Willow Grove Abbey: A Historical World War II Romance Novel (The Somerville Trilogy)

by Payne, Mary Christian

  “I don’t think so. His name is Spencer Stanton. He’s a doctor. A physician, actually.”

  “A physician! Gracious, Sophia. Be careful! Just think of all the things he must know about the female anatomy,” Edwina laughed.

  “Edwina, I daresay, you’re as bad as Drew and Blake. Doctor Stanton seems very nice. I am only going out to tea with him. Blake has me married, and playing a country doctor’s wife in a Cotswold cottage.”

  “Actually, dearest, I think that sort of life would suit you very well. I think you would find it far lovelier than acting as mistress of some ancient country house, with a pack of servants to order about. If you do find the good doctor irresistibly attractive, you must not care whether the Earl or Countess would go bonkers. It’s your life, Sophia, not theirs,” Edwina stated firmly.

  “Quite right,” echoed Drew. Now, let’s enjoy a last glass of champagne and drink to Sophia’s newly declared independence.

  CHAPTER TWO

  May 26, 1935

  Afternoon Tea

  Of course, I had no way of knowing how prophetic that conversation would be. Promptly at two o’clock the next afternoon, Spencer Stanton appeared at the door to Number Ten Lancaster Gate. Annie, who had the task of chaperoning me during the upcoming season, answered the bell and ushered him into the parlor. I was sitting in front of the French doors, which opened onto the attractive garden. It was a lovely, warm spring day. The roses were blooming in profusion and their scent, mixed with day lilies, peonies, and lilacs filled the room. I wore a simple white, voile dress, embellished with a pattern of pale yellow sprigs. I had brushed my hair until it shone, and parted it on the left side, securing it with a small gold and topaz clip. My natural curls bounced just above the shoulders and I felt quite attractive.

  The look in Spence’s eyes when he entered the room indicated to me that I was not mistaken. Nor was I disappointed with him. He was, quite simply, the best-looking man I had ever seen. His hair was very dark, and those splendid sapphire-blue eyes, which had so entranced me the previous night, were even more intense in the daylight. His strong chin had a deep cleft, and he had perfect teeth, as well as dimples in his cheeks. The combination created a dazzling smile. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t utterly smitten. He was even better looking than I’d remembered. It seemed as though my pulse was beating very irregularly when he walked into the room and I was afraid I wouldn’t find my voice.

  “How lovely you look today, Sophia. Last night’s late hour doesn’t seem to have taken any toll, he smiled.

  “No, I slept rather late, actually. It was awfully nice to be lazy.”

  “Yes. I don’t have that chance often. I never know when a patient might ring me. It always seems as though persons tend to need a doctor in dead of night.”

  “I suppose that could be annoying.”

  “Not so much annoying as inconvenient. Especially when one is truly looking forward to a good night’s rest. However, it’s part of the profession, and we train for it, so I’m accustomed. At the moment, however, I’m on holiday, and savoring every moment, particularly the eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.”

  “May I offer you a glass of Port, Doctor, or perhaps a Brandy,” Annie interjected?”

  “No, thank you. In fact, I’ve arranged for tea at the Royal Hotel for Lady Sophia and myself. We had best be going if we’re to be on time for our reservation at two forty-five.”

  We left the house and made our way to a gorgeous yellow auto parked at the curb. It was a 1935 SS Jaguar Tourer. “What a splendid auto,” I remarked, hoping that the compliment would please him.

  “Do you think so? I saw her in a showroom window and lost my head. It’s true that I needed a reliable vehicle to carry me round on patient visits, but I certainly could have gotten by with a bit less flash.”

  “It’s perfect. I can see why you lost your head.” It was obvious that my compliment pleased him, but I did truly mean what I said. The auto was lovely. In fact, I’d never been inside of a Jaguar. During the drive to the hotel, which was only a few blocks, I sat back, luxuriating in the comfort of the leather interior. When we arrived at the Royal, Spence drove up to the entrance, and a uniformed door attendant helped me step from the vehicle. Spence handed the keys over. Together we made our way into that wonderfully elegant, structure, standing on the banks of the Thames. I felt very chic and worldly, as I took his arm. The head waiter escorted us to a round table for two in the Elizabethan Foyer. In a pavilion, in the middle of the room, a harpist accompanied afternoon tea. We were seated at a lovely table with elegant, gold-leaf chairs.

