She smiled back. “Thank you, Hugo.”
Hugo felt himself growing hot all over, and he quickly stepped away, headed across the floor to join his aunt. He took charge of himself at once, knowing he must not display any emotions in front of his family, especially if Daphne was present. He had to be calm and collected; the absolute gentleman. Nothing must appear to be improper.
Lady Gwendolyn had a loving smile on her face when he bent down to kiss her cheek, and she squeezed his arm. He sat down on the sofa next to her, and took her hand in his.
There was a tremor of emotion in her voice when she murmured, “Thank God you’ve come home at last. I’ve worried about you for years, Hugo.”
“Well, here I am, Aunt Gwen, and glad to be back. I’ve missed you … missed everybody really. But you most of all, you know.”
She was unable to speak for a moment, and he noticed the glint of tears in her blue eyes.
He said quietly, “Before we start catching up, I just want you to know I haven’t come here to claim Little Skell Manor. I don’t want it; you can live there as long as you want, for the rest of your life, Aunt Gwen.”
“I never thought you were going to turf me out, Hugo. You were the kindest of boys, and I didn’t think you’d changed. I loved you, and I still love you. You’re rather like the son I never had, and I was devastated when you were sent away. It was unconscionable of your mother. She really was mentally unhinged after Peter drowned. Still, there was no reason to blame you.”
She sighed. “I grieved for you, but your father told me he often saw you … I knew Ian would never abandon you. He loved you.” She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Here you are now, and thank you, by the way, for Little Skell Manor. But I never thought you’d want it.”
Hugo was silent for a moment, touched by her words. At last, he said, “So, tell me everything that’s happened since I’ve been gone.”
Lady Gwendolyn chuckled. “Not much, darling. I just carry on, potter around, go up to town occasionally, to see friends, have quiet dinners and, of course, I can’t do without the theater. So I’m quite sure you have more to tell me. Oh and Hugo, I must offer you my deepest condolences. Charles told me you were widowed a year ago. I am so very, very sorry, my dear.”
“Thank you, Aunt Gwen. I must admit, it has been hard. Unfortunately, Loretta was ill with consumption, which is why we moved to Zurich, for the mountain air, and the good sanatoriums.” He let out a sigh. “She was too far gone, too ill to get better.”
He shifted slightly on the sofa, and looked off into the distance. “I realized how lonely I was in Zurich, and one day I just knew I had to live in England again. It was such a strong desire I finally made up my mind to come home … you see, I yearned for my own people, for all of you, and for this Yorkshire land I know so well.”
* * *
Later, once the afternoon tea was over, Charlotte, Alice, and Cecily walked back to Little Skell village together, taking the path through the park.
At one moment, Alice said, “Hugo wants to buy a property here, as close to Cavendon as possible. But there isn’t anything around, at least not for sale.”
“He told me the same thing,” Charlotte remarked. “I mentioned a couple of estates near Middleham, but he wasn’t interested.”
“I know he wants to settle in Yorkshire, he told me so. Now that he’s widowed, he’s lonely. He wishes to be with his own people,” Alice said. “In the last year he’s yearned for Yorkshire, at least so he confided.”
Charlotte nodded. “Maybe he wants to get married again. After all, he’s only thirty-two. He’s good-looking, very eligible, and extremely successful in business.” She suddenly began to laugh. “He’s not only looking for a house, but a wife most probably.”
Cecily pricked up her ears, and looking at her mother, she said, “I think he’s found her already.”
Alice was taken aback. She came to a standstill, stared at Cecily. “What do you mean?”
“I think Hugo has found someone to be his wife.”
“Don’t be so silly! He’s only been here for a day!” Alice exclaimed.
“Yes, I know that, Mam, but I watched him, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. You were all talking to each other, eating, and mingling. I was sitting alone on the seat in the other bay window. I just sat and watched everyone, all of you. But it was Hugo who I watched most, because whenever he thought no one would notice, he was staring at her … sort of … longingly.”
“But who was he staring at?” Charlotte asked, sounding a little impatient.
