Roses and Champange

by Neels, Betty

  ‘Nice evening,’ observed Lucius, and she agreed sleepily, then added: ‘Except for that last bit, getting our coats. I got asked a lot of silly questions.’

  ‘About us?’ She could hear the laughter in his voice.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good.’ And before she could reply to that: ‘Come riding after breakfast? Half past nine?’ He took it for granted that she would agree. ‘Everything fixed up for the wedding?’

  ‘More or less. But I’ve too much to do to come riding...’

  ‘You’ll do it all the better for fresh air and exercise.’ They had caught up with the other cars and he had slowed down.

  She said sleepily: ‘Lucius, I do feel we’re in the most frightful muddle.’

  ‘No, we’re not. Look, concentrate on the wedding and let everything else slide for the moment.’

  ‘Yes, that’s all very well—you’re only doing it to get even with Virginia, aren’t you?’

  They were in front of the house—her house—and he turned off the engine and turned to look at her. She couldn’t see how cold his eyes were, which was a good thing. ‘I know what I’m doing, Katrina.’

  He got out and opened her door and saw her safely indoors, then with the briefest of goodnights, went away.

  Chapter 4

  It was a heavenly morning; cold and frosty and clear skies. Katrina was up soon after eight o’clock, and after a solitary breakfast, went down to the stables. There was no sign of Virginia, but she hadn’t expected to see her before midday and she had told Mrs Beecham to let her sleep undisturbed. She was sad-dung her mare when Lucius arrived, and he got off his own horse and finished the job for her, before leading the way down the drive and along the lane and through his own gates again.

  ‘I have to see Stevens about that barn of his; we’ll cut across the ten-acre field and take a look at Chivett’s cottage—the thatch is wearing badly.’

  It was exhilarating, going fast over the hard ground. Katrina rode well and Lucius gave her a look of approval as they went. He rode well himself, sitting his great horse with ease, holding him in to keep pace with Katrina’s mare.

  They hardly spoke; they had ridden together for years now, content with each other’s company, talking when they felt inclined. When they reached Chiv-ett’s cottage they dismounted, tied the horses to the gate post and went inside. Chivett was old, a retired gamekeeper who had worked for Lucius’s father. A middle-aged widowed daughter looked after him, and although he was really crippled with rheumatism now, he refused to do anything about it. His daughter made them welcome, poured stewed tea from an enamelled pot and then took Katrina off to see the hens while Lucius talked to the old man. That was something nice about him, thought Katrina, treading the path behind the cottage behind her hostess. He minded about his property and the people who worked for him. There was no need to discuss the thatch with old Chivett, but it wouldn’t enter Lucius’s head not to do so; the old man would be left with the pleasant impression that he had given advice about it to young Mr Lucius, whereas anyone else might have had the roof repaired without so much as a word to him. She admired the hens and went back to find Lucius waiting for her.

  The visit to Stevens’ farm took longer. They were given more tea, asked about the Hunt Ball, and presently Lucius went away to inspect the barn and Katrina was left with Mrs Stevens, a nice cosy dumpling of a woman.

  They had known each other a long while. They talked about the children, the farm, Mrs Stevens’ various mild ailments and the weather before Mrs Stevens said comfortably: ‘There’ll be the wedding next week, then. Church’11 be full, I daresay. Miss Virginia’11 make a lovely bride. I did hear that it was Mister Lucius as she was going to marry, though mark you, there’s always gossip in a village. Never believed it, myself.’ Her mild blue eyes searched Katrina’s quiet face. ‘He’ll wed when he’s ready, and I doubt he’s already sure in his mind who it’ll be.’

  ‘Well, yes, I daresay,’ agreed Katrina. ‘Are you coming to the wedding?’ They talked of nothing else until the two men came back, and presently she and Lucius said goodbye and rode off.

