Prue Phillipson - Hordens of Horden Hall (14 page)

“Take a sip, my lady, and if you like it I’ll bring the tray into the parlour.”

Lady Horden graciously pronounced it “very refreshing,” and she and Henrietta followed Ursula along the passage and up the steps to the great hall. Diana had now seized Daniel’s hand and was skipping after them when Bel called out “Dan, your father wants you in his study. A letter has come.”

Madeline behind them hissed, “
She
doesn’t want you, Di.”

Daniel, hot and cold by turns, excused himself, saw the sisters, breathing fire at each other, disappear into the parlour and himself darted across the hall to the study door, gave a perfunctory knock, slipped in and closed the door quickly behind him.

His father looked up from his desk with a surprised smile. “Who are you running away from? I hadn’t time to say ‘come in’!”

“I beg your pardon, sir. Mother said you wanted me.”

The door was pushed open hard and he had to jump away. Bel appeared.

“I was misleading you,” she said. “The letter is to me I’m afraid.”

She closed the door firmly and put her back against it.

Nathaniel looked more surprised than ever.

“To what do I owe the honour of this double invasion? Has something happened?”

Bel snorted, “Something has certainly happened. This boy of ours has got himself tangled in the web that that French harpy has been spinning for him. She has just this minute announced to Ursula, ‘Nana Sula! Dan has declared his love for me.’ ‘Nana Sula’ indeed and ‘Dan’! Who gave her leave to be so free with our pet names?”

Nathaniel looked from Bel to Daniel and back again. Daniel held his breath.

His father said cautiously, “You needn’t look so fierce, Bel. Surely we saw it coming. If they really love each other – of course he must take his degree first.”

“Oh I would do that, Father. I want to do that.” Cambridge would surely put everything else on hold.

“Love each other!” Bel said with scorn. “This child – barely out of his cradle – has no idea of love. And she – why she only wants what every girl is supposed to want, a husband, and before her older sister too! What a triumph!”

Nathaniel got up and motioned Bel to his chair which was the only one in the room. He perched on the desk. Daniel shifted along so that he now blocked the door. He could imagine Diana any moment wanting to burst in upon them. He wasn’t quite sure yet whether he was angry with his mother or infinitely relieved.

His mother had picked up the unopened letter lying on the desk and was twisting it in her hands but not looking at it. Her gaze was on his face, assessing him.

His father smiled up at him. “Do you want to be betrothed now and married after Cambridge?” Sensing Bel about to erupt he held up his hand. “Let the lad answer.”

“I don’t think Mother should call me a child. I mean, I’m old enough to be betrothed.
She
was.”

“Don’t you quote that at me,” she snapped. “I was forced into it. I yielded to buy time. My father was ill and I couldn’t hurt him any more. I had no intention of marrying William as you well know and thank the good Lord I didn’t. This is nothing like that. I never gave William a second’s encouragement. What have you said to that girl that she can construe in such unequivocal words?”

“I’m afraid I said I loved her. Well, at that moment it was hard to see what else I could say.”

Bel looked triumphantly at Nathaniel. “Is that the voice of a true love? As I said, she has tricked him into it.” She glared at Daniel. “How could you be such a fool? Now I will have to grovel to Hen to save you from this. God knows I don’t want you to go away to Cambridge but still less do I want you to make a bad marriage.”

“Are you sure it would be so very bad, Mother? She seems fond of me. I think I could get her to do all I wanted.”

“What! When she has been at pains to get you to do what
she
wanted and succeeded mightily!”

Nathaniel interposed gently, “Marriage is not the exercise of power by one over the other, Daniel. The man is appointed the head but he must not be a tyrant.”

Bel grumbled, “
She
would be the tyrant unless this boy grows into a man.”

Daniel planted his feet apart and folded his arms across his chest. The moment had come. “The fact is I
want
to be a man. I don’t want to study for three years. I want to join the navy and serve the King.”

Bel sat back in the chair and thrust her big jaw up at him. “That you shall not do. What! You were seasick going from the Tyne to London. At least I was with you and could hold your head. How would I live if I thought you were in a storm at sea or attacked by pirates or under Dutch guns – for there will surely be war again till they or we are masters of the oceans.” She turned to Nathaniel and clasped his hand that rested on the desk. “Oh Nat, why do we bring children into the world? We lost two after this one and I thought God must suppose I loved Dan too much to have any to spare.” All of a sudden she wrapped her arms round her bent head and sobbed.

Daniel had never seen her weep not even when she followed two little coffins to their graves. She gave herself then to comforting him and his father. It was a terrible shock to see her so distraught and to know that somehow it was all his fault.

Abruptly he turned round and opened the door and went out. He heard her start to exclaim, “Where –” but he shut the door and almost ran across the hall and into the parlour. The four faces turned and stared up at him.

He must speak at once or he’d be lost. “I am going to Cambridge soon and I can’t think about marriage for a long time. I am very sorry but that is the way of it.” He drew breath. The Lord be praised, he thought, Diana has her family about her or I couldn’t have done it.

It was bad. Madeline laughed and Diana fell into hysterics. His aunt opened her mouth to speak but then flung her arms round her choking daughter.

Only his grandmother remained stony. She held up her hand to quell the girls’ noise but neither was looking at her.

“Sit down, young man. Madeline, Diana be silent.” They subsided then, Diana staring with her great eyes at him over her clasped hands. Daniel perched on the window seat as far from the group as he could go.

