“We will sink or swim together,” he asserted, “and I promise that I will try not to embarrass you, but it will be difficult not to tell you how much I love you all the time.”
“If we do that when we are alone, we must be very careful how we treat each other in public.”
Galina was feeling that it would be a great mistake, when Georgie was away, for Mr. Farlow to think that she was having a wild flirtation with Lord Bramton.
More in the back of her mind was that she could not help but think that, with his enormous fortune, Mr. Farlow would help Lord Bramton.
Perhaps he could rent his house in the country for a month or so when the Season was over?
Perhaps he could offer him a position in one of the many new developments he was so interested in.
As one of the young Americans had said last night, he was constantly looking out for new inventions and new discoveries to become even richer.
As these ideas coursed through her mind, she was conscious that Lord Bramton knew what she was thinking.
She smiled at him.
“There is no need for us to speak. If you read my thoughts and I read yours, we could just sit in silence!”
“What you are thinking about is very practical and I promise that I will try not to disappoint you. Equally I am terrified you will find it boring to wait and will therefore marry someone else.”
“I have no intention of marrying anyone, as I told Georgie the other day.”
“Why ever not?”
“Because, like you, I shall wait for love,” said Galina before she could stop herself.
He made a sound of triumph and then picked up her hand again.
“I love you, my darling.”
As he spoke, he was looking at her.
She felt her heart turn over in her breast.
Then Lord Bramton stated,
“Of course, I do love you. I shall do whatever you wish. I shall keep silent and behave with strict propriety until events develop in our favour.”
He smiled before he added,
“Is that what you want me to say?”
“Of course it is, and now we must go back to the ballroom. We have been away for too long.”
“You are quite right,” Lord Bramton admitted.
They stood up, but for a moment they did not move.
Galina knew that he was longing with every nerve in his body to take her into his arms and kiss her.
But somehow he managed to control himself.
Then they walked back the way they had come.
As they saw ahead the fairy lights that decorated the park and the Chinese lanterns on the trees, he suddenly disappeared.
For a moment Galina could not understand why he had left her without saying anything.
Then she saw one of her admirers hurrying down the path towards her.
She moved quickly through the trees towards him.
“Oh, there you are, Lady Galina,” he called. “This is our dance and I could not find you.”
“I am so sorry,” she replied. “But the garden is so beautiful in the moonlight that I forgot the time.”
“I have already heard that the Duke prides himself on his garden – and the one at Woburn is famous.”
“I hope one day I shall see it.”
When she finally returned to the ballroom, Galina was relieved to see that Ellie-May was still dancing.
Her partner was a good-looking young gentleman and he was obviously enjoying himself.
Galina saw the reproachful look on the face of the man who had gone to fetch her some lemonade and found she had disappeared when he had returned with it.
She smiled apologetically, but he turned away without responding.
As she danced around the ballroom, she was really thinking about Lord Bramton and all the amazingly strange yet wonderful words he had said to her.
‘How can I possibly be in love with a man I had not seen until dinner-time tonight?’ she protested to herself.
She reckoned that she was in love, as she had never before felt the puzzling feelings that seemed to be moving within her.
When she was taken into the supper room, she was seated at a small table with one of her dancing partners.
She saw Ellie-May come in with Lord Bramton and they sat down at a table with a number of other guests.
Galina realised that Ellie-May was laughing and so was Lord Bramton.
Just for a moment she had a feeling that she knew was jealousy sweep through her and then she told herself he was being very sensible.
He was coming to stay, as she had asked him to do, at Ranmore House and it was tactful for him to be friendly with the daughter of his host.
Then something flashed through her mind.
Perhaps when he realised how very rich Mr. Farlow was and that Ellie-May would indeed inherit his enormous fortune, he would change his mind and be practical and marry her.
Because the idea was disturbing, Galina rose to go back to the ballroom.
As she did so, she passed the table where Ellie-May was sitting with Lord Bramton.
He looked up as she passed and their eyes met and just for a second or so they were invisibly joined together.
In that moment Galina knew that what he had said to her earlier was the truth.
It was wrong of her to doubt him.
He loved her and, although it seemed impossible, she in turn loved him.
Somehow by a miracle they had to find a way to be together in the future.
As she felt emotionally disturbed for the moment, Galina, instead of looking out for her partner, went towards Mr. Farlow.
He was busy talking to the Duke of Bedford in one of the rooms just off the ballroom.
As she joined them, the Duke smiled at her and said,
“I am so glad your brother could be with us tonight. He tells me he has a horse running at Ascot which is sure to win, so I shall certainly back it.”
“That is Swift Arrow,” replied Galina, “and I think he has a very good chance.”
“I have just been advising Mr. Farlow,” added the Duke, “that he is extremely lucky to be staying at Ranmore House. I think it is one of the most attractive houses in London. My father used to tell me what magnificent balls your grandfather gave for your father when he appeared on the Social scene.”
