That sounds so like my father,” he replied.  “And, as you have been kind enough to come to see me, I expect you know that I am staying with you this weekend to see the new pictures your stepfather has just bought.”

“Yes, he has told me about them.  Though I have yet to see them, I am sure that they are magnificent.”

“I have a few Stubbs myself and I am very proud of them.  I only wish I had known the others were for sale.  I would have obtained them before your stepfather managed to do so!”

Before Yolanda could reply, he asked,

“Can I offer you any refreshment?”

“No, thank you, my Lord.  I came to say something to your father without letting my stepfather know what I was doing.  I am not sure now what I should do – ”

She sounded indecisive and Lord Milborne said,

“I can understand your surprise at finding my father is no longer here.  But please allow me to take his place.  If there is any way I can help you or answer any questions you would have put to him, I am at your service.”

Yolanda seated herself on a sofa by the fireplace and Lord Milborne stood with his back to it.

Then, as if he felt it would seem friendlier, he sat down on the sofa beside her.

“What is worrying you, Lady Yolanda?  Everyone went to my father with their troubles, so I have a feeling that is why you have come to me.”

Yolanda drew in her breath.

“Actually, my Lord, you may think it surprising, but I want to repay in a small way the wonderful kindness your father showed us when we were in Baden-Baden.”

“What did he do?”

Yolanda looked away from him and a little shyly she answered,

“I expect you know that my father was a gambler?”

Lord Milborne smiled at her.

“I think everyone knew he was the most charming and the most delightful gambler there has ever been.  The story of his life really ought to be in a book.”

Yolanda gave a little laugh.

“I have never thought of that idea before.”

“It is something you should consider.  I am certain that you could write it better than anyone else.”

Yolanda did not reply and he continued,

“I met your father several times when he was riding in the Park, at many Racecourses and when I first proudly became a Member of White's.  I thought he was the most charming, the most handsome and the most delightful man I had ever met.”

Yolanda's eyes now lit up as she clasped her hands together.

“Thank you for saying that.  It is the way I want people to remember my Papa – not to remember him when things went wrong.”

She hesitated for a moment and then she added,

“It was when things went so very wrong in Baden-Baden that your father saved Papa at a time when we were desperate.  He not only lent him money, which I am not sure was ever repaid but he gave Papa the winner of the big race which he attended that afternoon.”

“That sounds very much like him.  Of course I am very proud of him and I am trying to follow his example.  So please allow me to take his place and tell me why you are here.”

It was difficult for Yolanda to find the right words.

“I expect you know how rich my stepfather is and that he has made every penny of his fortune himself.”

“I have heard the stories and how can anyone not admire him for what he has achieved?”

“He has been so very kind to me and I could never be grateful enough for what he did for Mama and me after Papa died.”

Again there was a pause before she went on,

“I know in business men do not always behave in the same manner as your father and my father would have behaved.”

“I understand what you are trying to say to me.”

“You may think,” said Yolanda, “that I am being very disloyal, but because your father was so kind when we were desperate, I just wanted to warn him when he came to stay that my stepfather is most interested in the automatic air brake invented by Mr. Westinghouse and which is now being used so successfully in America.”

What she was saying came hesitatingly to an end.

She looked up appealingly at Lord Milborne as if she was begging him to understand what she was trying to say.

He smiled at her appreciatively.

“I think it is very brave of you, Lady Yolanda, to come and tell my father what you have just outlined.  I do understand perfectly your reason for doing so.”

Yolanda gave a sigh of relief.

“My stepfather, because he is so rich and so astute, invariably gets what he wants, and he has heard that you too are interested in the air brakes.”

“I am indeed and I am grateful to you for thinking of my father and now myself in that connection.”

Yolanda rose to her feet.

“Please, my Lord – you will not tell my stepfather I have been here?”

“No, of course not.  It is a secret between you and me and I thank you for thinking of my father.  I know that he would have been so grateful and appreciative at what you have been brave enough to do.”

“Then we shall meet on Friday evening, my Lord, and I think we will both enjoy seeing Step-papa's Stubbs.”

“You can be quite certain,” added Lord Milborne, “I will be grinding my teeth with envy because he beat me to the sale.  I have been abroad, which is the reason why I was not aware it was taking place.”

“I feel sure you will have better luck next time.”

She held out her hand as Lord Milborne asked,

“I suppose you don't have time to see a Stubbs I have in another room? I also have a very beautiful Titian in which, as it depicts the Goddess Venus, you should be particularly interested.”

Yolanda realised he was paying her a compliment.

“I would love to see it if you have the time.”

