Hothouse Flower (21 page)

Olivia immediately stood up and went to comfort her. ‘Surely Herr Hitler will not do this? He knows what it will mean?’

‘He knows what it will mean and it is what he wants, what he has always wanted. Christopher believes that, by tomorrow morning, the German invasion of Poland will have begun. And then, of course, Britain must declare war.’ Adrienne grabbed Olivia’s hand. ‘We must not let Elsie hear of this any sooner than she needs to. Let her enjoy a few more hours of her preparations. You must say nothing to anyone until this is common knowledge, do you understand?’

‘Of course I do, Adrienne. I won’t say a thing, I promise.’

‘I only hope they can enjoy their wedding day like any other couple. They must feel they have a future even if they have not.’ Adrienne’s eyes were full of tears. She pulled out a lace hanky and wiped them. ‘
Mon dieu!
That is enough! I must compose myself. I apologise,
ma petite
. Sometimes it is a bad thing to know too much. Christopher must leave to go back to London immediately. But he wished to impart the news to me himself.’

That night, Adrienne stayed up to wait for Harry to return. When he did, she took him into the library and poured them both an Armagnac.

‘Mother, I’ve heard,’ Harry said, seeing the distress on her beautiful face. ‘Please try not to panic, nothing is for certain yet and we’re all unclear as to how this will play out and what implications it may have. It’s hardly a shock; to us in the know, anyway. The die was cast when Hitler walked into Czechoslovakia. We’ve all been preparing for months, and I think all my chaps will be glad once they know where they are and can put into action what they’ve learnt.’

Adrienne raised her hand to her brow. ‘I can’t believe I must live through another war. The last one claimed so many people I loved and now …’ she looked at him, ‘my Harry
…
’ She shrugged helplessly and he went to comfort her.

‘
Maman
, please try not to upset yourself,’ he begged, as she sobbed in his arms. It was one of the few occasions in his life when he wished he had a British-born, stiff-upper-lip sort for a mother. Seeing her in so much distress pained him terribly.

‘But what will I do here, Harry? When you are gone to war, and your father is in London? And most of the young men on the estate missing? How will I manage Wharton Park alone?’

‘You have Olivia here,’ Harry offered.

‘
Pouf!
’ Adrienne gesticulated with her delicate hand. ‘She will not stay here when war begins, why should she?’ Her heightened emotions made her speak the truth. ‘I’ve watched you together, Harry, and I can see how she loves you, but you … I do not think that you care for her in the same way. Yes, and I admit I invited her here because I could see there was an attraction between the two of you. Now I can see I was wrong. And, as she is only here for you, she will go and I will be alone.’

Harry was completely taken aback, shocked by what she was telling him.

‘You think Olivia is in love with me?’ he said in amazement.

This statement made Adrienne angry. ‘Of course! It is written all over her, can you not see?! And she is such a lovely girl, so bright, so intelligent, so unusual for an English woman. Yes, I had plans for you … because, of course, you are the sole heir and – oh!’ She put her hands to her burning cheeks. ‘I can hardly say it, but if you do not survive the war, there will be no heir for Wharton Park. It will pass to your father’s nephew, Hugo, and our line will be ended after three hundred years.’

‘Good God!’ Harry took his arms from her shoulders and paced around the library, nursing his Armagnac. ‘You are absolutely right. If I don’t come back, then …’ His voice trailed off.

‘Harry, my deepest apologies, really. I am not myself tonight. Please forgive me and forget what I’ve said to you.’

He turned to face her. ‘What you say is merely the truth. And Olivia is a lovely girl and I am extremely fond of her. And you like her too. She would be company for you, if –’

‘No, Harry! Do not listen to me!’ Adrienne said, agonised. ‘I assumed too much. I thought –’

‘Perhaps you thought right.’ Harry nodded in agreement. ‘But I’m a man and too insensitive to see the signs.’

‘Maybe, but remember that love cannot be manufactured. If it does not exist, then one cannot make it so.’ Adrienne watched him for a while then stood up. ‘I have such a headache, I must go to bed.’

