Sea of Lost Love (3 page)

“He's in terrible trouble. Oh, I do hate to burden you with it all, dear Monty, but I didn't know whom to turn to.”

“I'm glad you felt you could come to me.”

“You're such a good man.” She emphasized the word
good
so that it weighed heavily with all sorts of connotations. Celestria knew she was thinking of her mother.

“How much trouble is he in?”

Julia sighed heavily. Celestria leaned back against the wall like a spy and dared to peek in through the window. Her father had lit a cigar and was standing against the far windowsill on the other side of the room. His voice, firm and confident, seemed to soothe Julia's anxiety.

“Well, the farm was doing very well,” she continued with a sniff. “But you know Archie, he's always had one eye on the City. He felt it wasn't wise to have all his eggs in one basket, so he decided to put some of them into equities.”

Monty nodded gravely.

“He made some bad investments. Then he bought some of Tom Pritchett's land, adjacent to ours, in order to expand the farm. He borrowed money, and now, well, he's having trouble paying it all back. I think the interest is high and what with taxation.” She sank onto the sofa and began to cry again.

Celestria was aghast. It was horrid to see Julia, usually so cheerful, now crumpling with despair. She'd had no idea her aunt and uncle were strapped for cash. Well, she thought, Papa will put it all right. He's got pots of money.

Monty crossed the room and sat down beside Julia. “Don't worry, Julia, old girl,” he said, smiling. “I'll sort it all out for you. First, let me pay for Archie's party. I know how much these things cost. It would be a pleasure, but must also be our secret. I'd hate Archie to know. He's a proud man.”

“I'll pay it all back…”

“Consider it a gift. After all, you entertain me and my family here at Pendrift every summer; it's the very least we can do.” Julia sat up and took a deep breath, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

“Thank you, Monty. I knew I could rely on you. You're always there, a wonderful knight in shining armor. What would we do without you? You're a real brick.”

“You're a splendid woman, Julia. A terrific wife and mother. I'm glad you felt you could ask.”

“I know Archie would hate me to sneak about behind his back. But I'm desperate. I can't stand to see him so burdened. It depresses him, weighs him down as if he's carrying this heavy backpack all the time, full of unpleasant worries.” She smiled affectionately as she reminisced. “He was very different when I married him. Of course, when one is young, one believes one is invincible, and he never anticipated inheriting Pendrift until he was an old man. He certainly never realized it would be such a load. We all imagined Ivan would last forever. He might have a ghastly temper at times. I've never minded that. It's the troubled silence that sends alarm bells ringing. I'd far rather he tore the place apart in fury than fumed alone in his study. I can't reach him there, you see.” She sighed and placed her hand on her brother-in-law's arm. “I do love him so very much. I just want my old friend back. I know you understand.”

“I do. More than you know. And I want to do all I can to help.”

“I won't ask again, I promise.”

“You can ask as often as you like. You're family, and family must stick together.”

There was a noise from the hall. Julia jumped to her feet and smoothed down her blouse. “Goodness, that's Nanny with Bouncy. They must be back from the beach.” Before she hurried out she turned. “Our secret,” she repeated, smiling at him gratefully.

Celestria remained by the window, watching her father. He slouched back into the sofa and crossed one leg over the other. He continued to puff on his cigar, toying with it between his fingers and staring through the thin curl of smoke that wafted into the air. His eyes grew lazy, his thoughts far away, his face unusually solemn. She longed to know what he was thinking. Why he looked so grim. He didn't look himself at all. Suddenly she felt uncomfortable spying on him like that, eavesdropping and hearing things she was not supposed to. She retreated to her book and soon forgot all about it.

Instead of reading, she considered Archie's birthday party. She had two options of dress; one was pale blue silk, which brought out the color of her eyes, and the other dusty pink with a dashing red sash, which emphasized her small waist. The decision was agonizing. After all, Julia had invited the Wilmotte boys, who were all holidaying in Rock, and, if she remembered rightly, Dan Wilmotte was rather debonair.

C
elestria should have noticed that things weren't as they should be. The repercussions of Archie's predicament would touch them all in ways she could never have imagined. But she was young and selfish. All she could think about was the party. Her frocks hung in the cupboard like magic cloaks ready to spirit her off to a ballroom glittering with chandeliers and crystal, where men in white tie watched her with admiration, and women with envy. Where music echoed off mirrored walls and champagne bubbled in long-stemmed glasses. She was twenty-one, and she wanted to be in love.

Julia busied herself with her husband's birthday party as she did every year, and no one would have guessed that beneath her smile she was strangled with anxiety. A van load of men arrived to put up the tent, and caterers began to appear with boxes of glasses and crockery. Celestria watched them construct her fantasy with great excitement. It wouldn't be sophisticated like London parties, but she was so starved of distraction that she didn't mind. There would be plenty of people to admire her, and she would dance the night away with Dan Wilmotte in whichever dress she chose to wear. Finally something would rouse this sleepy crevice of Cornwall into action, and who knows, she might even fall in love. Her mother always said that love came when you least expected it.

