Miss Donaldson coloured with pleasure at the compliment to her housekeeping and hastened to accept the invitation. The Finches departed, Sir Josiah begging the honour of sending his carriage over to collect the
Dower House party on the appointed evening.
Donna was obviously burning to discuss their visitors but Mr. Blake, by remaining when his aunt and uncle had gone, forced her to silence.
"I wished to ask if the groom the estate manager sent down met with your approval," he enquired. "If so, I will arrange to have my carriage horse sent over immediately with the whisky."
~ "Indeed, Fletcher appears a most respectable and willing man,"
Antonia approved warmly. "He has righted a stall in the old barn, so we can house both horse and carriage suitably,"
"Then would you wish me to drive the whisky over tomorrow?" he asked, his eyes smiling into hers. "And perhaps' it would be wise, with a horse that is unfamiliar to you, if I were to accompany you on your first drive."
"But Antonia, dear," Donna intervened hastily, 'have you not told Mr.
Blake that you never learned to drive? " Antonia knew all too well that Donna, having consigned Lord Arlington to the ranks of Unsuitable Suitors, ~was already looking to Jeremy Blake to replace him.
"But you must allow me to teach you," he cried enthusiastically. "It would be my pleasure, for I am sure you will prove an apt pupil."
Antonia accepted, but in restrained tones. She liked Mr. Blake--he was congenial and pleasant and good company--and she wanted m fe~am to drive, but Donna's unsubtle encouragement of the young man was unwelcome.
The parting from Marcus was still bitter. She loved the man, still dreamt of him at night, still longed to see his eyes smiling into hers with that unspoken promise. Donns could switch allegiance for her at the turn of a card, not knowing how strongly her affections were engaged, but her own heart was not so fickle, nor did she wish to give Jeremy Blake false encouragement and perhaps to hurt him.
Jeremy Blake was as good as his word: a groom delivered a note the next morning proposing a drive later that day and containing an invitation from Lady Finch to Miss Donaldson to take tea.
"She says here that, unless she hears to the contrary, she will send the carriage at three for me." Donna's sallow cheeks were flushed with pleasure at the invitation. "How kind her ladyship is, to consider my entertainment while you are engaged."
"I am sure she is most considerate," Antonia responded, 'but I am certain she also wishes to become better acquainted with you. After all, you have much-in common. Was your father not stationed in several of the places in India she spoke of yesterday? "
"Indeed, he was. What a pleasure it will be to hear her descriptions of those scenes! I wonder if she has any sketch books?"
Mr. Blake arrived at the appointed time, but Donna was not downstairs to admire the whisky and the neat bay horse he was lending them. She was still in her chamber, dithering over the choice between her three decent day gowns, a most uncharacteristic way for her to carry on.
Although thinking Miss Donaldson a pleasant woman, Jeremy Blake felt no chagrin at her absence---it allowed him free rein to admire the picture Miss Dane presented. She was sensibly dressed for driving in a pale fawn muslin gown with jonquil braid about the hem and a neat bonnet shading her eyes. He stood in the hallway admiring her elegant figure as she pulled on a pair of tan gloves and called up the stairs, "I am leaving now, Donna! I will see you later, please give Lady Finch my regards."
"Where would you like to go, Miss Dane?" Jeremy enquired as he handed her up into the little carriage and gathered up the reins. "It is a very warm day, and the flies are so bad in the park, I wondered if you would care to drive out onto the Downs. There will be a breeze, and a fine view and I found a track way the other day where you can take the reins without feaffofother traffic."
"That would be delightful," Antonia agreed. "I think I know where you mean, and I had intended to go there myself, but the weather has turned far too hot for such a long walk."
~You would not consider such a long distance on foot, surely? "
Jeremy's eyebrows shot up as he turned left into the lane. " It is all of three miles in each direction: you are a most energetic walker, Miss Dane, if you considered such an expedition. "
"Why so surprised, Mr. Blake? Did you think me a drawing-room miss who would never deign to do more than stroll around a pleasure garden?
I must confess to enjoying vigorous exercise. Why, if I thought Donna would permit it, I would even dig the garden!"
Jeremy Blake looked at her sideways and said warmly, '1 never thought you a conventional young lady, Miss Dane. Making your acquaintance over the past few weeks has convinced me that you are quite out of the ordinary. Ah, here is the start of the track. Would you care to take the reins now? "
"Yes, please. I have been observing how you handle the reins and I believe I can manage, if he only walks to start with..."
Jeremy pulled up and transferred the reins into Antonia's gloved hands.
"It is not so very different to riding when you are driving only one horse: there, you have got it just right." There was a fleeting pressure of reassurance from his fingers through the fine kid of her gloves.
Antonia clicked her tongue and shook the reins and the obedient bay walked docilely forward, little puffs of chalky dust rising as his hooves struck the hard ground.
The hot air was full of the vanilla scent-of gorse blossom. Overhead larks sang and spiralled out of sight in the cloudless blue sky and chalk blue butterflies and fritillaries danced away from the horse's progress.
The track rose gradually as they climbed to the top of the Downs.
