The Importance of Love (17 page)

“David? Is that you?”

“Yes, my love. I am here.”

He rushed to the bed and took her hands in his, kissing them gently.

“I have sent Grace downstairs to bring you something to eat. Do you think you can manage it?”

Seeing her pale face turned up to his, his heart melted. She had never looked lovelier and he was seized with the desire to crush her in his arms.

“Thank you, darling,” she murmured sinking back into the pillow. “I am so tired I do not know how I can keep my eyes open, but the doctor has ordered me to keep my strength up so I will try to eat whatever Grace brings me.”

“Good. Your tiredness is due to the shock taking effect. The doctor also mentioned something about chloroform?”

“Yes, Frank Connolly put me to sleep with it in the garden. That is how he abducted me.”

“I feel sick at the thought of his filthy hands all over you.”

“We must forget about him,” implored Luella wearily. “He is the past now. We have nothing more to fear from him.”

Just then Grace came into the room carrying a tray. The Viscount bade Luella goodbye and returned downstairs.

As he reached the foot of the stairs, he remembered that his motor car was abandoned somewhere. He rang for Bennett and charged him to take a cart out to where Luella had said it had broken down and retrieve it.

“You should take some petrol with you, Miss Luella believes that is why it stopped.”

“Of course, she is right, my Lord. As I told you, I had not the chance to fill the car before Connolly stole it. This is one occasion when it was fortunate that I decided to have tea before I went out to the barn, my Lord. Had I filled the Daimler up, Connolly might be miles away by now!”

“Yes, it does not bear thinking about,” sighed the Viscount. “We should all give thanks to Our Lord for saving her.”

As Bennett left the hall, the Viscount's lips moved in prayer. With his hand on his heart, he spoke to his mother in Heaven, feeling certain she had been watching over him and Luella.

‘Mama, I almost lost her,' he whispered. ‘If I did not know how much I loved her before, then now I realise she is the most precious thing on earth to me.
Thank you for saving her
.'

With his head bowed, he took a deep breath and made his way to the library. Nearly losing Luella had made him realise how much he missed his father.

‘I would give anything to be reconciled with him and for him to attend my wedding,' he muttered as he sat down at his desk to write a letter.

*

Luella slept solidly for the next few days, but by the end of the week she was well enough to get up and sit in the new conservatory to read a book.

The builders were making great progress and the new wing was almost ready to move into. Luella kept away from the work, as the after-effects of the chloroform meant that her throat was still sore and it would only be aggravated by dust. Grace had just brought her some lemon-barley water when she heard the front door bell ring.

“Are we expecting visitors?” she asked. “I have not forgotten about a dress fitting, have I?”

“No, miss. I specifically telephoned the dressmaker and told her not to come this week as you were indisposed. I cannot imagine that it is her.”

Luella returned to her book, only to be interrupted again – this time by Cork.

“Miss Ridgeway, would you come to the drawing room? You have a visitor.”

“But, Cork, you know that I am not at home to anyone who calls.”

“Begging your pardon, miss, but I think you will want to see this particular visitor.”

‘Who on earth can it be?' wondered Luella, as she rose to walk downstairs.

She put down her book with a sigh and thought the whole affair a great nuisance.

But upon entering the drawing room, she let out a cry of delight as there, in the middle of the carpet, stood Aunt Edith.

“Aunt,” she cried. “How wonderful to see you. What on earth brings you back from Scotland so soon? I told you we could manage with the wedding preparations – ”

Cork coughed behind her and Aunt Edith looked at him expectantly.

“Cork?” she said enigmatically.

“I shall go and fetch his Lordship at once, my Lady. If you care to wait here.”

“Are you not staying, Aunt?” asked Luella thoroughly mystified. “Where are your cases?”

“Wait until David gets here.”

“Then, you must take a seat at least.”

“I will stand,” she answered, leaving Luella perplexed by her behaviour. A few moments later, the Viscount strode into the drawing room .

