He cleared his throat and began the service,
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together – ”
It seemed to take him forever to come to the point, but at last he intoned,
“Hugh, wilt thou take this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together?”
And Hugh solemnly replied,
“I will.”
Martina held her breath as the priest continued,
“Martina, wilt thou take this man to thy wedded husband?”
And Harriet duly replied,
“I will.”
“Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?”
Hugh’s secretary, who had been standing behind making notes, stepped forward to perform the duty.
Next Hugh took Harriet’s hand and declared,
“I, Hugh, take thee, Martina to my wedded wife, to have and to hold?”
As she listened Martina did spare a thought for what this performance must mean to poor Hugh. He had dreamed of standing before this very altar with herself, saying these very same words. And now he was doing so, but with another woman.
She listened to see if she could detect any trace of a tremor in his voice, but he sounded solid and confident.
It occurred to her that perhaps he did not mind very much after all.
Then it was Harriet’s turn to speak, murmuring softly to hide the fact that she had substituted her own name for Martina’s.
“I, Har-riet, take thee, Hugh to my wedded husband, to have and to hold – ”
When the speech had finished the priest looked down at his book and seemed to lose his place.
While his attention was thus occupied, Harriet stepped quickly back and Martina moved forward to stand at Hugh’s side.
The priest was now ready to proceed. With his second bride beside him, Hugh took her hand in his and said,
“With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship and with all my worldly goods I thee endow.”
His voice was low and deeply moving and a strange sensation swept over Martina.
This might have been really happening. She might in reality have been standing here as Hugh’s bride, her hand clasped in his, while he claimed her in the same vibrant and emotional tone.
How much was he really feeling? Suddenly she would very much have liked to know.
Somehow the old priest managed to complete the ceremony, although his voice stumbled over Martina’s name and once he actually found it difficult to remember Hugh’s.
During the confusion they changed places once more, so that Harriet was standing beside Hugh when the priest finally declared,
“Forasmuch as Hugh and Harriet have consented together in holy wedlock – I pronounce that they be man and wife.”
Now it was time for the signing of the register. Martina’s name would be inscribed, but signed by Harriet.
At last it was all over. They moved out of the Chapel and into one of the finest rooms in the house where there was breakfast for everyone.
The priest, however, announced that he had another ceremony to perform in the next village, made his apologies and departed.
It was then that the two girls lifted their veils.
While they were processing into the other room, Hugh had stopped to speak to his secretary who assured him that the priest had become so bewildered by the two women looking exactly alike, that it was impossible for anyone to say that a marriage had actually taken place.
“Please write out your report in full,” Hugh told him, “and send it to the Bishop with my deepest apologies for this event occurring in my Chapel.”
“How are you going to explain to the Bishop that you allowed it to happen?” Martina enquired.
He stared at her.
“I beg your pardon?”
“What will you say if anyone asks why you didn’t put a stop to it at the time?”
“I was hoping that you could tell me that,” he said. “After all, this is your plan. I am merely following your instructions. This is no time to be telling me that they have a flaw.”
“But I cannot think of everything,” she protested. “I thought that being a man and so much more intelligent than a mere woman, you would know the answer.”
Hugh ground his teeth.
“Very well, how about this? I didn’t stop it happening because I was drunk. I had been carousing at my stag night and could barely stand up at the altar. You had to hold me up, or Harriet held me up – well, one of you did – or maybe both of you.”
“In that case I was mad to marry you,” Martina announced with spirit.
“There is certainly somebody mad around here,” he told her bluntly, “but it isn’t you. Anyway, there it is. I was too drunk to know what was happening.”
“How dare you get drunk the night before our wedding!” she pouted indignantly.
“Welcome to married life, Lady Faversham. This is how husbands and wives live. Men get drunk. Women put up with it.”
“Not this woman. And you cannot tell the Bishop you were drunk – ”
“If you are going to be a nagging wife I shall toss you in the river,” he threatened. “At any rate the Bishop will not ask me any questions because we will be far away before he finds out.”
He turned back to his secretary.
“When you write to the Bishop, say that as I was so stupid as to allow the wedding ceremony to become a muddle, I enclose a cheque for one hundred pounds as a donation. I hope he will be kind enough to assure me that I am, in fact, not married to anyone.”
“He will have to agree,” the secretary replied. “There was such confusion that I think there was one moment when the two ladies said part of the responses to each other rather than to the bridegroom.”
Hugh actually roared with laughter.
As soon as they had finished breakfast he declared,
“Now the sooner we sail away the better. When you have changed out of those wedding dresses we will be off. Your luggage is already loaded onto my coach, and my own suitcases went on ahead last night, together with a maid from my staff who will look after you on the boat.”
“How clever of you to think of everything,” Martina enthused. “I shall forgive you for being intoxicated on your great day!”
“Thank you, madam!” he said ironically.
Within a short space of time they were aboard one of Sir Hugh’s large carriages drawn by four beautiful black horses.
