Learning to Love Page 3

  ‘I have to do it! I must!’ the Earl told himself.

  He realised that he had eaten the food Jim had bought at the Public House and drunk the beer without even tasting it.

  Now he needed to find a room for the night where they would not ask him to pay in advance. There would be no point in driving back to the country and immediately having to return if he was to be at the Church on time.

  He could think of various friends whom he had known in the past and if they could they would willingly provide him with a bed for the night. But they would undoubtedly ask questions as to why he was in London.

  He might have to tell them why he had to be at St. George’s Church at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning.

  ‘There must be somewhere I can stay,’ he pondered.

  Yet it had been too long a time since he had seen any of his friends.

  Then he had an idea.

  He would go to the barracks of his Regiment to see the Colonel and ask if it was possible that he could stay there just for the night.

  He was quite sure that he would be willing to oblige him.

  He thought with a wry twist to his lips, he would spend his last night as a bachelor with the men with whom he had fought. He would be with men who were concerned with training how to fight an enemy.

  They did not have to sell themselves on the altar of matrimony.

  He rose from the seat by the Serpentine and walked back to his chaise. Jim was licking his fingers as if he did not wish to waste a crumb of the food he had bought for him.

  He had obviously enjoyed every mouthful. The Earl thought he would arrange, without too much difficulty, for Jim also to spend the night at the barracks.

  ‘My last night of freedom,’ he whispered to himself, ‘and God knows if it will be a night I shall always remember.’

  CHAPTER TWO

  The Colonel of the Regiment was delighted to see the Earl, who had known him only slightly when he had been in the Army and he found an old comrade-in-arms, Captain Charles Stuart, who took the Earl into the Officers’ Mess.

  There were a number of young Officers whom the Earl had not met and just two whom he had known in the last year before he had resigned his commission.

  They all welcomed him in a most friendly manner and when he sat down to dinner with them he was enjoying every moment.

  Half way through the meal Captain Charles told him that he and three other Officers were going to a party at Lady G’s and he must come with them.

  “Lady G?” the Earl queried, “who is that?”

  “She is always known simply as Lady G,” Captain Charles explained. “You do not know who she is?”

  “I have no idea.”

  He was then told that Lady G was quite a famous personage on the London scene. She had been a beauty in her time and had married several husbands.

  The last one had an unpronounceable Greek name.

  When he died he left her a large amount of money but, as she said herself, when she was too old to enjoy it. She therefore gave parties at which she welcomed any number of gentlemen.

  She saw to it that they were amused by young and attractive women.

  “Most of them are married,” Captain Charles explained, “or say they are. Quite frankly, Michael, your mother would not accept them, but they are all very pretty and the greatest fun.”

  “It sounds something new and original,” the Earl agreed. “There was certainly no Lady G in my day.”

  “We get the best champagne free and you will see for yourself tonight what a joy it is, especially for young Subalterns with no friends in London.”

  The Earl became curious.

  At the same time it prevented him thinking about what was lying ahead of him tomorrow.

  He was trying not to remember that this was his last day of freedom.

  Yet it kept recurring to his mind that he should enjoy himself while he still had the chance.

  He also learned that his friend Charles Stuart was leaving the following evening for India. He had been appointed to a post at Viceregal Lodge in Calcutta and was looking forward to his new posting enormously.

  “Equally I shall miss being at home,” Captain Charles commented. “However much I travel and I know you will say the same, there is nowhere like one’s own country.”

  “I agree with you,” the Earl answered. “But if you are not leaving until the evening Charles, there is something I would like you to do for me at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning, if you would be so kind.”

  “Of course,” he replied, “I will do anything you want.”

  “I will tell you about it later, and thank you for saying that you will help me in a matter of great importance to me.”

  He had worried as to whether he should ask John Shield to be his best man, but with Charles going away the same evening, it would make it easier for his marriage to be kept a secret.

  The dinner in the Officers’ Mess was excellent and because he felt he needed it, the Earl had a great deal to drink.

  Then the five of them set off when dinner was finished to Lady G’s house in Chelsea, which was an impressive mansion standing in its own garden.

  When they arrived they found they were by no means the first.

  There were quite a number of young men present already, besides what the Earl noticed to be some extremely pretty women.

  Lady G, who was well over sixty, came towards Charles with open arms.

  “I am so glad to see you, my dear boy,” she cried. “I was worried in case you were prevented from coming tonight. I would then have asked too many women, which would be a disaster.”

  “I would still have you, Lady G,” Charles replied enthusiastically, “and you are more important than all the rest.”

  “Now you are flattering me, you naughty boy,” she burbled slapping him gently on the cheek.

  “I bought a friend of mine,” Charles continued. “We served together in the Army before he became the Earl of Cariston.”

  Lady G held out both her hands.

  “I knew your father many years ago, and he was as handsome then as you are now.”

