Part 3 (1/2)

The stagecoach, its roof heavily laden with luggage as well as a few male pa.s.sengers, rumbled noisily to a standstill beside them.

The guard jumped down to pick up Torilla's small round-topped trunk and placed it on the roof, before opening the coach door.

Torilla saw that there was one place left between two large, fat people taking up more than their fair share of the back seat.

”Goodbye, Abby,” she called and climbed in, apologising for knocking against the pa.s.sengers' feet as she did so.

She sat down, the guard climbed up on the box and Torilla bent forward to wave her hand.

Abby waved back.

She was smiling, although there were tears in her eyes as the coachman whipped up the horses a and the stagecoach started off again.

CHAPTER TWO.

The Marquis of Havingham drove his team of four perfectly matched chestnuts with a flourish into the courtyard of The Pelican Inn.

He was driving in his specially built travelling Phaeton, which was a sporty, open carriage lighter and therefore faster than any other vehicle on the road.

”I think we have made a record today, Jim,” the Marquis remarked.

”A fine performance, my Lord,” Jim replied knowing he would be able to relate it with relish to the other grooms he would meet in the taproom.

The Marquis looked round the crowded yard with dismay.

There were far more fas.h.i.+onable vehicles resting on their shafts than he had expected and after a moment he exclaimed, ”Of course! Doncaster Races. I had forgotten them!”

”I expect your Lords.h.i.+p'll be comfortable enough,” Jim said soothingly. ”Mr. Harris'll have seen to that.”

The Marquis had no doubts on that score, for by sending his valet ahead with his luggage he was always a.s.sured that the most comfortable rooms would be provided for him and that on his arrival everything he required would be waiting and ready.

He was, however, well aware that a race meeting in any town brought in the quality from far and near.

It meant that the inn staff would be run off their feet and it would inevitably be noisy, which after a long day on the road was something he seriously disliked.

But nothing could be done about it now and, as he stepped down from his phaeton, he almost regretted that he had not arranged to stay with friends as he had done on his way North.

”Who will you visit when you leave here?” his mother had asked before he left.

”I have decided to go South as quickly as possible,” the Marquis replied, ”and quite frankly, Mama, I found the majority of people I stayed with on my way here excessively boring.”

He did not add that one of the reasons for this was that he found the owners of the large and comfortable mansions who had welcomed him effusively had a habit of trying to thrust one of their daughters upon him.

He had enjoyed the few days he had spent at Woburn Abbey, Burleigh, and with the Duke of Darlington at his extremely impressive country house.

But the manoeuvres of his hostesses to engage his interest in their usually plain and tongue-tied daughters had made the Marquis long for the sophisticated, witty and beguiling women with whom he spent his time in London.

They were fortunately all married and, what was more, knew the rules of the game so there was no chance of his being threatened with a wedding ring, which in his private view was as inhibiting as a pair of handcuffs.

As he was already betrothed to Beryl Fern, the machinations with regard to matrimony, which he had encountered only too often over the years, had on this occasion irritated him all the more.

He had decided when he reached Harrogate that he had no intention of subjecting himself once again to the boredom of it.

”But you hate inns and hotels, dearest,” his mother had remarked in surprise.

”I know, Mama, but I only have to endure them for one night at a time and Harris makes me as comfortable as it is humanly possible to be in such circ.u.mstances.”

”I would be happier if you stayed with friends,” the Dowager Marchioness insisted.

”But I would not!” the Marquis replied. ”So cease worrying, Mama, and as usual I shall travel incognito.”

The Marquis was not only of paramount Social importance, but he was known as a racehorse owner over the length and breadth of the country.

This made him decide, when he stayed in inns, to use one of his minor t.i.tles.

He knew now that Harris would have booked him in at The Pelican Inn as Sir Alexander Abdy.

He would not therefore be disturbed by the 'hangers on' who always surrounded him on Racecourses, or who besieged him in London with pleas for help or, more difficult, pretensions to friends.h.i.+ps forged during the war.

He walked in through the side door of The Pelican Inn that opened onto the courtyard and found, as he had expected, that Harris was waiting.

Beside him was his senior groom, who he had also sent ahead in charge of his horses.

”Good evening, my Lord,” both men said simultaneously.

”An excellent run, Ben,” the Marquis said to the groom. ”'Those new chestnuts are worth every penny I paid for them.”

”I'm glad to hear that, my Lord.”

”I pushed them hard today,” the Marquis said, ”so you will have to take them easily tomorrow. Watch that new groom, he is a thruster.”

”I will, my Lord.”

The Marquis followed Harris along a narrow pa.s.sage and up an ancient oak staircase.

As he went, he could hear the noise in the coffee room and knew that the race-goers were already celebrating or drowning their sorrows after a day on the Racecourse.

As Harris showed him into a pleasant bedroom with a bow window and a four-poster bed that looked as if it might be pa.s.sably comfortable, the Marquis said, ”I had forgotten that the races were taking place at Doncaster this week.”

”I thinks your Lords.h.i.+p might have done that,” Harris replied, ”but as we never enters our animals for the Spring Meeting, I'm afraid, my Lord, it also slipped my memory.”

The Marquis was used to his senior servants identifying themselves with him and his possessions and he merely commented, ”I suppose the place is d.a.m.ned crowded, as might be expected.”

”I regret to say it is, my Lord, but a private room's been engaged and I doubt if your Lords.h.i.+p'll be very inconvenienced.”

He paused before he added tentatively, ”I regret, however, to tell you, my Lord, that I was unable to also engage the bedroom next to this.”