Long Acre

by Claire Rayner

  And yet now she stood on the pavement outside an abandoned house in Grosvenor Square in London and almost believed that some shadow of her own earlier self, some ghost who had gone before her and yet been part of her, had inhabited it. Too, too absurd. She set her bonnet straight and bent her head to look at the hem of her gown to see if streaks of dust marred its freshness. Practical, that was Amy Lucas’s role today. She was searching out her own family connections, not out of any spirit of romance or gothic nonsense, but because it would be agreeable to find others like herself — and useful indeed to find connections who would be of help to her and her brother here in London, so far away from home in Boston. Practical. That was the key.

  She turned then to walk briskly round the Square towards Brook Street where she might find a hansom plying for hire; she might not know precisely where in Lincoln’s Inn Vivian and Onions were to be found but hansom cab jarveys, she knew, were knowledgeable men. One of them might well be able to help.

  As she turned from the Square into the wide elegance of Brook Street, he almost cannoned into her, he was walking so quickly, and with such determination, and she gasped softly and said, ‘Felix!’

  He stopped and stared at her with his brow furrowed and his eyes almost blank, and for a moment she thought she had been mistaken. He seemed so different from his usual smiling friendliness and she said timidly, ‘Felix?’ and his face cleared and he smiled and was his own familiar self again.

  ‘My dear Amy, what do you think you are doing?’ he said and his voice was a little dry, and she frowned at the implied rebuke in his tone.

  ‘I could as well ask you what you are doing here!’ she said spiritedly. ‘I have business in these parts, and am quite at liberty, I suppose, to prosecute my own affairs! You, on the other hand, are always at the hospital at this time, or so I have always understood. So why are you here asking me such questions?’

  He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow in his comfortable way, and smiled down at her.

  ‘You are perfectly justified, of course. I have no right to quiz you. So I will be quite honest with you. Charles Wyndham came to me at the hospital perhaps half an hour ago and told me that you were to be found in the purlieus of Grosvenor Square. So, I thought I had best come and seek you out. I found a colleague to deal with my patients for me, and came to seek you. I was not sure you would be — well, I know your feelings are running high at present, and I did not wish you to be quite friendless and alone at a time when you might have need of comfort.’

  She looked up at him standing there at the corner of Brook Street and Grosvenor Square, with passers-by jostling them and the clatter of traffic on all sides, at the way one errant lock of hair had escaped from beneath his hat to blow lightly on his forehead in the spring breeze, and felt her whole body fill with warmth and gratitude. And she spoke easily and freely without thinking for a moment of effect, or anything but the depth of her feelings.

  ‘Dear Felix,’ she said simply. ‘Dear, dear Felix. I do love you.’

  And he looked down at her, his hand set over her gloved one in the crook of his elbow and smiled his friendly smile and said unsteadily, ‘And I you, my love, I you. And if you do not stop looking at me like that, I shall disgrace us both and kiss you here and now in the middle of the street and care not who looks at us.’

  ‘I wish you would,’ she said softly. ‘Indeed, I wish you would —’

  But he did not. They just stood and looked at each other, very close together and oblivious of anything but each other, their eyes seeming to speak torrents of words, until one particularly hurried man rushing past them on the way to some urgent business cannoned into them and swore and Felix pulled her closer to him and said, ‘We cannot remain here, my love. Tell me — Wyndham said you had been told of some house in Grosvenor Square — did you find it?’

  She nodded eagerly. ‘I think so. Indeed I am sure of it. Please, Felix, can you take me to Lincoln’s Inn? There are lawyers there who will be able to give me the news, I think. Will you?’

  There was a long pause and then he nodded. ‘If it matters so much to you, then of course I will. But I wish you would not pursue this matter further, Amy. You said you were searching because you needed to find the comfort of knowing to whom you belonged — but my love, you belong to me now. And to my family. Do you need more? There was such distress at Aunt Martha’s yesterday. Must we perpetuate it? I would not try to dissuade you unless I felt it would do you more harm than good, but I would wish you would listen.’