  It was just possible, the Earl thought, to realise that she had been beautiful when she was younger. Now she was lined and had lost her figure, but she certainly made the best of herself.

  She was glittering with jewels.

  Her hair, which was obviously a wig, was well arranged and she was dressed in a most expensive and fantastic gown.

  “Now come and have something to drink,” Lady G invited the Earl. “Charles will have told you that I boast a cellar which is the envy of London and I am sure you are a connoisseur when it comes to wine.”

  The Earl thought with a smile of amusement that he had not been accused of that particular vice before.

  He did however appreciate the excellence of the different wines he was being offered, but he thought it best to stick to the very good and extremely expensive vintage champagne.

  Lady G was chattering away to him and at the same time she obviously was looking round the room for someone she wanted him to meet.

  Finally she a made a small sound of satisfaction as a beautiful young woman came walking towards her.

  She had dark hair, eyes that flashed like diamonds and a dazzling white skin.

  “I was hoping you would come tonight, Rosie,” she trumpeted as the woman kissed her. “Let me introduce you to a charming young man whose father used to be as handsome as he is. Lord Cariston – Lady Rosemary Wheldon.”

  Lady Rosemary gave the Earl a dazzling smile.

  When he took her hand he was aware that she wore a wedding-ring, beside one set with diamonds.

  “Come and dance,” she suggested. “I have been sitting all day and I need the exercise.”

  The Earl glanced at Lady G to see if it was rude to leave her. Then he realised she had already turned away to welcome some newcomers.

  Lady Rosemary led him into what appeared to be a small ballroom, which was lavishly decorated w
ith flowers. There was a small band playing on a platform at one end.

  There were only two other couples dancing.

  When the Earl put his arm around Lady Rosemary’s small waist, he realised that she was a very good dancer if a somewhat intimate one.

  She certainly clung to him very closely.

  As their steps seemed to match each other’s, he recognised that he was lucky enough to have found a really excellent partner.

  “Tell me about yourself,” Lady Rosemary asked in a soft caressing voice.

  It was a tone the Earl had often heard before. It was the way women invariably spoke to him almost as soon as they met.

  “I am only a country Squire,” the Earl replied, “and the reason we have not met before is that I have not been in London for a very long time.”

  “Well, now you have come back, we must make it impossible for you to leave,” Lady Rosemary cooed in her entrancing voice.

  They danced for some time and then walked into another room where small tables were romantically lit with pink candles. Without asking wine was immediately placed in front of them.

  Looking into his eyes, Lady Rosemary drank his health.

  “Have you come here alone?” the Earl enquired, “or is there someone waiting impatiently to claim you for the next dance?”

  “I want to dance with you,” she purred. “If one comes to Lady G’s, it is always a mistake to bring anyone with you who may be inclined to be possessive.”

  The Earl could not fail to understand her implication so he escorted her back to the ballroom for another dance.

  Later he found there seemed to be no one else at the party except Rosie, as she told him to call her.

  No one interrupted them or even asked if they were enjoying themselves. They were alone in the world in which they danced, drank and danced again.

  Finally, because it was so hot in the ballroom, Rosie suggested they should move into the garden.

  They walked slowly over a smooth lawn until under the trees the Earl saw that there was a summer house. The door was open and there were just a few candles lighting it.

  He could not remember afterwards if he had found it by chance or whether Rosie had guided him there.

  Out of curiosity he looked inside and found it contained a large comfortable looking divan on which a number of soft cushions were arranged.

  “Shall we sit here?” he suggested.

  As he was speaking Rosie closed the door.

  Then her arms were round his neck and it was impossible to think of anything else.

  *

  It was one o’clock in the morning when the Earl heard Charles Stuart saying,

  “I have been wondering where you were, Michael. We should to be getting back to the barracks.”

  The Earl opened his eyes.

  He had been asleep on the comfortable divan and there was no sign of Rosie.

  He pulled himself up and Charles helped him into his coat which he could not remember taking off.

  “It has been a jolly good evening,” Charles said conversationally. “But I expect you are tired, after coming up from the country this morning.”

  “Yes, indeed I am.”

  He put on his shoes and walked across the lawn beside Charles.

  “Lady G has gone to bed,” Charles informed him, “so there is no need for us to say goodbye to anyone, although I expect some of the party will go on dancing until dawn.”

  The Earl was forcing himself to return to reality. He sensed that it was somehow remiss of him not to say goodbye to his hostess.

  And for that matter to Rosie.

  However it was easier in the circumstances to leave as Charles had suggested and there were only the two of them being driven back to the barracks.

  The Earl thought it was tactful not to enquire what had happened to the other Officers who had come with them.

  “What I am asking you to do tomorrow morning, Charles,” he began as they drove away, “is to be the best man at my wedding.”

  Charles looked at him in surprise.

