Children of Fortune, page 25
‘Not as a doctor.’ Olivia blushed. ‘Perhaps in science.’
The two young men exchanged glances of admiration. ‘In what field, do you think?’ Laurie asked her, but she shook her head and murmured, ‘Too early to say.’
‘You’re quite right to think seriously about it,’ Daniel said. ‘It seems to me that it’s harder for women to achieve their goals than for men, and yet they are often more capable than we are.’ He turned to Alicia. ‘My mother studied law, though she was unable to sit for a degree. I get as much of my thinking from her as I do from my father. She gave it up after they had children, but she now acts as a councillor to women who need assistance with legal matters. The law is not always on a woman’s side.’ He tutted, showing self-rebuke. ‘Tell me if I talk too much, won’t you? I’m inclined to do so.’
He’s a bit older than Laurie is, Alicia thought, and was about to ask him when he would be going to university when he tapped the side of his head.
‘I’ve just remembered something. When we met here last time, I was with my father’s chief clerk. I didn’t introduce him as we were racing off to County Court – though as it so happened,’ he added, ‘he couldn’t come into court with me as there was an urgent message waiting for him to go home immediately. His wife had given birth to their second child and I didn’t see him until a few days later, when I’d called in the office to ask my father something. He told me that his wife was well and had been delivered of a baby daughter. He was almost jumping for joy, but then his mood changed and he started to ask me about the day we’d seen you in the café. I’d told him I knew you, Alicia, but he seemed to be more interested in “the dark-haired one” …’
There we are, Alicia thought, rather piqued. I knew he’d noticed her.
‘… but I’m afraid I didn’t recall your surname, Olivia, so I couldn’t help him there.’
‘Why did he want to know about us?’ said Alicia, who was never fearful of asking questions.
‘He thought he knew Olivia – or you reminded him of someone,’ he said, turning to Olivia, ‘and he asked me, if I saw you again, whether I would ask you where you were from. Naturally I said I couldn’t possibly ask such a personal question; that it would be an infringement of a young lady’s privacy. Which he should have known, and he apologized for his lack of judgement. I do know, however, that Rand is a thoroughly genuine and honest person.’ He frowned. ‘But it was very odd that he should ask, and there’s no doubt that after he saw you that day he seemed to be in a strange state of mind.’
‘Perhaps he was worried about his wife’s condition,’ Alicia suggested.
‘Maybe so. Anyway, I thought I should tell you.’
Olivia seemed to relax. ‘I don’t know why he might think he knew me. I’m hardly ever in York, apart from when I’m at school.’ She shrugged. ‘I live in Hull,’ she told him. ‘Born and bred. There’s no reason why he should know me. However, I’m disappointed to hear,’ she observed, taking a leaf from Alicia’s bold and engaging manner, ‘that there’s someone else in York who looks like me!’
Laurie shook his head, and gazed at her; Daniel too denied it, and smiled. ‘There can’t possibly be!’ He glanced at Alicia. ‘Not either of you. You are both unique.’
‘We are!’ Alicia agreed; and added in a prim school-marmish manner, ‘Perhaps he wanted to call his new daughter after you, Olivia, as you so obviously made a great impression on him!’
‘Perhaps,’ Daniel agreed. ‘But as he didn’t know your name, they’ve christened her Clara.’
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
They didn’t meet Daniel again before the Christmas break as he was preparing for examinations for London University in the middle of January. Alicia and Ambrose were busy revising; Laurie was too, hoping to achieve good enough results to win an early place at university. He wouldn’t be eighteen until May, and it would be most unusual if he gained admittance.
Ambrose was the most nervous of them all. He hated exams and was still far too young for farming college, but Edward had found him some part-time work at a pig farm in Brough and he would be able to drive himself there and back in the old trap. He had ten days’ work before the Christmas holiday and came home each evening exhilarated and exhausted and worried that he wasn’t giving his own pigs enough attention. Edward warned him that if he wanted to be a farmer he must be prepared to work at all hours every day of the week and sometimes at night. Ambrose said he was.
Alicia celebrated her sixteenth birthday after she came home for the holiday and said she really didn’t mind not receiving presents as it was too near to Christmas and that she’d have an extra one on Christmas Day … except perhaps some bon-bons or chocolate would be rather nice, so that was what everyone gave her.