  ‘Let us take a cab, please, Felix. And then we can talk as we travel.’

  He nodded, a trifle heavily, and turned his head to seek out a cab and hailed a passing growler, and directed him to Lincoln’s Inn and then, when they were sitting comfortably side by side in its dusty leathery interior, he set his hand over hers and held it tightly.

  ‘I meant all I said there on the pavement, Amy,’ he said a little huskily. ‘I love you, and see your future and mine as shared. I seek to marry you — do you understand that?’

  ‘Of course,’ she said and smiled up at him and even in the dimness of the cab the brilliance of that smile made his belly lurch and he bent his head and kissed her, gently at first and then with increasing urgency, and she clung to him and returned his ardour with a passion that startled him.

  The cab lurched as it went round a corner and they were hurled against the window and she held on to him and laughed, and as the cab righted itself set her hands to her bonnet to straighten it.

  ‘We really must behave ourselves, Felix,’ she said primly. ‘What would your family say if they thought so reputable a physician could behave so in a growler? They would be quite shocked!’

  The mention of his family sobered them both and after a moment he said, ‘I was saying, Amy — is this search so important now? When you arrived here, friendless and alone, I can understand you had a need for connections. But now — must you?’

  She nodded in the dimness. ‘I must. It — it is the most absurd thing, Felix, but it seems to me that I have — that I know her. Was part of her. If I believed in theories of reincarnation as some do — why, I might even say — well, I do not, so let that be. But it has come to be important to me in a very strange way. Let me but find her, and discover for certain whether she was my grandmother — and I am convinced of it — and I will rest easy. I will never speak to your family of her again. I promise. But let me just find out. Will you?’

  ‘Of course, if it matters so much. But let us do it quickly, our searching. There are so many other more important affairs upon which we must busy ourselves. Like where we shall live when we are married, and —’

  ‘I cannot imagine it,’ she said dreamily and drooped her head on to his shoulder. ‘It will be so lovely! I shall go to the theatre each evening to perform, and then when I return you will —’

  He stiffened. ‘I cannot believe that you will go on performing at my cousin Oliver’s after we are wed!’

  She looked up at him. ‘Oh, no! Not at Cousin Oliver’s. Did not Charles Wyndham tell you? It is the most delightful thing, Felix! I have a part in play at the Royalty! A real play, where I shall act. And they have said that Fenton may have a part too — well, he must audition, you know, but it is pretty sure they’ll have him! Is it not capital? Charles Wyndham has a part as well — it will be so delightful! And then, when I am famous and we are wed, all the rich people in the town will wish to come to you because you are so splendid a physician and because they will hope to have a glimpse of me — oh, dear, dear Felix. We shall be so happy!’

  The cab clattered and swayed on its way, and Felix looked down at her smiling face and lustrous eyes and sighed softly. Dear, dear Amy! He loved her dearly and knew he always would. But his task of changing some of her less attractive ways and more outrageous ideas was far from complete. But with the help of his aunt Martha, and possibly cousin Phoebe as well — for was she not an actress who had married a medical man? — he should be able to explai
n to this absurd but altogether adorable girl that her vision of the future was in need of considerable amendment.

  He sighed softly, and set his arm about her waist and held her close, and as the cab made its final curving turn to stop at the old gatehouse to Lincoln’s Inn at the top of Chancery Lane he bent his head and kissed her with great tenderness. Whatever else was to happen in the future this moment was a very special one, and he wanted nothing to mar it at all.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  ‘I had thought to find lawyers’ offices here like those we have at home,’ Amy whispered to Felix. ‘But these must be quite different from our attorneys who always seem to have very dusty ordinary offices. These must be very rich, I think.’

  Felix smiled and squeezed her hand. ‘There are no rules about how lawyers should appear, my love,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Some are dry and withered, like those in Boston you described to me, but others are like this — displaying their riches — in America as much as here, I daresay. Lawyers are like physicians and come in many guises.’

