Love Became Theirs (7 page)

Rona did not speak and after a moment he went on, "I realise that your name is not the one you were born with."

She stiffened and stared at him.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Because, my dear, I saw your luggage in the hall and there are different initials on two of the cases to the name you have given me."

Rona frowned.

"That was very stupid of me," she said. "I forgot when I collected my luggage at home that the cases once belonged to somebody else, and still bear that person's initials."

She held her breath, hoping that he would be satisfied with this explanation.

"Well, we won't talk about it, at the moment," the Earl answered with a smile that made her sure he did not believe her. "If you want to be mysterious of course I won't spoil things."

"Thank you very much and I will try not to forget it," Rona replied.

The Earl laughed. That certainly was not the reply he had expected. But she was so original and enchanting that he was willing to tolerate much from her that he would not have accepted from anyone else.

"I came down early," said Rona, "because I want to ask you to say nothing about lessons. Of course I shall be teaching Alice, but discreetly. I'm trying to make her want to learn."

"Yes I saw that last night. Don't worry. In fact, I have something to tell you as well. We have an extra person – "

He broke off as his face lit up at the sight of his daughter dancing into the room.

"There you are," he said as she hugged him. "I was just going to tell Miss Johnson about the surprise."

"Oh, lovely! What is it?"

"Not what? Who?"

"Me," said a voice behind Alice, and they all turned to see a smiling young man.

Alice gave a shriek of pleasure and ran into his arms, crying, "Uncle Peter!"

He lifted her off her feet and swung her around. "How's my favourite girl?"

"You're back," she cried when he had set her down again. "I'm so glad."

"You're so grown up," he said.

The Earl spoke quietly to Rona.

"That's Peter Carlton, my brother-in-law, just back from his travels. I wasn't expecting him for another month. You may remember that we were talking about him last night."

When she did not reply he looked at her intently.

"Miss Johnson?"

She seemed to wake up from a dream.

"I'm sorry, my Lord."

"What is it? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

"No – no, not at all. Just a momentary impression. An illusion. Nothing."

Alice was pulling her uncle over to Rona.

"Uncle Peter, this is Miss Johnson who's going to be my new governess, and she's so wonderfully different from the others. It's like magic."

"So you are a magician, Miss Johnson?" said Peter Carlton, holding out his hand to Rona in a frank, attractive manner.

"You are too kind, sir." Miss Johnson took his hand, but only for a moment, and did not meet his eyes.

Peter was regarding her in some bewilderment. Was this the woman whose beauty had so impressed his brother that he had continually alluded to it the night before? Well, she might be pretty, but it was hard to tell when she would not raise her head, and all he could see clearly was a dowdy hairstyle and a pair of glasses.

"She is like a fairy who has come into our lives and cast a spell over everything," Alice insisted.

"Are you really a fairy, Miss Johnson?" Peter asked in a warm, semi-playful tone. It came from his kind heart, and usually put nervous employees at their ease, which was his intention.

But instead of smiling at him this iron maiden (as he was beginning to think of her) merely said,

"That's just Miss Alice's way of talking, sir."

"Uncle Peter, Papa says you are coming with us to Paris," Alice exclaimed.

"Unless you object."

In answer Alice gave him an elegant little curtsy, and said, "to be sure, sir, your company will be very agreeable."

Peter laughed and gave her a bow. Thankful that his attention was no longer on her, Rona let out her breath. Her heart was beating wildly at what had just happened.

It was absurd, of course, to imagine any likeness between this man and Harlequin. He was tall and had the same name, but that was all. The rest was just her fancy.

All she needed, she thought, was a moment to pull herself together.

"Everybody have some breakfast," the Earl said heartily. "We must be going soon."

"Hurry, I don't want to be left behind," said Alice. "I do so want lots of new French clothes."

"Well, I dare say you will contrive to get what you want," said the Earl wryly. "And whatever it costs me, I don't mind if it makes you happy."

"Now that's a very pretty speech," Rona said. "I think to make your father happy, you must thank him for it in French."

Alice laughed.

"Merci beaucoup, Papa," she said.

Her father bowed his head and his eyes were twinkling.

Rona knew that he was thinking that no other governess would have obtained those words from his daughter. Alice had spoken not only as if she was ordered to do so, but with all sincerity.

"As you are so polite," he said aloud to his daughter, "I will say
merci beaucoup
, for your kindness and add,
tu es
tres chic,
and I hope you understand that."

"Of course I do," Alice replied. "I think by the time we get back from Paris, with Miss Johnson teaching me, I will speak even better French than you."

"That will be the day, and you will then have champagne for supper," her father answered. "You must remind me if you have earned it by the time we come home."

"You will be surprised," Alice said.

The Earl did not answer, he merely looked at Rona and smiled. She smiled back, understanding that he was thanking her.

Peter observed them both quietly.

Rona felt that she was quite herself again now. The brief fancy had passed, and she could speak to Peter Carlton without losing her composure.

*

The last half hour before their departure was torture for Rona. At any moment she was sure that her father would arrive. But at last they were in the Earl's carriage, on the way to the station to catch the train for Dover.

When at last the train was finally moving, the men sat and talked in the First Class compartment, while Alice and Rona stood in the corridor watching the countryside go by.

'It can't be him,' Rona thought, 'and I must stop brooding about it. He showed no sign of recognising me. But then, how could he? That white wig I wore at the ball completely covered my hair, and the mask covered most of my face.'

Then they reached Dover and she had no further chance to speculate, because there was so much to be done.

For the short journey across the water to Calais the Earl had reserved two rooms, one with a bed in case anyone was seasick. The other was a private sitting room.

At Rona's suggestion she and Alice stayed on deck to watch the ship put to sea.

"I always think this is so exciting," she said.

