The Landower Legacy (53 page)

I withdrew myself. I said: “You shouldn’t be here like this. Any moment one of the servants might see you.”

“I’m tired of this,” he said. “Something must be done. I shall never let you go. I’ve got to do something. I’m desperate, Caroline. I’ve never let life get the better of me yet and I never will. And this is the most important thing that has ever happened to me.”

“As important as saving Landower for the Landowers?”

“More important than anything in my life.”

“You can’t do anything about it, Paul. It’s too late. You saved the house. I know how you felt. It had to be done … that was how you saw it. It can’t be undone now.”

“There must be a way out. I’ll ask her to release me.”

“She never would. Why should she? It’s part of the bargain. She loves Landower. She loves her position. She bought it. It’s hers and she will never give it up … any of it.”

“There will be a way … and I will find it.”

“Paul, you frighten me a little when you talk like that. There’s a look of fanaticism in your eyes.”

“I am fanatical … about you.”

“You are jealous because you think I will take someone else.”

“Yes, I’m jealous. I won’t stand by and see you do it. It’s the child, isn’t it? That’s changed you. You want to make it right for her … or what seems right and cosy. You want children. Of course you do. You’re seeing everything differently. I’ve noticed the change in you since you came back from London.”

“Wouldn’t you expect me to change? I loved my sister. I know I didn’t see her often but she was always there. We were very close to each other and she has left me her dearest possession … her child. Wouldn’t you expect me to change?”

“Caroline, my love … of course I understand. But it’s too big a price to pay. You think it will all be neatly rounded off, but it won’t be like that. A marriage that is wrong for you is just about the biggest tragedy that can happen, and it doesn’t make it any easier to bear because you have brought it on yourself. Don’t seek an easy way out … as I did. Learn from me. I have seen you and him and the child together. It looks idyllic and you think it is the answer. It isn’t, Caroline. My darling, I am not going on like this. I’ve been thinking of it … I’ve thought of nothing else … night and day. We’re being foolish. We’ve got to do something. This love of mine for you … and I believe you could feel deeply for me too … it can’t be ignored any longer.”

“My dear Paul, what are you suggesting?”

“If you can’t have exactly what you want … take what you can?”

“What does that mean? Furtive meetings? Where? In some inn a few miles away … holding secret meetings … I don’t think either of us would be very happy.”

“How can we be happy now? I want you with me at Landower. I want our nurseries opened up. I want a happy life with you.”

“It’s something we can’t have,” I said. “It’s crying for the moon.”

“It’s nothing of the sort. Who wants the moon? And you and I could work out something. Instead of which you are getting ready to plunge into disaster … as I did … because it seems an easy way out.”

I heard the sound of footsteps in the hall and I sprang away from him. I said in a loud voice. “It was good of you to call.”

I stepped into the hall. One of the maids was just going up the staircase. I walked towards the door and he followed me.

I said: “There is so much gossip. I believe the servants watch our movements. Moreover I think they listen at doors. Information gleaned passes through the ranks and it sometimes comes to the ears of the master and mistress of the house.”

We came out into the courtyard.

I said: “You must not be so vehement, Paul.”

“How can you do this?” he demanded.

“I have to live my life. You have to live yours.”

“I won’t let it happen.”

“I must go,” I told him. “I promised Livia I would take her for a ride in the paddock.”

He gazed at me in despair; and then I saw a look of determination in his eyes.

I felt a thrill of pleasure, and I had to admit to myself that I had enjoyed his passionate declaration. His jealousy was balm to me and for a while I could gloat over his love for me.

It was wrong, of course; it was dangerous; but it was only later that I began to think about that.

It was May and Jeremy was coming as frequently as ever and staying longer. He showed an enormous interest in the estate. He had become quite knowledgeable about it and I was interested to hear him assessing its worth.

“That manager of yours is quite good,” he said. “I had a chat with him this afternoon.”

“The job is his life. He served Cousin Mary well and now he does the same for me.”

“I was talking to a man in town. He was quite interested.”

For a moment I went cold with fear. “You talked to him … about what?”

“Well, about the sale of the estate.”

“Sale of the estate!”

“I know that you won’t want to stay buried in the country. I thought it would be a good idea to put out a few feelers … just tentatively.”

“Isn’t that a bit premature?”

“Of course … of course … Nothing definite. But these things always take time, and it is as well to know what we are about.”

“What we are about!” I was repeating his words after him.

“My dear Caroline, I want to take the burden of everything off your shoulders.”

“As you did Olivia’s?”

“I did what I could for her.”

“Olivia was left very wealthy.”

“Well, less than she had thought, poor girl. And things didn’t go very well.”

“How was that?”

“Markets and things. I wouldn’t want to bother you with them, Caroline.”

“I would not want anyone here to know that enquiries were being made about selling the estate. There would be panic. These people’s homes are here … their work … their lives.”

“Of course … of course … Only tentative enquiries, I assure you. I shall just want to get everything settled. I have spoken to Lady Carey. She is delighted. She thinks it is an excellent idea. She’s so relieved about Livia.”

“I didn’t know she gave much thought to Livia.”

“Oh, she likes to see everything settled as it should be. She thinks that it will have to be quiet. And she thought you should come up to London. She’ll take charge of everything. A very quiet ceremony. I agree with her.”

“You and she seem to work out everything between you.”

“We’re both concerned about you, Caroline.”

