Estelle sought out her brothers and she found Joshua in his apartments with his wife. She smiled to see them holding hands, just as her parents always did.
"You still think she was his mistress?" Joshua said in disbelief. "No, you must have it wrong."
"It is what all the servants believe and I overheard mother talking to Thomas. She sounded as though she was confirming it and telling him it was all in the past."
"I suppose it could be true," her brother remarked. "He does not seem the sort of man to remain celibate for long, does he? That would have been before he met Mother, surely. But it is disrespectful to Mother to invite her here. I am very surprised he would do that."
"She told me Rachel saved her life once, at great risk to her own, although she would not tell me how. Perhaps that is why. Whatever the reason, she is dying and Mother has asked her to stay here."
Susannah’s eyes opened wide in astonishment.
"His Lordship and Her Ladyship are very unconventional," she murmured quietly. Joshua nodded.
"I would put nothing past them," he agreed.
"The servants and villagers all believe it was still going on long after he married Mother. That is why she left."
"Well, I certainly do not believe that," Joshua remarked firmly. "Do you?"
"Mother told me she and father parted once, that there was bitterness between them. Perhaps Rachel was the cause, though Mother told me it was religious differences that had caused the rift."
"I do not suppose we will ever know," Joshua answered at last. "We can hardly ask, can we? Even if we did, we would not be given the truth and you know how Father feels about his privacy."
"I am fond of Rachel," Estelle said. "If she is really dying, I want her to die in comfort and with peace of mind. Whatever the truth of the matter, it is as mother said, in the past."
***
Joshua and his bride grew closer with each passing day. They walked about the house and estate holding hands, just as his parents always did, and it transpired, just as Susannah’s parents did.
“I am very pleased with you Joshua,” she told him in a playful mood. “Your parents are so close, just like mine. They also love each other and I always hoped for the same, although I never really expected it. When my mother mentioned you, I thought it likely your father would be too exalted to defy convention.”
Joshua laughed.
“That is really funny. He is the most unconventional man I ever knew and he is very much set against arranged marriages where the couple do not know each other.”
“Do you know why?”
He took her hand and led her out of their part of the house and along the gallery, stopping before the portrait of his father’s first wife.
“She is the reason,” he said. “She was Father’s first wife, pledged to him from childhood. He was very unhappy with her.”
Susannah studied the portrait for a few moments before she spoke.
“She looks sweet, but sad.”
“She does. He refuses to talk about her, and when he does it is with anger in his tone. This portrait is only here because my mother insisted on it.”
“That was very generous of her.”
“She said whatever their problems, she helped to shape who he is and she deserves a place.”
Susannah turned and put her arms around him, kissed his lips.
“Your mother is a wonderful woman,” she said. “I hope I can make you as happy as she has made him.”
***
It was the end of the summer and the sun shone through the trees. Estelle had been exchanging letters with Viscount Robin, which pleased both her parents, but she still did not feel the spring in her step she was expecting, still was not fully committed.
“Estelle,” her mother said, “when I married your father, I had no feeling for him at all. I am ashamed to remember it now, but at the time all I wanted was his title and his wealth. I never even thought about whether I liked him, although I was definitely attracted to him. Robin is a nice young man and his parents are close.”
“I know, Mother,” she answered. “And I do like Robin, and his mother is lovely; his father makes me laugh. But is that enough?”
She still could not decide and that alone was enough to tell her marriage would be wrong.
It was some four months since Joshua’s wedding and he had gone with his father to visit the tenants. When Estelle rode out with Susannah and Alex that day, she had no idea it was a day which would change her life, would bring it more joy and more misery than she could ever have imagined.
"I suppose they will be wanting to hurry you to the altar now," Alex remarked as they mounted their horses. "And me."
"They would never do that, Alex," Estelle said, "and you know it. They are keen for a match with Viscount Robin, but I am still undecided and I expect he feels the same. How about you?"
Alex blushed and his two companions glanced at him suspiciously. He too was looking like his father as he got older, the same dark eyes, the same glossy black hair, but he did not even have the ghost of a beard peeping through yet. The idea of him thinking about marriage was somewhat bizarre, but his sister was sure he was.
"You have someone in mind," she said eagerly. He blushed again. "You cannot deny it. You do, you have someone in mind."
"Oh, please, Alex," Susannah pleaded. "Tell us who she is. Is she someone you met at the wedding?"
"No," he shook his head. "And I will tell you, Estelle, if you swear not to tell anyone. Not yet anyway."
"We swear," Estelle said at once then turned to Susannah. "We do?"
"Of course, Alex, we will tell no one," she replied.
"You know how Father said it mattered not who we married, so long as we loved them?" Estelle nodded, Susannah looked mystified. "It is Charlotte."
"Charlotte?" Estelle cried in disbelief. "Are you quite sure?"
"Oh, yes," he said. "But we are still very young and I am not sure her mother would allow it. We need to keep our secret for now and I shall expect you two to do the same."
