There were no servants present, but a number of dishes were set out, English-fashion, on the sideboard.
Lord Kiniston helped himself to veal cutlets, cooked by a French chef whose sauces were superb.
The Duke immediately embarked on the problem as to whether it would be safe to dispense with thirty thousand men at this stage of the Occupation.
The Russians were playing for French favours and it was crucial to decide whether or not the French people were basically loyal to the new regime.
“It will mean you going to London for discussions, Your Grace,” Lord Kiniston remarked.
“I would not object to that,” the Duke replied. “In fact I think I am in need of a change and I would rather like to visit Cheltenham. The water there is very efficacious and the doctors know their business.”
Looking at him Lord Kiniston thought that the change would do him good.
He was quite certain that the strain of last year and his unending negotiations with the French Government had been very fatiguing.
He murmured something sympathetic and the Duke said,
“Now let’s talk about something else. You, for instance, my boy.”
Lord Kiniston realised what danger confronted him in what the Duke was about to say and he therefore said quickly,
“By the way, Your Grace, I don’t know whether you have been told, but my Ward, Lady Charis Langley, arrived last night from England.”
“Lady Charis Langley?” the Duke repeated. “You cannot mean the young woman who was such a social success when I was last in England that she commanded more attention, I believe, than I did myself!”
Lord Kiniston laughed.
“I am sure that is impossible! At the same time I think we are speaking of the same person and you will find her very beautiful and very charming.”
“I shall certainly look forward to meeting her,” the Duke said, “but surely Lady Charis must be engaged to be married by this time? I was told that she had at least half the Peerage on their knees.”
“I am hoping that she has refused them all,” Lord Kiniston said. “Her father who, as you know, died a year ago, made me her Guardian and I have no intention of allowing anyone so attractive to marry a fortune-hunter.”
The Duke looked at Lord Kiniston piercingly and then after a moment’s pause he said,
“Are you telling me, my boy, that you intend to marry this girl yourself?”
It was then that Lord Kiniston decided on what seemed the only means of extracting himself from what he knew only too well the Duke had in mind for him.
He hesitated and then said in a deprecating manner,
“For the moment it is, of course, a secret, but – ”
“My dear boy, I had no idea!” the Duke exclaimed. “In fact, as you must know, I was hoping that you would marry Elizabeth Caton. But, of course, if you are promised to the beautiful Lady Charis, then there is nothing I can do about it.”
“I am afraid not,” Lord Kiniston said with a smile.
“Of course I congratulate you,” the Duke went on, “and I remember now hearing that Langhaven, whom I always found an excellent Officer, left her a lot of money, not that that would matter to you.”
“I must beg Your Grace not to mention this to anyone else,” Lord Kiniston said, “and I feel sure that I can rely on you.”
“Of course, my boy, of course!” the Duke said. “But I don’t mind admitting that I am disappointed and I know that Mrs. Patterson, who admires you very much, will be extremely sad not to have you as her brother-in-law.”
“I feel sure that you will be able to find Elizabeth Caton somebody just as suitable,” Lord Kiniston said blithely.
When he left the Duke, he was aware that he had had a narrow escape.
He was quite sure that the Great Man was going to say bluntly and forcefully that he expected him to marry Elizabeth Caton.
In which case he would either have had to agree or else face what would probably have been a disagreeable even acrimonious argument.
‘I was clever over that,’ he told himself.
At the same time he was uncomfortably aware that his decision might be a shock to Charis.
With a twist of his lips he told himself that however beautiful she might be and however much a success, she would not have many suitors of equal standing to himself even though, as the Duke had said, half the Peerage were on their knees before her.
Lord Kiniston was not a conceited man, but he was well aware that his family and title were both very ancient.
His father’s position at Court and that of his grandfather and great-grandfather before him, gave him privileges that were not accorded to other men, even though their titles were superior to his in the aristocratic hierarchy.
It was not only a question of blood, rank and Royal Patronage, it was also that he was exceedingly wealthy.
His grandfather had married a great heiress and his mother had a dowry that exceeded that of any bride in the same year. He had inherited from her several houses and a large acreage of land in the North of England that grew more valuable year by year.
This, combined with his father’s family estate in Buckinghamshire and another in Leicestershire, made Lord Kiniston one of the biggest landlords in the whole of Great Britain.
He was well aware that this counted where Lillian was concerned and he had often suspected that the many women who had desired him as a husband as well as a lover were thinking of his possessions as well as of himself as a man.
He therefore returned to his château, deciding that he must see Lady Charis immediately and inform her of what was to be her future.
Although the Duke had promised him he would not speak of it, he could not help being afraid that he might inadvertently make Mrs. Patterson aware why he was unable to marry Elizabeth.
He was sure that the Duke must have talked it over with Marianne Patterson, for she had obviously said that she favoured him as a brother-in-law.
