Every Mother's Son (43 page)

He put his arms round her. This was so unlike the carefree Dolly. ‘I shan’t be going far,’ he murmured. ‘And you know there’ll allus be a special place in my heart for all of you.’

She nodded and blew her nose, but he could see she wasn’t convinced.

He hitched the mare to the trap to drive down to the manor. There had been more snow overnight and the road surface was thick and white, with animal tracks scattered over it and the hedges dusted with a fine lacy covering. He pondered about what he would say to Beatrice’s father if he should ask him about keeping her in the manner to which she was accustomed; well, I can’t, he thought. I have this gift of money from Marco and that will keep us comfortably for a year or two, but I think I’ll still have to ask Mr Hart for a tenancy. He sighed. Much as he loved the filly that Beatrice and Charles had given him, he was still unsure how he could afford her. Beatrice and Charles had never had to consider finances and wouldn’t know how much it cost to keep horses. He did, for he had worked with them from a young age. It was the only thing he really knew about, the training of them, the caring, feeding and cost of them.

He sighed. What will I do if he refuses? Will he ask us to wait a year or two until I have earned more money, although I know that Fletcher and Tom can’t really afford to pay me more; he always had to remember that it was Tom’s farm too.

He drew up at the front of the house, climbed down from the trap and was straightening his jacket when the door was flung open by Beatrice. ‘Oh, Daniel, I thought you were never coming.’ She ran down the steps to greet him. ‘Happy, happy birthday,’ she enthused. ‘Oh, Daniel, I do love you so, and I want to kiss you, but I can’t as everyone will be watching.’

‘Then allow me.’ He was so full of happiness he thought he would explode. He put his hand to his chest and in case anyone was watching from the window he made a formal bow, reaching for her hand and gently kissing it. ‘Oh dear, Beatrice,’ he said in mock dismay. ‘Is this how I must behave from now on?’

She tucked her arm into his. ‘No, silly. Of course not!’

He was ushered into the study, where Christopher Hart was sitting at his desk with a pen in his hand and a sheet of paper in front of him. He had apparently been making notes. Daniel, shaking with nerves, said, ‘Good morning, sir. I hope I’m not disturbing you,’ in a voice he thought sounded rather strained.

‘Come in, Daniel. Come in and take a seat.’ Christopher indicated a large leather wing-backed chair.

Daniel cleared his throat. ‘If you don’t mind, sir, I’d prefer to stand.’

‘Oh, would you? Very well.’ Christopher got up from his desk. ‘I don’t know about you, old chap,’ he said in a voice that sounded just like Charles, which made Daniel smile, ‘but I’m rather nervous. I know why you’ve come, of course, and Beatrice has coached me in what I have to say. That’s the thing with ladies, don’t you find: a fellow thinks he is in control and finds that he is not.’

‘I – I don’t know, sir, except – yes, mebbe so, especially with Beatrice.’ He thought then that he shouldn’t have said that about Beatrice. Christopher Hart probably thought the sun shone out of her; which of course it does, he thought happily. ‘So, what do you want to say? Best get it over with and then we can join my wife and Beatrice, and Charles too, I imagine, who are all waiting anxiously, no doubt.’

‘I’d like to marry Beatrice, sir,’ Daniel said at great speed. ‘I realize I’m not her equal, but I love her and always have.’

Christopher rubbed his chin and viewed him seriously. ‘Odd, that,’ he said. ‘That’s exactly what Beatrice said you would say – about not being her equal, I mean. But from what I gather your ancestry is medieval, and there have been some very notable characters along the way – popes, cardinals, counts and politicians, I believe – but in my opinion it’s the present generation that is important rather than what happened back in history, and having known you so long and now having met Signor Orsini I have no anxiety about that.’

He smiled and offered his hand to Daniel, which he shook with a great sense of relief, until Christopher said, ‘What I would like to say to you and Beatrice is, I would prefer it if we might wait until Christmas week for the official announcement. I have my reasons for doing so: I need to speak to my lawyer about Beatrice’s dowry and one or two other things. I’ve rather had the wind taken out of my sails, if you understand my meaning, so if you don’t mind …’

‘Oh, erm, no, sir.’ Daniel was flummoxed. ‘I rather feel ’same way and I don’t mind waiting, but I didn’t – don’t expect a dowry, sir. It didn’t cross my mind.’