Antonia's spirits rose with their progress; the feeling of freedom was so intoxicating. As they came out onto the short cropped grass and saw the view of the whole Vale stretched out before them, still and shim-roe ring in the heat, she reined in instinctively.
"That is very good," Jeremy encouraged. "You have a very light hand on his mouth see how well he goes for you, i do believe you are ready to trot,"
"Oh, let us just stay here a moment!" Antonia begged. "It is so lovely here. so wide and open and the breeze is fresh. When I am here, I do not miss London one jot!"
"You must have many friends and acquaintances in Town who miss you, however" he said gallantly.
"We had a wide circle of acquaintances when I lived with my great-aunt," Antonia acknowledged. "But it was quite remarkable how quickly they fell away when we had to move to less fashionable lodgings." She turned
luminous hazel eyes on Jeremy and spoke with emotion. "I will not attempt to hide the truth from someone who knows our circumstances as well as you: after the death of my father, we were in most straitened circumstances."
There was a small silence as they both gazed across the tranquil vista beneath them, then Jeremy spoke carefully. "I will be equally frank and say I much admire the courageous way in which you have retrieved your fortunes. Now, shall we try trotting?"
As the hay responded to Antonia's tentative signals with a neat trot, the young lawyer reflected how easily he could find himself in love with Antonia Dane. And that was no part of his plan: he had his way to make in the world, and he could not yet afford the financial---or emotional---burdens of domesticity. One day he would inherit Sir Josiah's fortune, but he was too proud a man to wile away his days as his uncle's pensioner.
Jeremy indulged himself by putting a restraining hand on Antonia's slender wrist as the hay's stride lengthened. A small sigh escaped his lips. A sensible plan and laudable ambitions and hard work were all very well, but Miss Dane was a delight to be with and to look at.
He wished he could ask her about Marcus Arlington, but that, of course, was out of the question.
There was a fine stand of perhaps a dozen beeches ahead, casting a broad swathe of shade over the turf. "The track goes around that copse," he directed. "Try taking the bend at a steady trot--you are doing so well on the straight,
it should give you no trouble."
As they rounded the curve, they found themselves almost on top of a picnic party assembled under the
, . :tahade. There was a welcoming cry of "Miss Dane! Please stop and join us!" and Antonia recognised Anne
Meredith waving from a rug spread on the grass.
"Why, it is the houseparty from Brightshill! Do you have any objection to our stopping a while, Mr. Blake?"
"Not at all, although you must introduce me, for I know only Lord Arlington in the party."
The picnickers had apparently arrived in two open carriages, which were drawn up some little distance away; as Antonia turned the bay's head towards the group, a groom hurried down to take its head.
Jeremy Blake helped her down from the whisky with rather more care than the modest height of the little vehicle demanded. He despised himself for permitting his hackles to rise whenever he came across the arrogant Marcus Arlington, but he could not curb the desire to stand between Miss Dane and the man he was sure was playing fast and loose with her affections.
The picnic party had thrown all formality to the wind in the heat of the day. The gentlemen had cast aside their jackets and loosened their cravats and the ladies were reclining languidly against heaps of cushions on the ground. Only the children were unaffected and were playing hide and seek in the bushes, sun hats bouncing on the ends of their ribbons despite pleas from their mother to cover their heads.
Marcus, who had been lying stretched out at his sister's feet, a book open in one hand, his chin propped on the other, dropped the volume and got to his feet with an easy grace that belied his height.
Antonia swallowed hard and fought for composure as he strolled towards them. They had last met, and parted, in anger, but her feelings for him still burned as strong as ever. Marcus's eyes were fixed on her face and she lowered her chin so that the brim of her hat shadowed her expression.
The glimpse of bare skin where his shirt fell open,-the play of muscles as he walked, the sun glancing off that tawny head, all conspired to rob her of her breath, of her senses. She remembered that last puzzling kiss and yearned for the feel of his lips again.
This was madness! She had made her decision, rejected him. Where was her pride that she could long for him so, knowing what his relationship was with Claudia Reed? Antonia made no effort to-free herself from Jeremy's light grasp on her elbow; let Marcus think what he might!
Her chin came up and she-faced him out, her colour high, but her eyes wide and sparkling, "Lord Arlington! Good afternoon. What a v~cry pleasant spot for a picnic. You know Mr. Blake, of course? He is teaching me to drive: Is that not kind of him?"
Antonia did not wait for a reply but sailed past Marcus, leading Jeremy to where Lady Meredith was sitting up and s~ightening her hat. "Lady Meredith, may I make Mr. Blake known ~to you? Mr. Blake is the nephew of Lady Finch, our new neighbour."
"Miss Dane, what a pleasure to see you again. Good afternoon, Mr.
Blake~o please excuse our informality. Will you not sit down and have some lemonade? I.will introduce you."
Mr. Leigh helpfully piled up some cushions for 'the newcomers while Miss Fitch poured lemonade and the rest of the party was made known to Mr. Blake. Antonia saw his eyes widen as Claudia languidly raised herself from a nest of pillows, revealing a scandalously flimsy and low-cut gown and an outrageously large straw hat. "Mr. Blake, how do you do?" she purred, her eyes narrowing as she took in the lawyer's well-cut clothes and handsome figure. He bowed formally, but to Antonia's delight made no move to approach Lady Reed, seating himself beside Antonia and Lady Meredith.
