Part 30 (1/2)
”They've found the excuse they were looking for,” Adam Fairley said, turning to Charles. ”We'll be in the middle of a war before we can blink. No question about that.”
Everyone at the dinner table was silent, staring at Adam. They took his words seriously. He was the new chairman of the board of The Yorks.h.i.+re Morning Gazette, and the majority stockholder in the newspaper. He usually had the latest news before everyone else, because he had access to so many news sources, including Reuters.
”You're referring to the a.s.sa.s.sination by that Serbian nationalist of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife, aren't you, Adam?” Charles a.s.serted.
”I am indeed. It was late in June, in Sarajevo, as we all know. Suddenly Austria-Hungary is bearing down on little Serbia, issuing fierce ultimatums, demanding permission for their officials to go into Serbia to find and punish those responsible for the deaths of the archduke and his d.u.c.h.ess. From what I gather, the Serbians have agreed to certain demands, but want to negotiate others, and there's some kind of standoff between them.”
”Let's hope that someone over there has a bit of common sense,” Hugo exclaimed. ”Because if war breaks out, it will be a war of attrition, and it won't be over in a couple of months.”
”Why not?” Guy asked. ”Wars don't usually last very long.”
”One did!” Charles cut in. ”It was called the Hundred Years' War.” This was said in a jocular way, and he winked at his son. Everyone laughed.
Olivia Fairley, Adam's second wife, murmured in her lovely, lilting voice, ”My mother believed that if the world was run by women, there would be no more wars. I tend to agree with her.”
Guy gazed at Olivia with interest. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, and her words intrigued him. He asked, ”Why is that? I mean, how could women avoid wars, if men can't?”
”My mother said men don't bear children, women do,” Olivia explained, smiling at him warmly. ”And after carrying a child for nine months, a woman isn't going to put her son at risk when he's an adult. So no more wars, no more killing. The Woman's Rule, she called it.”
”Actually, I believe there's a lot of truth in that,” Daphne said. She was tired of all this talk of war. It frightened her. She was certain Hugo would want to go and fight, he was such a patriotic Englishman. His country meant a lot to him, which was why he had come back here.
Diedre cleared her throat, and said to her father, ”I told you what it was like in Berlin, when I was there in May, Papa. The Germans do nothing but discuss war. If they do get into the fray, it will be a b.l.o.o.d.y war, lots of casualties.”
Adam said, with a quick nod, ”You're absolutely correct, Diedre. Thank G.o.d Churchill was aware of the kaiser's efforts to create a stronger German navy in 1911. That was when Churchill started to build the new Dreadnought battles.h.i.+ps, and powerful s.h.i.+ps they are indeed. Winston was determined to uphold our naval superiority on the high seas, and he has done that, thank G.o.d. The Royal Navy is the greatest in the world, nothing compares to it. Can't say that for the army, or the air force, though.”
”I understand from a friend of mine that the army is a bit disorganized,” Hugo remarked. ”Although I hear Churchill is now trying to do something about that, and about the air force, as well.”
Before anyone could respond, or make a comment, Hanson appeared with the two footmen, and dessert was served.
Daphne, wanting to lighten the atmosphere, started to talk about the Glorious Twelfth and the commencement of the grouse season in August. Adam Fairley joined in immediately, understanding what she was endeavoring to do, which was change the subject. And talk of war ended, was replaced with more social topics, gossip and discussions about the latest plays in London, the newest books.
Later, after dinner, the men retired to the library for cognac and cigars, and war instantly came up again. It was Adam who started it. He said to Charles, ”Look here, there are a few things you should know, old chap. If a war starts in Europe, we'll be in it because we signed an entente with France ... to come to their aid, if they're attacked.”
”I was aware of that,” Charles replied. ”And I think we have one with Russia as well, if I'm not mistaken. It's called the Triple Entente.”
”We do. I know you're aware that we don't have a compulsory draft system here. Joining any of the armed services is voluntary. But you and I will not be expected to fight.”
”Why not?” Hugo asked, then answered the question himself, when he said swiftly, ”Oh, that's because you're both over forty. That is correct, isn't it?”
”Yes,” Adam replied. ”I've been informed privately that the War Office will ask young men from eighteen to thirty to join up. Anyway, I'm afraid I have bad eyesight, so I wouldn't be any use to them, even if they needed me.”
Charles nodded. ”So do I. I just had an eye test the other day, and apparently I need spectacles.”
Glancing at Charles, Hugo said in a low voice, ”My friend with the connection in the War Office told me that the aristocracy may be asked to make a truly big sacrifice. If there is a war. And that is opening up part of their stately homes, to help the country.”
