She asked the young American sitting on her right what they were working on for Mr. Farlow.
She wondered if he would think she was prying, but he answered without hesitation,
“I and my friend have been engaged in finding the oil that has been so successful for Mr. Farlow. But he’s never satisfied and now we are looking at other industries to see if they can produce the same return as oil has done.”
“We have a number of new inventions in England like electric light and photography,” suggested Galina.
“That’s true,” he responded, “but I don’t see huge fortunes coming from them at the moment. I think that Mr. Farlow would do better with ships and some of the other larger industries that we are already investigating.”
“I feel you are thinking that you are more advanced than we are in the development of steamships.”
He laughed at Galina’s remark and then he turned to speak to the person on his other side.
Galina was quite certain then that Mr. Farlow was seriously interested in steamships and he would doubtless make another fortune from having larger, faster and better ones than were being built in England.
As she retired to bed, Galina felt that the Americans were actually going ahead almost too quickly – and it was frightening how much they had achieved already.
The fact they had oil while Britain had none could mean hundreds of other activities in which, if they were ambitious, they might excel.
But for the moment it was no use worrying about it.
She had to concentrate on helping Georgie.
*
The next morning Galina and Ellie-May set off to Bond Street in a stylish open carriage drawn by two horses
It was not far, but Galina thought that they should look right.
She took Ellie-May to the smartest and most expensive shop in Bond Street. Galina had previously bought the gown there she had worn when she was presented and knew that Ellie-May would be delighted.
She was too poor to buy any more even though she knew the clothes were lovely and suited her.
Galina explained to the vendeuse that Miss Farlow required what might almost be described as a trousseau.
The whole shop seemed to fly into action – gowns were brought to them from every direction as mannequins paraded in front of them.
Ellie-May wished to look totally different and the clothes transformed her as if by magic.
They had bought twenty gowns and day dresses by luncheon time.
The most important, which naturally was the most expensive, was to be ready for Ellie-May this evening.
They returned to Ranmore House for luncheon and Galina was feeling exhausted by the morning’s activity, but Ellie-May was ready to go on in the afternoon.
“I am taking you to a hat shop this afternoon,” said Galina, “then I am coming home to rest. We have a party tonight and I find that buying clothes is far more tiring than riding for hours as I do at home.”
“I think it’s real kind of you to take all this trouble, Lady Galina, but I do need some hats and shoes to go with all the beautiful dresses.”
After luncheon they went to the best hat shop, where the proprietress had already found out that money was no object.
They were bowed into the shop almost as if they were Royalty and Ellie-May was the focus of attention for the two hours they were there.
Afterwards they bought shoes and long kid gloves, which were not the fashion in America.
It was teatime before they were back in Park Lane.
Galina flopped onto a sofa and asked Ellie-May to pour out the tea.
“I am exhausted, but I can see you are as fresh as a daisy!”
“It’s all so exciting,” enthused Ellie-May. “I never knew that clothes could be so fabulous or so very different to everything I had bought myself in New York.”
“From what you have told me, I would think New York must be behind Europe in women’s clothes if nothing else, but doubtless when you go back you can start a new fashion and your father will make millions of dollars out of the fashion business!”
“He would like that. Papa chases money and the more he makes the happier he is.”
“He is a very shrewd man.”
“He sure is!”
Galina wondered if she should tell Ellie-May that what she had just said was not a very pretty remark.
There were a number of American expressions that sounded rather grating when they were spoken in London.
Then she told herself it was too soon. She must not embarrass Ellie-May in any manner or make her over self-conscious about herself.
Galina had found out that the American girl was far more intelligent than she expected her to be and she had an enthusiasm for everything that was rather touching.
With tea over Galina insisted they went upstairs to rest until the hairdresser came.
“I expect he will take an hour over you,” she said to Ellie-May, “and will be far quicker with me, so you shall have him first. Then you must put on the best gown we have chosen for you to wear tonight.”
“Supposing it doesn’t fit?”
“It will,” Galina reassured her. “It is too expensive for the shop to make any mistakes, so you need not worry.”
Just as Ellie-May was leaving her, she asked,
“Have you any jewellery?”
Ellie-May nodded.
“Lots of it, but Papa thought it would be a mistake, as I am unmarried, for me to wear too much.”
“He is quite right, but bring out what you have and we will choose a necklace and perhaps a bracelet for you to wear with the new gown.”
“I have all the jewels that Papa gave my mother, but I don’t want to look vulgar, so you must choose what is suitable for me.”
“I will do so,” promised Galina. “Now go and rest in your room until the hairdresser arrives. Remember he has a high opinion of himself, as he is in demand from the Princess of Wales and all the top actresses in London.”
“I’ll kow-tow to him all right. We’ve got plenty of people like that in New York and they are not happy unless you’re going down on your knees in front of them!”
