CHAPTER TEN #2
158‘Murder?’ Lord Barkby now looked grim.
‘If nothing else, ask yourself this. A sudden and unexplained death is investigated by the coroner. Had there been a suspicion of foul play there would have not been a verdict of accidental death, and it would have made the newspapers and been widely discussed. Not that you should need that as “proof”. You have met Lady Dembleby often enough, Mama. You cannot tell me she is not honest and decent.’
‘Well, Mrs Cheddleton did say Mrs Liscomb said Lady Dembleby, our Lady Dembleby, said that he died in a hunting accident.’
‘Which is a lot of “saids” but actually goes to the truth of the matter. At which point I ask you how could Lady Dembleby have “killed her husband”? Did she cast caltrops across the hunting field?’
‘What is a caltrop?’ Her ladyship was briefly diverted.
‘Never mind.’ Lord Barkby still looked severe.
‘Perhaps he was driven to it? Perhaps he set his horse at an impossible fence wanting to end it all.’
‘Why on earth would he want to do that?’
‘Because of his unhappy marriage. She has made no effort to hide the fact that it was not happy, Benfield.’
‘No.’ He did not reveal what more he knew of that.
‘But she has also said he ignored, rejected, his daughter. He was a man who wanted an heir at all costs, no doubt. Such a man would not be careless of his own life. What you have heard is wicked gossip within which the only nugget of truth is that Dembleby died.’
‘But—’
‘But nothing, Mama. What you have been told is the 159whisperings of women with nothing better to do. That awful Mrs Cheddleton heard it from someone who heard it from someone else, and so it goes on, malicious and ever more fictitious.’ He set the newspaper, forgotten in his hand, down with a slap.
‘But the Dowager …’
‘The Dowager sounds a spiteful woman who thinks she can turn a man who fell off his horse into a martyr, perhaps, or simply did not like her daughter-in-law and always took her son’s side in matters.’
Lady Barkby, who could at least believe the last part of this being true, since she could never imagine not taking her own son’s side in all things, sighed. ‘It makes things very awkward though.’
‘In what way?’
‘Well, do we receive her? Not that I will be paying calls for a long time, but … And I was thinking that eventually it would be nice to have her to dine, since there are so few younger people in the district your own age, other than Simmondley, whom I dislike, such a … worm, and Miss Lipscomb, who is scarce out and unless she has improved rapidly in the last few months, is rabbit-toothed and has freckles. I assume a lotion might work upon the freckles, but there is nothing to be done about the teeth.’
He let her distract herself for a few minutes and then stood, shook his head and walked towards the door.
‘Where are you going, dear?’
‘Why, Mama’ – he turned, and smiled – ‘to see Lady Dembleby of course.’
160He wondered, as he rode the short miles to Elliston Court, if he was being rash.
It had been the first thought that had come into his head, to show his support by going to her, but the more he considered it, the less sure he was of his reception.
Well, she had invited him to come and see Emily, so that was what he was doing.
He rode round the back of the house to the stables, where he dismounted and handed Jester over to Josiah Wyre.
Then he walked back to the front door and presented himself formally, telling Leece that he was come to pay his compliments to Miss Emily, and probably a giraffe.
‘I will enquire if Miss Emily is receiving visitors, s— my lord’ – Leece did not so much as let a muscle quiver – ‘and inform her ladyship of your arrival, of course. If you would care to wait in the morning room, my lord?’ He ushered him in, and Barkby went and warmed his hands by the fire, his mind full of what she had said in this room last time he had been here.
It suddenly seemed so long ago. It was a thoughtful, serious face he turned to the door as it opened, and Louisa Dembleby entered, with Emily holding her hand.
She looked strained, taut, but the child wriggled her hand from the larger one and ran forward, all smiles.
‘Barky sir, you come to see me.’
‘I do, Miss Emily.’ He bowed, which brought her up short.
‘Oh.’ She almost fell into a curtsey, but it did not stop her flow of words.
‘I have a Nark, Barky sir, and it has lions and horses and sheep and giraffes.’ She made ‘giraffe’ sound as though there was no ‘i’ in it.
