by Val Wood
She wiped her tears and gently squeezed his hand.
Calypso was kidnapped by Maria and Dolly and taken upstairs to the room Maria had vacated for her, so that they could question her and admire her beauty and listen to her lilting accent, and Elizabeth and Joseph pressed their ears to the door so that they could listen.
‘It must be lovely to live in Italy,’ Dolly said in envy.
‘You must come, both of you,’ Calypso said. ‘I will introduce you to my friends. They will be so envious of your beautiful blonde hair and English skin – what you say, complexion – and the Italian boys,’ she made kissing noises, ‘they will want to be your friends.’ She leaned forward and spoke softly. ‘You know this young gentleman, Charles, he is Daniel’s friend?’
They both nodded, their eyes glued to her. ‘He is ’andsome, yes? He wants to marry me. He ’as asked my papa if he can write to me. He is good family, is he not?’
‘He is,’ Maria said fervently.
‘He’s our father’s half-brother,’ Dolly told her, ‘but I think you’d be all right to marry him.’ She frowned. ‘I can’t really work it out!’
They all talked through the meal that Maria and Dolly dished up, and Harriet smiled at her daughters, knowing now why so much food had been prepared, and they talked past midnight until Fletcher, seeing Marco tiring, suggested that they go to bed now and continue their conversation the following day.
‘Yes, we’ve much more to discuss,’ Leo said, ‘and Marco wants to chat to Daniel, don’t you, Babbo?’
‘I do,’ Marco agreed. ‘But tomorrow. We have had a very long journey but already it has been so agreeable.’
There was a shuffling round of beds; Marco took Fletcher and Harriet’s room, Harriet slept with Maria, Dolly and Elizabeth, head to tail which she said she used to do when she was a child as they only ever had one bed; Fletcher slept in the boys’ room with Daniel, Lenny and Joseph. Rosie had her own little room, and Tom, who had come in to be introduced, said he would drop Adam off at his mother’s house and then go home, and Fletcher gave him a quizzical glance that made him blush.
‘It’s a good thing it’s Sunday,’ Fletcher yawned the next morning when he came downstairs to find Harriet proving dough for bread making. He poured himself a cup of tea and headed outside, then came back in. ‘I like your brother,’ he said.
Harriet smiled and nodded. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘So do I. And I like Marco too, even though it seems very strange to me that he’s Daniel’s grandfather.’
The visitors all came down to breakfast at different times except that Harriet took a tray of tea and toast to Marco for him to have in bed, but they were all downstairs at eleven when the skittering and clattering of hooves was heard in the yard.
‘It’s Beatrice and Charles – and Stephen.’ Maria’s voice faltered when she saw Stephen coming towards the door with the twins.
There was a great commotion of kisses and hand shakes and more tea making, and then Calypso’s lilting voice was heard above the others when she said, ‘Maria – Dolly, how very strange, but you look so much like Charles and Beatrice. What was it you say?’
There was a second’s silence and then a murmur of laughter from the Tukes and the Hart family, which grew louder until Fletcher said wryly, ‘That’s a subject for another day.’
‘We’ve come to invite you all to tea,’ Beatrice announced after a while. ‘Three o’clock, before dark. Do say you’ll come. Our parents are eager to meet you. We’ll send the carriage.’
‘How did you know they’d arrived?’ Daniel asked her. ‘I didn’t say which day.’
‘Didn’t you?’ she said vaguely and put a finger to her cheek. ‘Oh.’
‘Beatrice?’ Daniel laughed, his mood lightening as it always did when he was in her company. ‘You’re up to something.’
‘Something, perhaps, or nothing,’ she said impertinently. ‘But I can’t tell. It’s a surprise. Look,’ she said, to divert his attention. ‘See how besotted Charles is with Calypso. He has told Mama and Papa that he doesn’t think he’s good enough for her.’ She gave a deep sigh. ‘I wish that someone special loved me in the way he loves her.’
Daniel took a breath. She was standing so close, and although the room was crowded it was as if there was no one else there. ‘Beatrice,’ he murmured, taking her hand, ‘someone does love you, but he’s not special, not in any way.’