She disappeared before Galina could answer.
She thought with satisfaction that Ellie-May had an excellent sense of humour that would help her more than anything else.
There was little doubt that Monsieur Hemes was a genius as when Galina went to Ellie-May’s bedroom after he had been with her for half-an-hour, he had performed one of his miracles and completely altered her appearance.
Ellie-May’s dark hair was now beautifully arranged in the very latest fashion, yet it appeared to be unique.
It made her face seem thinner and her body smaller, but at the same time she had an elegance that could only have come from Paris.
While Monsieur Hemes stood back to wait for the compliments, Galina paid him.
“I think, monsieur, we must ask you to call in every day. No one but you could possibly make the hair dance on Miss Farlow as you have done and she will undoubtedly be the ‘belle of the ball’ this evening.”
“That will be difficult if you are there, my Lady,” he replied. “But she will be a good runner-up!”
Galina laughed.
She knew that, in using the slang of the Racecourse, Monsieur Hemes’s main interest, apart from hairdressing, was racing.
Ellie-May was delighted and thanked Monsieur Hemes profusely.
When Galina ran back to her own room, he followed and arranged her hair.
“Am I right, my Lady,” he asked, “in believing that the father of the lady whose lovely hair I have just arranged is the American millionaire everyone is talking about?”
“Mr. Farlow has not been in London long, so I am surprised people are already talking about him, but he is, in fact, a millionaire from Pennsylvania.”
“Money always talks, my Lady, and I have heard of him from quite a number of my customers.”
Galina thought that he would onl
y add to the gossip, so she responded,
“I am sure, monsieur, that Mr. Farlow will be very grateful to you for what you have done for his daughter. My brother has suggested that, as you will be calling here every day, you should hand the secretary your bill at the end of each week.”
She realised by the expression on Monsieur Hemes face that this satisfied him, because it meant there would be no arguments about his charges.
Also if Ellie-May did not see the bill, she would not be able to complain that it was too much.
Monsieur Hemes had finished Galina’s hair and she looked even lovelier than before.
She dressed in the glamorous gown she had chosen before she went to Ellie-May’s room.
Ellie-May had finished having her hands manicured by her lady’s maid and was ready but for her jewellery.
What she possessed was spread out on the table and when she saw it, Galina drew in her breath.
Never had she imagined that a girl of Ellie-May’s age would possess so much or such valuable jewels and the expression on her face must have told Ellie-May what she was thinking.
“Papa gave my mother a piece of jewellery every time he pulled off a good deal or found a new oil well. As you can see, he was very successful!”
They were certainly spectacular presents.
There were necklaces of huge diamonds and other precious stones as well as bracelets, earrings and rings that looked almost too heavy for a slim female finger.
Galina dismissed them as too grand until she found a pretty necklace of one row of pearls.
Ellie-May laughed.
“I thought you’d choose those. I just put out the emeralds and diamonds for you to see them.”
“I think they are magnificent,” sighed Galina. “But you must be careful they are not stolen.”
“The Earl told me to put them in the safe.”
“And that is exactly where they must stay, although I would have thought the bank would be even safer.”
She realised as she spoke that Ellie-May was not interested – she was looking for a rather simple bracelet of just one row of diamonds.
And then she looked up at Galina enquiringly,
“This is one of the presents Papa gave Mama before he found oil. Is it too much for me?”
As it was a simple bracelet, Galina advised,
“No, do wear it and if you have another like it, you could put it on your other wrist.”
It was still more than an English debutante should wear, but equally, as Ellie-May was American and the daughter of a very rich father, people would expect her to be somewhat bejewelled.
Ellie-May did exactly as she was told and then she looked rather wistfully at the other jewels as they were shut up one by one in their boxes.
“Now we must go downstairs,” suggested Galina. “Our guests will be arriving at any time and I am sure my brother is waiting for us.”
They walked down to the reception room.
When Georgie saw the new Ellie-May, he stared at her in sheer astonishment and then he said to Galina,
“You did not tell me we had a new beauty staying with us! Please introduce me!”
Ellie-May giggled coquettishly.
“That’s the sort of compliment I want to have!”
“Well, I am certain you will get plenty this evening.
All I can say is that my sister is a witch and in medieval times she would surely have been burnt at the stake. She has just transformed you from an ordinary American girl into an irresistible beauty.”
Ellie-May threw up her hands.
“Do tell me more! More and more! That’s just what I want to hear.”
They were all laughing as the butler announced the first guest.
Because Georgie had been out all day, Galina had not had a chance to ask him who he had invited.
She realised as the guests arrived one after another that they were all titled and, as far as she could remember, in need of money.
They were about the same age as her brother and she thought most of them must have been at Eton with him.
As they arrived in couples, she realised he had told them to bring with them some girl they liked who would be about the same age as Ellie-May.