Lotty and Melissa were just as excited as Celestria and faced with the very real concern of finding husbands. With her long auburn hair Lotty was the prettier of the two, but, as Pamela cruelly used to say, “in the kingdom of the blind the one-eyed man is king.” Neither dazzled, poor creatures. Like so many English girls they had oval faces with small chins and watery blue eyes, all inherited from their mother, Penelope. Pamela referred to that type of girl as “egg-faced.” Often the egg face was a sign of aristocratic blood—though not in Lotty and Melissa's case, of course. Milton had a strong, handsome face with big eyes and a firm, angular jaw, inherited by the fortunate David, who was also tall and athletic. What a pity his daughters hadn't been so lucky. Pamela was melodramatic and selfish, but at least she had given Celestria a beautiful face.

 

Down on the beach, the morning of the dance, Celestria escaped having to help Julia with the flowers. Melissa was too good-hearted to hide out with her, but she had managed to coerce Lotty into joining her. The girls lay on towels in the sunshine, while Bouncy dug a hole with Nanny and the boys played cricket with Purdy. Celestria wore a pair of white shorts and a turquoise shirt, knotted at the breast, that turned her gray eyes blue. Lotty wore white slacks—she didn't like to show her legs, they were as sturdy as a pony's—and a sunhat hid her fair and freckled skin.

“Are you sure we shouldn't be helping out?” she asked with a frown.

Celestria stretched lazily. “We'd only get in the way. Too many cooks spoil the broth. Besides, someone has to look out for the boys, as Nanny only has eyes for Bouncy.”

“Don't we all? I long for a baby,” added Lotty with a sigh.

“You have to find a man first, or didn't Aunt Penelope tell you the facts of life?”

A small smile crept across Lotty's face. “You can keep a secret, can't you?”

“You know I can,” Celestria replied, propping herself up on her elbow.

“I haven't even told Melissa.”

“Oh, I doubt she'd be able to keep a secret from your mother, and Aunt Penelope's got a voice like a foghorn.”

“So I can trust you?”

“Of course.”

She paused, then plunged in. “I'm in love, Celestria. Really and truly in love.” Her eyes shone with happiness.

“Who with? Do I know him?”

“That's the problem. He's not one of us.”

“Not top drawer?” Celestria was appalled but at the same time intrigued. If he was rich, what did it matter? “New money?”

“I don't think he has very much. He's a pianist.”

“Francis Browne,” said Celestria jubilantly.

Lotty looked startled. “How do you know?”

“He's your new piano teacher. Mama's considering getting rid of old Mrs. Gilstone and replacing her with him, which would be a blessing from my point of view. Mrs. Gilstone had bad breath. Your mother says he's rather good. He's obviously
too
good!”

“He's talented, sensitive, and kind.” Lotty's face, lit up by love, looked almost beautiful.

“Oh dear. I suppose he loves you back?”

“Yes. He wants to marry me.”

“You could always elope. That's very romantic and the kind of thing his sort do all the time, I should imagine.”

“Mummy and Daddy would die. I couldn't do it to them.”

“Well, you can't have both. Is he handsome?”

“Very. He's fair with a long nose and the loveliest brown eyes you ever saw. He calls me ‘Aphrodite.'”

“I bet he does. Has he kissed you yet?”

Lotty's face turned the color of a beetroot. “Yes. Only once. I'm longing to return to London to see him. He can't even write to me down here. Mummy would find out immediately. She wants me to marry Eddie Richmond.”

“Because he's rich and will inherit his father's estate in Northumberland.”

“He's perfectly nice; I just don't find him attractive.”

“There's more to a man than his chin, Lotty,” said Celestria facetiously. Lotty didn't smile. “He's got nice eyes. His front teeth stick out a little, but he's got pots of money. You have a nasty choice to make: love or money?”

“In that respect there's no contest. I'd choose love every time. It's Mummy who's the problem.”

“And a very big one, too!”

“It's the 1950s. A girl should be able to marry whomever she likes. We've come a long way since Emmeline Pankhurst chained herself to the railings.”

“If you marry Francis Browne, we'll all have free piano lessons!” Celestria added brightly.

“Don't be ridiculous, Celestria, we'll have to charge you double in order to live! Mummy and Daddy will disown me.”

“Oh, I don't think so. It could be worse. You could be in love with Father Dalgliesh!”

Lotty laughed. “Against all my principles, and I hope against all of yours, too!”

An icy wind blew in off the sea. Celestria shivered. Purple clouds gathered on the horizon, and Nanny pulled out a jersey for Bouncy. He saw her waving it at him and ran off down the beach, headed for the water. His laughter was carried on the wind like the cry of a gull. In front of him the waves had grown large and angry, pounding the sea like great lion paws. He dropped his spade, which Purdy seized with delight, casting aside the cricket ball. Nanny struggled stiffly to her feet and hurried off in pursuit of the increasingly distant figure. Celestria and Lotty watched in horror as Bouncy continued, seemingly deaf to the great lion's roar. Harry, Wilfrid, and Sam continued their game of cricket, oblivious. Only Purdy dropped the spade and began to bark in alarm.

