She closed the library door and moved through the darkness towards the mantelpiece.
Suddenly someone emerged from the shadows and put his arms round her.
She opened her mouth to give a cry of astonishment and then realised who it was.
“I knew you would come here!”
Without waiting for an answer, Lord Bramton lips came down on hers.
He kissed her wildly and fervently.
It was as if something had broken inside him and he could no longer control himself.
He kissed Galina until she felt as if he was carrying her up into the sky and they were touching the stars.
Then he raised his head and exclaimed,
“It’s just no use, my darling, I cannot go on without you.”
“I love you so much, Victor,” Galina gasped.
“Do you love me enough to risk the future without money and without any help?”
“We will surely find a way of saving ourselves and the Priory – ”
“I knew you would say that, my precious one.”
Then he was kissing her again.
It seemed a long time before they could speak and then Lord Bramton breathed,
“I thought at dinner when I heard the man next to you paying you compliments and telling you how beautiful you are that I could not stand it any longer.
“I would kill any man who comes near you. I want you more than I have ever wanted anything in my whole life. In fact, if you stopped loving me, I would die!”
“I love you. I adore you,” cried Galina. “But I feel that you should marry Ellie-May and save the Priory.”
“Not even the Priory itself is as important as you, my darling one. Everything in it is dead, but you and I are alive and for what is left of our lives, we must spend together.”
Galina gave a small cry of happiness and then he was kissing her again.
Someone pulled open the library door and they both stiffened – at the same time they did not move or speak.
Whoever it was, looked in, saw that the room was in darkness except for the candles and went away.
Lord Bramton drew Galina beside him on the sofa and put his arms round her.
“My darling Galina, my loved one. How soon can we be married.”
“Just as soon as Georgie comes back from America and I would like to marry you in your lovely little Chapel.”
Lord Bramton stared at her.
“Do you really mean it?”
“Do you think I would want a big wedding that we cannot afford with lots of people staring at us and saying we are crazy?”
Lord Bramton laughed.
“You are absolutely right and, of course, it would cost money we do not have.”
“We must save every penny we can, Victor, and I have an idea as to how we can make a little money which I will talk to you about tomorrow.”
“All I want to do is to kiss you. I have controlled myself for so long it is impossible to go on any longer. I love and worship you – everything about you is so perfect.
“Do you think that Georgie will be very angry with you for not marrying someone rich as he wanted you to?”
“He may be a bit disappointed, but you know how fond he is of you and if he thinks money is so important, he should marry Ellie-May himself!”
“I think Ellie-May has other ideas,” Lord Bramton confided, “and so has someone else.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have a suspicion that Sir Christopher is falling in love with her. He was talking about her last night and there was a look in his eyes which told me he felt more deeply about her than anyone else.”
Galina gave an exclamation.
“I passed Sir Christopher on the stairs and he asked me where Ellie-May was hiding, as he had an important message for her from her father.”
“So you told him where she was. Then how did you know?”
“She was in a place that she and I have called the ‘spy room’ and I felt certain that was where she would be.”
“Instead I have found you, my darling.”
“I am so glad you found me,” she whispered.
Then as he kissed her again, it was just impossible to think of anything but to thrill to the wonder of his lips.
It was a long time later that Lord Bramton said,
“I think really, my lovely one, we ought to go back to the drawing room. I am sure everyone has found Ellie-May by this time and they will think it rather strange that we are missing.”
Galina gave a laugh.
“Does it matter what they think?”
“No, of course not,” he answered. “But as you say we must wait until Georgie returns before we announce our engagement. Then we will go to the Priory and have the most wonderful wedding anyone could ever wish for.”
“I only hope, Victor, that you will not believe your Greek Goddesses to be more beautiful than me!”
“How could they be? As far as I am concerned you are the most beautiful woman in the world and I am the luckiest man to have you as my wife.”
He kissed her again.
Hand in hand they walked from the library back to the drawing room.
They were nearly there as she could hear the chatter of voices, and then they could see that Ellie-May and Sir Christopher were coming towards them.
Galina gave a little cry.
“Has no one found you?”
“No one except for Christopher,” Ellie-May replied looking up at him.
There was a silence and then Lord Bramton said to Sir Christopher,
“I have a feeling I should be congratulating you.”
Sir Christopher laughed.
“Is it that obvious? But of course neither Ellie-May nor I can admit anything until we have asked her father.”
Ellie-May looked at Galina.
“We are going to be married,” she whispered.
Galina put her arms round her and kissed her.
“I am so glad, so very glad, and I know you will be blissfully happy.”
“I will make certain of that,” said Sir Christopher. “But for Heaven’s sake, don’t say a word until I have told His Royal Highness, as he always likes to know a secret before anyone else.”
