Chapter Fifteen
Three weeks later
It was the day of the school’s summer fete, and Tilly had asked Kate if she would come and help her with the refreshments. Kate had been into the school several times lately to hear the youngest ones read and she’d loved it, so she readily agreed to serve the cakes and scones to the parents.
Harriet, of course, came with her and helped too.
It was a gorgeous day with only the occasional cloud sailing across the blue sky—quite perfect in fact for the games that had been organised for even the smallest of the pupils, with prizes for all.
The vicar’s wife, Mrs Pritchard, supervised the proceedings with brisk efficiency and after the cakes and tea had been handed out she came over to Kate to say, ‘Thank you for your assistance, Miss Summerby. I very much hope you’ll continue visiting us next term, to help the children with their reading? ’
‘I would love to. I love being a part of this. It means a great deal to me.’
Mrs Pritchard’s businesslike expression softened. ‘My dear, it does to all of us.’ She walked away then to organise the next game, but Kate wasn’t alone for long. ‘Miss Summerby!’ piped up a little voice. ‘I’ve made a picture for you. Do you see?’
Kate looked down to see Tilly’s seven-year-old granddaughter, Jane, holding out a drawing of a cottage with flowers all around. ‘It’s lovely, Jane. Thank you so much.’ Kate stooped to hug her.
‘It’s a happy picture,’ said Jane, ‘because I want everyone to be happy.’
‘Of course. That is a wonderful thought.’
Jane trotted off to draw more pictures, and Kate tried to smother the sudden ache in her throat. She hadn’t cried since Dan left, and she wasn’t going to start now. It was foolish to weep for something that could never be hers.
I have this, she told herself, looking around. I have something useful to do with my life, taking care of my aunt’s house and spending time with these lovely children.
She did not think Dan would ever betray her by talking of their night together.
She guessed too that if only for his own sake, he would make sure the story of that hateful bet was silenced for good.
But it had happened, bringing back memories of the humiliation that ended her Season—only this time it was far worse.
With the Viscount’s son, she had realised his trickery early on, but with Dan she’d had time to expose herself to real hurt.
It was three weeks now since the races, and she had gone over the day’s catastrophic events again and again.
Occasionally her despondency even gave way to cruel hope.
After all, she told herself, that wager hadn’t been aimed specifically at her, and she couldn’t help but believe that his regret over his folly had been genuine!
But regret wasn’t enough. The whole episode had been a stark reminder of the world he lived in—a world of cynical pleasure, where that kind of cruel prank was only a typical example of how men of his class entertained themselves.
Had she really imagined she could heal his bitter cynicism? If so, she’d been a fool, once again.
Since then, several people had taken great delight in informing her that the Earl’s house was up for sale and was already attracting interest, so this summer of dreams was over indeed—just like the dreams of happiness she’d once had before her illness struck.
Dan, she guessed, would have left the sale in the hands of his agent and most likely wouldn’t be coming to Brighton again, so any gossip about the Earl and his neighbour would swiftly be swept aside by some fresh scandal.
But Kate knew that the deep hurt she felt would never fade from her memory.
Carefully, she folded Jane’s sweet picture and put it away in her pocket then went to show some little ones how to play a game of hoopla. Very soon it was time for the school choir to perform the songs they had been practising for weeks, and Kate settled down on the grass to listen.
Some of the singers were out of tune. One little boy just gazed around without singing at all, and altogether it was so delightful that Kate was smiling, but there was also the huge pain of loss squeezing her heart.
She couldn’t stop thinking of Dan’s house standing empty now.
She even missed the racket of those damned parties…
She jumped to her feet as she heard Mrs Pritchard calling, ‘Miss Summerby! Please, do come and join us. We have a very special surprise guest!’
The vicar’s wife had several people with her, and Kate went slowly, reluctantly even, to join them. When she saw who else was there, she halted, feeling suddenly unsteady. No. No, it can’t be…
‘Miss Summerby,’ Mrs Pritchard was saying importantly, ‘this is the Earl of Rivington, who is the generous benefactor we have to thank for the restoration of our precious school. He didn’t want it to be known, did you, my lord?