‘Of course you must,
Maman
, it has been a difficult day for all of us.’

Adrienne walked towards the door, then stopped and turned round to look at Harry. ‘Believe I do not wish you to do anything that does not suit your heart. It is not the French way, and neither is it mine. Goodnight, my darling. Let us hope for a brighter day tomorrow.’

When she had gone, Harry poured himself another Armagnac and sat down in the comfortable leather chair to think.

19

The following morning, on 1 September 1939, it was announced on the wireless that Hitler’s troops had marched into Poland. Two days later, on the eve of Elsie’s wedding to Bill, Chamberlain spoke to his nation to confirm that a state of war now existed between Great Britain and Germany.

Perhaps because of the impending disaster and the relief of knowing that war was now underway, there was an air of expectation that seemed to pervade the entire estate. The following morning, as Olivia was packing up her belongings into her suitcase, there was a knock on her door.

‘Come in,’ she said.

Harry was standing there. ‘Sorry to disturb you, Olivia, but you’ve been invited along to Elsie’s wedding, haven’t you?’

‘Yes, I have,’ she agreed coldly. The confirmation of the war and Harry’s continued ambivalence had numbed any romantic thoughts she had been harbouring. She simply wanted to get on with her life.

‘Would you mind awfully if I accompanied you? I could do with a bit of cheering up. I’m awfully fond of Elsie, and Bill in particular, and a celebration like that seems just the ticket.’

Olivia eyed him in surprise. Realising she could hardly refuse, she said, ‘Of course, if that’s what you would like. The ceremony’s at two this afternoon.’

‘Then I shall meet you downstairs in the hall at half past one, and we can take a stroll together across the park to the church.’ He eyed the suitcase on the bed behind her. ‘Packing?’

Olivia nodded. ‘Yes, I’m going home tomorrow to my parents’ house in Surrey. Then it’s straight off to London to sign up. I’m going to join the Wrens, if they’ll have me.’

‘That’s wonderful, Olivia. But we shall all miss you here.’

‘I doubt it,’ Olivia said, feeling contrary and hardly caring.

‘I assure you, we will
all
be sad to see you go. Half past one, then?’

‘Yes,’ she nodded and turned back to her packing. Really, Harry’s behaviour was most confusing.

Olivia and Harry sat at the back of the church and watched Elsie glow with pride and happiness in her pretty lace dress, as she walked down the aisle to meet her future husband. There was not a dry eye in the congregation as they said their vows; every person present knew that their life together as a couple would soon be curtailed. It was a sobering moment and, as Olivia glanced in Harry’s direction, she could see that he too was moved.

At the reception, Olivia watched in admiration as Harry sat at a trestle table in the village hall, surrounded by those who worked for him, joking and joshing as if he was one of them. And it was plain to see how much they respected and liked the young man who would one day be their master; it showed a side to him she had not witnessed before, and her heart softened somewhat towards him.

After the wedding breakfast, the speeches took place, and Jack, Bill’s father, asked whether Master Harry would be prepared to come up and propose a toast to the happy couple. There was cheering as Harry pushed his way through to the front and up on to the dais.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen, I’ve had the honour to know Bill and Elsie for all of my life,’ he began. ‘Who was to know that these two naughty children, whom I was always catching scrumpying apples in the orchard, would one day marry?
And
they never offered an apple to me!’

There were peals of laughter from the audience.

‘Due to the less than pleasant circumstances we all find ourselves facing presently, I’ve got to know Bill rather better in recent weeks. I’d like to assure his dear wife that his sweeping-brush skills are coming along a treat,’ Harry smiled at Elsie. ‘And I can also tell her that when it’s replaced with a real gun, I can think of no one I’d prefer to be hiding behind! Elsie, you’ve got a good and brave man there. Treat him well and enjoy him whilst you can.’

Elsie’s eyes filled with tears and she gripped her new husband’s hand. ‘I will, Master Harry, I swear.’