  Lucius refused her invitation to stay for lunch and she didn’t see him for several days. She told herself that this was a good thing, because she was busy enough with last-minute preparations and James seemed to be in the house for almost twenty-four hours of the day. That he was very much in love was evident, and as far as Katrina could see, her sister was in love with him. He had showered her with gifts, all of which she had accepted as her due, but with a charming grace, and although she avoided Katrina her behaviour wasn’t to be faulted when they were together. True, she did nothing to help with the preparations for the wedding. Her dress was delivered, there were sessions with the bridesmaids to make sure that their outfits were exactly as she wanted them, and a rehearsal at the church which Katrina didn’t attend.

  The wedding morning dawned clear and cold and Katrina, getting dressed for the ceremony, wondered if she had made a mistake, choosing rose-coloured silk, even though it was a heavy material, and a straw hat, in midwinter. True, the hat had a lining to its brim of palest pink velvet and the rose was velvet, which made it rather more wintry, and the colour suited her and went well with her chinchilla coat. When she was ready she went along to Virginia’s room. Sitting composedly in front of her dressing table, her sister looked exquisite, and Katrina said so.

  ‘And what’s come over youT asked Virginia. ‘I expected you to wear brown or navy blue or dove grey.’ Her beautiful eyes narrowed. ‘I bet Lucius chose that outfit!’

  ‘Well, he was with me when I bought it. I’m changing my image.’ Katrina added reasonably: ‘I can’t do anything else after the things you said about me, can I? Shall I go along and see if the bridesmaids are ready? It’s almost time to leave. Uncle is in the sitting room—I’ll warn him I’m going now.’

  She crossed the room and stooped to kiss Virginia’s cheek. ‘I hope you’ll both be very happy, darling.’

  Virginia didn’t answer, only laughed a little, and as Katrina opened the door, she asked: ‘Don’t you wish you were me, Katie?’ She laughed again. ‘Of course, you can always marry Lucius!’

  The last thing she would do, thought Katrina, being driven in state to the church.

  The pews were crammed. It wasn’t a very large church to begin with, and now, over and above the guests, as many local people as possible had packed themselves into it. Katrina was ushered to her seat at the front, smiling at the people she knew, very conscious that Lucius was sitting directly behind her. She sat serenely, wondering if her hair was all right at the back and quite shattered when Lucius breathed in her ear: ‘Relax, Katie, you look delightful.’

  She managed not to turn round; she was aware of the heads turned in her direction and went pink so that the heads nodded to each other and exchanged knowing smiles. Luckily the organ swelled and the bride, a little late, started on her way down the aisle.

  The wedding went off very well. The bride looked exquisite and so did the bridesmaids, the happy couple made their responses in clear voices, the choir sang angelically and Mr Moffat, quite carried away by the occasion, gave a moving address. No one listened to it, of course. The ladies were busy pricing each other’s hats and the men wondering what food there would be later on. Presently they went to the vestry to sign the register and then proceeded down the aisle to the organist’s vigorous rendering of the Wedding March. Katrina, beside a distant cousin she hadn’t seen for years, felt the beginnings of a headache. If ever I marry, which isn’t likely, she thought, I’ll have the quietest wedding imaginable, a velvet suit and one of those small hats that look as though they’re tied at the back, and no bridesmaids... The cousin nipped her arm sharply; she had never liked him, now she gave him a vexed look.

  ‘They’re going to take photos,’ he hissed. ‘You could at least look interested!’

  Back at the house, she and Mrs Lovell stood side by side, receiving the guests with the bride and bridegroom;
endless kissing and hand-shaking and a startling number of whispered: ‘I expect you’ll be the next, Katrina,’ from the older ladies. Old Lady Ryder, never one to lower her voice, bellowed: ‘I’ve always said you’d make a better wife for Lucius than that young sister of yours—she’d have been too young!’

  Katrina, her cheeks the colour of her dress, stitched a smile on to her face and murmured, aware that Lucius, standing not too far away, had heard every word—as had almost everyone there.

