The House (Armstrong House Series Book 1)

by A. O'Connor

  “I’m looking forward to it,” he added. “The pace of life in London is far too fast for me.”

  “And what an exciting time to be returning to Ireland,” Clara interjected.

  “Why?” He glanced at her.

  “Well, Home Rule being imminent. It’s so exciting to think Ireland will have its own parliament again and control of its own affairs.”

  Pierce stared at her. Delighted she had his full attention, Clara continued bravely. “It must be exciting for you to have the prospect of not being just a part of Britain but controlling your own affairs . . .”

  Pierce leaned forward so not to be heard by the others. “You have obviously not a clue what you’re talking about, and I have no intention of wasting my time explaining it to you.”

  Clara blinked a few times as Pierce stood up with the other diners and retired to the next room.

  43

  Clara’s grandmother had called for tea with Clara and her mother.

  “What is this I’m hearing back from my sources about you and Lord Armstrong, Clara?” questioned her grandmother.

  “I know Lord Armstrong – what of it? I’ve met him at a few parties, what is wrong with that?”

  “I heard you are arranging for him to be invited to places, just so you can show up and meet him.”

  “Well, it wasn’t long ago that you were criticising Clara for not liking any one particular man,” said Milly. “So perhaps she’s taking your advice.”

  “They say you are relentlessly and shamelessly pursuing the man across London,” her grandmother said harshly. “When I advised she should settle on one man, I didn’t mean for her to pick the one man in London who obviously has no interest in her!”

  Clara felt her eyes well with tears. She never got upset. She was always in a good mood. She usually didn’t give a damn what her grandmother said or thought. And here she was reduced to tears over what she was saying about Pierce.

  Seeing she was upset, her mother put down her tea and, rushing over to her, put her arms around her.

  “Louisa, now you’re upsetting Clara. Please stop!”

  “She needs upsetting, if it prevents her from making a further fool of herself. The man is getting a perverse thrill out of you running after him, Clara, and everyone is looking on bemused at the great Clara Charter running around after an Irish farmer!”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry any more, Grandmother, because it’s true Pierce has no interest in me, and so I won’t bother him again.” Clara wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face.

  “Poor darling!” Milly hugged her tightly.

  “Hope may spring eternal,” said Louisa, “but in this case at least sense has prevailed before you ended up ruining yourself.”

  “Hardly ruining herself!” defended Milly.

  “You’d be surprised how many other suitors would lose interest in Clara, if word got round Lord Armstrong had rejected her. People are fickle. And you have played a silly hand, Clara. Not just for yourself, but the Charter family. One hundred and fifty years of making chocolates and toffees, even securing a royal warrant, for you to fall down at the final fence!”

  “I – I liked him!” explained Clara through her tears.

  “Which is where you made your first mistake,” said her grandmother. Then the expression on her face softened and she crossed the room and sat on the other side of Clara, putting a sympathetic arm around her.

  “I have it on very good authority that the young Marquis Wellesley has huge regard for you, Clara.”

  “Cosmo Wellesley? We’re friends.”

  “Well, I’ve heard he has asked to call on you, and you’ve never given him permission. Maybe it would be nice to let him call. Do you like him?”

  “Cosmo is very charming and kind.”

  “There you go! And you really couldn’t do better. One of the finest houses in London and estates in England. The Marchioness Wellesley has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?” Louisa was practically salivating. “Why not let him call, Clara?”

  Clara wiped away her tears and regained her composure “All right . . . I’ll meet him.”

  “Excellent!” smiled her grandmother.

  Clara got up and left the room.

  “Poor Clara! I had no idea she was going through such turmoil over this Armstrong man,” said Milly, distressed.

  “You know, I think this might have been the best thing to happen to her. It’s just taught her that life is not always as you want it. There’s something about Clara, a rebelliousness, and it’s not a good thing.”

  “Rebelliousness! Clara? Clara is the most traditional girl you could meet.”

  “On the surface, perhaps. But there’s something deep down that doesn’t want to conform. Her continuous whirl through the season year after year without any thought of settling down demonstrates that. Her falling for Armstrong who doesn’t love her back shows it. She thinks that she can live by her own rules, and that’s dangerous. She attracts people to talk about her, and then doesn’t care what they say. It’s not wise to be a person to attract so much attention as she does. Let’s hope now she’s learned her lesson, makes a match with young Wellesley, and that’s an end to it.”

  Cosmo Wellesley was charming and kind, as Clara had always found him. He was also delighted to be allowed to call on Clara. She had always known he was very taken with her and he seemed hardly able to believe his luck when she agreed to accompany him to events regularly. He was indeed everything that she should be looking for, and yet her mind frequently drifted to Pierce Armstrong, much as she tried not to dwell on him. People were surprised to see Clara being seen continuously in the same man’s company, and rumours abounded there would be an announcement shortly from her and Cosmo. Every so often she would be at the same event as Pierce and she steadfastly avoided him. Still burnt from his rude dismissal of her, and frightened of the emotions stirred by him, she knew it was best to avoid his company. Not that he would seek out her company anyway, she had realised.

