‘It should be,’ Helena added wryly.
‘It can be.’ Arthur grinned, pressing her knee with his. She winked at him coquettishly.
‘I think marriage sucks,’ Hal interjected. Helena smiled at him and shook
her head.
‘So, what do we do?’ Polly asked, draining her glass. ‘Can we really do nothing?’
‘Nothing,’ said Jake. ‘She has to sail her own ship, Polly.’
‘Well, when are we going to meet him?’ Helena asked.
They said they might come down this weekend,’ said Toby.
‘Good,’ Jake concluded with a nod. ‘Now, no more opinions until we’ve given the poor lad a chance. Any more of that risotto, Polly?’
When Molly rang Sam to let him know that Toby and Julian were alive she remembered to tell him that Federica was getting married. He nearly choked on his jealousy. ‘Don’t be ridiculous, she’s only just met him.’
‘I know. The whole thing is ludicrous,’ Molly agreed. ‘But she is.’
‘She’s Hester’s age, for God’s sake, what does she know about marriage?’ ‘Nothing. If she knew more about it I don’t think she’d leap into it like this. But Mum says he’s a substitute for the father she never had.’
‘Well, that’s it then. Father-figure syndrome,’ he said bitterly and his heart plummeted.
‘Quite.’
‘When’s the wedding?’
‘In the spring.’
‘What, this spring?’ he exclaimed, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes, which suddenly felt tired and uncomfortable.
‘Torquil wants to marry as soon as possible. You know he’s stopped her working already?’
‘No!’
‘Yes, he has. She’s moved lots of her things into his house.’
‘Where does he live?’
‘The Little Boltons,’ she replied, her voice heavy with resentment.
‘Well, she won’t have to work, will she? He’s undoubtedly rich.’
‘Everyone should do something,’ she argued. ‘She’ll become one of those ghastly women who do nothing but shop all day.’
‘Not Fede,’ said Sam defensively.
‘Yes, Fede,’ she insisted. ‘He’ll make her into whatever he wants her to be. She hasn’t exactly got the strongest character, has she?’
‘She’s young.’
‘Hester’s young and she’s got more backbone than Fede.’
‘She’d have to with a sister like you,’ he snapped coldly.
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘You’re just jealous that Fede’s been swept up by someone handsome and rich,’ he accused, wondering why he was giving her such a hard time.
‘Look, I just called to let you know, not to get into a heavy discussion,’ she retorted in exasperation.
‘Sorry, Mol. It’s just been a trying day,’ he apologized, sighing deeply. When he put down the telephone he felt nauseous. Unable to focus on his work he pulled on his jacket and left the office early, not caring what his boss thought. He didn’t want to work much longer in the City anyway. The sooner he returned to Polperro the better. He certainly didn’t want to be in London if Federica and Torquil were married.
He took the tube to Hyde Park Corner and walked around Hyde Park, kicking the leaves and scowling at the squirrels in fury. When it began to rain he stood in the shelter of one of the stone follies, watching miserably as the grey skies opened around him. He couldn’t understand why he minded so much that Federica was getting married. After all, he had had his opportunity and let it go.
He had kissed her then left her. He consoled himself that he didn’t want to be in a relationship, any relationship. He didn’t want to be tied down. If Federica were free he still wouldn’t make a play for her. He just didn’t want anyone else to have her. When he walked through the drizzle back to his flat he felt much better. So Federica was marrying Torquil, what of it? There were many more fish in the sea.
For a while Sam managed to convince himself that he no longer cared for Federica, but the moment he came face to face with Torquil Jensen he was unable to pretend any longer. All his instincts screamed out against the marriage, which, in his opinion, was doomed to fail before it had even started. But no one else seemed to see it like he did.
Torquil and Federica arrived at Toby’s house on a Friday night. He had insisted they drive down, stopping on the way at small inns and pubs for the odd break and refreshments. As they weaved along the winding lanes, Torquil felt an odd sense of deja vu.
‘I know I’ve been here before,’ he stated, staring out in front of him at the winter hedgerows and bare trees, wondering why it all looked so familiar.