“Daphne.”
Charlotte was flabbergasted, and she exchanged a glance with Alice, who was also shocked.
There was a small silence.
Cecily broke the silence when she cried, “Don’t you believe me, Mam? I’m not inventing it. I’m not. I’m not!”
“Yes, yes, I do believe you,” Alice was quick to answer, giving Charlotte a sideways glance, raising a brow. “I just don’t know how I could have missed his interest in her, that’s all.”
“I do. He was very … clever about it, throwing her a glance, staring, eyeing her, sort of … secretly,” Cecily explained.
“Do you mean surreptitiously?” Charlotte asked.
“Yes, that’s the word, Aunt Charlotte.”
“Did Daphne notice, do you think?” Alice wondered out loud.
Cecily shrugged. “I’m not sure … maybe. No, I don’t think so. She’s used to people staring at her, because she’s so beautiful. She probably didn’t think anything about it, even if she did notice, and just took it for granted, that’s all.”
“And why do you think differently, Cecily? What made you say Hugo might have found a wife already?” Charlotte asked softly.
Cecily stared at her great-aunt, who she knew was very clever. After all, she’d worked for the fifth earl for twenty years, and was considered very intelligent.
Better be careful, Cecily warned herself, and thought very hard. She cast her mind back to the tea; in her mind’s eye, she pictured the yellow sitting room, Daphne in the blue dress, sitting with Alice. And Hugo. Handsome. Charming. Moving around the room. She focused on him intently, and closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she said, “It was written all over his face.”
“What was?” Charlotte asked. Although she thought she knew what Cecily meant, she needed to probe deeper, to be sure.
“What he felt,” Cecily murmured. “It was … like a longing…” Cecily shook her head. “I don’t know how to describe it, not really.”
“I do,” Charlotte said softly, turning her gaze on Alice. “I believe it’s called love at first sight.”
Alice nodded. “Perhaps,” she said noncommittally, but her mind was racing.
Charlotte was silent. She began walking again, and Alice and Cecily kept up with her until they arrived in the village. Once her house came into view, Charlotte said, “I’d like you to come inside for a moment, Alice, and you too, Cecily.”
They did as she asked.
Charlotte led them into her sitting room overlooking the garden, and after turning on a couple of table lamps, she said, “Please sit down for a moment. I won’t keep you very long.”
Alice said, “It’s all right, Charlotte, we have plenty of time.”
Once Alice and Cecily were settled on the sofa, Charlotte took the chair opposite. Leaning forward intently, she looked from Alice to Cecily, and said quietly, “I believe you, Cecily, because I know you are extremely observant. What you saw on Hugo’s face was emotion … he probably is unusually attracted to Daphne.”
Cecily nodded. “I know he is,” she asserted confidently.
“You cannot tell anyone what you’ve just told me and your mother. This must remain a secret. It must be our secret.”
“Oh,” Cecily said, sounding puzzled, then asked, “Why?”
“At this moment, Daphne Ingham has to be protected. By the Swanns. Don’t ask me why, because I cannot tell you. Eventually you will know,
because your mother and I may well need your help. Do you understand?”
“You mean I can’t tell Miles or DeLacy that I saw Hugo ogling Daphne all the time?”
“That is correct.”
“But they’re Inghams.”
“That does not come into play here,” Charlotte responded adamantly. “And if they noticed anything, and mention it to you, dismiss the idea as silly. What you told us about Hugo is our secret. No one else must know. Tell no one. Trust no one. Trust only the Swanns. You do understand this, don’t you, Cecily?”
Cecily realized that her aunt was in deadly earnest, and extremely serious. She said, “I understand that I cannot tell anyone anything. And I know what I saw must be a secret.”
“Correct. You know the motto? The oath?”
“Yes.”
“You will take it now, for the first time. And you will honor it all of your life.”
“Yes, I will.” Cecily stretched out her arm and made a fist. “Loyalty binds me,” she said.
Charlotte stiffened her arm, clenched her fist, and put her hand on top of Cecily’s. “Loyalty binds me,” she repeated. Alice followed suit, and did exactly the same thing.
