The Shadow of Langley Hall

by Dilys Xavier

  ‘Have you told your mother yet?’

  ‘No, not yet. I’m going to visit her for a few days next week so I’ll break the news to her then. And what about you? Have you anything planned?’

  ‘I don’t want to move too far away from my friends so I’ll probably look for something nearby,’ Catherine replied, quietly. ‘A property with a reasonable sized house and a few acres to run the horses, but not too close to Langley Hall. I wouldn’t like that.’

  As they left the restaurant, Cecile drew her attention to a real estate office across the street.

  ‘Let’s see what they have to offer. Come on, there’s no time like the present. Don’t wait until the last minute to look for something.’

  The salesman took a note of what Catherine wanted, and showed her details of a couple of properties. One stood out above all the rest and she spent several minutes studying the printed details. She tapped the brochure with her index finger.

  ‘This looks interesting; will you arrange for me to have a look at it within the next day or so?’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Cecile’s mother, Liselle, gave a little cry of delight when she opened the door.

  ‘What a lovely surprise to see you again so soon.’ After they had kissed each other she led the way into the house. ‘Now, what have you been up to lately? Are you still seeing that man with the ... the electrics business?’

  Cecile ignored the question and held out her left hand to display a diamond ring. ‘Look at this,’ she cried excitedly. ‘Isn’t it beautiful?’

  ‘Yes, dear, it may be beautiful, but does it have any particular significance?’

  ‘It’s an engagement ring.’

  ‘But why are you wearing an engagement ring?’

  ‘Because I’m engaged to Richard, of course; we’re going to be married.’ Cecile looked puzzled. ‘Isn’t that why people become engaged?’

  ‘Oh, I suppose so, but marriage isn’t an option you have ever considered in the past, is it? Not seriously anyway.’ Liselle took her by the hand and led her over to the sofa. ‘Now, Cecile I am sure I don’t have to remind you how many men have pursued you over the years. Or how many have begged you to marry them, do I? No, of course I don’t. So why is this one different? What’s so special about him?’

  Cecile began by explaining how they had been brought together, and the way their relationship had developed. Then she went on to relate their experience in Wales; how Richard had carried her down the mountainside and why he had declared his love for her.

  ‘He’s just so very different; yes – special is the word for him.’ She gave a deep sigh. ‘One in a million.’

  ‘I must admit no one has carried me down a mountainside, but then I would not have been silly enough to go up there in the first place.’ Liselle held up her hand as Cecile protested. ‘I went through all that deep and abiding love nonsense when I was your age, too, so I understand your feelings about this man, but you can love someone without tying yourself down for the rest of your life. You and I are very much alike so you know that what I’m saying makes sense.’ Liselle went on to remind her daughter of a previous conversation, when Cecile had stated unequivocally that she valued her freedom too much to commit herself to one man.

  ‘You told me, ‘I’m not going to give up my lifestyle for any man, no matter how rich or powerful he is,’.’ When Cecile did not respond, she added. ‘Think hard and long before you do something you might regret.’

  Somewhat chastened by her mother’s remarks Cecile, suggested that they go out to lunch and then do some shopping. By the time they returned their spontaneous good relationship had been restored and neither of them mentioned the subject again. Later that evening whilst enjoying a pre-dinner drink Liselle’s face suddenly lit up as she remembered something.

  ‘You’ll never guess who I bumped into in London - Jacques Leclerc.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘He’s living in Monaco now.’ Liselle paused and then added. ‘He asked after you.’

  ‘That’s nice.’

  ‘He’s bought a yacht, one of those floating gin palaces that are all the rage in that part of the world.’ Liselle said, in an off-hand way. ‘Apparently it’s moored next to some of those motor racing chappies who live there to dodge paying tax.’ She gave a little laugh. ‘That’s why he’s there too, I suppose.’

  ‘I really liked Jacques,’ Cecile said, a trifle wistfully. ‘We had some wonderful times together.’

