Abbeyford Inheritance (7 page)

“May I help, m'lady?”

Adelina jumped violently and a small scream escaped her lips as she spun round. She fell back against the wall, her hands spread against the rough stone. The figure of a man blocked the doorway, but she could not see his face clearly, merely his outline. He was only a little taller than she and thickset.

“You!” she gasped as she recognised Evan Smithson.

“Aye, 'tis me,” he answered and moved towards her. “So you're Royston's granddaughter, are you? And you've wasted no time wi' me brother, I see. I've seen you ridin' round wi'im.”

“It's – it's not like that …”

Evan laughed hollowly. “ Expect me to believe that? You're a sight better lookin' than Miss Emily, I'll grant you that.” His eyes roved over her face and body. “Aye, I've a fancy for you mesel' …”

At that moment there came the sound of footsteps over the loose stones which littered the floor of the ruins. Adelina ducked out of the small room and into the open again. Then a girl's voice rang eerily through the crumbling walls.

“Evan, Evan! You here, Evan?”

Adelina glanced back over her shoulder in amusement at the frowning young man. So, she thought, Evan Smithson used the abbey ruins as a trysting-place.

“Over here,” growled Evan, and a young girl appeared round the corner. She stopped uncertainly, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw Adelina. Adelina, too, was somewhat surprised herself, for the girl looked no more than fifteen or sixteen, though she gave every promise of womanhood. Long black hair fell about her shoulders like a cape and her coarse-woven dress was cut low at the neckline. Her face was thin and pinched, but her dark brown eyes flashed a look of jealousy plain for Adelina to witness as they rested upon her, flickered briefly towards Evan, and then returned to Adelina to take in every detail of her appearance. The girl's hands, dirty and work-worn, plucked nervously at her brown skirt. Jealous she might be, for she had sense enough to recognise a worthy rival in Adelina, the mysterious beauty from a far-off land, of whom the villagers had gossiped never-endingly since the day of her arrival.

Evan grinned, suddenly, enjoying the spectacle of the two girls eyeing each other. The girl sidled closer to him until she stood beside him. Casually, he put his arm about her waist and drew her to him. The girl looked up at him adoringly, Adelina forgotten now. But Evan's eyes were still upon Adelina's face, challengingly.

Adelina's mouth curved and she threw back her head and laughed. “I'll bid you ‘good-day', Mr Smithson.”

Lightly, she skipped over the rough ground and out of the ruins. Still laughing, she picked up the skirts of her borrowed riding-habit, mounted Stardust and cantered away.

Halfway down the hill, she saw Wallis riding Jupiter alongside the stream so she urged her mount forward. Seeing her, Wallis reined in and waited for her. He raised his hat and smiled as she neared him.

“Miss Adelina. What brings you out alone?”

Adelina reined in beside him. “ I was looking for you,” she replied with candour.

“I'm flattered.”

“I – want to ask you something.”

“Your wish is my command,” Wallis said pedantically.

“You seem to be a man of position around here,” Adelina began. “I wondered if you would speak to my grandfather on my behalf. If – if you could persuade him to – to receive me.”

“Take you back into the family fold, you mean? Forgive and forget – everything.”

Adelina shook her head sadly. “ I can't expect him to forget, certainly. And – and I suppose he can't forgive, or he would have done so a long time ago. No, I just want to meet him. To know him. After all, he is my closest living relative now.”

“And you,” Wallis murmured thoughtfully, “are
his
closest relative.”

They rode along side by side now and for some moments Wallis appeared deep in thought. Then he said slowly. “I see your grandfather about once a month. I'll see what I can do.”

“Please – please will you speak to him the very next time you see him?”

Suddenly Wallis leaned over and to Adelina's surprise took hold of her hand. “If I do, and he agrees to see you, then I may have a great deal to say to you concerning you and me.”

Then he let go of her hand, straightened up and turned away so swiftly that Adelina wondered if she had imagined his action and his words. Words which seemed almost a promise!

During the following weeks, Wallis's attentions towards Adelina became markedly more noticeable. He took her riding frequently and for carriage rides. All the while Emily's face became more forlorn and Mrs Langley's more outraged, but neither seemed to dare to speak out against Wallis Trent. Adelina felt trapped. She could not risk offending Wallis, for with him lay her last chance of a reconciliation with her grandfather.