They enjoyed Christmas Day as always. Beatrix’s parents were staying with them until the following week, which had some bearing on choosing the date on which to invite other people to visit.
Beatrix had sent out invitations for friends and neighbours to call for light refreshments from two o’clock until four on Boxing Day, which meant that those who wanted to go to a church service would be able to. She wondered if the Snowdens would be able to come but Lucille wrote back accepting on behalf of them all, including Joseph’s mother, who was looking forward to the visit. Joseph had arranged for one of his most dependable men to organize a rota for the drivers.
Beatrix had also invited Rosie and her husband and as many of their boys as wanted to come, which she fervently hoped would not be all of them. She had asked Rosie’s mother Mrs Stokes too, but not her husband, as she knew from Rosie that he would refuse. She also invited Rosie’s friend Amelia Highcliffe-Rand, but not her mother, as she had been advised that she was a recluse and never went anywhere and certainly never called on people.
‘I wondered, Beatrix, if we should invite Amelia’s brother James and his wife as well?’ Edward said. ‘Do you recall me telling you that I’d met him that day in Hessle?’
‘Mm, I do,’ she answered, ‘but we don’t really know him, do we? I’ve invited the Goughs, though, if they don’t mind the drive over from York.’ Alicia, who had joined them in time to hear part of the conversation, said, ‘Mama, do be sure to ask if Daniel will come. Laurie would be so pleased.’
Her mother looked up and smiled. She seemed to be hearing Daniel’s name rather often from Alicia’s lips these days, but thought she was far too young to be too interested in young men yet. ‘Will he, dear? Then I’ll ask the whole family, and then Daniel’s brother won’t feel left out.’
‘Yes, of course,’ Alicia said. She didn’t want to appear to be too keen, and it’s not that I’m really interested, she pondered, but I would quite like to flirt, if it doesn’t look too silly or pretentious. She gave a small sigh. I do hate this in-between time, being neither child nor grown-up.
They just had time to arrange the changeover of houses. Mags and her sister had at last made up their minds about moving house and went up the hill, meaning that Hilda could live comfortably just a short distance from Old Stone Hall, and that Mags was again in the old cottage which she and Luke had moved into when they first married, and Edward had commandeered when they moved down the hill to Home Farm, for when he wanted somewhere of his own. Both houses had since been renovated, and Home Farm could now be offered to Hallam and Dora.
‘We’d better be quick,’ Dora told Hallam. ‘I’d like my first child to be born in my own home.’
‘Strictly speaking, it’s not ours,’ Hallam said pragmatically.
‘I think you’ll find that it is,’ Dora smiled, and continued stitching baby sheets and pillow slips and knitting small white blankets for the crib that Beatrix had asked Edward to bring down from the storeroom on the top floor of Old Stone Hall, saying that she was as excited as Dora was.
She’d also asked Dora if she’d like to borrow the christening gown that had been her children’s. Dora thought for a moment, and then said, ‘I think my ma might still have ours; I’m sure she’d like me to use it for another grandchild. She stitched it herself for her first daughter, my eldest sister.’
‘Oh, then yes, of course you must,’ Beatrix said, ‘and we must arrange for her to come to be with you when the baby’s born. How long – when should we fetch her?’
‘After Christmas will be soon enough,’ Dora said placidly. ‘I think.’
The guests began to arrive on Monday and were taken upstairs to the drawing room, which was still dressed in its Christmas finery. Rosie and two of her sons, Edgar and Eamon, were the first to arrive. The boys looked very similar. Alicia thought that Eamon was very chatty, like his mother, whereas Edgar spoke little apart from an initial greeting. ‘He’s very like his father,’ Rosie explained, and moved up on the sofa to accommodate Mags. ‘But he did say he’d like to come.’
‘I was curious,’ he muttered. ‘I thought there would be young ladies here.’
‘There are,’ Alicia said. ‘Me!’
‘Yes, but I know you, Alicia.’
He’s gawky and spotty, Alicia thought, but I suppose he can’t help that; some young men are. It’s their age, I believe. ‘Isolde will be down soon; she’ll want to play games with you.’ He pulled a face, so she went on, ‘And there’ll be my friend Olivia, who is lovely, but you can’t have her as I want her for someone else.’
