Just Fate Page 7

  The largest, where he slept himself, had a beautifully carved four-poster Elizabethan bed.

  Mena gave a cry of delight.

  “I wish – Mr. Mansforde could have seen that,” she said. “It is very like the one he had in his house, but has far finer carving!”

  Again there was a bow window with diamond panes that overlooked the garden and the other two bedrooms had small casements and ordinary beds.

  Each room contained a chest of drawers or a mirror that, even if not actually Elizabethan, fitted into the house as if made for it.

  When they went downstairs to the sitting room, Mena said,

  “Thank you, thank you for showing me your – perfect little house. It is like a miniature and just as exquisite.”

  “That is what I hoped you would say,” Lindon remarked. “And now I want you to admire this tapestry and then I will take you back.”

  The tapestry that covered one wall of the sitting room was very old and it depicted a wedding in Medieval times.

  “Where can you have found anything so attractive?” Mena asked him.

  “In Egypt of all unlikely places,” Lindon answered. “They said it reached there at the time when Napoleon was attempting to occupy Egypt. I think, if the truth was told, it was stolen at one time or another from the French who were very interested in excavating the Pyramids.”

  “I want you to tell me about Egypt and the Pyramids,” Mena said, “but – now I must – go back.”

  “Then your chaperones will carry us there,” Lindon smiled, “and you can tell them that I have behaved with the utmost propriety!”

  Mena gave a little laugh and looked up at him.

  Then at the expression in his eyes she was still.

  She knew what he was thinking and she knew what he wanted.

  Because she was shy she turned quickly and walked to the door. It was open and she went into the hall.

  “Wait one moment while I fetch the horses,” Lindon suggested.

  He went out through the front door leaving Mena alone.

  The sun was sinking and it was growing dark in the hall and yet she felt as if the house held out its arms to her.

  It was the atmosphere, she thought, of age but also of love.

  She was sure that those who had lived in this small house had been very happy.

  It was the same thing, she reflected, that she used to feel at home.

  She would hear her father and mother speak to each other with a note in their voices that was redolent with the love they had for each other. And she had been aware of it all through her childhood.

  Only when her father died had she realised how much it had meant.

  Now, strangely, she could feel it again.

  It was as if the house not only welcomed her but also spoke to her.

  Then, feeling that it must be just part of her imagination, she went to the open door.

  As she did so, she could see Lindon coming from the stable leading both horses. There was no sign of the old man who had taken them on their arrival.

  ‘I am sure Lindon is too poor to be able to afford any servants,’ she told herself. ‘He must have spent most of his week’s wages on the dinner and the champagne.’

  Because it was not as warm as it had been on the way to the little house, she put her shawl over her shoulders. The ends crossed her breast to tie into a knot at the back of her waist.

  She felt that Lindon looked at what she was wearing and smiled as if he thought that it sensible.

  After he had mounted they rode off in the direction of The Castle. He did not hurry. At the same time he did not linger.

  It seemed to Mena a very short time before they entered the paddock with the jumps.

  They stopped at the gate that led into the orchard and Lindon said,

  “I must see you tomorrow. What time will you be free?”

  She knew as he spoke that she had been afraid he would not suggest another meeting.

  It was something she herself wanted desperately.

  “I would like more than – anything else,” she said, “to see the other horses – in the stables. I have now seen four of them and I am filled with admiration.”

  “Then what I suggest I do,” Lindon said, “is to show them to you at luncheontime. I expect the party will go round the stables, as they usually do, when they return from Church and before luncheon. After that there is not likely to be anyone there except perhaps for a stable boy or two.”

  “Then you will show me the horses?”

  “As many as you want to see!”

  “Thank you,” Mena said, “and thank you, more than I can – possibly say, for a – wonderful and most – delightful evening.”

  “You were not disappointed?”

  She laughed.

  “How could I be? And I think your ‘dream house’ is just as I describe it – and full of – happiness.” She was going to say ‘love’ and then quickly changed the last word.

  “That is what I want it to be,” Lindon declared.

  He dismounted and lifted Mena down from her mount.

  He did not, however, take his arms from her as her feet touched the ground.

  “I have kept my promise,” he said in a deep voice, “and behaved as you wished me to and I hope when you think of this evening you will commend me for my self-control in not kissing you goodnight.”

  She stiffened.

  Then before she could speak or move he had walked to the horses to pick up their bridles and lead them away towards the stables.

  She stood at the gate watching him go, but he did not look back.

  With a little sigh she turned away.

  As she walked through the orchard, she could not help thinking that it might have been very wonderful to be kissed by Lindon.

  Then abruptly she told herself that it was something she must not think about as it was in fact very wrong.

  There was no doubt in her mind that Lindon is a gentleman and he was exceedingly lucky to own such a beautiful house, however small it might be.

  But he obviously had to work hard for his living.

