One evening in this country society had reminded James of the power of family and connections rooted in love, friendship, and loyalty. In the span of a few short hours, he felt he had formed a bond with Steven and Leland stronger than the one he had with his friends in town whom he had known for more than a year. The Sweets had greeted him warmly and conversed with him easily, like old friends instead of new acquaintances. There was no pretense in their manners; he was immediately accepted into their circle and conversation. Squire Talbot seemed not to remember him at first, but with an elbow from Lady Sweet and a quick mention of the party after Dahlia’s performance in London, the recognition of the young man came back. From the reactions of the Sweets and his sons, James gathered this lapse of memory for faces was not uncommon. With a few choice inquiries after his recent horse breeding successes, Dahlia’s father was animated and intently interested in conversing with him. James hoped such a passionate discussion would help trigger his memory of him the next time they met.
James had not spent half as much time as he would have liked with Dahlia, given her mysterious disappearance earlier. The minute he walked into the conservatory, however, he knew her absence was in preparation for a performance. She was seated at the magnificent piano, and Miss McElroy stood behind her. He could not wait to hear Dahlia sing again.
He followed Steven and Leland, who seemed to find their other brothers and father easily despite the crowd.
“Has she ever sung with a professional?” he asked. Mark answered ‘no’ while the rest shook their heads, almost in unison.
“She’ll hold her own,” said Steven, smiling.
“Nonsense,” whispered Tom mischievously. “She’ll put her to shame!” The brothers and James laughed. Squire Talbot tried to give them a stern look, but he couldn’t hide the smile trying to break through.
Earl Bathurst introduced Miss McElroy and Dahlia to his assembled guests, and then joined the front of the crowd.
Miss McElroy began the first song, with Dahlia playing the piano and the company of musicians expertly accompanying them both.
“Age before beauty,” Leland whispered, earning him a jab from his father’s elbow.
Jokes aside, there was no arguing the reason why Josephine McElroy was such an acclaimed singer. Her rendition of Sancta Maria was glorious.
When the applause had subsided, Dahlia started Tantum Ergo. The soft start may have lulled those who had never heard her to believe her youth had not yet allowed her voice to reach the richness of Miss McElroy’s, but as the song progressed, the song demanded more and more power. Dahlia provided it. She slowly filled the entire room with her tone and maintained the extraordinary projection through the highest notes without the sound becoming shrill. Her vocal range was considerable, her pitch perfect. Had there been any question as to Dahlia’s right to share the stage with a seasoned singer, this song answered it most affirmatively. The applause she received was equal to that of Miss McElroy’s performance.
Next, the violinists began the Flower Duet, then Dahlia’s fingers descended on the keyboard. Miss McElroy began the French lyrics with her rich voice, followed by Dahlia’s beautiful vocals in harmony. Then they switched, with Dahlia singing the primary vocals and Miss McElroy supporting the accompaniment. The effect was magical, the two voices seemingly echoing one another, chasing the other’s notes, then retreating to be a vocal follower in turn. In and out, up and down, the two women’s voices supported and challenged each other simultaneously. This created an exhilarating musical tension that kept the audience rapt, trying to see who would out-sing the other. As the song ended, all recognized that the winning outcome of this duet was the joining of their voices and that they had been witness to something extraordinary.
The two women took a bow together. One on the verge of life’s winter season, the other barely into its spring; one slight, the other robust. Both beautiful in their own way, two redheads who shared the same passion and talent.
Once again, James was absolutely entranced by Dahlia’s singing, both alone and in concert with the much more seasoned singer. His eyes never left her during the performances. When she had played the piano for Miss McElroy, he had noted her long, elegant fingers skimming over the keys gracefully. She closed her eyes when she played and had a blissful look on her face, as if she was happily ensconced in her own world of music. Seeing that look, James wanted to create that blissful look on her face with her ensconced in his arms. He felt himself blush thinking such thoughts amidst her five brothers and father and tried to think of something else.
She’s just a child. Too young, too young, he kept telling himself, but all he could convince himself of was some day.
As the crowd exited the conservatory and returned to the ballroom, James wanted to stay behind and talk with Dahlia, but her brothers were engaging him in conversation and he was obliged to walk out with them.
Rooms adjacent to the ballroom had been set up with tables and buffets of food laid out on sideboards, manned by liveried servants ready to serve the guests. There were carved meats, mince pies, imported olives, nuts, finger sandwiches, candied fruits, breads, cakes and pies.
The Talbots, James, and the Sweets all converged in one of the rooms and helped themselves to the refreshments. From what James could observe from the greetings they received as folks passed the table, all of the Talbot boys were well liked and the Sweets and Squire Talbot well respected. Several people addressed Sir Randal and Dahlia’s father as Quartermaster and, when he asked about this, learned of the famous land divide around Dahlia’s birthplace.
