A Very Unusual Wife Read online

  She had learnt from Chang that vibrations flowed not only from human beings but also from everything that was alive.

  He had told her how there were people in the world who drew strength and power from the trees, how the Buddhists would never pick a flower because they were destroying life and the Jains brushed the path in front of them when they walked for fear that they would kill an insect.

  She knew of Chang’s power over horses and she was sure over other animals too arose from the vibrations he sent out towards them.

  She tried to follow his lead and found that she was gradually beginning to control her own vibrations so that she could use them deliberately rather than disperse them into the air without directing them to one particular point.

  She wondered now if the Marquis felt that she vibrated to him as he did to her, but told herself that it was extremely unlikely.

  Barton had reached the door of the drawing room, opened it with a flourish and announced in his usual stentorian tones,

  “The Marquis of Falcon, my Lady!”

  Elmina paused to let the Marquis go ahead and she saw that her family was grouped ready to greet their prestigious guest.

  Her father was looking very distinguished in his evening clothes and her mother was glittering with diamonds.

  Mirabel was looking lovely in the white gown in which she had been presented to the Queen.

  Deirdre was wearing pale green, which Elmina knew was her favourite colour.

  Quite suddenly all this pomp and ceremony for the sake of one man seemed to her amusing.

  ‘We are all dressed up to kill,’ she told herself, ‘and there is really no reason for it as the poor man is already caught beyond any possibility of escape!’

  She knew instinctively that, although the Marquis seemed genial enough, he was disliking the thought of matrimony and bored with having to go through the preliminaries of proposing to his future bride when the whole project had been decided.

  However, she had to admit that he was certainly making an effort, although she was sure that her instinct was right and he found the whole thing incredibly tedious.

  “Delightful to see you, Falcon,” her father was saying, “and welcome!”

  “Thank you,” the Marquis replied. “It is very kind of you to invite me.”

  He kissed the Countess’s hand and looked enquiringly at Mirabel, while Elmina watching knew he was thinking that she was exactly what he had expected.

  The Marquis did, in fact, see a slight resemblance to Sapphire Carstairs and knew that Charles had been right in his description of her.

  “May I present my eldest daughter, Mirabel?” the Earl said. “She is engaged, although it has not yet been announced, to Sir Robert Warrington, a neighbour I am sure you know.”

  With only the slightest pause of surprise the Marquis replied,

  “Of course I know Robert and I must congratulate him the next time we meet.”

  Mirabel curtseyed gracefully and said,

  “Thank you. Robert has often talked about you, my Lord, and how much he enjoys riding in your steeplechases – ”

  “And this is my second daughter, Deirdre,” the Earl interrupted. “She is also engaged to be married, although it’s a secret, to Christopher Bardsley. As I expect you are aware, his father, Lord Bardsley, is extremely ill and not expected to live much longer.”

  It was obvious to Elmina, watching, that the Marquis was again somewhat taken aback.

  But he merely wished Deirdre every happiness and now there was a somewhat uncomfortable pause before the Earl said,

  “I imagine that you have already met my third daughter, Elmina, in the hall.”

  Now the Marquis turned to look at Elmina who was standing a little behind him.

  She was well aware that there was an expression of astonishment in his eyes, which this time he could not conceal, as he said as if he was at a loss for words,

  “Yes – we met in the hall.”

  There was an awkward silence, which was broken by Barton coming into the room followed by a footman carrying a silver tray on which there were glasses of champagne.

  “I feel on this auspicious occasion,” the Earl said, “that we should drink to it and I hope you will enjoy this champagne, Falcon. It’s a brand that was recommended to me years ago by King George, when he was on the throne.”

  “He was certainly reputed to be a great connoisseur of wine,” the Marquis said conversationally.

  There then began an exchange of reminiscences between the Earl and the Marquis of the parties they had attended in various Royal Palaces.

  “Alas, I was too young to know King George,” the Marquis said, “but I always found that the champagne offered at Windsor Castle by King William was undrinkable!”

  “I agree with you,” the Earl answered. “The poor man knew little about wine and less about horses.”

  “There you are indeed, right,” the Marquis agreed. “You would be amazed at some of the animals that have been retained from his reign into this for no reason except that the Royal horses seem to linger on indefinitely. Nobody until now has ever turned them out to grass, even when they were too blind and too old to be of the least use.”

  “It is certainly a disgrace that only you are capable of putting right,” the Earl said.

  They talked of horses all through dinner and, although Elmina listened intently, she made no attempt to join in the conversation.

  Nor, as it happened, did either of her sisters and, although her mother occasionally made some remark, it became virtually a tête-à-tête between the Earl and the Marquis.

  It was, in fact, a relief to the ladies when they could leave the gentlemen to their port.

  As they reached the drawing room, Mirabel exploded,

  “If that was not the most boring dinner I have ever attended, I cannot think of one to beat it!”

  “Nor can I!” Deirdre said.

