by Lily Baxter
‘I don’t know about that,’ Gerald said, shifting about on the seat. ‘Mr Colivet was always very kind to me when I was a boy, but things are different now.’
‘No. I don’t believe that. My father is a very liberal man.’ Meg eyed him thoughtfully. ‘In fact, I think you should come to Adele’s engagement party on Saturday, as my partner.’
‘Miss Meg, that won’t do at all,’ Eric said, glancing at her reflection in the rear view mirror. ‘Don’t tease the boy.’
‘I’m not teasing him. I’m quite serious.’
‘It’s not his place, Miss Meg. You’ll only embarrass him.’
Meg turned to Gerald. ‘That’s not true, is it? Why would you feel awkward if you were with me?’
‘That depends on your reasons for inviting me. Why would you do that?’
‘Because I like you. Isn’t that good enough?’
A slow smile lit his face. ‘It’s good enough for me. I’d like to come, very much.’
‘You’re making a big mistake, son,’ Eric said uneasily. ‘There are things you don’t know and are best buried in the past. I’m begging you not to go.’
CHAPTER FIVE
There was less than an hour to go before the guests were due to arrive for the engagement party. Meg took one last critical look at herself in the dressing table mirror. She had not had the heart to leave the golden gown in Oxford, and it was just as gorgeous as it had been on the night of the May Ball, although wearing it brought a flood of bittersweet memories. She had not forgotten Rayner, but during the past few weeks she had forced his memory to the recesses of her mind. He had returned to Germany at the end of term. David had confirmed that in one of his rare telephone calls when he had also announced casually that he had left university and joined the RAF. He was now somewhere in Scotland doing his basic training. Their parents had been shocked and angry at first, but there was nothing they could do about it and Meg suspected that her father was secretly proud of his son.
She did one last twirl, hoping that her mother would be too caught up in the thrill of Adele’s engagement celebrations to notice that her décolletage might be considered by some as rather too daring for a girl of her age. Anyway, Gerald would be here soon and she must get to him before Mother had a chance to make him feel unwelcome. On hearing that the chauffeur’s son had been invited to the party Muriel’s reaction had been of the tightlipped, raised-eyebrows kind that usually preceded a sharp put-down. If it had not been for Pa stepping in and declaring that it was a splendid gesture, Meg was certain that Mother would have put up a fight, but she had merely sighed heavily and walked away.
As Meg hurried downstairs she could hear the orchestra tuning up in the drawing room. As she passed the dining room she could see Marie and Cora putting the finishing touches to the mouthwatering array of dishes set out on the table. The centrepiece was an elaborate silver epergne laden with grapes, apricots and peaches. The glass phial at its top was filled with bright-eyed pansies. The scent of roses, lilies and jasmine, picked fresh that morning from the garden, filled the house with fragrance. Everything was perfect in Meg’s eyes. This was going to be the grandest party at Colivet Manor for many years, and she felt a buzz of excitement as she heard the first car coming down the drive.
She looked up to see Adele and Frank as they descended the wide staircase. They were holding hands and laughing. Meg could not help but be touched by their obvious delight in each other’s company. Mother and Pa followed at a more sedate pace, and Meg felt a sudden lump in her throat. She thought that her father had never looked so handsome and distinguished as he did now in his black evening suit and her heart swelled with pride. Of course, Mother looked elegant too, as always, and her diamond necklace sparkled in the last rays of the sunlight flooding through the open door of the main entrance.
Meg hung back a little as the first guests entered like a flock of exotic birds. The ladies wearing their most glamorous gowns were escorted by men looking dashing in white tie and tails, but there was no sign of Gerald. After a while she was beginning to think that he had decided not to come, but then she saw him entering the house behind a group of latecomers. She was agreeably surprised to see that he was well turned out in what was probably a rented evening suit, with his somewhat unruly dark hair smoothed to a satin sleekness. He looked almost handsome, she thought, making her way towards him through the crush. ‘Hello, Gerald. I’m so glad you came.’
‘I almost didn’t, but I’m pleased now that I made the effort. You look absolutely smashing, Meg.’
‘Thank you, Gerald. You look pretty good yourself.’
