A Seven Year Hitch (5 page)

“But I was told by a friend of a friend who had it on good a
uthority from the hotel manager,” Gerald insisted.

“Never mind, dearest,” c
onsoled Great Aunt Celia. “We are all gullible some of the time!”

Everyone laughed at Gerald’s pretence at being crestfallen before turning to Charlie as he said in an affronted tone “As you all doubt my word, I don’t know if I should tell you how Peregrine Smythe received that black eye.”

“Oh go on Charlie, please,” begged Charlotte. “We know you always tell true stories. It is only Stephen who doubts them, but that’s because he never has any to tell himself.”

“Oh very well. Are you all sitting comfortably?” When everyone nodded he continued. “He was at the Forrester’s house party, which included many of his and their relatives as they were celebrating Miss Forrester’s engagement to Perry’s cousin Harold. After an elaborate and very formal dinner followed by the usual musical interlude, everyone had retired to his or her rooms. Unbeknownst to anyone bar his valet, Peregrine has a tendency to sleepwalk and so whenever away from home the valet always safeguards against his wandering by locking the door from the outside and leaving the key in he lock in case of emergencies.”

“Such as?” asked Stephen

“Oh, you know a house fire or some such
,” replied Charlie.

“Don’t start that again!” warned Erica

“What? I was only asking!”

“Shhh” everyone ordered and Charlie continued. “As it was a very warm night, Smythe decided to dispense with a night robe and therefore went to bed in his birthday suit!”

“I hope this is suitable for young girls’ ears, Charlie,” interrupted Aunt Hebe, looking a little anxious.

“His valet duly locked the door and left the key before retiring for the night and all would have been well if it had not been for the Forester’s meticulous butler. On his final round of the house to check all was as it should be, he noticed the key and, assuming it was someone playing a practical joke, he unlocked the door and quietly returned it to the inside.

In the early hours, Peregrine began his wanderings whilst deep in slumber and ambled along the corridors with not a stitch on! But before being discovered he made his own way back to bed and so all was fine”

Here Charlie paused for maximum effect and all around the table waited with baited breath. Charlie smiled mischievously.

“He snuggled down beneath the blankets. Having a perfectly lovely dream…when thwack! He was rudely awakened by the repeated hits from an umbrella of all things! He managed to struggle up and grab the said umbrella and let out an almighty yell as he came face to face with the Foresters Great Granny, ninety if she’s a day; minus teeth and hair!!”

Everyone burst out laughing and a few kind souls were heard to mutter, “Oh poor old dear, she must have been terrified!”

“Poor old dear, my foot!!” exclaimed Charlie. “Once poor, stunned Peregrine had managed to prise the umbrella out of her hand, she drew back her arm and let throw with a punch that left him reeling, and sporting an amazing black eye.”

Charlie waited for the mirth to subside before adding,

“Of-course all the screeching and commotion had brought most people running and Forrester, with a dead-pan face demanded that Peregrine make an honest woman of his Grandmother!”

“Oh please stop
,” Erica wiped the streaming tears from her face with one hand whilst her other arm rested across her midriff. “My stomach hurts so much; I swear my sides will split!”

“But the best bit is yet to come
,” Charlie continued. “Granny, once she realized she was not about to be murdered, caught onto her grandson’s jest and sidled up to Peregrine, rubbed her gnarled hand up and down his chest and reputedly said, ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed the attentions of a fine young husband, and at my time of life we cannot tally. It had better be a special licence!’” 

Everyone was convulsed with laughter when the door opened and Sir Richard Stanier walked in. He stopped on the threshold and surveyed the occupants of the room until they gradually got a hold of themselves and the laughing subsided. Just when order seemed to be restored, the un
mistakable mirth of the hostess; helplessly clutching her sides, set everyone off again and it was quite five minutes before anyone was in a fit state to welcome the latecomer.

“I do apologize, sir. Charlie has been entertaining us with a tale I am sure he will share with you later
,” Gerald greeted him. “Please join us, you’ve missed the first course I’m afraid but there’s plenty more to come. We’ve got a seat all ready for you. I’m sure you have met everyone before except the Marquis of Trevellyn. ”

“I’m pleased to meet you, My Lord.” Sir Richard shook hands with Trevellyn before turning to Erica.

“I hope you have room for an unexpected guest my dear, for I have a surprise for you.” He looked back towards the door and Erica followed his gaze.

“Haven’t toned down that distinctive laugh yet then Erica, I would recognize it anywhere.”

“Michael!” Erica cried, and dashing out of her chair, she launched herself at him flinging her arms around his neck as she in turn was swallowed up in a big embrace.

Gerald in turn was caught up in a hug but Trevellyn failed to notice. He was trying to combat the twist in his gut at the sight of that shapely body in the arms of a man other than himself. As much as he told himself it was no concern of his, he found it difficult to suppress the jealousy that threatened to consume him.  

The gentlemen insisted on keeping to their ritual of after dinner port even with the informality of the gathering, so the ladies left them to their male bonding and retired to the drawing room. As one would expect, a natural grouping established itself with the young mothers congregating to discuss their offspring and various cures for gripe and childhood maladies; the older women settled themselves on the sofas in the middle of the room to discuss the latest scandals and the young single girls gravitated towards the far end of the room to discuss their beaux.

Erica, after fulfilling her hostess’ duties by ascertaining that everyone was comfortable and in possession of all they needed, drifted to the far end of the room where she opened the French doors onto the terrace before joining her young cousins.

“It’s such a beautiful evening,” she said, “I thought we’d enjoy the warm night air.”

