The Keys of Love (7 page)

“When did he propose?” asked the Captain.

Miss Foss now looked a little flustered. She threw a nervous grimace towards Lady Butterclere.

“Well, he I haven't actually met him yet ”

Lady Butterclere's bosom heaved as she rushed to her companion's aid.

“There is an
understanding
between both of them,” she said firmly.

The Captain's eyebrow rose.

“Oh, an
understanding
, eh?”

“There has been much correspondence between my stepbrother and myself on the subject of Miss Foss. I have not failed to make him fully aware of her unique qualities.

“He will very soon be able to appreciate them for himself, as we are travelling directly to Merebury Court from Liverpool. There is to be a ball held at Merebury on the next evening in honour of the Prince of Wales.”

Eddie's ears pricked up immediately.

“
The Prince of Wales
?” he repeated. “Yes, indeed. He is stopping off after a hunting

expedition. I am to be the hostess for the evening.”

Eddie toyed with a crust of bread thoughtfully.

“I've heard that the Prince is a great music lover.”

“He loves entertainments of all sorts.”

“So,” enquired Eddie casually, “what have you laid on for him?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“In the way of music?”

For the first time Lady Butterclere looked a little non-plussed.

“Well, I am not certain if my stepbrother, the Duke, has considered I certainly hadn't thought ”

“Maybe you
should
think, Lady Butterclere,” added Eddie. “After all, one must please a Prince at all times.

“Now if you'll excuse me, I must congratulate my troop. They played so beautifully tonight. Pity the Prince was not here. I'm sure it would have all been to his taste!”

Hands in pockets, Eddie strolled over to the table where his players had gathered to discuss the evening.

The exchange between Eddie and Lady Butterclere had given Henrietta time to recover from the disconcerting feelings that had engulfed her as Miss Foss described the Duke of Merebury.

Now she lowered her fan and regarded Miss Foss with objective interest.

“Is it a long since you were in England?” she asked.

Miss Foss blinked.

“Oh, I have
never
been in England.”

Even the Captain looked surprised.

“You sound like a proper English gentlewoman to me,” he commented.

“She attended an excellent school for the children of English
émigrés
in Portland, Oregon,” explained Lady Butterclere.

Mrs. Poody turned to Miss Foss.

“So your parents were English?”

She threw a look of such palpable consternation at Lady Butterclere that Henrietta was puzzled.

“Both her parents were indeed English, but they are dead,” said Lady Butterclere quickly. “I knew them well, which is why I have taken an interest in Miss Foss and her future.”

“You have been away from England a good period yourself, Lady Butterclere?” remarked the Captain.

Lady Butterclere hesitated.

“I came out to visit America after my first husband, Lord Butterclere, died,” she replied at last. “I was always one for adventure. I even ventured West for a while. But all things pall. It was time for me to go back home, which is why it is so opportune that the Duke has invited me to spend my twilight years at Merebury.”

The Captain coughed and raised his glass.

“Well here's to your new life. And here's also to the wedding of the Duke and Miss Foss. Which I have no doubt will take place if
you
are all in favour of it, Lady Butterclere.”

“Oh, I am, I am,” insisted Lady Butterclere in an ominous tone. “Make no mistake about it. Now, Captain, I wonder if you would be so kind as to allow me to send a wire to my stepbrother? I should like to discover whether he has employed the services of musicians for the ball.”

The Captain readily agreed and led her away to his office with Romany Foss in tow.

Mrs. Poody rounded on Henrietta.

“Have you any idea of how you look?”

“Yes. Ghastly,” muttered Henrietta absently.

At the Captain's toast to the forthcoming wedding that unpleasant emotion had once again swept through her.

‘What is the matter with you, Henrietta? You have never even seen the Duke of Merebury!' she mused.

Seeing Henrietta look so pale and unhappy, Nanny decided to say no more on the subject of her performance after all, it was a once in a lifetime occurrence.