Doubtless later they would ask her to any party they were giving and it was an intelligent idea and typical, she thought, of her brother.
She was just thinking that it was time they went in to dinner when the last guest arrived.
He was a tall handsome gentleman and unlike the rest of the party, he had come alone.
“Lord Bramton, my Lady,” the butler announced.
Galina, who was at the other end of the room turned round and walked towards him.
As she drew nearer, she noticed he was extremely good-looking and she wondered why she had not met him before.
Georgie reached the newcomer before she did.
“I am very glad you could come, Victor. I asked at your Club, but they were not certain if you were returning today or tomorrow.”
“I was delighted to hear from you,” he replied.
“I don’t think you have met my sister. Galina, this is Victor Bramton whose house in Lincolnshire rivals ours in age and it always annoyed Papa that it was older!”
“But not in such a good condition,” Lord Bramton commented as he took Galina’s hand.
Then she looked up into his eyes.
For a moment she felt as if the world stood still.
It was a strange feeling she had never felt before.
She was acutely aware of his fingers on her hand.
His whole being seemed to vibrate towards her.
Then the butler’s stentorian voice proclaimed,
“Dinner is served, my Lady.”
They all went into dinner and Galina found she was sitting with two Peers on either side of her.
At the head of the table Georgie had Ellie-May on his right and a lovely debutante, who was to have several balls given for her, on his left.
There was no one elderly and Craig Farlow did not appear.
The dinner was superb and the gentlemen, as they all knew each other well, were talking away nineteen to the dozen. In fact, they were more interested in what they had to say to each other than in the girls sitting beside them.
Galina was delighted to note that Ellie-May stood out even amongst the prettiest of this Season’s debutantes and she also realised as the evening went on that she was not shy – with encouragement she had a great deal to say for herself.
‘She will be a success,’ Galina thought, ‘even apart from all the money that lies behind her.’
With his usual efficiency, Georgie had arranged for the correct number of carriages to be waiting for them outside after dinner as they were all going to a ball given by the Duke and Duchess of Bedford.
Galina saw that all her guests were settled first and then she climbed into the last carriage.
Inside was Lord Bramton and Galina realised as the guests paired themselves off that Lord Bramton made the extra partner for her.
Her brother had his special lady friend, a girl he had danced with quite often before they had gone to the country.
She was certainly very pretty but, Galina thought a little sadly, that there was no chance of Georgie marrying her, even if he wanted to.
Her parents were too poor to throw a ball for her during the Season and it was just because she was so lovely that she was asked to most balls even though she could not return the invitations.
As the horses started off, Galina was acutely aware of Lord Bramton sitting beside her.
She could not explain to herself why she had this feeling about him, yet it was undoubtedly there.
Turning to him she enquired,
“You must be an old friend of my brother’s, but it is strange that we have never met before.”
“I have seen you in the distance,” he replied, “but, as you had a large attendance of gentlemen around you, I did not interrupt.”
Gal
ina laughed.
“You make it sound so glamorous, but actually there were too many of them, so I ran away to the country!”
“I wondered why I had not seen you again.”
“I am flattered you should notice me.”
He smiled at her.
“Now you are fishing for compliments. You know that you are undoubtedly the belle of the Season and your brother, whom I have known for many years, is very proud of you.”
“I hope so, because I am proud of him too. I do think he has organised this evening very well.”
“He told me he was doing it for the rich Mr. Farlow and that you have him and his daughter staying at Ranmore House.”
“I find them very interesting,” Galina told him.
“And I am sure that they are very grateful to you. I cannot imagine that any American lady would look as Miss Farlow does this evening without your help,” he remarked.
“That is very nice of you to say so, but I have made her look more English and less American.”
“I did notice it, as soon as I saw her.”
“That is a compliment to Ellie-May,” Galina added,
“but not particularly to America!”
Lord Bramton smiled.
“I have been to America and I know what the girls look like. But it’s very different to the way Miss Farlow looks this evening.”
“As I have already said, it’s clever of you to realise what has happened, but you must not mention it to anyone else because it might be embarrassing for Ellie-May.”
“You know very well that I would not do anything to hurt you,” murmured Lord Bramton.
The way he spoke made Galina feel a strange flutter in her heart.
It was different from anything she had felt before.
“If you are an old friend of my brother’s, why have I not met you before?” she asked him again coyly.
There was a pause before he replied,
“It is a rather sad story that I will tell you another time if you are willing to listen.”
“Of course I am and you are making me curious.”
“You are exactly what I expected you to be. That is why if I had any commonsense, I would not have accepted Georgie’s invitation here this evening.”
Galina looked at him in surprise.
“Why?” she asked.
Even as she spoke, the carriage drew up outside the Duke of Bedford’s house.
Pray For Love Page 4