  People began to circulate presently and find their way to the dining room where a buffet had been set up and then wander on into the sitting room, where there were small tables arranged to accommodate them; it was surprising how easily the old house absorbed so many people. Katrina heaved a sigh of satisfaction, took the champagne Lovelace was offering and tossed it off, quite forgetting that she had had almost no breakfast that morning, but it made her feel good, and as he went past again she put her empty glass on the tray and took another, to find Lucius at her elbow with a plate of vol-au-vents.

  ‘I’m not hungry’, she told him airily.

  ‘Well, they wouldn’t be much use if you were,’ he conceded. ‘Have one all the same. What are you doing this evening?’

  ‘Going to bed early,’ she said promptly.

  ‘Good idea, but before you do I’ll come over for you. You can eat at my place, it’ll give your people a chance to get things straight.’

  She took a slurp of champagne. ‘I thought...’ she began, and caught his eye. ‘Well, it would be nice— there’ll be a lot to do even if the catering people clear up after them. But oughtn’t I stay and help?’

  ‘No, have another of these things.’

  She took one reluctantly. ‘I’m thirsty,’ she complained. ‘I’d love a cup of tea.’

  ‘You shall have one presently.’ He was standing in front of her, blocking her view, and now he looked round him. ‘Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves; they’ll be cutting the cake soon. I must say there’s an impressive display of presents.’

  ‘Lovelace and I were up half the night putting them out. Virginia said not to bother, but people get hurt... What did you give them? I didn’t see anything.’

  ‘An impressive and quite hideous 6pergne, solid silver and guaranteed to take up the entire centre of the dining room table. I shall expect to see it when I’m bidden to dine with them.’

  Katrina finished her champagne and giggled. ‘I should like some more champagne,’ she said, and gave him her empty glass.

  ‘And so you shall, but don’t you think you should make a trip round the guests first? I’ll be here waiting.’ He smiled down at her. ‘Champagne and roses— I had no idea you had it in you, Katie.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I’ll tell you later. Go and do your duty, there’s a good girl.’

  Once she got started it didn’t seem like duty. It was amazing what a couple of glasses of champagne did for her. She went from group to group, laughing and chatting with such sparkle that everyone there who hadn’t quite believed Virginia’s story found themselves having second thoughts. Katrina in her pink outfit was quite a different kettle of fish from the rather quiet, tweed clad girl they all knew. It was amazing what love did to a girl, whispered Lady Ryder sotto voce. Katrina, while never pretty, was decidedly striking. ‘These quiet ones are deep,’ she boomed, and Katrina, hearing her, looked enquiring.

  ‘We are discussing the Italian Lakes,’ observed Mrs Turner hastily, in a panic in case Lady Ryder should flatly contradict her. Indeed, the old lady had her mouth open to do so when the toastmaster prayed silence and Katrina slipped back to where Lucius was waiting for her.

  He handed her her drink without a word. ‘And don’t gulp it all down, we’ll be starting on the toasts at any minute.’

  The speeches took a long time, but finally the cake was cut, more toasts were drunk and the bride, accompanied by a flurry of bridesmaids, went away to change. Katrina, suddenly famished, ate two 6clairs, several cocktail sausages, a chicken and mushroom bouch6e and a cheese tartlet—not all at once, of course; she had to time her forays between conversations with her guests. These morsels merely sharpened her appetite, though and when she bumped into Lucius she said a trifle wildly: ‘Tea and hot buttered toast—that’s all I want.’

  ‘You shall have them as soon as everyone’s gone. An hour at the most.’

  He was as good as his word. The bride and groom seen on their way by a shower of confetti; the guests began to leave until finally there were only Mrs Lov-ell and a handful of her family left; and presently they went too. Katrina waved them goodbye from the steps and the moment the car was out of sight took off her hat and kicked off her shoes. Lucius was still there, of course, but she was used to him being about the house and she would have found it strange if he had gone home too. He picked up her shoes and hat, laid them neatly on a chair and took her arm.

  Tea and toast,’ he reminded her, and when she hesitated: ‘Don’t worry, everyone’s going to have half an hour’s break before starting on the tidying up.’