Lord Kiniston did not underestimate Marianne’s intelligence and he was sure that if she guessed that he was to marry Lady Charis or even if the Duke of Wellington swore her to secrecy, she would find it impossible to keep such an interesting piece of news to herself.
‘What I have to do,’ he told himself in his usual efficient and decisive manner, ‘is to get officially engaged to Lady Charis. Then, if we find we are completely incompatible, we can in a few months declare that our engagement is at an end.’
By then, he told himself, both Lillian and Elizabeth Caton would have disappeared from his life.
As he walked up the steps of his château and the sentries came smartly to attention, Lord Kiniston looked closely at them just to make certain that there was nothing about them he could find fault with.
Then, walking into the marble hall, he saw the clock ticking in its marquetry case at the top of the stairs and realised that it was only nine o’clock.
He knew that Lillian would not be down for another two hours and he suspected that, after her tiring journey, Lady Charis would also be late.
Nevertheless he asked the Major Domo,
“Is Lady Charis down yet?”
“Yes, indeed, my Lord. She had breakfast half-an- hour ago and is now, I think, in the stables looking at the horses.”
Lord Kiniston raised his eyebrows.
“In which case I will go to find her.”
Retracing his steps, he walked out through the front door and towards the stables, which were situated at the side of the house.
He saw the horse he had ridden being led through an arch which led into the cobbled yard and, as he followed it, he thought it unusual for any Society girl to rise so early or, for that matter, to be so interested in his horses.
The Caton sisters, he knew, rode well, because they had been taught to do so since they could first crawl.
But they were not particularly interested in horses as horses and Lillian only wanted an animal that would show off her attractions and make her fri
ends envious.
Going to the stables, he found Alecia in a stall with one of his more obstreperous stallions.
He frowned when he saw where she was and said to the groom outside in the passage,
“Surely you warned Lady Charis that Hercules is sometimes dangerous?”
The groom looked embarrassed and said quickly,
“‘Er Ladyship insisted Hercules wouldn’t ‘urt ‘er, my Lord, and I thinks she’s right.”
Not wanting to startle the animal, Lord Kiniston stood still, looking through the railings into the stall.
Alecia had her back to him and he could see her fair hair silhouetted against the jet-black of the stallion’s body.
She seemed very small and fragile beside such a large horse, but he realised as he listened that she was talking to the animal in a soft caressing voice.
Hercules was obviously enjoying every moment of it and beginning to nuzzle against her when she stopped stroking him.
“You are very very beautiful,” Lord Kiniston heard Alecia say, “as I expect you know, but it should make you proud rather than conceited and I am sure that you could show all the other horses how to behave like real gentlemen.”
She patted him again and turned away with a smile.
Then she saw who was standing watching her.
She looked embarrassed, as if she was a schoolgirl caught out doing something against the rules.
She came from the stall, bobbed Lord Kiniston a graceful little curtsey and said politely,
“Good morning, my Lord! I was getting acquainted with your magnificent horses.”
“So I see!” Lord Kiniston remarked. “And you admire them?”
“I think they are wonderful! I have never seen such fine animals and I am hoping that you will allow me to ride them.”
“But of course!” Lord Kiniston said. “Although I do not think your first mount should be Hercules.”
Alecia looked disappointed before she said,
“I hoped you would allow me to ride him because, although your groom told me that he could be very obstreperous, I just know that he would be good with me.”
“How do you know that?” Lord Kiniston asked.
For a moment Alecia did not answer and he persisted,
“I want to know why you say that.”
“It is something I feel. As it happens, I prefer difficult horses to those that are too well behaved and what one might almost call goody-goodies.”
She gave a little laugh that had something childlike about it as she spoke and Lord Kiniston said,
“I am beginning to understand, Lady Charis, why you wish to set up a racing stable.”
For a moment Alecia wondered what he was talking about and then she remembered what Charis had said to her and how it was through her request to withdraw such a large sum that Lord Kiniston had become aware of her existence.
Because she was silent, Lord Kiniston thought that she guessed that he intended to oppose the idea and he said quickly,
“Shall we go riding and afterwards have our talk?”
“I would love that!” Alecia exclaimed.
She hoped as they walked back towards the château that their talk, whatever it might entail, would not last for long.
She changed quickly into her riding habit and to her relief saw no one to ask questions as to what she was doing.
She had found when she came down to breakfast that none of the other guests in the house were present and the servants informed her that Major Lygon had already breakfasted and left and that his Lordship was having breakfast with the Duke.
She had therefore eaten alone and found it relaxing and, because there were so many delicious dishes to choose from, a delight that she had not expected.
After the scanty meals she had been having at home during the last few months, the dinner last night, which was more delicious than anything she had ever tasted, was a revelation.
So was the choice of half-a-dozen breakfast dishes, besides the newly cooked croissants and the first fraises des bois, which the servants informed her were just ripening.
She talked to them in French and, when they complimented her on her fluency, she thought that her mother would be proud that she was able to hold her own in a foreign country.
