The Victory (20 page)

‘
James, don't hold so tightly, you are hurting me. No,
mon
cher,
I don't suppose I will. I am too old for him, though we
are the same age. Besides, he will soon be gone to the war.
But I enjoy a man's company, after so long alone.'

‘
Yes. I'm sorry, Marmoset,' James said, releasing her. 'I
had no right to ask.' They were silent a while, moving auto
matically to the music but hearing only their thoughts. James
was astonished that he seemed to have nothing to ask or tell
her. Just to be near her while he could seemed so important, it
left room for nothing else. He was glad when the dance
ended, so that he could take her hand upon his arm and feel
the warmth of her body close to him.

They rejoined their group to find Roberta deep in conver
sation with the Duc. She turned to Héloïse as they came up.

‘
We have had such a good notion, the Duc and I! It is that
you should both come to stay at Shawes. I have a large party,
as you know, and we all stay until the end of the month. Then I shall be going back to London, and I will be able to offer the
Duc a seat in my carriage on the first leg of his journey.
Please say you will come!’

James threw Roberta a look of burning gratitude. 'What a splendid idea! Do come, Marmoset,' he said. 'You could go
straight back with Roberta from here, and send a message
home to tell them where you are.'

‘
It is most kind,' Héloïse said, looking pleased and bewil
dered and doubtful. She knew James's wife was from home,
but was it quite proper to take advantage of her absence in
such a way?
Lucy, always straightforward, answered the unasked ques
tion. 'With such a large party, no-one will think anything of
it. James does not stay at Shawes, you know. Besides, we are
all cousins, and Roberta's acquaintance with you is long
established. Why shouldn't she invite anyone she wants to her
own house?’

Héloïse hesitated, looking from face to face. The temp
tation was overwhelming, to be in company again, to be with
cousins and friends, to be at Shawes, to be near Morland
Place. Surely no harm could come of it? There could be
nothing improper, surely, in such a very numerous gathering? And if she was careful never to be alone with him, could it be
wrong, just for a little while, to be near James?
The voice of her conscience spoke up boldly, but she
crushed it down. I want this, she told it, and I will have it, and
do my penance later. 'Thank you,' she said simply to Roberta.
'I will come.’

*

The days fled by quickly, each one marked with its scheme of
pleasure, and the parties from Shawes and Morland Place
were meeting every day. Edward and Chetwyn soon made up
their quarrel, though there remained a little reserve between
them which they could not quite manage to overcome, and
made them glad to join with the others rather than go off on
their own.

James was at Shawes every day from breakfast until the
company retired to bed, and seeing that Héloïse didn't mean
to be alone with him, Lucy did her best for her brother by
keeping the Duc amused and preventing him from noticing
their preoccupation with each other.

All too soon August was over, and the party was breaking
up. -Lucy and Héloïse were the first to leave, their departure hastened by a letter from Mary Ann announcing her return to
Morland Place. Héloïse had agreed readily to have Lucy to
stay.

‘
It makes it a little easier to part from you,' she said to
James on the morning of their departure. 'Lucy has something
of the look of you; and she will be such good company
for me.'

‘
Let me escort you — part of the way, at least,' he added as
she immediately shook her head. 'Then, may I visit you? To
see how Lucy goes on, if you need an excuse.'

‘
No,' Héloïse said, meeting his eyes steadily. 'For us to meet
here in a large company is one thing, but for you to come
alone to my home is quite different. It would be very wrong.’

He gripped her hand so tightly she winced. 'I have never
even seen the child.'

‘
It is better you should not. We have had this little time
together, more than we expected, but nothing has changed,
my James. We must go on as best we can.’

He sighed as if it hurt to breathe. 'No reprieve, then?' She
said nothing. 'And may I not even kiss you goodbye? Hold
you, just once?’

For answer she withdrew her hand from his painful grip.
'God bless you, my dearest love,' she said.

Chetwyn handed Lucy up into the carriage with grave
courtesy. 'I shall stay at Wolvercote until I hear from you.
You will write to me, if you need anything?'

‘
Yes. But I shan't need anything,' she said easily. Looking
down at him, she thought suddenly how sad and lost he looked.
'I shall be all right, Chetwyn. You don't need to worry about
me,' she said, and he pressed her hand briefly before releasing it.

