by Dilly Court
Chapter Ten
‘Welcome to the Castillo Talavera.’ The condesa’s voice was deep, mellifluous and strongly accented. She eyed Byron curiously. ‘You are very like your father.’
Nettie stifled a gasp of dismay. It was hardly the warmest welcome from a mother to the young man whom she had abandoned in childhood. She moved closer to Byron, willing him to be strong, but he seemed to have his emotions under control as he bowed over the condesa’s outstretched hand.
‘Thank you for seeing me,’ he said humbly.
‘What brings you here, Byron?’
‘I wanted to find out why you abandoned me, Mother.’
‘I have no excuse to offer, except that you were better off without me.’
Byron shook his head, apparently lost for words.
‘That was unkind, Condesa,’ Nettie said angrily. ‘Byron has travelled a long way to find you.’
‘Won’t you introduce me to your companion?’ the condesa said silkily.
Nettie could see that Byron was struggling and she stepped forward. ‘My name is Henrietta Carroll, but my friends call me Nettie.’
‘How do you do, Nettie Carroll?’
‘How do you do, Condesa?’
The condesa’s laugh was deep and throaty. ‘Oh, please, let’s not be so formal. My name is Lisette. Only the servants and the fawning priest call me Condesa.’ She shot a sideways glance at Byron. ‘You may also call me Lisette. I haven’t been a mother to you in the true sense of the word – it isn’t in my nature – but perhaps we might be friends now that you’re a grown man.’
Byron nodded mutely.
Lisette sank elegantly onto the chaise longue, her luminous brown eyes sparkling with amusement. ‘Come now, Byron. You sought me out. What did you expect?’
‘I don’t know exactly. Although I did want to ask why you left me with my father. How could you do that?’
‘Your father is a good man, but dull. He bored me.’ Lisette reached for an onyx box, flicked it open and extracted a cigarillo, which she lit with a match, exhaling with obvious enjoyment. ‘Look at me closely. Can you imagine me with small children, let alone a fractious three-year-old?’
‘Perhaps I should leave you two to talk,’ Nettie suggested hastily.
‘No,’ Byron said firmly. ‘I want you to stay. It seems that I wasted my time coming here.’
‘I’m sorry you’re disappointed.’ Lisette reclined against satin cushions. ‘But as you have come all the way from England to find me, it seems a pity to leave right away.’
‘We came from France. It was your brother, Jean, who told me where to find you.’
‘Jean was the best in our family. He was the only one who didn’t try to change me. How is he?’
‘He’s well.’
‘I’m glad, but as to the rest of my relations, they can rot in hell, as far as I’m concerned.’ Lisette’s frown was replaced by a bright smile. ‘Now, sit down and tell me all about yourself, Byron. You, too, Nettie Carroll. I think you will turn out to be an interesting young woman, and I am a good judge of character. I have had to be – my life hasn’t been easy.’
Nettie could see that Byron was at a loss for words and she sat down, fixing Lisette with a steady look. ‘I think your son is entitled to know why you deserted him.’
‘What you really want to know is how I met Talavera and became the condesa. Am I correct?’ Lisette’s fine brown eyes gleamed like topaz and her full lips curled into a wry smile.
Despite her reservations Nettie found herself warming to her. ‘Yes, I suppose it is. Did you return to your family when you left London?’
‘I knew that they wouldn’t welcome me, and so I went straight to Paris, and took a job as a waitress in a café where I sang to entertain the customers. A theatrical impresario happened to hear me one evening, and that was the beginning of my career. Talavera saw me on stage and that was how we met.’ Lisette stubbed out her cigarillo. ‘We were married shortly afterwards.’
‘But you were still married to my father,’ Byron said angrily.
‘Is he well? For all I said, Geoffrey is a good man, too good for me.’
‘He died some time ago.’
‘I’m sorry for your loss, Byron.’
‘Is that all you can say?’
‘Your father deserved better than me. I was hoping he might have met and married someone else.’
‘He was faithful to you until the end, Mother.’
