Part 47 (1/2)
Julia slowly shook her head from side to side. ”I don't care what you say. What's done is done. I gave my word I would marry Lord Melton and so I shall.”
Granny peered at her with her shrewd old eyes. ”I cannot see you married to that foppish dolt.”
”Well, you had best get used to the idea.”
”I won't. And furthermore . . .” A strange expression crossed Granny's face, almost as if she'd had some sort of revelation. ”I predict you are not going to marry him. Something's going to happen that will make you change your mind.”
”Would you mind telling me what?”
”I don't know yet.”
Julia laughed wryly. ”This time you're wrong, Granny. I have lost Robert for ever and must make the best of it. Nothing on this earth could make me change my mind.”
Notified of Lady Harleigh's illness, Lord Melton sent his best wishes for a fast recovery, adding he would await ”that fervently antic.i.p.ated moment when she would be well enough to receive guests again”. He didn't have long to wait. After making a remarkably swift recovery, Julia's mother not only abandoned her bed, she began planning a dinner party for some of her finest, most prestigious friends, including, of course, Lord Melton. She even invited the Prince Regent himself. Though Prinny refused, citing an important engagement elsewhere, her elation knew no bounds when the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Sherford accepted. ”A Knight of the Garter will be at our table!” she elatedly declared.
An invitation was sent to Lord Melton ”and guest”, as was the proper etiquette. Naturally Mama expected him to come alone, but when Melton returned his RSVP stating he planned to bring a guest, she grew alarmed. ”Is it a woman? Do you suppose he has found someone else?”
”Nonsense, my dear,” her husband rea.s.sured her, ”no one could replace our daughter. The dinner party will give Julia the perfect opportunity to give Lord Melton her answer. You have nothing to fear.”
Over the next few days, Julia wondered who Melton's guest could be. In her heart she fervently hoped he had indeed found someone else and had lost all interest in her. Or . . . could he possibly be bringing his brother? She had not heard from Robert since she sent him her farewell note. Not that she expected a reply or deserved a reply. But despite her decision to marry Charles, thoughts of Robert filled her mind nearly every waking moment. How could she live without him? How could she ever be happy again? She wondered, too, how Robert felt. Had she broken his heart? Was he as devastated as she? Why hadn't she heard from him?
On the night of the dinner party, Julia, dressed in a daringly low-cut gown of white bombazine, performed her hostess duties as if by rote. Standing in the entry hall beside her parents, she was greeting guests when she saw Lord Melton pull up the drive to the front portico in his curricle. Robert Carstairs sat by his side.
Her pulse pounding, she watched Robert alight with infinite grace from the curricle. Never had she seen him so splendidly attired, looking every bit as das.h.i.+ng as his brother in a double-breasted wool frock coat with claw-hammer tails, long trousers, waistcoat, Hessian boots with a ta.s.sel, kid gloves and scrupulously tied cravat.
As the two approached, Lady Harleigh hissed behind her fan, ”It's that ruffian of a brother! What shall we do?”
Her husband whispered back quickly, ”We shall receive him graciously, my dear. We have no other choice.”
Lord Melton approached and bent low over Julia's hand. ”I am delighted to see you again, Miss Winslow. I trust you will save some private time for me later on this evening?”
”Indeed I shall, Lord Melton.” Her spirits sank to a depth even lower than they already were. How could they not be low when she was only hours away from making a commitment that would last a lifetime, seal her wretched fate for ever?
Melton moved on as Robert approached and bowed. ”Miss Winslow,” he murmured. If he was heartbroken and devastated, it certainly didn't show. In fact, a faint light twinkled in the depths of his brown eyes, almost as if he knew something of interest she didn't yet know.
”Mister Carstairs,” she murmured back. She wanted to say more, but other guests arrived and Robert moved on. She didn't get a chance to see him again until they sat down to dinner and she found both brothers seated across from her. Although she tried to avoid it, Robert occasionally caught her gaze. What was that faint light still gleaming in his eyes? Again, she had the feeling he possessed knowledge of something she as yet didn't know. But what? she asked herself miserably. Their affair was over. Done. She would never make love with Robert Carstairs again.
During the soup course, Lord Melton began expounding on the subject of Hatfield Manor, his newly purchased estate. As the whole table listened, one of the guests remarked, ”I understand your estate includes the ruins of an old monastery.”
Melton smiled, eager to answer. ”Indeed, you are referring to Swindon Abbey.”
”I hear it's one of the most beautiful of all the monastic ruins. Do you plan to restore it?”