‘Probably in a past life,’ Federica suggested with a shrug. ‘We might have been lovers then too.’
‘No,’ he insisted seriously, ‘I really have been here and it’s bugging me.’
Federica shook her head and thought nothing more about it. She was barely able to sit still in her excitement to show her fiance off to the family. When they pulled up outside Toby and Julian’s cottage Torquil tooted the horn. Toby appeared and stood jovially in the doorway while Rasta bounded out to greet them with unrestrained enthusiasm.
‘Welcome,’ Toby said, smiling warmly. Julian appeared behind him to capture the moment on film. It was then that Torquil remembered why he was so sure that he knew this place. He still had that Polaroid of Lucia which Julian had taken. He took a deep breath and stepped out of the Porsche. He hoped their memory of him had faded with the years; if his recollections were correct it hadn’t been a very positive introduction.
Jake and Polly were the first to arrive for dinner. Jake was mistrustful of‘townies’ and believed that Federica should marry someone from Polperro. ‘She’s been uprooted enough in her life, what she needs is stability and to be around
the people and place that she’s used to. Still, he deserves a chance to prove he's qualified to take care of her,' he conceded as they drove up to the house.
Polly agreed with him, and nodded her head thoughtfully. ‘I just wish he wasn’t so old,’ she sighed. ‘It’s nice when two people can grow up together. He’ll be an old man before she’s touched middle age, which is a shame.’
When they entered the sitting room, Torquil jumped to his feet and extended his hand warmly. They were both immediately disarmed by the beauty of his face and the charm of his wide smile.
Polly returned his smile with gusto. ‘It’s such a pleasure to meet you,' she gushed, not immune to the appeal of a handsome young man. Jake was more reserved, though thrown by the perfection of his features, and watched Torquil through narrowed eyes, endeavouring not to be influenced by his looks.
But even Jake was easily conquered when Torquil placed an affectionate hand on Federica’s and looked him straight in the eye, stating earnestly, ‘I only have one priority, Mr Trebeka, and that is to make Fede as happy and secure as I can.’
Jake’s old heart surrendered and he nodded his submission. ‘Well, as you can see, Torquil, she has a close and loving family. Don’t let her stray too far
from her home, that way she can enjoy her new life with you and the security that lies in her roots.’ Then he added gruffly, ‘And please call me Jake.’
When Arthur, Helena and Hal arrived the sitting room was already vibrating with laughter. Hal had lingered by the Porsche, loving the owner even before he had met him. ‘Wow, he must be really cool to have a car like this!’ he exclaimed, hurrying in to meet him. Helena noticed immediately the physical similarities between Torquil and Ramon, but also the differences - Torquil’s face lacked the rugged character of Ramon’s; it was too polished and smooth. However, she couldn’t help but relinquish her reservations in the glare of such magnificence. He was not only tall and good-looking but his clothes were immaculate, from his cashmere jacket to his well-polished brown shoes. Taking a seat next to Federica on the club fender she winked her approval. Federica beamed with happiness.
Onl
y Arthur’s suspicions simmered beneath the surface of his cheerfulness.
Helena was placed next to Torquil at dinner. Looking into her eager eyes he told her how he wanted, more than anything in the world, to make her daughter happy. ‘I can see where she gets her beauty from. You and she could almost be sisters,’ he said, watching her cheeks ignite with pleasure.
‘She’s very vulnerable, Torquil, and really too young to marry,’ she replied, sipping her wine. ‘But you’re older and wiser and I have no doubt you will make her very happy. What she needs is security; something a younger man would be incapable of giving her. I have to admit, when I first heard about you I did worry that you’d be too old for her and that the whole thing was being rushed unnecessarily. But, now I know you I can see exactly why she doesn’t want to wait. Why should you both wait when you are so sure of the way you feel? Marriage is a gamble however long you’ve known each other. But I think I’d put money on you two.’
Torquil, can you give me a spin in your car after dinner?’ Hal asked, shouting across the noisy table.