  She knew that it would be wrong to have any man kissing her unless she intended to marry him.

  ‘Lindon cannot afford a wife,’ she told herself, ‘even if he wished to – marry me, which I am sure he does – not!’

  She knew too that her mother and father would be horrified at the idea of her marrying a man who, however good his breeding, was just a servant to the Duke.

  “I must put him – out of my mind,” Mena told herself, “and perhaps it would be – a mistake to see him – tomorrow, even if it is – only in the stables.”

  She reached the door into the garden and, having gone through it, she was among the shrubs, which would keep her concealed until she reached The Castle door.

  Because it was dusk it was difficult to see the path.

  Mena was now moving slowly along it when she heard the sound of voices.

  She came to a standstill.

  She realised that they were coming from the lawn on the other side of the rhododendron bushes.

  There was the smell of cigar smoke in the air and a man said,

  “You are quite certain that everything is arranged as I told you?”

  “Your orders have been carried out exactly, my Lord,” another man replied.

  “What about the groom on duty?” the first man enquired.

  “I’ve arranged that there will be a sleeping draught in the ale that he will be offered this evening.”

  “That is a sensible idea, Robert,” the first man said. “Once we get Conqueror to France I will receive a huge sum for him and you will not go unrewarded.”

  “Thank you, my Lord, thank you very much!” the other man replied,

  “So many French horses were killed during the War with Germany in the Siege of Paris,” the first man went on, “that those who want to breed only the best will pay high prices for good horseflesh.”

  “And Irish horses
are exceptional, my Lord!”

  “That is what I thought myself as soon as I saw that stallion. So for God’s sake don’t make a mess of getting him away! The sooner you reach Folkestone, where my yacht is waiting the better.”

  “I’ll not fail you for sure, my Lord.”

  “I sincerely hope not,” the first man said. “I will go in now. Good Luck!”

  “Goodnight, my Lord.”

  Mena saw that the two men had parted, but she did not move.

  She could hardly believe what she had just overheard.

  How could a guest in the Duke’s party be plotting to steal Conqueror?

  She was sure that the man with the cigar was right and the French would be only too eager to buy outstanding horses and would pay large sums of money for them.

  Then she knew that Lindon must prevent Conqueror from being stolen.

  Walking on tiptoe because she was afraid of being discovered, Mena retraced her steps.

  She went through the gates into the garden, crossed the orchard and arrived at the gate where Lindon had left her.

  Then she was running as fast as she could towards the stables.

  As she entered the yard she was relieved to see that the place seemed deserted and obviously the horses were all shut in for the night.

  She was then aware that at the far end of a long row of stalls, one of the doors stood open.

  She thought that must be where Lindon was stabling the horses that they had ridden to his house.

  She ran over the cobblestones, praying frantically that she was not being seen by either of the men she had just heard talking. Then when she entered the stable she saw a movement in one of the stalls.

  It was the horse she had been riding that evening. In the next stall she found Lindon just removing his horse’s saddle.

  She slipped into the stall.

  Hearing her feet on the straw he turned his head and then stared at her in surprise as she reached his side.

  “Mena!” he exclaimed.

  “Listen!” she whispered. “Conqueror is – going to be – stolen tonight and – shipped to France.”

  He stared at her in sheer astonishment and she realised that he was looking at her by the light of a lantern that was hanging on a wall outside the stalls.

  “It is true,” she said, “I have just heard two men talking in the garden!”

  Lindon took the saddle from the horse’s back and carried it out of the stall. He put it down in the passage outside and then he said,

  “Tell me again what you have just said. It’s quite safe! There is nobody else here at the moment.”

  Drawing in her breath Mena started to explain,

  “I was – just going back by the – rhododendron bushes – when I stopped and heard – their voices.”

  She was stumbling over the words because she was so frightened and so breathless after running so fast.

  Lindon took her hand and held it with both of his.

  “It’s all right,” he said gently. “Just tell me slowly exactly what they said.”

  “I was – afraid that I – might be too late – or that in trying to save Conqueror you – might be hurt.”

  She thought that Lindon smiled before he said,

  “Try to remember every word.”

  Mena closed her eyes.

  She was no longer trembling now that Lindon was holding her hand and she found something very comforting in the strength of his fingers.

  Her father had trained her to have a very good memory about what he read to her and, after they had discussed various subjects, she could recall every word he had said.

  In making her report now she did not raise her voice above a whisper.

  When she had finished, Lindon said,

  “Thank you, darling, now I know exactly what to do.”

  As he spoke, he put his arms around Mena.

  And before she could open her eyes his lips were on hers.

  He kissed her possessively and demandingly and she felt as if he took her very heart from her body and made it his.

  Then, almost before she had realised the wonder of it, he set her free and took her by the hand.

  Because she was so surprised and at the same time thrilled by his kiss she could not speak.