‘They have long 161necks, look.’ She thrust towards him a wooden giraffe that had got slightly tangled in her petticoats as she bobbed up and down. He crouched, and took it.
‘That is a very fine giraffe, Miss Emily.’
‘The animals go in two by two,’ she revealed, in a voice that showed it had been taught as a chant, then added, ‘and the roof has holes.’
‘Does it?’
‘For giraffes to stick their heads out.’ She nodded vigorously, and held out her hand so that it might be given back. He handed it over.
‘That is very sensible. Why do you think they have long necks?’
‘To see over everyone else.’
‘They certainly do that.’ He dared to look at Lady Dembleby. There was that brittle look to her he had seen before. ‘Her language has come on very noticeably since October.’
‘Yes, indeed. I think Betty’s ears must ache by the end of the day.’ She gave a tight smile.
‘How is Just A Horse?’ Emily reclaimed his attention.
‘He is very well. He is in your stables now, nice and warm, while I visit you.’
‘Has he had apples?’
‘Er, some. Mostly he has hay and bran and oats.’ He watched the little face frown in thought.
‘He eats porridge. I have porridge.’
‘Do you?’
‘Yes, for break’ast.’
‘Excellent. It is very good for you, porridge.’
162‘Give giraffe a name.’ Her mind returned to her toy.
‘Er, George the Giraffe.’
‘Yes. George. And the other one?’
‘The oth … oh, her name shall be Georgina. I had an aunt called Georgina and she was tall, but not as tall as a giraffe.’
‘No’ – the child giggled – ‘or her house needed hole in the roof.’
Lord Barkby laughed, and it was the first genuine laugh since his father’s death.
‘Miss Emily, you are a wonder. Bless you.’
Emily looked a little perplexed. ‘I did not ’tishoo.’
‘You did not … ah, yes. My apologies.’
‘Emily, it is time you said goodbye to Lord Barkby. You must take George back to see Georgina.’
For a moment Emily looked mulish, but Barkby nodded at her and smiled.
‘You must do as your mama says,’ he said gently. The little girl sighed.
‘Bye-bye, Barky sir.’ She paused, bobbed another curtsey, but then, to his astonishment, stepped closer and put her arms as far about him as she could, and kissed his cheek, which she could reach without standing on tiptoe.
She then ran back to her mama as he stood up, blushing, but as she was led to the door, she turned her head and waved. ‘Come and see me soon.’
‘I will, Miss Emily. I will.’
She was ushered out by her mama, and there was a low-voiced interchange in the passageway, presumably with the waiting Betty. Lady Dembleby returned, and the 163softness that had been present with her daughter in the room had gone. She looked tired and … angry.
‘Why did you come, my lord?’
‘You said that I would be welcome, and that Emily would be pleased to see me. However, only the latter appears to be true.’
‘I am surprised you dare, sir.’
‘Dare?’
‘Have you not heard, my lord? I am apparently a husband killer.’ She almost spat the words.
‘Whatever else, ma’am, I am not an empty-headed fool. The tittle-tattle of women with nothing better to do does not interest me.’ His voice was very calm and even, in contrast to hers. He noted her hands, clenching and unclenching. ‘You are too sensible a woman yourself to be overset by gossip.’
‘Am I?’ She gave a bitter laugh. ‘I wish that I shared that belief.’ She looked him in the eye, and for a moment he wondered if she was trying to draw that confidence from him.
There was a silence, before she spoke again, stiffly formal.
‘I am sorry, how rude of me. Do take a seat, sir, and I will ring for wine.’ She moved to the bell pull, tugged it and sat upon a sofa, her hands clasped in her lap.
He sat also, facing her. Leece entered, and was sent for wine. She knew she was being watched, not stared at, which was a surface thing, but watched as though he was surveying her within.
‘How is Lady Barkby?’ she enquired, and felt her voice did not sound her own.
‘Finding things difficult. I think in part I began to grieve 164when I returned home in September and saw how ill my father had become, what was inevitable. But, you see, Mama was with him every day, so that his decline seemed less obvious, and perhaps she kept reality at bay. I do not know. For the present she is … confused, although that is not the right word. It is as though she is functioning in a fog, finding it difficult to discern anything, make any decisions, even small ones. I think the best way to describe her may be “lost”.’
