‘I shall write tonight. The Quentins will be so pleased—they have been urging me to visit them for a year or more.’
Everything had gone very easily after that. The day after Adam and his mother had arrived at the Quentins’, the two ladies settled happily in Mrs Quentin’s boudoir for a day of gossip about old times. But with a touch of embarrassment Mr Quentin excused himself to Adam. It was most unfortunate, but he was not free to entertain him that day. Adam assured him quite sincerely that he was perfectly happy to find his own amusement, and lost no time in riding over to Herriard Stoke. He left his groom in charge of the horses at the local inn, and walked to the church. Just a couple of miles away was Herriards, where Tom and his sister had grown up. And here was the last of Tom, this simple tablet on a church wall… If she was married to you she’d be safe.
It had been an absurd idea, born of Tom’s sudden fear of leaving his sister alone in the world. But though Adam had not made any commitment to marry the girl, he had promised to make sure she was looked after. His mother was right. Writing four letters and consulting General Armitage was not enough. He would call at Herriards in a day or two, and ask to see Miss Payne. He would ask his mother to come with him. That should avoid any awkwardness. Then, if the girl was happy and not in need of his help, he would consider his obligation to Tom fulfilled. That was what he would do.
Now it was time to collect his horse and get back to the Quentins. This had been just a lightning reconnaissance of the ground. Herriards was a good ten miles from the Quentins’ place, and a proper visit would take the better part of a day. He made his way back to the inn to collect his horse and his groom. Before leaving he would have a pint of ale and a chat with Jem Banks, the landlord.
Banks was civil enough but rather taciturn. He couldn’t say anything of the Paynes—since the old man had died the village hadn’t seen that much of them. Miss Katharine’s governess, though—Miss Tillyard—lived in the village.
‘I think I saw her today,’ Adam said. ‘Does she live in the cottage next to the big white house?’
‘The big white house… Oh, you mean the one belonging to Mr Cruikshank, the surgeon? Aye, that’s the one. Miss Tillyard lives in the cottage next door to Mr Cruikshank.’
At dinner that evening he asked the Quentins about the Payne family.
‘The Paynes?’ Mrs Quentin said. ‘Ah, yes, it was very sad. That poor girl. We tried to visit, you know, after Tom Payne was killed, but Katharine didn’t wish to see anyone, and I’m afraid we haven’t bothered since. We don’t hear a great deal about them now, Lord Calthorpe. Herriards is on the other side of Basingstoke, and we tend to mix with the folk on this side. We knew the old gentleman, of course—everyone in the county knew him. But since Mr Henry Payne has been in occupation we have seldom seen him. He seems an amiable enough man.’
‘Young devils, the Paynes were, when they were children,’ said Mr Quentin. ‘They used to get up to all sorts of tricks! And Katharine was as bad as her brother. How they used to make us laugh! But since Tom went away…no, I don’t think any of us has seen her. You were in action with Tom Payne, weren’t you, Calthorpe? A pity he died. Great fellow. Would have been an asset to the county. Don’t know about the new man or how he’s managing. Entails are the very devil. I know Tom loved the Army, but…’ He paused, unwilling perhaps to criticise. ‘I hear you have just sold out yourself—do you miss Army life?’
For a while the talk was of the great battle which had been fought earlier in the year, the prospects for peace, the problems of owning land. Then Mrs Quentin said, ‘Your mother tells me that you were in Herriard Stoke today. Did you not manage to gather some information about Katharine while you were there?’
‘I only spoke to two people—the landlord at the inn, and a Miss Tillyard. In fact, I’m afraid I knocked Miss Tillyard over!’
The company demanded to know more, and Adam recounted the accident in the churchyard.
‘But, Adam, I hope you saw that she was all right!’
‘I tried to, Mama. I made sure that she wasn’t seriously hurt, and then watched till she arrived safely at her cottage. Miss Tillyard wouldn’t have thanked me if I had tried to do more. Indeed, she practically bit my head off when I rescued her hat.’
Amid laughter, Mrs Calthorpe said, ‘This gets more and more bizarre! What happened to her hat?’
Again Adam explained.
‘How ungrateful! She sounds rather a shrew, Lord Calthorpe.’