The little boy reached the sea and stopped suddenly. Turning to his nanny, he began to cry. Beneath the darkening sky, the waves looked even more menacing. She grabbed his hand and led him away, scolding him fiercely for running off, which made him cry all the more. “You can't swim,” she was saying when she reached the girls. “The sea is dangerous for little boys like you.”

“Thank God he's okay,” hissed Lotty to her cousin. “That frightened the life out of me.”

“And Nanny. She's gone green! Look.” Celestria turned to Lotty, suddenly feeling rather chilly. “Don't make any rash decisions. I can't imagine it's much fun being poor. It certainly isn't romantic. You've grown up with money. You're used to it. You'd have a good life with someone like Eddie Richmond. He'd look after you and make life comfortable. You might even grow to love him over time.”

Lotty shook her head. “For a selfish creature, you can sound very sensible occasionally.”

“In the olden days women married men for money and land and took lovers on the side. I think that makes perfect sense, don't you?”

“But most of the time you're full of nonsense! Marriage is a sacred thing, Celestria. One makes one's vows before God. When I marry, I will vow to love my husband with all my heart. Adultery is out of the question, and it should be for you, too.”

“Where do I get these terrible ideas from?” Celestria said with a wicked smile.

“Must be your mother. She
is
American, after all.”

 

Nanny had brushed the sand off Bouncy, dried his tears, and put him in his navy blue jersey. “It's getting cold,” complained Harry. “We're going back to check the traps.”

“I bet we've caught a few,” said Wilfrid enthusiastically. “We stole Mummy's best cheddar.”

“And dipped it in Papa's whiskey,” Harry added with a chuckle. The three of them looked as smug as a band of triumphant thieves.

“Come on!” Sam shouted, already setting off up the path to the house.

“We'd better get you home,” said Nanny to Bouncy. “You'll need a nice cup of hot milk after your fright. I won't tell Mrs. Julia; it'll only worry her. Gives me the willies living so close to the sea.” Her face looked lined and pale as the wind caught the stray wisps of silver hair that had come away from her bun. “I knew a man once that drowned. They found his body on the rocks a week later, what was left of it. Nasty business. Didn't matter that he could swim. Made no difference at all. Poor sod. Come Bouncy, put that seaweed down, it's dirty.”

 

The girls walked ahead as the path was narrow and Bouncy walked slowly after them, his little hand in Nanny's old one.

“Do you think Nanny would have caught up with him if he hadn't stopped on his own?” Lotty asked quietly.

“No,” Celestria replied. “And I don't think she'd survive in that cold water, either. They'd both drown.”

“Should I tell Aunt Julia?” Lotty was shaken by what she had seen.

“No. Bouncy won't rush off like that again. He got a terrible fright. The sound of the waves was enough to put him off. Besides, Papa and your mother grew up all right, didn't they?”

“Nanny was younger then.”

They arrived at a house buzzing with activity. Julia had been transformed into a bossy sergeant major, shouting instructions to her small army of helpers. The tent was up, the floors laid, tables with white cloths adorned with glasses and plates piled high for the buffet. The smell of cooking wafted through the hall, causing Purdy to salivate greedily and make haste to the kitchen. Milton was carrying in chairs with Monty, while David made signs to put on the lavatory doors and Melissa and her mother helped Julia arrange the flowers. Lotty immediately volunteered to join her, gushing apologies for not having done so earlier. Celestria had one ally left: her mother. She knew for certain that she'd be as far as possible from all this hearty helping. When Celestria inquired after her, her father replied that she was feeling a little poorly and had retired to the small sitting room to read. Determined not to be roped into helping, Celestria said she would go and check on her. In the hall, she passed Harry, who was looking glum. “No rats?” she asked brightly.

“Got to help Aunt Julia,” he replied.

“Well, you're a man, and they need strong pairs of hands.”

“Where are you going?”

“Oh, I'm helping, too,” she lied. “Aunt Julia needs some cotton; there's a hole in the tent.” She pulled a face to fool him into believing that she was as exasperated as he was, then hurried off to find their mother.

Sure enough, Pamela was lying with her feet up on the sofa, a cup steaming on the table beside her, classical music giving the room a sense of serenity, her Pekingese curled up on her lap while she stroked him with long white fingers. “Poochi is terrified of the bustle out there. It's like a railway station at rush hour, and he hates railway stations,” she said when she saw Celestria in the doorway. “Your cheeks are pink. Where have you been?”

“On the beach.”

“In this weather?”

“Oh Mama, it's not cold.”

“That's your father in you. To me gray clouds, drizzle, and wind mean nothing but misery. I can't imagine anything worse than sitting out in it for fun.”

“It's not drizzling.”

“It will be in a minute. Look at those clouds, they're furious. Gives me a chill just looking at them. Why don't you join me in here; it's terribly dull on my own.”

Celestria slumped into the armchair.

“Ring for Soames. He can light us a fire.” She seemed to sink deeper into her white cashmere sweater. Celestria looked around for the bell. “Isn't there one in here? Why don't you run and tell him, darling, before your poor mother dies of hypothermia.”

Celestria was reluctant to go back into the hall for fear of being put to task, but her mother was determined to have her fire. So she did something quite out of character and bent down to light it herself. Pamela was appalled.