‘Lisette,’ she said firmly. ‘That’s enough about me for now. Tell me about yourself, and if you are going to be a sulky boy, then I’m sure Nettie will oblige.’
Nettie rose to her feet. ‘I think I ought to leave you two to talk.’
‘I’ve heard enough,’ Byron said, sighing. ‘I’m sorry to have bothered you, Condesa. I can’t call you Lisette. It doesn’t seem appropriate.’
Lisette threw back her head and laughed. ‘You are so like your papa, Byron. You and I will converse later, but I would like to meet the people who accompanied you. My servant tells me that one of them is a duke.’
‘Not a duke as such,’ Byron said with a glimmer of a smile. ‘I’ll go and fetch them and you can see for yourself.’
‘No need. I have servants to do that sort of thing.’ Lisette reached for a silver bell but Byron was already at the door, with Constance and the others peering over his shoulder.
‘He is stubborn, like his papa,’ Lisette said with a chuckle. ‘You must introduce your companions, Nettie.’
The words had barely left her lips when the rest of the party entered the room. Lisette beckoned to Constance, who was looking round the elegant room with a rapt expression. ‘You, young lady. Who are you?’
Constance took a step forward, but Duke moved quickly to stand between them.
‘Condesa, this is such a privilege,’ Duke said, raising Lisette’s hand to his lips. ‘I am Marmaduke Dexter, dealer in fine art, a very successful one, I might add in all humility, and this lady is my wife, Constance.’
‘Can she not speak for herself, Marmaduke?’
‘My friends call me Duke, Condesa.’
‘Why do Englishmen think that women lose their ability to speak for themselves the moment the band of gold goes on their finger?’ Lisette demanded. ‘I was not speaking to you, Marmaduke. I addressed myself to the beautiful young lady.’
‘I have a voice,’ Constance said boldly. ‘My name is Constance, and I’m delighted to make your acquaintance, Condesa. You have a beautiful home.’
‘It’s taken years to make it so, but thank you, Constance. We will have a chance to talk later.’ Lisette turned her attention to Robert. ‘You must be Nettie’s father. I see the likeness.’
‘Robert is a fine artist,’ Duke said determinedly. ‘I discovered him and made him famous.’
Nettie spun round to face him. ‘That’s not true. Pa was well known before he became entangled with you and your crooked schemes.’
‘How delightful! Do I sense discord amongst your party, Byron?’ Lisette looked from one to the other with an expectant smile. ‘This promises to be most entertaining.’
‘It is very good of you to see us, Condesa,’ Father Ignatius pushed past Robert in an attempt to get closer to their hostess.
‘I’m sure you have better things to do, Father,’ Lisette said sweetly. ‘You will be needed elsewhere.’
Father Ignatius opened his mouth as if to protest, but Lisette was too quick for him. She rang the silver bell and the door opened so promptly that Nettie suspected the servant had been listening at the keyhole.
‘Thank you, Father,’ Lisette said firmly. ‘We will not be needing your services from now on. Diego will show you out.’
Father Ignatius glanced at Diego’s set expression and bowed. ‘I hope to see you at Mass, Condesa.’
She inclined her head slightly and turned away, leaving the priest little option other than to shuffle dejectedly from the room. There was an awkward silence and Nettie glanced anxiously at Byron
, who was staring at his mother with a bemused frown. Then, before anyone could think of a suitable subject for discussion, the door burst open and a tall, handsome young man strolled into the room. He came to a halt, staring at Nettie with a bemused expression.
‘Good grief. I’m sure I know that face. We’ve met before, haven’t we?’
Nettie recognised him instantly, but Lisette spoke before she had a chance to answer his question.
‘Percy!’ Lisette said crossly. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I’m sorry, Ma. There was no way of letting you know that I’d been sent down, so I thought it best to come and tell you in person.’ Percy spoke with only the slightest trace of an accent.
Lisette swung her legs over the side of the chaise longue and sat up straight. ‘Your timing, as ever, is perfect. What did you do this time?’
Nettie eyed the newcomer in disbelief, and a quick glance in Byron’s direction confirmed her suspicions.
‘You were in the Gaiety Restaurant,’ Byron said slowly.