  “Do you come here, often?” I asked, as I settled in, placing my gloves to the side, as well as my handbag.

  “I must confess, it’s my first visit. I’m trying to impress you, Lady Sophia.” He smiled

  “You’re succeeding, Doctor Stanton,” I bantered. I felt very much at ease with him and we both chuckled.

  “Are you always so honest?” he continued.

  “I try to be. Sometimes women have to play silly games where men are concerned. I learned that at a young age, having older brothers. I always thought it was foolish to have to pretend. For instance, I was instructed to act as though I was less skilled at sports than a male opponent, lest I offend his masculine pride.”

  The waiter brought a first course tray of four different sandwiches. They were small, finger sandwiches, with no crusts, and they were delicious. He also brought an array of exotic teas, and we selected which we wished to order. After he departed, we resumed our conversation.

  “So, if we play tennis, I won’t be forced to patiently toss you gentle serves and keep my boredom to myself?” he asked.

  “Not on your life,” I replied. “In fact, I consider myself quite a splendid tennis player. Don’t expect me to ask for gentle serves, nor to return them to you.” I grinned.

  “Men can be such bloody fools where women are concerned.”

  “I’m surprised to hear you criticize your sacred fellowship,” I teased

  “I like your honesty, Sophia. It’s a good trait. I told you that last night. Truth is truth.” He spoke with significant pauses, his words sounding well thought-out. His smile, slow to appear, gave him a boy-who-just-ate-the-pie look. He was unlike anyone I had ever met. He seemed humble, gentle and intelligent.

  “Being forthright is something I learned from my best friend,” I continued. “When we first met at Ashwick Park I was rather guarded and wary with others. She is very much the opposite and I’ve grown to admire that trait. You will like her. Her name is Edwina Phillips.”

  The waiter reappeared and filled our teacups. The service at the Royal was remarkable. Next, the second course appeared. It was a tray of two different scones, plain and fruit. To go with the scones was fresh clotted Devonshire cream, as well as lemon and strawberry jam.

  “I believe I was made aware of Edwina at your Debut Ball last night. She caught Charles Dyer’s eye. She’s quite an effervescent lady,” he said, while spreading lemon jam on a fruit scone. “But, not nearly as attractive as you are,” he added.

  “You must be joking! I find Edwina stunning. I think she’s dazzling. I always refer to her as a shining girl.”

  “She’s certainly very outgoing; but I don’t much care for her type. She is a bit showy for my taste. Brash, if you will. I find you infinitely more arresting.”

  His words were truly puzzling to me. “I find Edwina to be one of the most alluring women I’ve ever known. She has such... such joie de vivre. She reminds me of fine champagne. So sparkly and in love with life. I’m merely, well, I suppose I am pretty, in a certain way, but not shining.”

  “There are numerous ways to shine, Sophia. Edwina is like champagne, with her silvery hair and boisterous manner. But, you, my dear, are like fine wine. To me beauty is a combination of outward appearance, wit, charm and inward kindliness. In other words, I believe you just might serve well as the epitome of beauty.”

  “Me! The epitome of
beauty! I wish my parents could hear you, Spence. They would be certain that you are after my dowry. I do thank you, however. I also look forward to your knowing Edwina better. I believe you’ll find her delightful. She has marvelous wit, and there is a very deep generosity about her. One simply has to know her.”

  “I’m sure if she’s your best friend, I’ll find her charming, and I’m assuming from the comment you just made that you intend for us to be seeing more of one another, if you expect me to meet Edwina.”

  “Ah. You caught me. I suppose that must be what I meant,” I laughed.

  “Why do you say your parents would think me a fortune hunter for saying that you are the epitome of beauty?

  “Because they have told me all of my life that I am not very attractive, and that any man who showed the slightest bit of interest in me would probably be a fortune hunter.”