  Amy shook her head doubtfully, and looked about her again. They were sitting in a large room well equipped with heavy pieces of polished mahogany furniture in the latest mode, with a rich blue Persian carpet upon the floor and the heaviest and most whispering of thick velvet curtains at the windows. They had been ushered in by a very proper young man wearing quite the highest of white collars that Amy had ever seen and a carefully brushed glossy black suit of clothes, and told loftily to ‘wait for Mr Onions who will be with you as shortly h’as ’e is able!’

  Finding the lawyer had been far from difficult; clearly the partnership was one of great renown as well as affluence, and the first person they had asked for directions had sent them unerringly to this set of chambers; and now they sat in the splendour of the waiting-room, and duly waited.

  But not for long. The young man returned and with a dignity that would have done justice to the major-domo of a prince led them along a carpeted corridor to the partners’ room.

  And there they sat, one on each side of a vast leather-covered desk, both round of face and lavishly whiskered, and both looking at their callers with stern expressions bearing more than a hint of let-us-waste-no-time-on-nonsensical-matters. Amy quailed, and looked up at Felix with alarm, very grateful to have him beside her, and she drew a little closer to him as he introduced her.

  They were invited to sit down and Felix without any sign of discomfiture crossed his knees and set his hat upon them and said coolly, ‘Miss Lucas is interested in the house in Grosvenor Square for which you are responsible.’

  Mr Vivian cast a swift look at his partner and said smoothly, ‘Grosvenor Square? Now, which house would that be?’

  ‘Oh, come, Mr Vivian,’ Felix said easily. ‘You cannot tell me that you look after more than one there!’

  Mr Onions stirred and leaned forwards, his round face seeming to be full of bonhomie but still very watchful. ‘I am exercised in my mind, sir, as to why you should be making any inquiries about this house. It is not for sale, and if you have been told so I am afraid you have been sorely misled.’

  ‘It is Miss Lucas, not I, who makes inquiries, sir,’ Felix said with great courtesy. ‘Miss Lucas is seeking some information about her forebears. That is a search which I am sure you, as family lawyers, will well understand and will view with some sympathy. Miss Lucas believes that the house belongs — or belonged — to one Lilith Lucas. She thinks it is possible that this lady is her grandmother, and seeks some confirmation of her supposition. It is no more than that.’

  Mr Vivian and Mr Onions looked at Amy and she reddened and then lifted her chin proudly and Mr Onions’s expression visibly softened. She looked exceedingly pretty in her new straw bonnet with its yellow flower trimmings and Mr Onions was plainly a susceptible man. His partner, however, showed equally clearly that he was not and said crisply, ‘We are not in any position to advise Miss Lucas on such a matter. We are not a firm which makes inquiries of this nature. I can recommend to you other lawyers who may be prepared to accept your young — er — friend — as a client.’

  ‘I do not seek lawyers to make inquiries for me,’ Amy said, on her mettle now. This man was looking at her in a way to which she was quite unused, with a sort of cool disdain, and her dislike of him edged her words. ‘I am well able to make my own inquiries. So well able that I discovered that the house in Grosvenor Square which belongs — or as Felix said, perhaps it should be belonged — to Lilith Lucas, and that you are the people who set the caretaker there to look after it. I want only to know whether or not Lilith Lucas is still alive, and if so where she is. No more than that.’

  ‘I cannot tell you,’ Mr Vivian said smoothly and looked at his partner. But he was still staring at Amy and showed no sign of awareness of the other’s chill.

  ‘That was enterprising of you, Miss Lucas! How did you manage to find out so much? Not that anyone is trying to hide anything, you understand, but after all, it is many years ago now since the lady was at all known on the London stage.’

