Being Elizabeth (38 page)

Standing up, he went over to her, and took her in his arms. ‘And you look … just fabulous,' he said, and kissed her on the mouth lightly. ‘I have something for you.' He continued walking back to his desk. ‘It's what I call a pre-Christmas present.'

Intrigued, a look of surprise on her face, Elizabeth followed him over to the desk, and took the jewel case he offered. When she opened it she let out a small gasp. ‘Oh, Robin, they're beautiful!' She was staring at a pair of emerald-cut emerald earrings, perfectly square with four small diamonds set along the bottom of each earring. ‘Thank you, thank you so much.' Stepping closer, she hugged him, then kissed him on his cheek.

‘They're for being a good trouper and following orders,' he teased, laughing. And she laughed with him. She loved him so much. He was the centre of her life … her entire life, just as she knew she was the centre of his.

R
obert and his brother Ambrose stood in the middle of the newly erected barn in one of the larger fields at Waverley Court in Kent. An indoor riding ring had been completed during the past week, and they were studying it from every angle.

‘They've done a damn good job, Robert,' Ambrose said, continuing to eye the ring critically. ‘And it's going to be marvellous for you in winter, especially in the bad weather. You can practise your dressage in total comfort. I notice the builders put central heating around the sides of the barn.'

‘Good thing, too. It can get very cold down here, and there's frequently a bitter wind blowing off the sea across Romney Marsh. The other barn which I had them build earlier this year turned out to be very cold in the bad weather. I'm going to have central heating installed in that one, too.'

Taking his brother's arm, Robert walked around the ring one more time, and then they strolled outside.

It was a lovely Saturday morning in early September of 2002. A bright blue sky was dotted with cotton-wool clouds and the sunshine was golden, and warm. Robert glanced up at the sky.
‘There's nowhere quite as beautiful as England when the weather's good, is there?'

‘Damn right,' Ambrose agreed, and stared at Robert, frowning. Then he continued, ‘You've never told me what it's like to be a landowner, the squire, in a sense, of this fantastic property.'

Robert laughed. ‘It's wonderful, why wouldn't it be? And frankly I haven't recovered from my surprise, if you want the truth. I was astonished when Elizabeth gave me Waverley Court. You see, she has always loved this house so much herself.'

‘I know that, and I was surprised for the same reason as you.'

‘It wasn't like giving it to a stranger,' Robert remarked. ‘And she's here every weekend with me. The truth is, she's going to inherit Stonehurst Farm when Grace Rose goes, and she's asked Elizabeth not to sell it. Or give it to anyone. She wants it to stay in the family.'

‘And obviously Elizabeth agreed?'

‘She did, Ambrose. How could she not? Grace Rose has made her the heir, left her virtually everything, her entire estate, in fact.'

‘I understand. Waverley Court must be expensive to run, isn't it?' Ambrose ventured, glancing at his brother as they walked in the direction of the rose garden which Robert was creating and building.

‘It's not too bad. We don't have a big staff, only Toby and Myrtle, and some daily cleaning help when we're here. Toby grooms the horses, and generally keeps the property in good shape, but I do have a gardener now. Anyway, Elizabeth made a trust fund for the upkeep of Waverley Court, on the lines of the one which Edward Deravenel put in place for Ravenscar. Also, she has created a trust for me personally, which gives me an income.'

Ambrose was delighted by this news, and exclaimed, ‘I'm glad Elizabeth has looked after you properly, Robert. You work like a bloody fiend at Deravenels, and are devoted to the company.
And to Elizabeth. And after all, your relationship is a marriage … without the benefit of a piece of paper.'

Robert said quietly, ‘I believe it to be that, yes, and don't think I haven't wanted to make it legal, because I have. Elizabeth won't. So I don't push her any more. It's better to leave it alone, and I'm quite happy with the status quo. It's not that she doesn't want to marry
me
. She just doesn't want to marry anybody, and she's stubborn about it.'

Ambrose was silent for a moment, and although he knew better than to intrude on his brother's private life, he couldn't stop himself from saying, ‘But don't you want children?'

Robert remained silent, and walked on, hurrying now. Ambrose kept up with him and after a moment he said, ‘Sorry. I didn't mean to pry.'

‘I know.' Robert sighed. ‘I
would
like children, but she's more important to me than anything else, she's always been my priority. We ought to have children, though, because of her need for an heir, but she turns a deaf ear to that. We're both only thirty-one, so there's still time, Ambrose. Can you believe it, Elizabeth and I have been living together for six years now?
Tempus fugit
, eh?'

‘Yes, time does indeed fly,' Ambrose agreed. ‘And where is Elizabeth this morning?'

‘With Grace Rose. She went to see her at Stonehurst Farm where she's been living all summer. She's actually one hundred and two years old, but you'd never guess it. She looks wonderful and she has all her marbles. By the way, you
are
staying for the weekend, aren't you? I didn't see a suitcase.'

‘Toby took it off me the moment I arrived earlier. And as my wife is in New York on business, of course I'm here for the weekend. I brought a very
large
suitcase.'

‘Then by now it's up in your room and unpacked! Myrtle is very efficient. And incidentally, in case you didn't know, Elizabeth has been very generous to Cecil Williams. She created a trust
fund for him, gave him land she owned so he could build a house, and bought him a Bentley. Which I couldn't believe he wanted, he's so laid-back and low-key.' Robert put his hand on his brother's shoulder. ‘I'm not the only one she's rewarded.'

‘I know that. She's created a pension fund for me, and also for Francis and Nicholas … she's been generous to all of us and to a fault.' By now they had arrived at the sunken garden, and Ambrose was surprised at the progress Robert had made. ‘This is gorgeous! And what beautiful roses!' he exclaimed.