He cast a furtive look at the other guests. ‘I feel a bit out of place to tell the truth.’
Meg could see her mother glaring at them and it was obvious from her expression that she thought the same. ‘Nonsense. You’re as welcome as anyone here. Let’s get a drink.’ She slipped her hand through his arm and guided him through to the drawing room where waiters, hired for the evening, stood to attention balancing trays of champagne cocktails on their fingertips.
The carpet had been rolled back to reveal the highly polished oak floorboards and some of Adele’s friends were performing an energetic quickstep. The grand piano had been moved to the far corner of the room where the orchestra was now playing, and Muriel’s highly prized collection of Meissen statuettes and Dresden figurines had been removed to a place of safety.
Meg took two glasses of champagne from the nearest waiter and handed one to Gerald. There was a flutter amongst Adele’s female friends who rushed forward to greet the engaged couple as they entered the room, with Pearl at the forefront.
‘Your sister looks very happy,’ Gerald said, sipping his drink. ‘He’s a lucky chap.’
‘I seem to remember that you and Addie didn’t get on at all well when we were children,’ Meg said, smiling. ‘You used to tease her too.’
‘I must have been a little toad. I apologise for that, Meg.’
‘There’s no need. It’s all in the past.’ She held up her empty glass. ‘Would you mind?’
He took it from her, allowing his fingers to touch hers for a second or two longer than was necessary. As she watched him thread his way between the chattering guests, Meg was aware that Adele was coming towards her with an ominous scowl marring her lovely face. ‘Addie. Whatever’s the matter?’
‘Why did you invite him to my party?’
‘It’s only Gerald. What’s wrong with that?’
‘Mother is furious. You’ve put her in an embarrassing situation.’
‘I can’t think why.’
‘I shouldn’t have to spell it out to you, Meg. He’s not one of us. I know it sounds snobbish, but it’s just as bad for Marie and Eric as it is for Mother. You really shouldn’t have done it.’ With a toss of her long, dark hair, Adele crossed the dance floor to join Frank, leaving Meg staring after her in amazement. She had known that Mother would disapprove, but it had not occurred to her that Addie would be of the same opinion. She was shocked and also disturbed at the thought that she had put Gerald in an embarrassing position. She gave him a brilliant smile as he brought her drink, but glancing over his shoulder she was suddenly aware that some of the other guests were staring at him. She took the glass from him and set it down on a wine table. ‘Let’s get some air. It’s too hot in here.’ She had hoped that he had not noticed the fact that Adele had walked away without acknowledging him, but she could tell by his expression that he was painfully aware of the situation. She led the way out through the French windows onto the terrace.
‘I shouldn’t have come,’ Gerald said miserably. ‘Your mother doesn’t approve, and your sister is obvious mortified.’
‘You mustn’t mind them,’ Meg said, squeezing his hand. ‘They’re living in the past.’
He glanced over his shoulder into the crowded room. ‘Then so are the other people who know who I am and look down their noses. I knew this was a mistake.’
‘Addie’s set are the most brainless, i
dle lot of people you could ever wish to meet. They’re rich and spoilt and have never done a day’s work in their lives. You mustn’t pay any attention to them.’
‘I don’t care about them,’ Gerald said slowly. ‘But I do care what you think of me.’
The afterglow of the sunset was fading into a purple dusk with the ancient oaks and beech trees casting long shadows on the lawn. Bats zoomed drunkenly overhead and the rapidly cooling air was more heady than the champagne. Meg stared curiously into Gerald’s face but his eyes were in shadow. ‘I can’t think why.’
‘Can’t you?’ His voice deepened and he drew her into his arms, kissing her tentatively but with growing desire. Too startled to protest, Meg made a feeble effort to push him away. It was the first time she had been kissed, other than pecks on the cheek from her father and brother, and the sensation was new and exciting. Gerald’s lips were soft yet demanding. A shiver of pleasure ran down her spine as his hands caressed the bare skin of her neck and shoulders. He released her mouth to nuzzle the small hollow at the base of her throat. Her knees were trembling and her heart was thudding against her ribs as if she had just ridden Conker across L’Ancresse Common at a full gallop.
