A Virgin Bride Read online

  Rock chuckled.

  “I suppose, having sown my wild oats, I now have to pay the price for them!”

  Again there was silence before his mother sighed,

  “I do so want you to be happy, Rock.”

  “Perhaps I will be, Mama, but I must not expect too much. After all I have had a wonderful time. I have seen parts of the world I never expected to see. I have improved Rockinston Hall in many ways I know you will like.”

  Before she could reply he blurted out,

  “I suppose there is no chance of your coming to my wedding?”

  She shook her head.

  “I would love to be at your wedding more than anything else, but I get so tired and the doctor suggests I rest as

  much as I possibly can. What I would like when you

  have been married a little while and have grown used to

  your wife is that you bring her here. You know what I am

  saying. I hope you will come here in August.”

  “Of course I will. I always do come at that time.”

  “Then I will be arranging to move out to the Dower

  House, which your father arranged many years ago should

  be mine.”

  Rock gave a cry.

  “No Mama! How can you think of leaving me? I do

  not want to be alone here with a strange young woman! You have always made it really happy and comfortable here

  for me and my friends year after year.”

  “I know, Rock. But your wife must be Mistress of

  The Castle, just as she will be Mistress of Rockinston Hall.”

  “That I suppose must happen eventually, but for the

  moment, Mama, I want you to promise me that you will be

  here to help me when we arrive. You can hardly expect a

  young girl to organise all the shooting parties, luncheon on

  the hill and the huge amount of extra work there will be for

  everyone once we arrive.”

  “I understand what you are saying, Rock, but I must

  make it clear that I am certainly not one of those mothers

  who resents giving up the main house to the new wife.”

  “You are moving too fast, Mama. I want you here

  and I want everything to be perfect for my friends when we

  fish and shoot. No one can organise that as well as you. If

  nothing else – you will show her how to do it.”

  “I can see your point,” she agreed. “Now, dear boy, you must tell me what I am to say to the family who will all be having hysterics, having read of your engagement in The Gazette before we told them that you had decided at last to settle down.”

  “I wonder how often I have heard the words ‘settle down’? I only hope, Mama, that when we meet my bride, we are not all disappointed.”

  “If I have to keep your secret and pretend that you have met her and fallen in love, then we will have to work out what we say and make sure everyone believes us!”

  Rock laughed and kissed his mother.

  “I knew you would understand, Mama. The whole situation is almost absurdly complicated, but entirely my fault. Yet I think under the circumstances there is nothing else I could have done.”

  “I do see, and I think it is very very clever of you. I suppose the Duke has also agreed that the reason for this unseemly haste is not to be spoken about to anyone.”

  Rock hesitated.

  “I suppose if I am honest, Mama, many people in London will have guessed the reason for my engagement being announced just at the time the Earl has declared he will shoot me on sight or wring my neck!”

  She gave a little cry, so he continued quickly,

  “Most people will know that the Duke of Lynbrook has been a friend of mine ever since I started racing. They will then assume that I have known Venetia for years.”

  “And why have you not met her?”

  “I suppose when I first visited the Duke’s house she was still in the nursery. For almost the last three years she has been at school in France.”

  “Now I understand why I have not read about her or seen her picture in The Lady’s Magazine. I thought it strange there was nothing about her in the Social columns Miss Sunderland reads to me so attentively.”

  “Be very careful what you say to Miss Sunderland. After all people here will undoubtedly question her as to what you think about my marriage and the least she says the better.”

  “She cannot say what she does not know. I think you yourself must tell the members of the clan that your engagement has been announced in London. I should not be surprised if it’s in The Scotsman already.”

  “I will say as little as possible, and, Mama, I am looking to you to write to the family. No one but you could explain that I was on my way to Scotland to tell you before anyone else, but it took longer than expected. That is why they were not informed as they will undoubtedly think that they should have been.”

  “You can be sure of that! Dearest boy, in one way I am thrilled and delighted you are to be married. In another way I am deeply concerned about your future happiness – ”

  Rock kissed her on both cheeks.

  “I love you, Mama, and no one but you could have taken it all so calmly without telling me I was a fool, which I surely was.”

  “Men will be men whatever women may say. And, as I expect you know or have guessed, your father got into all sorts of troubles before he met me and we fell in love.”

  “I never thought of that,” Rock murmured.

  “Your Papa was even more handsome than you are. Everyone told me when I married him that he would be bored with me in a few weeks and I would be left weeping, as had happened to so many other women.”

  “I had no idea of this! Because you were so happy together I could never think of Papa in any other way.”

  “Of course not, that is how I wanted you to think, but because he was in love with me and I was in love with him no one else existed – except you.”

  “I am glad I was not forgotten. You were so lucky, Mama, just as Papa was lucky too. But I cannot expect a miracle to happen to every member of the family, even though we pray it will.”

  “All I want, my dearest Rock, is your happiness, and I do have a feeling a miracle will happen and you will be as blissful as your father and I were.”