Henrietta went to Kitty's cabin to return the scarlet gown and as she was returning she stopped at the rail.

The moonlight on the sea made it gleam like silver fish scales and the stars in the sky were like diamond pins.

Henrietta sighed.

It was so romantic, but she had no one to dream of.

Only a phantom, a face that flitted in and out of her consciousness and that she somehow connected now with the one man in the world she would probably never meet the Duke of Merebury.

“A dollar for your dreams,” whispered a voice.

It was Eddie.

“They're not worth a dollar.”

Eddie threw back his head with a laugh.

“I can't believe that, Miss Reed! But you do seem to need cheering up and I think I have just the news for you. Believe it or not, Lady Butterclere has invited us to perform at Merebury Court the day after tomorrow. You will agree to play with us, won't you?”

Stunned, Henrietta stared at the shining water.

Merebury Court! An opportunity to set eyes on the Duke himself. It was too tempting and yet and yet it was impossible.

Apart from that, she just simply could not perform in public again.
The Boston Queen
was one thing, England was quite another.

“I'm so sorry, Eddie I can't,” she murmured sadly and turned away.

Eddie caught her arm.

“Please, Harrietta,” he pleaded. “You made such a difference tonight on the piano.”

“But surely your regular player will have caught the next ship after this one? He'll be docking in Liverpool just a day after us. Plenty of time to join you at Merebury.”

“That's just the point, the Captain told me that soon after we left Boston, a big storm blew up and all sea traffic is suspended for the duration.

“Louie, my pianist, can never make it in time. So you see you gotta say
yes
!”

“It's not possible you don't understand.”

“Then tell me.”

She hesitated. At least if she told him the truth he would realise how impossible it was for her to risk being recognised. Why, she had even met the Prince of Wales once with her parents!

She sat down on a bench and told her story.

At the end of it Eddie gave a whistle.

“What a tale!”

“Isn't it,” she agreed, rising. “So you do see, don't you, that I can't join you at Merebury.”

“I see nothing of the sort!” cried Eddie, jumping up after her. “The Duke won't have met you, so that doesn't matter. And at the ball, you won't look like yourself at all.

You hardly look like yourself now but we'll go one further.

“I have a friend who's a great make-up artist. He works at the
Drury Lane
theatre. I'll wire him to come to Merebury. He'll disguise you so well, your own father wouldn't recognise you.”

“Eddie, I really can't,” began Henrietta, but Eddie caught her hands between his own and gazed into her eyes.

“You cannot refuse Eddie,” he said. “If you refuse me, I'll go tell everyone on this ship who you really are.”

Henrietta was horrified.

“Eddie, that would be a ”

“A real low-down trick?” chuckled Eddie. “Sure it would. But I want the Prince of Wales to hear my music at its best. And when it comes to my music, I am so ruthless. Surely you knew that all along?”

“Yes, Eddie, I did.”

“Then you'll play?”

Henrietta, thinking of the shame of her true identity being publicly exposed, took a deep breath.

“
Yes
, Eddie, I will.”

Eddie raised her hand to his lips with a wry smile.

She stared over his head at the sea, which seemed as calm and cold as a glacier.

There was no way out of it.

Miss Harrietta Reed, pianist, would be making one
last appearance with the Eddie Bragg orchestra!

Nanny listened in dismay to Henrietta's idea that they accompany the orchestra to Merebury.

“We should be on the train to London,” she wailed. “We could be home in Lushwood by tomorrow night.”

“But I-I promised Eddie I would help him this one last time,” cried Henrietta desperately.

She did not dare tell Nanny about Eddie's threat of blackmail or her own uneasy desire to meet the Duke.

“Suppose there was someone at this Merebury ball who recognised you,” persisted Nanny. “Have you thought of the
hignomy
?”

Henrietta stared at her until she realised what the old lady meant by that last word.

