by Barker, Ann
The general conversation was interrupted as Michael appeared, having taken off his vestments and tidied his things away in the chapel. As he entered, there was a spontaneous round of applause, which made his colour rise a little.
‘It was a wonderful ceremony,’ said Lady Ashbourne, smiling. ‘Thank you, Michael.’
Lady Ilam readily concurred with this sentiment, adding, ‘No doubt I will eventually persuade her not to scream the place down every time she sees you.’
‘It was a pleasure,’ he replied.
‘You did appear to know one end of a baby from the other,’ declared Lady Agatha. ‘At least it won’t be a punishment to see you occupy the vicarage.’ She was still quite unabashed at the scene she had caused and, unsurprisingly, had never apologized.
Michael looked round at the other occupants of the room; his new relatives, friends, and his wife-to-be and her family. Following the news that he was to be installed as vicar, he had spoken to Mr Granby at the earliest possible moment. Mr Granby had been impressed with the young clergyman from the very first. He had always indulged himself with a dream that one day, Evangeline might seek to unite herself with as worthy a man. It was not a brilliant match, but any doubts that Mr and Mrs Granby might have felt were laid to rest in one moment, when the young couple had disagreed about some matter and, after a brief discussion, Evangeline had been heard to say, ‘Of course it will be as you wish, Michael.’
Sir Lyle and Lady Belton and Amelia were among the guests at the baptism. A second and more public visit from Lord Ashbourne had had a great effect upon them. He had pointed out with all his customary suavity that the whole problem of Amelia’s infatuation with Michael had been because there were so few single young men in the vicinity. He and Lady Ashbourne were intending to bring his stepdaughter out the following year. They were prepared to introduce Amelia to the ton at the same time. Recent events had made Lady Belton realize that this would be a wise course of action. Amelia was so delighted that she was even prepared to consult Evangeline about London manners. Evangeline was less than ecstatic about meeting Amelia who had behaved so traitorously. She was able to see the wisdom of being on good terms with close neighbours, however, and remembering the deviousness of Lieutenant Fellowes, could accept that Amelia was probably more deceived than deceiving.
Miss Leicester was also among the guests. There, too, Lord Ashbourne had worked his magic. A new school for girls was due to open in the town of Ashbourne shortly and the earl had persuaded the schoolmistress to help with advice and expertise. She was so delighted that she was very willing to forget her interest in the curate.
Michael’s prospects had been improved considerably by some news that had been brought to Ashbourne Abbey by the earl’s man of business. He had travelled to the village where Michael had lived and had discovered that James Warrener had indeed left the whole of his collection of antiquities to Michael in his will. The family, who had descended like vultures, although they had had nothing to do with their relative in his lifetime, had attempted to defraud Michael by just giving him one item, pretending that that had been the sum total of his inheritance. Michael, who had had no idea of Warrener’s intentions, had simply accepted the bowl gratefully, with no idea that there was a good deal more owing to him. Lord Ashbourne’s man of business had put an end to these fraudulent games and ensured that Michael’s property was packed securely and taken to London, where it would remain awaiting Michael’s instructions.
‘It will at one and the same time give you an income and ensure that you will not be obliged to ask me for a damn thing,’ Ashbourne had told him carelessly.
‘I’m well aware that I owe this to you,’ Michael had responded. Ashbourne had waved his hand dismissively. Then the clergyman had added, ‘I’m happy that it should be so.’
The day when Michael had actually been installed as vicar had been an occasion for celebration involving the whole village. It had coincided with the beginning of the week when the wells were dressed with greenery and blessed, and Michael had thoroughly enjoyed taking part in this ceremony which was at the heart of the village community. His whole family had walked round with him too, as had Evangeline and her parents. I’m no longer alone, he thought to himself. It was a thought that had continued to warm him long after the tea party that Ilam had given for the village was at an end.
Before dinner was announced, Ashbourne, Michael and Gabriel had gone upstairs to the long gallery. Briefly, they had stood beneath the portrait of Raff’s father. ‘If I’m honest, part of the reason that I stayed away from this place for so long was because of that,’ the earl had said. ‘I always felt as if I lived in his shadow. I even felt that way after he was dead. I don’t think I really shook it off completely until I married Jessie.’
‘That’s funny,’ Gabriel had said, passing on to the portrait of the present earl, ‘I always felt as if I lived in yours.’
‘Good God,’ Raff had exclaimed blankly.
