‘What’s all the fuss about?’ she asked Charlie with a triumphant smile.
Charlie shook his head, his expression displaying admiration as he vaulted into Apollo’s saddle.
‘Ready?’ he asked, leading the way from the yard but constantly looking back over his shoulder, presumably to ensure that she had Evita under control. To avoid his developing a crick in his neck, she pushed Evita forward until she could ride alongside the larger gelding.
‘How does she feel?’ Charlie asked, when they had ridden onto the track that led away from the stables without mishap.
‘She has a very smooth stride and, as you can see, is as gentle as a lamb. Her behaviour has been impeccable thus far.’
‘I had a feeling that you and she would bond.’
‘I will purchase her from you,’ Miranda said before they had progressed beyond a trot. ‘How much do you want for her?’
‘You haven’t tried all her paces yet.’
‘I don’t need to. I am already devoted to her, and she to me.’
‘Well, in that case, I will loan her to you. Try her for a few weeks and if you still feel the same way, I dare say we can reach satisfactory terms.’
‘Thank you, but I shall not change my mind so we might as well agree terms now.’
‘Indulge me,’ he said with a teasing smile that made it impossible for her to refuse him.
The ground in front of them opened up. It was Apollo who then began to misbehave, swinging sideways in his anxiety to stretch his legs. Showing off to Evita.
‘Having trouble?’ she asked sweetly.
Charlie shook his head at her. ‘Shall we let them go?’ he asked.
‘You don’t seem to have much choice in the matter.’ Miranda shortened her reins and leaned forward in expectation. ‘But to save your pride, I am perfectly willing to pretend otherwise.’
Laughing at him, she touched Evita’s flank with her heel and the little mare shot off, leaving Apollo in her wake.
*
Charlie held Apollo back for a little longer, enjoying the sight of Miranda’s pert backside lifted to the elements as she leaned over Evita’s shoulders and urged her forward. The mare ate up the ground with surprising speed—although he ought not to have been surprised. Arabians were renowned for their turn of speed and agility. But this was the first occasion upon which he had seen Evita ridden at anything other than a sedate walk. Miranda had got it right when she expressed her opinion that the mare suffered with nerves. She had probably been badly treated in the past and would need compassionate handling. He could already see that Miranda’s confidence and gentleness had given the little horse…well, confidence of her own.
They were perfect for one another.
He gave Apollo his head and the larger horse rapidly gained on Evita. They reached the end of the gallop at the same time, both of them puffing from their exertions almost as much as the horses were.
‘I’ll beat you next time,’ Miranda vowed, her face flushed as she gave Evita a long rein.
‘In your breeches,’ he reminded her, with a wicked smile.
They walked the horses side by side for a few minutes and eventually came to the river that ran through the Beranger estate.
‘Shall we let them drink?’
Charlie slid from his saddle and then reached up to lift Miranda down from hers. She looked a little startled when his hands closed on her slender waist. Charlie took his time releasing her and setting her on her feet. He then took both horses and led them to the bank, where they drank their fill of the clear water.
‘Let’s walk for a while,’ he said, tethering the horses to a sturdy branch and then taking Miranda’s elbow. ‘It’s a lovely day.’
‘All right.’
‘Are you glad to be home?’ Charlie asked.
‘Oh yes. I was glad to go in the beginning. All the memories, you understand.’
‘Your father.’ He squeezed her elbow. ‘It must have been a difficult time for you.’
‘It was, but after a year I had come to terms with my loss and felt homesick. I wanted to return to England at that point. We were in India at the time and Philip had business contacts he needed to re-establish, so…’
‘Surely it was your decision, not his? Excuse me, but you told me last night that you were footing the bill for the whole party.’
‘Well yes, but I hadn’t developed the confidence to stand up for myself at that point, I suppose, and let them persuade me.’ She pulled her hat off and swung it between her fingers, probably unaware that the fast gallop had caused curls the colour of champagne to tumble around her shoulders. Charlie suppressed the urge to lift one up and run it through his fingers. ‘No one bullied me, if that’s what you are suggesting. They were all very mindful of my comforts.’
