by Betty Annand
Chapter Twenty-Seven
By the middle of January, Oaken Arms was nearing completion, and Andrew thought they might be able to move in by March. One day, he and Gladys were there deciding what furnishings they would need. Although it was raining, the unfinished conservatory was lovely and bright. As they sat on boxes enjoying a cup of tea, Andrew looked at his daughter-in-law and thought how happy she looked. He was still worried that if Hugh Mason proposed to her she might accept. He knew she must feel lonely without Tom, and how tempting it must seem for her to marry a virile, young man and set forth on an adventurous journey.
Knowing how disappointed she had been when they had to cancel their trip to India, he intended to take her and Dolly there as soon as they were settled into their new home. They could make it a pilgrimage in honour of Tom, but first he intended to broach the subject of Gladys’s relationship with Hugh, hoping it hadn’t become too serious.
As the recently elected president of Dover’s newly formed Chamber of Commerce, Andrew had been so busy that he hadn’t had time to visit with Gladys for a while and was unaware the courtship had ended. “How are things with you and that young man of yours?” he asked, doing his best to sound casual. “I suppose it won’t be many months now before he leaves for the Colonies.”
A refreshing wave of relief came over him when she answered, “He’s not my young man anymore. It ended on Christmas night, and I am sorry to say that it did not end very well.” Then she related what had happened and how she had gone to church the following Sunday and been slighted by most of the congregation. Her voice broke as she said, “Even Hugh’s mother and father were not that friendly. Hugh left when I came into the church and did not come back for the rest of the service. It was so embarrassing, Andrew, that I wanted to die. I didn’t look up, but I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. I haven’t gone back since, and I really miss singing with the choir.”
“Give it time, my dear, they shall soon find out how much they need you and will beg you to return.”
“That is precisely what they will have to do if they want me back.”
“That’s my girl! Wait until we move into Oaken Arms. They shall all want to be your best friend then. No one else hereabouts has such a stately home. Speaking of stately homes, Oaken Arms brings a poem of Felicia Hemans’s to mind:
“The stately Homes of England,
How beautiful they stand!
Amidst their tall ancestral trees,
O’er all the pleasant land.
The deer across their greensward bound
Thro’ shade and sunny gleam,
And the swan glides past them with the sound
Of some rejoicing stream.
The merry Homes of England!
Around their hearths by night,
What gladsome looks of household love
Meet in the ruddy light!
There woman’s voice flows forth in song,
Or childhood’s tale is told,
Or lips move tunefully along
Some glorious page of old.”
“There are more verses, but I thought those two the most appropriate, especially the line, ‘There woman’s voice flows forth in song.’”
“It is a wonderful poem, and I promise you, my voice shall be heard throughout the entire house.” That day proved to be one of the happiest days of Andrew’s life.
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When Priscilla learned that Hugh was no longer courting Gladys, she was as pleased as Andrew. She had fallen in love with the young minister the first time she laid eyes on him, but she knew she couldn’t compete with a woman as beautiful as Gladys. Now determined to make him notice her, she began taking added care with her appearance and dressing in more becoming attire. She offered flattering remarks about Hugh’s sermons, taught Sunday school, and attended all the evening prayer meetings, hoping to impress him with her dedication.
No matter how much Priscilla strived to be attractive, she always felt plain and dowdy whenever she was in Gladys’s company, a feeling she couldn’t escape as long as they lived under the same roof. After a time, she decided to move back in with her parents, giving Gladys the excuse that she was needed at home. However, just in case Hugh might choose to marry someone else, she left saying that when her folks no longer needed her, she would be happy to return.
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Andrew rode his horse into the Sorensons’ driveway one day just as a smartly dressed, middle-aged man came out of the stables and greeted him with a warm smile and a wave of his hand as he made his way to the manor. As Andrew dismounted, Rod came out of the stable and rushed over to take his horse.
“Thank you,” Andrew said pleasantly. It still amazed Rod that esteemed men like Lord Cedric and Andrew would speak to him in such a familiar and kindly manner. He grinned from ear to ear as he took the horse’s reins and asked, “Would you likes me to unsaddle ’im, Mr Andrew, sir?”
“I don’t think so, Rod. I see his lordship has company and I do not want to intrude. I shall only be staying for about a half hour.”
“Just calls out when you’re ready, and I’ll have him here.”
Cedric came out to greet Andrew, but instead of taking him directly to the house, he led him towards the duck pond. “I want to have a chat with you, Andrew, before we go in,” he announced.
“My, this sounds mysterious. Nothing wrong, is there?”
“Well, you might think so when I tell you about my guest.”
“Ah yes, he gave me a wave as he came out of the stable—appeared to be a decent sort of chap—an old friend?”