  The two girls looked at Elmina and chorused,

  “Dearest, we are so sorry for you.”

  “I was really quite interested,” Elmina said, “but I would have liked on one or two points to argue with his Lordship.”

  Mirabel gave a gasp.

  “I am sure you should not do that! If you do, he might refuse to marry you!”

  Elmina laughed.

  “I doubt it. The reason why he is marrying is that he wanted to be appointed Master of the Horse and he is enjoying every moment of that!”

  “How do you know that, Elmina?” the Countess exclaimed. “I am sure your father did not tell you.”

  “Everybody has told me,” Elmina replied, “because everybody knows it is the truth. In fact the tinker, the tailor, the blacksmith, the grooms and even old Mrs. Blake in the village shop.”

  As she spoke, she knew that she had made a mistake, for her mother had no idea she had been to Falcon.

  Mirabel noticed her slip and gave her a little frown, but fortunately the Countess was too concerned with her daughter’s feelings to be aware of anything else.

  “It would be a mistake, dearest,” she said, “to believe everything you hear and I am sure that the Marquis, who I think is charming, had a very much more personal and important reason for being married than just because he wished to be Master of the Horse.”

  “But it certainly is the truth, Mama, and I can quite understand how much it means to him. After all, no one could be more capable of renovating the Royal Mews than he will be.”

  The Countess gave a little sigh as if she did not wish to argue.

  Then she said,

  “I am looking forward to seeing Falcon again. It is a long time since I last went there, but I hope, whatever it is like, you will be tactful dear child and not criticise in any way.”

  “No, of course not, Mama,” Elmina agreed and thought that her mother looked relieved.

  Because she was anxious to be kind to her third daughter, the Countess went on,

  “That is certainly a very becoming gown now you have i
t on, although I thought it looked quite different in the hand. I hope the day gowns I ordered for you will be here tomorrow, but just in case his Lordship invited you somewhere in the daytime, it would be a mistake to buy too much before we go to London and see what is available.”

  “I agree with you, Mama,” Elmina said, “and thank you very much for this gown. I like it!”

  “It is certainly unusual,” the Countess said. “At the same time I think you should have worn white. Mirabel looks far more like a future bride than you do!”

  “I am a future bride, Mama!” Mirabel corrected her.

  She slipped her arm through Deirdre’s and they moved to a corner of the room where they could talk privately to each other.

  Elmina knew that they were discussing the Marquis and, because she had sharp ears, she heard Mirabel say,

  “Having seen him at close quarters, I only know that I love Robert a million times more than I did before!”

  She heard her sisters laughing and, thinking that what they were saying might upset her mother, she sat down on the sofa beside her.

  “The Marquis is certainly very handsome, Mama,” she said, “but I think he looks his best on a horse!”

  “He has everything!” the Countess said as if she was following her own thoughts. “It’s a pity that Mirabel – ”

  She stopped, knowing it would be unkind to her daughter to say what she was thinking and Elmina said,

  “It is too late for regrets, Mama. All I want you to do is to pray that I can make the Marquis the sort of wife he wants and you know as well as I do that it will help Papa enormously to have him as a son-in-law.”

  The Countess looked startled.

  There was no time for her to reply for at that moment the Earl and the Marquis came into the drawing room.

  They walked across the room to where the Countess was sitting with Elmina and the Earl said in a tone that told his daughter he thought it best to get on with it,

  “The Marquis, my dear, is anxious to see the pictures of your grandfather’s horses by Stubbs in the study and I said that you would show them to him.”

  “Yes, of course, Papa,” Elmina agreed.

  She was sure that this had been planned by her father and mother before dinner, so she rose from the sofa and, without looking at the Marquis, led the way from the drawing room.

  They went along the passage to her father’s study where he had collected together all the best sporting pictures in the house.

  The one by Stubbs was certainly outstanding and there was another by Sartorius that Elmina actually preferred.

  She knew, however, that this had been arranged to give the Marquis the opportunity of proposing to her, as he was expected to do, with a few well-chosen words.

  She was not surprised when they reached the study to find that the candelabra were alight on the mantelpiece and on her father’s desk.

  She could not help feeling a little nervous in case at the last moment he would feel that he had been tricked into marrying her instead of Mirabel and now wished to back out of it.

  But he had evidently accepted the situation and knew that it did not make any difference to him or in any case that there was nothing he could do about it.

  As they reached the centre of the study, which was quite a large room, he said as if he had rehearsed the speech to himself already,

  “I think, Lady Elmina, you are aware that I have already asked your father if you will give me your hand in marriage. I hope the arrangement meets with your approval and that I shall make you happy.”

  He spoke so formally that Elmina felt she would be expected to reply in the same vein. However she said, looking up at him,

  “I should very much like to – marry you!”

  “I am glad,” the Marquis said. “I have brought with me something which I hope you will like and will wear to show that we are now officially engaged. A formal announcement of the fact will be in The London Gazette the day after tomorrow.”

  As he spoke, he produced a jewel box, which he opened.

