Love is Triumphant (16 page)

She fell silent, wondering what was happening. Sir John was looking at her with a heart rending expression on his face, and she no longer knew what to say to him. Her own heart was suddenly beating fast.

"It wasn't brave at all," he said. "I could not bear you to be hurt. I would give my life for you."

She looked at him, and his face still bore the same look that pierced her heart. It seemed to promise so much, and yet she might be mistaken. He might not really care for her at all.

And she knew that if John did not love her, then nothing else in the world mattered.

"John," she whispered, "Oh John – "

He was beside her in an instant.

"Rosina – Rosina, my darling. Oh my dearest love. Do you think you could love me?"

"Yes," she said ecstatically. "Oh indeed, yes, I could. I do. I've always loved you, but then I became angry with you and I told myself I didn't love you, but that wasn't really true. In my heart, you were always there. But then I thought you were courting Miss Holden."

"And I thought you were trying to ensnare George Blakemore. I was wildly jealous, but what could I say?"

Then came the moment she had dreamed of, the magic moment when his arms closed around her body and he drew her close and kissed her.

The feel of his lips on hers made her feel that she was in heaven. All the troubles and problems seemed to fall away simply because she was in the arms of the man she loved.

"My love, my love," he murmured against her lips. "I've loved you for months but I couldn't tell you so before. You were so young and I knew I must wait until you had a chance to look around you, and make a better match."

"There is no better match than you," she said passionately.

"I don't have a great title like some of your suitors, or a great fortune."

"Do you love me?"

"With all my heart and soul, for ever and ever."

"Then you are a splendid match," she cried. "I will have no-one but you."

"My darling!"

He embraced her again, fiercely this time, and she could sense all the passion that he had striven so long to hide.

"Let us leave this place," he said at last. "It's dark and full of hate and evil. For us there will be only light from now on."

She placed her hand in his and together they danced up the steps to where the coach was waiting.

"But where is Papa?" Rosina asked.

Wilkins leaned down from his box and winked at her.

"Sir Elroy took a cab home. He said he thought you'd enjoy having the coach to yourself."

"Wicked Papa!" Rosina exclaimed. "He was always determined to bring us together."

They climbed in and shut the door behind them. It was dark inside, and there was no-one to see the fervour of their embrace, or listen to their whispered words of love.

"I must confess," John said, "that I contrived it so that I should stay at your house. Otherwise I would hardly have seen you, and I wanted to be there all the time, seeing you every day. I thought it would give me a chance to win your love."

"You didn't need to win it," she said. "I have loved you for a long time, but I thought you only saw me as a little girl."

"I had to fight not to tell you of my feelings. It would have been wrong to speak of them sooner, but now I'm free to say that I love you, and I shall love you forever."

He kissed her fiercely, and she responded with ardour, rejoicing that they had finally found each other.

"My darling," he said to her at last, "is Miss Draycott laid to rest now?"

"Yes," she said. "I should never have let her come between us, but I was so angry with you when you seemed hard and unsympathetic to her plight."

"I never meant to sound like that. But her hopes and dreams seemed to me so unrealistic, when seen against the cruel world I knew, the world of men set on advancement at any cost to others. I meant only to utter a warning. I didn't intend to imply that I approved of creatures like Woodward."

"I just wouldn't listen to reason, would I?" she said. "I

blamed you, wrongly."

"You spoke out of your generous heart and I love you more for it. I'm so sorry that she couldn't be saved."

"But we did her justice in the end," she said. "And for that we must be grateful. I suppose it was unwise of me to speak to that man as I did."

"Most unwise," he said lovingly. "But it was all part of your loyalty to your friend. I would not have you any different."

"But from now on I will be discreet for the sake of poor Miss Draycott. Sometimes I even hope that she is happy and content in heaven."

"I'm sure she is. You have done all you could for her, and now you must let her rest."

"Yes," Rosina agreed. "I shall never forget her, or cease to be grateful to her for showing me the truth about him, so that I was able to help Lady Doreen. But now – "

"But now," he said, taking her into his arms, "now we may think about ourselves, and the life that we shall make together."

He kissed her fervently, and for the rest of the journey home, she rested her head contentedly on his shoulder.

When the coach drew up at their front door, they realised that someone was drawing back the curtains to watch them. Quickly the curtains were dropped back into place.

"I think that was Papa," she said. "I know he has always wanted this, but whatever will Mama say?"

"Let's go and find out," John said.

As they mounted the steps the door was pulled open by the butler, and inside stood Sir Elroy and his lady, both beaming with expectation.

"Well?" Papa said.
"Well?"

"Oh, Papa!" Rosina cried. "I'm so happy."

She ran into his arms and hugged him exuberantly. He in turn hugged her until she was breathless, delighted by the fulfilment of his dearest hope. When she emerged from his embrace, she saw that her mother was also hugging John, and saying,

"My dear boy, I was afraid it would never happen."

"Mama?" she cried. "But you didn't want me to marry John."

"Nonsense, child, of course I did. But you've always been such a contrary creature, that I knew if you thought I approved of him you'd go the other way, just to be difficult. So I ordered you not to think of him. I knew it would work."

"Mama!"
Rosina cried, outraged. "How could you be so conniving and duplicitous?"

"It was easy, my dear," her mother chuckled. "I simply wanted to see you happy, and I knew the way to make it happen. Of course John is the man for you."

"Hush ma'am," John begged, his eyes twinkling. "If you say any more she'll throw me over."

"I wouldn't let her," Lady Clarendon declared, advancing on him with her arms wide.

Rosina watched, smiling, as they embraced. Then her father shook his hand.

Now, she felt, he was really part of the family.

