“Everyone seems annoyed to find Miss Newton presiding,” he said, taking her hand through his arm.
“Not everyone,” she said. “Just the ladies. There is hardly a lady here who does not believe that the honour should have fallen to herself.”
“Do you wish it ma’am?”
“Oh, no,” she replied with a little shudder. “I am much too shy. Bettina is the right person. I envy her such a forceful nature.”
Win considered this remark.
“Do you know,” he said at last, “I have a feeling that Michael is finding her a little too forceful.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I am not sure, except that he seems uneasy in her presence. I wonder if they have met before. If so, he has never mentioned it to me.”
They moved on with the rest of the party.
From room to room they all strolled, exclaiming with delight. Some rooms were now in good condition, some were being rebuilt, but Lady Lancing pronounced on all of them. Then the Mayor’s wife did the same, followed by the Vicar’s wife. Their husbands brought up the rear.
The only person who did not feel obliged to favour the company with her opinion was Katherine. She seemed content to walk quietly on Win’s arm. Only when he asked her a direct question did she answer softly,
“I think it is all so beautiful.”
“Yes, it is,” he agreed. “Danesbury has thrown himself into his castle, heart and soul. I really don’t think he cares for much else at the moment.”
“I believe it is now time for dinner,” Michael announced hastily.
In solemn state they made their way downstairs. Michael escorted Bettina to her seat at one end of the table, while he took his own at the other end. Win to his pleasure found himself sitting beside Katherine.
Michael had prepared for the evening by sending for Alfonso, his London chef, who had excelled himself.
Cream of asparagus soup was followed by salmon with Sauce Hollandaise, roast chicken, ham, cucumber sauce, chocolate mousse, pastries, ice cream, and coffee.
With every course there was a different wine in a different glass, – chambertin, champagne, sauterne and sherry.
Brooks was ecstatic, serving such a feast and supervising the new servants who had been hired, and who treated him with a flattering deference that he had almost forgotten existed.
“Just like the old days,” he kept saying to anyone who would listen. “Just like the old days.”
For Bettina the dinner was less of an ordeal than she had feared. With her father on one side and Katherine on the other she was partly shielded from the resentment of the other ladies. Katherine certainly bore her no ill will and spoke to her pleasantly when she could spare attention from Win on her other side.
Michael kept his eyes on her when he could, but was largely monopolised by Lady Lancing. For tonight, he supposed he would have to endure it.
At last the meal drew to a close. Lady Lancing gave her self-satisfied smile, set down her empty wine glass and took up her fan.
Astonished, Michael recognised the signs of a hostess about to signal that the ladies should retire.
But she was not the hostess. It seemed that the Lord Lieutenant’s wife had simply decided to usurp Bettina’s position.
Michael thought fast. He did not wish to snub Lady Lancing, but neither was he prepared to tolerate such an insult to Bettina. He began to speak again.
“Lady Lancing, in due course I shall wish to ask your advice about – ”
Flattered by this appeal to her, Lady Lancing abandoned her preparations for departure. Michael talked on about anything that came into his head. Afterwards he could not remember a single word he had said.
At last he finished,
“I look forward to consulting you at length, madam. And now, Miss Newton, I fear you have been wishing to lead the ladies into the drawing room for some minutes. Forgive me for delaying you.”
Bettina answered him with a smile. Her sharp eyes had seen the little byplay and she appreciated Lord Danesbury’s tactics. She rose from her chair and the other ladies followed at once. Lady Lancing, being no fool, realised how she had been outmanoeuvred and scowled. But she could do nothing but traipse after Bettina out of the room.
But in the drawing room there was nobody to protect Bettina. Lady Lancing sat down beside her and said in a hooting voice,
“Dear Miss Newton, how brave of you to make the attempt to act as his Lordship’s hostess this evening.”
“I was delighted to be able to assist his Lordship,” Bettina answered, keeping her voice formal.
“Of course you were. We all realise that your dear Papa is vital to Lord Danesbury, who clearly cares so much for his garden. I always think that being a gardener must be the hardest work of all. But I dare say your father is used to it.”
At any other time Bettina would have managed a fierce retort to this attempt to reduce her father to the status of a servant. But she could hardly create a scene in the Earl’s drawing room.
Then, while she was mentally casting around for an answer, she heard an almost incredible sound.
Male laughter, coming from just outside the door.
The next moment the door opened and the Earl entered, followed by the all the other men. Instead of lingering over the port, he had waited approximately five minutes before saying,
“Shall we join the ladies, gentlemen?”
Everyone was surprised. Only Bettina guessed, or thought she had guessed, why he had done so.
He was protecting her and while she might tell herself that he was merely acting as a courteous host, she could not help her heart warming to him, just a little.
Among his other preparations for the evening Michael had arranged for the piano to be brought into the drawing room. Now Brooks raised the lid, indicating that the next part of the evening would be music making.
The Vicar, who was famous for his funny songs, tried to look modest when he was called on to perform, but yielded immediately.