He raised her hand to his lips. ‘I love you, Meg. I knew it the moment you hurtled into my arms on the cross-Channel ferry.’
She shook her head. ‘Don’t say that. We hardly know each other.’
‘How long does it take to fall in love?’
His eyes were dark with desire and she drew away, glancing round anxiously to see if anyone was watching. She smothered a sigh of relief when she realised that no one had witnessed their embrace. She managed a tremulous smile. ‘I like you a lot, Gerald, but soon you’ll be going back to London. Your life is there and mine is here.’
‘And that’s it, is it?’ There was pain in his eyes and in his voice. ‘You invite me here when you know it’s not my place to come, you lead me on and then you tell me to go away. You were having fun with me just as they were inside.’
‘No, that’s simply not true.’
‘You let me kiss you and you kissed me back.’
‘I’m sorry. You caught me by surprise and the kiss was lovely. It really was.’
‘You couldn’t have kissed me like that if you hadn’t had some feeling for me, Meg.’
‘I didn’t mean to give you the wrong impression.’ She clasped her hands together, eyeing him warily. ‘And I don’t mean to sound horrid, but you can’t be in love with me. You really don’t know me, Gerald. Nor I you.’
‘Don’t you dare tell me how I feel, Meg Colivet. I’ve thought about you every day since we met on the ferry. I thought it meant something when you invited me here tonight, and for a moment just now, a stupid, mad moment, I thought you might have some tiny spark of feeling for me. Now I can see you’re just as shallow and unfeeling as Adele.’
‘Don’t you dare say such horrid things, and leave my sister out of it. I asked you to come because I like you. That’s all there was to it.’
He executed a mocking bow. ‘Sorry, milady. I was forgetting that I’m the one from below stairs. I’d better leave before you have me horsewhipped for my insolence.’
Driven beyond endurance, she raised her hand and slapped his face. The sound ricocheted like a pistol shot through the still night air. Gerald clutched his cheek, staring at her in disbelief.
‘I’m not apologising,’ she said angrily. ‘You asked for that, Gerald LeFevre.’ Turning her back on him she stalked off in the direction of the French doors, coming to a sudden halt as she almost cannoned into Adele and Frank who were standing inside talking to Pearl and her boyfriend, Teddy.
‘Are you all right, Meg?’ Frank looked at her closely, his pleasant features puckered into a worried frown as he glanced over her shoulder.
‘Thanks, I’m fine.’ Following Frank’s gaze, Meg saw Gerald disappear into the gathering gloom.
‘I warned you, Meg,’ Adele said with a worried frown.
Pearl hooked her arm around Meg’s shoulders. ‘Never mind that now, Addie. Can’t you see she’s upset? What is it, dear? Did he take liberties?’
‘I’ll go and sort him out, shall I?’ Teddy fingered his bow tie nervously.
Meg shook off Pearl’s arm, blinking away the tears that stung her eyes. ‘If you must know, I was beastly to poor Gerald. It wasn’t his fault at all and now he’s gone, so he won’t embarrass you any more.’
Despite Adele’s pleas for her to stay indoors, Meg hurried off in pursuit of Gerald, but there was no sign of him. She stood for a moment in the gathering gloom. Her fingernails dug painfully into her hands clenched at her sides. She hadn’t intended that he should feel out of place or that Adele’s snooty friends would snub him. She paced up and down with the silk taffeta skirts of her dress swishing around her ankles and her high-heeled sandals tapping out an agitated tattoo on the paving stones. She hadn’t intended to lead Gerald on, as he had obviously thought she did. Why was life so complicated?
‘Meg, dear girl. What are you doing out here on your own?’
Her father’s voice from behind made Meg spin around. The scent of Havana cigar wafted in a cloud about him as he strolled up to her.
Meg flung her arms around his neck. ‘Oh, Pa. I’ve made such a mess of things.’
Three weeks later it was Meg who opened the door to the telegram delivery boy. Asking him to wait in case there was a reply, she ran to the study where her father had taken refuge after breakfast.
‘I hope it’s not bad news.’ She saw that his fingers trembled as he opened the envelope, and she shifted anxiously from one foot to another as he read the telegram. ‘It’s bad news, isn’t it?’