She removed her hand from his. ‘Then he should tell me so,’ she whispered. ‘For how else will I know?’ She gazed directly at him, her blue eyes into his dark ones. ‘And I will be the judge of whether he’s special or not.’
Charles then lost Calypso to Lenny, who was captivated by his cousin and dewy-eyed over her, much to Dolly’s amusement. Charles looked towards Beatrice, and then at Stephen who was talking to Fletcher, and then at the clock on the wall. Beatrice followed his gaze.
‘Mrs Tuke,’ she said to Harriet, ‘forgive us for dropping in uninvited, and I do hope you will all come this afternoon, but now we must leave. Charles – Stephen – don’t forget we have to be at home for midday.’
‘She is lovely, is she not?’ Marco said after the Harts had left, sitting down comfortably and at ease and accepting another cup of coffee from Rosie. ‘Impulsive, yes, and – well, I expect there will be a lucky young man to capture her one day, unless of course someone has already done so?’
Daniel glanced round and wondered why everyone was, but pretending not to be, looking at him.
The snow began as they all headed off towards the manor. The Harts’ carriage had picked up Harriet, Rosie, Marco and Calypso and squeezed Elizabeth and Joseph in between them. The rest, Fletcher driving, Leo beside him, Daniel, Lenny, Maria and Dolly, all squashed up in the trap, all laughing and jolly and already with snowflakes settling on their heads and shoulders.
‘Just as well it’s not far,’ Fletcher joked. ‘You’ll like ’house, Leo, and so will Calypso.’ He smiled as he said it. Any young woman would, he thought, and it will give her and Leo an insight into what kind of family the Harts are.
As they drove up the long drive with the house at the end of it, Leo murmured, ‘Never in a million years would I have imagined I’d see my sister Harriet so close to people living in a house like this.’ He immediately told Fletcher, ‘I don’t mean that your house isn’t substantial and cosy, it’s the kind of house I would like for myself, but this – this is impressive!’
‘Yeh!’ Fletcher said softly. ‘This is – old money, this is grandeur. Is it, do you think, ’reason we’ve been invited to tea, for Charles to show it off to Calypso?’
Leo smiled. ‘No, I don’t think so. From what I’ve seen of Charles and Beatrice in ’short time I’ve known them, I don’t think that would have occurred to either of them. I think they’re quite oblivious of ’differences between us. I mean,’ he said, turning to look at Fletcher, ‘the sort of lifestyle we – you and I – were born into.’
Fletcher laughed. ‘Remind me to tell you a story when we have an hour or two to spare, Leo. I reckon you’ll find it interesting. But if you don’t think it’s to impress Calypso, then there’s summat else going on.’
‘You are right, my friend,’ Leo agreed. ‘But I’m not at liberty to say. It’s not really my secret.’
The skies were darkening and more snow was threatening, and Beatrice seemed a little agitated when they were all gathered in the withdrawing room. She went to whisper something to her mother, who nodded, murmuring, ‘Very well.’
‘Erm, before we take tea,’ Beatrice said, glancing round at everyone, ‘does anyone object if I steal Daniel away for ten minutes or so? It’s getting dark, you see, and I’m afraid we might have a snowstorm.’
‘Started already,’ her father said, looking out of the window, where there was a veritable blizzard blowing.
‘I don’t think we should be too late getting back,’ Fletcher said and glanced at Daniel, who shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands, indicating he didn’t know what was h
appening.
‘We’ll start tea without you,’ Melissa said. ‘That’s all right, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, of course,’ Daniel told her, adding, ‘Is this one of Beatrice’s schemes?’
‘I rather think so,’ her mother smiled.
‘You should go, Daniel,’ Marco insisted. ‘We will save you a piece of cake.’
Daniel followed Beatrice into the hallway. ‘What are you up to, Beatrice? I thought this was supposed to be a tea party.’
‘It is,’ she said, putting on her coat, which one of the maids was holding for her. ‘But I hadn’t planned for snow, so we must go whilst there’s still light to see.’
‘To see what?’ They ran down the steps and he followed her as she led him to the back of the house.
‘You’ve forgotten that it’s your birthday in two days’ time, haven’t you?’ she said, taking his arm.