‘You and Christina are on friendly terms?’
‘She made Papa very happy.’
‘So you told me last night.’ Charlie touched her cheek. ‘But that isn’t what I asked you.’
‘She was all I knew.’ Miranda lifted one slender shoulder. ‘My only security. I was just fifteen when we left England and needed to cling to what family I had left, I suppose.’
‘That’s understandable. It must have been difficult for you. But now?’ They had wandered some distance from the horses and so turned back in that direction. ‘What happens now?’
‘Now I am more in control. Christina is still my legal guardian but Philip tells me that he and Matthew will be concentrating upon resurrecting their father’s business, which they cannot do from Wiltshire. Exports of some sort I think, that got into trouble.’ She glanced up at Charlie. ‘All I know is that it failed and that Philip is gripped with a determination to make a success of it again.’
‘Then he would have been better served by remaining in England instead of gallivanting about all over the world at your expense for over two years. But you don’t see it that way because they have made you believe that the trip was for your benefit, not theirs.’
She glanced up at him, her expression reflective. ‘Yes, I suppose they did, in subtle little ways. It’s funny, but I haven’t looked upon it in that way before.’
Charlie ground his jaw, infuriated by the way in which a vulnerable young woman had been manipulated. ‘I am perfectly sure that you have not.’
‘You don’t much care for Christina’s husband and brothers, do you?’
‘I don’t like the way that they have exploited you.’ He paused, choosing his next words with care. ‘You know, of course, that there was talk, unsavoury rumours, when Christina married again so quickly. We touched upon that subject last night, too.’
‘Yes, I do know that. I also know that she loves Philip with a passion that it wouldn’t be possible to fake.’ Miranda wrinkled her brow, looking distressed. ‘My difficulty is that I would have sworn she loved Papa just as deeply.’ Her frown intensified. ‘How can one change allegiances so quickly? I am perfectly sure that if I had found my heart’s desire, he could not be replaced nearly so rapidly, if at all.’ She stopped walking and turned to face him, unnaturally serious. ‘You asked me to come over today for reasons other than becoming acquainted with the delightful Evita. You mentioned suspicions about Papa’s death. What did you mean by that?’
‘I don’t want to upset you.’
‘It’s a little late for that.’ She waved a hand. ‘No, don’t blame yourself. Similar thoughts had occasionally occurred to me. Odd snippets of conversations overheard and so forth that I didn’t fully understand at the time. All the while we were abroad, I couldn’t bring myself to believe that Christina would go that far, even if I had misjudged her devotion to Papa and she was secretly pining for Philip.’ She sent him a supplicating look. ‘I suppose I didn’t want to believe that I was living under the same roof as a murderess. And it could only have been Christina who somehow managed to effect Papa’s demise. I know nothing about poisons, which is what must have been used.’ Charlie didn’t know either, but was aware of Flora’s a
bility with herbs. She might know how such a thing could be done. ‘None of the Coopers had ready access to him.’
Charlie couldn’t help himself. She looked so distressed, so lost and bewildered that he felt an overwhelming urge to wrap her in his arms and comfort her. When a single tear trickled down her cheek, he lost his slender hold on his self-control and did just that.
‘Hush, it’s all right,’ he said softly, smoothing her back with comforting sweeps of his hands as though she was still a child who had tumbled from the tree that Emma dared her to climb. But the feel of her soft curves pressing against his body held no memory of the child she had once been. His reaction was as inevitable as it was inappropriate, and he reluctantly released her, reaching into his pocket and handing her his handkerchief.
‘I didn’t mean to upset you,’ he said softly.
‘You didn’t.’ Her wide, moist eyes, regarding him with absolute trust, held him in their thrall. ‘I need to know for my own peace of mind what really happened. If I’ve been taken in then I need to understand why.’ She swallowed. ‘Will you help me?’
