Seasons of Love (29 page)

A sigh was the only answer.

Becky looked at her mistress sympathetically, but was not going to let matters drift along any more. ‘Shall I send for the doctor, then?’

‘Yes. I suppose so. But - not tomorrow. Let me have one more day in peace. He can come the day after. Besides, I want to tell Harry myself first.’

So she and Harry went for a gentle stroll in the woods. She explained about the baby and he listened gravely, as he always did to important things. When she had finished her tale, however, his gravity deserted him, and he turned several somersaults round her.

‘A brother! I'm going to have a baby brother!’

‘It might be a sister. You can't choose, you know.’

‘Well, even that's better than nothing.’ Something occurred to him and he stopped dead. ‘Oh, the poor baby! It won't even know its own father!’

He always understood things so well. ‘Yes. It's,’ her voice thickened with tears for a moment,

‘very sad. But you'll be able to tell it - him - her - about Charles, won't you? You'll be a very special big brother, just like you're a very special son.’

His face brightened. ‘Yes. I'll do that. And it can play with my puppy, too.’ A very great concession, that. Chiggy was his pride and joy. ‘Have you told Mr Carnforth about the baby, Mother? Will he be its guardian too, like he's mine?’

‘No. I haven't told him. It must stay a secret for a while. We have to tell Mr Napperby first.’

‘We couldn't tell Daniel now, anyway. He's gone to Bellborough for a few days. We'll have to wait till he gets back.’

The doctor came and after the most cursory examination, pronounced Mrs Carnforth to be in a delicate condition and expecting a child in February. No, of course he wouldn’t tell anyone until Mr Napperby had been informed. He quite grasped the complications a posthumous heir might create!

Mr Napperby was summoned. He was shocked rigid by the news, but tried to appear pleased, for her sake, because she was glowing with happiness about her condition. ‘My dear Mrs Carnforth - allow me to offer you my congratulations. But - but why did you not tell me before?

You must have known for a while.’ He was wondering how he could ask, as ask he must, if it were truly Charles's child.

‘I've only known since the day after the funeral. It was Becky who realised. I had been so busy, that I hadn’t noticed. Foolish of me, you will say!’

‘But - even that is a month ago. Why did you not tell me then?’

She blushed. ‘I was tired of being an object of curiosity. I felt that I needed a rest before I faced people again.’

‘I have to ask this - it is, of course, Charles Carnforth’s child?’

She looked at him indignantly. ‘Of course it is. How could you even think - ’

‘I don’t doubt you, my dear, but I must be certain.’ He shook his head. It was a great pity she’d waited and he wouldn’t be able to hide from her the damage she had done. ‘I am, of course, happy for you, but my dear Mrs Carnforth, I must tell you that keeping such news secret was greatly unfair to Mr Daniel Carnforth. If it’s a boy, he will be . . . ’

‘Disinherited. I understand.’

‘Yes, but there is worse than that, I'm afraid.’

She became very still. ‘Worse?’

‘I'm afraid, because the estate is so run down and - it must be said - because he is so short of money to amend matters - he has just sold Bellborough, his other estate.’

She went white. ‘I didn't realise he was thinking of that. He never said a word to me, not a word, or I would have told him about the child immediately!’

‘He isn't the sort of man to make a parade of his feelings, I've found. It was quite a wrench for him to sell Bellborough. He only told me about it recently. I’m not acting for him in this. In fact, that’s why he has gone to Bellborough this week.’

Her hands went up to her cheeks in a gesture of distress. ‘Oh, what have I done? Is it too late to stop him? Surely we can do something?’

He sighed. ‘The final documents were to be signed yesterday. I shall, of course, send a messenger after him, in case we can stop him, but I don't hold out much hope. The documents were only a formality. Everything had been arranged for a while and the new owner, a former neighbour, has already taken up residence there.’

She buried her face in her hands and began to weep softly.

‘Mrs Carnforth? My dear lady, please! Don't distress yourself. Here, drink this!’ A glass of brandy was held to her lips and she sipped a little. Its warmth was vaguely soothing and the faintness receded.

Mr Napperby was glad to see a little colour return to her face. ‘Sit quietly for a moment or two, my dear. You've had a shock!’