Then Charles arrived home, having spent the day with the Blakemores. At first he was angry that he had 'missed all the fun' as he put it. But when he heard what his sister had to tell him he was overjoyed, and pumped John's hand eagerly.

Nobody wanted to go to bed. They were all far too excited by the day's events. But at last it was time for Sir John to go home.

They spent a last few precious minutes together.

"I don't want to leave you," he whispered. "I can't bear to go away, even though I know I'll see you again tomorrow."

"Come back soon," she begged. "The time will seem so long without you."

"I love you," he said. "I love you, I love you."

She went to the door and watched as his carriage rumbled out of the gate. Then she went to bed and dreamed of him all night.

*

When Rosina awoke the following morning, she could hardly believe that everything was really happening.

Could it really be true that John was in love with her? Just as she had been in love with him for such a long time.

But she thought it was something which would never be a part of reality.

"I love him! I love him," she said to herself. "I thank God a thousand times that he loves me."

She thanked God she could give him her whole heart without reserve.

'Nothing could be more wonderful,' she thought as she dressed. 'I have been so lucky to find John, and I know when we are married, we will be so happy that we will somehow, in some way, make other people happy too."

She dressed herself hurriedly because she wanted to go downstairs and see the man she loved.

She found him already there in the garden, having arrived early because he was so anxious to be with her.

She saw him walking across the lawn and felt a little

throb in her heart, because not only was he there but in the sunshine he was looking so handsome and so happy, just as she was happy, too.

She ran out and threw herself into his arms, which folded possessively around her.

A few minutes later Lady Doreen arrived. Rosina saw her brother's joy at the sight of her, and thought that the Almighty had been very kind to all of them.

The four of them spent a happy day together. Officially they were canvassing, but not very much work was done. They were all too happy in each other's company for that.

And then, at last, it was the day of the election. Sir John called in on his way to the railway station, to start the journey to his constituency.

"How much I should like to stay here to see your father voted back in," he said to Rosina. "But I must be there for my own count."

"And Rosina should be there with you," said Sir Elroy, coming into the hall in time to hear this.

"But Papa, don't you want me with you?" she cried.

"Oh course I do, but I'll have your mother and Charles, and the Blakemores. You're going to be the wife of a Member of Parliament, and it's right that the constituency should get its first view of you, at his side for his great moment."

"He's right, my dearest," John said. "It would mean the world to me."

"Oh John, how I would love to be there with you."

"Hurry then, we leave in a few minutes."

Papa and Mama went with them to the station and waved them off. In half an hour they had crossed the constituency border into West Gradley, and a few minutes later the train pulled into the station, where they were greeted by the party representatives.

Wherever they went, the announcement of their engagement was greeted with joy. Rosina's heart soared. She was marrying the man she loved and allying herself to the only life she wanted, all in one.

Together they went around the polling stations, meeting some of the newly enfranchised men who had come to cast their first votes. They congratulated them, and were congratulated in turn.

In the evening there was dinner at party headquarters, and then on to the Town Hall for the count. As soon as they entered there were loud cheers, and someone said,

"Well done, Sir John. They've just finished and you've won by three to one. The announcement will be made at any moment."

Then Rosina had the proud experience of standing beside her future husband on the balcony of the Town Hall, as he was announced the winner for the constituency of West Gradley, to the cheering of the crowds below.

"If only things are going as well for Papa," she said to John when they were inside. "I've been thinking of him, hoping he is all right."

"Don't worry," John said. "You stopped Arthur Woodward's tricks, and he is surely safe."

He looked at the clock.

"It's time we were leaving or we'll miss the last train, and we must be there for your father's celebrations."

They made their farewells and set off. In less than an hour they were in East Gradley. At the station they took a cab to the Town Hall, where they found a crowd standing outside, with an air of expectancy.

"They don't seem to have made an announcement

yet," John observed.

"That's right," someone called. "They're on the third recount. It's very close."

They hurried inside and found Sir Elroy calmly drinking champagne, surrounded by his family.

"Papa, this can't be happening," Rosina said imploringly.

"Patience, my dear. I am ahead by only ten votes, but in three recounts they haven't managed to make that figure any less."

"Oh, goodness!" she breathed. "If they do manage it I think I will jump from the window and run away."

"If you do that I'll run after you," Sir John replied.

She slipped her hand into his.

"I am so frightened that we have anticipated too much."

"Have faith my love," he said.

Even as he spoke there was the sound of loud voices coming nearer. The Town Clerk appeared and stood before Sir Elroy.

"Congratulations," he said. "Your opponent has conceded, and you are elected member for this constituency.

Lady Clarendon threw herself into her husband's arms. Rosina and John hugged eagerly, so did Charles and Lady Doreen.

Together they all went out onto the balcony and the Mayor made the declaration to the waiting crowds below. They cheered and cheered, and cried aloud,

"You have won! You have won!"

As his family joined him, the voices grew even louder. Sir Elroy held up his hands, the cheers died away and there was silence.

"I want to thank you a thousand times for all your support and your help. What we have to do now is to make this country even greater than it already is."

He paused for a moment and there was a cheer, which he acknowledged with a wave, before continuing,

"God bless you all and thank you once again."

As he finished speaking there was a roar of applause.

Sir Elroy turned back into the room, and said,

"Let us hope we're not rejoicing too soon, and that Gladstone has the majority everyone predicts."

In the early hours they left the Town Hall and went to the Railway Station to catch the first train to London. Then they went straight to Party Headquarters, which they found in uproar.

"The results are coming in fast," a man said. "It looks as though the Liberals are headed for a majority of over a hundred. And there's a message for you, Sir Elroy, from Mr. Gladstone. Will you please see him at five o'clock this afternoon? It's about what he had discussed with you earlier."