‘A veritable tartar, ma’am!’
‘If she had to keep the young Paynes in order, I’m not surprised!’
‘She seemed a touch young to have done that…I wouldn’t have said she was more than thirty. All the same, I hope I am not called upon to come to her rescue a second time! Once is quite enough!’
Chapter Five
But Adam had cause to remember his words two days later when he and his mother were approaching Herriards House. As they went Adam cast a critical eye over the condition of the drive. His recent experience at Calthorpe had shown him that the place had formerly been well managed, but had now been neglected for months. The drive itself was covered in places with dead weeds and grass, and the ground under a splendid avenue of elms on either side was obscured with a tangle of brambles and brushwood. Paths which had once been pleasant walks under the trees were overgrown. He shook his head. Henry Payne might well be the best of fellows, but he was not looking after his inheritance.
Something caught his eye—a flash of white on one of the paths. The woman he had encountered in the churchyard two days before was walking in some haste towards the drive. As he watched, a man who had obviously been following her came into sight and put a restraining hand on her arm. She shook it off impatiently whereupon the man pulled her round to face him, and snatched her into his arms. It looked as if the situation could become serious and Adam ordered the coachman to pull up. But even as he leapt out and started towards the couple the woman suddenly swung her arm in a wide arc and gave her companion a cracking punch on the nose.
‘Leave me alone, Walter Payne! D’you hear me?’
Adam stopped where he was—this lady needed no rescue at the moment. Indeed, the man was in a worse way than she was. Blood was pouring from his nose and dripping down the front of his coat. He was making an effort to staunch it with a lawn handkerchief, but it still seeped through.
‘Good God, what did you do that for?’ said Walter Payne thickly. ‘I wasn’t meaning any harm! Look at this!’ He gestured at the mess on his coat.
‘It’s your own fault!’
‘My own fault? I was only trying to have a word with you, for God’s sake! You’ve ruined my coat! I’ll see you later about this.’
He went off in a rage, and the woman sank down on to the tree trunk nearby and put her face in her hands. Adam decided it was time to intervene. ‘Are you all right, ma’am?’ he asked gently.
She jumped up, startled. ‘Oh! Oh, it’s you again,’ she said. ‘What do you want now?’
‘I asked if you were all right.’
‘Why, yes, of course! I enjoy being mauled about by creatures like Walter Payne!’ she said harshly. ‘What do you think?’
‘I think you have an impressive right hook, ma’am. Did he deserve such punishment?’
‘Perhaps not,’ she said. ‘I didn’t stop to debate it. Perhaps I overreacted. But I was frightened… I dare say you thought it wasn’t exactly ladylike…’ Her voice wobbled and she put a hand to her brow. ‘Oh Heavens, how I dislike men!’
Adam moved to her side. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘Forgive me. But may I give you a piece of advice for the future? It is dangerous to hit a man when he is aroused. Another time you might not be so lucky.’
She regarded him with dislike. ‘I’ve said before, sir. I neither want nor need your help, and least of all do I want your advice!’
Adam kept his calm. ‘Very well,’ he said equably. ‘Consider it unsaid. Now, what can I do to make amends? Can I escort y
ou somewhere?’
He had to admire her spirit. Pale and dishevelled though she was, she was not about to give an inch. ‘No, thank you!’ she said. ‘I’ll be all right now. He won’t come back.’
‘Adam? What is wrong?’ Mrs Calthorpe had not seen what had happened, but was now leaning out of the window of the carriage.
‘Stay inside the carriage, Mama!’ he called. ‘It’s cold out here.’ Then he turned to the ‘governess’. ‘You are still pale,’ he said urgently. ‘I really can’t leave it like this. Can we not at least give you a lift to the house—?’ Then, remembering too late that she had been dismissed, he corrected himself. ‘Or to the village, if you prefer.’ When she seemed to hesitate he added, ‘You needn’t be afraid, Miss Tillyard. My mother is with me, you would not be in any danger. I’m Calthorpe, by the way. Adam Calthorpe.’
She looked at him expressionlessly. After a momentary pause she said, ‘Are you, indeed? Adam Calthorpe. Well, well! Er…who told you my name?’
