Beauchamp Hall

by Danielle Steel

  “What are you doing, you mad girl? Come out immediately.” He didn’t want her to get hurt, and Black Magic was watching her from the center of the ring, with a look of panic. Winnie had already made eye contact with him as she ignored Freddie and walked slowly and confidently toward the black stallion. “Winnie, come back here!” Freddie said and headed toward the gate, but he didn’t want to frighten the horse any more than it already was.

  Winnie looked totally at ease as she walked toward him, speaking softly, as Black Magic continued to watch her and Freddie was mesmerized by what he was seeing. She walked right up to the horse, patted his neck, and then gently touched his muzzle, still talking to him. You could see the tension go out of him, as he leaned toward her and nuzzled her, and then rested his head on her shoulder. They walked around the ring together for a few minutes, the horse totally relaxed as he followed her. Freddie watched with fascination.

  She stayed with Black Magic for ten minutes, still talking to him, and then she patted him again and left the ring. Freddie was in awe of what she’d just done.

  “Do you realize I’ve spent hours with him since we fell and couldn’t get near him? Who are you, Winnie from Michigan? You have an incredible gift with horses.” Freddie was floored by her gentleness and her courage.

  “I just like horses, and they know it.”

  “You’re some sort of magician.” They walked back to the castle then in silence. Freddie was too stunned to say more about it, until he saw his sister, waiting with tea for them, and he described the scene to her, as Winnie looked casual about it.

  “He was just scared, that’s all,” she said gently.

  “He’s been half mad for two months, no one’s been able to ride him or get near him until you today.”

  “We had a nice time riding before that and saw your house,” Winnie told her as Beatrice handed her a cup of tea. She had prepared one of her wonderful tea trays, with elegant little sandwiches and scones with clotted cream and jam.

  “I’m saving the dower house for my old age, or for when Freddie marries some intolerable girl who hates me, and has ten children with her. Until then, I’m happy here,” Beatrice said, smiling.

  Freddie still wanted to talk about Winnie’s extraordinary handling of the black stallion. “You’re a woman of hidden talents,” he said with open admiration as Winnie smiled at him. She knew she had won him as a friend that afternoon, for her innate ability with horses. He couldn’t wait to go riding with her again.

  Winnie and Beatrice started talking about the wedding dresses they were acquiring, and the evening gowns Winnie still wanted to buy. Freddie left them then, in awe of Winnie’s performance with Black Magic. One thing was for sure, she was indeed a woman who loved horses. He was beginning to think there was nothing she couldn’t do. And he was suddenly absolutely certain that their joint venture was going to be a stunning success. She was a totally amazing woman.

  Chapter Fifteen

  When the reality show producers Edward had recommended came to talk to the Havershams and Winnie, their suggestions for the format of the show made all three of them shudder at first. But Beatrice was very direct with them, and told them it wouldn’t fly. She told them what their boundaries were, what they were willing to show and what they weren’t, and what their goals were in doing the show, as publicity for the castle. It was the first show of its kind. No titled aristocrats had opened their homes to reality TV. The weddings and mystery weekends had the potential to make it a fun show for the viewers. Both sides had something to gain, and Beatrice handled the meeting well and took control of it while Winnie and Freddie watched. She had been equally good with contacting magazines and getting them PR. She was fearless about getting what she wanted, and a great spokesperson for their project.

  The reality producers agreed to modify their plan and send them an outline more in keeping with what Beatrice said. Their main producer, Paul Evans, was deeply impressed by her. And true to their word, they sent an outline for the show that respected most of Beatrice’s parameters, though not all. They showed it to an attorney, and after two more attempts at negotiation and compromise, all three of them were somewhat anxious but satisfied with the results. Beatrice had done a good job defending their interests. They were all discovering their hidden talents and covering new ground.

  The producer of the show came to Haversham for a final meeting and called Beatrice “Your Ladyship” every time he addressed her, and she didn’t tell him not to. Freddie teased her about it after they left, after their final meeting.

  “You are such a bitch, Bea, you had the poor guy terrified. He acted like he thought you’d send him to the Tower of London.”

  “Good. It will keep him in line.” They had agreed to an introductory show, with a tour of the castle, with all three of them present. They liked that Winnie was American, to balance the Havershams’ titles. And the second show would take place at Edward’s wedding. Winnie had asked his permission and he thought it was fine. It would add spice to the wedding, and it was good publicity for him too. It was a factor he had to consider as an actor, to be kept visible at all times, and Grace understood it, although her father undoubtedly wouldn’t.

  There was a big article in the Mirror, in the 3 A.M. column, about Edward’s engagement, and a photograph of Haversham Castle, where the wedding would be held. Beatrice got them to say that the castle could be rented for weddings by select guests. And each bridal couple was carefully chosen, to make it seem even more exclusive. They had five inquiries for weddings the day after the article appeared.

  “Yes!” Beatrice shouted when she hung up after the fifth one. “We just got our second booking, and we might get two more. This is so wonderful! It’s working!” She hugged Winnie, and Freddie looked delighted too.

