Every Mother's Son (42 page)

She put her hand over his mouth. ‘Don’t say that you’re not good enough, because you are more than I deserve,’ she said softly. ‘I’ve known that I wanted to be with you since I was a child, and I even told your sister I intended marrying you. Ask her, ask Maria, and she’ll tell you. I’ve been waiting for you, Daniel, all my life. And please don’t say that your coming of age isn’t significant because it is, it is to me and it is to your parents and everybody else who loves you, and it should be to you.’

He bent his head and kissed her mouth, closing his eyes, and still not convinced that he should make a commitment. Would he spoil her chances of marrying someone from her own background, someone richer, a gentleman descended from a family with a fine lineage and ancestry—

He opened his eyes and found hers smiling at him. ‘That’s me, isn’t it?’ he exclaimed.

‘What?’

‘A fine lineage! Descended from a noble background – but not rich.’

‘I don’t need riches, Daniel, I’ve already got them. Papa and I are agreed on that.’

‘Oh!’ He huffed out a breath. ‘You’ve spoken to him!’

‘Well, I thought you were never going to.’ She stood on tiptoe and kissed the end of his nose. ‘Do you want to see this present or not?’

‘Yes.’ He felt dizzy; was this really happening? ‘What? Erm, wait, Beatrice.’ He pulled her towards him once more. ‘I’d like to kiss you again.’

‘All right,’ she breathed. ‘But let’s stand inside.’ She took his hand and led him towards the stable block. ‘I want you to close your eyes.’

He did so and could smell sweet straw and hay and hear nickering and whinnying. He opened his eyes briefly and saw that they were in the new stable that Fletcher had said they were building, but he closed his eyes again as Beatrice was kissing him, on his cheeks and on his lips.

‘Beatrice!’ he whispered and opened his eyes fully, and in the dim light saw a young pony looking back at him over the wooden stall. A pale chestnut pony with a flaxen mane and with alert and intelligent eyes, who nickered and snorted at him.

‘Who’s this?’ Daniel drew away from Beatrice but kept hold of her hand.

‘We haven’t given her a name yet,’ she said. ‘We thought that you might like to choose. She’s a three year old, unbroken as yet; we thought that you might like to do that too.’

Daniel slowly moved closer to the pony, so as not to startle her. He put out his hand for her to sniff. ‘She’s beautiful. She’s a Haflinger! Whose is she? Where’s she come from?’

‘She is beautiful,’ Beatrice agreed, ‘and she is a Haflinger. She’s yours and she comes from the Tyrol.’

He turned to look at Beatrice. ‘Mine?’

‘Yes, she’s your birthday present, from me and from Charles too.’

‘But – how?’

‘I discussed it with Marco before we left Italy: Marco chose her and he and Leo arranged her transport. She only arrived yesterday, so that’s why she’s in here resting. We had the stable extended for her until—’

‘Until?’ Daniel asked.

‘I wasn’t sure if you would accept her, or even go along with my plans.’

He gazed at her. ‘Your plans?’ he said huskily.

‘Yes,’ she smiled. ‘But I can’t tell you what they are yet. She’s only half the present, you see.’

‘Beatrice! You are so unpredictable. What kind of life am I going to have with you?’

‘A wonderful one!’ she said. ‘Come on, let’s tell your parents and mine.’

‘In a moment,’ Daniel said, and sliding back the bolt on the door he entered the stall, holding out his hand to the pony. She was wearing a warm wool blanket and the straw was deep, and a hay bag was hooked firmly on the wall. She nudged him with her long nose and tried to search his pockets. He stroked her neck and, remembering Signora Rosso’s name for Beatrice, murmured to her, ‘I’ll call you Flavia, and I think
somebody
is going to get her nose pushed out of joint, for I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with you.’

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

They were breathless when they arrived back in the drawing room, their hair wet from the driving snow, and all who looked at them knew that the glow on their faces wasn’t only because of the cold. Daniel’s eyes were drawn to his mother’s and saw the wistfulness in hers.

Harriet, giving him a trembling smile and blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay, thought, Have I lost my boy? But no, as she saw him so happy, she knew she was sharing him with someone else who loved him too. She looked at her other sons, Lenny and Joseph, who would be with her for a long while yet, and at her three daughters who would always remain close.