‘Well, I dare say it didn’t, Daniel.’ Christopher gazed at him with a wry expression. ‘But that’s the way it is done.’

They came to the withdrawing room together, and there waiting for them was Beatrice dressed in blue muslin and in mid-pace between the window and the door; Charles was standing by the window with his arms folded, and their mother was sitting calmly by the fire.

Beatrice turned, her eyes and demeanour eager, gazing at Daniel. ‘Oh, what is it to be? Are we to be married? Papa, you did agree?’

She’s so lovely, Daniel thought, and impetuous. How can I be so lucky that she wants to spend the rest of her life with me?

‘Well?’ she demanded, her eyes suddenly anxious.

‘You’d better tell us, old chap,’ Charles bantered, ‘or our lives won’t be worth living.’

Daniel laughed. What a wonderful, exhilarating time they were going to have.

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Beatrice, if you will have me, we are to be married.’

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Everyone had been invited to spend Christmas Day at Hart Holme Manor when the engagement of Beatrice and Daniel would be officially announced.

Harriet was pleased, for with extra guests at Dale Top Farm, although very pleasant, it was quite exhausting keeping everyone fed and entertained, and she was rather gratified to be invited to dine in such luxurious surroundings. She, Fletcher, Daniel, Lenny, Maria and Dolly were up early to organize their usual duties including milking, collecting eggs, and feeding the cattle and other livestock, and Joseph and Elizabeth were kept busy wrapping presents to take to the manor where they would spend the day at leisure, whilst Marco, Leo and Calypso held whispered conversations whenever they were alone.

Tom had come up on Christmas Eve to bring presents and announced rather bashfully that on Christmas Day he intended to ask the widow Betsy if she would do him the honour of being his wife. Her son Adam had come with him to help Lenny with the pigs and had asked Fletcher if he thought Maria might walk out with him. Fletcher said he thought that she might. He was a handsome and hard-working lad and an asset to the farm.

It had snowed overnight and the meadows were bright white, crisp and dazzling, and the sky blue with scarcely a cloud as they set off, some of them in the trap, others in a waggon and the Italian visitors in the Harts’ carriage.

They were all dressed in their best, Maria, Dolly and Elizabeth in fine wool dresses, warm capes and ribbons in their hair. Calypso wore exotic red with a frilled hem. Harriet had chosen a grey fitted gown with a pleated hem trimmed with white, Rosie was in black and grey with a white cap, and the menfolk were all in their smartest suits with cravats or stocks at their necks. Melissa, in dark red velvet with a ruched bustle, and Beatrice, in cream figured silk, were at the door to greet them.

They toasted each other a happy Christmas in their preferences of sherry, whisky or mulled wine, although Joseph and Elizabeth to their disappointment were given lemonade; after the exchange of simple presents, Beatrice’s father made the announcement of the betrothal which was celebrated with champagne; neither Harriet nor Melissa remained dry-eyed. They exchanged glances and smiled. The secret fears these mothers had shared were over; Ellen Tuke had not after all divided their families. All the long years of anxiety and apprehension they had suffered had blown away like gossamer on a breeze.

Before Christmas luncheon Christopher asked everyone to put on their top coats again as they must all venture down to the meadow adjoining the stables where there was something special to see. ‘But before we do,’ he said, ‘I must tell you that my wife and I were at a loss to think of a suitable wedding gift for the young couple, but now, having been informed by Beatrice of Daniel’s longed-for ambition, we think we have come up with a solution.’

Daniel’s forehead creased. Ambition? I’ve achieved mine, he thought; what more could I possibly want than to marry Beatrice and find my grandfather? He looked across at Marco and then his mother and Fletcher with a query in his eyes, but all any of them did was smile or nod in a meaningful manner.

‘What ambition, Beatrice?’ he whispered to her. ‘I now have everything I desire.’

‘This is for the future, Daniel,’ she murmured into his ear. ‘
Our
future.’

They trooped outside, Marco and Rosie arm in arm, with Stephen and Charles at either side of them to steady them, and Leo walking with Harriet.

‘Some of you have seen Flavia already,’ Charles announced as they arrived at the stables. ‘She’s young and very beautiful, rather like all the ladies here today,’ he said gallantly, ‘but we thought she seemed a little lonely and in need of companions, and so Signor Orsini, Leo and Calypso came up with a splendid idea.’ He smiled at Calypso, totally smitten as her dark eyes glimmered beneath the cream shawl she had draped over her head.