He stood outside while they seated themselves and then asked,
“Are you quite ready, Lady Faversham?”
There was a stunned silence, during which Harriet and Martina looked at each other.
“When you say Lady Faversham,” Martina queried delicately, “may I ask which one of us you are addressing?”
He grinned.
“Does it matter?”
“I suppose it doesn’t,” she agreed. “I am perfectly ready and eager to be gone. What about you, Lady Faversham?”
She inclined her head graciously towards Harriet, who inclined hers back, saying,
“I too am ready, Lady Faversham.”
Martina looked at Hugh.
“We are both ready, husband.”
Hugh’s lips twitched at this performance.
“In that case, my ladies, let us depart without further ado.”
He signalled to the coachman, climbed in and settled himself beside Harriet and facing Martina. Then they were off.
“You are now free,” Martina cried, seizing her friend’s hands.
“Can it really be true?” Harriet wondered. “They must have discovered by now that I have gone. Mama will have read my letter. But what will my stepfather do?”
“He will huff and puff all morning,” Hugh ventured, “and then he will read the letter that I sent him, informing him that I have married Miss Shepton and that Miss Lawson is accompanying us on our wedding trip.”
“You mean that the other way around,” Martina pointed out.
“Do I? Are you sure?”
“I am not sure of anything any more,” she admitted.
“Well, it scarcely matters now,” he said easily.
“You told him?” Harriet asked, wide-eyed.
“Naturally. What did you expect?”
“Well – ” Harriet made a helpless gesture.
“The ‘marriage’ cannot do you any good if nobody knows about it,” Sir Hugh pointed out gently.
“Oh – yes, indeed.”
Hugh’s eyes met Martina’s in a moment of shared humour as Harriet’s wits caught up with the situation.
“I also took the liberty of inserting a notice in The Times for tomorrow,” he added. “I do hope that you will not think that I was taking too much for granted.”
“Oh, no, no!” Harriet said. “Whatever you think appropriate.”
“You are too kind, madam. I predict that you will be the perfect wife.”
“Oh, but – ”
“Ignore him,” Martina advised. “He’s making fun of us. Nobody is married to anybody.”
“I am not so sure about that,” Hugh intervened wickedly. “I am still single, but I wouldn’t take a wager against the chance of you two being married to each other!”
They laughed and the atmosphere became more relaxed.
“You can make fun of us if you like,” Martina pointed out. “We are both so grateful to you. You have transformed the world almost as if you had waved a magic wand. I want to say thank you, thank you a thousand times.”
“Don’t thank me,” he replied genially. I am going to enjoy this trip with my two charming wives – er – friends. No, don’t glare at me. You have just said that I am entitled to my little joke.”
“And I expect we are going to hear a lot of that little joke,” Martina remarked eyeing him.
“Well, now and then. It is just the exhilaration of finding myself a newly married man, although I must confess I have been slightly disappointed in you two so far.”
“Why, whatever do you mean?” Harriet asked.
“He means something disgraceful,” Martina said, her eyes kindling. “Take no notice.”
“Oh, but I would not like to be remiss in my attention to a gentleman who has done so much for me,” Harriet responded. “Pray sir, what were you expecting?”
“To be covered in kisses, at the very least,” he answered outrageously. “I believe that is what a bride and groom normally do as soon as they are alone in the carriage that wafts them away to wedded bliss.”
“Behave yourself, sir,” Martina murmured.
But Harriet took it seriously.
“I did not realise – ” she began hesitantly.
“Take no heed of anything he says,” Martina told her firmly. “He does not expect to be kissed – not if he is a wise man.”
“But you, madam, have much reason to know that I am not a wise man,” he came back softly.
His eyes, meeting hers, offered a challenge. For some reason Martina found herself remembering the suffocating kiss he had forced on her yesterday and the blood rose in her cheeks.
“I think – ” Harriet started again.
Sir Hugh looked at her kindly.
“I think,” resumed Harriet, shy but determined, “that we have much cause to be glad that you are not a wise man, sir. For a wise man would never have embarked on this masquerade in the first place!”
Hugh broke into a smile.
“Charmingly stated, madam. At last, a lady who appreciates me.”
He said these last words with a sly glance at Martina who sat fuming in the opposite corner.
Then Harriet astonished everyone, herself included, by kissing Sir Hugh on the cheek.
“You have been so very kind,” she whispered softly. “Hasn’t he, Martina?”
“Exceptionally,” Martina replied coolly.
“Then aren’t you going to kiss me too?” Hugh demanded.
“I see no need.”
“Martina!” Harriet exclaimed indignantly. “Fie on you for being so ungrateful!”
“Fie on you again for being so ungrateful!” Hugh echoed.
His eyes were gleaming with fun in a way that delighted Martina and at the same time annoyed her.
Hugh sighed dramatically.
“It is so sad when a man is not properly appreciated by his bride – or, in my case, appreciated by one of them and not the other. What shall we do, my dear?”