  He and Winnie had taken to riding together whenever she could spare an hour, although she didn’t have much free time now. He had let her ride Black Magic, who was now back to his old self.

  They were working double time on the set, with night shoots that went very late and all weekends. The show was drawing toward its dramatic close. The final episode would be two hours. Everyone was working hard.

  Winnie was on the set most of the time now and could only come to Haversham at night. They had three weddings booked by then, including Edward’s, two of them in January, Edward’s right before Christmas. A mystery night for a party of twenty was booked on New Year’s Eve. It would be their first. The reality show was filming all four events, and the introductory show that would be more about the Havershams and Winnie than the guests. After that, the guests would be heavily featured.

  Marje was fully aware of what they were doing now, and kept telling Winnie how proud of her she was. She was the creative director of Haversham Castle, and the co-producer of a reality show.

  “We want to come over and visit,” Marje had said.

  “Wait till we’re up and running and have all the kinks ironed out, then I’d love it.” Winnie knew they were going to be insanely busy from the time the show wrapped for Beauchamp Hall, and for three months after, through January. They were nervous about it, but exhilarated too. This was a new world for all of them. Rupert had taken to strutting around the house in his white tie and tails, practicing his role, and got quite good at it. He was a very convincing butler and very proud.

  * * *

  —

  The final days on the set were unbearably stressful, bittersweet, and agonizingly nostalgic, as people who had appeared in earlier seasons and episodes came back for final appearances. And each character and plot twist on the show was brought to its final denouement to tie it all together in the final two hours.

  Predictably, the last day was the hardest. Beatrice and Freddie had come to watch discreetly from the sidelines, but with less sadness now that they had something to look forward to. Winnie did too, but it was painful for her, watching the
last scenes and knowing that there would be no more after this. Beauchamp Hall would be syndicated and shown for years, but there would be no new episodes. It made Winnie’s heart ache to think about it.

  She and Nigel had a few minutes to talk on the set, and he said he was leaving for Ireland in a few days.

  The final scenes were achingly beautiful. Matthew had outdone himself with the script and so had the costumer. The costumes in every scene were remarkable. And Edward’s wedding to his true love was the last segment they shot, with a wedding gown that took everyone’s breath away, and was now earmarked for Grace to wear at their wedding. Michael had given it to them as a gift.

  The very last shot was of Edward and his bride, and there were tears in their eyes as they were declared man and wife and kissed, as everyone on the set was crying openly, and so was Matthew. Winnie wondered if he regretted now having the show end here, but if so, it was too late. The die had been cast.

  When the director shouted “Cut! That’s a wrap!” for the last time, there were sobs all over the set. People were hugging and crying, congratulating each other, and wishing each other luck. A family was being disbanded, and friends would never meet again, except by chance one day on another soundstage.

  Edward hugged Winnie after he kissed his costar, and thanked her for the time she’d spent with him, and how helpful she’d been. But they knew they would meet again in December at his wedding. He had already signed to be the star of a new show and was excited about it. He had two weeks off and then he was starting again. He was to have top billing and be the main character on his new show. Beauchamp Hall had helped him get there.

  Freddie and Beatrice came over to hug Winnie as the chaos started to die down. And almost as soon as people stopped hugging and kissing, the crew started tearing down the sets and packing up the equipment. It would be days before it would all be dismantled and removed.

  There were already moving vans outside and in the square to take costumes and props and equipment to studios and storage to London. A whole world was being dismantled, one that would never come again. Beauchamp Hall would only be a memory now in the hearts and minds of the millions of fans who had loved it, Winnie among them. It had changed her life forever and that of so many others. Its subliminal message had revived her dreams. She owed a lot to Matthew, whether he knew it or not.

  When the cameras stopped rolling, the stars packed and left quickly. By that night, only the crew remained, and Winnie had dinner with Freddie and Beatrice in the castle kitchen reserved for their use. The main kitchen had been part of the show, and would be on the tour now, with one of the screens they’d been gifted with set up there, with clips of the lovable cook and kitchen staff from the show. The actress who played the cook had decided to retire. In an interview, she said that nothing could match Beauchamp for her.

  “I feel like I left home forever today,” Winnie said sadly, as Freddie poured them each a glass of wine. “It’s so sad knowing it’s over.”

  “But it isn’t over,” he reminded her. “Now you’re part of the real story, and the family, and its future, not the fake one. You’re part of Haversham now.” Not Beauchamp Hall, which had faded into the mists that night. By morning the sets would be gone, the costumes and hats and wigs would have vanished, the familiar faces would disappear as if they had never existed. She was woven into the future of Haversham now, but the past was a tender memory for her, and had brought her here in the first place. Beauchamp Hall was an important piece of the Havershams’ history too now, a turning point for them, and had led them to the next chapter with Winnie. It was all intertwined, like the roots of a tree that had been planted, and had grown to maturity on the show.