  She had arranged to meet Cosmo in Claridge’s Hotel. Clara loved Claridge’s and the new modern interiors, the style of which had originated in Paris.

  She sat opposite Cosmo in the centre of the restaurant as he regaled her with stories from the army where he had a high ranking.

  When she spotted Pierce walk into the restaurant, she ignored him and also the effect he had on her. He walked across the restaurant and joined Robert Keane who was waiting for him.

  “I see your admirer is here,” smirked Robert to Pierce.

  Pierce glanced around the restaurant and saw Clara. “Bloody woman! Does she ever stay home? She seems to be everywhere,” he said dismissively.

  “Well, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about her for too much longer. Seemingly she and Cosmo Wellesley have become quite serious and there might be an announcement soon.”

  “Cosmo Wellesley?” Pierce’s eyes darted up from the menu. He turned around again and looked at the man dining with her.

  He stared at Cosmo, as the memories came flooding back.

  Pierce had enjoyed boarding school. Not for him any of those tortured tales of bullying or desperate homesickness. He was always self-reliant, self-composed and when he was sent away to school in England it was as if his position was just waiting for him when he arrived there. The young Viscount was popular, came from a well-respected family, was successful academically and on the sporting field. Pierce took his position for granted.

  But when Pierce’s father died, he had taken a full year from school. There was so much to be sorted at the estate. His mother and sister needed him there to help with all the legal aspects. At the same time the last of the vast estate was being sold to the tenant farmers under the Wyndham Act, and his board of trustees wanted him there as the new Lord Armstrong and heir to understand and agree to everything that was being done.

  By the time he arrived back in school, he was surprised to see a new classmate in his year. Cosmo Wellesley’s f
amily had been in India, due to his father’s important political position there, and Cosmo had attended school there. Now the family had returned to England and Cosmo had started at Pierce’s school. Pierce had never met anybody like Cosmo before. The boy had overflowing charisma, excelled academically, had panther-like prowess on the sports field and was unbelievably popular. By the time Piece arrived back from his sabbatical, Cosmo was the new star of the school, and Pierce had been forgotten. Watching from the sidelines, his resentment of Cosmo grew. Cosmo had stolen his position. Pierce tried to oust Cosmo. He attempted to regain his role, but he could not compete with Cosmo’s glamour.

  And then it was as if Cosmo knew Pierce resented him. He knew Pierce had been a force before he arrived and, now that he had taken Pierce’s position away from him, he would not allow him back. Cosmo’s father had been a military strategist on the north-western frontier in India, and Cosmo had inherited all his cunning. Seeing Pierce was trying to undermine him, his attitude was: fight fire with fire. It started with passing the odd comment about Pierce, or cracking a joke at Pierce’s expense. He quickly worked his classmates against Pierce, leaving him an outsider, and there was nothing he could do to fight back. After school, Pierce did not go on to university, but returned to Ireland to manage what was left of the estate and live the life of an Anglo-Irish lord. Cosmo had of course gone on to excel at university and onwards to a brilliant military career.

  Now as he watched Cosmo and Clara talk intimately across the table, all the old feelings of resentment and jealousy came bubbling to the surface. Cosmo Wellesley could still drive him insanely jealous.

  “An announcement soon?” asked Pierce. “He is going to marry her?”

  “He certainly wants to from what I hear, if she’ll accept. By the look of them too, it looks like Clara Charter will accept and finally settle down.”

  44

  Clara was in the drawing room at home looking through albums of wedding dresses. The style was changing so much recently and she wasn’t sure what she should go for, if she and Como set a date soon.

  The butler entered. “Pardon me, Miss Clara, you have a visitor. Lord Armstrong.”

  Clara nearly dropped the book, then she stared in silence.

  “Miss Clara?” asked the butler.

  “Eh, yes, please show him in.” She quickly put the book away, checked her appearance in the mirror and turned to greet Pierce as the butler showed him in.

  “I’m terribly sorry for just dropping in like this. It’s just that Robert said you lived in this area, and while I was passing, I thought – well, I just thought, why not visit?”

  “Em – why not indeed!” Clara smiled and put out her hands in a welcoming gesture. She turned to the butler. “Eh, could you bring us some tea and refreshments, please?”

  “Yes, Miss Clara.”

  “Please – eh, take a seat, Lord Armstrong,” urged Clara.

  They sat opposite each other and fell silent for a while.

  “Nice weather we’re having – for the time of year,” said Clara at last.

