Kerensa however was not smiling at the scene she’d just witnessed and for once she seemed lost for words, but found her voice once more just as I’d thought it.
‘You!’ she screamed at Kieran, her skirts swishing on the carpet as she turned to my betrothed, her finger pointing at him in a menacing manner, ‘You Sir, have broken my heart and I put a curse on both of you. Come Derrick, we will leave them to their ill-timed celebrations.’ With which words she flounced out of the room with Derrick at her heels pushing a startled Mrs Burnet to one side as she went.
‘Well, I never did in my life before!’ exclaimed the housekeeper,. ‘May I say congratulations to you master and your lovely lady from my David and me and all you staff here at Rowan. Now you called me,’ she said.
‘Yes,’ said Justine, ‘would you be kind enough to ask David to fetch a bottle of champagne from the cellar.’
‘I’ll do that right away, Miss,’ agreed Peggy.
‘And Mrs Burnet,’ Kieran called her back, ‘please tell no-one about the scene you’ve just witnessed with Miss Kerensa.’
‘I won’t, I promise, Sir,’ she said placing a finger to her lips.
‘Take no heed of Kerensa,’ soothed Justine when the housekeeper had left us, ‘she is fickle that one and as we speak will be casting her spell on Derrick.’ As Justine spoke the words I fervently prayed that this would be the case but I had my doubts.
Although I’d drunk champagne I found it very difficult to sleep that night, the mixed events of the day going round and round in my head. Kieran’s mother’s portrait, being married and then not being married, the engagement ring and Kerensa’s outburst all whirling in my mind and I came to the conclusion it was Kerensa’s reaction which disturbed me most of all. In all my darkest imaginings I could not have perceived what the outcome would be.
When morning came I had dismissed Kerensa from my mind for Justine and I were to visit Mrs Harding today and I was jubilant at the prospect of our outing.
‘I hear congratulations are in order mistress, no I mean Miss,’ said Megan, ‘I’m real pleased that all is well for I’d have been right sad if you’d had to leave.’
‘Well, I’m not, so all is well Megan and today I am to choose the material for my wedding dress,’ I told her.
‘Oh Miss, it must be the most exciting time for you, but didn’t you wear a special dress the first time?’ she queried, obviously quite perplexed at the whole situation, which I could well understand.
‘No Megan, but this time I intend to choose exactly what I imagine I should wear at my wedding.’
‘How lovely, Miss. I look forward to seeing you in your wedding gown,’ she said sincerely.
I met Justine in the hall at ten as arranged last evening, I was dressed in the cornflower blue as Kieran had liked it so much, and was so glad I had as he came into the hall just as we were leaving and kissing my hand he whispered, ‘Choose well, little one.’
‘I think I ought to tell you that Annabel’s funeral is to be held next week,’ said Justine as we travelled to Llanberis in the carriage. At her words my hand flew to my mouth for I had to confess I had quite forgotten poor Annabel and suddenly I felt that I shouldn’t be so happy or making plans for our wedding under these circumstances.
‘I can guess what you are thinking, Barbara,’ said Justine kindly, ‘but it is none of your fault as to what befell Annabel. We have to put it behind us as Kieran has done. It was an unfortunate accident but we are to thank God she has been found, haven’t we,’ she said with a matter of fact manner.
As we arrived at Mrs Harding’s I had butterflies in my stomach for I did so want to make the right decision. As always Mrs Harding welcomed us into her home and Polly took our bonnets and gloves, after which the dressmaker took us to the room full of bales of materials where I had chosen before.
‘I wish to wear white lace,’ I blurted out before we began choosing.
‘Do you, dear,’ said Justine, quite surprised at my words.
‘It is most unusual,’ said Mrs Harding, ‘but I’m sure we can achieve it with a little imagination,’ she said kindly, taking us over to one particular table where the white materials were. I looked at all of them not seeing any white lace which I’d set my heart on. ‘First of all we need to choose a white silk,’ explained Mrs Harding, obviously having seen the crestfallen look on my face. ‘For we will need to stitch the lace over it.’ At her words I brightened and the butterflies returned.