"My last governess wouldn't get on a ship," said Alice. "She said she couldn't understand why it didn't sink. She was scared of trains too. She called them 'nasty new-fangled things'."

"Some people are scared of anything new," Rona agreed. "But you're young, and it's right for you to be interested in new things. Too many people say, 'we have managed without that before and we can manage without it now'."

Alice was thoughtful.

"As I am a woman, do I have to be brave?" she asked at last.

"Of course," Rona replied. "Men think courage is just for them, but it's the women who praise them and make them feel they must go out and look for new ideas, new ways of travel, and eventually, new ways of thinking. It's up to you, as a woman, to make the men try to invent new things to please you."

"Please me?" Alice questioned.

"All women have, since the beginning of time, inspired men with their desires," Rona told her.

"I think I see what you mean," Alice mused. "A woman is too feeble to do it herself, but she can urge a man to do it for her."

"That's right. Then when the man comes back with something new, whether it is small or large, you must tell him he's wonderful."

"But perhaps I could have done it better, or quicker?"

"You must never say so," Rona warned her. "A man must be praised."

"Even if I thought of it first?"

"Then you must let him think
he
thought of it first."

"But suppose I think up a way to make a better ship?"

"Don't forget it has to be the man who will make the ship," said Rona wryly, "the man who will get the credit for it and the man who will eventually steer it."

"That's not fair," Alice complained. "If we think of it they ought to praise us, and name the ship after us. What do we get?"

"You get his admiration. He thinks you're wonderful even though he forgets it's your brain which has inspired him."

Alice mused for a while.

"That's really rather clever," she said. "If a man wants a good teacher he has to find a woman, like you, to inspire him."

"Not necessarily like me," Rona said.

"No, I think Alice is right," said a voice behind them.

Turning, they saw Peter, regarding them with an amused smile.

"You've been eavesdropping," Alice accused him.

"Yes, and I've heard some very interesting things." He strolled forward and leaned on the rail, standing next to Rona. "So that's how the trick is worked, eh?"

"Oh Miss Johnson," said Alice in dismay, "It's no good. Now he knows the secret it won't work."

Peter cocked an eyebrow at Rona, as though intrigued to know how she would react. Smiling, she said,

"Don't worry, Alice. They've known the secret since the dawn of time, but it still works."

"But how can it?"

"Because men believe what it suits them to believe," said Rona. "You can always rely on that."

Peter roared with laughter.

"It's true, I can't deny it," he said at once.

"Oh look," said Alice, "there's poor Papa. He looks as if he might be feeling seasick."

She darted away, but when Rona would have followed her Peter put out a hand to detain her.

"She doesn't need you if she's with her father," he said. "Stay and tell me about these curious lessons you're teaching my niece."

"You were not meant to hear."

"In case we learn the secret? But, as you rightly pointed out, we've always known." He grinned in a way she found delightful. "It's interesting to discover that women teach each other how to make fools of us men. I thought it was something you were all born knowing."

His droll manner made her smile.

"We are," she said, "but it helps to refine it. And it isn't all men. Only those stupid and lazy enough to want to believe the lie."

"You relieve my mind ma'am. So any man who wants to, may console himself with the thought that he's one of the intelligent few that women don't secretly despise. Except that that very belief may only prove that she's making him the biggest fool of all?"

"Ah!" she said with a pretended sigh. "And there was I, hoping to delude you."

They laughed together. When the laughter faded they stood for a moment, leaning on the rail, side by side, staring out over the waves.

Rona knew she should end this conversation. She had resolved to avoid him. But she had never before met a man who engaged her in such delicious verbal duelling, and the pleasure was intoxicating. She would avoid him later, she told herself.

"I think you're a very clever woman, ma'am," he said. "And the way you've won my niece's confidence is the cleverest thing of all."

"People told me she was difficult. I don't think so. I think she's just unhappy and lonely and needs a friend."

"I think so too," he said seriously. "And I'm glad she's found one in you. I should like to call you my friend, also."

He held out his hand, and she shook it.

Then a change seemed to come over him. Instead of releasing her hand, he looked down at it, lying in his own, so small and dainty. For a moment he was quite still, as though struck by a thought.

A tremor went through him. Rona felt it distinctly through the pressure of his hand.

"Perhaps we should rejoin the others," he said.

"Yes." She scarcely knew what she said. She felt as though a light had gone out.

The four of them spent the rest of the time down below, eating a light lunch, and soon they were in Calais.

There was much to do, supervising the luggage with the help of Alice's maid, and Rona found she had no time to think.

But then they were on the train from Calais to Paris, with miles and miles to think.

Now she was pursued by thoughts she would rather avoid. Questions to which she did not know the answer.

Was he Harlequin? Had he too had a frisson of memory?

But when they reached Paris, his manner was brisk and businesslike and she decided that she must have imagined everything.

At last they were drawing away from the railway station in a carriage. As they sat back in the comfortable seats the Earl said,

"I wonder which of us is the most excited at being in Paris."

"That's me," Alice replied, "because Miss Johnson tells me I am going to find fascinating things in Paris that I've never seen before."

"And of course," said Rona, "you will be told all about it – in French."

The Earl smiled.

"I shall enjoy that. I'm looking forward to this visit too, because in the past I've been alone."

"And I too am looking forward to it," said Rona. "I'm sure things have changed since I was last here."

"So you've been here before?" the Earl asked. "You didn't tell me that."

"I think, to be honest, you took it for granted," Rona replied. "I love France, especially Paris, and it's such a pleasure to return to it."

The Earl looked at her.

"You are full of surprises, Miss Johnson," he said.

"I think Alice will find it as exciting as I did," Rona said, adding with meaning, "especially when we go shopping."

The Earl laughed.

"That's what I'm afraid of."