LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Nine

      The final guests, Adam Cottingham and his wife and the Prestons, arrived later that day. Lucy was pleased she had already met Ralph’s cousin, for she could then give more attention to his wife when the couple were shown into the drawing room. Judith Cottingham was a colourless little woman with a habit of looking to her husband after her every utterance. Her brown hair had lost any glow it might once have had and there were no roses in her cheeks. Lucy thought she looked distinctly unhappy, and put aside her own nerves in an attempt to make her smile. She did not succeed, and was relieved when Caroline drew her away.

      ‘Do not trouble yourself with Judith Cottingham,’ Caro murmured when they had moved off. ‘She is such a timid little thing, and has no conversation at all.’

      ‘She seems very dependent upon Mr Cottingham.’

      Caroline flicked a glance over her shoulder.

      ‘He is her sole delight—if you can call it delight.’

      Lucy wanted to ask her what she meant but was distracted by the arrival of the last of the house guests, Sir James and Lady Preston and their daughter, Charlotte. The parents were an ill-assorted pair. Sir James was a solid gentleman with sharp eyes while his wife was a much paler creature, tall and very slim. Lucy thought she must have been pretty as a girl, but her beauty had faded to the palest pastel colours. However, Lucy’s eyes were drawn to the daughter. She would have recognised Charlotte as Helene’s sister even if the butler had not announced her name. She looked very much like a younger version of the portrait of Lady Adversane—the same golden hair, the same willowy figure, but she had much more animation in her countenance and had not yet outgrown the schoolgirl habit of giggling when a gentleman addressed her. Lucy observed it now, when Ralph greeted the newcomers and smiled at Charlotte, but it did not stop her feeling a little stab of something that she recognised as jealousy. What need had he to hire her when Charlotte was bidding fair to be Helene’s equal?

      No time to think of that. Ralph was talking to the Prestons, holding out his hand and inviting her to join them. Lucy approached nervously. She had dressed with care for this occasion, choosing a fine cream muslin gown that was so universally fashionable no one could say it was a copy of the late Lady Adversane’s. She had also dressed her hair differently, drawing it all back save for a fringe of curls, and the rest cascading in ringlets from a topknot. Ralph had given her a long look when she had appeared, but he had made no comment. Now she hoped that any resemblance to Helene was so minor it would be overlooked. Certainly Sir James and Lady Preston greeted her in a kindly manner, although she found herself blushing when Sir James declared with what she thought forced joviality that he was delighted to meet Adversane’s fiancée.

      ‘It is not yet official,’ replied Ralph calmly. ‘There is no announcement. Nothing is drawn up.’

      ‘No, of course, of course.’ Lady Preston fluttered her fan and gave a smile that didn’t quite reach her faded blue eyes. ‘You wanted to inform the family first, is that not so, my lord? So thoughtful of you. Hasn’t he always been a most thoughtful brother-in-law, Charlotte?’

      Charlotte responded with a giggle, but Ralph was already leading Lucy away, calling to Byrne to bring more refreshments for his guests.

      ‘There,’ he said quietly, when he had drawn her aside. ‘Your ordeal is at an end.’

      She glanced up at him.

      ‘How did you know I was nervous?’

      ‘What fiancée would not be in such a situation?’

      ‘Oh, dear, I hope it did not show too much.’

      ‘Only to me.’ He squeezed her hand. ‘There is only one more couple expected today and that is Harry, whom you know, and his wife, Francesca. They are driving over from Ling Cottage to join us this evening.’

      ‘Then he has no excuse to be late,’ said Caroline, overhearing. ‘If he takes the shortest way.’

      Lucy frowned, trying to picture the route.

      ‘That would be past Druids Rock, would it not?’ Even as she spoke she was aware that the very name had brought conversation around them to an end. ‘Oh, I beg your pardon, I did not intend...’

      Sir James approached, smiling.

      ‘Pray do not think you should not speak of that place in front of us,’ he told her kindly. ‘We are quite accustomed to having lost dear Helene there, and the rock has far greater significance to the world. It is not a place to be shunned.’

      ‘Ah, the druids,’ said Caroline and earned a scowl from her brother.

      ‘No, no, my boy, do not frown her down,’ said Sir James. ‘Lady Wetherell is quite right, even though I do not think she takes it seriously.’ The smile he directed at Caroline was full of smug superiority. ‘Despite Adversane’s dependence upon empiricism and new discoveries, there is a great deal the ancients can teach us.’

      ‘There is no evidence that Druids Rock was ever used by any ancient order,’ retorted Ralph.

      ‘No written evidence, perhaps,’ replied Sir James, unabashed. ‘However, when one has studied the ancients as I have done, one can sense their presence. I shall be visiting Druids Rock to watch the sunrise at the summer solstice.’

      ‘As a guest you are, of course, free to go where you please,’ said Ralph.

      ‘Well, I shall remain in my bed, soundly asleep!’ Lady Preston gave a tinkling laugh and turned the conversation to safer channels.

      More refreshments appeared; wine and ratafia, and tea for those who, according to Lord Wetherell, preferred to corrupt their insides with the pernicious brew. His wife threw him a saucy look as she drew Lucy away from Ralph and carried her off to where Ariadne was pouring tea.

      ‘You can relax now, my dear,’ she said when they had collected their cups and withdrawn to an empty sofa.

      ‘You sound just like your brother.’ Lucy laughed. ‘I admit I was a little nervous to meet Sir James and Lady Preston. I was afraid they would resent my presence.’

      ‘If they do it is because they wanted Ralph to offer for Charlotte.’ Caroline noted Lucy’s look of disbelief and nodded. ‘She may only be seventeen, but Sir James would like to maintain his links with Adversane.’

      ‘That is what Mrs Dean told me.’ Lucy sighed. ‘There is a financial incentive, I am sure.’

      ‘Yes, but not just that. Sir James would like to invite his friends to Druids Rock.’ She smiled. ‘Oh, we may think it a fine joke, but Sir James was one of the founder members of The Ancient Order of the Druids and he would very much like to hold a druidical ceremony at the rock. Ralph will not countenance it, although I know Helene tried to persuade him on her father’s behalf. Sir James wrote again to Ralph last summer and asked if he might bring a party to celebrate the summer solstice at Druids Rock.’

      ‘Celebrate?’ Lucy’s eyes widened. ‘At the place where his daughter had died only twelve months before?’

      ‘I know. It sounds very callous, doesn’t it? Ralph flatly refused, of course.’

      Another thought was forming in Lucy’s head. She said slowly, ‘Do you think that is why Helene went there—to see the sun rise?’

      ‘Possibly,

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