  “At your wedding? I always remember you saying you had no intention of getting married until you were much older. Who is the fortunate young lady?”

  “I do not want to talk about it. I just want you to do me the great favour by being my best man at what is to be a secret marriage.”

  The Earl paused before continuing,

  “The wedding is to take place at St. George’s, Hanover Square at eleven o’clock this morning. It will not be announced in the newspapers and I do not want anyone to find out that it has happened for a long time.”

  “It all sounds most mysterious. Are you in any particular trouble, Michael?”

  The Earl guessed that Charles thought he was being blackmailed into marriage perhaps with someone he had seduced.

  “No, no it is not that,” he replied quickly. “It is a hurried wedding because the bride’s father is extremely ill, and I have no wish for anyone to talk about it until it can be properly announced at a later date.”

  “I understand and of course I promise you, Michael, I will tell no one if that is what you want.”

  “Thank you, Charles, I know I can rely on you.”

  They drove on in silence until they reached the barracks.

  Then as they climbed upstairs to the bedrooms, the Earl asked,

  “Please tell someone to call me fairly early otherwise I might easily oversleep.”

  “I will see to it,” Charles promised.

  The Earl walked to his room. He had brought enough clothes to London to stay for one night.

  He had intended to dine at White’s before everything had happened in such an extraordinary way, and he had therefore packed his dinner jacket which he was now wearing.

  He was relieved to see that while he had been away one of the Regimental batmen had pressed the clothes he was wearing when he arrived.

  They were not particularly smart, but he thought they would have to do, whether the bride liked it or not.

  Once in bed he realised he was still sleepy and if he was honest he was still suffering slightly from too much champagne.

  At the same time he could not help thinking a little cynically that he had just spent his last bachelor party in what might be described as ‘style’.

  He wondered if he would ever see Lady Rosemary again.

  She had certainly lifted him for a moment with a flame of passion that most men would find irresistible.

  ‘I should be grateful to her,’ the Earl thought.

  However he really had no wish to see her again.

  It took him a little time to fall asleep.

  The menace of what was going to happen so soon was beginning to prey on his mind.

  *

  The Earl awoke at six o’clock when the troops were roused and the whole barracks seemed to come alive like a beehive, so he closed his eyes and tried to return to his dreamless sleep.

  However sleep was impossible and he could only think of what lay ahead of him.

  How should he respond to the wife who had been thrust upon him?

  If, as he expected, she looked in the least like her father, – plain, overbearing and extremely authoritative, he was going to find life very difficult.

  He had always disliked what he considered to be pushy, aggressive women who thought they knew better than men and, where possible, tried to rule the roost.

  He could not imagine a worse fate than being married to one or having to fight for authority in his own house.

  Yet the Hall would no longer really be his.

  How could it be, when she would have paid for the food that was put into his mouth?

  For the servants who waited on them.

  For every repair, and Heaven knows there were enough repairs needed at Cariston Hall to employ a regiment.

  ‘I should be grateful for what John guessed was just the chance of a miracle,’ the Earl kept telling himself.

  Equally he could not help feeling his whole
being revolt at what he was being forced to do.

  A batman called him at eight o’clock and informed him that breakfast was being served in the Officers’ Mess.

  “Captain Charles has had to go out, my Lord,” the batman informed him, “but he says he’ll be back at ten o’clock.”

  “Thank you,” the Earl replied, “and will you please tell my groom that I require my chaise at ten thirty precisely.”

  He had a quick bath and dressed himself, trying to look as neat and smart as he could, although his clothes were well worn and somewhat threadbare.

  Definitely not smart enough for a bridegroom of his standing, but there was nothing more he could do.

  Except, he thought sourly, that it was only what the bride would expect the pauper she was marrying to look like.

  He wondered if perhaps she would be as reluctant as he was to marry someone she had never met.

  Then he told himself cynically that like all young women she was out to snare a title, which was in fact all she would gain from this marriage.

  He was very conscious of the fact that, because he was an Earl and the seventh member of his family to hold the title, he was a matrimonial catch.

  Not a very impressive one, but still a catch.

  He could doubtless have pursued an heiress himself as many of the aristocratic friends had done and he might even have found one who was attractive.

  She might then have coincided a little with the perfect wife he had dreamed he would find one day.

  Actually he would never have done so because he would have thought it too humiliating.

  Now he was in an even more degrading position.

  His bride had been chosen for him and he had never seen her and she would doubtless dislike him as much as he already disliked her.

  All these thoughts and a great deal more flashed through his mind as he was dressing.

  He forced himself to appear at ease as he walked downstairs for breakfast.

  There were quite a number of Officers still in the Mess, including the Colonel.

  “Did you enjoy yourself last night?” he asked. “I hear they took you to Lady G’s and that invariably means a night of too much drink and too many pretty women!”