‘I don’t remember you, but who could forget such a lovely young lady?’ Percy bowed to Nettie, who was seized with the desire to laugh.
Lisette rose from the chaise longue in a rustle of silk. She embraced the young man and then slapped his face. A startled gasp echoed round the room, and she laughed.
‘Why am I not surprised to hear that you were dining out in London when you should have been at your studies in Cambridge?’
‘A chap must have some recreation, Ma. The question is, why are these people here? Who are you?’
Lisette slipped her arm around his waist. ‘This is a day for surprises. You, my boy, have terrible timing. I don’t know why you were sent down, but now you are here you might as well meet Byron.’ She held her hand out to Byron. ‘This bad fellow is your brother, Percy.’
Byron and Percy eyed each other suspiciously.
‘I don’t understand,’ Byron said slowly.
‘I never knew who my father was,’ Percy added, frowning. ‘What are you saying, Ma?’
‘I wish you wouldn’t use that awful word. I tried to teach you to say maman but you were your father’s son, stubborn and self-willed.’
‘So who are you?’ Percy demanded, glaring at Byron. ‘Are you really my brother?’
Byron shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I’ve only just found my mother, and now it seems I have a brother who is reluctant to acknowledge me.’
‘You just need time to get to know each other,’ Nettie said hastily. She held her hand out to Percy. ‘I’m Nettie. How do you do?’
A slow smile spread across Percy’s handsome features, and he kissed Nettie’s hand. ‘How do you do, Miss Nettie?’
Constance slipped in between them, smiling up at Percy. ‘My name is Constance. How exciting to find that Byron has a brother who lives in a castle.’
‘And I’m Constance’s husband,’ Duke said firmly. ‘I’m Marmaduke Dexter, art dealer, and my friend Robert Carroll, Nettie’s father, is a well-known artist.’
Robert stepped forward to shake Percy’s hand. ‘How do you do?’
‘Really, this is becoming tedious.’ Lisette moved to a side table and began filling glasses from a carafe of red wine. ‘Do help yourselves. This isn’t the time to bring the servants into our private affairs. Heaven knows, my reputation is already in shreds locally. I don’t need to make matters worse.’ She took a sip of wine and resumed her seat. ‘You were both born in wedlock, if that’s what’s worrying you boys. I left Horton before I knew that I had conceived again, and he never knew he had a second son. No one knew, except Talavera and now he’s dead. I am twice widowed.’
‘You were married to him bigamously,’ Byron said angrily. ‘My father was still alive.’
‘I hardly matters now. It’s all in the past, anyway.’ Lisette drank deeply. ‘Do please join me in raising a glass to my boys. They will get used to each other, or not, as the case may be.’
Percy handed the wine round. ‘At least finding her firstborn has taken Ma’s attention away from me,’ he said in a low voice as he gave Nettie a glass. ‘Do you know my brother well?’
‘We’re friends. I hope you aren’t going to make trouble for him.’
‘Me?’ Percy said with mock humility. ‘As if I would.’
‘I don’t know you, but I think you are as unpredictable as your mother. Byron is a good man and all he wanted was to discover why his mother abandoned him.’
‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Percy said, grinning. ‘It wasn’t my fault. I wasn’t even born.’
‘You’re obviously her darling boy; don’t use that against Byron. That’s all I’m saying.’
Constance moved closer. ‘What are you two whispering about? I think this is all so thrilling.’ She put her head on one side, giving Percy a calculating look. ‘Why were you sent down? What did you do?’
‘I set fire to the cricket pavilion, quite by accident, you must understand. I was enjoying a quiet drink and smoking a cheroot when my tutor came looking for me. I thought I’d put the wretched weed out, but it transpired that I was mistaken. The wooden building burned to the ground.’
Nettie stifled a giggle but Constance threw her head back and laughed, earning a frown from Duke.
‘Won’t you share the joke?’ He moved swiftly to her side, and laid his hand on her arm in a possessive gesture.
Constance shook free from his grasp. ‘It was nothing, Duke. Go away and leave me alone.’
