“I don’t suppose most people would notice it needs painting and that one or two of the sofas are in a bad state,” Alena responded. “Maybe we could find cushions to cover the worst of them.”
It was at that moment that Burley opened the door and announced,
“Mr. Vincent Thurston to see you, Sir Robin.”
Robin turned round in surprise.
Alena felt an unexpected and unexplained thrill of excitement within her breast.
He had come!
He had come when she had almost given him up.
He was even smarter than he had looked last night when he had climbed in through the window.
She thought Robin would appreciate how dapper he was.
Vincent walked across the room to Robin and said,
“I am afraid you don’t know me, Sir Robin, but actually your father was a friend of my father’s many years ago when they were at school together. He was telling me yesterday what a magnificent rider your father used to be.”
“That was indeed true,” replied Robin. “And I am hoping that I shall one day own horses as excellent as his.”
Vincent smiled.
“I cannot believe you would prefer horses when you have such magnificent pictures. I have come today to ask you a great favour.”
“What is it?” Robin asked and then added quickly,
“But first you must meet my sister, Alena.”
Vincent walked over to Alena and shook her by the hand.
“I am delighted to make your acquaintance.”
Alena smiled and she could see that his eyes were twinkling.
She realised that he was as amused as she was by what they were doing.
“You mentioned my pictures,” said Robin. “Are you particularly interested in them?”
“More interested than I can put into words and I am going to ask you a very great favour. I am trying to be an artist. If you would allow me to come and copy some of your famous pictures, I would be more than grateful.”
Robin smiled.
“But of course you can. If our fathers were friends, how could I possibly refuse? I shall be interested to know which ones you find the most interesting.”
“I will certainly tell you after I have seen them all!”
Alena gave a sigh of relief.
She had been scared that if he named the pictures he most liked, Robin might wonder how he came to know so much about them.
“Before you go upstairs to the Picture Gallery, Mr. Thurston, let me offer you a cup of tea,” she suggested.
As if he anticipated her offer, Burley appeared with another cup, saucer and plate.
He put them down on the tea table then glanced to see if there was enough food left.
He need not have worried, as the new chef had been determined to prove himself ever since he had arrived.
When Alena went into the drawing room for tea, she had thought that there was enough for a dozen people.
Vincent sat down at the tea table.
He accepted the tea Alena poured out for him and started to eat a pâté sandwich.
“Do you live in London,” Robin was asking him politely.
“I have a small flat here, Sir Robin, but my father owns an estate in Essex with an excellent shoot and some outstanding racehorses.”
“That is what I want for myself, but I have so much to do first in my two houses that have fallen into disrepair because my father was ill for so long.”
“I am so sorry to hear that. When I tell my father, I am certain he will want to know why his old friend died so comparatively young.”
“I have frequently wondered myself. My father was well under sixty and might have lived for far longer, but he suffered a major stroke.”
“I am afraid it happens to quite a lot of people.”
“I cannot remember Papa ever talking about anyone of your name,” Alena came in. “But perhaps they had not met for some years before I went abroad.”
“My father was a diplomat,” Vincent replied, “and therefore spent more time in other countries than his own. He was particularly successful in Italy and when he retired, he was sent to the House of Lords.”
“I am sure my father would have been delighted if he had known,” Robin commented.
He rose to his feet before he continued,
“If you have finished your tea, suppose I ask Alena to take you to the Picture Gallery. I will join you myself later, but I want to see how the restorers have progressed today before they leave.”
“That is very kind of you and once again thank you a thousand times for your kindness in allowing me to try ineffectively to copy some of your masterpieces.”
“I am sure you are a better artist than you pretend to be and I hope that you will show me your work when it is finished.”
“I promise to do so, Sir Robin.”
Robin left the drawing room and, as the door closed behind him, Alena remarked,
“You did that very cleverly, Mr. Thurston.”
“It was important to me that I should be successful. That is why I went to see my father yesterday. I felt sure he would have known your father, because he always knew everyone and never forgot a name.”
“I expect it was one of the attributes that made him so successful as a diplomat.”
“He was also very good at languages and he loved travelling. I suppose because I have been brought up in so many different countries, most of which have collections of outstanding art, that is why I wanted to become an artist.”
“I think we should go to the Picture Gallery, even though you have already seen it many times!”
“I can never see it too often and it will be part of my future dreams if I go with someone who has obviously stepped out from one of the pictures herself!”
“Now you are flattering me and if you are painting pictures like The Piazza San Marco, there is just no room for me.”
“There will always be room for you in anything I paint,” Vincent responded gallantly.
He walked with Alena along the passage that led to the Picture Gallery.
It was an extensive beautifully constructed Gallery running the whole of one side of the house.