Harry raised his glass. ‘To Bill and Elsie.’

‘Bill and Elsie!’ chorused the guests as Harry stepped down off the dais to loud cheers.

Jack clapped his hands for silence. ‘And may we also give three cheers for Master Harry, whom one day we will be proud and happy to call his Lordship, and to young Miss Olivia, who’s been so kind to our Elsie. Thank you both for coming. And perhaps we should all be asking –’ Jack grinned wickedly – ‘when you two are going to name the day?’ Further cheers greeted Jack’s speech as Harry arrived back by Olivia’s side.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen, grab your partners and let the dancing begin,’ announced Bill.

Harry sat down next to Olivia. He glanced at her, a twinkle in his eye. ‘I say! I think they like you.’

‘And I think they like you, Harry. You were absolutely marvellous up there,’ Olivia said generously, trying to break the tension that had been engendered by Jack’s pointed remark.

He held out his hand to her. ‘Dance?’ he asked.

She smiled. ‘Why not?’

An hour later, Harry and Olivia emerged from the stuffy hall into the bliss of the fast-cooling night air.

Olivia had been asked to dance by everyone, and had partnered Jack, Bill and even Sable, the butler, around the floor.

Harry reached for her hand as they set off in the direction of the house. Olivia’s heart skipped a beat as he did so, but she decided she would simply enjoy the moment and think little of it.

‘You know, you’re very good with the servants, Olivia. It’s a gift my mother has too.’

‘Thank you,’ said Olivia, glancing around her and trying to take in the beauty of the estate for the last time. ‘I’ll be sad to go,’ she admitted. ‘I’ve grown to love it here.’

The sun was just setting as they walked across newly shaven cornfields and into the park itself.

‘You know, Olivia,’ Harry said quietly, ‘sometimes, a chap doesn’t see what’s right under his nose.’

Olivia looked up at him in surprise. ‘What exactly do you mean?’

‘Well, this morning, when I saw you packing your suitcase, it suddenly hit me how much I’ve enjoyed having you here. And how much I’ll miss you when you go.’

Olivia raised an eyebrow disparagingly. ‘Thanks awfully for saying so, Harry, but you’ve hardly seen me.’

‘No, but I’ve known you’ve
been
here.’

Olivia did not reply. She had no idea how to. They entered the formal gardens and walked towards the fountain. Suddenly, Harry turned to her and took her into his arms. He kissed her full on the mouth, this time with passion.

Olivia was stunned. It was the last thing she had been expecting, yet she couldn’t help but enjoy the touch of his lips on hers.

Eventually, he stopped kissing her, and held her by the shoulders as he looked at her. ‘Olivia, I don’t want you to go, I want you to stay here with me at Wharton Park.’

‘I – Harry, I – can’t,’ she stammered.

‘Why not?’ he asked.

‘What would I do? I must go back to London and sign up.’

‘Darling Olivia, there will be a war effort here in Norfolk, you know,’ he chuckled.

‘Harry, that really isn’t the point. I –’

‘Marry me.’

She stared at him as if he had gone utterly mad. She could not think of a single thing to say in reply.

Then Harry went down on one knee and took her hands in his. ‘Olivia, I have no idea what your feelings are for me but, if you could bear to have me, I would like it awfully if you were prepared to spend the rest of your life here at Wharton Park.’

Olivia finally managed to budge some words from her throat. ‘I’m sorry, Harry, I’m just shocked. I didn’t think that you –’ she swallowed – ‘felt that way for me at all. Why suddenly now?’

‘Perhaps I didn’t realise how I felt until I had a chat with my mother last night, and then saw you packing to leave this morning. Darling girl, please say yes. I promise to cherish you as best I can. And, between the two of us, I’m sure we can safeguard Wharton Park into the next generation.’

She looked down at him, at his handsome face, which she had truly believed would never be hers to gaze at. And all the love she had felt, and tried so desperately to squash, reignited.