Songbird (22 page)

“And
you’ll give me leave to visit my friend?”

“Yes.”

“Promise?”

“I
never go back on my word.”

That
was true.  If anything, Andrew Perry always said what he meant.

“All
right.  Agreed.”

He
sat back in his chair.  “So, where’s this place you’re going?”

“Claythorpe
House in Hampshire.”  He gave a low chuckle.  “What’s the matter with that?”

“Did
you know it’s the country seat of the Earl of Waltham?”

My
mouth dried up and I found I couldn’t answer for a few seconds.  “I had no
idea.”

“Alastair. 
I went to school with him.”

“You
know him?  What a coincidence.”

“Well,
I haven’t seen him for years.  Give him my regards, will you.”

I
made my way to the dressing room to prepare for the evening’s performance, my
mind whirring.  I was going to spend time with an earl.  And his wife would be
a countess.  What would it be like in their company?  I couldn’t imagine it
would be the same as being with the duc and duchesse at Chateau St Julienne. 
There, I was…what had I been?  A guest yes, but more like a patient.  At
Claythorpe House I would be there to enjoy the entertainment and meet other
guests.  But the earl and his wife must be friendly if they had Mrs Babbington
as a relative.  She was their aunt and that fact alone quelled my fears.  But
first I had to have supper with Mr Perry. 

“You
shouldn’t have agreed to it, Miss Barri,” said Martha, sucking in a breath
through her teeth.  “He’ll wine and dine you and sweet talk you again and
before you know it…”

“I’ll
be wedded and bedded,” I said smiling.

She
stared at me aghast.  “I wouldn’t put it quite like that, but since you’ve said
it.”

“If I
have supper with him, he’ll give me time off to go to Hampshire.”

“He
might ask for more than supper,” she grunted.

I
didn’t answer. 

Preparations for
our journey were underway.  I had already replied to Eloise’s letter,
confirming the arrangements and she had written back and told me what train I
must catch.  She said she would come personally and collect me from the
station.  I was surprised that she sounded as excited as I did.

My
evening with Andrew arrived and I was on my guard.  This time I wouldn’t
tolerate any ‘sweet talk’ as Martha had called it.

“No
marriage proposal,” I warned him, as he pulled out my chair for me.

He
raised his eyebrows.  “Never crossed my mind.”  He took his seat.  “I’ll wait
until you come back from Hampshire and your visit with the nobility.”

His
casual comment disturbed me.  “I’ve never met English nobility,” I said without
thinking.  “Can’t imagine how I should behave.”

He
frowned.  “You’ve met foreign nobility?”

“N…no. 
What I mean…Well, I hope I don’t embarrass myself.”

“As I
said, they’re nobility not royalty.  And you don’t have to curtsey or anything
like that, you’re not a servant.  You’re their guest, so be your charming self
and you’ll win their hearts.”  He peered at me over the menu and his eyes
crinkled with amusement.  “Just like you won mine.”

I
clicked my tongue.  “I said none of that.”  My mind turned to my impending
visit.  “What’s he like, this earl?”

He
pursed his lips.  “I always found him polite, friendly and a perfect
gentleman.”

“The
countess?”

“Small,
rather dumpy.”  I giggled and it made him chuckle.  “Friendly, yes, but rather
given to annoying dramatics.”

“What’s
that supposed to mean?”  The waiter appeared and we placed our order.

“It
means she’s prone to being overexcited about anything and everything.”

“Oh
dear.”

“If
that snake of Miss Rupp’s ever escaped, the countess would no doubt tell every
one that a huge man-eating reptile was on the loose.”

“So
would I.”

“It’s
only a grass snake.”

I
shuddered.  “I can’t believe I allowed Miss Rupp to bring it into the house.”

“Easily
persuaded, are you?”

“Sometimes.”