  “You can’t get maudlin now,” Freddie told her. “We have too much to do.” They had to focus fully on Edward’s wedding, and their first night of the reality show before that. Beatrice was trying to decide if she wanted to wear one of the costumes they’d been given, or a dress of her own, and said she had nothing decent and hadn’t shopped in ages, nor had Winnie. And Freddie couldn’t decide whether to wear a suit or jeans.

  They sat and talked late into the night, and drank a lot of wine. Freddie walked Winnie back to her cottage afterwards. He would have driven her, but knew he’d had too much wine. They saw the crews working straight through the night breaking down equipment and packing up.

  When they got to her cottage, he looked surprised. “It looks like a dollhouse, but it suits you. I didn’t realize it would be so small.” He smiled at her. He’d never seen her cottage before. He had talked to Beatrice about offering Winnie the dower house to live in since it was empty, but she thought Winnie might not want to live on the property so close to them. She suggested that Winnie might want to have some distance and independence, but Freddie didn’t see why. And he hadn’t gotten around to asking her about it yet. He thought it would be convenient to have her even closer than she was now. They would have so much work to do together. “I think you need a bigger house,” he said cryptically.

  “No, I don’t. This is fine. Do you want to come in for a nightcap?” she asked. It had been a special day. One chapter was ending, and another one starting.

  “If I do, you’ll either have to let me sleep on your couch, or call a cab to get me home and there are none at this hour.” It was two in the morning.

  The reality show technicians were coming the next day to decide on the path the house tour would take on the first show. They wanted the contrast between the private quarters and the more public ones. Freddie and Beatrice had agreed to show certain rooms, but not all. It was still in negotiation.

  Freddie decided that he wanted to see the inside of Winnie’s house and would have a glass of water. He walked in and she handed it to him, as he looked around. It was comfortable and cozy. He peeked around the ground floor and didn’t ask to see her bedroom upstairs, although he was curious about it, and sat down on the couch with her.

  “I like it,” he admitted, “it’s like a pair of comfortable old slippers that are nice to come home to.” She nodded, it was how she felt about it too.

  “My sister and I have been talking about selling my mother’s house, where I live in Michigan. If I do, I might buy something here, maybe this cottage or something a little bigger.”

  “I have an idea about that. We can talk about it tomorrow. I like the idea of your being closer to us. You belong at Haversham now.” She was startled by his saying it, and she didn’t see why.

  “I’m only a short walk away.”

  “I’d feel better if you were under our wing. If you ever need anything, we’d be right there.” He felt suddenly protective of her, and she felt as though she had acquired a brother. He had his own wing at the castle, at the opposite end from his sister, so they both had privacy, though neither of them took advantage of it. Whatever dalliances he had, he had in London when he went there, and stayed in his pied-à-terre. When Beatrice went to London, she stayed with friends, and preferred it that way.

  He swayed slightly when he stood up, but other than that, he seemed sober. He hugged her when he said good night, and told her he’d see her in the morning.

  After he left, he had a mad impulse to turn around and go back to the tiny cottage and spend the night with her. He just wanted to be close to her, but he was sure they’d both regret it in the morning, so he didn’t, and walked back to the castle alone.

  * * *

  —

  The trucks were still there in the morning when Winnie walked past, and let herself into the castle kitchen. It was her first day of not going to the set and it felt strange. Beatrice was drinking a cup of coffee and looked up at Winnie with a rueful smile.

  “Was I drunk last night or do I have a brain tumor?”

  “I think we drank a lot.” Freddie had brought out some very good red wine to mark a special night and the end of the show.

  He ca
me down half an hour later and looked fresh and rested and in good spirits. He had slept off the wine more successfully than his sister.

  Two hours later the reality show crew showed up with Paul Evans, the producer, who looked respectable and serious, and was still nervous around Beatrice. Edward had told Winnie that he was the most successful reality show producer in the business, and everything he touched turned to gold. She hoped it would be true in this case.

  He walked the suggested route with Beatrice, and they debated which rooms to use, and agreed on all of it. Not knowing what else to do, she invited him to stay for lunch, and he sent his crew to a restaurant in the village. During lunch, Winnie was surprised to learn that he had gone to Oxford and to Eton, like Freddie, but he was four or five years older. Freddie said he actually remembered him, although he looked different then, and now he had a beard.

  “How did you get into doing reality shows?” Freddie asked him.

  “Money,” he said simply and they all laughed. “I started doing reality with rock stars, which was pretty grim, and moved on to movie stars, which was a little more civilized, but just a little. And then real people, which is actually very interesting. The others are so predictable, and you know what it’s going to be about, sex, drugs, and rock and roll, which gets old very quickly. The real people always surprise you, and the viewers like them better. They can identify with them. You’re going to be an intriguing case, because you’re real and you’re not real, like the royals. People love them and want to reach out and touch them, but they know they’re different. Your titles and this house make you special. And Winnie is a commoner and American, which they’ll love, because she’s like them, but she’s with you, which makes them feel they could be too. Then you’ll have movie stars and the rich and famous in for weddings, and mystery weekends. This show has every ingredient it needs to be a smash hit. Aristocrats, real people, stars, a castle, a young American woman. It’s pure gold.” He smiled as he said it.