“Lady Ridgeway. What a wonderful surprise. What brings you back to Devon?”

The Countess smiled and took his arm.

“Now, I want you to come out to my carriage, David,” she started.

“What the – ”

“No arguments, David. Come with me.”

Luella moved to follow them.

“Alone, please,” said Aunt Edith firmly, much to Luella's astonishment.

The Viscount shook his head believing that the Countess had quite taken leave of her senses, but he humoured her and allowed her to lead him to the front door.

Outside stood her carriage with its team of huge grey horses and its black coachwork gleamed in the sunshine.

‘Perhaps she has a present for Luella that she does not wish her to see,' thought the Viscount.

But as he looked up, a top-hatted figure appeared in the carriage window.

At first, he did not recognise the man. Then, not quite believing his eyes, the Viscount stood frozen to the spot while the footman opened the carriage door.

“Hello, David.”

Climbing down the steps towards him was his father!

The Viscount let out a cry of delight and a flood of emotion swept through his body as he took in his father's warm expression.

“
Father
! What a surprise?” he exclaimed, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“Are you going to invite me inside?” said the Earl with a smile. “And I think you will find there is someone else inside the carriage who is eager to see you.”

The Viscount stepped eagerly forward and held his breath as he reached the carriage steps –

“Hello, David,” came a familiar voice.

The Viscount's emotions swelled inside him as he spied the face of his beloved grandmother. She smiled warmly at him from her seat in the carriage.

“
Grandmama
!” he cried. “You have come. When I sent that last letter – ”

“It was not your grandmother's idea to come here,” interrupted the Earl.

“It was mine. Well, are you not going to invite us inside?”

The Viscount's mouth dropped open.

“Why, of course.”

“And help your grandmother down those steps. She is not as nimble on her feet as she once was and the Countess's carriage has steeper steps than ours.”

Taking his grandmother's arm, the Viscount helped her down and escorted her into the house.

She looked around wistfully as they entered the hall with its oak staircase and panelled walls.

“It is magnificent,” she breathed, as she viewed the stag's head on the wall over the stairwell. “I did not imagine – ”

“That you would ever set foot in this house,” finished the Viscount, as she began to walk forward leaning on his arm.

“No.”

“I must confess I am a little surprised to see you here, Grandmama. I would have thought that what with the house's history – ”

“And it is just that – history,” she replied firmly. “We should all remember that.”

The Viscount patted her hand and led her to the drawing room where he knew Luella was waiting for them.

She gasped as she saw the Viscount enter the room with the old lady on his arm. She guessed at once who it was.

“Madam. You have come at last,” she cried moving forward to kiss her.

“You must be Luella,” she said with a smile. “I am sorry I did not reply to your letter. We were in Biarritz and I only received it last week. And then the Countess came to see us and it seemed a propitious time to visit.”

“Aunt Edith?” exclaimed Luella. “You went to see David's grandmother?”

“Yes, my dear, I did. And I hope you will forgive me for being so interfering, but there is someone else here too who would very much like to meet you.”

A look of bewilderment crossed Luella's face.

“I am not all alone,” interjected the Dowager Marchioness.

Luella looked over to the doorway of the drawing room to see a rather distinguished-looking man handing his top hat to Cork. He bore more than a passing resemblance to the Viscount.

There was something about the strong jaw and resolute pose – and Luella could not quite believe her eyes.

“Luella, this is my father, the Earl of Kennington,” announced the Viscount, as he strode towards Luella with a smile.

“My dear, I can see
exactly
why my son has chosen you for his bride.”

He took her hand and kissed it. Luella remained speechless, such was her state of shock at meeting David's father.

“Ever since the Countess told us about you, I have longed to meet you and you are every bit as beautiful as she described you,” he said with shining eyes. “She came to see us, you know. To tell us about your wedding.”

Luella threw a glance towards Aunt Edith who was smiling broadly.