‘Oh! Who do you want her for?’ He seemed mildly interested. ‘Is she fair or dark?’
‘Never you mind. She’s spoken for. But she’s dark-haired and fair-skinned.’
‘I only like fair-haired,’ he said.
‘No one then,’ she sighed, tossing her own blonde hair, and excused herself to go and talk to her grandparents, who were sitting near the window. Glancing down at the driveway, Alicia saw a rather shabby governess trap that needed a lick of paint drawing up at the foot of the steps, a dark-haired woman of about her mother’s age holding the pony’s reins. As Alicia watched, she stepped down, to be greeted by Aaron, who climbed up in her place and drove the trap away.
Mrs Gordon was at the door to meet people and bring them up, and very soon she announced ‘Miss Amelia Highcliffe-Rand.’
‘Amelia!’ Rosie waved to her. ‘I’m so pleased to see you!’
Beatrix came over to greet her. ‘I’m very pleased that you could join us, Amelia. Come over and meet my parents, and then you can talk to Rosie. She was hoping that you’d be here.’
‘How’s the old dragon?’ Rosie asked brightly as Amelia kissed her cheek. ‘My mother is a bit out of sorts today, so she didn’t come either.’
If Amelia Highcliffe-Rand was shocked by Rosie’s words, she didn’t show it. Alicia, listening in to snippets of conversation, paused to hear a sharp reaction, but there wasn’t one.
‘You wouldn’t believe the relief I felt when Mother said that she wouldn’t come, but permitted that I could.’ Amelia lowered her voice. ‘I didn’t tell her that her name wasn’t on the card!’
‘You should have said that, as she never goes out, everyone thinks she’s dead!’ Rosie boomed, laughing heartily.
Alicia saw her mother swallow and put her hand to her throat in embarrassment, but Amelia didn’t turn a hair at Rosie’s echoing proclamation, and instead lowered her own voice. ‘She wouldn’t have allowed me to come, except that, can you believe this, James came yesterday and brought his wife and two children, the youngest only an infant. Mother knew nothing of James’s marriage, or his children; he had decided long ago that he wouldn’t tell her, but after a fearful tantrum she finally agreed that they could stay the night.’
Alicia, hanging about to listen, was intrigued, until she saw Laurie’s swift movement to the window and saw the pleased expression on his face.
Olivia and her family, she thought, and alerted her mother that more visitors were arriving. Her father was busy handing out glasses of champagne, wine and fruit juice to anyone who wanted one. However, it wasn’t the Snowdens, but the Gough family arriving from York, Daniel and his brother Robin accompanying their parents.
Oh, lovely. Alicia beamed with delight, and she and Laurie eased themselves to the door. Alicia behaved beautifully, dropping a curtsey to Mrs Gough, whom she had met previously. ‘Thank you for coming,’ she said politely. ‘Such a cold day for driving.’
She dipped her knee to Stephen too, and then Daniel and Robin. She saw Daniel’s mouth twitch as he dropped his head in a short bow and put his hand to his chest, and then, taking her quite by surprise, he took her hand and pressed his lips lightly to it.
‘Miss Newby,’ he said. ‘Charmed to meet you again.’
She gave a roll of her eyes and controlled a laugh, saying, ‘And I you, Mr Gough. Delighted.’
She saw puzzlement on Mrs Gough’s face, and astonishment written on his father’s, but just in time to save either of them any embarrassment her mother arrived at her side to greet their guests and Edward followed her, twirling an empty tray, saying merrily, ‘I know my place!’
Dora and Hallam came next. Beatrix took Dora over to speak to Rosie as she knew her well, and Dora dipped her knee to Amelia, whom she didn’t know at all, and then she and Hallam moved over to Mags, where Dora lowered herself into an easy chair next to her old friend whilst Hallam went off to speak to the menfolk.
Then came the sound of another flurry of arrivals and Laurie shot out of the door and down the stairs to greet the Snowden family in the hall. Alicia heard him telling Joseph that Aaron was totally capable of handling Captain and the landau and had kept a place for them both at the back of the house.