Charles eyed Hugo quizzically. He then sat back in the chair when a terrible truth dawned on him. ”For the wounded soldiers! That's what you're getting at, isn't it? The government antic.i.p.ates huge casualties, don't they? And they foresee most of our hospitals being overloaded, filled to capacity. The War Office will need our homes because they are so large. They're going to need wards for wounded soldiers.”
Hugo stared at him, and nodded.
”I don't care. I'm willing to open up two wings of this house if it helps our troops. What troubles me is hearing that the War Office expects such huge casualties before we're even at war. Why, in G.o.d's name, would we allow ourselves to be pulled into this quarrel between those European countries? We're hard to invade. We're an island race. We can defend ourselves with our fantastic navy, if we're attacked. So we should just stay out of it.” Charles sounded irate.
”It's the politicians,” Adam answered in a voice of disapproval. ”And the noisy, greedy, hungry, ambitious rulers. King George's cousin leads the way. Kaiser Bill is about to go on that rampage we've been expecting, mark my words. He wants an empire like ours.”
”That he'll never have!” Guy exclaimed, his face flushed, his blue eyes flas.h.i.+ng.
Charles looked across at his oldest son, and thought: Oh my G.o.d, he'll want to volunteer, to be a true patriot, to fight for king and country. I've got to stop him if war does come. I can't let him put himself at risk. He's my heir. He's the future of the Inghams.
The following morning, Charles went to the library to read the newspapers. As usual he became even more alarmed when he saw the dire stories, and blaring headlines predicting that war was imminent.
He had been in the library for only fifteen minutes when there was a knock on the door, and Daphne looked in. ”Am I disturbing you, Papa?” she asked.
He shook his head, smiling at her. ”No, and you look lovely. I missed you at breakfast.”
She walked across to the Chesterfield sofa where he was sitting, surrounded by the newspapers. ”Well, now that I'm a married woman, I'm allowed to have breakfast in bed, you know. And it was a rather late night.”
”It was. But what a treat to have Adam Fairley for dinner. We're such old friends, and we don't get to see enough of each other. His wife is nice, isn't she?”
”Olivia is charming, and beautiful. I liked her tremendously,” Daphne said, and sat down opposite her father. ”I want to speak to you about something,” she went on. ”Something that's been troubling me.”
”You sound serious. What is it, darling?”
”It's about you and Mother, Papa. Is there something wrong? What's going on? I don't understand.”
”Please close the door,” he said.
She did as he asked, and then returned to the chair, sat looking at him, waiting for his response to her question.
She couldn't help thinking how handsome he looked today. July weather had been nice so far, and he had been outside a lot, checking on the walls going up. And he had acquired a light tan, which made his eyes look bluer, and his hair was blonder, also from the sun. He was forty-five, but he appeared younger, his face relatively unlined. He was also a good man, kind and caring not only of his family and the Swanns, but everyone who lived in the three villages. They were his people, and he felt responsible for them and their well-being. Unlike many t.i.tled aristocrats, he treated everyone the same, with graciousness and dignity, and he was not at all sn.o.bbish. He was her moral compa.s.s and she respected him. She had always striven to be like him.
Daphne focused her deep blue eyes on her father intently, and said, ”Why are you so silent? Aren't you going to tell me why the two of you are living apart, well, more or less?”
Charles sighed, and stretched out his long legs, and after a moment he said in a low voice, ”I was wondering where to begin, actually.”
”Just blurt it out, Papa, that's what I do when I've something difficult to say,” Daphne said solemnly.
Charles laughed for the first time in weeks. ”That's what I'll do, too. Your mother left me the morning after Dulcie was almost abducted in the bluebell woods. If you recall, she went to London. In fact, the night before, she told me she didn't want to ... live with me anymore. She even told me I could have a divorce, if I wished.”
”I can't believe this!” Daphne cried, her eyes wide with shock. ”Why on earth did she pick that night, when we'd all been so upset and strained at dinner, because of Dulcie's narrow escape? I don't understand. Did you? Do you?”
”To be honest, no. Not really. Look, I've given you this in a nutsh.e.l.l, and it's between us. n.o.body else has mentioned your mother, none of your sisters or brothers. At least, they haven't asked why she's away. What I'm telling you is confidential, Daphne. I know you realize that.”
”I do, and I would never discuss it with anyone, not even Hugo, if you don't want me to, Papa.”
”I think, at the moment, I would prefer to keep this between us, Daphne. Not that Hugo would talk, but, well, it's nicer to keep quiet for your mother's sake, don't you think?”