‘The last of the late bloomers,' Robert explained. ‘And it
is
a unique garden, actually. I was rummaging around in the attics here and found an old book on gardens. I fell in love with one of them, and have copied it here. This is pure Elizabethan, a Tudor rose garden from the 1560s. All it needs now are the finishing touches.'

Later, over a light lunch outside on the terrace, Robert suddenly said, ‘What's happening with Mark Lott and Alexander Dawson, do you know?'

Ambrose put his fork down and frowned, shook his head. ‘What do you mean?'

‘Francis told me they've been up to Scotland on numerous occasions, and not always together. Is there a plot being hatched between them and the kilt, do you think?'

‘Doesn't Francis
know
?' Ambrose gave his brother a quizzical look. ‘After all, plots and intrigue are his business.'

‘No, he doesn't, strangely enough, just implies trouble is brewing. He says everything is quiet in Edinburgh, although he did remark that he wondered if this was the lull before the storm.'

‘What did he mean by
that
?' Ambrose asked, sounding genuinely puzzled now.

‘I don't know, but probably he's thinking about the kilt. He did say that Marie de Burgh is working alongside her half-brother James, at Scottish Heritage. And that it's not always tranquil between them, seemingly. Lots of fighting. She's still single, and Francis did tell me she is more desperate than ever to grab herself a husband.'

‘She couldn't possibly be interested in either Lott or Dawson, could she? They're dummies, in my opinion!' Ambrose asserted.

‘Don't be too sure of that,' Robert cautioned. ‘They're a couple of double-dealing buggers.' He shrugged. ‘Well, she no doubt has her hands full with business right now.'

‘There's one good thing – she hasn't been screaming and shouting about Deravenels lately. And Norfell seems to be keeping his hands out of the cookie jar. He's stayed away from her, I believe.'

‘If he does go near her, he'll be hung, drawn and quartered!' Robert couldn't help chuckling when he added, ‘Cecil and I put the bloody fear of God into him. We threatened to … well … emasculate him is the polite way to put it.'

In all the years she had been coming to Stonehurst Farm, Elizabeth had never seen it looking quite so beautiful. Although it was September the gardens were extraordinary, filled with glorious flowers and exotic plants, flowering shrubs, bushes and the most magnificent trees. It was a typical English garden, the kind Elizabeth loved, and over the years Grace Rose had turned it into something quite spectacular.

Inside the house everything sparkled and shone and gleamed. Sunlight bounced off the mellow antique furniture, the polished wood floors, and the many large mirrors, and all the rooms were light-filled and beautiful. There were many silver and crystal bowls of roses scattered around on tables and chests, and these
late-summer blooms filled the rooms with their sweet scent. And other delicious fragrances hung on the air … mouth-watering smells emanated from the kitchen … apples cooking, bread baking … fresh herbs and mint being chopped … all mingled together … and now, wafting in on the warm air, came the tantalizing smell of cheese being cooked.

Turning to her great-aunt, Elizabeth exclaimed, ‘Grace Rose, you spoil me! I have a feeling it's cheese soufflé for lunch.
My
favourite!
'

‘And mine, too. And yes, that is what we're having.'

‘Before I forget, I want you to know I did take your advice about charities, and in the end I went with
your
favourite, Parents and Abducted Children Together. I gave them a donation, and I'll continue to do so, it's such a good cause.'

‘I've given to PACT since it was started two years ago,' Grace Rose said, and then paused, suddenly scrutinizing Elizabeth. She announced, ‘You've looked awfully pinched and drawn this past year. You
are
feeling all right, aren't you?'

‘I'm in very good health. I've never felt better,' Elizabeth was swift to reassure her great-aunt, knowing how she worried about her.

‘Sometimes you seem …
so preoccupied
.' Grace Rose emphasized the last word. ‘And I know it's not Deravenels or Robin that you are worried about. But I do think you are worried.'

‘To be honest, I'm very frequently concerned about Marie Stewart de Burgh. I get suspicious when she's quiet, and it is totally
silent
up there in Scotland. Francis worries about that, too.'

Grace Rose was disconcerted to hear this. ‘
Why?
'

‘Like me, he thinks her silence is odd. On the other hand, one must remember that he can't stand her. He's constantly said she'll come to a sticky end, and I keep pointing out that he can't possibly know that since he's not an oracle.'

‘But I do trust him, Elizabeth. He's a rather brilliant man,
and he knows what he's doing. He can also make clever judgements, realistic ones, about people. Take note of what he says. Remember, it could be gut instinct telling him things. I've always put great store in that.'

‘So have I.' Elizabeth shifted in the chair. ‘What is it you wanted to give me?'

‘This key,' Grace Rose replied, showing it to her. ‘It's for the big black suitcase in the closet in my bedroom. The suitcase is full of papers, and many are valuable family documents which belonged to Edward Deravenel. In a sense, they are the history of the Deravenels, and, to some extent, the Turners as well. I thought you should be the custodian of them after I'm gone.' Noticing Elizabeth's anxious look, Grace Rose was swift to add, ‘Let's just say I take great pride in our family history …' Her voice trailed off, and she handed her the key.

‘I understand,' Elizabeth said, putting the key safely in her handbag. ‘And I can't wait to read them. You know how much I've been intrigued by the Deravenels all my life.'

At this moment Maddie, the housekeeper, appeared in the doorway and told them lunch was ready. Elizabeth helped Grace Rose up out of the chair, and together they walked to the dining room.

Once they were seated, Maddie served them the cheese soufflés right from the oven, piping hot, all puffed up and brown on top in their individual white dishes.

‘They look perfect,' Grace Rose exclaimed. ‘My compliments to the chef.'