  ‘Yes, I seem to recall you went on about him for days after you’d spent a weekend together. I felt sure you’d like to keep in touch so I gave him your telephone number.’

  By the time Cecile left her mother’s house two days later, she was beginning to wonder if she had done the right thing by accepting Richard’s proposal. Liselle had only married to ensure that the man who had fathered their child would provide for her well-being. They had separated after a year, and Liselle had done very well out of the divorce settlement. Since that time she had enjoyed a succession of lovers.

  She and Cecile where alike in looks, temperament and taste, so Liselle had not been surprised when her daughter followed a similar lifestyle; slipping easily from one encounter to another, enjoying the moment of a relationship without any commitment and moving on to the next admirer. Like her mother, Cecile had that ability to break off a love affair with the minimum of fuss so that the man did not cause any undue problems.

  ‘I’m my mother’s daughter,’ she murmured, as she drove home.

  She recalled a time when Liselle had become too serious about a wealthy Italian count, and hinted that she might marry the man. She had joked that it would give her tremendous status and an air of utter respectability if she were a countess. Cecile had been aghast, and had done everything to discourage her mother from tying herself to one man. Now, Liselle was trying dissuade her from doing the same thing.

  The whole episode unsettled Cecile and she felt rather awkward when Richard knocked on her door that night. She felt as if she was holding herself back from him. Although he gave no hint that anything was different she was convinced that he was well aware of her discomfort.

  *

  ‘Is everything all right?’ Nicole asked, as Richard burst into her office waving a letter in the air a few days later.

  ‘Have you read this?’

  ‘No, it was marked personal so I just left it for you. I only open Private and Confidential. Why?’

  ‘Well ...’ he hesitated. ‘Do you remember when I made that personal delivery on the way to the Brecon Beacons?’ Nicole nodded. ‘The chap told me that a consortium of European electronics companies had made a bid for his company.’

  ‘Yes, go on.’

  ‘Well, this letter is from the same company. They want to talk to me about the equipment we supplied Burnham.’ Richard perched on the side of her desk. ‘I had a gut feeling at the time that something would come of that contact.’ He handed her letter. ‘I want you to read this and see what you make of it. You’ve had a lot of legal experience and you might see something I’ve missed.’

  When Nicole confirmed his interpretation of the letter, Richard smiled; she had read between the lines too. Where do we go from here, he wondered? What are they implying? I’d better have a talk with Farleigh, he decided, before I do anything else. He picked up the phone and made an appointment to see the solicitor later that day.

  James Farleigh read the letter and looked at Richard with a quizzical smile.

  ‘First the manor and title, and now this. Do you have a fairy godmother, perchance?’

  ‘So you think it’s worth pursuing?’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ the solicitor said, enthusiastically. ‘Go for it. I think they’ve checked you out, and they like what they’ve seen. This could be the answer to all your problems. Let me reply to it on your behalf and see what they say.’

  Richard was in a quandary. He was barely coping with the workload, and had begun working Saturday and Sunday mornings again
in an effort to keep ahead. He had tried to find someone to help with the work, but the only two applicants that the employment agency had proposed didn’t suit his particular requirements.

  ‘I can’t keep this pace up much longer,’ he complained to Cecile, before she went to visit her mother. ‘I’m rushing over to see you and then rushing off to work. It’s crazy. We’re spending less and less time together.’

  ‘Is it worth it all?’ she asked pointedly.

  ‘Probably not, but once you get on the roller-coaster it’s hard to get off again.’ He gave a deep sigh. ‘It was great seeing all that effort pay off, but now ... well, I’d like it to slow down a bit.’

  ‘Well, if it doesn’t, you won’t have enough energy to enjoy a weekend away.’ Cecile pulled a face. ‘You promised to take me to Lisbon, remember?’

  ‘Yes of course I do, and I will, as soon as I can find the time,’ Richard said. ‘I’m hoping the employment agency will find someone more suitable than the last couple of contenders, but ...’

