The Flood-Tide (49 page)

‘But Mr Loveday is not at home. He has gone to Harrogate these three days since, to visit his aunt who is sick.’

Mary, lifting her gaze from her teacup to her brother's face at that moment, thought he looked disconcerted for the fraction of a second, but his answer was pat.

‘Oh, yes, certainly - so I discovered when I went to call. That was why I spoke of wasting my time.'

‘I wonder you did not know of it,' Margaret said. 'I wonder Mr Loveday's sister did not tell you of it.' ‘How might she do that, ma'am?' James asked. 'I have not had the pleasure of seeing Mrs Skelwith since—'

‘Oh but Mr Somers - my fiancé, you know - told me that he had seen you talking to Mrs Skelwith on the corner of Petergate the day before yesterday, but as he was in a hurry he did not stop to speak to you,' Margaret hurried on, eager to bring in a mention of Mr Somers. James bowed his acknowledgement with perfect aplomb.

‘Ah yes, I had forgot - I did happen to meet with Mrs Skelwith, quite by chance, as she was returning from somewhere or other - but it was nothing of a meeting. We barely spoke three words, you know, for we were both in a hurry. I am not surprised she did not mention her brother, for there was no time.’

The door opened at that interesting moment to admit John Anstey, just returned, closely followed by the servant with the tea things.

‘Ah, here you all are! I'm glad to find the party not broken up. Miss Morland, your servant. Pour me some tea, Celia, there's a dear. What a dashed fast walker you are, James! I saw you in Stonegate, just ahead of me, and called out to you, but you did not hear me, and dashed off so fast I could not have caught you without running. But I guessed you were coming here - I knew Miss Morland was to visit today.'

‘There, you see, Miss Anstey,' James said, smiling at Celia, 'you see how I rushed to get here, even though I had no hope of being invited to take tea.'

‘What nonsense you talk, Mr Morland,' Celia said. 'May I refill your cup?'

‘Thank you, ma'am - oh, and here are Alfred and Benjamin. Capital, capital. Do you know, it occurs to me that we have enough now for a round game. What do you say? Miss Anstey, would you care for a hand or two of something? Speculation, perhaps?’

Everyone was happy at the idea of a card game, and the gathering became quite boisterous, with James at the heart of everything, laughing and teasing and carrying everyone along with his spirits. When he and Mary were in the coach afterwards to go home, however, his spirits seemed to desert him suddenly, and he leaned back in the coach -almost slouched in his corner - and thrust his hands in his pockets, and sighed. Mary glanced at him, and saw how unhappy he looked, and was silent for a moment, wondering whether to broach the subject. Eventually she said gently, 'You did not come into the city to see Tom Loveday, then?' James did not answer. 'What was it, Jamie? What were you doing in Stonegate?'

‘My bootmaker lives there, Mary, besides a number of shops—'

‘And the Maccabbees Club,' she said quietly. He coloured.

‘I was not at the club. I told you I was not going to drink or gamble. Do you doubt my word?'

‘No,' she said. 'But as you will not tell me what you were doing, I must suppose it is something you would not like the family to hear about.'

‘Suppose what you wish,' he snapped, and they were both silent. But he did look unhappy, and Mary felt a little sorry for him. Whatever it was he was up to, it evidently did not answer.

‘James, do be careful, won't you?' she said, and he looked up, and sighed, and nodded.

‘Yes,' he said. 'I have to be.’

It seemed to Mary an odd thing for him to say, but he volunteered nothing more, and they passed the rest of the journey in silence, he brooding, she wondering what fresh trouble he had got himself into now.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 Lord and Lady Meldon returned from their visit to Scotland at the beginning of August, bringing with them, to everyone's astonishment, Flora's brother Charles.

‘Angus told me in his letter that Charles was coming to Scotland,' Flora explained. 'That's why I decided to go up for a visit. I didn't
^g
ay anything, because I was so afraid he would not come after all. Right until the moment he walked in through the door, I was sure something would prevent him.’