  She let him lead her across the cobbled yard and onto a narrow path bordered by tall shrubs.

  He stopped and she realised that she was now facing not, as she expected, a side door but directly onto the front of The Castle.

  There were the stone steps that she and her mother had climbed up on their arrival.

  “Go in that way,” Lindon ordered, “and tell the footmen on duty that you have been for a walk by the lake.”

  He gave her a little push forward and then left her.

  Almost before she could realise it he had gone and she was alone.

  It was then that she understood.

  If she went in by the garden door, she might be seen by one or other of the men she had overheard.

  This way there was no possibility of anybody being suspicious if by some unfortunate chance she came into contact with them.

  She forced herself to walk slowly and unhurriedly towards the steps and then, as she climbed them, she saw that the door was open.

  There were two footmen in the hall and they looked at her in surprise as she said,

  “It is such a lovely evening that I have been for a walk by the lake.”

  “I wish we could’ve done the same, miss,” one of the footmen smiled.

  “Goodnight,” Mena said lightly as she started up the stairs.

  “’Night, miss!” they both answered.

  As she went, she could hear music coming from the ballroom and she realised that it must be some distance away.

  She could also hear the sound of voices and laughter in the drawing room.

  ‘It must be quite a large party,’ she thought to herself.

  But she knew that nobody could have had a more enjoyable evening than she had.

  ‘It was – lucky I – went,’ she told herself. ‘If I had stayed here as I suppose I ought to have done, Conqueror would not have been missed until the morning and nobody would have known where he was.’

  She was quite sure that Lindon would be able to frustrate the thieves and perhaps he would warn the Duke of what one of his guests had been planning.

  She could imagine nothing more infuriating than for His Grace to find that his magnificent stallion had been stolen from his own stables.

  Everybody would have admired him when they were shown the stables tomorrow.

  ‘It was very – very fortunate that I overheard those – two men talking,’ Mena mused.

  At the same time she realised that on no account must she tell anybody where she had been.

  ‘I am sure that is what Lindon would want,’ she thought.

  As she reached her bedroom, she saw her reflection in the mirror.

  While her hair looked a little untidy she knew, without being conceited, that she looked very pretty.

  Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were shining and her lips looked as if they had been kissed.

  “I always knew that – a kiss would be – wonderful.” she whispered.

  Then she knew that it was all the more wonderful because she had wanted Lindon to kiss her. Also, although she was frightened to admit it, she found him very attractive.

  Then, as she thought about it, she gave a little murmur of horror.

  ‘I must not fall in love with him! That is something I must not do!’ she told herself. ‘I will only make myself miserable and when I go home I shall long to see him, which, of course, will be quite impossible!’

  Once again she could feel his lips on hers, strong, demanding and possessive.

  As he had touched her, she had felt something warm and wonderful come to life in her breast.

  It was at first like the sunshine or perhaps more like lightning.

  Then it became an ecstasy beyond words and more thrill
ing than anything she could ever have imagined.

  She went to the window and pulled back the curtains.

  Now darkness had fallen the stars filled the sky and a pale moon was just beginning to rise above the trees.

  It was so lovely, so ethereal and at the same time a sublime part of what she was feeling.

  She knew that what she had sensed in his little house was multiplied a million times by what she had felt at the touch of his lips.

  It was no use.

  However much she might fight and pray that it was not true – she knew there and then that she loved him.

  *

  It was a long time later before Mena turned from the window.

  She then told herself that she must go to her mother’s room so that she could help her undress.

  But it was difficult to think of anything except that Lindon might be fighting with the thieves.

  She was certain that he would be sensible enough to have a number of men with him.

  But there was always a possibility that they would stop at nothing in their determination to steal Conqueror away.

  She could only pray that Lindon would be safe.

  Because it was growing late she hurried from her room to her mother’s.

  As she expected, her mother had not yet come upstairs.

  Mena was just settling herself comfortably in the armchair to wait for her when the door opened.

  Mena looked up expectantly, but it was not her mother who came in, it was Lais.

  “Oh, it is you, Lais,” Mena exclaimed. “Mama has not yet come up.”

  “I know that,” Lais replied, “and I am finding it extremely tiresome the way that she is monopolising the Duke!”

  Mena looked at her sister in surprise as Lais walked to the dressing table. She sat down on the stool and examined her reflection in the mirror.

  She adjusted the tiara she wore on her head as she did so.

  “Mama is only doing what you told her to do,” Mena said loyally when her sister did not speak. “She says that she likes the Duke very much and would welcome him as her son-in-law.”

  “But of course!” Lais responded in a hard voice. “What mother would not?”

  Mena did not answer and she went on,

  “However, I want the Duke to myself and I am finding it increasingly hard to get near him.”

  “We are going home on Monday,” Mena pointed out.