Early in November, Mr Langley announced at breakfast that he was to visit Lynwood Hall that afternoon. “I need to visit the library there to assist in my research. I have written to Lady Lynwood, asking her permission and she has graciously invited Adelina to take afternoon tea with her.”

“Why Adelina?” snapped Martha Langley waspishly. “Why not Emily?”

“I fancy her ladyship took a liking to Adelina, Martha my dear,” the Vicar replied mildly.

Martha Langley sniffed disapprovingly.

“You'd like to go, wouldn't you, Adelina?” Mr Langley was asking her.

Adelina hesitated momentarily, shaken by the sudden longing to see Lord Lynwood again. During the past few weeks she had scarcely thought of him, but now his every feature was suddenly, startlingly clear in her mind's eye. The brooding melancholy in his eyes, then the swift boyish smile that transformed his face. “I would love to go, thank you.”

The carriage bowled along the lane out of Abbeyford, through Amberly and at last wound up the long drive towards Lynwood Hall through the parkland and drew to a halt before the house.

A liveried footman held open the door of the carriage for her to alight and another opened the heavy front door at the top of a flight of wide stone steps. Adelina stepped down from the carriage and daintily picked up her skirts to climb the steps into the hall.

The first time she had been here she had scarcely noticed her surroundings. Now Adelina saw that the interior was even more grand than the exterior. The oak floor was covered with Persian carpets. There were two staircases, with white balustrades, sweeping up on either side of the hall to join in a balcony at first-floor level. White busts of Amberly ancestors were set in alcoves, and the high white ceiling was dome-shaped.

“Welcome to Lynwood Hall,” a voice spoke softly behind her and Adelina turned to see Lord Lynwood leaning against a door-frame, his arms folded, a small smile of amusement upon his lips.

“My lord,” Adelina dropped a curtsy as she had seen the villagers do.

“Ah, there you are, my lord,” Mr Langley entered through the door at that moment. “Your mama kindly asked Adelina to take tea with her whilst I peruse some of the documents in your fine library.”

Lord Lynwood inclined his head. “Quite so, Mr Langley. Perhaps Miss Adelina will permit me to take her on a tour of Lynwood Hall before tea?”

The question was more a statement, for without waiting for either of them to reply, he offered Adelina his arm, his eyes never leaving her face, and when, shyly, she put her hand on his arm, he led her away leaving Mr Langley to find his own way to the library.

From the hall, Lord Lynwood took her through a seemingly endless number of rooms. Huge drawing-rooms with panelled walls, hung with tapestries, the dining-room with its long table with matching carved oak chairs, the walls almost covered with large oil paintings of the Amberly family. In the long gallery Adelina saw a portrait of Lady Lynwood, Francis's mother, as a young, beautiful woman with black shining hair and those same bright eyes which still twinkled with mischief in her now wrinkled face.

Room after room with painted ceilings, rich tapestries, priceless furniture and objets d'art. Adelina caught her breath as Lord Lynwood led her into the family's private chapel. Rows of high-backed chairs each with its own hassock. The altar was ornately carved out of white marble and rose almost to the ceiling, which was painted too. The lower half of each wall was panelled, but the upper half was entirely covered by a long mural running round the entire length of the chapel, depicting scenes from the Testaments.

“Oh, it's beautiful,” Adelina's husky whisper echoed eerily.

From there Lynwood led her through more rooms to a conservatory filled not only with plants of every conceivable kind but with more marble busts on pedestals.

“Well?” he asked, “ what do you think of my home, Adelina?”

“It's very beautiful,” Adelina repeated wistfully.

Today he seemed determined to charm her, to be the perfect host, but then his eyes clouded briefly. “Your – your mother came here often.” With a supreme effort he brought his attention back to the present, to Adelina.