Katherine accompanied him and played so beautifully that Win immediately demanded a solo from her.
Giving him a shy smile, she complied and everyone sat entranced. She was indeed a talented pianist.
Lady Lancing condescended to play and performed a short piece stiffly and correctly, in sad contrast to Katherine’s inspiration.
The Vicar’s two other daughters sang a duet, also accompanied by Katherine. Lady Lancing applauded their modest performance loud and long, proclaiming in her hooting voice.
“My dear Miss Newton, what a shame you never learned to play, otherwise you could have delighted us. always say that no woman can be considered truly accomplished who does not know music.”
This was so obviously ill-natured that an awkward silence fell. Michael waited for Bettina to make a spirited riposte, but she only smiled awkwardly and said,
“Not everyone can be as accomplished as your Ladyship.”
Had he but known, it cost her a huge effort to speak so mildly. Bettina’s nature was neither meek nor mild. Her instinct was always to speak her mind, sometimes with disastrous frankness.
But she could not employ that frankness now. She was Lord Danesbury’s hostess and must behave with decorum.
This was all Lord Danesbury’s fault, she thought, forgetting that she had warmed to him a moment earlier. Why had he invited her here to be insulted?
Then she noticed that he had risen to his feet.
“Miss Newton is too modest,” he said firmly. “I know her to be a superb singer.”
There was a murmur of surprise. Heads turned to look at Bettina, but she was regarding Michael, her cheeks burning, her eyes reproachful.
“Miss Newton,” he said, approaching her, “I once heard you sing a song I particularly love, called ‘Where the sweet river wanders.’ You sang it so beautifully that I cannot rest until I hear it again. Will you delight me by singing it now? My friend knows the song and will accompany you on the piano.”
&nb
sp; “A pleasure, madam,” Win said promptly and headed straight for the piano.
Michael took Bettina’s hand and indicated for her to step forward. But she shook her head.
“What are you doing?” she murmured.
He leaned close enough to whisper,
“Do you think I am going to allow that woman to deride you? Come now, no shirking.”
“But I cannot do this.”
“Of course you can. Forget these people and sing as you sang before in a field by the river, your face upturned to the sun, your voice rising to the Heavens. Sing it for me.”
She was about to refuse but something in his voice prevented her. His eyes were strangely kind, but they also held an intensity that told her this was important to him. He was truly angry at how she had been treated and this was his way of honouring her.
While she hesitated, his hand tightened on hers and he drew her irresistibly forward to take her place standing in front of the piano, facing the room.
Win struck up the first chords and Bettina began to sing.
“Where the sweet river wanders,
My love and I walked,”
Dismayed, she realised how the words recalled the day when they had met by the river, and for a moment she was almost overcome with self-consciousness.
Then she forced herself to be calm and think only of doing justice to the song.
Gradually the music and the sad words drove out all other thoughts, and she forgot everything except the joy of singing and pouring her heart into the tale of lost love.
“And never, never be parted again.
Never be parted,
Aye those were his words.”
Now she ventured a brief glance in Michael’s direction and realised that he was watching her with total attention, absolutely still.
“But oh, life is cruel,
And now he is gone.”
Michael’s eyes never left her. He seemed to be seeing something that left him thunderstruck.
“The river still wanders,
But I walk alone.”
The last melancholy notes died away.
In the silence she ventured to glance again at Michael and saw that he wore a dazed looked, like a man being recalled unwillingly to reality.
Then he rose to his feet and led the applause. Win too was applauding her, as was everyone. Even Lady Lancing forced her hands together once or twice, not wishing to make her chagrin look too obvious.
Now Bettina knew how Michael had felt a moment ago, for she too felt as though she had spent time in another world, and was finding it hard to return to this one.
Michael was standing in front her.
“That was beautiful,” he enthused. “Will you not sing for us again?”
“No,” Bettina said quickly. “Thank you, but I cannot.”
“I understand and you are right. We made our point very clear to them all, did we not?”
“I – I am not quite sure what point we were making.”
“Oh, I think you understand very well.”
He pressed her hand.
Then he turned away to his guests so quickly that she almost wondered if she had imagined it.
But she could still feel the pressure on her hand.
Katherine approached her and spoke shyly,
“That was truly beautiful, Miss Newton. I had no idea that you were so talented.”
“From a true musician such as yourself, that is praise that I really value,” Bettina answered her sincerely.
“I hope some of it was for me,” Win said plaintively. “After all, I did play the accompaniment.”
Katherine said,
“And very well, too, my Lord. Such an accompaniment!”
They all laughed and Bettina noticed how becoming laughter was to Katherine. There was a faint flush to her cheeks and an inner light seemed to glow from her as she looked up at Lord Winton.
‘Oh, no!’ Bettina thought. ‘She must not fall in love with him. These two men are dangerous. They come to us from a different world and eventually they will return to it, leaving us behind. Katherine should be wise and keep her heart safely in her own possession – as I am determined to keep mine.’