“I was wrong, David,” continued the Earl, as he stood before his son. “And it took the Countess here to make me see the error of my ways. What she said made me realise that I did not wish to remain estranged from you and especially now that you are to be married. I did not wish to be a stranger to any grandchildren that may come along. You are, after all, my only son.”

“Papa!” choked the Viscount, his voice trembling with emotion. “I am so glad to see you both. I cannot tell you how happy this will make us. Having you both attend our wedding means such a great deal.”

Luella helped the Dowager Marchioness to a comfortable chair and rang for Cork to bring refreshments.

“You must be tired after your long journey. You came all the way in Aunt Edith's carriage?”

“We did. I did not wish to have to change trains at Exeter and besides it gave us the opportunity to stop over at Salisbury to pay a visit to my old friend, the Duchess of Trowbridge.”

The Viscount rushed forward to his grandmother and knelt beside her. “Grandmama, I still cannot believe you are here!”

“In the house where my husband defiled our wedding vows, you mean?” she asserted in a loud clear voice. “David, I can see that you have great plans for this house. Edith has told us of your improvements and soon it will no longer be a place to avoid, but a house full of love, laughter and, I hope, children.”

The Viscount kissed her hand and looked over to where Luella and her aunt were sitting both crying tears of joy.

“Such a day I thought I would never see,” he murmured. “To have you in my house and to be reconciled with Papa means so much to me.”

The Earl moved over to where Luella was sitting and took her hands.

“I hope you will not think so ill of me and my past behaviour that I will not be welcome at your wedding,” he said. “And if you still wish to wed here and not in London, then I will not object.”

“Our day would not be complete without you to give me away,” suggested Luella. “My own dear Papa is dead and I do not have another male relative I could ask. Would you do me the honour?”

The Earl blushed and appeared deeply moved by her request. He was too overcome to speak, but simply nodded and squeezed her hands.

At that moment, Cork and Mrs. Cork entered, carrying trays of tea and cakes.

The Viscount waved them away saying,

“Never mind tea, I think champagne is in order.”

“My Lord, I have some on ice in the kitchen. anticipated it might be required,” said Cork with a smile.

“Well, I would like tea
and
champagne,” declared the Countess.

Mrs. Cork soon obliged and, as Cork returned with a magnum of the finest champagne, the Earl proposed a toast.

“To Luella and David,” he suggested, raising his glass to the ceiling.

“May they both be happy and enjoy a wonderful future together.”

“To Luella and David!” echoed the Dowager Marchioness and the Countess.

The Viscount moved closer to Luella and put his arm around her, moving her as he did so towards the French doors that led into the gardens.

“Darling,” he whispered in her ear, as they stepped outside. “I have a confession to make. I wrote to Grandmama and told her of our engagement, but I can see that it was your aunt who tipped the scales in our favour.”

“And your father is here!”

“That will be Grandmama's doing. Papa, stubborn as he might be, will always eventually come around to her way of thinking. He loves her a great deal and I can see now that he was only trying to protect her.”

“I did not realise – ”

“That the house belonged to Grandpapa's mistress?

Yes, even I did not know of her existence until it came to the reading of the will. It is not something I wished to discuss and I never thought I would see the day that Grandmama came here.”

“But she has,” murmured Luella. “She is a very wise woman. Darling, history should not harm us, it is dead while we are very much alive. And I am certain that Madame Le Fevre, wherever she is in Heaven, would not wish to come between two young lovers.”

“You are right. The French are so much more adept at matters of the heart than we British,” replied the Viscount. “Now, come. We should return to the drawing room and join the celebrations.”

“Aunt Edith is a wonder, is she not?”

“She is, indeed. I can see that she has made a great impression on Grandmama already and that is no easy task.”

*

The Earl and the Dowager Marchioness stayed until after luncheon before leaving to find a hotel in Bideford where they could stay until the day of the wedding.