“I have heard about them too,” smiled Galina.
“What I have heard,” Mr. Farlow interposed, “has made me determined to give a ball for my daughter. And what could be more delightful than that it should take place at Ranmore House.”
“I agree with you,” came in the Duke, “and I only hope I shall receive an invitation.”
“Of course you will, and I would be most grateful if you and the Duchess would be kind enough to give me a list of some of the young ladies here tonight who I could invite as my guests.”
“We would be very pleased to help in any way we can and I hope we shall meet on other occasions when you can tell me more about the oil wells you have discovered in America, and your interest in other projects that I too am interested in.”
“I shall be most delighted to do so, Your Grace,” Mr. Farlow replied.
The Duke turned away to speak to another of his guests and Mr. Farlow then turned to address Galina with an expression of satisfaction in his eyes.
“I’m so very grateful to you for bringing Ellie-May and me here tonight and I think the Duke is an extremely charming man.”
He did not say more and Galina was quite certain that he was thinking how the Duke could be an asset to him in business.
“Are you really going to give a ball?” she asked.
“I’ll talk about it tomorrow morning, but as far as I’m concerned the sooner the better.”
Galina paused and wondered if she ought to try to postpone the ball until Georgie had returned.
‘I must speak to him about it,’ she thought.
Then almost because she really needed him, he was walking towards her.
“Are you having a good time?” Georgie asked as he reached her.
“Mr. Farlow has just told the Duke that he intends to give a ball,” Galina told him a little breathlessly. “And he wants to give it as soon as possible.”
“I think that’s a very good idea, but we must find out which nights are free when no one else will be having a ball or they will take all the best guests from us!”
Mr. Farlow laughed at this remark.
“I didn’t think of that.”
“Most people go from ball to ball and it would be a mistake for you not to have the ‘crème de la crème’.”
“I do agree with you,” replied Mr. Farlow. “So we must ask your secretary for some suitable dates first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Galina will certainly help you,” Georgie offered, “as I am afraid I have to be away for a few days.”
Mr. Farlow raised his eyebrows.
“Where are you going? Back to the country?”
“Oh, no, nothing like that.”
He looked over his shoulder as if someone might be listening and then he lowered his voice,
“The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has just asked me to slip over to France and do something for him. I am afraid I cannot tell you what it is, but it is so important that I cannot refuse to go.”
Mr. Farlow was obviously impressed.
“I understand, of course, I understand, my dear boy, and we will have the ball when you return.”
“I am not quite certain when that will be, but fix a date while you have the chance and you can be sure I shall do my best to be with you.”
Having said what he wanted to say, he would have walked away, but Galina put her hand on his arm.
“Listen, Georgie,” she muttered so only he could hear. “I have asked Lord Bramton to stay because he is so hard up he cannot afford to go on staying at his Club.”
“Oh, poor Victor, he really is in a state, of course, do what you can for him. Unless he marries Ellie-May, I cannot help feeling that he will have to close his beautiful house.”
Galina was thinking that Lord Bramton might well marry Ellie-May as she herself had already suggested.
If he did, she would lose something very precious which she did not want to lose.
The ball ended at one o’clock when the Duke told the band to play ‘God Save the Queen.’
Galina had been ready to leave much earlier and yet she had not done so because Ellie-May was having such a marvellous time.
She obviously had many more partners than there were dances and gentlemen were buzzing around her like flies.
Lord Bramton must have disappeared fairly early as Galina could see no sign of him, as they all lined up to say goodnight to their host and hostess.
“It’s been a wonderful party. I did not know a ball could be so fabulous,” Ellie-May gushed as she left.
“Much of its beauty was due to you,” the Duke told her gallantly, “and I am looking forward to the ball your father is giving for you at Ranmore House.”
Ellie-May gave a little cry.
“I’ve not heard about it yet. Oh, how exciting! I do hope Papa will invite all the charming people I’ve met here tonight and that they will come.”
The Duke laughed.
“I am sure they will if you invite them. And please don’t forget I want an invitation too!”
“I promise we’ll not forget you.”
“Your Grace shall be the first guest we invite,” Mr. Farlow added. “As yours is the first ball we have attended in London.”
“It is something I should not dream of missing.”
Then they had to move, as their host had a long line of guests waiting somewhat impatiently to say goodbye.
As they drove away, Georgie remarked,
“Well, you two girls were definitely the success of tonight and I am sure that Mr. Farlow is as proud of you as I am.”
“It was a lovely, lovely party,” Ellie-May answered enthusiastically. “Two of my partners fought over me!”
“I saw that,” said her father, “and I thought that one seemed a very charming young gentleman.”
“I cannot remember his name,” admitted Ellie-May, “but he had a title of some sort and he paid me very many compliments which I enjoyed.”
“You must try to remember his name,” said Galina, “and we will ask him to your ball.”