  “I only hope it will come true, Mama.”

  But he did not sound all that confident and there was a look of anxiety in her eyes as she watched her son walk across to the window.

  He was looking out to sea and she thought as she gazed at his strong profile that no man had ever been quite so fascinatingly good-looking except for his father.

  ‘We produced not just a handsome son,’ she mused, ‘but one who is intelligent and bright, but unfortunately, irresistible to women. What can I say? How can I help him at this moment?’

  She had not spoken aloud, but almost as if her son felt her calling out to him, Rock turned round.

  “Whatever happens in the future, Mama,” he said, “I have had a good run for my money so far, and must not expect too much. All the same I hope it will not be quite as difficult and boring as I anticipate.”

  His mother drew in her breath.

  “You must remember, Rock, your father used to say, ‘to receive love, you have to give love,’ and that is what I have found in my life to be the undeniable truth.”

  She was speaking seriously, but her son laughed.

  “Everyone has always loved you, Mama, including me. But having such a marvellous example of happiness in front of me, I cannot be greedy and expect too much.”

  The door then opened and the butler announced,

  “There is a crowd outside, Your Grace, that’s come from the village and the Clan. They’ve heard you’re to be wed. It’s in the newspapers that arrived this morn. They want to offer congratulations if Your Grace’ll see them.”

  Rock smiled.

  “Here we go, Mama. I knew it mu
st happen sooner or later.”

  He turned to the butler,

  “Tell them I will come to meet them and bring my mother. Have the wheelchair ready so she can be pushed into the Chieftain’s room and we will receive them there.”

  The butler was obviously delighted.

  “I’ll tell them that at once, Your Grace, and shall I give them a wee dram to drink your health?”

  “Of course, Douglas. How could we do anything else? Although I doubt if it will be just one wee dram!”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  It was rather rough when The Thistle started off on the return voyage South.

  Rock then realised that he was cutting things fine.

  If they were delayed, he would not arrive until late in the evening before his wedding.

  It was his mother who tidied everything up.

  “Tell me, my darling, where are you spending your honeymoon?” she had asked him the day before.

  Rock had looked blank.

  “I haven’t really thought about it – ”

  His mother gave a cry.

  “But the poor girl has to pack her trousseau and she will not know if you are going out in the desert, walking on the moors or being smart in some Continental City.”

  Rock thought for a moment and then, as he expected his honeymoon to be extremely boring, he declared,

  “Then we shall go to Paris. After all there is always music at the Opéra and the Folies Bergères on the stage.

  His mother had laughed.

  “I am sure your wife will find that most edifying. But don’t forget we have a house in Paris.”

  “I often do forget, Mama. The last time I was in Paris I stayed with my good friend, the Vicomte Légros. He insisted I did so and I enjoyed it very much.”

  “You could hardly stay with the Vicomte for your honeymoon, so I suggest you send a telegram immediately to our house on the Champs Elysées and tell them the day you will be arriving.”

  “I think I had better send a telegram to the Duke as well, telling him where we are going for our honeymoon, but we will not go further the first night than Rockinston House in Park Lane.”

  “Exactly, Rock, the poor girl will be tired after the excitement of her wedding day. You can be sure that if the Duke of Lynbrook is arranging it, you will have hundreds of hands to shake before you are allowed to leave.”

  Rock had groaned.

  “I rather anticipated that, Mama, but I will get away as quickly as I can. I think the best idea would be for me to sail to France in The Thistle.”

  “Good thinking,” she had agreed. “Then you can take a train from the coast to Paris.”

  “I will ask the Duke to arrange that as well,” Rock suggested. “After all I have so much to do here and he is only arranging the wedding!”

  “I think you are behaving rather badly, my dear – ”

  The telegrams were sent off as Rock tried to forget that in a very short time he would be a married man.

  He caught two salmon, walked on the moors to see how the grouse were hatching and then most reluctantly bade his mother farewell.

  “I will bring my wife to see you as soon as I can,” he promised. “Take care of yourself, Mama, you are the only one who really loves me despite everything.”

  “It may not be as stupid as you think, Rock. I will be praying, my darling, that you will be happy and I feel in my heart that you will be.”

  Rock had kissed her affectionately.

  Then she had waved to him from the bay window as he boarded The Thistle.

  As they set out to sea, he looked back at his castle and wished he had spent more time there and less time in London pursuing beautiful women.

  ‘I have been such a fool,’ he mused, ‘and now I am having to pay for it.’

  The sea was certainly rougher than when he had come North.

  Although The Thistle steamed at a record speed, he did not arrive back in London until dinnertime the evening before the wedding.

  “We were frightened, Your Grace, you’d be later still,” the butler said to him.

  “I will have to leave early in the morning,” Rock replied. “Tell them the horses should be brought round sharp at eight o’clock.”

  He had reckoned that he would arrive at the Church at a quarter-to-two and he was determined to have a good luncheon before the ceremony.