It was strange to have this girl here in his home, to see her sitting in the same chair where long ago Caroline had sat. She was so like her mother and yet there
was
a difference. In her eyes there was a depth of experience, of suffering, that Caroline in her protected world of luxury had never known. At least, Lynwood mused, not when he had known her. And there was a strength about Adelina too – a determination. Caroline, too, had been strong – ruthlessly, selfishly strong. Was Adelina so self-centred too? Lynwood didn't know. Part of him longed to find out, to test her, and yet he shied away from being hurt in the same way again. No woman, he had vowed, would ever have the power over him to inflict such hurt as Caroline had done – not even her beautiful, desirable daughter! And yet …

Adelina, intrigued by his lovely home, was acutely aware of Lynwood's swiftly changing moods, but could not begin to understand the cause.

A footman appeared. “Her ladyship is waiting for the young lady, my lord.”

As Adelina turned to follow the footman she heard Lynwood, robbed of her company, swear softly under his breath.

After her visit to Lynwood Hall, Adelina passed the following days in a fever of hope. Soon now, Wallis Trent would surely see her grandfather. Every day she looked for him in the hope he would bring her news. Life within the Langley household was becoming unbearable.

Then one Sunday evening as Adelina and Emily left the shelter of the church porch and drew their capes closely about them against the flurry of light snow which had been falling since the afternoon, they found Wallis Trent suddenly beside them.

“Come, I'll see you home.” He stepped between them and offered each of them an arm.

“Oh, Wallis,” Emily breathed, looking up at him with adoring eyes. “I didn't see you in church. I thought you had not come.”

“I was delayed earlier and could not arrive in time for the service, but I thought I might see you if I came now.”

Deliberately, it seemed, he avoided saying which of them he had come to see. There was a strained silence between the three of them as they walked the short distance from the church to the Vicarage, but on reaching the front door, Emily said, “ You will come in for a while, won't you, Wallis?”

He nodded. “ Of course, Emily.”

They found a warm log fire in the dimly-lit drawing-room.

“I'll go and see about some – hot chocolate for us,” Emily said with a forced cheerfulness. “ I won't be a moment.”

As the door closed, Wallis and Adelina, with one accord, turned towards each other.

“Have you seen him yet?” she asked eagerly.

“I went tonight, my dear, but I am afraid I was unable to broach the subject with him. He is a little unwell at the moment and – tetchy. I didn't think it wise to touch upon such a delicate matter.”

“Unwell?” Adelina asked worriedly. “It's nothing serious, is it?”

Wallis's eyebrows rose fractionally. “ Why so concerned about someone you don't even know?”

“He's my grandfather. Of course I'm concerned. I want to meet him – to heal the breach, before it's too late.”

Wallis smiled and, sarcasm lining his words, replied, “That I can well believe!”

“When will you see him again?”

“Shortly after Christmas.”

“Not before?”

“No. Listen, my dear, I'm sure you have no need to worry. I'm sure I shall be able to persuade him.” Wallis moved closer to take her hand in his. “ You are a beautiful woman, Adelina, and when things
are
settled betwen you and your grandfather, then …”

At that moment the door opened and Emily returned. Wallis and Adelina turned swiftly from each other, as guiltily as if they had been caught in a passionate embrace.

With shaking hands, Emily set the tray of cups upon the table, her cheeks pink with embarrassment and misery.

The three of them sat around the fire, the flames flickering and dancing, casting eerie shadows. With the soft light highlighting her beauty, Adelina was aware of Wallis's eyes straying towards her. There was a painful silence between the three of them.

Wallis drained his cup and stood up quickly. “It's getting late. I must go.”

Instead of begging him to stay, Emily said quietly, “Yes, Wallis.” She stood up and accompanied him to the door. Adelina remained seated in front of the fire.

When she returned, Emily stood in front of Adelina. “ I suppose you think,” she began, her voice trembling, “ that you're very clever, stealing him from me. He's the only man I've ever loved, or ever will love …” She gulped, and tears began to run down her face. At once Adelina went to her and tried to put her arm about Emily's shoulders.

“Don't touch me!” Emily cried, shaking her off.

“Emily, it's not like you think. I'm not trying to steal Wallis from you. I …” She was about to confide the real reason to Emily, but caution told her to keep quiet. Emily would be sure to tell Mrs Langley, who would see to it that Wallis did not speak to Lord Royston at all.