At this part of the evening it was usual to serve tea, prior to the departure of the guests. For a moment Bettina was confused, but then Brooks appeared, directing a questioning look at Lord Danesbury.
Raising his voice a little Michael ordered pleasantly,
“Take your instructions from Miss Newton tonight, Brooks.”
The butler gave her a small bow.
“Shall I serve tea now, miss?”
“Yes please, Brooks.”
He walked to the door where two maids were waiting and ushered them in.
Michael immediately took Bettina’s hand and led her to the sofa beside a small table, signalling with a nod that the tea should be set before her.
As the hostess it fell to her to pour and pass around the cups, which she did with the help of Katherine, who was in turn assisted by Win.
Michael grinned at the sight of his friend, the fashionable man about town, meekly doing the bidding of the Vicar’s daughter.
Lady Lancing held one more card in her hand and she played it determinedly. As the evening ended and the other guests departed, she made it clear that she intended to be the last to leave.
But Michael foiled even this stratagem, presenting Bettina’s attempt to depart with the words,
“Forgive me, madam, but you cannot leave yet. You are my hostess and you must bid every guest farewell.”
Defeated, Lady Lancing flounced out, leaving Bettina the victor.
Under her father’s eye, Michael raised her hand to his lips.
“My gratitude, madam. You were the perfect hostess.”
“I fear that is more than I deserve,” she replied. “But I am glad that I did not disgrace you.”
“There was never any danger of that, madam.”
His eyes were warm and glowing. For a moment she thought that he would kiss her hand again and drew in her breath. For some curious reason her heart was beating faster than usual.
But instead he only placed his other hand over hers, clasping it gently.
Then he led Bettina and her father out to the waiting carriage, assisted her up the steps and remained standing as they drove away.
At the bend in the road she looked back and saw him still standing there, watching.
CHAPTER FIVE
Bettina made certain that she was up early next morning. The ball was over and it was time for Cinderella to come down to earth.
That meant packing up the beautiful velvet cloak and the imitation gold necklace. They had to be returned to Mrs. Tandy today. Cinderella’s finery had turned back to rags.
She permitted herself one last look back at the previous evening, when she had reigned as belle of the ball and the Earl had gallantly championed her against her enemies.
It had been a glorious evening and it would never come again. So she allowed herself just one sweet memory and then put it out of her mind. Or at least, she tried to.
Over breakfast she chatted to her father with determined cheerfulness, refusing to let him see the sad cloud that had mysteriously settled over her heart.
But he seemed completely oblivious, apparently regarding Bettina as still a child, who had been given a wonderful treat. It did not occur to him that her life had been turned upside down.
As soon as breakfast was over, she piled the precious box into the gig and set out for the nearby town.
But she had only travelled a couple of miles when she heard a voice calling from behind her.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw Michael on horseback.
She tried to ignore the way her heart suddenly started to beat harder. That was part of last night’s fantasy and deserved no place in reality.
She drew the gig to a halt and Michael reined in his horse, turning the animal so that he could talk to her face to face.
&nb
sp; “I called at your house hoping to see you,” he said. “Finding you gone, I hastened to catch up. I have much to say to you.”
“I think not, sir,” she said with composure. “You thanked me last night.”
“I have much more to say to you than that. Let me ride with you.”
Before she could object, he dismounted, tied his horse to the rear of the gig and climbed in beside her.
If she was to order him away, it must be done now, but the words would not come. Surely she could allow herself just a little more of his company?
“Allow me,” he asked, taking the reins from her hands.
“You do not care whether I allow you or not,” she pointed out. “You just do as you wish.”
“Am I still in trouble over that day by the river?” he enquired, giving the horse the signal to start. “Well, I suppose I deserve it. I behaved abominably.
“Will you not please accept my deepest apologies? I do not normally forget my manners, but you are so beautiful and charming that I was just carried away – ”
“Please,” she interrupted him hastily. “You must not talk to me like that.”
He must not do so because the words were so sweet to her. But she dared not let him suspect it.
“No, of course not,” he said hastily. “That was how I talked on that disgraceful occasion, wasn’t it. I promise you, Miss Newton, the memory fills me with remorse.”
This was all very proper and a lady should be delighted to hear his words.
But Bettina discovered that she was such a perverse creature that she could think only of a river bank in the sunlight, and a handsome man speaking sweet honeyed words as he took her into his arms.
“The memory also distresses me,” she remarked primly. “So much so that I wish never to think about it again.”
“Just answer me one question before we abandon the subject. Why, feeling thus, did you agree to be my hostess?”
“After my father agreed for me, I had little choice. Besides, I did not know that you were Lord Danesbury. thought you were Lord Winton.”
“Win? Good grief!” Michael roared with laughter. “Poor old Win.”
“The fact is,” she admitted, “that when I saw him on that day, he looked much grander than you.”
Royalty Defeated by Love Page 6