Lady Horden went on in a clear voice as if addressing an assembly. “I have never seen a marriage proposal begun in so unseemly a way. There should be no outbursts from the young people. Indeed it is usually better if they have not met till the matter is settled by their elders. The trouble that results otherwise is all too plain to see now. Daniel Horden, I presume you have been speaking with your parents. We will speak with them in due course and try to ignore all that has already taken place. In other words we will start afresh.”

She had paused only to let her words sink in but Daniel blurted out, “It might be better not to start at all.”

“But you
did
start,” Diana shouted at him.

“Peace, child,” her grandmother admonished her. “This is the thing I have just deplored. Let all be done in order. Now, daughter, I know that you and Henri had an idea that a match might be made with young Daniel here if you saw there was any attraction between the parties. Myself, I would have preferred an approach by letter while we were still in France to ascertain the needful facts, first, the willingness of the young man’s parents that he should conform to Rome.” Daniel sat up at that. “Second, the young man’s prospects which depend on the revenue from this property, third, the amount of dowry that would be expected. Fourth – but perhaps it should be first – the desirability or otherwise of the marriage of first cousins. I know it is common but I have heard wise men say it is unhealthy. Now if all that had been established there would have been a foundation laid. I made a very tentative move this afternoon in sounding the reverend gentleman on
his
views, speaking only in general terms. If he had felt strongly that husband and wife should be of one faith, as I do, we would have known where we stood. You, Diana, as I have been telling you, behaved most precipitately. I suggest you go to your room and read a good book. You, young man, keep away from her. Henrietta, we will say nothing more on this matter until your sister and brother-in-law wish to discuss it. Now I will take to my bed for my rest before supper.”

She rose and Daniel leapt to open the door for her. He wondered what his father and mother were doing or saying. Evidently they had not wanted to see what sort of chaos he was causing among his cousins. He dare not look at Diana though he was aware she was trying to make him. As soon as Lady Horden had gone upstairs he crossed the hall and knocked again at the study door.

They were standing at the window looking out into the wood at the back of the house, with their arms twined round each other.

The letter he had seen before was lying on the desk, its seal now broken. As they turned round he saw the remains of tears on both their faces.

His mother pointed to the letter. “Another one! Well, I have always known I must take a second place one day. You may read it. But tell us first what happened in the parlour.”

He told them what had been said though his eyes were drawn to the letter.

Bel’s interest in her mother’s speech was intense. “So she still believes in arranged marriages! My father was her best prospect seeing she was only the ward of the old Count Rombeau. So she was carried off to Northumberland, a Catholic to a Protestant house at fifteen years old. Now you see she says husband and wife should be of the same faith. She brought up Henrietta Catholic and when she took her to be wed to the count’s grandson the politics of the time let her stay in France. She knows my father pined for her and she has been a little sad here but she has tightened up her heart strings again now and repudiated love. We can be plain with her about Dan, but Henrietta – she will be more difficult. I, the younger sister took over Horden Hall. She resents that even though she is mistress of a French Chateau. That one of her daughters should become Lady Horden is the thing she has hankered after.” Now Bel pointed an accusing finger at Daniel. “And that my boy should pay attention to Diana and then throw her over – well, she is going to be very angry.”

“Oh Lord! I haven’t exactly thrown her over. Maybe in a few years – but she is as angry as her mother now. What can I do? We’ll all have to meet round the supper table.”

“Do not say ‘in a few years’. She is not worthy of you and never will be. I know you are a poor dithering creature at present but you will grow into a good, right-thinking man.” She put her arm through Nat’s again. “Like your father.”

He looked at them both and thought I could never see myself and Diana in a marriage like that. Will I ever be able to equal that sort of love with anyone? At that moment it seemed utterly impossible.

She detached herself briskly and, straightening her spine, made as if to shoulder a musket. “Now to do battle with my sister.”

“Must it be a battle?” Nathaniel asked. “Should I not come with you?”

“To keep the peace, my angel? I think not. Hen bullied me all my youth and though we reached a happy truce in our letters I do not find we are as close as sisters should be. I will hold my own but there will be no victory either way. An agreement not to meet again in the flesh might be the safest.”

She picked up the letter and handed it to Daniel. “Try this one.”

She went out and Daniel looked doubtfully at his father before turning his attention to the letter. “What does she mean, try this one?”

“I think she hoped to lighten the situation with a little jest.”

Daniel looked at the signature. “It’s from Cousin Eunice!” The tiny figure with the severe hair and mouse-like face rushed before his eyes. The handwriting, small and neat, expressed her perfectly. His eyes flew over the words.

“Has her father made her write this?”

Nathaniel smiled and shook his head. “Your mother interprets it as a love letter to you. Perhaps that is fanciful. I believe Eunice’s thinking is governed by her father’s teaching and seeing us grieved by his anger, for which she felt partly responsible she needed to put pen to paper as he had done. Do not read too much into it. Your mother will not reply because she is sure William would be vexed at such a correspondence and Eunice would suffer for it.”

Daniel nodded slowly. At that moment he felt like the babe his mother had called him. He needed guidance. Life – and particularly the female variety of it – was too complicated.

He looked down at his father still perched on the desk.

“I’ve caused a great deal of bother, haven’t I?”

“Yes.” Nathaniel rose and though he still had to look up at his son he had a dignity and steadiness that Daniel envied. He had not often been in awe of his father but just now he was.

“How can I make amends, sir?”

“By apologising to Diana and her family with true contrition and by not mentioning again to your mother the notion of entering the navy.”

“I can do both of those, sir.”

“And this autumn go dutifully to Cambridge and be a credit to her and me.”

Daniel swallowed. It was a huge sacrifice prompted by his mother’s tears. He felt purged even as the vision of a great vessel of the fleet and the officers standing on the quarter deck vanished before his eyes. One day perhaps.