She glanced at Marco, in deep conversation with Christopher, and Melissa, who was talking to Maria and gently patting her hand. Maria will always keep a place in her heart for Stephen, Harriet thought, but she is young, she will find another love. Leo was talking to Charles. Charles had broken off his conversation with Leo to shake hands with Daniel and then impulsively given him a bear hug, and while he was gone from his side, Leo seemed to be in a contemplative mood.

‘You’re thinking of Calypso, aren’t you?’ Harriet asked him, when he came to talk to her, balancing a cup and saucer in his hand, for afternoon tea was quite informal.

‘No, as a matter of fact I’m thinking of someone else and realizing I’m missing her.’

‘Your wife?’ she said softly.

He shook his head. ‘I think of her every day; but no, this is someone else. Sophia, the daughter of friends of Marco. She’s a treasure, looks after Marco and has been a good friend to Calypso. She’s a lot younger than me; she’s fiery and lovely, and – and yes, I’m missing her.’

Daniel announced that they were keeping the pony quiet for the next few days, and that after that Mr Hart had kindly agreed that he might bring anyone to inspect and admire her.

‘I hope that I can be one of the first to look at her,’ Christopher joked. ‘No one, except for the horse lad, has been allowed near her.’

‘Aaron,’ Beatrice murmured. ‘He loves her already.’

Daniel thanked Marco and Leo for arranging to bring the pony over on the long journey and was intrigued by the complicit glances they gave each other. Later, as teatime was drawing to a close, he went across to Christopher Hart to ask if he might come to see him in two days’ time.

Christopher raised an eyebrow. ‘You may come whenever you wish, Daniel,’ he said. ‘Can you imagine the furore my daughter might make if I laid down stipulations on when you might visit?’

‘It’s just that in two days’ time I will have reached my majority, sir, and I’m led to believe that it’s important to mark it.’

Christopher gave a slight nod. His own coming of age had certainly been remarkable, although he hadn’t realized it at the time. He looked across at Fletcher, who caught his glance and gave a crooked grin, an acknowledgement of an understanding between them.

*

Daniel rose early on his birthday and found his mother putting finishing touches to a cake. ‘Mm, smells good.’ He put his arms round her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. ‘Somebody said today was a special day. Do you know owt about it?’

‘Me? No!’ she said. ‘Can’t think what it might be.’

‘Me neither,’ he grinned. ‘Except that I’ve to go up and see ’
maister
, and have a word about marrying his daughter.’

‘Watch your p’s and q’s, then,’ she said, with a crack in her voice.

‘You don’t need to think I’ll be leaving home just yet,’ he said, sliding his arm across her shoulder. ‘I haven’t enough money to give Beatrice a home yet, and we’re a bit crowded here, and besides,’ he added, ‘I’ve a pony to keep as well.’

His mother laughed. ‘So you have. Well, mebbe you’ll have to choose between ’pony and Beatrice.’

‘I don’t think that will be necessary.’ Marco had come into the kitchen and overheard some of their conversation.

‘I was going to bring your breakfast up.’ Harriet wiped her hands on her apron. ‘You didn’t have to get up so early.’

‘Ah, but I did, my dear. Today is a special day, which of course you know already, but I wished to help my grandson celebrate.’ He held out his hand to Daniel and shook his warmly and then kissed him on both cheeks. ‘
Buona fortuna
, as we say in Italy, and many congratulations.’

He sat down at the kitchen table, quite at home in his surroundings. Harriet gave him a cup of coffee; he hadn’t changed his preference to English tea. ‘Now,’ he said, ‘where is everyone? We must talk about this special day.’

‘Everyone will be here in a few minutes,’ Harriet said. ‘Fletcher and Lenny are feeding the animals and everyone else will be down as well.’

‘I need to see to ’hosses,’ Daniel said. ‘I should have been up earlier.’

‘Fletcher’s seeing to them,’ Harriet told him. ‘We decided that you should have a day off today.’

Leo came wandering down in a warm dressing gown. ‘Am I late?’ he said.

‘No. What’s going on?’ Daniel asked, as one by one his family started to appear, Maria in from milking, and then Dolly, who still hadn’t gone back to work, Rosie, and the last to appear, Joseph and Elizabeth, dressed ready for school.

‘We had to be up early,’ Elizabeth said. ‘Otherwise we’d miss—’

‘Ssh,’ Joseph said. ‘It’s a secret. I wish we could have a day off school, Ma.’

‘You can’t, but you break up at ’end of ’week,’ she said, and smiled at Calypso, who had also come down, looking sleepy and lovely; the morning was still very young, and still dark outside.