“Oh,
good,” he said, smiling.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO

T
he
morning of the sixteenth of December was cold, wet and windy.  The cab arrived
and the driver stowed our luggage and then Danny and I jumped aboard.  This was
our second trip in three months and my son couldn’t contain his excitement.  We
were dressed warmly for the journey as the drizzling rain was bitter in the
chilly wind that blew down from the north.

Nan
and Diamond waved us off and soon we were on our way to Waterloo Station.  It
wasn’t going to be a long journey, only as far as Basingstoke, where Eloise
would meet us with a coach and accompany us to Claythorpe House.  In just over
two hours we were there and she was waiting for us on the platform.  It was
lovely seeing her again and the greeting she gave us told me that we would be
made very welcome in her home. 

“My
nephew and his wife can’t wait to meet you,” she said, as she ushered us out of
the station and into the waiting coach. 

I
wasn’t surprised to see a crest on the door or the liveried driver and grooms
who handled our luggage.  An unexpected feeling of
déjà vu
swept over
me.

“It’s
very kind of you to invite us.”  I gestured for Danny to climb into the coach
first.

“Not
at all, my dear.  You are my special guest.  The other house guests have
already arrived and although I’m acquainted with them all, they’re not exactly
my friends.”

I
licked my lips nervously.  “Are there many of them?”

“Oh,
I haven’t counted.  Just the usual crowd.”  She kept up a lively conversation
until we passed through the village of St Mary Bourne.  I could imagine it
being a very pretty village in the summer, but now with the trees bare and the
weather rather gloomy, it seemed a bleak place.  “There’s the river,” she
smiled.  “And just beyond is Claythorpe House.”

We
watched from the window and then in the distance I saw the gates that seemed to
tower above us with the crest sitting proudly on the top.  The gatekeeper’s
lodge was set back and he came out to open the huge wrought iron structure.  He
doffed his cap as we passed and I couldn’t help smiling.  My heart thudded
wildly and I hoped I wouldn’t make a complete fool of myself in front of such
eminent company.  We trotted down the drive for about three miles and finally I
could see the front of the house.

Claythorpe
House was certainly more than a house.  It was four storeys high, with large
protrusions at each end that I would discover later were the east and west
wings of the building.  Its large entrance sported an impressive portico with
two massive Doric columns just like the ones I had seen at Chateau St
Julienne.  There seemed to be countless windows and I wondered how many
servants they employed to keep the place running.  Round the house was a wide
gravel path that seemed to encircle the entire building and in front, a
sweeping lawn rolled down the hill forever with poplar trees just visible in
the distance.

“It’s
beautiful,” I breathed.  I put my arms round Danny.  “What do you think?”

“It’s
big.”  His eyes lit up.  “It’ll be wonderful to explore.”  He turned to
Eloise.  “Has it got any secret passages?”

She
gave a throaty laugh.  “You’ll have to ask my nephew about that.  I came to
live here only three years ago.” 

“It
must take ages to get from one place to another?” I asked.

“It’s
always advisable to check that you have everything before you leave your room. 
But of course, you can always ask a maid to fetch anything you’ve forgotten.” 
The coach was pulling up at the door and two footmen came out.  “Now then, I’ll
see you immediately to your room.  It overlooks the back of the house and you
have a wonderful view of the gardens and river.”  I don’t know why, but
suddenly I remembered my room at Chateau St Julienne.  That had had a view of
the lake and now I would be able to see the river.  “Luncheon is served at
one-thirty.  Alastair and Penelope prefer a buffet-style luncheon and then
everyone can just tuck in.  Dinner is at seven-thirty and a little more
formal.”

I
followed her through the entrance, holding Danny’s hand and trying not to look
like a country girl from the Welsh valleys.  The hallway was similar to the one
at the academy, although the floor tiles were cream and burgundy, the walls a
dazzling white.  An impressive marble staircase led to the upper rooms, held
aloft by four columns.  I remained at Eloise’s elbow and tried to ignore the
glances from the maids and footmen we passed on the way.  Up the staircase we
climbed and then we walked along a wide corridor.  Every room along this
passage must have been enormous, as each door was double in size.  Eventually
we came to mine.  She pushed open the door and we went inside.

