A Change of Hearts Read online

  “That is what Peter thought and, of course, he was terribly excited.”

  She put her hands up to her eyes as she spoke as if she was remembering every word he had said.

  Then as if she could not help herself, the words came tumbling from her lips.

  “He kissed me and told me he loved me. He also said that today when he gets back from London – although it might be late – he has something most important to ask me.”

  Carol’s voice seemed to die away.

  Neisa muttered almost in a whisper,

  “He is going to ask you to marry him.”

  There was another long pause until Carol sobbed,

  “He is going – to ask you – Neisa. The little girl from the Vicarage, the Vicar’s daughter – to be his wife.”

  There was an unmistakable agony in Carol’s voice and Neisa suggested quickly,

  “I am certain that he will understand when you tell him who you are.”

  Carol shook her head.

  “He said over and over again he would never marry anyone who had more money than he has. He has made it very clear that he intends to stand on his own feet and make his invention work.”

  “But Carol, darling – ” Neisa began.

  Carol put up her hands.

  “There is nothing to say, so don’t argue with me. I know exactly how Peter is feeling and I just cannot face the moment when he turns away from me and tells me he has no wish to ever see me again.”

  “But he cannot do that!” protested Neisa.

  “He will and I am not strong enough to bear it.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “I am going back to America. I could not stay in England and be near Peter without seeing him. It would be agony – a worse agony than I am feeling now. Perhaps it will not be so bad when the Atlantic is between us.”

  The distraught tone in Carol’s voice hurt Neisa.

  “We are therefore leaving, Neisa, immediately after luncheon. I shall tell the Marquis that my father has sent for me because something has happened in the village.

  “He will not know or care whether there has been a message for me or that I have sent for our carriage. You must say that you will come with me, Neisa.”

  “Of course I will, but, dearest Carol, are you really doing the right thing? Would it perhaps be better to wait and see?”

  “I think if I saw the dislike in Peter’s eyes when he knows that I have deceived him and heard him say that he no longer loved me, I would want to die!”

  Her voice broke, but she continued,

  “I have to be brave, because I knew I was falling in love with Peter and that this was bound to happen.”

  Neisa gave a little cry.

  “Why? Oh, why, did we pretend to be each other?”

  “It is something I have enjoyed more than I have ever enjoyed anything else in my whole life. It has been wonderful to feel that I have found a man who loves me for myself and not for that pile of money sitting in the bank.”

  She rose from the bed and walked to the window and stood looking out.

  The morning sun was shining through her hair and Neisa thought it made her look tragically unworldly.

  “Now I realise what love is,” Carol sighed, as if she was speaking to herself. “If I never find it again, at least I shall have something to remember for the rest of my life.”

  Because the scene was so heartbreaking, Neisa felt tears come into her eyes.

  “Oh, Carol dearest, what can I say, what can I do?”

  “Nothing. Except help me to leave without there being too much fuss about it.”

  She walked towards the door.

  “I have told Hannah to pack my bags and when she has finished mine, she will do yours.”

  She did not wait for Neisa to reply, but closed the door behind her.

  Neisa put her hands up to her eyes.

  She loved Carol and could not bear her to suffer so acutely. Yet what could she do about it?

  If Sir Peter was so absolutely determined never to be dependent upon any woman who had so much money, how could they ever be happy?

  There was no obvious answer to that question.

  When Hannah came to her room later, Neisa knew by the expression on her face how upset she was because Carol was so unhappy.

  It was a relief, as they had been so late last night, that there were only a few gentlemen at breakfast.

  They were all talking about riding and one or two were determined to go over the steeplechase course again.

  “I cannot imagine how our host will improve on it by next year,” one of them was saying, “but he is so clever he will undoubtedly succeed in doing so.”

  “I am going to race if anyone will challenge me on the Racecourse,” another suggested.

  Neisa was longing to join in, but she reckoned that her father would be shocked if she did not go to Church on Sunday.

  She could only wonder if it would be at all possible for her to be given a ride before she was obliged to leave.

  At a quarter to eleven the Marquis’s best carriage was outside the front door waiting for Lady Sarah.

  When Neisa joined her, she was rather surprised to see that there was no sign of the Marquis.

  “Sheldon has gone on ahead,” Lady Sarah told her, as if she had asked the question. “He always likes to have a good look at the lesson before he has to read it.”

  “Is your Church a very old one?” asked Neisa.

  “It was built at the very same time as the house was remodelled by the Adam brothers. There is a Chapel too, which I don’t think you have seen, in the house itself.”

  “No one has told me about it.”

  “That is because it is currently being renovated and will, I think, be as beautiful is it was originally by the time Sheldon has finished with it.”

  “I would really love to see the Chapel.”

  “I am sure you can and I may tell you that Sheldon is very proud of the alterations he has made. I think it’s unusual in a young man like him to take so much interest.”

  Neisa thought the same.