Mutely she obeyed and leaned back in the chair with her eyes closed. After a while she opened them and looked at him. ‘I hope the child is a girl! I didn't care before, but now, I shall pray with all my heart that it's a girl! Oh, Mr Napperby, I shall never forgive myself if he loses both his homes!’

And Daniel would never forgive her, either! Had she made a friend only to lose him? Was she never to keep the people she lov- liked?’

Chapter 17

Telling Daniel Carnforth that he was not, perhaps, the heir to Ashdown Park, was one of the most difficult things Samuel Napperby had ever had to do. He couldn’t help being aware of the deep love the new owner had developed for the family estate, even in this short time, and he also knew Daniel was an excellent landlord, something Ashdown had lacked for many years. The new owner already done several kindnesses to those of his dependants in need and had made a good impression on people usually slow to accept newcomers.

Mr Napperby decided to wait until Daniel returned before he told him about the baby. He simply sent a message to Bellborough by a groom who had instructions to make the best time possible on the journey and not to spare expense. The message asked Daniel not to sign the contract for sale, if at all possible, but if he had already signed it, to return as quickly as possible to Ashdown, as something urgent had cropped up.

But the groom brought a letter back to say that the message had arrived too late and that Bellborough now belonged to someone else. Daniel added that he’d already planned to return later that day and would be happy to see Mr Napperby early the following morning, if there was some problem.

After hours of worrying how to break the news, Mr Napperby could find no easy way and in the end, when he had refused every offer of refreshment and was sitting with his host in the library, he said simply, ‘I have to inform you, sir, that Mrs Carnforth finds herself to be expecting a child by her late husband.’

Like Helen, Daniel turned white as the implications of her condition struck him and could not for a moment speak. Unlike her, after the first shock, he became very angry indeed. Rarely did he ever give way to his emotions like this, for, apart from the time he spent with his mother, he wasn’t quick to anger. But now, he felt, life had dealt him too cruel a blow.

‘Damn her, why could she not have said so before? My mother was right! That woman is wicked,
wicked!
’ he shouted. ‘She
must
have known how things stood here when he died. She must have! Or soon after, anyway. Indeed, I'm amazed a man in his condition had the ability to father a child.’

‘Mrs Carnforth didn’t realise her condition until after the funeral. I believe it was Becky who pointed it out to her. And then, well, she was very weary and somewhat reluctant to face the world.’

‘Reluctant, indeed! That was a full month ago! And how can we be sure that it is Charles's child? A dying man doesn't usually father a child! And my cousin never had any before that I've heard. Indeed, it was commonly believed in the family that he couldn't, since his first wife never quickened, nor did any of his mistresses - and we knew of quite a few, believe me, for he didn’t trouble to hide things.’

Mr Napperby drew himself up to his full height. ‘I hope you are not implying that Mrs Carnforth would behave in an unprincipled manner!’

It was amazing how coldly dignified a short fat man could become. Daniel closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. He refused to think about Helen. Refused. ‘When is it due?’ His voice was harsh; his face looked suddenly older.

‘The baby is expected in early February. And, having seen Charles and his wife together, I myself have no doubt,
no doubt at all
, that it is his! She would never have betrayed him.’

‘So I shall lose Ashdown as well as Bellborough!’ It was a cry of anguish. Daniel realised he’d lost control, stopped and tried to pull himself together. ‘And I shan’t even know my fate for months, until,' his voice was still unsteady and thick with emotion, ‘the damned brat is born!’

‘I'm sorry for your disappointment. Mrs Carnforth sends her apologies, her very sincere apologies.’

‘Oh, hell and damnation!’ Daniel muttered, as if he hadn't heard that last remark. ‘You will never know how much it cost me to part with the estate that had been in my mother's family for over a hundred years - and now, if I lose Ashdown Park as well.’ He groaned, ‘It’s too much to bear! I tell you quite frankly, I shall pray ever day that the baby is a girl.’

Mr Napperby nodded sympathetically.

‘Does she know that I've already sold Bellborough for the sake of Ashdown Park?’

‘Yes. I know you wished it to be kept secret, but I felt I had to tell her.’

‘How she must have laughed!’