Lord Milborne escorted her into the drawing room, which was beautifully furnished and Yolanda thought that it had an atmosphere of having been lived in.

The superb Titian painting of ‘
Venus and Adonis
' was hanging on one wall.

And there was the particularly fine Stubbs over the mantelpiece – however in his picture there were no horses, but two cheetahs he had painted brilliantly.

“Your pictures are very lovely,” Yolanda sighed as she walked from one to the other.  “How lucky you are to own anything so perfect.”

“That is just what I think myself,” Lord Milborne replied, “and it is why I want to add to my collection.  I have other pictures, which I would like you to see, but they are in my country house.  Perhaps you will come and stay there one day?”

“I would love to,” enthused Yolanda.  “I remember Mama telling me how lovely your house is after she had been there with Papa.”

“I think they stayed.  I don't recall meeting your mother, but I have heard how beautiful she was and that you are very like her.”

His dark brown eyes gazed at her tenderly.

“I only hope that is true.”

They walked out of the drawing room and down the stairs and Yolanda admired a Hogarth in the hall.

“I don't care much for that picture,” Lord Milborne told her.  “But the one I would like you to see is ‘
The
Holy Family
' painted by Rubens, which I think is one of the best pictures he ever did.”

By now they had reached the front door and one of the footmen was opening it.

Lord Milborne took Yolanda across the pavement and when they reached the carriage, she turned to him,

“Thank you, my Lord, you have been very kind.”

“That is just what I should be saying to you, Lady Yolanda, and I will say it to you again on Friday.”

He saw her glance at him quickly, so he added in a voice that the footman holding the door could not hear –

“When we are alone.”

Yolanda smiled and climbed into the carriage.

Lord Milborne did not go back into his house until she had driven away.

As the carriage drove into Park Lane, Yolanda felt a little guilty and yet she knew she had done what her father would think was the right thing.

Lord Milborne's father had saved them from being humiliated at being unable to pay their bill and her father might have had to face Police charges, which would have caused a dreadful scandal.

‘There was nothing else I could do but warn Lord Milborne,' mused Yolanda quietly to herself.

At the same time she felt rather apprehensive.

Her stepfather might ask what she had been doing besides shopping and she had no wish to lie to him.

It would, however, be most embarrassing to admit that she had been to visit Milborne House.

Fortunately they were dining out that evening.

Therefore Yolanda did not meet her stepfather until she came downstairs wearing a new and attractive gown.

It was one of her dresses that he had not yet seen, so she took off the wrap and showed him how pretty it was.

“You look lovely, my dearest,” he said, “and I am very proud to be your escort tonight.  Incidentally I expect you will remember that we are dining with Lord Stratford de Redcliffe in Grosvenor Square?”

Yolanda drew in her breath.

She knew that they were dining with some friends of her stepfather's and there was to be dancing afterwards, but she had no idea it was to be in Grosvenor Square.

She only hoped that their host had not recognised the carriage if he had seen it outside Milborne House.

In which case it would be very difficult for her to explain why she had been there.

They were driven to Grosvenor Square.

Yolanda then saw that Lord Stratford de Redcliffe's grand house was situated on the opposite side of the square to Lord Milborne's.

It was quite a large party with over thirty people for dinner and several others joining them afterwards.

The ballroom was fairly small and, as it was a hot evening, the dancers walked in the square between dances.

It was cool amongst the trees.

There was a full moon overhead and it was all very romantic.

Yolanda was not really surprised when she received her second proposal of marriage – from a young gentleman she had met half-a-dozen times at different parties.

She danced with him and thought him reasonably pleasant, but he did not have anything of particular interest to say.

Once again she felt that she would have been more amused to listen to her stepfather and several of the older men including her host.

They were talking animatedly at the opposite end of the ballroom to where the band was playing.

When she received her second proposal, she was not frightened.

“It is very kind of you,” she said demurely, “and I am very honoured that you should ask me to be your wife.  But quite frankly I have no intention of being married at the moment.”

“I am not surprised when you are such a success,” the young man told her.  “But please will you think of me?  I will wait for you even if it means waiting for
years
.”

“I am sure that you would find that rather boring,” she replied.  “But, of course, we can be friends, can we not?”

“I do suppose,” he said with a wry smile, “I must be thankful for some small mercies.  But because you are so beautiful, I want a great deal more than friendship.  I will go on hoping and perhaps by a miracle you will fall in love with me one day!”

Yolanda felt it embarrassing to go on talking about something she had no intention of doing.

So she suggested that they joined in ‘The Lancers', a dance in which it was impossible to speak intimately.