It was when breakfast was over that she thought, rather than explore the downstairs rooms of the château, which she could do at any time, she would be wise, while she had the opportunity, to go to the stables.
She had been sure that Lord Kiniston would have some fine horses, but she had not expected them to be as outstanding as they were.
They were in fact far superior to those of her uncle, which she had been allowed to ride before he died.
Then she and her father had been left with only two old and second-rate animals, which they could not afford to replace with anything better.
When she reached the front door, Lord Kiniston was already mounted on Hercules, but waiting for her was an almost equally fine horse, which was eager to be off.
They rode for an hour and, almost as if he was testing her, Lord Kiniston set a sharp pace.
They galloped for most of the time and it was impossible to talk until, riding more slowly home, Alecia said,
“That was wonderful! Thank you, thank you!”
“I am glad you enjoyed it,” Lord Kiniston answered. “When you have changed, I will be waiting for you in my private study.”
Alecia could not help thinking that one consolation at any rate of being here in her cousin’s place was that she would have horses to ride that might have come out of her dreams.
She changed quickly and, as she entered the room that Lord Kiniston considered his private sanctum, he was sitting at his desk.
As Alecia went in, she saw that there were some fine pictures by French artists on the walls and moved towards them with an exclamation of admiration.
“You like pictures?” Lord Kiniston asked.
“I love them,” Alecia replied, “and Mama would have enjoyed this room as she would have enjoyed the rest of your château.”
As she spoke, she remembered guiltily that she was talking about her own mother rather than Charis’s.
In case she should make some obvious slip she turned to Lord Kiniston to say,
“Please, don’t let us be too long talking. Having ridden one of your marvellous horses, who should all be called ‘Pegasus’, because they look fit for Greek Gods or heroes to ride, I want to explore your château.”
Lord Kiniston laughed.
“You must tell them that and I am sure, as you said to Hercules, that it will make them proud rather than conceited.”
To his surprise, Alecia blushed as if she felt that she had been too effusive and looked away from him shyly.
“Suppose we sit down?” Lord Kiniston suggested.
“Yes, of course,” Alecia agreed.
She sat on the edge of a sofa that stood on one side of the fireplace, which, as it was summer, was filled with flowers and pot plants.
Lord Kiniston stood with his back to the mantelpiece and seemed for a moment to be feeling for words before he began,
“I asked you to come to France, Lady Charis, because your father’s Solicitors were not unnaturally surprised and somewhat perturbed by the amount of money you wished to invest in a racing stable.”
He paused and, as Alecia did not reply, he went on,
“Now that I have seen your keen interest in horses I can understand that they attract you. At the same time you will have to persuade me that the money will not be wasted.”
He looked at Alecia piercingly as he asked,
“Who suggested a racing stable to you and who is to be your partner in what could turn out to be a costly gamble?”
His question took Alecia by surprise and she wondered frantically how she could answer it.
Charis had not prepared her for a cross-examination about the racing stable and she had no idea what she should say.
She was therefore
silent and, after a moment, Lord Kiniston said,
“I can only surmise and, of course, I will apologise if I am wrong, that some man you fancy has asked you to finance him in this ambitious project. Let me say immediately, it is something that, as your Guardian, I cannot allow!”
Alecia looked at him in a startled manner.
She was wondering frantically if his refusal to release the money could hurt Charis at the moment or whether, once she was married, there would be nothing Lord Kiniston could do about it.
Then she remembered that he had asked her a question, and it was certainly untrue that Harry had asked Charis to finance him when he was himself rich and would be able to put down the same amount of money as she did.
As she felt that she must say something, she murmured,
“It is not – what you think.”
“Nevertheless,” Lord Kiniston said. “I cannot believe that a girl of your age intends to run a racing stable on her own.”
Alecia decided that it would be wiser to say nothing and she merely looked down so that her eyelashes were dark against the whiteness of her skin.
As if her silence goaded Lord Kiniston into continuing what he was saying, he said after a moment,
“I have, however, a very different proposition to put before you, to which I hope you will listen carefully.”
“I will – try,” Alecia murmured.
“You may suspect, in fact, you must know, that a great number of the men who wish to marry you would not propose if it were not for the fact that you are endowed with such a large fortune. It is, I imagine, very difficult for a young girl to differentiate between a man who is genuinely in love with her and one who, while he may admire her, is more interested in her wealth.”
“I – don’t believe that is true,” Alecia said. “I think if a man was genuinely in love, one would know it and in the same way one would – be aware if he was – pretending.”
She was thinking of Harry Turnbury as she spoke, and how the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice when he spoke to Charis had told her beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved her with his whole heart.
“My dear girl,” Lord Kiniston said, “even much older and more experienced women than you have been deceived. Without your mother and father to advise you, it is impossible for you to make the right sort of marriage to the right sort of man without their guiding hand.”
Love Casts Out Fear Page 7