‘You bet,’ Torquil replied. Then he took the opportunity to give a small speech. ‘I just want to say that when I fell in love with Fede, I never anticipated falling in love with the whole of her family, but I have been pleasantly surprised.’ He cast his eyes around the table of hot faces and glistening eyes and paused, gazing down at Federica, apparently unafraid to show his emotion. ‘I want to thank you all for making me feel so welcome and for Federica, because I know that each of you have had a large part to play in making her what she is
today; the woman I love with all my heart.’
Polly stifled her tears with a gulp of wine while Helena grinned at Toby who nodded back his approval.
‘You know, Torquil thinks he’s been here before,’ Federica declared in amusement.
‘No, I got it wrong, sweetness,’ he replied quickly, ‘I had one of those deja vus!
Julian looked at him and frowned.
‘Actually, didn’t I say, Toby, that the name Torquil Jensen rang a bell?’
‘You can’t forget a name like Torquil, can you?’ Federica giggled.
‘Well, I know I haven’t been here before,’ Torquil said carefully, ‘because if I had I simply wouldn’t have left.’
Toby raised his glass with a chuckle. ‘Well said, Torquil,’ he applauded. ‘Welcome to the family.’ They all raised their glasses.
Only Arthur hesitated before he too lifted his to toast their guest with the others. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something not quite right about Torquil. He was altogether too perfect.
The following day Torquil and Federica were invited to lunch at Pickthistle Manor to meet the Applebys. Ingrid approved of Federica’s choice immediately because he didn’t wince at the sight of the wounded stoat which limped nonchalantly across the hall and he patted the dogs with enthusiasm.
Inigo had locked himself in his study asking to be disturbed only under the unlikely circumstances of a house fire, so Ingrid apologized on his behalf and led their guest into the large sitting room where an open fire danced in the chimney beneath a wistful portrait of Violet, Ingrid’s mother, and a dusty mantelpiece clustered with curiosities.
Nuno shook the young man’s hand and sniffed at him warily while Flester bounded over excitedly and Molly played hard to get, languishing on the sofa, pretending not to notice him. Sam wandered in grimly and kissed Federica on her cheek before nodding to Torquil with an arrogance that ill-suited him. Torquil disguised his aversion behind a friendly smile and nodded back affably before turning away and talking to Flester.
Sam wasn’t fooled. He loathed him immediately.
‘I don’t trust him,’ he hissed to Nuno. ‘Fle’s too smooth. There’s a portrait of him with all his imperfections hidden away in some attic somewhere, I’m
telling you.’
‘Ah, a Dorian Grey, perhaps. He’s certainly beautiful,’ Nuno replied as he watched Ingrid, Hester and Molly turn pink under the brilliance of Torquil’s physical perfection.
‘God, they’re such simpletons,’ Sam scorned. ‘Why is it that women are so dazzled by looks? It’s pathetic.’
Nuno scrutinized his grandson and sniffed knowingly. ‘Are you perhaps not a trifle jealous, dear boy?’
Sam shook his head and put his hands in his pockets. ‘Certainly not. She’s like a sister, I feel protective,’ he insisted, smarting at the sight of Federica basking in Torquil’s reflected glory.
‘Ah,’ sighed Nuno with a smile. “‘O! beware, my lord, of jealousy, It is the green-ey’d monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.’”
‘Shakespeare’s Othello,’ said Sam flatly. ‘But I assure you, Nuno, I don’t covet Fede for myself. I’m just loath to see her falling into the wrong hands.’
‘You can’t live people’s lives for them, dear boy, they have to suffer their own mistakes and learn. We all do.’
‘I know, but it’s hard to stand back and watch it happen,’ he admitted
bleakly.
‘Nothing in the world would convince Federica today that Torquil is not all that he seems - if, indeed, he does deceive. Keep your thoughts to yourself. Nothing will come of honesty but bitterness.’
Sam sat through lunch watching Torquil holding forth while the women in the family laughed in admiration at every lame joke he delivered. Once or twice Torquil locked eyes with his aggressor, but it was he who turned away first.
He knows I can see straight through him, Sam thought to himself, the fool Federica noticed Sam’s silence and felt her enthusiasm dissipate as if his muted disapproval were sucking her energies dry. After lunch they all decided to go for a walk.
‘Are you coming with us, Sam?’ Federica asked hopefully.