She smiled affectionately at her brother, and he responded with a quirk of his lips, though Jemima thought he looked too astonished to find himself here to have much pleasure in it. He was very changed, she thought, much weatherbeaten, and looking older, and tired, with deep lines around his mouth that spoke of hardship and grief.

‘We heard from William of your dreadful misfortune, Charles, and were so grieved for you,' she said. 'I hope your wife did not take ill from the experience?'

‘She is well enough now, ma'am,' he said briefly, and his strange accent startled her. 'We did not know at the time she was with child. We have another son now, Louis.'

‘How very dreadful for her! Poor creature! Did you not bring her with you, to England?'

‘We couldn't have afforded it,' he said. 'I had to come, on business, to sort matters out with Angus. But I couldn't have gone away again without visiting you.'

‘We are glad to see you,' Allen said warmly, 'and I hope now you are here you will stay for a good, long time. You intend to settle permanently in Canada, I gather?’

Charles nodded. 'And I must return as soon as possible. I take ship in ten days' time from Liverpool.'

‘So soon?'

‘My wife is alone with the children, apart from our servants. She is a brave woman, but things have not been easy, and the place where we live is—' he gave a curious grimace, 'not like this.'

‘You are the best - the only - judge of your own necessity,' Allen said. 'You must let us know if there is anything in particular you wish to see or do while you are here, and we shall try to arrange it for you.’

Charles's face lit for the first time in a smile. 'I should like to see my American Garden,' he said. 'Does it flourish still?’

Jemima and Allen exchanged a smiling glance. 'It does indeed,' she answered. 'The eastern dogwood was beautiful this year, and the Chilean holly has grown enormously.'

‘And while you're here,' Allen put in, 'you must come and look at my potatoes. I think I have created a new variety, and if it is successful, I shall call it the Morland, and make us both famous.’

Charles raised an eyebrow. 'I had almost forgotten the old scheme, that first sent me to Maryland.'

‘If you're going to discuss potatoes, kindly go elsewhere and do it,' Jemima said. 'They have become an obsession with my husband - do you know, in his club in York they call him "Potato" Morland behind his back? And we have them at almost every meal—'

‘That is a gross exaggeration!' Allen protested, but Jemima went on undeterred.

‘—but it is all in vain, for he will never persuade Yorkshire people that potatoes are other than cattle feed.'

‘Charles, I cannot let you listen to this. Come at once to the garden, and see how I have cared for your protégés,' Allen said.

*

 Charles followed him out, but at the door he paused and turned, and said abruptly, 'I can't thank you enough for what you've done, for me and all my family. I had to come, to thank you.’

As James had predicted, Edward came back from Wolvercote bringing James Chetwyn with him, and Jemima greeted him happily, for he had always been a favourite of hers.

‘I hope you will be able to stay for the birthday celebrations,' she said.

‘I was hoping you would ask me,' Chetwyn said. 'Edward was for leaving me behind, but I swore to him that if he would only bring me along, you would be sure to make it all right. I had the De -
deuce
of a job persuading him,' he added, leaning forward and lowering his voice conspiratorially. 'He doesn't know about
us,
you see, dear Lady Morland.'

‘What nonsense you talk,' Jemima smiled. Edward was standing at his friend's shoulder, and Jemima noticed how much happier he looked, and how much younger, than before he went to Wolvercote. He's been missing his friend, she thought, and was touched that they should have retained such love for each other since their school days. And it all began, she mused, when poor little Charlotte rescued Horatio Morland from his own folly at the hunt all those years ago; Edward's going to Eton had been a reward for Charlotte's courage - poor Charlotte, so long in her grave, quite forgotten, she suspected, by Edward, and even by William.

The question of William's future came up at dinner, when Allen asked Lord Meldon if he had decided where he and Flora were to live.