I chose a plain white silk and then Mrs Harding showed me a bale of lace which was exquisite with intricate motifs of tiny flowers worked on the net, entwined here and there by hearts.
‘Yes,’ I enthused, ‘this is exactly what I had imagined. Now can we talk of what Justine will wear as my bridesmaid, please.’
At my words Justine looked shocked. ‘Barbara, I had never thought...’ she began.
‘I have no-one of my own, Justine, you are the nearest to family I shall ever have. Of course I wish you to attend me at my marriage to your brother,’ I told her. ‘And can I tell you what I’d like you to wear please?’
‘Of course, I am overwhelmed and can hardly believe you have asked me. But what of Kerensa?’
‘You know as well as I that Kerensa would not be my bridesmaid even if I asked her, she would utter some unkind retort leaving me wishing I had not mentioned it.’
‘Very well,’ agreed Justine smiling, ‘tell me what you envisage I should wear on your special day.’
So I did.
‘I imagine you wearing the white silk and as pink becomes you so a pink cloak draped over the shoulder falling to the upper leg with a white lace bonnet to match the lace of my dress, decorated with small pink roses. How does this sound?’ I asked looking at both Justine and the dressmaker.
Arriving back at the castle having being duly measured by both Mrs Harding and Polly, and chattering all the way home about the wedding arrangements Mrs Burnet met us in the hallway.
‘I’m really sorry, Miss Justine, but a letter arrived for you yesterday afternoon and what with all the excitement I forgot about it, I’m truly sorry,’ The housekeeper apologised handing Justine the letter from the silver salver.
‘Thank you, Mrs Burnet. Could you please bring us a tray of tea in the drawing-room?’ said Justine accepting the letter from her.
We both walked into the drawing-room removing our bonnets and then sinking thankfully on to the settle by the fire.
‘I’ll just open my letter while you sit quietly for you must be exhausted by the events of the last twenty-four hours,’ said Justine looking down at the envelope in her hands.
I leant back on the settle relaxing when Justine suddenly sat bolt upright on her seat. I looked at her and noted that her hand trembled and her lovely face was ashen in colour.
‘Whatever ails you?’ I asked her with some concern.
‘I’m sorry Barbara, I need to go to my room,’ she said rising from the settle.
‘Is it bad news?’ I called after her as she left the room, but she did not answer me and I never saw her again that day. Mrs Burnet told me after dinner that Miss Justine had taken to her room and wished to be left alone.
That night I felt exhausted yet had less chance of sleep than the night before, which surprised me somewhat as I had had a pleasant day. I lay beneath the sheets imagining what my wedding gown would be like. I knew that Mrs Harding was an excellent dressmaker and would make me an exquisite gown for my marriage.
I was just about to fall asleep when the sobbing started, I sat up in bed but it persisted, so getting up I slipped my robe around me and put some slippers on my feet intent on solving the mystery and praying that this time I wouldn’t encounter Derrick in the corridor.
No-one was around so as swiftly as I could I sped along the maze of corridors to Annabel’s room, I stood at the door for some time, the sobbing was indeed coming from within the room.
Placing my hand gently on the doorknob and as quietly as I could turning it, I pushe
d the door so that I could see around it.
The room was dark, the fire burning low in the grate giving little light, the sobbing was louder yet quieter than I expected it to be.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I could see a figure huddled on the armchair by the chimney breast. The sobbing ceased and the woman looked up.
‘Who’s there?’ she called quietly and to my astonishment I could see it was Justine.
9
‘Justine!’ I exclaimed. It’s you! What on earth is going on? I can’t believe you’re in here!’
‘Yes, it’s me, Barbara,’ she said quietly, sobs still escaping her lips.
‘What is the matter, why do you weep so?’ I asked her gently, going over to put my arm around her shoulder.