  “You! Not very attractive? That’s absurd. Sorry Sophia, but they should be horsewhipped for putting such vile ideas into your head. “Do you not realize that you are a gorgeous, breathtaking woman?”

  “Spence. Are you serious? I can’t tell if you are joking or not. No, I do not think I am a gorgeous, breathtaking woman. I don’t even feel like a woman. I feel like a self-conscious little girl a lot of the time, and this is one of them. I have no experience with flirting, and am not very sophisticated.

  “My dear lady. You have a much distorted image of yourself, and we need to rectify that. I don’t intend to make you over into a narcissist, but you need to have a more realistic view of yourself. However, I must admit that sometimes a lack of sophistication can be utterly charming. Right. Then, Sophia, tell me about you. I really know very little. You are Blake and Drew’s sister, your father is Earl Somerville, owner of Somerville Mills and a member of the House of Lords, you have just finished at Ashwick Park, and yesterday was your Presentation at Court.”

  I selected a scone from the tray and spread it with strawberry jam. “Ummmm. This is positively delicious,” I exclaimed. The scone was so marvelous, it nearly melted in my mouth. I swallowed, and then resumed the conversation.

  “There isn’t a lot more to know about me. Isn’t that rather pathetic? My whole life can be summed up in four sentences, and two of them describe me in terms of being someone’s sister and someone’s daughter.”

  “I suspect there’s a good deal more to know if one only chooses to look. What is your passion?”

  “My passion? I’m not sure I know what you mean?”

  “Everyone has a passion for something in life. I have two, flying and medicine.”

  “You mean like Edwina, who’s going to Paris to be a designer? I don’t believe I have that sort of passion. I wish I did. I think it would be marvelous to be consumed by something. Perhaps Art, Music, or writing. Or, as in your case, Medicine. Did you always know that you loved Medicine?”

  “I always knew that I wanted to help people, and had a curiosity about nature and science. So, I suppose it’s logical that those two interests became a passion for Medicine. Have you ever tried putting two or three of your interests together, and tried to determine what career fits them the best? and me what you come up with? He asked.

  “No. That might be fun. Let’s see…I love to write…and I love animals, particularly small dogs. And I love History. What do you make of that, Doctor Stanton?”

  I have a perfect career for you. Trace the history of dogs back to their earliest origins, and in an understandable format, write a book explaining how wolves from millions of years ago, became the poodles of today.” He smiled, and raised his eyebrows, as if to say, ‘what do you think’?”

  “Gosh. That isn’t a terrible idea. It would call for a lot of research, but, you know, it could be done. I could call it something like “When Did Poodles Roam the Earth?”

  “There do you see how easy it is to combine interests into a passion?”

  “Well, I shall think some more on this. It’s rather intriguing. To change the subject, you mentioned last night that you have a practice in Twigbury. Did you grow up there?”

  “In Twigbury? Good Grief, no! It’s a very tiny village. I suppose there are people who have and do, but, as I told you last night, an older physician, whom I’ve known for quite some time, wanted to take a sabbatical and we arranged for my taking over the practice for a year. I grew up near Bristol.”

  “Bristol is very close to my home. Just a few kilometers. I love it there. Actually, I love anyplace on the sea.”

  “Yes. My family home wasn’t far from the water, near Abbott’s Leigh.”

  “We were almost neighbors! Isn’t that coincidental?”

  “I don’t believe in coincidences, Sophia, he smiled. “I believe in Providence. Fate, if you will. Our living in such close proximity is one of those serendipitous happenings, as was our meeting at your debut Ball. I’ve always believed that things are meant to be.”

  I returned his smile. “I believe in that too. You’re speaking of destiny. Therefore, you think that we were destined to meet. For instance, Edwina and I think that we would have met whether or not we had ever gone to Ashwick Park. Nevertheless, not everything can be predestined, do you think? If that were true, then nothing would be an accident. Is that what you believe?”