Even engaged as he was with the conversation, constant joking of the Talbot brothers, and good food and drink, James knew when Dahlia had entered the room. He looked up and saw her coming towards their table, followed by Miss McElroy. There was a light round of applause by those in the room as they sat down across from James. Servants brought them drinks – wine for Miss McElroy and punch for Dahlia. Plates of assorted foods were brought over to them. Dahlia pushed hers away slightly, still too excited by singing with Miss McElroy to have an appetite.
Miss McElroy, on the other hand, seemed so thrilled to see food that she gave a clap and grasped the servant’s hand. “You!” she said to the startled servant, “brought sustenance for a woman’s starving genius. If you continue to ply me with food and wine, I shall have to marry you. Are you single?”
There was a collective laugh around the table. The young man was flabbergasted, not sure what was the appropriate response or protocol for the situation. He wanted to pull away and hide from this eccentric, but highly-valued guest of the Earl who was accosting him. Rather than offend her and risk dismissal, he decided lying was the best course of action.
“No, ma’am,” he said tentatively.
She instantly let go, laughing. “Just my luck!” Then she turned to her plate and contemplated where to begin, the young servant forgotten.
James laughed along with rest, then looked over at Dahlia. She looked happy, if a little unsure next to the boisterous woman like a sapling in the shadow of a great oak. He wanted to sit next to her and tell her how proud he was of her performance tonight, of her composure and professionalism. It wouldn’t be proper, he supposed, and in any event, the seat next to her was taken. So he observed her from across the table, interacting with her friends and family.
At a further distance across the room, William Standford also observed Dahlia. Her performance tonight beside the established singer sparked an interest as he saw her star rising. He looked from her to his only son Edward. An advantageous match that started his mental gears grinding into motion.
Chapter 14
As the evening wore on, the table where the Talbots were seated expanded with people who came over, pulled up chairs, or stood about to talk. Many fans of Miss McElroy’s came over to greet her and boys of varying ages conversed with her brothers. A more mature set of males were engaged with Squire Talbot, Sir Randal and Colonel Parkinson covering politics, business,
and horse trading. Dahlia had regular visits from girls, most of whom were casting sly looks at James and the Talbot boys and leaning in to whisper to each other. Eventually, the seating at the table became an impediment to the various conversational groups and each slowly shifted to standing and moving about the room to accommodate more people. Dahlia felt like each small group of which she was a part was swallowed into another larger group, only to be shifted again and a smaller group of different people reformed and split apart like soap bubbles floating in the wash basin.
The shifting groups brought Dahlia beside one that included James so that they were nearly side by side, although facing different directions. Dahlia, hearing snippets of the conversation behind her regarding horses, started to focus more on eavesdropping on that thread than on what the Gaggle was saying. She was reaching overload of female talk of marriages and betrothals and scandals when she heard the words ‘Andalusian’ and ‘Roma’ and finally lost all interest in her own group’s conversation. She turned around and stuck her head into the male group. Listening fully to the information being shared, she interjected, “Have you heard when the Roma are coming?”
It was her brother Steven who answered, “They were last seen in Newcastle, making their way here. Should be here on time just after Easter.” He looked as excited by this information as Dahlia felt upon hearing it.
The Roma, pejoratively called gypsies by many folk, were nomadic families that travelled around England and back and forth to the continent. Some groups were entertainers who set up carnivals and street fairs, others primarily merchants who would trade in kind as well as for money. Most communities did not welcome the Roma even if they did trade with them and enjoy the fairs. They were most often avoided and called thieves. The Roma in whom Dahlia was interested were a group of families originally from the south of Spain – the Iberian Kale – who had come to England with some of the most magnificent horses she had ever seen. They continued to breed them very selectively and trained them in a way that Dahlia could only think of as horse dancing. These horses, called Andalusians after the Spanish region of Andalusia, were often depicted in paintings of kings and princes with their muscular physiques and characteristic long manes and tails. These Roma were welcome guests in Gloucestershire, due in no small part for the Talbots’ assessment of them as fair and honest horse traders and trainers. They made an annual appearance in Gloucestershire, setting up camp at the broad outer perimeter of the Talbot land and holding their version of the Seville horse fair each spring. They were as much a part of spring as the rains and lambing, and Dahlia couldn’t remember a spring when they were not encamped on their property.
James and several other visitors from town were asking questions about the Roma, since they avoided large cities like London.
“The Roma women are some of the most exotically gorgeous creatures you will ever see!” said Mark, and most of the young men from the county nodded their agreement.
“You can look,” warned Steven to the townies, “but don’t touch! Virtue in their women is a trait they guard fiercely. I know,” he said smiling and shaking his head. “I have the scars to prove it!” everyone laughed as he told the story of his attempt to steal a kiss from a lovely dark-eyed girl when he was but thirteen. “I was on the ground with eight Roma men surrounding me with swords focused on my heart!”
“His bad luck to have picked the daughter of the chief!” added Tom. “You’re lucky they were pointing the swords at your heart and not further down,” he said pointing to his groin. “Otherwise your voice would still give Dahlia’s competition!” The boys erupted in chuckles, and Dahlia laughed along with them.