But Sam shook his head. ‘I’ve got things to do,’ he replied. Better things to do than listen to Torquil’s oafish jokes, he thought sourly, and left the room for Nuno’s study.
Nuno’s study had the benefit of being situated on a corner of the house. One
half looked out onto the garden, the other onto the front. Sam stood by the window watching Torquil play with the dogs, who mobbed around on the grass in front of Molly, Hester and Ingrid.
‘I adore dogs, Ingrid,’ Torquil was saying, patting their soft heads. These two are really special.’
‘Dog lovers are good people,’ she replied, ‘you can always be certain of a person’s true nature if he likes dogs.’ She wrapped her long cardigan about her body. ‘If you’re going to walk on the cliffs, I suggest you borrow a coat, Torquil.’
‘No thank you, I have one in the car, I’ll just go and get it,’ he said, leaving the girls to chat among themselves. Sam watched him disappear through the archway and out to where his car was parked on the gravel. He wandered over to the other window. Torquil stalked across the driveway to his Porsche, followed eagerly by Trotsky and Amadeus who sniffed and sprung about his feet. To Sam’s surprise Torquil turned on them with impatience.
‘Stupid dogs. Piss off,' he growled, shunting Amadeus out of the way with a firm nudge of his shoe. Amadeus shrunk momentarily before believing it to be a game and trotted back for some more. ‘Bloody animals!’ he continued,
opening the boot and pulling out his coat. Trotsky lifted his ears in bewilderment and backed away leaving Amadeus to jump up onto Torquil’s neatly pressed corduroy trousers with muddy paws. Torquil was furious. He swore again and smacked the spaniel around the face. ‘You do that again and I’ll eat you for dinner,’ he scowled, before marching back through the arch to where the girls eagerly awaited him.
Sam was left floundering by the window, amazed at what he had just witnessed. He wanted to tell Federica immediately, but who would believe him? He sat down in Nuno’s leather chair and watched the fire smoulder in the grate. Over my dead body will he get Federica up the aisle, he thought to himself, but he didn’t have the first idea how he was going to stop him.
Chapter 33
Everyone loved
Torquil. He had swept into Polperro like a victorious conqueror, winning over everyone he met, slaying them all with his straight white teeth and lucid eyes. Only Sam and Arthur remained suspicious, forming a silent resistance, unwilling to be deceived. But no one else seemed able to see beyond the charm. Nuno was too absorbed in the works of Stendahl to look, the women were all too smitten even to try and Federica’s family were so deeply enamoured with Torquil’s glamour that they didn’t give Arthur the opportunity to state his case. There was only one option open to both of them, but Nuno had warned Sam against speaking to Federica. He fretted away in a fever of irritation feeling powerless as Federica buzzed deliriously about the web of a very shrewd spider. But Arthur had less to lose - his stepdaughter had disliked him right from the start.
He managed to find a suitable moment on Sunday, when Torquil was being shown the Cornish coast in Toby’s boat, accompanied by Jake, Hal and Julian. Federica hadn’t wanted to go, preferring to spend some time with her grandmother in the kitchen, preparing the lunch in order to impress her fiance.
Helena sat in the rocking-chair beneath a canopy of hanging miniature ships, sipping a Bloody Mary and discussing wedding plans, while her mother and daughter sweated about the Aga with steaming pots of vegetables and treacle tart. After a while Federica wandered into the sitting room to find Arthur alone by the fire reading the papers. She pulled a polite smile.
‘How’s the cooking going?’ Arthur asked, folding the newspaper and placing it on the sofa beside him.
Federica hovered by the door, reluctant to embark on a conversation with her stepfather. ‘Fine,’ she replied impassively.
‘I can’t imagine you’ll ever have to cook at home once you’re married,’ he said and watched her carefully.
‘Oh, I’ll still cook, I’ve cooked all my life.’ Then she looked at him quizzically. ‘You don’t like Torquil, do you?’
Arthur sighed and sat back against the cushions. He shook his head. ‘I’m afraid I don’t trust him, Fede,’ he replied, fixing her with his sharp brown eyes.
The Butterfly Box Page 41
