Читать книгу The Cavendon Women - Barbara Bradford Taylor - Страница 10

It was a wonder, this garden, with its low privet hedges in front of the raised banks of glorious flowers. So beautiful, in fact, it took her breath away.

A smile of pleasure crossed Charlotte Swann’s face, and she felt a rush of pride. Her great-nephew, Harry, had created this imaginative effect in the pale green sitting room of the South Wing.

It reminded her of the indoor garden she herself had designed for this same room, some years before. Thirteen years, to be exact, and she had built it for the main summer event that year, the annual supper dance, to which the aristocracy of the county was invited.

The evening had been memorable in every way, and Lady Daphne had stunned everyone with her incomparable beauty, wearing a gown of shimmering blue-green beads the colour of the sea. Everyone had talked about it for weeks, and Charlotte had never forgotten how she’d looked.

Her mind still on Harry, Charlotte suddenly thought what a pity it was he’d had a change of heart. He was such a gifted gardener, with a great eye for form and colour, and his gardens outside were works of art, in her opinion.

Unfortunately, he had lost interest in being a landscape gardener. Instead he wanted to be an estate manager, relishing the idea of working with Miles and learning from Alex Cope, who had replaced Jim Waters as estate manager at Cavendon two years ago.

Harry’s rebellion had taken place at the beginning of the year, and it had shaken his father, Walter, who had felt betrayed when he realized his son was contemplating leaving Cavendon.

His mother, Alice, hadn’t been quite so surprised. She had known from the moment Harry had returned from the Great War that he had been changed considerably, affected by the brutality and wholesale killing he had witnessed at the front.

All the returning soldiers had been changed by their experiences, even her husband. While Walter was more contemplative, her son had acquired an independent attitude, become quite ambitious for himself; he felt he was owed something by society.

It was Cecily who had asked Charlotte to intervene, and she had. It had taken only a few words with Lord Mowbray, and then Alex Cope, for her to help Harry up the Cavendon ladder.

‘Is it all right, then?’

Charlotte jumped, startled at the sound of Harry’s voice. She swung her head. He was leaning casually against the door frame, a quizzical look on his face.

‘More than all right,’ she answered. ‘It’s beautiful. Harry, you’ve outdone yourself.’

‘I think I inherited what bit of talent I have from you, Aunt Charlotte.’

‘Oh, you’re a much better gardener than I am, a true professional, and it was good of you to take the time and trouble to create it. Thank you, Harry.’

‘It was my pleasure, and my way of saying thank you to you for helping to sort things out with Dad,’ he answered, and strolled into the room. ‘I’d like to ask you something …’ He stopped, became hesitant, as if changing his mind. He let his sentence trail off, stood silently next to her chair, obviously at a loss.

She looked up at him, thinking what a handsome young man he was. At twenty-eight he was tall, like his father, and had inherited the striking Swann looks, his features chiselled, the thick hair the same russet brown as hers. He even had her greyish eyes with that odd tint of lavender peculiar to the Swanns.

‘Is there something wrong, Harry?’ she asked. ‘You seem worried.’

‘Not worried, just curious, I suppose. I’ve been wondering why you asked Ceci to help Miles? With the upcoming events tomorrow, and on Sunday. Couldn’t he have teamed up with one of his sisters?’

She shook her head. ‘Daphne is too busy, Dulcie too young, DeLacy too depressed. As for Diedre, she’s far too intellectual for such mundane matters like arranging events for a family get-together. Ceci was my only choice, because I think he needs back-up.’

‘Poor Miles. I feel sorry for him, working with my sister. He’ll get frostbite.’

Charlotte laughed, shaking her head. Harry’s tone had a pithy edge, but then he always had an appropriate retort on the tip of his tongue.

‘I did have another reason though,’ Charlotte now volunteered.

‘I thought as much,’ Harry answered. ‘He’s so worn out and damaged. Miles needs some kindness. And Ceci will be kind to him, even though I know that deep down she’s still angry.’

Charlotte eyed Harry, thinking how astute he was at times. But then he knew his sister well, and he and Miles had been friends since boyhood, had grown up here.

‘It did strike me I might be playing a dangerous game, getting them together,’ she said. ‘But then I realized they are both adults. Grown up enough to handle themselves, and their problems.’

‘I agree.’ He moved away, went to look at the flower beds, took a dead head off a bloom, put it in his pocket. Without looking at his aunt, he murmured, ‘You’re expecting some sort of trouble, aren’t you?’

‘To be honest, I’m not sure. A lot of mutterings and dire warnings perhaps, nothing we can’t cope with. On the other hand, I thought it better to be prepared. And there’s nobody like Cecily, when it comes to taking control of a difficult situation. Also, she can be neutral, very calming and rational. I’ve always told her she would’ve made a good diplomat – she’s a really good negotiator, you know.’

‘Who’s a good negotiator?’ Lady Dulcie asked from the doorway, and walked into the room, looking beautiful in a primrose-yellow summer dress. At eighteen she was very much the same person she had been as a child: outspoken, with a quick, facile tongue. She was no longer afraid of Diedre, but cautious around her eldest sister, and automatically wary. Self-confident, sure of herself socially, she had a superior intelligence.

To Dulcie, Charlotte was like a mother; she had brought her up, alongside Nanny Clarice, and with Daphne’s help. These three women had been the biggest influences in her life.

Gliding across the room, her face filled with smiles, Dulcie went straight into Charlotte’s outstretched arms. The two women hugged, and then stepped apart.

Charlotte said, ‘It’s lovely to see you, I’m so glad you’re back. I’ve missed you. London was nice though, wasn’t it?’

‘It was, Miss Charlotte, and I really enjoyed staying with Aunt Vanessa. She helped me so much with my art history studies, but I’m very happy to be home.’ Glancing at Harry, whose eyes had never left her, she blushed slightly as she said, ‘Hello, Harry, it’s nice to see you.’

He inclined his head, his face also full of happiness. ‘Welcome back, Lady Dulcie,’ was all he managed to get out. Inevitably, he became tongue-tied when the Earl’s youngest daughter was present. She was so beautiful, he became lightheaded whenever he was in her company. He adored her, secretly yearning to know her better.

Charlotte took charge. ‘Look at the beautiful garden Harry’s created, Lady Dulcie. For the dinner tomorrow evening. It’s superb, isn’t it?’

‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ Dulcie answered. Turning to Harry, she added, ‘Congratulations, you’re a true artist.’ Then she laughed. ‘I remember now, I did see one like it years ago, when I was about five. I barged in here, all covered in chocolate, just before the big dance was about to start.’

Charlotte smiled, remembering this incident herself. She hadn’t been present, but she had certainly heard all about it the next day.

‘Apparently none of the ladies was able to come near you, since you were covered in that chocolate. At least, so I was told. They were afraid of the chocolate getting on their gowns.’

Dulcie grinned, then asked, ‘Where’s Daphne? Do you know, Miss Charlotte? I haven’t been able to find her.’

‘I’m sure she’ll be back in the conservatory by now. She told me she was going there to check on all her seating plans.’

‘Then I shall go there. Once you’ve told me who the good negotiator is.’

‘Why Cecily, of course,’ Charlotte answered.