The others agreed before resuming their conversation.

“I cannot wait until my come-out next year,” announced Sophie who at barely seventeen had been allowed to join the adults so, as her mother put it, she could learn how to behave at social gatherings before being taken to London for the season. “Not only am I looking forward to the parties and picnics and such like, but the thought of all that shopping!”

The others laughed at her naivety and assured her she would soon tire of all the dress fittings and having to change her clothes so many times a day.

“Oh I could never tire of shopping!” she assured them before adding. “What I do worry about is being a wall flower. What if no one asks me to dance? It would be dreadful to be left sitting out of every dance!”

“You won’t be
,” assured Erica “You are really very pretty and all the young men will want to know you.”

“And besides
,” added Charlotte teasingly, “With so many male cousins, you could always make them dance with you.”

“Who wants to dance with their cousins? Its not exactly romantic is it?” replied Sophie with a pout.

“Beggars and all that,” laughed Erica. “Besides our cousins, apart from being handsome and good dancers, also have attractive, single friends with whom they could introduce you!”

“I hadn’t thought of that. I shall have to start bein
g nice to them then, won’t I?” sighed Sophie

“What a mammoth task!” Fiona, Sophie’s sister, said making a face of disgust that made everyone laugh.

Fiona had just announced her engagement to Charlotte’s brother, Stephen and so for several minutes talk revolved around wedding plans. The couple had known each other forever; meeting up each year at the family gatherings although, being from different sides of Erica’s family, they were not actually related. It had only been in the last year or so that stronger feelings had become apparent and Stephen had been spurred into offering for her when during the season, many other gentlemen began vying for her hand. Of-course everyone was delighted with the news and many people were now claiming that they had foreseen the marriage many years ago; in the days when Fiona had worn pig-tails and Stephen had put worms down her back.

“What about you, Charlotte?” asked Erica, “Was there any particular beau who took your fancy this year?”

Charlotte blushed and stammered a denial but was interrupted by Fiona “What about the Marquis of Trevellyn? He paid you a lot of attention in the two weeks he was in town. Didn’t he even take you driving in Hyde Park one afternoon?”

“And he sat with you at dinner tonight” added Sophie.

“He has been most kind but I am sure it is only because our parents are such good friends. It was the Duchess who introduced us after all, and he would not want to upset her feelings by not being all that is polite.”

“Oh come now
Charlotte, you are being too modest!” said Fiona.

“No I’m not. He probably only sat next to me at dinner because we were near each other when we walked into the dining room
.”

“But you have not answered our question. Has he taken your fancy?” asked Sophie.

“No lets change the subject,” Charlotte said firmly but to no avail.

“But he’s so handsome!” exclaimed Sophie.

“Yes, he is handsome,” Charlotte agreed “but he seems very severe, don’t you think? He does not smile very much.”

“What do you mean?” a
sked Fiona “He was laughing as much as the rest of us at dinner and he was good natured with the children this afternoon.”

“Yes I know, but I mean in the general way of things. He hardly smiled at all in
London.” She then laughed as she added “I feel he will probably turn out to be a very strict husband. Can you imagine; it would be like living your whole life in the school room!”

“What do you think, Erica?” Fiona asked. “Are you in danger of succumbing to those dark good looks and stern demeanour?”

“I cannot disagree; he is incredibly handsome and if I were at all romantically inclined, my knees would very likely tremble whenever he looked at me. But as you know, I do not have a romantic bone in my body,” she lied “and can safely say he has no affect on me!”

Just then the gentlemen entered the room and Erica found herself under his steely gaze. Her knees trembled substantiating her lie!  But she prided herself on her acting abilities and remained calm as she continued,
“I have to agree with Charlotte though, he does come across as stern, even slightly dangerous - very much the alpha male.”

“And you say you are not romantic!” Fiona laughed. “If I did not know better, I would think you were attracted to him
.”

“Oh no,” again Erica felt a twinge that she was not being quite honest with either herself or Fiona, “I leave him for Charlotte and if I am not very much mistaken, he will be making his way to her side very soon
.”

As the men began to intermingle, Erica made her excuses and made her way over to Michael who stood in conversation with Gerald.

“Catching up on all the news?” she asked them as she drew near.

“Of-course, my dear,” replied Michael who, putting his arm around her
shoulders pulled her to his side. “Its been a while since we were all together but hopefully we’ll be seeing much more of each other from now on.”

“Oh why?” a
sked Erica

“My father feels it is now time to pass on much of his case load to me and as the
London office has an excellent staff who deal with our commercial and private clients, I will be based primarily down here. Obviously I will need to travel to London on a regular basis to oversee things but as I say, we are very fortunate in our employees.”

“That’s great news, Michael,
” stated Erica “It will be like old times having both you and Gerald home again. I have missed you both.”

“Not quite like old times
,” said Sir Richard as he came up to them. “I’m too old to be putting up with all your pranks. My days of rescuing you from trees or pulling you out of lakes is over.” They all laughed and Gerald said, “Oh come Uncle Richard, you know you would be the first to come riding to our rescue.”

“I know
my son, but I would prefer to help in less physical ways! But it is good to have all three of you home together again. I feel myself getting all emotional.” He pretended to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.

“Is there no man on the scene
though Erica, who is likely to whisk you off? I find it hard to believe that there have not been a host of admirers wanting to marry you and I could never understand why you did not participate in more than one season.” Michael was truly puzzled.

“
No there is no man and I was needed here. I enjoyed my season but found it a little tedious towards the end. I found it very fatiguing trying to behave like a proper young lady, I’m not cut out for it as you very well know.”