Michael had smiled to himself. He had never felt as if he had lived in anyone’s shadow; yet there had been a part of his life that had been unknown to him, rather like a forbidden room concealed behind a locked door. Quite unexpectedly, the door had been opened and his life had acquired a new dimension. He was still exploring what it all meant, but now he did not feel threatened or afraid.
They had walked on to a section of the wall on which hung a painting of an unknown Elizabethan gentleman. ‘I would like a painting of my sons to hang here,’ the earl had said. ‘Both my sons.’
‘But, my lord,’ Michael had protested.
‘Damn it, which of us is he speaking to now?’ Gabriel had asked his father.
‘I don’t know, but I fancy we can account for him between us,’ Ashbourne had replied. ‘Two pairs of coal heavers’ shoulders are better than one, after all.’
In no time at all, Michael had found himself pinned firmly to the wall. ‘Now, Michael, who am I?’ Ilam had asked, grinning.
‘You’re Gabriel,’ Michael had answered, his expression mirroring that of his half-brother.
‘And who am I?’ Ashbourne had asked.
There was a moment’s stillness. ‘You’re my father,’ Michael had replied.
‘What about a portrait of yourself with your whole family, sir?’ Gabriel had suggested, after they had released him and they began to make their way downstairs.
‘Excellent idea,’ Raff had agreed. ‘This has been a splendid day altogether. Much though it pains me to do so, I have to admit that I am very proud of both of my sons.’
‘You will unman us with this praise,’ Ilam had replied.
‘Such is not my intention; but you do amaze me, both of you. Not for you the years of dissipation and senseless behaviour that were my path in life. You have both done much better than I.’
Suddenly, Michael had known exactly the right thing to say. ‘But we had the advantage over you, for we had a much better father.’
After the two babies had been baptized, Michael and Evangeline found the chance to wander off and lose themselves in each other’s arms.
‘How does it feel to be part of a family?’ Evangeline asked him, as they strolled amongst the trees behind the parterre.
‘A short time ago I wouldn’t have known how to answer that,’ he said. ‘Now, I can say that it feels very good. You guessed, didn’t you?’
‘I suspected that you must be Lord Ashbourne’s son, but I had no way of knowing how much you knew. That was why I went to see him instead of you. When Lady Agatha said, in that wicked way that she has, that she was taking you to meet the earl, I knew that she was hoping to witness some sort of scene. I thought that the best thing that I could do would be to get there first so that I could warn him.’
‘Then I arrived and made a scene anyway,’ Michael answered, leading her to one of the stone seats that was set in an arbour amongst the trees. ‘For how long did you suspect?’
‘To be honest, I had an inkling from the very first,’ Evangeline conf
essed. ‘When I saw you in Sheffield and you looked at me in that rakish way, you sort of reminded me of him.’
‘There was a time when I would have fought against that,’ he replied. ‘I can’t deny that I feel the seeds of … of rakishness within myself; but I don’t need to act upon that tendency. I can make a choice. Nevertheless, my darling, when I look at you, desire comes roaring through my veins like a fire.’ He groaned, and pulled her closer. Then he kissed her, holding her tight, plundering her mouth with his passion. When at last he released her, her hair was somewhat disarranged and her lips were rosy from his kisses.
‘Michael, do you suppose that you are the only one to feel this fire?’ she said, as soon as she was able. ‘You are not a rake: you are a principled man with strong passions, and my hope is that from now on all of them will be directed towards me.’
For some little time after this, his every effort was exerted to assure her that this would indeed be the case.
Epilogue
After Michael and Evangeline had gone off on their honeymoon, Theodora went to stay with Lord and Lady Ashbourne at Ashbourne Abbey. Eventually, she would make her home with her brother and new sister-in-law at Illingham Vicarage. She also spent some time with Lord and Lady Ilam, and frequently visited Mr and Mrs Granby, who were finding the house a little empty and quiet with their only daughter gone.
The first time that she stayed overnight at Granby Park, she was invited to sleep in Evangeline’s old room. ‘You will find some of her things are still here,’ Mrs Granby said.
Theodora walked over to the window, remembering some of the conversations that she and Evangeline had had on that very window seat. Lying on the chest of drawers was a book and, picking it up, she saw that it was Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
‘Borrow it if you like,’ said Mrs Granby. ‘I think Evangeline has finished with it.’
‘Do you know, I think I just might,’ Theodora replied with a smile.