  She felt she was walking on eggshells as she conversed with Pierce, rigidly sticking to mundane topics. She did not want to ask too many questions as it might appear she was nosy, and she had seen how he did not like intrusion. She did not want to express any opinions as she had seen how he had dismissed her opinions as uninformed. At least they could remain on safe territory and discuss their mutual friend Robert Keane, and continue to agree on his merits.

  “A marvellous fellow,” said Pierce.

  “A champion chap,” agreed Clara.

  “Good-natured,” declared Pierce.

  “With a kind heart,” confirmed Clara.

  “Stoic and steady,” Pierce pointed out.

  “And yet entertaining company,” Clara added.

  They lapsed into a silence.

  “Tea?” smiled Clara as she raised the teapot.

  And yet, as strained as the conversation was, she felt completely captivated. He seemed to be seeing her for the first time. It was the first time he had paid her attention, and she saw him study her.

  “Your father works in the city?” said Pierce as his eyes took in the opulent drawing room.

  “Yes.”

  “And you have two brothers, Keane tells me?”

  “Yes, an elder who is a doctor and a younger, who is my pet,” she smiled. “Do you come from a large family?” She already knew the answer.

  “Just one sister. Older than me.”

  “She’s married?”

  “No, she still lives in the family house in Ireland.”

  “Not for long, I imagine. I’m sure she is not short of suitors.” As Clara studied Pierce’s fine features she imagined his sister must be very beautiful. She did wonder how she had managed to stay single for so long, without being pressurised into a union.

  “I really wouldn’t know,” said Pierce, suddenly dismissive, and she could have kicked herself, because he looked somehow irritated with her, and she wished she had remained on the neutral ground of discussing Robert Keane.

  “I hear you like the theatre,” said Pierce.

  “Oh yes, I love it,” she smiled.

  “I have tickets to the Palladium. I was wondering if you would like to accompany me next Thursday?”

  She blinked several times, unsure she had heard him right.

  “Y-y-yes. I think I would like to.”

  Clara hardly paid any attention to what was on the stage at the Palladium. She was far too distracted by being so close to Pierce.

  She had given up on ever attracting his attention, and she wondered why he seemed to be showing an interest. She had half-hoped that once she had spent some time in his company, the strange spell he had over her would be broken, but it wasn’t.

  He dropped her back home in a cab and walked her to the door.

  “I wonder if you are free next week?” he asked. “We might meet for lunch at Fortnum and Mason.”

  “Well, yes, I would like to . . . but I thought you were due to return home to Ireland?”

  “I think I’ll delay my return for a while.” He smiled at her and returned to the cab.

  Over the next three weeks, Clara and Pierce met regularly. They would meet for lunch or dinner, or for a walk in Hyde Park. She never found him easy company. She never acted in the carefree way she did with others. He was very serious, she found. His looks gave the impression he would be a party boy. But he wasn’t. He was the very opposite to her. He never tried to impress her like the others. Maybe it was the fact that he was so unlike the others that she found captivating.

  “Are your family out?” Pierce asked Clara as he had tea with her in the dining room.

  “Yes, they are visiting with my grandmother.”

  Pierce stared at her intently and then suddenly lunged forward, grabbed her and kissed her.

  “Pierce!” she said.

  He pulled back and looked at her coolly. “Yes?”

  She leaned towards him and kissed him back.

  Pierce left Clara’s house and was walking down the street when he saw a car pull up outside her home. He watched as he saw Cosmo Wellesley get out of the car and bound up the steps, holding a big box of chocolates and flowers. He looked on in irritation as Cosmo disappeared into the house.

  Clara and Pierce were in Covent Garden, walking along the balcony of the arcaded building. Classical street musicians were playing below them and they stopped and leaned on the railing to listen.

  “Clara, you know the Keanes’ party is on next Thursday?”

  “Yes.” She looked at him.

  “I wondered would you attend it with me?”

  She thought hard for a minute and decided she needed to be honest. “I can’t, I’m afraid, Pierce. I’m attending the party with Cosmo Wellesley.”

  “I see.”

  “Do you know him?”

  “Vaguely.”

  “Pierce – I’ve very much enjoyed our time together. But I need to tel
l you that myself and Cosmo have an understanding.”

  “An understanding?”

  “We’ve discussed marriage.”

  “I see.”

  “It would be unfair to both you and Cosmo if I continue to see you.”

  “And do you want to stop seeing me?”

  She looked at him. “No.”

  “And what if I asked you to marry me. What would you say?”

  “I would say – yes.”

  There was a family summit with Clara’s parents and her grandmother when she announced her engagement.

  “But what of poor Cosmo?” demanded her grandmother.

  “I’m very fond of Cosmo, but the feelings are not right.”

  “And they are for Pierce Armstrong?” Her grandmother was incredulous. “But you could have anybody, Clara. Why settle for him?”

  “But I’m not settling for Pierce. I am in love with him.”