On the floor below was the ballroom and Alena told him again about the Moonlight Ball and added,
“I do hope you will come, Mr. Thurston.”
“Do call me Vincent and, of course, I will come. I want to dance with you, even though I suspect you find it easier to fly!”
Alena giggled.
“Have I now become a fairy instead of a Goddess?”
“All Goddesses must be able to fly – otherwise how could they have come down from Mount Olympus?”
“I never thought of that.”
“Of course they flew, Alena, although, as far as we know, they did not actually have wings like angels.”
“Then I am content to go on being a Goddess, but I am most anxious to see some of your work.”
“What you are really wanting to know is if I will do you justice, but I am sure you have been painted a dozen times already.”
“No one has ever painted me, Vincent, and it’s not surprising, considering I was at school in Florence where most people find the pictures much more exciting than the women!”
Vincent chuckled.
“That is a sad story, and naturally I must paint you a dozen times just as soon as we have decided which style of art would suit you best.”
“If you ask me,” Alena murmured, “I would prefer to look like Diana Resting after the Bath, because Boucher made her exceedingly pretty.”
“I think you are much lovelier – ”
There was a distinct note of sincerity in his voice that made Alena feel a little shy.
She had thought when he paid her compliments that he was doing so to make sure he got his own way – to obtain permission to copy their pictures.
But now he was certainly not joking, but speaking seriously.
‘It’s just his way of flirting,’
she told herself. ‘And, as I have never had the experience of flirting with a young man before, I must be very careful not to let him think I am taking his compliments too seriously.’
She talked to him quickly about the pictures they were passing. She pointed out to Vincent an interesting Van Dyck and a David that everyone raved about.
However, she was only too well aware that he was mostly looking at her.
When they reached the end of the Gallery, he said,
“How could I have imagined when I used to come here night after night, I would ever find you?”
“You are very lucky that I did not scream for help and have you arrested!”
“I think it doubtful that anyone would have heard you screaming. This house is too big. But you have made it much easier for me now to come here with your brother’s consent. I am most grateful to him and even more thrilled because I shall be able to see you.”
“I must not interrupt you when you are working.”
“I hope more than anything else to be working on you, Alena. When will you sit for me?”
She threw up her hands.
“Oh, not at the moment! Not until after the ball! There is so much to do and you can see for yourself the house is in a poor state and I must see to the repairs.”
“Perhaps I can help. If you have been away from London for a long time, I can take you to places where you can get things done quickly and which are cheaper than in Mayfair.”
Before Alena could reply, he added,
“But naturally that does not matter. I have heard that your brother is very rich and can buy the best even at outrageous prices.”
Alena wondered what she should say next and after a moment she muttered,
“I never think it clever to throw money away.”
“No, of course, not. That is why I will take you to the places I trust. Many of my artistic friends come from homes with good backgrounds, but they cannot afford to throw their money away unnecessarily.”
“Then I shall be so grateful for your help, Vincent, and I will make a list of what I need immediately.”
“I will take you shopping tomorrow, but perhaps I should leave you now or your brother will think that I am presuming on him.”
“He is so busy, I doubt if he will wonder what we are doing. But I expect you have work to do or a dinner party waiting for you.”
“I have quite a number of invitations as I am on the hostesses’ lists as my father’s son, but I assure you I have always found those parties to be boring.”
Then, as if he sensed he had said something wrong, he added quickly,
“But I should not say that to you, Alena. You must enjoy your debut and go from party to party and from ball to ball until the Season ends.”
“I am looking forward to it, but equally I shall miss the country and being able to ride freely over the fields.”
“That is exactly what I do when I am not painting. Perhaps one day we might ride together.”
“I know just what you are thinking, Vincent. You want the chance of seeing the rest of Robin’s collection in our country house!”
“I admit that it had passed through my mind, but I would love to see them with you. So when you have the time, I will drive you down behind one of my father’s best team of horses.”
“That will be lovely,” Alena responded lightly.
She knew as she spoke that she was right, what really interested him were the pictures.
The easiest way for him to see them was to ask her to take him to Dunstead Hall.
They walked back to the stairs.
Just as they reached the hall, Robin came from the direction of the ballroom.
He had been giving his instructions to the team who were to provide the electrified moon.
“Oh, are you leaving, Thurston?” he asked. “It has been nice meeting you. Do come and copy any pictures you like. As you can see we have a great deal to do before we can invite anyone to visit the house, but the restoration is going ahead even quicker than I expected.”
“You are most kind and I am so very grateful, Sir Robin.”
He shook hands with Robin and then with Alena.
She was wondering as she did so if he remembered kissing her hand last night.
Now he only squeezed her fingers saying,
“Thank you again, Miss Dunstead. I am very very indebted to you.”