‘No, but my coming of age is of no real significance,’ he said. ‘I can do most of what I want anyway. Where are we going?’
‘To the stables,’ she said. ‘I know that your parents will want you with them on your birthday, so I’ve got you an early birthday present and I had to put it in the stables so that no one would find it, except for Aaron, the stable lad, and he’s to be trusted.’
Daniel gave a great sigh. ‘I give in,’ he said. Then, ‘But wait, Beatrice. I have to tell you something.’ He stopped and pulled her to a halt too. ‘You said earlier that you wished someone loved you in the way that Charles loves Calypso.’
‘I do,’ she said, ‘but it has to be …’ She paused, as if not knowing what to say, and besides he was standing very close.
He looked down at her and saw snowflakes on her lashes, and tenderly he brushed them away. ‘I know we’ve been good friends all our lives, Beatrice, and you’ve probably accepted that that is what we’ve always been, just that. Friends.’ He swallowed. ‘But it’s not true; for me it’s always been more and I can’t even remember when it was that I knew I loved you; and it’s nothing like how Charles loves Calypso because his is a new love, whereas mine,’ he hesitated, ‘mine is an old strong love and one that will last for ever, even though … even though—’
She put her hand over his mouth. ‘Don’t say that you’re not good enough, because you are more than I deserve,’ she said softly. ‘I’ve known that I wanted to be with you since I was a child, and I even told your sister I intended marrying you. Ask her, ask Maria, and she’ll tell you. I’ve been waiting for you, Daniel, all my life. And please don’t say that your coming of age isn’t significant because it is, it is to me and it is to your parents and everybody else who loves you, and it should be to you.’
He bent his head and kissed her mouth, closing his eyes, and still not convinced that he should make a commitment. Would he spoil her chances of marrying someone from her own background, someone richer, a gentleman descended from a family with a fine lineage and ancestry—
He opened his eyes and found hers smiling at him. ‘That’s me, isn’t it?’ he exclaimed.
‘What?’
‘A fine lineage! Descended from a noble background – but not rich.’
‘I don’t need riches, Daniel, I’ve already got them. Papa and I are agreed on that.’
‘Oh!’ He huffed out a breath. ‘You’ve spoken to him!’
‘Well, I thought you were never going to.’ She stood on tiptoe and kissed the end of his nose. ‘Do you want to see this present or not?’
‘Yes.’ He felt dizzy; was this really happening? ‘What? Erm, wait, Beatrice.’ He pulled her towards him once more. ‘I’d like to kiss you again.’
‘All right,’ she breathed. ‘But let’s stand inside.’ She took his hand and led him towards the stable block. ‘I want you to close your eyes.’
He did so and could smell sweet straw and hay and hear nickering and whinnying. He opened his eyes briefly and saw that they were in the new stable that Fletcher had said they were building, but he closed his eyes again as Beatrice was kissing him, on his cheeks and on his lips.
‘Beatrice!’ he whispered and opened his eyes fully, and in the dim light saw a young pony looking back at him over the wooden stall. A pale chestnut pony with a flaxen mane and with alert and intelligent eyes, who nickered and snorted at him.
‘Who’s this?’ Daniel drew away from Beatrice but kept hold of her hand.
‘We haven’t given her a name yet,’ she said. ‘We thought that you might like to choose. She’s a three year old, unbroken as yet; we thought that you might like to do that too.’
Daniel slowly moved closer to the pony, so as not to startle her. He put out his hand for her to sniff. ‘She’s beautiful. She’s a Haflinger! Whose is she? Where’s she come from?’
‘She is beautiful,’ Beatrice agreed, ‘and she is a Haflinger. She’s yours and she comes from the Tyrol.’
He turned to look at Beatrice. ‘Mine?’
‘Yes, she’s your birthday present, from me and from Charles too.’
‘But – how?’
‘I discussed it with Marco before we left Italy: Marco chose her and he and Leo arranged her transport. She only arrived yesterday, so that’s why she’s in here resting. We had the stable extended for her until—’
‘Until?’ Daniel asked.
‘I wasn’t sure if you would accept her, or even go along with my plans.’
He gazed at her. ‘Your plans?’ he said huskily.