‘Someone in the village said you lived in the cottage next to the doctor. I watched you go in there.’ He added, ‘I wanted to make sure you were safe.’
‘Really?’ she murmured, almost to herself. ‘Well, better late than never, I suppose.’ He was not sure he had heard correctly, but then she continued, ‘Thank you, Lord Calthorpe, but I…I think I would rather walk.’ She looked at him once more, and gave him a small smile. ‘Goodbye, Lord Calthorpe. I wonder if we shall meet a third time?’
Adam bowed and watched her walk away down the path. What a strange woman she was! She was obviously a gentlewoman, and when she was not being rude, her voice was most attractive. On the other hand, she was also a first-class shrew, uncivil, ungrateful…he would even say ill bred. And then, her last words had been spoken in a curiously semi-serious, semi-mocking way. Adam was both intrigued and repelled. What sort of governess was she?
‘Adam, are you coming? In a moment I shall die of cold and curiosity! Who was that girl? Why didn’t you offer her a lift to the house?’
Adam rejoined the carriage. ‘I think it was a Miss Tillyard, ma’am. And, if I am right, the last place she would wish to be taken to would be Herriards—for more reasons than one!’
When his mother demanded to know more he answered her as best he could, but Miss Tillyard remained an enigma to them both.
They drove up before the house in a few minutes. Herriards was a beautiful old mansion, built just over a hundred years before in the time of Queen Anne. It was not a large building, but handsomely proportioned with well-laid gardens surrounding it. Like the rest of the estate, it showed signs of recent neglect.
They were shown into the hall by a flustered housekeeper. ‘If your lordship will wait here, I’ll tell the master. Lord Calthorpe, was it?’
‘And Mrs Calthorpe. Yes.’
‘To see Miss Payne?’
‘That is correct.’
A few minutes later a gentleman with a beaming smile on his face came through, holding out his hand. ‘Come in, come in! I don’t know why they kept you out here, Calthorpe! I am delighted to make your acquaintance. And Mrs Calthorpe, too. How delightful!’ He shook their hands enthusiastically, but frowned when the housekeeper asked uncertainly,
‘Er…shall I fetch Miss Katharine, sir?’
‘That’s not necessary,’ said her master. ‘You can fetch some more cups instead. Off with you!’ He turned to Mrs Calthorpe. ‘Come along, come along! It’s warmer in the parlour.’ He led them into a well-furnished room warmed by a large fire. Here they found the lady of the house sitting on the sofa next to the prettiest girl Adam had seen in a long time. Guinea-gold curls surrounded a delightfully pointed little face, long eyelashes lifted to reveal gentian-blue eyes before they fluttered modestly down again, the delicate rose in her cheeks echoed the deeper rose of a mouth shaped for kissing. Looking at this vision, Adam began to think that Tom’s sister had a great deal to recommend her.
‘Ellen, my love, may I present Mrs Calthorpe and her son Lord Calthorpe?’ The lady exchanged a look with her husband, then inclined her head graciously. She did not smile. In fact, she looked distinctly put out.
‘And this is our Catherine. Miss Catherine Payne.’ The diminutive Venus got up and gave a graceful curtsy, together with a smile which revealed pearl-like teeth. Adam was delighted. Katharine Payne was a prize indeed!
‘Won’t you sit down? Catherine, my dear, ring for some tea.’ Mr Payne smiled benevolently at the company. ‘My son Walter is somewhere about, Calthorpe. You might know him—he has spent some time in London.’
Adam smiled, but rather hoped Walter Payne would find it impossible to join them. He had no wish to be introduced to the fellow. Tea was brought in and the company talked desultorily. While Mr Payne chatted with Adam’s mother, Adam spoke to Miss Payne. She listened to him with a charmingly modest air, just occasionally looking up at him through those long curling lashes. Tom’s descriptions had led him to expect a rather more lively young lady, but Adam found little to criticise in this delightful creature. How fortunate it was that his mother had insisted on coming to Basingstoke! He gave his mother a smile and was surprised to see her frowning. What could possibly be wrong? But then just at that moment the door opened and a startled hush fell on the Payne family.