“We will be very careful,” promised Galina, “and perhaps it would be wise, as no one has found Ellie-May, if I take her in alone and you two men pretend you have been looking for her. Then you can come in later and say you have given up the chase.”
“That’s a good idea,” agreed Sir Christopher.
He started to walk back the way he had come and a little reluctantly Lord Bramton followed him.
Galina waited until they were out of sight and then holding Ellie-May’s hand they went back into the drawing room.
“I have found her,” she cried, “but she was very well hidden and as it is so late, I have made her come back to civilisation!”
The Princess came towards them.
“That is very sensible of you. Ellie-May, everyone said you had disappeared and we could not imagine where you were clever enough to be hiding.”
“I am not going to tell anyone,” answered Ellie May, “because Your Royal Highness may want to play the game again and it must be an undiscovered secret.”
The Princess laughed.
“You are right and you must have a special present for being so clever. Are we all here?”
As she spoke the door opened and Sir Christopher looked in.
“Oh, there you are Miss Ellie-May!” he exclaimed with surprise. “I was very worried when I heard so many had given up that I was just going to send for the Police!”
“Oh, don’t do that! I might well be charged with something I have not done.”
“You will certainly not be charged with anything,” said the Princess, “and I think everyone deserves a glass of champagne after their arduous efforts to find you. You are the first who has ever succeeded in remaining completely hidden and I think it is very ingenious of you.”
&
nbsp; It was impossible for Ellie-May to say anything.
Although some guests pressed her to tell where she was hiding, she shook her head.
“I am the first person,” she boasted finally, “to have left a secret at Sandringham!”
*
The next morning when they left in the train, Galina was not surprised that Sir Christopher went with them.
After they had said goodbye to the Prince and Princess, she heard the Prince saying to him,
“Don’t be too long in London. I shall miss you.”
“I will be back here as soon as I can, Your Royal Highness.”
When they got into the Royal Compartment, Ellie-May sat down next to Sir Christopher.
Galina then sat as far away as possible beside Lord Bramton.
“Have you slept well, my darling?” he asked in a low voice that no one else could hear.
“I was too happy to sleep for long – ”
“I felt the same and I feel today as if the sunshine has never shone so brightly and the birds have never sung so beautifully.”
“It is so wonderful to be with you,” sighed Galina.
The train started off and Mr. Farlow, who had been generously tipping all the porters, moved further into the compartment.
Then to Galina’s considerable surprise he came and sat down beside them.
“I want to talk to you, Victor,” he began.
“And I have something to say to you, sir,” replied Lord Bramton. “But of course you speak first.”
“Very well, I have been cogitating all night about your amazing collection at the Priory and I have realised it is, in fact, exactly what I want for myself in America.”
Galina thought he was going to ask if he could buy some of it. and she felt it would be uncomfortable for Lord Bramton to have to explain the difficulties of entailment.
But before she could speak, Mr. Farlow went on,
“I know it’s all entailed and that it’s impossible for you to sell anything to me, even one small piece of ivory.”
“That is the truth, sir,” nodded Lord Bramton.
“Well, what I’m going to suggest is that, as you are so knowledgeable, you will buy for me from all over the world, a collection of antique pieces as closely resembling your own as it’s possible to find.”
Galina gave a little gasp.
“If you will agree, I will give you the sum of ten thousand pounds a year for your trouble until the collection is complete and, of course, all your expenses will be paid down to the last dime.”
It was obviously with difficulty that Lord Bramton found his voice.
“If you really mean it, sir, I can only say that it is the most superb idea I have ever heard. I only hope I will not fail to find you antiques which, if not exactly like mine, are unusual and precious.”
It was then that Galina gave a little cry.
“How could you think of anything so marvellous? I know there is nothing he would enjoy more than finding you what you require. Also if you can give Victor all that money, we can be married at once and I will be able to go with him.”
Mr. Farlow smiled.
“I thought that was what you would say and I can only wish you both so much happiness.”
“I am lost for words,” sighed Lord Bramton. “I can only thank you, sir, from the bottom of my heart and I will strive in every way to find what you desire. Although it will take time – the sort of pieces you require are available, if one looks for them in the right places.”
“I believe your experience would know where those places are and I intend to be envied by every householder in Fifth Avenue when I come up with a treasure which not one of them has the slightest chance of owning!”
He was obviously so overjoyed at the idea that both Galina and Lord Bramton laughed.
“I promise you I will make you not only the envy of New York but of the whole American Continent!”
“That is exactly what I want, and thank goodness I can afford it!”
He rose from his seat as he spoke and added,
“I think I should tell Ellie-May what we have now agreed, otherwise she might feel out of it.”
Galina knew that Ellie-May had yet to tell him her secret, so she did not say anything.
Mr. Farlow made his way across the compartment and sat down beside his daughter.