He took off his reading glasses and polished them with his handkerchief. ‘No, Meg. Although your mother might think it is. Read it for yourself.’
She scanned the lines of print and burst out laughing. ‘Addie and Frank got married by special licence. You’re right, Pa. Mother will be livid. But why would they do such a thing?’
‘I suspect that Frank’s father is in a position to know more about what’s going on in Downing Street than we are. Anyway, what’s done is done. You’d better go and break the news to your mother.’
‘The boy is waiting to see if there’s an answer.’
‘I suppose congratulations would be in order?’ Charles said, smiling.
Meg had a nasty feeling that like the Greeks or the Romans, or whoever it was, she might be slaughtered for being the bearer of bad tidings. Before she went to find her mother, she searched for the bottle of smelling salts, slipping it into the pocket of her jodhpurs, just in case. Muriel read the telegram and collapsed on the sofa with a muffled groan. Meg rang the bell for Marie, who took in the situation with one glance and went off to fetch the decanter of brandy from the drawing room.
‘Of all the ungrateful children,’ Muriel sobbed, taking alternate sniffs of sal volatile and sips of brandy, ‘mine are definitely the worst. David defies family tradition and goes off to join the RAF instead of the army, and now Adele ruins my plans for her wedding. It was going to be the social event of next year and she goes off and gets married in secret.’
‘Hardly in secret, Mother. It was at Caxton Hall.’
‘Be quiet, Meg. You don’t know anything about it. Getting married in a register office is as good as doing it in secret. It’s underhand and everyone will think that she was in the family way. I’ll be a laughing stock.’
‘Why don’t you go upstairs for a lie down, madam? I’ll bring you up a cup of camomile tea,’ Marie said, with a meaningful nod of her head to Meg.
‘That’s a good idea, Mother,’ Meg said, backing towards the door. ‘Let Marie help you upstairs and I’ll go and put the kettle on.’
‘Next thing you’ll be bringing home a German or something equally hateful,’ Muriel said, holding out her glass to Marie. ‘Just a drop more, please. For medicinal purposes.’
*
‘I blame that awful man Hitle
r,’ Muriel said bitterly as she spread the wedding photographs on the dining table. ‘It’s all his fault.’
‘I don’t think he knew that Adele was due to be married in the spring,’ Charles said with a wry smile.
‘There’s no need to be facetious, Charles. You know what I mean. If it weren’t for all this warmongering Addie would have got married from home as she was meant to. And anyway, it’s all right for Angela Barton to send smarmy letters after the event, but they could have invited us, however rushed the arrangements were. I can’t think why we were excluded. It’s too humiliating for words.’
‘Yes, dear.’
‘Don’t patronise me, Charles. I’m not in the mood for your cutting remarks.’ Muriel pushed the photographs away and marched out of the room.
He sighed, shaking his head. ‘Be nice to your mother, Meg. She’s taken it all far too much to heart.’
‘I’ll try, Pa. But at least I won’t have to be a bridesmaid and wear the hideous frilly pink dress that Mother had lined up for me.’
After a long, hot day at the end of harvesting, Meg sat on the steps in front of the house examining the blisters on her hands. She had done a man’s work simply because it took her mind off the nagging sense of loneliness that overcame her when she had nothing better to do. She had not heard from Gerald since the night of Adele’s engagement party and she had not really expected to. The feelings of guilt had worn off, and now all she experienced was exasperation and a degree of puzzlement as to why he had thought he was in love with her. She came to the conclusion that it must have been the champagne talking, or the effect of the moonlight and the soft summer evening, which had made him maudlin and romantic.
She shifted to a more comfortable position on the stone step. Now that the harvest was over and done with she hoped that her parents might be persuaded to let her go and stay in Oxford with Aunt Josie. Walter was still studying medicine and she thought that he would be pleased to see her, even if it just gave him an opportunity to spend more time in Josie’s company. She wondered what Uncle Paul would make of Walter’s crush on her aunt, but was inclined to think that he would be unlikely to notice even if he caught them kissing on the sofa. Uncle Paul spent far too much time at work, in Meg’s opinion. He did not seem to realise what a treasure he had in his wife. She would not blame Josie if she did occasionally take a walk up the primrose path.