He turned to Harriet.
“Shall we stop the carriage and dump her by the wayside?”
Harriet gave a little giggle. Martina ground her teeth.
“Oh, very well.”
To Martina’s surprise she felt suddenly shy, but she determinedly leaned forward and kissed Hugh on the cheek.
“Thank you, my love,” he cooed.
“You are most welcome,” she said untruthfully.
“You will observe, by the way, that I address you as ‘my love’ and Harriet as ‘my dear’.
“You don’t mind me calling you Harriet, do you?” he asked her quickly. “In the circumstances I can hardly address you as Miss Shepton. It would give rise to suspicion.”
“You are very right, sir,” she agreed.
“I think it best to address you differently in avoid to avoid confusion,” he continued, straight-faced. “In case I – er – forget which of you is which.”
Harriet giggled again. She seemed to have a taste for Hugh’s sense of humour.
It was a taste Martina did not share. In fact, she thought her ‘bridegroom’s, enjoyment of the situation most ill-judged.
It dawned on her that Hugh was not the tame pussy cat she had imagined and whom she had so carelessly ordered about.
In fact, she was beginning to realise that she had placed Harriet’s fate and her own, in the hands of a man about whom she knew absolutely nothing at all.
CHAPTER FIVE
Sir Hugh’s coachman drove them as far as Woking Railway Station, where they all boarded the train for Portsmouth. They reached the port at three o’clock in the afternoon.
The place was full of bustling life and both Harriet and Martina gazed entranced at the numerous ships.
Hugh had obviously sent instructions ahead that he was arriving and an official came hurrying up to them as soon as they arrived on the dock. He led the way, while several porters were instructed to carry their luggage.
The moment she saw the yacht Martina realised it was larger and more spectacular than she had expected. She had somehow thought it would be quite small and they would have nowhere to move about when they were aboard.
But what she found was a vessel over two hundred feet long, gleaming white except for a cheerful yellow funnel.
She gasped but said nothing. Hugh noticed her silence and remarked,
“I hoped you would be impressed by my yacht. I have had it for two years and it was designed to my own specifications. I am extremely proud of it and I sincerely hope you will be comfortable.”
“It is very much more splendid than I had expected it to be.” Martina exclaimed.
“That is because I have been travelling a good deal,” Sir Hugh answered. “I found that my old yacht, which I had owned for many years and was very fond of, was too small to carry all I need to take with me when I travel to the East and the West. The sea can be very rough at times.”
“I am sure we will be safe in this fine yacht, however rough the sea is,” Martina commented.
“I can promise you a comfortable journey, ladies. Now, shall we go on board?”
He led them up the gangway and immediately both girls found themselves immersed in a world of luxury and beauty such as they had never imagined.
The Captain greeted them and then Hugh personally escorted them below.
First they walked to Harriet’s cabin which was decorated in yellow and gold. She too gasped with delight and began to explore the rich furnishings.
The maid that Hugh had sent on ahead was already on board, unpacking her bags which had just been delivered fro
m the carriage. She began to show Harriet around, indicating the elegant appointments and the little private bathroom. Harriet was ecstatic.
“Let’s leave her to it,” Hugh whispered to Martina.
Taking her hand he led her to the next cabin which was the same as Harriet’s except that it was decorated in pink, with pink hangings and matching flowers. Like Harriet’s it boasted a large and comfortable-looking bed.
Both cabins were not only furnished with all modern comforts, but contained pictures and pieces of furniture which were delightfully a part of Britain’s history.
Martina had somehow never thought that Hugh was artistic in any way, but the pictures were magnificent. Most people would have thought them far too good to waste on a yacht.
“It is all so beautiful,” she breathed. “Your pictures are wonderful, your curtains and carpets are what one seldom sees anywhere except in a drawing room, and although I have not yet tried the bed, I am quite certain it will be very comfortable.”
“Try it,” he suggested.
Immediately Martina sat down on the bed and finding it soft and springy she bounced up and down with delight.
“In the past,” Hugh explained. “I have been so uncomfortable myself in rough seas and on hard beds that I was determined my beds would be a joy to sleep in.”
“I think you have been brilliant in creating such a masterpiece,” Martina enthused. “But I am equally sure that you enjoyed every minute of it.”
“You are quite right,” Hugh replied. “I did enjoy decorating this yacht, although not as much as I have enjoyed the thought of decorating my house.”
“Only the thought? Haven’t you made a start?”
“Oh, no, I am leaving that to you. No one could make my house more attractive than you!”
Martina drew in her breath.
Then, because she felt embarrassed, she walked towards the porthole and said,
“I think now that we are on board the sooner we put to sea the safer we will be.”
“We will be leaving at any moment. After departure I want you to forget everything you have just been through. The three of us are starting a great adventure.”
“Yes, of course,” she agreed brightly.
But even to herself her voice sounded false and nervous.
Journey to Happiness Page 6