Charlotte? Estelle could not quite believe it. They were of an age and had grown up together more as brother and sister than anything else. Charlotte's mother had been wet nurse to Alex; perhaps that gave them some sort of weird bond.
Alex rode off ahead and the two girls rode behind, taking things slower.
“I wonder if he regrets revealing his secret,” Estelle said. “He looked embarrassed I thought.”
"Who is Charlotte?" Susannah asked.
"She is Caroline’s daughter, the woman who runs the orphan home," Estelle replied. "You did meet her at the wedding, but I suppose there were so many people."
"I remember. Joshua told me about her and her mother. He said nobody knows who her father was."
"I am sure Caroline does."
"Would Lord Summerville really allow your brother to marry the daughter of a former serving girl and one whose heritage he knows nothing about?"
"He will, if they love each other," Estelle answered. "My mother was a commoner when he married her."
"Well, yes, but she was not a servant, was she?"
"My father has always insisted that we are no better than anyone else, only more fortunate. Perhaps you should consider that and find out how Joshua feels about his brother marrying the daughter of a former serving girl."
Susannah blushed.
“I do not need my husband to decide my opinions for me,” she said crossly. “You seem to have decided that I disapprove of Charlotte and Alex marrying, when in fact I was merely enquiring. It is not what I would have expected, no, but I daresay my own father would think the same.”
Now it was Estelle’s turn to blush.
“Forgive me,” she said. “I should have known better. Were you the type of woman who thought herself superior, my brother would not love you so much.”
Susannah smiled.
“You see that? Really?”
“I do. Friends?”
“Always.”
/>
They followed Alex in silence until they reached the edge of Summerville land, where they stopped to look at the familiar sight of Winterton House, a large manor which had been abandoned for as long as the Summerville children could remember.
"Nobody has lived there for years," Estelle told Susannah. "It used to be belong to a gentleman named Sir Geoffrey Winterton but he had no children and when he died it seemed to have just been left to run down. It is a shame."
They watched the house for a few minutes, then decided to ride down there and have a look around. There was nobody to prevent them.
"I shall return to the house," Alex remarked. "You will be safe?"
"Of course," his sister answered.
"You will not forget your promise?" His eyes moved from Susannah to Estelle and they both nodded.
"I will have to tell Joshua," Susannah said worriedly. "I do not want to keep secrets from him."
Alex nodded.
"Of course you may tell my brother," he replied, "but be sure to tell him that I do not want it broadcast."
"I think you should tell Father though," Estelle told him. "It will put his mind at ease, knowing he does not have to hold another massive court for you."
They watched him ride away before they dismounted and tied their horses to a tree, then walked across to the house. The front door was open, which was not how it usually was, and Estelle was concerned about vandals so she approached and went inside.
Susannah grabbed her arm to stop her.
"I do not believe we should go in," she said. "If there are vandals or thieves, we could be in danger if we make our presence known."
"You are right, and I am too impulsive," Estelle replied.
They turned away and were just about to go back to their horses when a man's voice called from inside. They both turned to see a good looking young man with very fair hair and beard and a ready smile.
"Forgive us, Sir," Estelle said quickly. "We did not intend to trespass."
"That is perfectly all right," he said reassuringly. "I was only exploring myself. It seems the late owner of this house has left it to me in his Will. Judging by the state of it, I am not sure it was such a favour."
"Sir Geoffrey?" Estelle asked quickly. "Sir Geoffrey Winterton left it to you?"
"His brother did."
"Are you kin to them?"
"No. According to my father, my mother was married to Sir Geoffrey before she married him. The estate passed to his brother when he died and he left it to me, as he had no one else and did not want it to go to the crown." He paused and smiled at them again. That smile reminded Estelle of someone, but she could not quite think who. "As far as I know I am no relation whatsoever to either gentleman and I had no idea my mother had been married before until this happened."
"A little unconventional," Susannah remarked.
"All I know is I am now a property owner, which gives me certain rights even if I do not have the funds to repair the place."
Estelle was aware that his eyes were moving over her and there was a little light of admiration in their blue depths. She did not believe she had ever seen a man so blonde, or a woman either for that matter. But he reminded her of someone, and she really wanted to ask Susannah what she thought.
"Forgive us, Sir," she said at last. "You are occupied and we are interrupting you. My father owns the neighbouring estate, Summerville Hall, and I am sure he would be happy to accommodate you should you need anything."
"That is very kind," he replied after a moment. "May I be allowed to know your name?"
"I am Lady Estelle Summerville. This is Lady Susannah Summerville, my brother's wife. And you, Sir?"
He swept off his hat and bowed graciously before replying.
"Simon Carlisle, at your service."
CHAPTER TWENTY
The day they first met Simon Carlisle was the first day Susannah had been able to bring herself to spend without her new husband. She wanted to spend time with his brother and his sister, to get to know them, and she had to admit to being surprised that Alex would be permitted to marry the daughter of a former servant. But it was their choice and not her business.