Marcus sat down again, not beside Antonia, but next to Jeremy, whom he began to engage in conversation.
"Neat little bay, that, not too long in the back," he observed pleasantly.
"A little long in the tooth now, my lord, but it is a nicely bred animal and ideal for a lady learning to drive." Jeremy was polite but guarded.
"Ah, so it is yours, then? I wondered if Miss Dane had made a fortunate purchase."
"Yes, it is mine, but Miss Dane is kindly stabling it for me." Jeremy began to relate the tale of discovering the whisky and engaging Fletcher the groom for the ladies and the men began to fall to a general discussion of horseflesh, the others rousing themselves to participate. Lord Meredith, Mr. Leigh and Sir John all had tales of difficult beasts and astute purchases to exchange and the ladies were soon quite forgotten.
Lady Meredith leaned over and touched Antonia lightly on the arm.
"Well, we have lost their attention for a while! Once men start talking of horses, I declare it would take an earthquake--or their dinner to divert them."
Anne Meredith glanced around. The men were oblivious, Miss Fitch had taken up Marcus's book and was engrossed and Claudia Reed appeared to have fallen into a light doze against an abundance of cushions.
Although how she managed to sleep with her mouth set in such a pretty pout was beyond her hostess's comprehension.
Marcus's sister had liked Antonia on sight and had entertained strong hopes that her exasperating brother had finally met his matchin all senses of the term. Miss Antonia Dane was no vapid debutante, but refreshingly different, and Anne had had high expectations of an announcement.
But something had gone wrong, something had passed between Antonia and Marcus. Marcus had been like a bear with a sore head, even though he managed to hide it from everybody else. But she knew her elder brother--and she could guess the cause of the trouble. She glanced at Claudia and, in doing so, caught Antonia's eye.
"It is remarkable how that woman manages to cast her lures at every man she meets," Anne whispered.
"And sometimes makes a catch," Antonia murmured in return.
Ah ha! This remark was not lost on Lady Meredith. So that was how the ground lay! Anne knew there had been a discreet affaire some months ago--her brother, after all, was no monk--but she had believed it at an end. She had been surprised when Claudia had inveigled her way into the houseparty at Brightshill, discovering too late that Marcus thought she, Anne, had invited her, when she had believed Claudia was there at Marcus's behest.
Somehow Claudia had managed to poison the relationship between this delightful young woman and her beloved brother, but what could Anne do about it? Anne brooded thoughtfully. She could hardly eject the woman from Brightshill---it would cause a scandal. No, there had to be some other way to clip her wings. She would write that evening to Colonel Reed, inviting him to join the party, providing the regiment could spare him. Marcus would not like it, but he could not refuse to honour her invitation--and she could manage her brother!
Antonia wondered what had promoted the small smile of triumph that suddenly curved her hostess's lips, but her thoughts were interrupted by the children tumbling onto the rug beside them, hot and thirsty.
Mr. Blake, obviously unused to boisterous children, shied away and broke off from a discussion of Tattersall's prices to suggest to Miss Dane that it was time they returned to Rye End Hall.
Antonia responded very promptly to Mr. Blake's urgings with a pretty, biddable air that caused his lordship to raise an eyebrow, but he did nothing more than get to his feet politely as they left.
Mr. Blake was assiduous in his daily lessons and by the end of the week Antonia was confidently taking gateways at the trot and even able to back the whisky for a short distance. Their drives had to be taken earlier and earlier during the day as June moved into July and the heat became oppressive by noon,
Antonia slept fitfully, her dreams full of Marcus, but by day she managed to push him to the back of her mind, enjoying Jeremy's undemanding company. She was certain now that he had no romantic intentions, although it was obvious that he admired her still and enjoyed her company in turn,
She would have felt less complacent if she had been aware of the conversations his aunt and Donna were having about them, for the ladies found one another's company so congenial they met almost daily and were soon on terms of the utmost confiden
tiality.
"What a match it would be, my dear Miss Donaldson!"
Lady Finch opined, pouring more tea for her guest. "He has such a good nature, nothing ruffles him-~so like my dear sister. And he is certain to achieve great things in his profession--I declare he would be most eligible, even if he were not our heir."
"He is everything I had hoped for my dear Antonia," Miss Donaldson confided. "A steady, good, high-principled man. Not some flighty aristocrat who thinks his position allows him to toy with a young woman's affections." This was said with a darkling look in the general direction of Brightshill, which Lady Finch had no trouble in interpreting.
The ladies were comfortably ensconced in the deep shade of a magnificent old cedar of Lebanon where they had spent the entire afternoon in pleasurable gossip. They were interrupted by the arrival of Sir Josiah who, broad straw hat on head, had been touring his gardens, a reluctant Old Johnson at his heels.
"Ladies! A fine day~ is it not?"
Francesca Shaw - The Unconventional Miss Dane Page 18