A few days later Chetwyn took his departure from Morland
Place. Maurice Ballincrea and Roberta between them had
persuaded Lady Serena to allow her son to take advantage of
the offer of a seat in Chetwyn's chariot to Oxford. There
would be room for her, they said, to travel north in the
Ballincreas' carriage, which would save her the expense of a
post-chaise for Robert; and since she disliked spending money
on anything other than her own comfort, she yielded with a
fair grace.

Robert took his breakfast at Morland Place on the morning
of departure so that they could make an early start, and
between his shyness and his gratitude, he was as little able to
eat as to speak.

Edward, James, and William all appeared at the breakfast
table.

‘
We shall soon be after you,' William said to Chetwyn. 'No
use waiting around here and hoping for a ship. Not that we
haven't enjoyed the rest,' he nodded to Edward, 'but if I don't
go and make a nuisance of myself at the Admiralty, they'll
forget who I am.'

‘
It's going to be so dull when you've all gone,' James said
feelingly. 'That's the trouble with company — they make you
discontented when they go. Just you and me from now on,
Ned old fellow. What shall we do?'

‘
Mary Ann will be home later today,' Edward pointed out.
'And the boy. You could start taking a little notice of him.’

James's expression became veiled. 'I wouldn't dream of
poaching Father Aislaby's preserves.’

Edward and Chetwyn walked out into the yard together, a
little ahead of the others. 'Young Knaresborough says you've
invited him to Wolvercote for the shooting,' Edward said
curiously.

‘
Oh, I said it quite casually in conversation, as one does,
and he seemed so pleased I couldn't disappoint him,' Chetwyn said. 'Charming boy, isn't he? He'll be quite enchanting when
he's grown out of his spots.’

Edward smiled at that. They reached the carriage and
turned to look at each other. 'I've half a mind to come
myself,' he said hesitantly.

‘
Do,' said Chetwyn steadily. 'You know you are always
welcome.’

Edward seemed satisfied. 'But you know I can't get away
in October. I've far too much to do, even with James's
valuable help.' He held out his hand. 'Take care of yourself,
Chet. I wish you didn't look so tired.'

‘Goodbye, Ned. Keep an eye on Lucy for me.’

It was an apology on both sides.

 
It was a long time since Lucy had lived in a small house, and
her heart misgave when she saw the size of Plaisir. When she
entered the house and discovered how many people were
already living there, everything else gave way before astonish
ment that Héloïse should have asked her to stay, and the
conviction that only the warmth of her cousin's heart could
have supposed the thing possible.

‘
But there simply cannot be room,' she expostulated in the
crowded parlour, fielding Kithra's passionate advances with
strong and expert hands. 'I'm sure you have not enough
bedrooms, to begin with.'

‘
Oh, but I have been thinking about that,' Héloïse said, her
arms full of Sophie. 'It is quite easy. Sophie can have a cot in
my room, and Mathilde can share with Flon, and you can
have the children's room. And I'm sure your maid will not
mind to share with Marie.’

Docwra nodded. The two women had already discovered
enough about each other in the course of one careful look and handshake to form the basis of a mutual approval.

‘
Bien stir, madame, mais quant
à
Monsieur Parsleau
Marie said, her English deserting her in the urgency of the
moment. There were only the two attic bedrooms left, in one
of which slept Nan and Alice. It had been a matter of delicacy
to persuade Barnard to share the other with Stephen, and
Marie doubted if the volatile cook could be asked to share
with a groom as well, without endangering all of their lives.

Docwra spoke quietly to her mistress. 'Parslow had better
go back to Wolvercote, my lady. There won't be anything for
him to do here.'

‘
But I can't do without him,' Lucy said at once, more with
surprise than determination. She had always taken him and
Docwra everywhere with her, and the idea of not having him
near to hand startled her, as if she had been told to manage
without her right arm.

‘
You won't be riding for the next few months, my lady,'
Docwra told her firmly, 'and as to driving your curricle —
well, it won't do, my lady, not if you want to be incognito. If
you draw attention to yourself, people are going to start
wondering who you are.'

‘
Come, Docwra, I must have some means of getting about,'
Lucy said reasonably.

‘
You may drive Cygnus and Vega whenever you wish,'
Héloïse said, and Lucy brightened. It was she who had been
largely responsible for their training.

‘
Oh yes, I had forgotten them. Well, I suppose I could
manage without my horses for a while,' she said grudgingly, 'but I can't have Parslow as far off as Wolvercote. Suppose I
needed him? It would take forever to send for him. Perhaps
he could put up at the inn?'