‘Katharine! What are you doing here?’ exclaimed Mrs Payne sharply after a brief pause. ‘We never see you at this time of day! Is there something you want?’
As Adam rose to his feet, he was as startled as the rest, for in the doorway stood a figure which was already familiar to him. The old cloak and stout shoes had been replaced with a simple round dress and slippers, the untidy hair was neatly, though not extravagantly dressed, but the young woman now closing the door was undeniably ‘Miss Tillyard’. There was a slight pause while she turned and looked slowly round, her eyes resting on Adam.
‘I heard you had company, ma’am. Asking to see Miss Payne. So I thought I would join you,’ she said with a cool smile.
‘Yes, yes, of course! In fact, I was…er…I was about to send for you, Katharine, my dear,’ said Mrs Payne. ‘Mrs Calthorpe, may I present Miss Katharine Payne?’
Adam’s mother looked surprised. ‘Miss Katharine Payne?’ she said. She cast a glance at the girl sitting on the sofa. ‘How…unusual. Two members of the same family with exactly the same name!’ Looking round at the expressions of dismay on the faces of the Payne family, she added innocently, ‘Does it not sometimes give rise to confusion?’
Mr Payne glanced sharply at her, but responded with a laugh, ‘None, I assure you, ma’am,’ he said. ‘My daughter spells her name with “C”, and is known as Catherine, whereas our dearest cousin Katharine is usually known as Kate.’ He hesitated, then said to Adam, ‘This is Tom’s sister.’
Adam possessed considerable address—indeed, no one could have survived long on the Duke of Wellington’s staff without it—but he was having a struggle to disguise his sharp disappointment. Tom’s sister was not the enchantress on the sofa, but the shrew, the virago! The fact that she was not a governess did not altogether surprise him—somehow, the girl had not sounded like a governess—but that she was Tom’s sister…! What had she said when they had parted in the drive? I wonder if we shall meet a third time? She had been laughing at him! Adam felt disappointment giving way to annoyance. Why the devil hadn’t she told him who she was when he had given her his own name? What could possibly have been the reason? Pure malice? A desire to put him out of countenance when he learned the truth? It was almost as if she wished to take some sort of revenge—but for what? Confound it! The more he learned of this girl, the less he understood her!
With regret he looked once more at the girl on the sofa. Fate had truly played him a nasty trick. She had appeared to be everything he had hoped for. Pretty, compliant, dainty… She had fitted his own picture of Katharine Payne perfectly, and he had been well on the way to taking Tom’s request quite seriously. But this was not Tom’s sister!
He loo
ked at the girl now advancing into the room. The contrast between the two Miss Paynes could not have been greater. How the devil could this tall, thin—no, skinny—dowdily dressed girl be the delightful creature Tom had described? Dull brown hair was a poor substitute for Tom’s golden curls, and as for her eyes—not clear blue like those of her brother, and of the other Catherine—but a…a sort of mud colour! And he knew from personal experience that, far from being the fun-loving, tolerant girl he had been led to expect, she was a belligerent shrew!
However, his innate good manners did not desert him. When he saw that no one else appeared to be anxious to offer Katharine Payne a seat, he gestured to his own, which was next to that of his mother. ‘Miss Payne?’
She gave him a look, moved to the chair and sat down. ‘Thank you, Lord Calthorpe. How kind of you. And how kind of you to respond to my letter…at last.’
Adam frowned and was about to ask what she meant, when Henry Payne interrupted him. ‘Are you staying long in the neighbourhood, Calthorpe?’
Courtesy demanded that Adam reply. He turned away from Katharine and said, ‘I’m not sure. My mother wishes to spend Christmas at our home in Surrey, so probably not more than a week or two.’
‘I shall be glad to have a degree of comfort at last, Mr Payne,’ said Mrs Calthorpe with a smile of apology at Adam. ‘Calthorpe has been sadly neglected for years, and I have been helping my son in his efforts to restore it ever since he got back to England in September. But it is not yet the sort of place where one would wish to spend Christmas.’
‘September?’ said Katharine. ‘I thought you would have been back in England sooner than that, Lord Calthorpe.’
Sylvia Andrew Page 7