Mr Napperby so far forgot himself as to thump on the table. ‘She did not laugh! You wrong her greatly, sir, even to think it. She was very distressed indeed!’

Daniel laughed. At least, it was meant to be a laugh, but it came out more like a sob. ‘That makes it all right, then, I suppose. Shed a few easy tears and say you're sorry! And what am I expected to do in the meantime - until matters are settled one way or the other? I've nowhere else to live now, you know!’

‘Mrs Carnforth told me to tell you expressly that she doesn’t wish anything to change. She's very happy living at the Dower House and for you to continue living here. Believe me, she doesn’t wish to cause you any trouble.’

Daniel went to stare out of the window. ‘Not cause me any trouble! That's a joke! A farce!

What more trouble can she cause me? She's already done her worst.’ An image of Ashdown Park made his anger rise again. ‘Oh, damn the woman!’ he muttered savagely, pressing his hands against the coolness of the window panes. ‘Damn all women, but damn her most of all!’

And he had been thinking - he didn’t know what he’d been thinking - he only knew she’d been on his mind too much lately. Though that was going to change from now on. He wouldn’t give her another thought.

Mr Napperby’s voice was very gentle. ‘Mr Carnforth, please! Let us - ’

Daniel could stand no more. Like a wounded animal, he had to be alone to lick his wounds.

He flung himself out of the room, pausing briefly at the door to order, ‘Come and discuss it with me another time, if you please. I can’t - ’ before striding across the hall, pushing aside one of the maids who got in his way and slamming the outer door behind him.

He rode through the park at a bruising pace, his mind afire with anger and despair. For once the beautiful woodland was no refuge from the world, but a heart-rending reminder of what he stood to lose.

As he passed the end of the North Drive, he saw Harry on his new pony, accompanied by Briggs. The boy waved and turned the animal towards him, his face eager. Daniel felt that as if he were choking with anger. He couldn’t bear, he absolutely could not bear to speak to anyone, least of all her or her son.

‘Get out of my way!’ he yelled as his ward started to trot in his direction.

Harry’s mouth fell open in shock.

Behind him, Alfred made an exasperated clicking sound.

‘And,’ Daniel’s chest heaved with the agony of it all, ‘tell your damned mother not to come near me from now on, or I won't be responsible for what I say or do!’

Harry jerked to a halt, sawing on the reins in a way that would normally have brought Briggs's wrath down upon his head. Lips quivering, he watched Daniel gallop away, then turned to the man he spent most of his time with nowadays for help. ‘Why did he shout at me like that, Briggs? What have I done wrong? And why was he so rude about Mother?’

An equally stunned Briggs moved his horse beside him and reached across to pat his shoulder. ‘It's not you he’s angry at, lad. It's - circumstances. He'll have found out about the baby, I reckon.’

And then he had to explain, as Helen had not been able to bring herself to do, the problems the baby might cause for Daniel. ‘So you see, it's not you he's angry with, it's - well -

circumstances. Him having sold his other house, like.’

‘Well, whatever the circumstances, he has no right to say things like that about my mother!’

Harry's voice trembled for a moment, for his guardian’s rejection of himself had hurt as well, but he managed to control himself enough to declare, ‘And he'd better not make her cry again, for I won't have it!’

Negotiations about interim arrangements were conducted through Mr Napperby, and the details of the waiting period were gradually settled.

Mrs Carnforth would be grateful if Mr Daniel Carnforth would continue to oversee the estate.

She had no desire whatsoever to move into the Manor until matters were settled.

Mr Carnforth presented his compliments to Mrs Carnforth and informed her that he would accede to her request and supervise the estate until the baby was born. After which, if it proved to be a boy, she should make arrangements to bring in an estate manager at once. In the meantime, Mr Napperby would no doubt see that the income from the estate, such as it was, was paid to her.

Mrs Carnforth declined to accept any of the income from the estate.

So did Mr Carnforth.

Only with the utmost tact did Mr Napperby manage to persuade Daniel to accept some of the money coming in for spending on estate matters, though all major improvements had now been suspended. However, Daniel refused point-blank to touch a penny for his own expenses, whether they were incurred in the running of the estate or not.