‘I am sorry for it. Please, give her my very kindest thoughts … if she will accept them.’
‘Lady Dembleby …’ He halted as Leece came in with the wine, and tried to marshal his thoughts until he withdrew. ‘I cannot see why you take this so much to heart, ma’am. It is the interest of a few days to be superseded by someone’s daughter being delivered of a baby, or going down with influenza.’
‘You do not understand.’
‘No, so explain to me.’
‘I do not have to.’ She looked very defensive.
‘No, but I think if you cannot then you need to ask yourself if you are not running from shadows.’
She wished he would not sound so calm, so reasonable.
‘It is easy for you; you are a man.’
‘What is easy?’
‘Ignoring things that are said. You say it is but gossip, and it is, but it is more than that. It is poison. Nobody has come here in the last fortnight except Lady Holdenby.’
‘Who is a forthright old dame, but a good judge of people.’
165‘Who is determined to be contrary, and not be one of the crowd.’
‘And did she give you advice? She is a lady never afraid to do that, from my experience.’
‘She told me to “brazen it out” and wait for it to pass.’
‘Then she spoke sense.’
‘But do you not see, it will lie in memory to be dredged up whenever someone objects to a comment I make or an action I take.’
‘Ignore it.’
‘But it all comes from him, from Dembleby. I am shackled to him and his ill-feeling as I am to his name.’
‘He need not, and …’ For a moment, Barkby paused. ‘There is a practical solution to the second part.’
‘Solution?’ She frowned.
‘Yes. Marry again. Marry me.’ There, he had said it.
She stared at him as if he was insane.
‘Marry again?’ She made it sound as if he had suggested drinking hemlock.
He expected an outburst of outrage to follow, but she sat there, breathing rather fast, just staring.
Eventually, she seemed able to formulate what she needed to say.
‘Can you imagine it? They would be watching us, watching you, in case …’
‘I ceased breathing? Oh, well I am generally considered a healthy fellow, and I would not do anything likely to cause my sudden demise. I am also accounted a good rider, not wishing to boast, so I am unlikely to copy Dembleby.’ He sounded strangely cheerful.
‘This from the man who has faced potential death twice, to my knowledge, in the last year?’
166‘Unlikely to encounter French infantry in the lanes of Somerset, and we have accounted for the only dangerous villains known in the area in the last decade.’ He was still smiling.
‘I cannot … And you do not mean it.’ This time she spoke more to herself, and she looked confused.
‘No.’ She rose, and he stood also. ‘This is madness. I have already made my decision. I am hiring a house in Bath for some months, and we will live there, where I am not known, and when it is all long forgotten, then perhaps I may return. I have come to love this house already. I do not want to be hounded from it forever. I cannot … and I will not be deceived a second time.’
He shook his head. ‘You distrust men because you think they do not tell the truth, my dear, yet you want me to give you the comfortable lie that what I said was upon the spur of the moment and not meant. Well, I will not give you the comfortable lie but the uncomfortable truth. I love you. I no more doubt it than I doubt the sun rises in the east. I will keep on loving you, for I have never met a woman like you in all my life. I would offer you my heart and soul and body, but I know that now you want none of them. Instead, I beg that you accept my friendship, and my promise that if there is any way in which I may serve you, at any time, tell me and I will strive to do it, at whatever the cost.’ There was no trace of funning in his voice.
‘You cannot offer such a thing.’ Her voice was barely a whisper, for his depth of feeling almost frightened her.
‘I can. I do.’ He had such confidence. There was a silent moment, and then he added, sombrely, ‘And Bath is but 167an hour away. A horse may reach it easily, but so may foolish words.’
With which he bowed, turned upon his heel and walked out of the room.
She stared at the door after it shut behind him as though she could still see him, the tall, broad-shouldered and straight-backed soldier in his regimentals, who favoured his left leg a little, even now, and with that black glove that covered the ruined hand.
There was a sudden tightness in her chest, and she put a trembling hand to her mouth.
‘I have never met a woman like you’, he had said. Well, she had never met a man like him.