‘Yes,’ she smiled. ‘But I can’t tell you what they are yet. She’s only half the present, you see.’
‘Beatrice! You are so unpredictable. What kind of life am I going to have with you?’
‘A wonderful one!’ she said. ‘Come on, let’s tell your parents and mine.’
‘In a moment,’ Daniel said, and sliding back the bolt on the door he entered the stall, holding out his hand to the pony. She was wearing a warm wool blanket and the straw was deep, and a hay bag was hooked firmly on the wall. She nudged him with her long nose and tried to search his pockets. He stroked her neck and, remembering Signora Rosso’s name for Beatrice, murmured to her, ‘I’ll call you Flavia, and I think somebody is going to get her nose pushed out of joint, for I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with you.’
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
They were breathless when they arrived back in the drawing room, their hair wet from the driving snow, and all who looked at them knew that the glow on their faces wasn’t only because of the cold. Daniel’s eyes were drawn to his mother’s and saw the wistfulness in hers.
Harriet, giving him a trembling smile and blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay, thought, Have I lost my boy? But no, as she saw him so happy, she knew she was sharing him with someone else who loved him too. She looked at her other sons, Lenny and Joseph, who would be with her for a long while yet, and at her three daughters who would always remain close.
She glanced at Marco, in deep conversation with Christopher, and Melissa, who was talking to Maria and gently patting her hand. Maria will always keep a place in her heart for Stephen, Harriet thought, but she is young, she will find another love. Leo was talking to Charles. Charles had broken off his conversation with Leo to shake hands with Daniel and then impulsively given him a bear hug, and while he was gone from his side, Leo seemed to be in a contemplative mood.
‘You’re thinking of Calypso, aren’t you?’ Harriet asked him, when he came to talk to her, balancing a cup and saucer in his hand, for afternoon tea was quite informal.
‘No, as a matter of fact I’m thinking of someone else and realizing I’m missing her.’
‘Your wife?’ she said softly.
He shook his head. ‘I think of her every day; but no, this is someone else. Sophia, the daughter of friends of Marco. She’s a treasure, looks after Marco and has been a good friend to Calypso. She’s a lot younger than me; she’s fiery and lovely, and – and yes, I’m missing her.’
Daniel announced that they were keeping the pony quiet for the next few days, and that after th
at Mr Hart had kindly agreed that he might bring anyone to inspect and admire her.
‘I hope that I can be one of the first to look at her,’ Christopher joked. ‘No one, except for the horse lad, has been allowed near her.’
‘Aaron,’ Beatrice murmured. ‘He loves her already.’
Daniel thanked Marco and Leo for arranging to bring the pony over on the long journey and was intrigued by the complicit glances they gave each other. Later, as teatime was drawing to a close, he went across to Christopher Hart to ask if he might come to see him in two days’ time.
Christopher raised an eyebrow. ‘You may come whenever you wish, Daniel,’ he said. ‘Can you imagine the furore my daughter might make if I laid down stipulations on when you might visit?’
‘It’s just that in two days’ time I will have reached my majority, sir, and I’m led to believe that it’s important to mark it.’
Christopher gave a slight nod. His own coming of age had certainly been remarkable, although he hadn’t realized it at the time. He looked across at Fletcher, who caught his glance and gave a crooked grin, an acknowledgement of an understanding between them.
*
Daniel rose early on his birthday and found his mother putting finishing touches to a cake. ‘Mm, smells good.’ He put his arms round her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. ‘Somebody said today was a special day. Do you know owt about it?’
‘Me? No!’ she said. ‘Can’t think what it might be.’
‘Me neither,’ he grinned. ‘Except that I’ve to go up and see ’maister, and have a word about marrying his daughter.’
‘Watch your p’s and q’s, then,’ she said, with a crack in her voice.
‘You don’t need to think I’ll be leaving home just yet,’ he said, sliding his arm across her shoulder. ‘I haven’t enough money to give Beatrice a home yet, and we’re a bit crowded here, and besides,’ he added, ‘I’ve a pony to keep as well.’
His mother laughed. ‘So you have. Well, mebbe you’ll have to choose between ’pony and Beatrice.’