‘We have almost decided on London, sir,' Meldon said with a glance at Flora. 'Although we both love the country, we are more used to the town, and at the moment it will suit me to be near Court. There are some handsome new houses being built to the north of the Oxford street, which would just suit us. Cavendish Square, for instance, is very pleasant.'

‘The houses are so modern and airy,' Flora added enthusiastically. 'We visited in one of them, and quite fell in love with it. And many of our friends are moving in to the neighbourhood, so we should have plenty of society.'

‘I imagine you will always have plenty of society, wherever you live,' Allen said. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Mary looking pleadingly at Flora, and when she at last, in desperation, gave a hem, he turned to her, feigning surprise. 'Why, Mary, that's a nasty cough you have. You must have been in a draught when you took tea at Shawes yesterday.’

But Flora had now picked up her cue, and came to Mary's rescue. 'I wanted to ask you - and you, ma'am - if you would be agreeable to Mary's accompanying me when we go back to London in the autumn. I have grown used to having her with me, and she is a most valuable companion.’

Jemima and Allen had been anticipating the request, and Allen had the answer ready. 'You have looked after her so well until now that we can only be grateful to you, as I'm sure Mary is, for offering her a more exciting home than we can.'

‘But we should not like to lose her entirely,' Jemima added quickly. 'We wish to have her for holidays, good long ones. The town is not the best friend to anyone's health. And you will come and visit us too, I hope?’

Mary gave a fervent look of gratitude, and in her pleasure, generously brought up the subject of William.

‘Charles, don't you think you might be able to do something for William? He is pining for the sea, poor creature, but without someone to speak for him at the Admiralty it seems they won't give him a ship. Couldn't you put in a word for him somewhere?'

‘Of course,' Charles said good-naturedly, nodding across the table to William. 'I'm not sure how much influence I have, but my father will certainly speak for you, William, if I ask him. Why don't you come back to London with us in September, and we'll try what can be done? If Father presents you at Court, that will be a start.'

‘Dear me, it looks as though all my little chicks will be flying at once,' Jemima said with mock concern. 'And all in the same direction too.'

‘Never mind, Mother, you still have me,' Edward said. ‘I shan't desert the nest.' And he smiled across at Chetwyn, who winked in reply. 'And I've even brought you an honorary extra son, by way of replacement.'

‘You're the only one of my children who's never caused me any concern,' Jemima said. 'You always did what you were supposed to, from childhood up.’

There was more company yet to come, for the week before the birthday, Lord and Lady Chelmsford came down to stay with the Fussells for a month, bringing the three children with them. The Fussells promptly gave a small dinner and a ball to which the Morlands, amongst others, were invited. The Fussells had five children, four of them girls, and the Morlands had not only three unmarried sons, but also the unwed Lord Calder staying with them, although, as Alison said to Jemima, 'They've had their eye on Lord Chelmsford's son Horatio for their Amelia ever since they first took the lease of Shawes. If Miss Mary don't want to be cut out, she'd better look sharp and fix him.’

Jemima rebuked her for speaking vulgarly, but afterwards applied to Edward, on whom she relied for information about the younger set, to know if Mary was still interested in Horatio Morland.

‘I told you, Mama, that she had her heart set on being married into that family. The more so, now that Flora has married Lord Meldon.'

‘Why so?' Jemima asked.

‘Because she worships Flora, and would like to be her sister,' Edward said. ‘But also, I suspect—' He hesitated. ‘Has it occurred to you that Flora and Charles have been married three years, without sign of children?’

Jemima shrugged. 'It's early days yet,' she said, though her doubt showed in her voice, for Thomas had made Flora pregnant at once on both occasions he was on shore.

‘Nevertheless, if they
should
fail of children, Horatiowould be the next Earl after Charles, and his wife would be Countess - or at least, her son would be Earl, one day, and I should be very surprised if the Fussells hadn't thought of that too. There have been a number of very expensive dressmakers coming and going at Shawes this past week.’