  *

  He stopped at a famous Posting inn about twenty miles from Lynbrook Hall.

  His most efficient secretary had already ordered his luncheon and a bottle of champagne had been put on ice at least two hours before His Grace arrived.

  The traffic was particularly heavy coming out of London and Rock was not able to reach the high speed he expected from his team of perfectly matched chestnuts.

  Thus he was late for luncheon and as the inn had taken so much trouble over it, he did not like to hurry or refuse the courses they had prepared for him.

  So he reached the Church only five minutes before the bride was due.

  He found his Best Man, Jeremy, in an agitated state in case he did not turn up for the wedding after all.

  “I was really afraid,” he fumed, “that I might have to marry the girl myself!”

  Rock laughed as he was meant to do.

  “I have heard you swear millions of times, Jeremy, that you would remain single whatever the temptations and I can hardly imagine you being so idiotic as to marry a girl you have never seen before.”

  Jeremy made a grimace.

  “But that’s exactly what you are doing, Rock, but perhaps you will be surprised at what you find.”

  Rock was not prepared to discuss the matter further.

  He was feeling nervous in case his bride was not as beautiful as he had been told.

  And it struck him that perhaps he was being palmed off with someone no one else wanted – was that why the Duke of Lynbrook was so pleased at his proposal?

  Then he told himself that he was being unjust and because he was nervous he was suspecting the worst, which may not actually happen.

  His Best Man had met him outside the Church and now, as they went in through the Vestry door, Rock saw that the Church was packed to suffocation.

  In fact there were people standing at the back and along the side walls – every seat in the Church was taken.

  Jeremy took Rock into the Vestry where the Vicar was waiting for them.

  “I am delighted to see you, Your Grace,” he intoned. “In fact we were rather worried in case you were delayed.”

  Rock murmured his apologies as the Vicar went on,

  “I have never known such a crowd. I understand a lot of guests have come all the way from London.”

  It passed through his mind that perhaps they were expecting something dramatic at the Service and, knowing how appallingly badly the Earl always behaved, they were thinking he might make a scene at the wedding.

  As if he had spoken his thoughts out aloud, Jeremy piped up,

  “I thought of that, Rock, and there will be an usher at each door who knows the Earl by sight. If he attempts to enter the Church, he will be stopped.”

  “Thank you, Jeremy. I might have guessed that you would be practical about the whole thing. I have no wish to embarrass the Duke of Lynbrook or my future wife.”

  “Of course not and if the Earl put a bullet through your chest, it would be a dreadful way to start your honeymoon!”

  “Has he been saying he is going to?”

  Rock spoke in a low voice so that the Vicar could not hear what they were saying.

  Jeremy nodded.

  “He is rushing round London cursing you, but most people have merely laughed at him.”

  Rock sighed, knowing there was nothing he could do about it and only hoping they would get away safely on their honeymoon.

  Jeremy whispered,

  “When the Duke of Lynbrook told me where you are going, I deliberately then informed all the gossips – and Heaven knows there are enough of them – that you will be sp
ending your honeymoon in Scotland.”

  “That was clever of you, Jeremy. I can assure you if he goes up there chasing after me, my mother’s clan will deal with him.”

  “And rightly too. He is an unpleasant man and we have always disliked him.”

  There was no time to say any more as the Vicar informed them he had been told that the Duke and the bride were on their way.

  They left the Vestry and went to stand at the top of the aisle.

  The organ was being played softly by the Vicar’s wife and was creating the right atmosphere.

  Rock noticed that everyone was excitedly watching the West door.

  It passed through his mind once again that he was making a great mistake.

  Just how could he sensibly marry someone he had never seen and of whom he knew nothing?

  Then he told himself that it was a sacrifice he had to make on behalf of his family and it was too late now to do anything but make the best of a bad job.

  As the organ became louder and the choir took their place in the Chancel, there were sounds of cheering from outside the Church.

  Then the organ played ‘Here comes the bride.’

  He became aware that the woman he was to marry was proceeding up the aisle on her father’s arm.

  It was impossible for him not to try and visualise what she would look like, but he knew she would have a veil over her face and he would just see someone dressed in white clinging to her father’s arm.

  He had been to a number of weddings and he had always thought at each one of them that the bride looked just the same as every other bride.

  There was no reason to suspect anything different on this occasion.

  Yet, as they drew nearer, he sensed that Venetia Brook was different.

  Lady Manvill had made it very clear in her letter to Frederick Worth that it would be one of the most important weddings of the Season and she wanted the bride, who was very beautiful, to look spectacular.

  Frederick Worth had undoubtedly done his best.

  The gown was completely different from anything any other designer would have dreamt up – let alone been able to produce at such short notice.

  In fact Venetia had received it only the day before and she could hardly believe that anything so fantastic and beautiful could have been made in such a short time.

  Worth had embroidered a soft crepe in silver and had starred it with diamonds and garlanded it with sprays of lily-of-the-valley.