‘It’s my mother, sometimes I just can’t help feeling so sad about her, and now I’ve received this letter,’ she said, showing me the missive which she was clutching in her hand. ‘After twenty years I don’t know if someone is playing a joke on me.’
‘What does it say, this letter?’ I asked with curiosity.
‘Read it for yourself. I cannot believe that anyone would play such a cruel trick on me,’ she said more rationally now, her sobs subsiding as she handed me the letter. I opened it up, smoothing it out for it had crumpled somewhat in Justine’s hand and looking at it with some difficulty by the dim light from the fire I read,
Shrewsbury the 26th February, 1842.
Dear daughter,
You will be shocked and surprised to hear from your mother after twenty years, for I left Rowan Castle when you were only eight years of age. I have been living in Venice where I have pursued my love of painting and am back in Shrewsbury to visit a sick friend.
What your father has told you, if anything, before his death, of my leaving I have little idea. Although this will be a shock to you, could you see it in your heart to come and see me. I would come to Rowan, but I don’t somehow think that I would be made welcome. I am staying in room 44 at the Duchess Hotel and will be here until the 7th of March.
I wish to explain to you what happened all those years ago and would find it easier to tell my daughter than my sons. You can send a message to me here at any time and I pray you will see it in your heart to do so.
Your mother,
Annabel Alexander.
I read the letter through twice before looking at Justine.
‘I think this is a genuine letter and you must go to her. I would were I in your position,’ I told her honestly.
‘Do you really think so?’ she said, taking the letter from my hand and reading through it once more. ‘You are right, Barbara. I must go and see her, for there is much I wish to know. Please say you will accompany me,’ she pleaded.
‘I will come with you, for I can see that you need some company,’ I said thoughtfully.
‘Thank you, Barbara. We can tell Kieran and Derrick that we are going to pick a headdress and shoes, which indeed we can,’ Justine said brightly, for now she had a purpose and I wished to help her for this sadness could not continue.
‘This is your mother’s room, isn’t it?’ I asked.
‘Yes it is, and for many years I did not bother with it, but for the past few months I have felt that life is passing me by and I kept wondering if I had a mother, would things have been different and a great sadness came over me. That’s when I decided to busy myself and create mother’s room just as I remembered it. On the days I feel the sadness I come here and somehow it helps me, I have cried so many tears in this room,’ Justine told me.
‘I know, for since I have been in the yellow room I have heard you,’ I told her. ‘But no more, we will visit your mother and hopefully you can put all this sadness behind you,’ I encouraged her. Now, let us go back to bed for it is chilly in here now the fire has burned low and also very dark.’ At which words we giggled, and made our way back to our rooms linking arms.
So it was that two days later Justine and I were in the carriage travelling to Shrewsbury, our trunks along with us. Kieran had been delighted for us to go without any suspicion and as we drew away from the steps at Rowan Castle, my betrothed stood by the door waving to us until we were out of sight.
Justine and I had needlework to keep us busy through the evenings, for I was needing petticoats and nightdresses. We were becoming closer as each day went by for which I was thankful, for I was growing ever fonder of her.
We arrived at the Duchess Hotel in Shrewsbury at nearly four o’clock in the afternoon, it was a very grand place which overlooked the River Severn. We swept into the lobby, Justine in the pink which so became her and me in my royal blue outfit which I had worn to the hearing which now seemed such a long time ago.
We were to share an apartment and as Justine signed the register I looked around me at the round marble pillars and all the activity which was going on in the foyer. Through French windows I could see tables laid for dinner with white and yellow tablecloths, the glasses shining even from here. How things had changed for me, I mused, in such a short space of time.
We chose to walk up the wide sweeping staircase, the gold-coloured carpet thick and soft beneath our feet. The doors along the corridor were white and gold with gold inlaid in the cream wallpaper.
How luxurious it all seemed to me and when I saw our apartment my breath was almost taken away; gold brocade covered the couch which was drawn up before a white marble fireplace which was inlaid with gold and the luxurious gold carpet continued in here also, while two beds with white and gold bed heads stood in each alcove, a gold quilt carefully covering the mattresses.