  The place looked a shambles—plates of food, untold glasses, screwed up paper serviettes, ash trays, bottles, plates and an assortment of forgotten gloves, but Lovelace had cleared a space round the fire in the sitting room and set a tea tray on a small table nearby. Katrina curled up in a chair, begged Lovelace to give himself and everyone else an hour’s peace and quiet and poured the tea. There was buttered toast in a covered dish. She lifted the lid and offered it to Lucius.

  He shook his head. ‘I won’t stop, Katie. Enjoy your tea—I’ll be back for you at half past seven.’

  He waved a casual hand and went away, letting himself out and closing the great house door gently behind him. Katrina heard the Jaguar’s engine as he started up and drove away. She had expected him to stay. Tired though she was, it would have been fun to have mulled over the day with someone. She bit into her toast and wondered why he’d gone away so abruptly. She had wanted to talk to him anyway; it was time an end was put to his ridiculous notion— Virginia had behaved badly, but she was married now; everyone would forget, and in a month or two she would return and life would go on as usual, and their friends would remember the silly joke about herself and Lucius and laugh a little and then forget all about it.

  She dropped off into a doze and woke presently to find Lovelace taking away the tea tray, and when she asked him if they could cope with the clearing up he said soothingly: ‘Oh, yes, Miss Katrina, we’ve all had a good tea and a sit down and Mr Lucius has sent over Bolt and Jane to give a hand; we shall be back to normal by this evening.’

  Bolt and Jane were the gardener and the housemaid at Stockley House and good friends of Lovelace and Mrs Beecham. Katrina said: ‘That was very thoughtful of Mr Lucius. I’m going there to dinner, Lovelace, so Mrs Beecham won’t need to cook anything for me. Have a good supper yourselves, won’t you?’

  She went upstairs and did her face and hair and then, armed with a bottle or two, went to the kitchen and thanked everyone there for making the day such a success. ‘You all worked so hard.’ She put an envelope on the table beside the bottles and addressed the three caterers’ staff. ‘Please get yourself a drink— you were splendid.’

  She smiled at them all and went back to the sitting room to wait for Lucius. He came punctually, and when she saw that he had changed from his morning dress to a dark grey suit she said: ‘I haven’t changed—I hope you don’t mind. I went to sleep and didn’t have time.’

  ‘I’m glad. I like you in that pink outfit, and you must know, my dear, that a man only wears morning dress when he’s forced to. If you are ready we’ll go.’

  Lovelace had appeared silent-footed in the hall. He opened the door for them with a fatherly smile, wished them a pleasant evening and assured Katrina that he would wait up for her.

  ‘Well, she won’t be late, Lovelace,’ declared Lucius, ‘she’s half asleep already.’ It was the sort of unflattering remark which he made so often that
she took no notice of it, and Lovelace, who had covered up for them on many a youthful escapade, merely inclined his elderly head in a dignified way and murmured, ‘Quite so, Mr Lucius.’

  They didn’t talk on the short drive to Stockley House, but once there, sitting comfortably by the fire in the drawing room, Katrina said: ‘We have to have a talk—a sensible one, Lucius—none of your ridiculous ideas. Everyone has got it all wrong about us, and you’ve got to help me explain...’

  ‘Explain what?’ he asked silkily.

  ‘You know quite well—all this nonsense about us...the things Virginia said. Today at the reception I was asked...’ She paused, a little daunted by the look of bland amusement on his face. ‘You know quite well what I was asked,’ she finished crossly, ‘so don’t pretend you don’t. We have to put a stop to it.’

  ‘I’ve always considered you a clear-headed girl, Katie, but it seems I’ve been wrong. Didn’t I tell you we’re walking out together? Indeed, I’ve made no efforts to disprove this among our many friends and acquaintances.’

  Katrina sat up with a jerk. ‘But, Lucius, why? It’s all over and done with now.’ Her beautiful brown eyes flashed with sudden temper. ‘I didn’t think you were so small-minded!’

  He only smiled at her, took her glass and refilled it and sat down again. ‘How long is it now since we’ve known each other?’ he asked.