“It is done,” Charlotte said. “You are sworn to protect the Inghams. You must never fail. No Swann ever has.”
* * *
It was twilight when Charlotte walked across the street to speak to Alice. She was opening the white garden gate when Alice appeared on the doorstep of her house, and walked down the path to meet her.
Charlotte said, “I’ve been thinking … I believe it would be better for the Swanns to stay on the sidelines for the moment.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Alice said, leaning against the gate.
“Ceci said that Hugo was ogling Daphne; that was the word she used. It doesn’t really mean anything, does it? Men ogle women all the time.”
“That’s true … you said you thought it was love at first sight, though,” Alice remarked, giving her a very direct look.
“Yes, because Ceci said Hugo had a look of longing on his face. Maybe I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”
Alice bit her lip. “I understand, but you know she can’t get involved with him on any level, Charlotte, not in her condition. My God, what if he somehow found out … discovered our secret? That would be disastrous!”
“You’re up at the house all the time, handling the clothes, and I shall be there more often. Charlie asked me to do some secretarial work for him. We’ll just have to keep our eyes wide open, Alice, and mostly focused on Daphne.”
“Yes, you’re right. It’s the only thing we can do really.”
A reflective look crossed Charlotte’s face, and she said quietly, “When I had a problem, or David had a problem, and we couldn’t solve it, he’d just shrug and say, ‘Life usually takes care of itself.’ And in this instance, I suppose we must have that same attitude. Let’s just leave it alone, and let life take care of itself.”
Alice reached out, touched her arm affectionately. “That’s right, we just have to wait and see what happens. You could be right, maybe it was love at first sight. Then we’ll be in a pickle, won’t we?”
Charlotte shook her head. “Not necessarily,” she murmured, and gave Alice a knowing look.
Twenty-six
Felicity knew within the first few minutes that the supper dance was going to be a great success. First her three eldest daughters, and then her two sons, had exclaimed about the beauty of the rooms in the South Wing, as they arrived in the pale green drawing room. And now Hugo was doing exactly the same.
“I don’t know how you managed to do it, but you’ve turned the green drawing room into a fantastic garden, Felicity,” Hugo said, glancing around. “It’s quite magical, Charles, isn’t it? And so are the other two rooms.”
Her husband smiled, nodded, and looked pleased, but made no comment, because he knew as well as she did that she had not had anything to do with it.
Swiftly, Felicity explained, “I can’t take any bows, Hugo, and neither can Charles, for that matter. Hanson and Mrs. Thwaites had the foresight to clear the three main public rooms. They moved some pieces of furniture into various bedrooms, and then the gardeners took over. They brought in the plants and flowers that bedeck this room, the pink dining room, and the blue drawing room as well.”
“And that room looks fantastic, too, Mama,” Guy interjected. “It never occurred to me that it could be turned into a ballroom. But it works perfectly. It’s just the right size. Now we’ll know for the next time.”
Felicity smiled. “Thank you, but as I said, I can’t take any accolades this time.”
Diedre had been glancing around for a moment or two, and now she said, “I love the way this room looks, Mama. It’s like a … painting, yes, that’s it. All the colors work together. The pink peonies, the white roses, the blue delphiniums and foxgloves all blend well together. It’s very artistically done. I didn’t think Bill Swann had that kind of talent. I know he’s the head landscape gardener, but this is…” Her voice trailed off when she saw her father staring at her curiously, and frowning.
Charles said, “Bill is a good head gardener. However, this room was created by someone with genuine artistic ability. Charlotte Swann built this gorgeous indoor garden, as she often used to do for my father when he was alive. I suddenly remembered that the other day, and Charlotte got to work immediately when I asked her. And you’re correct, Diedre, it is like a painting.”
“Oh my goodness!” Daphne exclaimed, and they all followed her gaze, saw Dulcie standing in the doorway in her nightgown, her face covered in chocolate, and her hands as well.
“I’ve come to the party,” she said, and smiled at them.