  Inside was a magnificent oval-shaped diamond encircled by smaller diamonds.

  Elmina looked at it, but did not speak and the Marquis said,

  “This is the traditional engagement ring worn by all the Marchionesses of Falcon, but I will, of course, later give you a ring which will be your own and not part of the family collection.”

  “Thank you – very much,” Elmina managed to murmur.

  She put out her left hand and the Marquis put the ring on her third finger.

  It was a little large and he said,

  “I see it is rather big for you and that, of course, can be adjusted later. But I thought you would like to have it tonight.”

  “It is – kind of you to – think of it.”

  She looked down at the ring and the Marquis with a faint smile, as if he thought that she was not being very enthusiastic, enquired,

  “I should be interested to know what you are thinking.”

  To his surprise Elmina laughed.

  Then she said,

  “You may think it ungrateful of me, but to be truthful I was thinking that this ring could buy a dozen of your wonderful horses!”

  Now the Marquis was definitely surprised and he exclaimed,

  “That is certainly something I did not expect you to say! I gather that you are as fond of horses as your father is.”

  “Yes, indeed!” Elmina said. “I so much admire the horses I have seen you riding out hunting.”

  As she had already made one mistake, she realised that she had to choose her words carefully, as the Marquis replied,

  “You are making me feel uncomfortable as I am not able to affirm that I have noticed you.”

  “Why should you?” Elmina asked. “Actually, when one is hunting, I think it is wiser to concentrate on the fox rather than bother about the people who are watching!”

  The Marquis laughed.

  “That is true, but for most women it is a social gathering, which for them is the reason why they enjoy the meet.”

  “Not where I am concerned!” Elmina said. “I think that chitter-chatter is a terrible waste of time and I know you feel the same.”

  She did not mention that the disdainful way in which he deliberately kept away from other members in the field had annoyed them and had made Mirabel describe him as being supercilious and behaving as if everybody else was his inferior.

  “When we are married,” the Marquis said, “I can promise that you will be mounted on the best hunters I can provide for you.”

  He would have been very obtuse if he had not seen the light that came into Elmina’s eyes and the excitement in her voice as she said,

  “I would rather have that than a million pounds’ worth of diamonds!”

  The Marquis laughed again.

  “I think you should be able to have both!”

  “Thank you, thank you very much indeed!” she said with an enthusiasm she had not shown when he had first given her the ring.

  Then, as if she knew perceptively that he was considering whether or not it would be correct to kiss her, she said quickly,

  “You had better admire Papa’s pictures before we return to the drawing room. He is very proud of them and would be very disappointed if you had not noticed them.”

  “I should have thought that in the circumstances he might have understood that I would be admiring you!” the Marquis pointed out.

  Elmina gave him what he thought was a mischievous look before she replied,

  “That was very prettily spoken and actually I hope it is the truth!”

  “How could I do anything but protest that it is?” the Marquis asked with a faint note of amusement in his voice. “And will you forgive me if I ask, what I suppose is a very impertinent question, how old you are?”

  Elmina laughed and, although she was not aware of it, it was a very musical sound.

  “I was certain that was what you were wondering when you first looked at me,” she sa
id. “I was, as it happens, eighteen last month. I know I look younger but, although it may trouble you, I can assure you it is something that will be remedied as the years go by.”

  Now the Marquis also laughed quite genuinely as he added,

  “That is indisputable. Equally I admit that I was not expecting anyone who looked so young and, if you will forgive me for saying so, so unusual.”

  “You did say in your letter to Papa that you wished to marry his daughter! As I am the only one available, you really did not have much choice!”

  “I am not complaining,” the Marquis said quickly.

  He had the strange feeling as he spoke that Elmina did not believe him.

  Then she said, which surprised him even more than anything else that had happened that evening,

  “I think now that we should return to the drawing room. Mama would be very shocked if we stayed here too long and Papa will be apprehensive in case having seen me you want to change your mind and look for a bride elsewhere.”

  The Marquis was so astonished that for a moment he was speechless and could only stare at her.

  Then, as she had already reached the door and opened it, he found that there was nothing he could do but follow her from the room.

  Only when they were outside in the corridor and walking back the way they had come did he say,

  “I was certainly right, Lady Elmina, in thinking that you are unusual and I look forward to our next meeting.”

  “That is in three days’ time when we are coming to dine with you, my Lord,” Elmina replied. “And, of course, I am greatly looking forward to seeing Falcon and all its treasures, even though at that time of the evening I shall not be able to meet your horses.”

  He thought that he should make some reply, but, as Elmina walking ahead of him opened the door into the drawing room, the Marquis had a strange feeling that while she was speaking there was beneath the quite commonplace words some joke that she was keeping to herself.

  He did not understand why he felt this. It just came into his mind and he felt sure that he was not mistaken.

  All he could think about as an hour later he drove back alone to his own house was that his future bride did not look as he had expected, nor did she say what he might have expected her to say.