There were more cheers and the Marquis resumed,
“As the future is such a demanding proposition, I felt I could not manage it alone. Therefore I want to tell you that I am the luckiest man in the world because Flora Romilly, whom you all know and love, has promised to be my wife.”
There were audible gasps.
Then everyone burst into even louder cheers, which were very different to the ones they had given before.
The men waved their hats and the women their handkerchiefs.
The children rushed down to the front of the bandstand so that they could be close to Flora.
She joined the Marquis and they both waved and smiled at the ovation they were receiving, and then they stepped down to walk amongst the crowd, shaking hands with practically everyone.
There were the older members of the staff, who told the Marquis they had known him since he was a boy and were so glad that he had returned home.
The women who had been cured and looked after by Flora had a great deal to say to her.
It took a long time but it was quite obvious that no one intended to leave until they had shaken hands with both the Marquis and his future wife.
Finally some of the older women started to walk slowly down the drive and the children, who were still too excited to be sleepy, were dragged away by their mothers who wanted to take them home to bed.
At last the band packed up and the Marquis and Flora started to walk back to the castle.
As they did so they saw the Chief Constable waiting for them. A little apprehensively the Marquis walked up to him.
“What has happened?” he asked.
The Chief Constable smiled.
“Seven men,” he said, “have been charged with trespassing, breaking and entering with the intention of stealing. They have been taken to the local Police Station and that is all that will be said when they appear in front of the magistrates.”
The Marquis gave a sigh of relief.
“However,” the Chief Constable continued, “we have discovered that they belong to a particular Church in London and I am quite sure that it will not function any longer.”
“And Lady Marshall?” the Marquis asked in a low voice.
“Her Ladyship,” the Chief Constable responded, “suffered an unfortunate accident with a faulty revolver. It is with deep regret that we have to report that she died on the way to the hospital.”
For a moment the Marquis was speechless before saying,
“How can I thank you for your kindness?”
“You can thank me,” the Chief Constable replied, “by fulfilling everything you have just described so eloquently to your people. I want this County to be known as one of the quietest and most prosperous in the whole country.”
“We will certainly help you achieve that aim,” Flora said.
“I am sure you will,” the Chief Constable replied. “Now I must congratulate you both, and will you allow me to say that I have never known two people whom I thought were better suited to each other.”
“That is exactly what we think,” the Marquis said smiling.
He shook the Chief Constable by the hand and then as he wanted to be quite sure there could be no mistake he said,
“I suppose you can trust your men not to talk.”
“I would trust them with my life. No one will ever hear of what actually occurred tonight in the Earl’s Chapel.”
“That is just what I was hoping,” the Marquis said, “and thank you so much again.”
The Chief Constable drove off and by this time there was practically no one left.
The Marquis drew Flora into the house. “I am never going to let you out of my sight in case you vanish again. I will send a servant to tell your father where you are and to bring back your clothes.”
The lights had been partially extinguished and there was only the night footman on duty in the hall.
The Marquis gave his orders and they walked up the stairs side by side.
When they reached a bedroom next to the Master Suite, the Marquis opened the door, followed her inside and lit the candles.
“I want you to go to sleep, my darling one, and forget everything that happened tonight except that you promised to marry me and we are going to be very happy together.”
“I am still afraid it is just a dream,” Flora said. “You are so wonderful that I am still half afraid that you will vanish into the sky.”
She gave a little laugh and added,
“I thought when you rescued me you were like the Archangel Michael, and now I am frightened of losing you.”
“You will never lose me, my White Witch,” the Marquis sighed. “I fought against loving you because I have suffered from women in a way I do not want to explain and thought that I would never marry until I grew old. Your magic has cast a spell over my heart that can never be broken.”
He put out his hand to touch her cheek very gently as he said,
“But you are so beautiful and so perfect that it is impossible not to want you at once for myself and myself alone.”
“That is exactly what you will have,” Flora replied, “because there is no other man in the world who is as marvellous as you are.”
The Marquis drew her closer to him.
“I love you. I love you!” he said. “I know there is so much for us to do together but I too want you all to myself. That is what we will be when we go abroad.”
“You know that I would love to travel with you. You remember I told you that I thought I should only be able to travel in my mind.”
“I remember everything you have ever said to me. You are going to travel with me and we will explore strange lands and strange people as well as ourselves.”
“Are you quite certain that I will not bore you?”
“That would be utterly impossible. There is so much about you that I want to learn and I hope too there is a lot about me that will keep you interested.”
“I cannot imagine anything more exciting. Oh, darling, darling Ivor, let us get married quickly. I cannot bear to be parted from you for a second.”
“We will be married on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest,” he said, “and I shall be thinking in the mean time where we will go for our honeymoon.”
“We cannot go too far,” Flora said quickly, “because there is so much to be accomplished here.”
“Wherever we go,” the Marquis replied, “we shall be alone and together and that is what I want, because I have so much to teach you, my precious one, about love.”
“That will – be very – exciting!” Flora whispered.
“I intend it to be,” he sighed. “But you also have a great deal more to teach me about people, how to deal with them and how to make them happy.”
Flora gave a little laugh.
“That is certainly going to take a long time.”
“Just is what I thought,” the Marquis said, “so, my beloved, there will be no chance of our ever being bored with each other because we have so much to achieve together.”
He kissed her again.
Now his kisses were not only demanding and possessive but also passionate.
He kissed her until they both felt as if the ecstasy within them was carrying them up into the sky.
They were touching the stars that Flora had always loved.
The light of the moon enveloped them and joined the ecstasy in their hearts.
“I – love you – love – you,” Flora murmured and the Marquis was saying the same.
There had been many difficulties in his life but now he had found what he was seeking.
It was not in the Himalayas or in the desert or in any strange country but right here at home.
It was more valuable than any precious stone that he might have found in the East.
It was the gem of life combined with love. Something which had inspired mankind since the dawn of civilization.
It was searched for arduously in this world but was actually to be found in the world
beyond.
It was the love that was the very Spirit of God. A love which when given to a man and a woman made them part of the Divine.
The White Witch Page 14