“He was, and in a sense still is. He comes from a wealthy family. Nice folks as I recall. His name is Richard Ledingham, and he has had a decent education. We both played on the same cricket team about fifteen years ago. That was before he started gambling. Along with the cards and dice, he’s also a compulsive turfer. Bets on any horse that can stand, let alone run. His family supported his habit for quite a few years, but before he managed to deplete their entire fortune, his brother put a stop to it by having their parents put their estate and holdings in his name. Richard would have found himself in debtor’s prison if he had not met the Duchess de Artois, a wealthy French widow. After they were married, she managed to obtain a title for him as well. I met her once; a gracious lady, but a good twenty years his senior. A few years after they married, she became seriously ill and passed away.”
They were standing under an apple tree and Andrew bent down to pick up an apple that was lying on the ground.
“Here, don’t take that one. We leave the windfalls on the ground for the animals. I shall have one of the handymen pick a sack of them off the tree for you to take home, and you can share them with Gladys and Dolly.”
“Thank you, Cedric. I’m sure they will appreciate it, but please, continue. I am anxious to hear what happened to Richard after he lost his wife.”
“Well, I don’t think he was the least bit broken hearted. Mind you, when she was alive, Richard treated the Duchess well. He’s not a bad chap really, just has this deucedly bad habit. Actually, it was a blessing she passed on before she discovered he had borrowed so much money on their estate that he has put it in jeopardy. Poor fellow is in debt over his head, and as a last resort, he is going about the country looking up all his old friends trying to borrow enough to bail him out. It seems I was his last hope. I cannot tell you how sorry I was to turn him down. You see, I have lent him money in the past, which proved to be a mistake. I will say this for him though, he took my refusal like a gentleman. Nevertheless, I suspect he is desperate enough to approach whoever he meets with a good story, so beware. But now it is time for you to meet the Duc de Artois.”
After being in Richard’s company for a half an hour, Andrew found it difficult to believe he had any bad habits. The man was one of the most likable characters he had ever met. Although he
was in his late fifties, his countenance still retained an enviable youthful glow, and he had a full head of naturally wavy hair that added to his handsome features. It was easy to see why the Duchess had been smitten. He spoke knowledgably, but not arrogantly, on most topics, and Andrew enjoyed his company so much that his half hour visit continued for two hours. As he was saying his goodbyes, Richard asked if he could drop in to see him the following day, as he was curious to know more about the shipping business. Although Lord Cedric scowled warningly, Andrew couldn’t resist consenting.
On the ride home, Andrew thought about what he would say if Richard did ask him for a loan. He could certainly use Oaken Arms as an excuse for a refusal. God knows it was costing enough. But he felt deeply sorry for the fellow and imagining such a vibrant character incarcerated for the rest of his life was depressing. If only he could help him, but, besides Oaken Arms, he was going to have a fair amount of expense settling with Rose and her children. He was almost home when he was struck by an idea that might be a solution to not only Richard’s problem, but his own as well.
Rose was taken by surprise the following Sunday in church when a handsome stranger smiled at her across the aisle. She and her children had returned to their pew when Gladys had ceased to attend after her experience with Hugh. Confident that it was a flirtatious smile, she bent her head and returned it with a shy, but coy glance. She was even more flattered when he approached her after the service and said, “Please forgive my boldness, dear lady, but I must say that your beauty distracted me so, I heard very little of the good reverend’s sermon.” Rose had no idea what she said in return, but it seemed to have pleased the man because he placed his hand under her elbow and offered, “May I escort you to your carriage, or is your husband about?”
It had been so many years since Rose had met a man sensitive enough to display any appreciation towards her appearance that she found herself stammering, “Mm, my husband? I, I, have no husband. Er, I mean, I do have one, but, but he and I, well, we are not together you see.”
“How splendid, if you will forgive my forthrightness. Please allow me to introduce myself.” He then took off his high hat, swung it across his stomach and announced, “The Duc de Artois, at your service. And, beautiful lady, to whom am I addressing?”
“Rose. Rose Pickwick,” she blurted out clumsily.
“Ah, a lovely name to be sure. But I see your cab has arrived. May I send him on his way and have the pleasure of your company in my own buggy?”
Giggling like a school girl, Rose answered, “Oh my goodness! What will people think?”
“They shall think how fortunate I am, to be the escort of such an angel.”
“Really, Mr er, I mean, Duc.”
“Richard will suffice. You see, my dear departed wife, whom I owe my title to, was the Duchess de Artois. I recently grew weary of the responsibilities that go with the title, and decided to take a holiday incognito. Now, my dear, may I pay the cab driver and dismiss him?”
When they arrived at Rose’s home, Richard helped her out of the carriage and saw her to the door. Then, before taking his leave, he asked if he could call on her the following evening. Rose hesitated, saying, “Although I do not live with Mr Pickwick, I am still married to him, and I am not sure it would be considered proper.”
“Surely he would not object to you having gentlemen friends as well as lady friends,” Richard protested.
Quickly changing her mind, Rose answered, “And even if Mr Pickwick does object, he has no right to judge me. Especially considering how he flaunts his daughter-in-law about town. It’s downright shameful,” she shared haughtily.
“A man who would leave such a treasure as you, my dear, is indeed an idiot, and a cad, but let us not spoil our first encounter by discussing your estranged husband. I shall call on you around seven. Bonne nuit, mon amour,” he uttered, kissing her hand once more.