As the candles burned down, the population in the room slowly dwindled. Friends took leave of one another and the groups became smaller. Lady Sweet approached Dahlia who was standing with her brothers and Mr. Kent at her side. “Forgive me, gentlemen, but I’m afraid we must steal away Miss Dahlia.”
The boys all said their farewells to Lady Sweet, and James wished her a very happy Christmas. Sensing Dahlia might wish to have as private a farewell as possible with Mr. Kent, Sharon told her they would meet her in the grand foyer and left. Noting this gratefully, James turned aside from the group so he could address Dahlia. Feeling her brothers’ gaze on her, Dahlia also turned and took a step away from them towards the door, James in step with her. Also cognizant that her brothers were watching, James clasped his hands behind his back so they were fully visible to the Talbots.
“You were even more magnificent tonight than when I saw you in London,” he started, and was rewarded with a broad smile from the young girl.
“This was an unexpected surprise, Mr. Kent. I hope your first visit to Cirencester was a pleasant one.”
“Indeed it was, and one I hope will be repeated.”
“When?” Dahlia asked, a bit too quickly. According to the Gaggle, a girl should not appear too eager with any young man.
James laughed. “That I cannot say, but I’m sure fate will smile on me again at some point.” Dahlia looked down at the floor, not happy with this indefinite answer. “Your older brothers mentioned they would be coming to town next month, and I have offered to meet up with them when they do. They will write to me to confirm the dates,” he said, telling her indirectly that they had his address.
Dahlia looked at him, nodding. I heard you, she acknowledged, wondering if she would have the nerve to write to him.
“You should consider attending the feria this spring,” she said just as circumspectly.
“Yes, from what I learned tonight, it is an event that must be experienced!”
By the doorway, James stopped and faced Dahlia directly. “Farewell, Miss Talbot. Happy Christmas and my best wishes for you in the New Year.”
“And to you, Mr. Kent. Have a safe journey back to London.” She curtsied, and he bowed. With one last look into the turquoise eyes focused intently on her, Dahlia turned and walked out of the room. James paused to watch her depart.
“Make a wrong move with her and you’ll not just have her five brothers to contend with, but the whole of the Roma contingent.” James turned to see Steven and Mark just behind him. They had amused looks on their faces, but he knew the underlying threat was real.
“I take it you made peace with the Roma girl’s family,” James said, trying to be casual.
“Aye,” said Leland. “And they look on Dahlia as much a part of their family as she is ours.”
“She tried to run away with them, once,” added Steven, as the trio started to walk towards the foyer. “It was the year after our mother died. She wanted to stay with the Chief’s wife who treated her like another daughter. She needed that attention. She hid away in one of the wagons and wasn’t discovered until they were half a day away.”
Mark laughed. “Poor thing. We didn’t even notice she was missing until the riders brought her back around dinner time.” He saw the startled look on James’ face. “You can’t blame us!” he said defensively. I was just thirteen and Dahlia was always off most of the day, riding through the woods, visiting neighbors.”
“What about your father?”
Both brothers shook their heads. “As perfect an example of pure heartbreak as you could ever fear to witness!”
“Seeing that man in such torment over losing his wife put us all on guard against true love!”
“Well, at least till we each had our first crush,” said Steve, lightening the mood. “You may not want love, but it finds you!”
“Sneaks up on you and bites you in the arse is more like it!” said Mark, and they all laughed.
“So, we’ll see you next month?”
“I hope so,” said James. “Let me know when to expect you and try to build in a night or so extra during your stay so I can show you how we townies have fun!”
Mark chuckled. “Just remember, I’m there to get my commission and Leland is there to learn how to be a priest. It won’t do either of us any good to get locked in jail!”
“Oh, it’s not the bobbies you have to worry about, it’s the barmaids who will tie you up!”
They all laughed, and the Talbot brothers took their leave of James, who was staying with the Earl.
Chapter 15
The next morning, the Earl of Bathurst, Miss McElroy, Lord Telford, and James were having breakfast, a light snow falling on the countryside outside the huge glazed windows. Quite undirected by James, they were discussing Dahlia. The Earl and Miss McElroy were quite profuse in their praise. Lord Telford’s opinion was more reserved, having guessed his nephew’s interest in the young girl.
“Oh, she’s cute enough now,” said Lord Telford, “but she’ll be a dangerous one when she’s older.”
“Dangerous?” asked the Earl.
“Those eyes and that voice will lure in many men and entice them to marry below their station,” he said cynically.
“Below their station?” said the Earl. “Nonsense. She’s the only daughter of a squire with considerable land and income.”
“Considerable perhaps by country standards, Allen,” countered Lord Telford.
“By any standards. Don’t let Squire Talbot’s constant talk of his horses fool you! That’s his passion, to be sure, but even if his boots are constantly covered in horseshit – begging your pardon, ma’am,” he said to Miss McElroy, “that man is a shrewd investor. He must own half of the railroad shares in southeast England.”
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