“There won't be any ignominy, Nanny. Nobody, not even you, would recognise me by the time Eddie and his make-up artist have finished with me.”

“I recognised you alright in that scandalous dress you wore. If you were found out you'd never find yourself a husband not the one you'd want, anyway.”

‘I think I know the one I want,' came the rush of words through Henrietta's mind.

She had had so many suitors and wanted none of them. Now she was to meet the one man in the world she was strangely convinced she could love and and he was beyond her forever.

He was more or less engaged to another and even if he had not been, he was most unlikely to be interested in her alter ego Harrietta Reed, piano player with a somewhat
risqué
New York orchestra.

Behind her Nanny continued grumbling.

“Your father left you in my tender care and I have already let you do more than I should!”

“You said you were proud of my piano playing.”

“I was,” Nanny acceded. “But how am I going to be Mrs. Poody with people of real quality about!”

Henrietta gave her a quick hug.

“But you are
real
quality, too, Nanny!”

“Go on with you!” growled Nanny.

It was to be the turning point in the discussion and a short time later Nanny agreed to go to Merebury Court.

“But only one more performance, mind!”

“Promise!” said Henrietta with the utmost sincerity.

She had no wish to stay there for too long, as she had no desire to witness the courtship of Romany Foss and the Duke develop under her very eyes.

*

The following morning a mist rose out of the sea and settled like a shroud over
The Boston Queen
.

When Henrietta took a stroll on deck after breakfast she could hardly see anything in front of her and the ship seemed almost becalmed.

She sighed and gazed into the mist.

Not far ahead lay England.

England and the Duke, with whom she was already half in love.

She felt as if she was sailing towards her destiny.

She turned as she heard footsteps approach.

“Who's there?” someone called out nervously.

A hand reached out of the mist, groping at the air as if for support. Romany Foss stumbled after it and she gave a little shriek of relief when she saw Henrietta.

“Thank goodness! I heard someone coming and I thought supposing it's that murderer from Steerage!”

“It was unlikely to be him. He's locked up and the man he stabbed didn't die, so he's not quite a murderer.”

Romany looked about her with a shudder.

“I shall be so very pleased to reach the sanctuary of Merebury Court,” she sighed. “I hear you are going to be there too with the orchestra.”

“That's right.”

“Of course, you will excuse me for not mingling with you once we arrive. Lady Butterclere has told me that it would not be seemly.”

Henrietta blinked and turned away.

“You must follow the dictates of Lady Butterclere!”

She did not add that she had no desire whatsoever to mingle with Romany at Merebury or anywhere else.

One reason was her simple desire not to be found out. It was fortuitous that her own social circle was far away from the North of England and Merebury.

She dreaded going to an event as Henrietta Radford and meeting with Lady Butterclere or Romany, who would recognise her as the Eddie Bragg pianist in an instant.

Another reason was Romany's character.

She affected a certain naivety and was in thrall to Lady Butterclere, but Henrietta could detect an ambition, a greed in her black button eyes that was disconcerting.

Romany Foss, she sensed, was the sort of girl who always got what she wanted in the end.

That she wanted the Duke of Merebury was beyond
question.

She was distracted from these unpleasant reveries by the sound of the fog-horn. Its loud bellow shattered the sense of dead calm that lay about the ship.

Voices called out playfully through the mist.

“Land ahoy! England ahead.”

Henrietta's heart gave a great leap.

With no more thoughts of Romany, she turned and hurried down to the cabin, where Nanny had been packing since breakfast.

*

She and Nanny watched while three gangways were lowered down to the quayside and trunks were swung out to be caught by dockworkers on shore.

A black covered wagon drew up at the foot of the gangway from Steerage and two Police Officers emerged. They strode up the gangway and disappeared from view.

Henrietta leaned over the rail.

A few minutes later the two Officers reappeared on the gangway leading a figure hunched in a dark cape.

A murmur arose around Henrietta.

“That's the blaggard that tried to murder someone on board!”