It
was a lovely room sporting two large windows, with pink velvet curtains tied
back.  A huge four-poster bed stood against the wall and there were a fair
number of dressers and wardrobes and an elegant dressing table.  In the corner
was a long swivel mirror.  A fire roared in the grate and I immediately went to
it and rubbed my hands over the warming flames.

Eloise
opened another door adjacent to the window.  “This is your room, Danny.  You’ll
be sleeping right next to your mama.”  He disappeared from sight and I followed
him to the doorway.  He was jumping up and down on a large bed and then
springing off to rush round and open every cupboard and drawer he could find. 
“You’ll be eating in the nursery.”

He
stopped his exploring.  “The nursery!” he said, scowling.  “But I’m eight.  I’m
not a baby.”

I
went to him and put my hand on his shoulder.  “In a house like this, the
children always eat in the nursery.”

He
pulled a face.  “I suppose it’ll be all right.  Are there any toys in the
nursery?”

Eloise
nodded.  “Tons of them.  There’s a giant rocking horse that Alastair used to
play on when he was a boy.  You’ll love it.”

“May
I go now, Mama?” he asked, his eyes shining.

I
felt rather dubious.  It was such a big house.

“He’ll
be all right,” laughed Eloise.  “If he gets lost, there’s plenty of staff about
to ask the way.”

“I
won’t get lost,” he insisted.

“Off
you go, then,” I said and he rushed from the room.

Eloise
glanced around.  “Well, the maid will unpack for you and she’ll also bring some
hot water.”

Left
alone I started to unpack, hanging my clothes in the cupboard and placing my
toiletries on the wonderful dressing table.  I was used to Martha seeing to my
needs, but I liked to be left to my own devices and not fussed over.  I had had
enough of that in France.  I went into Danny’s room and unpacked his things.  I
had brought a patchwork quilt with me that Nan had made and I lay it over his
bed and then put some more coal on the fire, so that the room would be lovely
and warm when he returned.  Making sure it was as comfortable as possible for
him, I went back into my own room to get changed for luncheon.  There was a tap
on the door and I called for them to come in.

A tall, thin
maid in frilly cap and apron appeared with a large jug of steaming hot water.

“Good
afternoon, ma’am.  I’ve come to unpack for you.”

“All
done.  I didn’t want to bother you.”

She
seemed stunned at first but then smiled.  “Is everything to your liking, ma’am?”

I
nodded.  “It’s wonderful, thank you.” 

She
placed the jug on the washstand.  “His lordship is drawing up plans to build
bathrooms with running water.  Can you imagine it, ma’am, no more trekking up
and down the stairs carrying jugs.”

“The
Savoy Hotel has bathrooms and full electric lighting,” I informed her.

Her
eyes became wide with astonishment.  “We still have to use oil lamps.”  She
pointed to where three lamps stood.  “I don’t think gas will ever get to us
folk in the country, but his lordship says we’ll get electricity as soon as we
can.”

I
smiled at her optimism.  “I can’t wait to meet his lordship.  He sounds a very
interesting person.”

She
gave a quick curtsey.  “I’m Nelly, ma’am and I’ll help you to dress if you
wish.”

“I
shall be all right for now, Nelly.  But perhaps you’d help me dress for
dinner?”

She
curtsied once more and then left me alone.

I
undressed and then went to the washstand, poured out some water and washed. 
Hanging the towel over the rail, I opened the wardrobe and chose a dress I
thought suitable for luncheon.  It was blue and white trimmed with French
lace.  It had long wide sleeves and a short train that fell from the bustle.  I
sat at the dressing table in my petticoat, unpinned my hair and brushed it
vigorously.