Galina slipped her hand into Lord Bramton’s.
“I am dazed, Galina, as I thought last night when I kissed you and you said that you would marry me, I had touched the moon and could ask for nothing else. But now Mr. Farlow has given me the stars as well and I cannot find words with which to thank him.”
“I think it is bright of him to think of it. He knows that, if you can give him what he wants, he will be the envy of his friends and the most talked about millionaire in the whole of New York.”
“I thought he was that already with his oil wells!”
*
They had nearly reached London before Mr. Farlow left the seat next to Ellie-May and came back to where he had been sitting with Galina and Lord Bramton.
“I suppose you will have guessed what Ellie-May has been telling me?”
“She is incredibly happy,” replied Galina. “And it was impossible to keep it a secret.”
“Well, he’s surely a nice enough fellow, although to be honest, I don’t mind telling you I would have liked an Earl or a Duke for my daughter.”
There was silence before Lord Bramton remarked,
“I think actually she has done better than that.”
“How do you mean!” Mr. Farlow asked sharply.
“Well, as you already know Christopher’s mother is a relative of Princess Alexandra. It means Ellie-May will be welcome at Sandringham or Marlborough House. There will be no question of her not being invited to every party given by Their Royal Highnesses and she will be received by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle.”
It was obvious that Mr. Farlow had not thought of this and he commented happily,
“If that’s true, it’s very satisfactory indeed!”
“Of course it’s true, and I know, as she is so pretty and such fun to be with, she will undoubtedly become, in time, one of the important hostesses in the whole of London.”
Mr. Farlow gave a deep sigh.
He had rather thought Sir Christopher’s Baronetcy was pretty low down on the Social scale.
“Frankly,” Lord Bramton finished, “I do think that Ellie-May’s marriage will be the most illustrious wedding of the Season. I can promise you everyone will want to be there and there will be crying and weeping from those who don’t receive an invitation!”
Mr. Farlow looked even more delighted.
“We can hold the reception at Ranmore House and the ballroom will be just about big enough.”
“I would hope so,” came in Galina. “But if it’s not and too many accept your invitation, you can always erect a really big marquee in the garden behind the house.”
“Yes, of course we can. I’d not thought of that.”
He was obviously thrilled with the idea and then he asked,
“I suppose Sir Christopher, my future son-in-law, will have a very large number of guests, who will expect to be invited?”
“He has a most extensive family,” answered Lord Bramton, “and as he was educated at Eton and served in the Household Cavalry, I should imagine that his friends run into thousands, not counting the Social world, who will expect to be invited as it will be such a smart wedding.”
By the time they reached London, Mr. Farlow was smiling with satisfaction and he was already thinking how envious his friends and enemies in America would be.
Just before they actually drew up on the platform, Lord Bramton suggested,
“There is one thing I know that will make you very happy and that is your daughter is not being married for her money.”
Mr. Farlow looked at him enquiringly.
“Sir Christopher’s father was a very rich man and I know that Christo
pher has always had more money than he needs. You will certainly be impressed with his house in Oxfordshire, which is almost the size of Sandringham. He also has a house in Berkley Square, which has been in the family for several generations.”
Galina put her hand into his and said very softly,
“Ellie-May is marrying Sir Christopher because she loves him and he is marrying her because he has lost his heart.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted for her.”
Galina knew there was a note of relief in his voice.
They were all driven to Ranmore House and when luncheon was over, Lord Bramton said he was going out.
“Where are you going?” Galina enquired.
“I am going to see a good friend of mine, who is the curator at the Tate Gallery.”
“To ask his advice?”
“Yes, and I am going to consult the experts at both Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Quite a number of objects I wish to collect automatically come up at their sales, but I think you realise, my darling, we will be spending quite a lot of time abroad.”
“It will be more exciting than anything else, Victor, to go abroad with you and see all the places I have only been able to read about.”
“We will explore them all together and it just seems incredible that we can do it in such comfort and spend what money we please in finding precious objects to make Mr. Farlow even more envied than he is for his oil wells!”
“That is true and I do think we are really doing the right thing not only for him but for America itself.”
He knew exactly what she was saying and nodded,
“As they are a young nation they need the old and it is vitally important that the objects of the old world should enrich the new.”
“I knew you would think like that. So we are really on what is almost a holy mission – ”
“That is how I want you to think of it, because you are going to work as hard as I am. But there is one issue that is more important than anything else.”
“What is that, Victor?”
“We must not fail. We both realise that we are not just spending a rich man’s money, but are bringing education, inspiration and perhaps ambition to the young people of a new and great country.”
Galina threw her arms round his neck.
“I love you! I love you!” she cried. “You always say the right words and even if we have to be as poor as I thought we would be, I know you would still have gone on thinking in the same way.”
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