  He stopped mid-sentence as Cecile’s phone rang. Her voice took on a lilting tone when the caller identified himself.

  ‘Oh, hello, Jacques it’s nice to hear your voice again, but tell me how did you get my new number?’ She glanced sideways at Richard and looked away again. ‘Mother gave it to you. Well, that was a bit naughty of her, really.’ She toyed with her hair self-consciously as they talked. Then after a few minutes she gave a little laugh. ‘Well, I really must let you go, but it was sweet of you to call.’ She put the phone down and turned back to Richard. ‘What were you saying?’

  ‘An old flame?’ Richard asked, ignoring her question.

  ‘Very old,’ Cecile replied, colouring slightly. ‘I can’t imagine whey Mother gave him my new number; she knows we’re engaged.’ She shrugged her shoulders. ‘He’s French, and a bit of a playboy.’ She tried to laugh, but it sounded very strained. ‘Just like you were.’

  The phone call worried Richard and it seemed to play itself over and over in his mind as he drove home. Had Catherine’s warning become a reality? Was she seeing someone else besides him? And why wasn’t she wearing the engagement ring?

  Nicole picked up on his change of mood the next day. She came into his office in response to his request for some information and had been surprised by his normal lack of appreciation. In an uncharacteristic move, she perched on the arm of a chair and looked into his face.

  ‘Something is wrong, isn’t it? I can tell.’ She watched a shadow cross his face. ‘Can I help? Do you need someone to unload on?’

  Richard was about to tell her he was just having an off-day when he caught the implication behind her anxiety. They had always worked well together and he owed a lot of his success to her efforts. But more importantly they had forged an indefinable bond during his quest to establish his connection with Sir Hugh and the subsequent claim to his birth right. He trusted her. She seemed to have no qualms about anything and had listened patiently as he unburdened himself about Catherine, Langley Hall and, of course, Cecile. Maybe he should take this opportunity to do so again.

  ‘Yes and no,’ he replied hesitantly.

  When she gently suggested that he should get it off his chest, he smiled grimly.

  ‘I seem to remember you asking if Ms Katsoulis had staked a claim on my heart. I think I assured you that everything was under control and I knew what I was doing. Well, something’s happened which has made me wonder if I may have been a little, what shall I say ... impulsive.’

  Over the next ten minutes he related the conversation that had taken place in Cecile’s apartment the night she returned and reiterated the thoughts that had run through his mind afterwards. Nicole remained silent until he finished.

  ‘What do you think has happened?’ she asked.

  ‘She’s had a change of heart.’ He snapped his fingers. ‘Now I come to think of it she began acting strangely after she came back from visiting her mother.’

  ‘And her mother urged this Jacques fellow to make contact again.’

  ‘Hmm, maybe.’ Richard tried not to look embarrassed. ‘I’m loath to admit it, but think I’ve been a bit of a fool. What do you think’

  ‘A lot men have difficulty distinguishing between love and lust. They let that ‘you know what’ cloud their judgement.’ He tried not to smile at her choice of words as she continued. ‘You’re the kind of man who attracts women, aren’t you? You’re giving out all the time, even though you don’t know you’re doing it.’

  ‘Do I? Oh, well I guess you must be right.’

  ‘And by all accounts your Ms Katsoulis does the same.’ She paused when he nodded. ‘Like attracts like, you know. I’d say what happened under the circumstances was inevitable. And you have to take into account the inheritance and all that it entailed. You’ve been swept away by it all - clouded your judgement - and that’s quite natural.’

  ‘So what ...’

  ‘What would I suggest? Let things work themselves out.’ She gave a girlish giggle. ‘If you haven’t thrown away your little black book, I’d ring up a few of your old girl friends. Spread yourself around a bit so to speak.’

  ‘Surely you’re not serious?’ When she nodded, he agreed. ‘Yes, I guess you’re probably right. It might help get things back into perspective although I don’t know if I’ll have the time or energy to do much.’