‘You know I will.’ He caressed her with his gaze. ‘I was always the one to get you and Emma out of scrapes when you were younger.’
‘My hero,’ she said softly.
‘Hardly.’ Charlie cleared his throat, thinking it safer to steer the conversation onto neutral territory and not think too hard about the reasons that compelled him to help her. ‘Why do you think your father left so much of his fortune to you?’
‘I’ve wondered about that, too. He told me once that Mama’s dowry was substantial. Enough to set him up in business. Perhaps he thought that her investment should become my fortune.’
‘I would imagine it’s a great deal more now than it was then. He could have provided for you and the second wife he supposedly loved so much. Unless, of course, he knew that she had been unfaithful…’
‘Papa was a forthright man. I cannot imagine him turning a blind eye to such behaviour.’
Charlie smiled at her. ‘Perhaps his first thought was for you. If he had grounds for divorce, it would still have created a scandal and might have adversely affected your future prospects.’
‘That possibility hadn’t occurred to me.’ Her fell into momentary contemplation. ‘But it would be typical of Papa to put my interests first and suffer in silence. I just wish that I had known he would become ill and be taken from me so suddenly. That is my biggest regret in this entire affair. But he was always so robust, you see. He once told me that he didn’t have time to be unwell.’ She swallowed. ‘And yet even he couldn’t beat the influenza that eventually took him.’
‘If that’s what it was.’
‘I don’t want to think that Christina is capable of murder and since we shall never know for sure—’
‘Perhaps he told his solicitor why he excluded her from his will,’ Charlie said casually.
Miranda sent him an astonished look. ‘Very possibly,’ she conceded. ‘They were good friends.’
‘Who represents him?’
‘A Mr Willard Fenchurch of Fenchurch, Scott and Talbert. They are situated in the Aldwych. I have always addressed him as Uncle Willard.’ Her smile softened the sadness in her eyes. ‘I have known him for my entire life. He was Mama and Papa’s closest friend, and he is also my godfather.’
‘I have heard of the firm. They have a good reputation. Would you like me to speak with Fenchurch on your behalf and see if we can set your mind at rest?’
She sent him a disbelieving look. ‘You would do that for me?’
He again touched her cheek. ‘With the greatest of pleasure.’
‘Then by all means…’ They strolled towards the horses. ‘Philip and Theo have gone up to London today,’ she remarked.
‘Did they offer you a reason?’
‘Theo is keen to make his mark as an architect, and has an opportunity to fill a position with a leading firm. I’m not sure which. He is very different to his brothers. There is only a year between Philip and Matthew, but Theo came along five years later. The older two remember their father’s downfall well and often talk into the night about rectifying matters, but Theo isn’t interested in exports.’
‘Then I hope he gets the position. Why did Philip go to London?’
‘That I cannot say. Christina said something about a business appointment.’
‘So you are left here with Matthew. Have a care, Miranda. I don’t want to alarm you but I can see that your time away has imbued you with a certain maturity that persuades me to speak frankly.’ He took her arm again and they stopped walking when they reached the horses. ‘It has occurred to me that Philip and Christina may have plans for you to marry Matthew.’
She laughed and waved the suggestion aside. ‘Never!’
‘It would explain why they wanted you to remain away from England for so long. You have said yourself that you grew to depend upon them more and more. They probably hoped that your dependency would develop into something more enduring, the next natural step being to marry one of them. It would also explain why Christina didn’t seem to resent your inheriting. She probably assumed that she would inherit herself, but when she discovered otherwise, she had to amend her plans. Hence her fast remarriage and you having the Cooper brothers inflicted upon you.’
Miranda paused to consider. ‘I suppose it’s possible. Matthew has always treated me like an irrelevance. But since returning to England his attitude has changed. And today, Christina saw me dressed for riding and tried to persuade me to ride with Matthew.’