Suddenly,
I heard laughter outside and feeling curious I went to the window.  I watched
as a group of men appeared on the pathway that led to the wide terrace.  I
counted at least four men, although I couldn’t see them clearly as they were
wrapped up in warm coats and from my angle I could only see the top of their
hats.

I
heard a shriek and a little girl in a short, blue cape edged in fur came
hurtling round the corner towards the men.  As she ran, her hood slipped from
her head and I could see she had long, brown hair tied with a large, red
ribbon.  The wind blew the profusion of curls over her shoulders.  Must be the
earl’s daughter, I thought.  She kept running and I watched with interest as
one of the men held out his arms, caught her and then swung her onto his
shoulders.  I smiled sadly.  My papa used to do the same thing when I ran down
the hill to meet him as he came back from the mine.  I turned away from the
window and wondered where Danny had got to.

I
went to the door and peeped out into the corridor listening to the various
noises that came from a large household.  He would be all right, I thought.  He
wouldn’t get lost.  I left the door ajar so that I could hear him when he
returned and sat at the dressing table again, plaiting my hair and twisting it
at the back of my head in a tight coil.  I fixed it in place with an ivory comb
and then I slipped into my dress and fastened the buttons.  It was then that I
realised someone was hovering outside the door.

“Danny,
is that you?”  There was no answer.  “Come in, dearest.  It will be time for
your luncheon soon.”  The door was pushed open slowly and standing on the
threshold was the dark-haired little girl I had seen outside, dressed in a red
and white pinafore dress.  I smiled at her.  “Hello.  What’s your name?”

She
gave a little curtsey that I thought very sweet.  “Emily, ma’am.”

I
beckoned to her.  “Come in, then.”

She
shook her head.  “Mama says I mustn’t go into the bedrooms.”

I bit
my lip not wanting to go against her mama’s wishes and also wondering if I
should call her Lady Emily since she was the daughter of an earl.  I decided to
be informal for now.  “Well, this is my bedroom and I invite you in.”  A bright
smile filled her face and she skipped over to me.  I held out my hand.  “I’m
pleased to meet you, Emily.  I’m Mrs Asquith.”

She
put her small hand in mine and I saw her mime my name.  “That’s a lovely comb,”
she said, glancing at my hair.

“My
papa bought it for me when I was just a little older than you.”

“I’m
six.  I’ll be seven in the summer.”

“You
haven’t seen my son, have you?”

“Is
he lost?”

“Well,
he went off to find the nursery.”

She
giggled and it sounded like a tinkling bell.  “Perhaps we’d better go and look
for him or he’ll starve to death.”

I
couldn’t help laughing.  “Not my Danny.  He can smell food from miles away.”

“Perhaps
he’s in the kitchen.”  She was studying the objects on the dressing table.  She
spotted the walnut jewellery box that had been my twenty-first birthday present
from the duc and duchesse.  “May I have a look?”  I opened it and watched in
amusement as she picked up each piece and studied it carefully.  “This is
nice,” she said, holding up the gold and diamond heart-shaped pendant on its
gold chain.  “Did your papa give you this too?”

I
took it from her and sighed.  “No, this was a very special gift from a very
special person.”  I held it in my hands.  “I think I’ll wear it.”  I clasped it
round my neck.  “What do you think?”

“You
look so beautiful, Mrs Asquith,” she said, her eyes shining.  Suddenly, she let
out a cry of pleasure.  “Oh, this is the best one.”  She brought out the pink
shell bracelet that I had bought from the market stall the afternoon of our
trip to see
The Mikado
.  “I really like this one.”

I had
almost forgotten about it.  It had lain at the bottom of my jewellery box for
nearly three years.

“Would
you like it?”

“Can
I really?”

I
took it from her and fastened it round her wrist.  “It belongs to you now.”

She
shook her hand and the shells jingled.  “It’s beautiful.”

I
watched her and smiled and remembered the little girl who had sold it to me,
her eyes and nose streaming with the cold.