When Alex rode off and they continued down the hill to investigate Winterton House, neither of them had expected anyone to be there.
The young man, Simon Carlisle, was very handsome and Susannah could see Estelle was taken with him. Having just heard that Lord Summerville might permit his son to marry the daughter of a servant, it was not so far fetched to believe he might also permit his daughter to marry this stranger, no matter what his background.
She could also see that he was taken with Estelle and she smiled happily.
When they said goodbye to their new neighbour, Estelle turned to Susannah with a shy smile and drew a deep breath.
"Please do not mention the young man we met to anyone," she said.
"Why not?"
"Alex should not have ridden off and left us alone," she said. "My father would not be happy about that, so it is better if he does not know."
***
Susannah was settling into her new home with her new family and she wrote regularly to her parents to assure them of her happiness. She hoped to be able to invite them to stay in the near future, but there was the problem of the mysterious house guest.
Lady Rachel had occupied the ground floor apartments since the wedding and Susannah had still not learned of her role in the family. Estelle insisted she was once Lord Summerville's mistress, but Joshua would not believe it. Alex seemed not to care either way and refused to be drawn on the subject, but she would have loved to know for certain.
"If you wish to invite your mother and father for a visit,” Lady Summerville said, “you have only to say. They will be very welcome; I enjoyed your mother’s company. I think we have a lot in common and she must be missing you.”
“I will, My Lady, thank you,” Susannah replied. “She spoke highly of you too, but I would like some more time.”
“As you wish," Lady Summerville said. "I just want to be sure you are happy with us and not homesick."
"Oh, yes, My Lady," Susannah said enthusiastically. "I love it here. I love my new home, I love my new family and most of all I love my new husband. I am so very fortunate."
Bethany smiled, then her face lit up as His Lordship came to join them.
"How is she today?" She asked him and Susannah knew at once to whom she referred. "She grows weaker each time I see her. I think she is in a lot of pain, as well, but she is trying hard to keep it to herself."
"I do not think it will be long now," he replied as he sat beside her and put his arm around her. "I cannot bear to see her like this. You should have seen her when we first met; she was breathtaking."
His wife took his hand in a gesture of comfort.
"She was breathtaking long after that," she answered.
Nobody knew she was remembering her first glimpse of Rachel, riding in the Summerville carriage through a London park with Bethany’s husband, and how she had longed to rake her nails through that flawless complexion. She had no idea then just what she owed to her.
“She was indeed,” he remarked. “She still is in an ethereal sort of way.”
"Such a tragic life, all that beauty brought her nothing but misery."
Whoever Lady Rachel was, it was kindness itself to allow her to stay here in her last weeks and it was especially kind of Lady Summerville. Even if the woman had never been her husband’s mistress, people still believed she was. Susannah did not think she would like it, had it been Joshua, but then an image came to her mind of that oak tree and the words carved upon it. It was clear they would do anything for each other and if he wanted to make his former mistress comfortable in her last days, she had no qualms about helping him do so.
"Joshua showed me the old church the other day," Susannah remarked. "And I saw your tree, the engraving."
“I had forgotten all about that,” she said. She looked up at her husband. “You carved
that in the tree just after you came home, do you remember?”
“How could I forget,” he said. “I thought everything was lost, but instead I was given a new beginning.”
So it was true what Joshua had told her; they had parted and he had carved the message in their tree to mark their new beginning. How wonderful.
She watched her take his face in her hands and kiss him with so much passion, she was rather aroused herself.
"It looked as though something had been burned down nearby," she went on. "It was big enough to be a large hut or something."
Their smiles faded and Lord Summerville pulled his wife closer. Susannah had definitely touched on a forbidden subject this time and she wished she could grab back the words.
"Forgive me," she said at once. "It is none of my business. Joshua said he would ask you, but obviously he has forgotten."
"It is not your fault," Her Ladyship said swiftly. "There was an old cottage there. Originally it was built with the church to house the priest attached to it, but then it fell into disrepair."
"Why destroy it?"
"The last person to occupy it was a leper," His Lordship said firmly. "We decided it was safer to burn it down, to eliminate the disease."
Susannah nodded, but something told her they were not telling her the truth. She had found that she was not the only one in this family from whom they kept their secrets.
***
Estelle took to sneaking off on her own to ride, which was another secret Susannah believed she should be telling to someone. But then, this family were so very different, she was never sure what was allowed and what was not. She knew where Estelle was going and she could not help but smile, but again she was unsure about whether Lord Summerville would be impressed with this stranger who had inherited Winterton House.
She had something more important to think about that summer anyway and that morning she decided it was time she told Joshua he was going to be a father. After breakfast she took his hand and led him back to their own part of the house, to their bedchamber.
"What?" He asked playfully, holding both her hands in his as she backed into the room, pulling him with her. "Why all the secrecy?"
HOLY POISON: Boxed Set: The Complete Series 1-6 Page 93