  Before Nicole could respond, the telephone rang. Richard picked it up as she stood up and mouthed her a thank you of appreciation before he responded to the caller. Later that day he was to go over their conversation in his mind. It had been sound advice, but he did not think it was wise to start ringing up his former girlfriends at this stage of proceedings.

  It was another two weeks before the solicitor rang to say he wanted to discuss the latest letter from the European Electronics company. James Farleigh suggested they may already have access to similar equipment and didn’t want him competing with them, or alternatively they wanted to stave off any opposition. Either way, they wanted to corner that aspect of the continental market first.

  ‘It’s a win-win situation,’ the man said, ‘You can ride it out or go with it.’

  ‘What would you suggest?’

  ‘Like I said – go for it. I’d accept the offer. If you keep growing at the present rate there’s a danger that things could get right out of control.’ Richard opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again as the man continued. ‘You’ve made it quite clear that you don’t want to go too deeply into debt. But that’s where you’re heading if you try to compete with these people; you’ll have to expand and that means borrowing heavily to finance everything.’

  ‘So I should definitely accept their offer?’

  ‘Well, yes; it’s a good offer, a damned good offer. You know that, and you’ll automatically be given a seat on the board.’ The solicitor chuckled. ‘Having a baronet on the board of directors is good for the image.’

  ‘Okay, go ahead,’ Richard agreed. ‘I don’t want to keep going at this pace anyway.’

  He told Nicole of his intentions when he returned to the office. She expressed her displeasure about the way large conglomerates swallowed small companies, but was pleased for him personally. When he promised that he’d do all he could to help her find another position, she told him not to bother.

  ‘My husband’s firm has opened an office in Leeds. He’s in line for promotion and he’s got family up north. So it might be opportune for us both.’

  As he drove home that evening, Richard thought about the way things had turned out. He didn’t know whether to feel elated or despondent that he was being taken over. The struggle to establish himself had paid off handsomely, but it had produced a lot of problems. Of course, he could continue to expand, but he was mindful of Farleigh’s remarks about borrowing money and it could be a two edged sword. He might see off the competition and become a major player in the international electronic world or he might lose everything.

  He stepped out of the Saab and
paused before inserting the key into the door of his house. It didn’t feel like home any more. The pressure of work kept him at the office most of the weekend and lately he had just used the place as somewhere to sleep. It seemed a bit silly to pay a woman to keep the house clean and tidy when he was hardly ever there. Maybe he should sell it and rent an apartment until it was time to move into the manor. Then he dismissed the idea immediately; he did not need any more aggravation.

  Pouring himself a measure of Calvados, he sorted through the stack of mail on the kitchen bench. He was half way through the pile when there was a knock on the door. A helmeted motorcycle courier handed him a letter and asked him to sign the delivery sheet before clambering back on his machine and accelerating noisily up the street.

  What’s this, he wondered, when he saw it bore the crest of Langley Hall. He tore it open, scanned the contents and smiled. Then he picked up the phone.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Catherine’s first impression of the house she went to view was that it could be suitable. Whoever had planned the layout had given it considerable thought and although it was not large by any stretch of the imagination it had a feeling of spaciousness. But of course it could not be compared with the manor. When she had finished wandering through the house, she inspected the external areas of the property. There was a lot of work to be done to bring it up to scratch. The fences were missing in places and the stables needed attention, but there was plenty of potential.

  The young woman at the estate agent’s office looked horrified when Catherine said how much she was prepared to pay for the property.

  ‘I’ll go a little higher if necessary,’ she added, as if it was an afterthought, ‘but there’s a great deal of work to be done on the outbuildings. They may not have been of great importance to the vendor, but I want secure quarters for my animals.’

  The estate agent promised to submit the offer, but it was quite obvious she did not think it would be accepted. Then she reminded Catherine that there was a substantial chain of buyers and sellers involved in the sale and even if the vendor agreed to her proposal it may be some weeks or even months before the sale would be finalised.