A fire burned in the beautiful grate emitting a warmth for which I was thankful for after the long journey, I felt decidedly cold.
‘There’s a bathroom!’ exclaimed Justine as she opened a door. I went across to look at what she’d discovered. We stood side by side inside the doorway gazing at the huge white enamel bath with large gold taps which stood in the middle of an otherwise almost empty room, apart from a very grand washbasin decorated with pink roses and green leaves. Justine and I hugged each other.
‘What an adventure!’ I said going across to the ottoman which stood at the end of one of the beds and laying my bonnet on it.
‘Come and look at the view,’ said Justine who was standing by the window. The light was now fading outside, but I could see the river, the lamplight reflecting an orange glow on the water. There were still people arriving and we stood for some time
watching the comings and goings.
‘I think we should freshen up and leave a message for your mother at the desk,’ I said to Justine. ‘And then maybe we should have dinner and an early night.’
To which Justine agreed, just as there was a discreet knock at the door, and on opening it, I could see that our luggage had been brought up by two porters in very grand gold silk waist-coats. They put our trunks where I’d indicated and I reached in my reticule for two florins to give the young men as Kieran had instructed me.
After washing away the grime of the journey and changing into evening gowns, Justine in blue, which matched her piercing blue eyes and I in a soft green which brought Kerensa to mind. We’d not seen her since she had put a curse on Kieran and I that fateful day; at the thought of him I suddenly felt homesick for Rowan Castle.
We walked down the staircase and young men lifted their hats to us, stopping to let us pass. We nodded in acknowledgement and one particular young man with dark hair and warm brown eyes smiled at Justine and bowed before her. As we reached the lobby, Justine looked back to see him retracing his steps down the stairs.
‘Can I escort you to dinner, ladies?’ he asked in a cultured voice. He was tall and prepossessing and Justine had obviously warmed to him.
‘We have to leave a message for someone,’ she said and looked at me.
‘We’d be delighted for you to accompany us, Sir,’ I said, ‘if you will excuse us for a moment.’
The young man hovered behind us at a discreet distance and I cou
ld see as I observed him that he didn’t take his eyes off Justine. We left a message for Mrs Annabel Alexander in room 44 to join us for coffee in the foyer tomorrow morning at eleven.
Our business attended to, the young man took each of us by the arm and escorted us into the dining-room. We sat at a round table with gleaming wine glasses and sparkling cutlery laid on a white damask tablecloth. While I was taken with my surroundings, Justine was taken with the young stranger.
‘It is rude,’ he began, ‘to ask a lady’s name before offering one’s own. I am Daniel Madison from Wales and I feel the most fortunate of men to have encountered two such lovely young ladies,’ he said, all the while looking at Kieran’s sister.
The evening went well, we found that he was on business in Shrewsbury and lived in Porthmadog which was quite close to Rowan Castle.
Justine laughed and chatted all evening, her mother quite forgotten, for which I was pleased. I had not seen her so animated and alive since I had met her. We left Mr Madison at the foot of the staircase, agreeing to walk with him by the river after breakfast the next morning.
On reaching our room, Justine couldn’t stop talking about him and I was pleased for her and prayed that the association would fair well. Which it did, with me walking a few steps behind them the following morning as we walked alongside the lovely river; which brought to mind my walks with Kieran, and then it was time to meet Annabel.
We sat together anxiously on a gold couch in the foyer looking at every middle-aged woman who walked past us; and suddenly, there she was standing before us in a cream-coloured gown. I recognised her instantly from the portrait and so did Justine, age had not altered Annabel Alexander much, except for a few streaks of grey hair she looked as she had when she had come to Rowan as a bride.
‘Mother?’ questioned Justine as she stood up and went towards the lovely woman and they embraced each other so suddenly that tears sprang to my eyes. When they had drawn apart, mother and daughter sat together and I felt intrusive.
A Strange Affair Page 8