I thought: He’s getting a little careless, a little too sure. Perhaps the time has now come.

He went on to say that he thought he should arrange it for the first of July.

“The year will be up then,” he added. “No one can carp about that. Why don’t you come up in June … about the middle, say. There will be a lot to do.”

“What about Livia?”

“She’s all right with Loman and that Miss Bell.”

“Of course,” I said.

I saw him off on the train, very jaunty, very sure of himself.

Then I went home to write the letter.

“Dear Jeremy,

“You wrote to me once explaining why we should not marry and it is now my duty (by no means painful) to tell you why I have no intention—or ever had—of marrying you. How could I marry a man who
had such a low opinion of my intelligence that he thought I could be deceived by such puerile blandishments. You are a great lover, Jeremy —of money. Yes, the estate is a very fine one; it is mine and I am rich … possibly more so than Olivia was before you squandered the greater part of her fortune.

“You broke your promise to me when you discovered I had nothing. Well, now I am paying you back in your own coin, as they say.

“You will now know what it feels like to have to go among your acquaintances—the one who was turned out, refused, jilted. “Caroline Tressidor.”

I sent off the letter at once and I gave myself up to the pleasure of contemplating his reception of it.

A few days passed. I was surprised when he arrived in person.

He came in the early evening. I had been with Livia, seeing her into bed, reading a story to her; and had just gone to my room when one of the maids knocked on the door.

She began: “Miss Tressidor, Mr. Brandon …”

He must have been immediately behind her because before she got any further he burst into the room.

“Caroline!” he cried.

The maid shut the door. I wondered if she were listening outside. “Well,” I said. “This is unexpected. Did you not get my letter?”

He said: “I don’t believe it.”

“Just a moment,” I said. I went to the door. The maid sprang back a few paces.

“There is nothing I need from you, Jane,” I said.

“No, Miss Tressidor,” she said, flushing and hurrying away.

I shut the door and leaned against it.

He repeated: “I don’t believe it.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I thought I had made it perfectly clear to you.”

“Do you mean you were playing games … with me?”

“I was following a certain course of action, if that is what you mean.”

“But you implied …”

“It was you who implied. You implied that I was a complete idiot, that I couldn’t see through you. You must have thought I was the biggest fool imaginable. Oh come, Jeremy, you really did put up a very
poor show. Not nearly as good as you did all those years ago. You were quite credible then. Of course you didn’t have your past to live down.”

“You … you …”

“Say it,” I urged. “Don’t be afraid. You have nothing to lose now. You have already lost. I doubt your feelings for me are one half as contemptuous as mine for you.”

“You … scheming harridan.”

I laughed. “Spoken from the heart,” I said. “And I will retaliate by telling you that you are a blatant fortune hunter.”

“So this is revenge … because I refused to marry you.”

“Look upon it as a little lesson. When you go out on your next treasure hunt, I should try to be a little less blatant. You should have shown a little discretion. Olivia is scarcely cold in her grave.”

He was looking at me as though he could not believe what he saw and heard. He had been so conceited, so completely sure of himself, he had thought he only had to beckon and I would willingly follow. It was a hard and bitter lesson for him.

I was ashamed of my feelings, but I was almost sorry for him.

I said rather gently: “You couldn’t really have thought I was such a fool, could you, Jeremy? Did you really think I would sell my estate … my inheritance … to provide you with the money you needed for the gaming tables and entertaining your friends there? I daresay the ladies of the gaming clubs thought you were a very fine fellow.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about.”

“I know more than you give me credit for. Have you replaced Miss Flora Carnaby or does she still reign supreme?”

He turned pale and then flushed hotly. “Have you set spies on me?”

“Nothing of the sort. The information leaked out. It is amazing how these little facts come to light. Olivia knew. That’s what I can’t forgive. Olivia thought you were wonderful until you impoverished her to indulge your weakness for gambling and the Flora Carnabys of your superficial world.”

“Olivia …”

“Yes. You made the last months of her life unhappy. She knew and she was completely disillusioned. That was why she wanted me to take Livia. She was afraid to leave her with you. Now you know. I see no reason why you should be shielded from the truth.”

“You wanted to have your revenge on me because of what I did to you.”

“How right you are! I wanted that … among other things. Now you must tell your friends … and possibly your creditors … that the rich marriage is off. The lady knew all the time what her prospective bridegroom was after and she has told him in no uncertain terms to get out.”

“You’re a virago.”

“Is that an improvement on a harridan? Yes, I am one, and I am revelling in your discomfiture. I shall laugh when I think of you confessing to your cronies, and to my Aunt Imogen, that the marriage will not take place. You’ll make a good story of it, I don’t doubt. You’ll wonder at the wisdom of marrying your late wife’s sister. Whatever you say, it makes no difference. This is the fortune which will not fall into your lap.”

“Your forget you have my daughter here.”

“I’m sorry she has such a father.”

“I shall not allow you to keep her.”

I felt a sudden fear in the pit of my stomach. What could he do? He was, after all, her father.

As usual when I was afraid I was immediately on the defensive.

“If you attempted to take her from me I should probe into your financial affairs. I should discover the details of your liaison with Flora Carnaby—and doubtless others. I should provoke such a scandal which would kill off all your future chances of securing an heiress. You would be finished, Jeremy Brandon. I have the money to make sure of that— and I should not hesitate to use it.”