Joseph came in with Lucille on one arm and Mrs Snowden on the other, and behind them came Laurie, escorting Olivia. Beatrix said how pleased they were that they were able to come, and murmured softly to Lucille, ‘How lovely you look as always, Lucille. I hope you have had a lovely Christmas?’
Edward shook hands with Joseph, gave Mrs Snowden a bow, and kissed Lucille’s and Olivia’s offered hands. ‘Come,’ he said. ‘Let me introduce you to everyone. Have you met Beatrix’s parents? No, well, here we have Mr and Mrs Ambrose Fawcett.’
They shook hands, and Edward moved on. ‘You know Hallam already and the treasured Mrs Hallam, and my mother Mags? But you won’t know Mr and Mrs Stephen Gough, or their sons Daniel and Robin, who are from the fine city of York.’
Everyone shook hands again, then Edward took them to meet Rosie and her sons. ‘And may I also introduce you to Miss Amelia Highcliffe-Rand, who also lives in Hessle – Mr and Mrs Joseph Snowden, and their daughter Olivia.’
Only Edward and Lucille heard the sharp intake of breath that Joseph gave when he heard the name, or saw how his face blenched before he recovered enough to give a short bow to the dark-haired pretty woman who dipped her knee to him and his very attractive wife before turning to smile at their daughter.
But they all saw Amelia’s face drain of colour and saw how she put out a hand to reach for a chair and whispered, ‘How do you do?’ before fainting clean away.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Everyone jumped, startled, but Joseph who was nearest stepped forward and caught her, lowering her on to the chair from which she had just risen.
‘Sal volatile!’ Lucille cried out. ‘Quick, quick.’
Mrs Gough appeared by Amelia’s side within seconds, crouching down beside her and opening her handbag. ‘Lavender oil,’ she said. ‘It has the same effect.’
Olivia clutched her hands at her chest. ‘Wh-what happened?’ She whispered in French to Lucille, ‘Maman! She fainted when she saw me!’
Mrs Gough looked up; she obviously understood what Olivia had said. ‘Perhaps the sudden movement as she stood up made her dizzy?’ She looked about her and found Beatrix looking on anxiously. ‘Perhaps she should sit down somewhere quiet for a moment or two.’
‘Yes, of course.’ Beatrix looked at Joseph. ‘There is another room off the landing. Could you … would you mind?’
Joseph scooped up the limp Amelia into his strong arms and followed Beatrix out of the room to another, where there was a desk, several bookshelves and a small sofa. He carefully sat her there, then picked up a cushion and placed it at her back.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said in a small voice. ‘I don’t know what …’ Mrs Gough slid silently back out of the room, as if her role was done, and put the small bottle back inside her bag.
‘It was Clara, wasn’t it?’ Amelia put her hand to her forehead. ‘But Clara is dead,’ she whispered. ‘And she has – had – never been here, so how … why …’ Tears welled from her eyes and ran down her cheeks. ‘Why would she visit me here when she never came to me at home, even though I wished and wished that she would?’
Beatrix and Joseph exchanged glances; Beatrix thought that Amelia’s mind was wandering. Perhaps she should ask Aaron to take her home. She’d ask Rosie what she thought.
But Joseph forestalled her. ‘Mrs Fawcett-Newby,’ he said formally, ‘I think I should bring Olivia in here. This lady’ – he didn’t want to use her name – ‘has mixed her up with someone else.’
‘Would it not be better to take her home?’ Beatrix murmured.
‘No, please.’ Amelia swung her feet to the floor. ‘I’ll be all right now. It was silly. Just for a moment, I had … an apparition. I thought I saw my sister, who died many years ago. I’ll come back in; I’m spoiling your party. I’m so glad that I didn’t bring my mother; she would have been so cross with me.’
Joseph led Amelia back into the drawing room, where the other guests were talking quietly together. They gazed anxiously at Amelia, who murmured she was so sorry.
Olivia was standing with Lucille, and Alicia was doing her best to entertain their guests while Laurie and Ambrose were filling up glasses or handing round plates or inviting people to eat, and Mags was doing the same.
Then Cook came in wearing a fresh crisp white apron and carrying a tureen of hot soup; Sally followed behind with a platter of warm bread, a dish of butter and a large ladle. Another maid brought in another tureen, placed it on the serving table and stood behind it.