Felicity took a step forward and stopped, looking down at the lavender chiffon gown she was wearing, thinking of the chocolate on her child. Then she shook her head as she saw DeLacy make a move to hurry to Dulcie. “Don’t go to her,” she said.
“We’ve either got the greatest escape artist in the world, or we need a new nanny,” Charles exclaimed, glancing at Miles. “Go and find Miss Carlton, please, and ask her to come for Dulcie.”
“Why don’t I just take her to Nanny?” Miles suggested.
“Because somehow she’ll manage to get chocolate all over your white shirt and tie,” Charles explained, and shook his head, wondering how Dulcie had found her way to the South Wing.
At this moment, much to everyone’s relief, Maureen Carlton, the nanny, appeared, looking flustered and upset. “I’m so sorry, your ladyship,” she said, addressing Felicity. “I turned my back for a moment and she managed, somehow, to vanish. I’m so very sorry. Really so sorry.”
“It’s all right, Nanny,” Felicity answered in a low voice. “But I think it would be a good idea to scoop her up right now, and take her back to the nursery. Guests are about to arrive at any moment.”
“Yes, m’lady,” the young woman answered, and swept Dulcie up into her arms; she disappeared as fast as she could.
It was Hugo who broke the silence when he started to chuckle, and soon they were all laughing.
“Thank goodness you didn’t go and pick her up, DeLacy,” Miles said. “Your rose chiffon frock would have been ruined.”
The thought of another ruined frock made DeLacy wince, and she remained silent. The ink-stained white dress would haunt her forever.
Hugo said, “One must admit, she is rather adorable, though.”
Charles laughed. “True. And I must admit, I dread to think what she will be like when she’s fifteen, and not five.”
“Still a little madam, I’ve no doubt,” Diedre muttered.
Great-Aunt Gwendolyn, who was standing next to her, whispered, “Sshhhh, sshhhhh,” and drew her across the room toward a bank of lilies.
Hugo heard Diedre, and he quickly jumped into the conversation, when he said, “I must compliment you, Aunt Gwen, you do look wonderful in your royal purple tonight. So do all of you, ladies. Very be
autiful indeed.”
His eyes lingered a moment too long on Daphne, who was a shimmering sliver of sea colors, in an extraordinary evening gown made entirely of blue, green, and turquoise beads. Her beauty was incomparable.
Suddenly feeling self-conscious, he walked swiftly across the room to Felicity, and took hold of her hand, kissed it. “You’re as lovely as you were sixteen years ago. Charles is an awfully lucky man, Felicity, awfully lucky indeed. How I envy him.”
She smiled, and touched his arm in an affectionate manner, then answered in her low, soft voice, “Thank you, Hugo. You always were very gallant, and hopefully you’ll meet a fine woman one day who will become a lovely companion, and your wife perhaps.”
“I hope so, yes.”
At this moment Hanson arrived, accompanied by two footmen.
Charles looked across at him questioningly. “Are the guests arriving?”
“Yes, my lord, they are. And all at once, it seems.”
* * *
Felicity sat with Lady Gwendolyn on a sofa at one end of the blue sitting room, which had been transformed into a ballroom.
Furniture had been moved around so that it encircled the room. It was set against the walls, and the large Persian rug had been removed to reveal a wood floor. An array of potted palms, flowering shrubs, and urns of flowers gave the room a garden feeling, as in the pale green drawing room and the rose-pink dining room.
“The supper was particularly delicious,” Aunt Gwendolyn said, turning to Felicity, giving her a warm smile. “I must say Cook outdid herself tonight. The salmon mousse was perfect, and I loved the tiny lamb chops. As for the desserts, they were mouthwatering.”
“Everything was delicious,” Felicity agreed. “And Cook did have the foresight and experience to get in extra help from the village. So it all went smoothly. Altogether, we were sixty-two people at supper, you know. Quite a lot to cook for.”
“And most of them now appear to be dancing, and having a grand time. Where did you find this rather good little orchestra?”
“Hanson discovered them in Harrogate, and they are good, I agree with you.”