  When they entered the Church, she saw the Marquis standing at the lectern turning over the pages of the large Bible.

  Neisa felt an uncontrollable and unusual excitement rising within her, quickening her pulse and flushing her cheeks.

  The Marquis looked so handsome and, from his proud demeanour, she realised that reading the lesson was important to him. Standing there, concentrating on the Holy Book, she felt sure that few other young gentlemen of distinction would feel the same.

  ‘He is a very remarkable man,’ she told herself.

  She and Lady Sarah entered the family pew.

  As they knelt to pray, Neisa finally admitted that despite herself she loved the Marquis.

  She had given him both her heart and soul.

  She had not intended to.

  She knew only too well, even before the Viscountess pointed it out, that it was hopeless for her to fall in love with anyone from a different world to her own.

  In addition, she could well understand that the Marquis would not want to be married until he was a great deal older.

  He wanted to enjoy himself, as most young men did, before settling down.

  Beautiful ladies, including the Viscountess, fawned on him and some were only too willing to fall into his arms.

  As these thoughts flashed through her mind Neisa felt a sharp pain, as if she had stabbed herself with a knife, making a hole in her heart.

  ‘I love him, I love him,’ her mind told her.

  Just to look at him made a thrill course through her whole body.

  Yet she knew quite well it was hopeless – she was reaching for the moon, the sun and the stars.

  At the same time she could no more prevent her love from running through her veins than she could prevent herself from breathing.

  The service started and the choir sang like angels.

  Looking round, Neisa knew the Marquis
had spent money on his local Church.

  She was quite certain that the Vicar, who looked well fed, enjoyed a large stipend.

  There were quite a number of people in the Church.

  The Marquis read the second lesson in a deep and sincere voice, which seemed to demand attention.

  Even the children did not fidget but listened.

  Neisa could only look at him to know her love was hopeless, but in any event it was the most beautiful feeling she had ever experienced in her life.

  It was everything that she felt in the woods, found in the flowers and heard in the song of the birds.

  It was the starlight at night, the moon creeping into her bedroom.

  It was the sun in the morning, bringing a feeling of youth and vitality.

  It was a love that embraced the whole world and she felt sure that she would never feel again for another man.

  When the service was over, the Marquis sent away his own chaise, which had brought him to the Church.

  He then joined his Aunt and Neisa to drive back to the house with them.

  “I am afraid,” he smiled, “that you and I have had to pray for the whole party. When I suggested they should join us, they each had some well thought out excuse for not doing so!”

  Lady Sarah laughed.

  “You expect far too much, Sheldon! I feel sure that Miss Waverton’s prayers have made up for all those who were missing.”

  “That is something I thought myself.”

  He smiled at Neisa as he spoke.

  She felt as if her heart was spinning round in her breast. And the sun was more brilliant than it had been a moment earlier.

  *

  When they reached the house, Lady Sarah went to her room and the Marquis turned to Neisa,

  “I am sorry to learn that there is trouble for your cousin at home and that you have to leave us earlier than you intended.”

  “I-I am sorry too, my Lord.”

  “I hope we will meet in London. I expect you will be returning there and I intend to pay a visit to my London house sometime this week.”

  Neisa did not answer and after a moment or two, he suggested,

  “Perhaps we can take luncheon or dinner together either in your house or mine. I have so much to say to you that is impossible to do here with so many people around.”

  “That – would be very delightful,” Neisa managed to reply, although she knew it would never happen.

  She went up to her room to find everything packed, expect the dress she was travelling in.

  “All this rush, rush, rush!” Hannah grumbled away crossly. “It’ll do no one no good! Where’s all the hurry, I keeps asking myself?”

  Neisa had no wish to leave.

  She longed to stay with the Marquis for as long as she could.

  She recognised deep in her heart that once they had departed from Denholme Park after luncheon, she would never see him again.

  Carol had said that she would be leaving immediately for America. Therefore when the Marquis called at the big house in Park Lane, he would be told she had gone.

  She did not believe that he would give her another thought.

  She walked slowly and forlornly downstairs just as the Marquis was coming in through the front door.

  He called out to Neisa,

  “You must have forgotten that I had promised you a ride on Champion. It is nearly time for luncheon and I feel that if you are going to leave shortly afterwards, it will be impossible for you to ride and drive at the same time.”

  He was smiling, but Neisa wanted to cry out that she was losing something wonderful!

  It was agonising to say that he was right.

  “I have, however, thought of a compromise, Miss Waverton. Perhaps you would be my guest again, if not next weekend, then the weekend after. We could make it just a quiet party and perhaps your father will have returned to England by then – ”

  Neisa could not answer him and after a moment he continued,

  “I am sure that Champion will be looking forward to you riding him as eagerly as you are and I always keep my promises. So you must keep yours!”

  It was what Neisa wanted to do more than she ever wanted anything in her whole life.