‘Aaron,’ he called, and the stable lad looked out from the stable door. ‘Will you bring Flavia out?’

Aaron put up his thumb, disappearing inside again and bringing out the young pony on a leading rein. He opened the gate for her to trot into the field, where she kicked up her heels and cantered around, scattering snow. Then Aaron went back into the other stable, where they could hear him opening the stalls and talking to someone. Daniel and Beatrice walked across to the fence, leaning on it to watch Flavia.

‘Daniel, will you whistle?’ Beatrice said. ‘You know, the way you did to the ponies when we were travelling. Just to see if Flavia will respond.’

‘She doesn’t know me yet,’ he objected. ‘As soon as ’snow’s gone I’ll be here every day to see her – and you,’ he added tenderly.

But at further prompting from Beatrice he faced Flavia, put his fingers to his lips and whistled.

Flavia pricked up her ears and started to come towards him, but behind him came an excited nickering and snorting and a clattering of hooves on the cobbled yard as Aaron led out three ponies, Blaze, White Socks and Mama, and had great difficulty holding them in check. Charles and Stephen dashed to help him and together they ran beside the ponies, who were heading straight for Daniel.

He buried his head in their manes, stroked their necks and breathed into their nostrils and wondered what he’d done in his life to deserve so much.

‘They’re from Marco,’ Beatrice explained, seeing how overcome he was. ‘They’re his wedding present to us, and my parents are giving us a gift of land higher up the dale so that we can build our own farm and start a breeding programme with Flavia and White Socks. It is what you want, isn’t it, Daniel?’ she said anxiously.

‘I can’t believe how generous everyone has been,’ he said, and turning round to see them all watching from the shelter of the stable he raised his hand in a salute; then, taking a deep breath and putting his arm round Beatrice’s waist, he kissed her cheek. Murmuring, ‘I love you,’ he led her towards the field with the three ponies following and Flavia watching from a safe distance. ‘Come on,’ he said, in a choked voice. ‘Let’s introduce them. They’re going to be great friends.’

ENDING

I have often found that on finishing a saga such as this, I must be careful to tell my readers all of what I think might have happened to the secondary characters who play a minor but important part in the story – important, for otherwise why would they be there?

And so with the many varied personalities involved I will begin with Maria and Dolly, Daniel’s half-sisters. Maria, having had to abandon any notion of a relationship with Stephen Hart, begins to ‘walk out’ with Adam, whose mother Betsy marries Tom Bolton, and we hope that they will all find happiness in their lives together. Dolly does as she said she would and travels to Italy where she stays with Calypso and Marco and eventually finds herself a rich and handsome Italian gentleman to keep her in the manner she has always desired.

Leo marries Sophia and brings her to meet his sister Harriet and there is much to-ing and fro-ing between Italy and England as the women become good friends.

Rosie too is persuaded to travel to Italy and with their renewed friendship in their older years she spends the winters with Marco, travelling to Vernazza escorted by Charles Hart who, after studying at an Italian university, takes up a career in art and culture. After his marriage to Calypso they make a home in Florence where they become a very popular couple enjoying the finer things in life without too much effort on their part.

Young George Hart becomes a professor, and makes an enormous contribution to the world of science. Lenny changes his name to Leo like his uncle, and with his partner Adam, his sister Maria’s husband, he becomes one of the premier pig breeders in Yorkshire. He remains a bachelor all his life.

Stephen Hart doesn’t marry until he is thirty, when he meets and marries a widow from a farming background who understands perfectly what he is talking about when he discusses the comparative prices and quality of grain in America compared with England’s.

Melissa and Christopher Hart, having given full control of the estate to Stephen and making generous allowances to their other children, decide to travel in Europe whilst they still can, considering Christopher’s age.

Elizabeth and Joseph are too young as yet to have their lives mapped out, but no doubt in time they will have their own stories to tell.

Harriet and Fletcher are content to stay at home and don’t travel far; they work with their good friend Tom Bolton, buying more land and increasing their farm stock and building on another extension to their farmhouse as Harriet had suggested they should, to accommodate their children and their children’s children when they come to stay. Harriet in particular becomes even busier, as, when least expecting to, she gives birth to another daughter who is given the name of Daisy as she was born in springtime.