Burley opened the front door and Vincent left.
“He is rather a nice young fellow,” said Robin. “I don’t think he will do any harm copying the pictures as long as he does not substitute his painting for one of ours!”
Alena gave a cry.
“What a terrible idea!”
“He would be arrested immediately if the Trustees heard about it.”
When Alena considered what they themselves had been doing, it made her shiver.
They had reached the study by now and Robin said,
“Don’t worry. I had a quick look this morning at what my Italian artist friend has done. I defy anyone, even the most knowledgeable art collector, to have any idea that the pictures are not exactly as they have been for the last hundred years or so.”
Alena did not answer and after a moment Robin went on,
“By the way, I met a young American millionairess today!”
“Do you mean the one you told me about whose name is Vanderhart?”
“Yes – Mary-Lee.”
“Where did you meet her?”
“I went over to the American Embassy to check the address of an American I was told about at White’s. He has taken a house in Grosvenor Square for the Season, but they could not give me the name or number.”
“So you met the fabulous Mary-Lee. What is she like?”
“Very pretty indeed and, because she is interested in pictures, I told her about mine and so I have asked her to luncheon tomorrow.”
Alena’s eyes widened.
“Tomorrow! But surely the house will not be ready by then.”
“I told her it was being restored after my father’s death. She was most sympathetic, saying the same thing had happened in America when her own father died.”
“And it was he who left her all the money?”
“Exactly, Alena, and as she seemed so interested in art – or maybe with me, I was not going to lose the chance when it was offered to me on a plate.”
“No, you are so right and I will ask chef to prepare a very special luncheon for her. Will Miss Vanderhart be coming alone?”
“No, she is bringing her friend who came with her from America as a sort of chaperone.”
He gave a laugh before he added,
“If she were an English girl, she would have had some ancient fuddy-duddy, who would have been a blot on every party and altogether a terrible nuisance.”
“I suppose the Americans really are different – ”
“Very different,” he agreed. “Her friend is around about the same age as herself and also very attractive.”
“Well, that makes two of them and we had better invite two gentlemen to make it an interesting party.”
“I will ask one of my friends from White’s, but I don’t want too many of them talking about the place until it looks completely different.”
“Then why not ask Mr. Thurston, who was here just now?” Alena suggested.
“An excellent idea. Although he is an artist, he is presentable and does not sport long hair and a velvet coat like most of them.”
“Yes, I thought he was very smart. I always expect artists to look like artists!”
“I have the idea that those are the ones who are not at all successful – they just want people to think they are.”
“That is indeed possible. I will send a note to Mr. Thurston.”
She had already taken his address when they were walking back from the Picture Gallery.
Vincent had said,
“If, as you kindly suggested, I am fortunate enough to be invited to your ball, I will give you m
y address. I don’t want to be turned away for not having my invitation with me.”
Alena stared at him.
“I suppose I should have put that on the cards, but I did not think we might have gatecrashers.”
“I am only teasing, Alena, but with such priceless pictures it might be a worthwhile idea.”
“I am sure you are right. We could lock the Picture Gallery, but it might appear rather rude and there are other pictures in the corridors and St. George and the Dragon in the study.”
“It would indeed be crazy to open your doors to all and sundry and not guard your treasures effectively.”
Alena knew that she must talk to Robin about this concern when he returned.
*
As soon as he arrived, she told him all that Vincent had said.
He agreed at once that they should tell the guests to bring their invitations with them and he would also engage special watchmen to guard the Picture Gallery and the rest of the house.
Burley agreed that this was a wise course.
“One place I was at, Sir Robin,” he had said, “the burglars got in while her Ladyship was holding a reception and took away every jewel she possessed except those she was wearing at the time.”
“Miss Alena is right and I leave it to you, Burley, to find watchmen you can trust and keep a sharp eye yourself on what is going on.”
Alena added the request to every letter that had not yet been posted.
She pondered that in situations like this the pictures were more of a nuisance than an enjoyment.
‘I don’t suppose that many guests will even look at them,’ she thought, ‘yet we have to worry all the time in case one of them is stolen.’
*
The next day she left early to buy herself a pretty dress to wear at the luncheon party.
She had not had time to buy any of the clothes she really required, so she spent two hours in Bond Street and what seemed to her an enormous amount of money.
Yet she recognised that Robin was determined that she should be really outstanding.
She also ordered a gown for the ball.
When she insisted that it had to be something unusual, the vendeuse called for the designer and he understood at once exactly what she required.
“If it is a Moonlight Ball, madame,” he said, “then your gown must shine like moonlight. I think a faint silver tulle glistening with diamante over silver satin will make you look like the moon itself.”
Money or Love Page 7