Fletcher came in and hugged Daniel and was followed by Tom, who shook hands with Daniel and gave him a thumbs up and said congratulations.

‘It’s like a meeting of the clans,’ Daniel said, as they all sat round the big table. ‘I thought this was going to be an ordinary day, with cake this afternoon.’

‘There will be cake this afternoon,’ Harriet said, pouring tea from a huge brown teapot and then putting a jug of coffee in the middle of the table for those who wanted it. Then she came and sat next to Daniel.

‘Can I say,’ Fletcher began, ‘that this is a special day for us all. Our son, Harriet’s and mine too, has reached his majority, and first of all I’d like to raise a toast to Noah, Daniel’s birth father, who made it possible by marrying Harriet and bringing her home.’ He glanced at Harriet and then at Rosie, who gave a winsome smile. He lifted his cup and everyone else followed suit. ‘And who, because of a tragic accident, allowed me to marry Harriet and become Daniel’s very proud stepfather.’ His voice suddenly broke and it was a second before he could continue to say, ‘… as proud of him as I am of all my sons and daughters.’

‘Well said,’ Leo murmured, and Marco nodded and blew his nose loudly.

‘And so to a second toast.’ He lifted his teacup again. ‘To Daniel, many congratulations and may you always have love in your life.’

Whilst everyone was shaking hands with Daniel or kissing him, Harriet reached into her apron pocket and brought out a small box, which she pushed towards him.

‘Daniel,’ she said. ‘Here is a small present from us all to show how much we love and care for you.’

‘Oh, you shouldn’t have,’ he said, feeling really choked as he opened the box. ‘I never expected— Oh, that’s so— Thank you!’ He put his hand to his face to stem his emotion, and then with a great intake of breath took out the gold signet ring with the three initials inscribed in italic script:
DTO
. Daniel Tuke Orsini.

He slipped it on to his finger, a perfect fit. He hadn’t expected a gift, but only a birthday tea with maybe a glass of home-made wine, but already it was becoming a special time, beginning with him declaring his love for Beatrice and the unthinkable prospect of her father agreeing that they might marry. Of Beatrice and Charles’s gift of the Haflinger, he wondered vaguely how he was going to afford to keep her, let alone how he would use her, for she wasn’t any ordinary pony, and now this gift from his parents and brothers and sisters. It was all too much.

Then Marco stood up and leaned with his fingertips touching the table. ‘I too must offer my congratulations publicly to my newly discovered grandson, of whom I knew nothing until a mere five or six months ago, and I must tell you, my friends, that the discovery has brought joy into my life, to know that my branch of the Orsini line will continue after I am gone. To this end I have made provision for Daniel in my Will and I must assure you that this is done with the approval of my daughters, who also send their good wishes, and of my dear son-in-law Leo and my granddaughter Calypso.

‘However,’ he continued, ‘I do not intend leaving this life for quite some time, especially now that I ’ave met Rosie again,’ here a little twinkle in his eyes, ‘so until then, Daniel, I ’ave for you made a bank deposit.’

He pushed a sheet of paper towards him, signed and countersigned, naming a sum of money that Daniel gaped at.

I can marry Beatrice, he thought, and maybe her father has a tenancy we could rent with a field and a stable for Flavia, although he couldn’t quite see Beatrice in a farm kitchen such as this one, no matter that she said she loved it; and I can still keep on working here with Fletcher and ’farm hosses.

They all left the table after a substantial breakfast and Daniel went to his room to change into his one and only suit of clothes for his visit to the manor.

‘How smart and handsome you look,’ his mother said when he reappeared. ‘My noble son!’

‘Oh, give over, Ma,’ he said bashfully. ‘It’s onny me.’

‘I think you’re handsome too, even if you are my brother,’ Dolly said, appearing from out of the larder. ‘I’m going to Italy to stay with Calypso next year to catch myself an Italian who looks like you.’ She looked him over and brushed away a stray dark hair from his shoulder. ‘Are you going to officially propose today?’

Daniel ran his fingers round his shirt collar and cleared his throat. ‘Is there no privacy in this house?’ he asked. ‘Nosy sisters wanting to know ’far end of everything!’

‘You’ll miss us when you’ve left,’ she countered.

‘You just said you were going to Italy!’

‘I am,’ she said smugly. ‘But I’ll come back for your wedding.’ Then she covered her face with her hands. ‘But I’ll miss you, Daniel,’ she wept, ‘when Beatrice steals you from us.’