  “Well, I believe that man has free will, and that he can choose whichever path he wishes. However, one path will always lead to his destiny, and is the correct one to take. Some people make mistakes, and take the wrong path. Nevertheless, we don’t live in a perfect world. Anyway, when it comes to people falling in love, finding their soul mate, then I believe it will happen, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. When the time is right. What happens from there depends upon choices that both parties make.”

  “So, you believe in soul mates? I’m not certain that I do. I often think that there are many persons one could love.”

  “Sophia, I believe that we can err and take the wrong path, thinking that we’ve discovered our soul mate. That could be a heart wrenching mistake. I believe there is only one true soul mate for every other. That perfect person, with whom you feel an affinity from the moment you meet. The one God intended for you.”

  That comment was one of the dearest I’d ever heard. ‘The one God intended for you.’ No one had ever expressed such a view to me, and I scarcely knew how to answer him.

  “I’m older than you are, Sophia. I’ve thought I found my soul mate many times, particularly when I was a boy,” He placed his hand upon mine. “However, I’m now beginning to think that those would have been utterly wrong paths.”

  I felt the color rise in my cheeks Oh Lord. Is he serious, or is this just the flirtatious way that men behave? I was pathetically naïve. “Spence, if you’re implying that you think that I could be your soul mate, I’m, well of course, I’m terribly flattered. But.... But, we scarcely know one another.”

  “Sophia, I don’t mean to alarm or upset you. As I said, I’m older than you are. I just know that I feel an attraction for you that’s rare, at least for me. I have known my share of women. No one has set sparks alight inside of me like you do. However, I don’t want to rush you, or to give you false impressions. I’m finding myself in a bit of a quandary,” he replied.

  I looked down at the table, not knowing how to respond. My heart was thumping.

  Thank Goodness, the waiter once again returned. This time he bore a third tray... a selection of chocolate fancies. Gracious, when does this end? “We shall be here until midnight, with the waiter still presenting trays of delicacies’ to us! I spoke my thoughts aloud, and Spence and I both broke into low laughter. We looked like two misbehaving children.

  “Your eyes make my heart do somersaults,” he suddenly murmured.

  I wanted to tell him that I felt the same way about his eyes, but was uncomfortable with the turn the conversation was taking. He sensed that, and made an obvious effort to change the subject. Clearing his throat, he lighted a cigarette and poured me another cup of tea, before re-filling his own
cup.

  “Right. Shall we talk of something else? Perhaps it’s too soon for me to be telling you these things. I’m not usually so forward on a first outing with a young lady. You see the influence you already are having upon me? He winked at me jokingly. But, enough of that.”

  I lifted my eyes, and took another sip of tea “I notice that you speak in the past tense when you refer to Abbott’s Leigh? Have you no family there anymore, then?”

  “No. Both of my parents died in a beastly accident, when I was fifteen. It was a boating accident. They were in a high-powered craft.... but I was already off at school, so I suppose you could say I really didn’t have a home after that. I just spent school holidays with assorted relations.”

  “That sounds terribly tragic. And, have you no brothers or sisters?”

  “No, but many aunts, uncles, cousins, and other persons who are family, so I’ve never felt alone.”

  “Are they in Abbott’s Leigh?”

  “No, as a matter of fact, most are in Ireland.”

  “Ireland? Do you mean they’re Irish?” My heart plummeted to my toes. I could just picture my mother’s face.

  “Yes. My mother was Irish. She was born and raised in County Cork. My father met her on holiday after he finished school. She was a nurse. Her family name was Ryan. That is my second name. Spencer Ryan Stanton.”

  I was a bit uncomfortable about asking the next question, but felt that I had to know the answer. “I don’t mean to be ill-mannered, but does that mean you’re a Roman Catholic?”

  “Yes, that’s what it means, Sophia. Is that an awful thing to be? He smiled, and his eyes twinkled.

  “Oh, no. Not at all. It’s just that, we . . . my parents are . . . You might say a bit narrow when it comes to the subject of religion.” I was completely aghast, trying hard not to show it.

  “In other words, they don’t approve of Catholics.”

  “To be honest, I’ve never known a Catholic. I mean, I suppose I have known some, but not really well. I just know that Mummy is quite rigid in her views on certain subjects. Religion is one of those.”