Rose’s heart had never beaten so hard. To experience feelings of sexual desire at her age seemed like a miracle. Her face took on a renewed beauty that even surprised and pleased Richard. As he made his way back to the Sorensons’, he began to think that the pact he had made with Andrew might not be as distasteful as it seemed when he first set eyes on Rose.
Richard had exhausted all his potential money lending sources and had almost given up hope of escaping debtor’s prison when Andrew came up with a solution. Although a thousand pounds was not enough to satisfy his debtors, it would pay his fare to the Colonies, where he hoped to make a fortune. Lord Cedric had given him a wise bit of advice after refusing to lend him money. As a member of parliament, Cedric knew the Hudson Bay Company was looking for Englishmen to take up land in the recently established Vancouver Island Colony in Canada. There was concern over the amount of Americans showing interest in the area, and the governor wanted to ensure that the largest percent of the colonists were British.
To obtain land, one had only to pay one pound per acre and purchase a minimum of twenty acres. It was also advised that a man bring along five single men or three married couples to help work the land. Richard had no desire to become a farmer but planned on using the money that Andrew would pay him for bedding his wife to build a saloon and gambling establishment. He was convinced that it would not take long before he would be able to pay off his debts and return to his aristocratic life in France.
Of course there was a possibility that his reputation would suffer when he was named in the divorce proceedings, but it was a chance he had to take. Although he was anxious to receive the money and leave, he knew better than to rush the seduction. Such an act might cause Rose to become suspicious, and if he failed to assure Andrew that Rose had committed adultery, he would have no chance of escaping the law.
When Rose told Peter and Mildred about Richard, they were shocked. “How can you be so foolish, Mother?” Richard declared. “We agreed to keep a low profile until our man in London finished his investigation of that wife of Tom’s, and here you are acting like a giddy goose over a fancy man. A man who is obviously nothing but a fortune hunter. What on earth is the matter with you?”
“He is not a fortune hunter. He is a Duke! And I cannot see what harm our relationship would do,” Rose answered defensively.
“You surely do not believe he really is a Duke? Good Lord, what on earth would a Duke want with someone like you?” he said, then realized how offensive his words were and offered a half-hearted apology. “Er, I mean to say, why on earth would anyone with a title want to court a married woman?”
When Rose began to pout, Peter sent an exasperated glance toward his sister before taking his mother’s hand, and adding, “Now, now, Mummy, you know that when that husband of yours moves into his mansion, he has no intention of taking us with him, and I do not think it shall be long before he signs the title of that estate over to that little monster of Tom’s. The last time I heard from London, Mr Morgan was certain he was onto something and promised to have some very interesting news for us in a week’s time, so until we have something we can use against that woman and her daughter, we do not want to stir up any gossip. If this Richard fellow wants to spend time with you, we shall not object as long as we are with you. Do you understand?”
This arrangement did not fit with Richard’s plans, even though he soon won Mildred over with flattery, and impressed Peter by convincing him of his true identity and suggesting the young man accompany him when he returned to France to go hunting at his mountain chateau.
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Lord Cedric arrived at Andrew’s office one day nearly two weeks after he had introduced him to Richard. Once he was seated in one of the comfortable leather armchairs that Andrew kept in his office and had a glass of whiskey in his hand, he announced, “I say, Andrew, have you heard the rumours about my friend, the Duc, and that wife of yours?”
“You are referring to Richard, are you not?”
“Quite so! What in the blazes do you
think the man is up to? Is the woman well off enough to settle his debts?”
“Rose? Not on the allowance I give her.”
“Well, there is something going on. He has a way with the ladies and could take his pick, so if you pardon me, what in the devil is he doing with your wife?” Andrew just offered a shrug of his shoulders and Cedric continued, “The man’s up to something, and I shall be damned if he is going to do it my town. I shall have a word with him. He is still staying with us, but I shall soon put an end to that.”
Andrew rose from his chair, went to the window and looked down on the ships tied up to the wharf. It was a lively scene with sailors loading cargo, cleaning decks, and mending sails, but Andrew’s mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of whether or not to tell his friend his plans, that he may just as well have been looking at a blank wall. Finally, he decided to make a clean breast of it. Returning to his chair, he took a good drink of whiskey then quickly confessed to his friend that he was paying Richard to seduce his wife in order to obtain grounds for a divorce.
Cedric, shocked, didn’t take this news at all well. As soon as he recovered from his astonishment, he slammed his fist down on the desk knocking over the bottle of Irish whiskey, and barked, “Damn it, man, that is a dastardly bit of work. Why, it is as underhanded as blackmail. Why on earth do you need a divorce? You must be aware that there are plenty of women in this town who would be happy to take care of your needs with no questions asked.”
“It is not that simple, Cedric. You see, I want to get married again,” Andrew responded quietly.
“That is out of the question. I do not believe in divorce. It shocks me to think that you would do something so devious.”
“I can hardly believe it myself, but I am hopelessly in love with someone, and I don’t know what else to do.”