  ‘It was not too difficult,’ Amy said, and bridled somewhat with pride at her own abilities, quite forgetting for a moment the aid that Charles Wyndham had given her. ‘I did but ask the stage doorman at the Haymarket, you know, and he —’

  ‘Oh, of course,’ Mr Onions’s eyes seemed to become even softer in their expression. ‘The Haymarket! Do you know, I remember so many years ago, when I was still a boy, being taken there to see the play as a special reward and I saw Lilith Lucas as Roxanna in Cyrano, you know, and she was so delectable, so very very —’

  ‘This has little to do with the matter before us now, Onions,’ Vivian said sharply and looked again at Amy with the distinct air of scorn that had so irritated her. ‘I am afraid there is not much that we can do to aid you, miss. So, if you will excuse us — ’

  Felix’s brows snapped together. ‘I do not think it necessary to be quite so cavalier, sir,’ he said stiffly. ‘We came to seek information about Miss Lucas’s grandmother. I ask you now, do you act for that lady? If she is a client of yours then it is not unreasonable of us to ask that you convey a message to her if she is still alive, of course, or failing that, to her heirs and assigns. Indeed, sir, any refusal on your part to do so could be construed as some sort of — of dereliction of duty —’

  The other man stared coldly at Felix. ‘Are you threatening me, young man?’

  ‘No, sir, I am not. I am merely pointing out to you that you have a duty to your client, if my companion is her granddaughter, to enable them to meet. Miss Lucas is but recently come from America and —’

  ‘I can tell you that Mrs Lilith Lucas is not, nor ever has been, our client, sir. So that is the end of the matter.’

  ‘She is not?’ Amy jumped to her feet and clasped both her hands in front of her in her favourite gesture of appeal, directing the full flood of her imploring gaze at Mr Onions. Despite Felix’s dislike of her acting ways there were times when they could be very useful. And this she knew was one of them.

  ‘Dear Mr Onions, sir, you must tell me — is there no way you would be able to help me in my search for my family? I have no mother, sir, no aunts, no ladies of my own to whom I can turn in any distress, and to think that my own grandmother may be somewhere and that I do not know of her whereabouts — it is very tragic, and makes me so sad! My Papa died when I was but a child, and so I cannot seek news of his mother or other connections from him — please, Mr Onions, can you help me?’

  Mr Onions got to his feet and came round the heavy polished desk to stand beside her and pat her shoulder in a very avuncular manner, and Amy bent her head and sniffed very delicately, and then, catching Felix’s sardonic eye, subsided into her chair.

  Mr Onions, however, was now completely in her hands and he crouched beside her to look up into her face and say coaxingly, ‘Now my dear Miss Lucas! You must not distress yourself so. No pretty little lady should ever disfigure herself with tears, and one with such a complex
ion as yours needs to be even more careful not to spoil the face she offers to the world! Now, cheer yourself up, do, and I will see what we can do to help you. No, Vivian — ’ for his partner was also on his feet now and showing signs of becoming very angry indeed. ‘I daresay you are within the letter of the law in being so discreet, but really, there can be no harm in helping this young lady! She has clearly no intention of hurting anyone, and wishes only to find her connections. It is a most laudable aim — ’

  He got to his feet, stretching his stiff knees cautiously. ‘You tell me why it is you think that you may be a descendant of Mrs Lilith Lucas, and we will see what we can do. In the way of information, no more. Very well, then, Vivian,’ as his partner scowled at him and began to remonstrate again. ‘I shall see what I can do. You may leave us, Vivian, if you feel so strongly about it. But I have no doubt that Miss Lucas is worthy of our care. Besides, you have other work to do, have you not? Leave this to me — ’

  It took half an hour for Amy to explain all that had happened to her in her search for her English relations. She told her story smoothly and with some skill, explaining about Fenton, and how he had been injured in an accident. She said little about their meeting with Freddy Caspar, however, contenting herself with explaining that they had been befriended by a surgeon who had operated upon Fenton’s injured leg and then helped them find lodgings.

  ‘And then, you know, I became quite determined to seek even harder for my lost family,’ she said, warming to her theme, and Mr Wyndham helped me to make the discoveries I did and —’

  ‘Mr Wyndham? Mr Onions looked at Felix in some puzzlement. ‘I thought, sir, that your — I do not perfectly recollect what it was, to tell the truth, since when you came in I was thinking of other matters — but I not think it was Wyndham —’

  ‘No, I am not Wyndham, Mr Onions,’ Felix said patiently. ‘My name is —’