Melton's laugh boomed around the table. ”Actually I have just completed my plans. As you know, a good abbey ruin is a fine feature for a gentleman's park. In a manner of speaking I shall restore it, although-” he stole a quick glance at his brother ”-not as some would like.”
”What do you plan?”
”I will convert the south-west tower of the church into a shooting box. Perfect for hunting. Of course, those arcades will have to come down first thing. Otherwise, they'll block my view.”
Robert spoke up. ”Tell us your plans for a quarry, Charles.” He was addressing his brother, yet his gaze was fixed on Julia, as if he was waiting to see how she would react.
”Ah, yes, the quarry,” Melton enthusiastically replied. ”Did you know there's good money to be made from the ruins of these old monasteries? I plan to sell the stones for paving roads and the like.”
Julia nearly choked on her spoonful of turtle soup. When she was able to speak, she asked in a shocked voice, ”Everything, Lord Melton? The church, the cloister, the storehouses . . . oh, surely not the monks' quarters!”
Melton nodded equitably. ”Actually the old monks' quarters are the perfect size for the brewery I intend to install. As for the rest, except for my hunting tower, I intend to demolish Swindon Abbey down to the last stone.” With a chuckle he added, ”In other words, I shall finish what Henry the Eighth started, eh?” Amidst sporadic laughter, he sat back with a pleased smile on his face.
Swindon Abbey demolished? Throughout the rest of the meal, Julia remained in a state of shock, hardly knowing what she ate, if she ate anything at all. When she accidentally caught Robert's eye, she observed what appeared to be a faintly perceptible knowing smile on his face. Not only that, but his eyes held a question, as if he were asking, Now what will you do? Do you still plan to marry my brother, the greedy fool?
She thought long and hard. By the time the ladies adjourned to the drawing room, with the gentlemen remaining behind for their brandy and cigars, she had made up her mind and knew exactly what she was going to do.
Later in the evening Julia led Lord Melton into the library. After firmly shutting the door, she turned to face him and said without preamble, ”I am grateful for your offer, but I cannot marry you.”
Lord Melton's perennially smug mouth dropped open. His eyes bulged like some recently caught fish. ”Am I hearing you correctly?”
”Indeed you are, sir. I would be doing you a disservice if I married you because I don't love you and never could. Furthermore, I could never love a man who would destroy the beautiful ruins of an ancient monastery.”
Truly taken aback, he replied, ”The ruins of Swindon Abbey are but an eyesore! I don't understand.”
Why bother explaining? With his shallow mind he would never understand. All she could do now was soften the blow. ”You are a remarkable man in many ways, Lord Melton. Handsome, charming, indeed, the catch of the season. I can name any one of a number of young ladies who would sell their souls to capture you.”
Her flattery caused Melton to give her a self-satisfied nod of agreement. To her relief, although he had obviously been taken by surprise, he seemed less than devastated. In fact, she had the distinct impression he would have shown more feeling had he lost his favourite cook.
After the barest of pleasantries Melton departed, leaving her standing in the library feeling as if a tremendous load had just been lifted from her shoulders. But she didn't feel that light-hearted. She still had her mother to worry about and Robert . . .
”May I come in?” Robert's voice. He was standing in the doorway.
”Please do, Mr Carstairs.”
”Charles just told me.” He closed the door behind him and strode to where she stood. ”By G.o.d, I was right!” he exclaimed.
”Right about what?”
”I knew you could never marry a man so cra.s.s, so insensitive that he would desecrate the ruins of Swindon Abbey.”
How well he knew her! ”I could have forgiven him anything but that.” Nervously she bit her lip. ”I can only hope my mother will understand.”
”She just might not be as upset as you might think,” he said in a voice so positive she wondered if there was something else he wasn't telling her. But before she could ask, he took her in his arms, gave her one long, pa.s.sionate kiss and declared, ”I want to marry you. I cannot give you everything my brother could, but I have a good income, and as a matter of fact-”
”Say no more.” She touched a finger to his lips. ”Of course I'll marry you. I would marry you if you hadn't a farthing to your name.”
As he kissed her again, she reflected that now only one dark cloud hung over her otherwise brilliantly s.h.i.+ning horizon. She wondered if her mother would understand and could only pray the shock wouldn't kill her.
Lady Harleigh was chatting with the portly Duke of Sherford when Julia and Robert entered the drawing room. When the Duke saw Robert his eyes lit. ”Ah, Carstairs! I haven't had a chance to congratulate you yet.”