’ She beamed up at him. ‘But as is the way, word is getting around, and Kate, I thought that you would like to be presented to him.’
Kate braced herself to meet his blue gaze.
In many ways Dan looked just the same. He wore a flamboyant green coat that was no doubt wildly expensive, a loosely knotted yellow necktie and his usual riding boots and breeches.
His thick brown hair looked as unruly as ever, but he also looked tired and the angles of his face seemed sharper than usual, as if he hadn’t been sleeping.
She couldn’t quite read his expression, but when he spoke to her at last, she detected hesitancy. Uncertainty.
‘Miss Summerby,’ he said. ‘They tell me you’ve been helping here.’
Nearby, several young boys had started squabbling over a ball game and Mrs Pritchard dashed off to make peace, leaving Kate alone with Dan. But what could she say?
So much had happened between them in a short space of time.
So much had been lost. She said at last, as lightly as she could, ‘Yes, I’ve been coming here quite often, partly because I enjoy it, and partly because it was my aunt’s dearest wish to have this school opened again.
But, Dan… Am I to understand you had something to do with it all? ’
‘You could say so,’ Dan said quietly. ‘You see, I paid for the restoration.’
When Dan looked at Kate, he saw many things.
He saw that she was every bit as beautiful as he remembered, in that yellow summer frock that reminded him of sunshine and with her long fair hair caught up loosely beneath her straw hat.
He felt a vicious stab of regret as he recalled the lavender scent of her skin, the honeyed taste of her kisses and the exquisitely intimate feel of her body entwined with his.
Once more he remembered those words of hers: You must not let your bitterness over the past define you.
But he had, and at such a cost. He should have clung tightly to this unique woman and declared openly what he felt for her—and then, maybe, she would have been able to forgive his many unforgivable errors.
He realised she was speaking again, as well as shaking her head in bewilderment. ‘I had no idea,’ she said, ‘that you made such a generous gift. No one told me.’
‘That’s because I asked for the gift to be anonymous.’
She nodded but still sounded hesitant. ‘I knew that the old building had become derelict long ago. My aunt once told me how she had begged the Town Commissioners for money to restore it, because there was no schooling for the children living nearby.’
‘She explained that to me too,’ Dan said. ‘I told her that I would donate the necessary funds to ensure it was rebuilt. The work began at the same time as the building of my new house.’
‘So my aunt knew, before she died, that the school would become a reality?’
‘She knew.’
Kate was gazing up at him. ‘Why didn’t you tell me this before?’
‘It didn’t seem relevant. Also, I wanted my name kept out of it, although I suppose I always knew it couldn’t be kept quiet for ever.’
Some children raced past them in a game, and a small boy fell over next to Dan. Carefully Dan picked him up and set him down securely again. ‘There you are, little fellow. Off you go.’
Both Kate and Dan watched as the boy ran happily back to his friends. Then Kate said, ‘I imagine that, as well as visiting the school, you will have come about the sale of your house.’
‘My house? Yes, there are decisions to be made. But neither the house nor the school are the main reasons why I’m back in Brighton.’
‘No?’ She looked up at him, surprised. ‘Then why…?’
‘Kate,’ he said, ‘There’s only really one reason why I’m here—and that reason is you.’
He saw both the shock and the doubt that clouded her eyes, and he thought, what now? How did he tell this unique woman what she meant to him, and how desperately he regretted hurting her as he had?
There was a marquee nearby where all the food was set out, so he took her hand and drew her around the side of it to give them a little more privacy.
‘I wanted,’ he said, ‘to tell you that I’ve been thinking hard about my future—and about my past.’ He could tell from her expression that she didn’t trust him.
Most likely she would never trust him again, but he pressed onwards.
‘My brother, Oliver, you see, has discovered some information about our mother.’
Instantly her expression changed to one of concern. ‘Then was what Cecily told you a lie?’
‘Cecily was right to tell me that our mother died long ago in Le Havre. But I know now that she wanted to get home, Kate.’
‘Home to England? To her family?’
‘Yes. You see, in our London house, Oliver found some old letters she had written to my father. In them, she begged him to let her see her sons and also told him she regretted terribly what she had done.’
Kate was listening intently. ‘Do you know if your father replied?’