‘Then my fears are justified.’ Charlie’s expression darkened. ‘I would prefer it if you didn’t have to return to Ashton Lodge with just Matthew there.’
‘And Christina.’
‘Who will find an excuse to leave the two of you alone.’
‘There is nothing that Matthew can do to make me consider a proposal from him.’ She set her chin in a stubborn line.
‘Even so.’ Charlie didn’t want to frighten her by pointing out that if she refused him, she would become a liability. ‘I heard Emma mention a dress fitting tomorrow.’ Miranda nodded. ‘Tell your stepmother that you will be here all day and remain to dine.’
‘You are being very assertive, Charlie. I am not your responsibility.’
‘Even so, I am offering to protect your interests.’ His tone turned firm yet persuasive. ‘Please oblige me regarding the arrangements for tomorrow.’
She bit her lower lip, then nodded. ‘Very well, since you insist.’
‘Thank you.’ He treated her to a warm smile. ‘Luke was not impressed with the Coopers’ manners. They will not be invited to Beranger Court again, but you are always welcome.’
‘Oh dear!’ Miranda covered her lips with a gloved hand. ‘I overheard Christina telling Philip that they were on the verge of being accepted again.’
‘Their behaviour didn’t reflect a desire to be accepted. Quite the reverse. Luke cannot abide flummery, but Philip and Matthew’s attitude bordered on insolent.’
‘For reasons that escape me, they don’t like the aristocracy. Philip is ordinarily mild-mannered but I have heard him rail against the privileges inherit to the upper classes on several occasions.’
‘Jealousy, I shouldn’t wonder. The dividing line between the classes has become less well defined in modern times. I should have thought that if Philip has aspirations to resurrect his father’s business, he would take every opportunity to exploit those changes.’ He sighed. ‘However, delightful as I find your company, I had best take you back before I can be accused of kidnap.’
‘Or before anyone thinks that Evita got the better of me.’
Charlie laughed as he lifted her into the saddle and passed her the reins. ‘I should like to see her try. Clearly, she is aware that she’s met her match.’
‘Of course she is.’ Miranda settled herself and patted Evita’s neck. ‘We already understand one another perfectly.’
They rode back, talking of inco
nsequential matters. Charlie was pleased to see that his suspicions hadn’t appeared to affect her too adversely. They surrendered the horses to the care of the grooms who ran to collect them, and Charlie took Miranda back into the house for refreshments. As they were served, Charlie had her sign a brief note of authority, asking Fenchurch to reveal everything he knew about Defoe’s reasons for making his will. Charlie hoped he would be prepared to share any disturbing particulars that he had kept from his goddaughter’s ears with him.
Chapter Ten
‘How is she?’
Seated beside the sleeping countess while Sandwell took her dinner in the servants’ hall, deep in thought, Flora hadn’t heard the door softly open.
‘Oh, it’s you.’ She touched a hand to her breast, conscious of her heart racing at twice its regular rate as she looked up into Luke’s eyes. ‘You startled me.’
‘Sorry. I didn’t want to wake her.’
Flora noticed the countess’s eyelids twitch. Presumably their voices had disturbed her, but she didn’t actually open her eyes. She held a finger to her lips, stood up and moved into the adjoining sitting room, where they could converse at a more normal level.
‘She’s a little better. The fever has almost gone.’
‘Because of your herbal concoctions?’
Flora shrugged. ‘I imagine so. It wouldn’t have gone so quickly on its own.’ She allowed herself a small smile. ‘And I persuaded Sandwell to risk an open window.’
Luke feigned shock. ‘And lived to tell the tale.’
‘Well anyway, I am optimistic that your grandmother will recover. She just needs plenty of rest, a regime that will be difficult to enforce once she starts to feel better.’ Flora pursed her lips. ‘I am almost persuaded to tell her that she needs plenty of exercise. Contrary creature that she is, I can guarantee that she will settle upon idleness instead.’
A Sense of Purpose Page 12