‘Stop acting like a spoiled child.’ Duke strolled off to join Robert, who was seated beside Lisette, listening to her with a rapt expression on his face.
‘Do I detect a marital rift, Mrs Dexter?’ Percy asked with a mischievous grin.
Constance shot him a sideways glance. ‘Would you care if that was the case?’
‘What were you studying at the university?’ Nettie said, changing the subject hastily. It was obvious that there was mutual attraction between Constance and Percy, and Duke was not amused.
‘Dashed if I know,’ Percy said, chuckling. ‘I’m not a good student, although I excel at fencing, shooting and riding. The English appreciate a good sportsman.’
Constance smiled up at him. ‘Why didn’t your mother send you to study in France?’
‘Perhaps she thought Cambridge was far enough away to keep me out of trouble. I knew that my father was English, but she omitted to mention her other son.’ Percy glanced at Byron, who had come to join them. ‘Who would have thought it, brother?’
‘Who indeed?’ Byron said stiffly. ‘It seems that neither of us knew that the other existed.’
They turned their heads as one, staring at their mother, who was in animated conversation with Robert and Duke.
‘Ma does exactly as she pleases.’ Percy slapped Byron on the back. ‘Welcome to Castillo Talavera, brother.’
Nettie grasped Constance by the sleeve. ‘Perhaps we should let them get to know each other.’
‘There’ll be plenty of time for that,’ Percy said cheerfully. ‘I, for one, am delighted to find I have a brother. What about you, old boy?’
Byron cleared his throat. ‘I’m just getting over the shock.’
‘You just need to get to know us. Anyway, has Ma invited you all to stay? We’ve got dozens of rooms and the servants laze about, for the most part, unless Ma has one of her parties that go on for days and nights.’
Nettie could see that Byron was struggling with a maelstrom of emotions. ‘We couldn’t impose on her like that,’ she said hastily. ‘There are too many of us and we’re quite comfortable at the inn.’ She could see that Duke was about to interject, but Percy had taken over the conversation.
‘Nonsense,’ he said airily. ‘Ma loves company.’ He leaned over to kiss his mother’s soft cheek. ‘I know I’m not your favourite son at the moment, Maman, but I’d like to get to know my brother. I think we should invite him and his friends to stay for a while.’
Lisette took a sip of wine. ‘Excellent idea,
Percy. You are all welcome. I’m sure you will get on splendidly with my other guests.’
‘I hope there aren’t too many of them,’ Percy said resignedly. ‘Who have we here now?’
‘The usual crowd.’ Lisette turned to Duke. ‘I assume you must be staying at the local inn as it’s the only one within miles.’
Duke nodded. ‘We are, but I wouldn’t want to put you to any trouble, Condesa.’
‘Lisette,’ she said, smiling. ‘I’ll ask Mateo to have your luggage brought here.’
‘But we need to pay for our accommodation.’ Robert glanced anxiously at Duke. ‘You have the money.’
‘Don’t worry about that. It will be taken care of.’ Lisette rang the bell and, as before, Diego answered promptly. She sent him off with such a long list of instructions that Nettie wondered if the poor man would remember half of them.
‘Excellent,’ Percy said, gleefully. ‘Now I suggest I might take the young ladies on a tour of the old ruin. Sorry, Ma. I mean the Castillo Talavera.’
‘Stop interfering, Percy.’ Lisette spoke severely, but her eyes were smiling. ‘Just remember that luncheon will be served in half an hour.’ She held her empty wine glass up for Duke to refresh from the carafe he had in his hand. ‘You may go with them, if you wish, Duke.’
He inclined his head. ‘I would prefer to stay and talk to you, Condesa – I mean, Lisette.’
Robert hesitated and Nettie could see that her father was torn between wanting to explore the castle and wishing to remain with the fascinating countess. He cast a withering glance in Duke’s direction. ‘I’ll stay here, but perhaps you ought to accompany your wife, Duke.’
‘No need. I’ll look after her.’ Percy proffered an arm to Constance. ‘I can’t pretend to be good at the history of the old pile, but I can show you the wonderful view from the battlements.’