  Yet she kept telling herself that he was only being polite.

  When he learned that she was not Mr. Waverton’s little daughter, he would then soon wipe her out of his mind and never think of her again.

  She managed, however, to respond with difficulty,

  “It is most kind of you – and of course – I will be counting – the days and hours until I can see Champion again.”

  “Since he cannot do that for himself, I will do it for him,” the Marquis twinkled.

  She gave him a weak smile, but because it was such agony to do so, it was not very successful.

  They then reached the door of the room where everyone was congregating before luncheon.

  As they went in, Neisa was aware they were all still talking about horses.

  At luncheon she sat on the left side of the Marquis, who was again being monopolised by the Viscountess.

  Neisa had to endure a gentleman on her other side who was determined to call on her at what he thought was her father’s house in Park Lane.

  He was very keen to meet Mr Waverton, as he was planning to visit New York imminently and thought that an acquaintance with such an influential businessman would be greatly to his advantage.

  He made it very clear to Neisa that he intended to invite her to a luncheon or dinner party as soon as it could be arranged.

  She had the greatest difficulty in avoiding giving him the date he required.

  She found herself listening to the caressing voice of the Viscountess telling the Marquis how wonderful he was.

  With sophisticated and captivating women like her, Neisa thought, he would never have taken any notice of her if she had not saved his life.

  She started when the Marquis turned to her,

  “And what are you thinking about Miss Waverton? You are very quiet.”

  “I was thinking that so much happened yesterday that if we wrote it in a book, no one would believe us!”

  “That’s very right,” agreed the Marquis, “but it is a book I would have no wish to read!”

  “Nor would I,” added Neisa.

  Once again the Viscountess attracted his attention and once again Neisa found herself wondering if Randolph had reached the Continent or if the two men in charge of him had experienced any difficulties.

  She knew that when she left, it would be unlikely she would ever hear of Randolph again.

  Although she was glad, it meant that she would not see the Marquis again either.

  She glanced at him and could see the Viscountess whispering something in his ear.

  Her hand, with its long white fingers, was resting on his as she did so.

  ‘I suppose,’ thought Neisa, ‘that is flirting, which is something I have never learned to do.’

  She decided that what she felt for the Marquis was not just something intriguing or something to laugh about.

  It was something serious and holy.

  It was a love that she believed came from God.

  Then she told herself she was being ridiculous.

  Pretty women were always pursuing men like the Marquis. They were amused by them and perhaps even infatuated with them.

  They did not want to be serious.

  They wanted to enjoy life and to remain free.

  Only the requirement for an heir would force them into marriage.

  There was no need for him to marry anyone rich. Nor for that matter someone who had a talent he did not have himself.

  He had everything!

  What had anyone like herself to offer him?

  ‘I am certainly presuming too much and asking too much,’ Neisa determined.

  “You must let me meet your father,” the man on the left was saying. “And of course I want to see you again. You are so very beautiful, and I w
anted, before you left, to have a chance to talk to you seriously.”

  “What about?” Neisa asked without thinking.

  “About you and me,” the man replied. “But this is not the right place, it is just not romantic enough for what I have to say.”

  For a moment Neisa could not think what he was talking about and then she realised he was on the verge of proposing to her.

  It was something she did not wish to happen and under the circumstances, it would be very embarrassing.

  She turned to the Marquis.

  “As I have to leave so soon, would it be possible for me to say goodbye to Champion?” she enquired.

  He smiled at her.

  “Of course you can, but it has to be only au revoir. Promise me that you will come down the weekend I have suggested? You can then ride him on the Racecourse and I might even race you.”

  “I think Champion would be very upset if you won. In fact, he would think he had been defrauded!”

  “We might risk it, but if you want to see him, come along now before your carriage for London arrives.”

  Neisa did not tell him that Carol would be dropping her off first at Little Meadowfield.

  She was secretly hoping, as Carol was so obviously unhappy, to persuade her to stay the night.

  However, she had a strong feeling that Carol would want to put as many miles between her and Sir Peter as possible.

  Neisa could well understand that she was terrified of having to listen to a hard note in his voice and seeing a very different expression in his eyes.

  It was money! There was a mountain of money standing between them.

  It separated them more completely than any frontier wall.

  Then the Marquis rose, made excuses to his aunt and told everyone not to hurry from the table.

  He then escorted Neisa to the stables.

  There was no one about as it was luncheon time, not only for the gentry but also for the grooms.

  The Marquis opened the door of Champion’s stall and they went in.

  The great horse heard his voice and moved towards him. He nuzzled against him in a very touching way.

  “He loves you,” exclaimed Neisa.

  “I often think more than anyone else has ever loved me,” responded the Marquis.

  Neisa looked at him in surprise.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because Champion loves me just for myself – not for my title, my possessions or anything I can give him. I honestly don’t think he associates me with the food he eats or the water he drinks.”