“I hope I’ll meet him again before that. You said we have a party or a ball nearly every night and he told me he would look out for me at all of them.”
“I see that I shall have to find out about this young man,” Mr. Farlow came in. “I don’t want you pursued by fortune-hunters. If he has not got a penny to bless himself with, we will kick him out the front door!”
Galina was now listening anxiously, as she did not want Mr. Farlow to be rude to Lord Bramton.
Perhaps he would think he was pursuing Ellie-May because he had come to stay in Ranmore House.
She therefore told Georgie again that his old friend was moving in.
“He says he is so uncomfortable at his Club that he would rather be with us. I know that Mr. Farlow will be interested in hearing what a wonderful house he owns.”
“Wonderful is the right word,” Georgie replied as he obviously realised what his sister was doing.
“In what way?” Mr. Farlow asked a little sharply.
“It is one of the oldest ancestral houses in England. In fact I have to admit the oldest. The pictures that have been collected over the years, just like the furniture, are all museum pieces.
“He also owns a collection of Greek statues, which one of his ancestors stole from Delos or one of the other islands when the Greeks could not protect themselves or their possessions.”
“I would indeed like to see them,” said Mr. Farlow.
“I know Victor would be delighted to show them to you and it only takes a day to drive to his house.”
“You say he comes from a very old family?”
“A most distinguished family as it so happens. His grandmother was a Princess related to Princess Alexandra and his mother was the daughter of the Duke of Sussex.”
Mr. Farlow was clearly impressed and Galina felt that he was turning over in his mind whether Lord Bramton would be a suitable husband for Ellie-May.
She could only pray as they drove on that he would help Lord Bramton.
At the same time she hoped he would not take his patronage if he did not propose marriage.
She could now clearly see the difficulties over Lord Bramton if he came to stay at Ranmore House.
Yet she could not contain a feeling of excitement within herself because she would see him regularly and he would be near her.
It only took a short time to reach Park Lane.
When everyone had gone upstairs, Georgie came to Galina’s room.
“Are you really leaving tomorrow?” she asked him.
“The sooner I can get on with this the better, and I understand Farlow has received a lot of telegrams since he arrived, but we don’t know what is in them.”
“How can we, Georgie?”
“I have given the butler his orders that, as there are strange people in the house and as we do not want letters and telegrams to be mixed up, everything has to be brought to you as soon as it arrives.”
“That is indeed a sensible idea.”
“It will give you a good chance to look through the telegrams before they are taken to Farlow and if you delay one or two while I am at sea, it will be very helpful.”
“It would be terrible if he found out what I was doing!” exclaimed Galina.
“Of course it would,” her brother agreed, “but you are too sensible to take unnecessary risks.”
“I just hope you are right, but you are asking a great deal of me and I only hope I shall not fail you.”
“You have not failed me yet and we have had some good times together, old girl. We cannot throw it all away just because we have not got the mone
y to keep it going.”
“No, of course not,” sighed Galina, “and you must take good care of yourself. I suppose you are travelling under an assumed name.”
“I managed to dig up a passport that was left behind a few years ago by a Johnson Donaldson, a friend of mine who died before I could return it. I have written down his name for you, so that you will not forget it.”
“Is it wise for you to be so disguised?”
“It may be quite unnecessary. In which case I shall quickly become myself again. But what I don’t want is one of Mr. Farlow’s wildcatters to tell him I am asking questions or anything like that.”
“Of course, you are so right, Georgie. If he had the slightest idea what you were doing, he might walk out of here without paying his bills.”
“I don’t think he would do that, but we want him to stay where he is and give balls and parties at his expense, which will make life easier for me.”
Galina knew he was thinking that some bills from Ranmore House had been overdue for a long time.
It was, however, just the same in the country, but she could not imagine how they could persuade Mr. Farlow to pay those.
As if she had spoken aloud her, brother added,
“If Mr. Farlow wants to go to the country and spend a weekend there, then encourage him as long as he pays for everything. Newland tells me he pays most bills that are put in front of him without even looking at them!”
Mr. Newland was the Earl’s secretary, who lived in a flat in the mews.
He was a middle-aged man who had never married and he was brilliant at handling all their money affairs even though he had to placate some angry shopkeepers and other institutions whose bills were long overdue.
She was certain, although she did not say so, that Mr. Newland would make Mr. Farlow pay for everything possible.
He would not miss anything that could in any way be attributed to the fact that he was staying in the house.
“I am leaving before breakfast,” Georgie was now saying, “and I will telegraph you with my address as soon as I arrive.”
“I only hope I shall remember all this and it will be rather difficult for me to avoid making a mistake.”
“We cannot afford even one,” he insisted, “and that is the truth.”
He kissed Galina.
“Do take care of yourself, dearest, and for goodness sake keep Farlow and Ellie-May in a good temper until I come back.”
Pray For Love Page 6
