Fragile Blossoms (25 page)

‘If I can I surely will.’

‘Is that it?’ Eve glared. ‘Are we done? Can we move on now or is this a private séance, Julianna Dryden and the whole of the Spiritual Realm?’

‘I’m so sorry. I had no idea this would happen.’

‘Why would you?’ said Luke. ‘Can any sane person know what goes on with these things?’

It was cold, the air and breath about the table white mist.

Eyes glittering in the candlelight Madame Leonora sat upright.

‘Hush!’ hissed Evie. ‘Someone is coming.’

A voice whispered like the soft susurration of waves on a shore. Slowly sound clarified to become a child singing.

‘
Where oh where has my little dog gone,

Oh where oh where can he be,

with his ears cut short and his tail cut long,

Oh where, Oh where is he
?’

One-by-one candles at the fireplace flickered and went out, the room in darkness but for a single candlestick in the centre of the table. A child sang, male or female no one knew. The song was accompanied by a swishing sound of Madame Leonora brushing her hand back and forth along the table.

‘What is that noise?’ asked Lillie Langtry.

‘It’s Madame’s arm!’

‘No! That’s only the movement! If you listen there’s a sound beyond it.’

‘I don’t want to listen,’ a woman protested. ‘I don’t like it whatever it is.

‘It sounds like a fan waving,’ said Evie.

‘No, that’s not it,’ said Luke, his finger tight about Julia’s.

‘What is it then?’ Julia whispered.

‘A dog’s tail wagging.’

The song continued and indeed a sound similar to a dog wagging its tail. Then all sound ceased. No one spoke, no one dared. Julia knew the song. It was Susan’s song. She said her lover used to sing it to her and he would....!

‘Play the paper and comb,’ whispered Freddie.

‘Oh no!’ The words burst from Julia’s lips.

Freddie nodded. ‘I’m afraid so. Jimmy Button, the Pater’s groom, showed me how. He could get a good tune out of it could Jimmy, a real Scotch jig.’

‘Be quiet, Freddie!’ Evie was on her feet. ‘We don’t want to hear this! This is hardly the time or place to talk of childish fancies.’

‘Yes it is, Evie,’ he said wearily. ‘What better time to talk of paper and comb and dogs without tails than in this darkness and with incense burning and Bella listening. I know about this. I can sing this song from start to finish. It’s as familiar to me as a lullaby. I hear it every night when lying down to sleep.’

Julia closed her eyes. She knew now what Susan had known and had kept secret even to the grave. ‘Oh Freddie!’

‘I know, Ju-ju,’ Freddie sighed, ‘and I’m awful sorry. I should’ve told you.’

A man coughed. ‘I don’t know what this is about and have no wish to enquire. The whole thing is in the worst possible taste. We should break the circle.’

‘No!’ Freddie reared up in his seat his hands glued to the table. ‘I beg you! I have been waiting for this! Please stay! Madame Leonora!’ he cried. ‘Don’t let them break the circle! I need to speak to Bella. I need to know of my little boy! I need to know he and his mother are at peace!’

Stones thrown against rock his cry rebounded about the room.

Evie let her hands fall. ‘The circle is made,’ she said dully. ‘It is not our hands that link us together, it is our minds. The circle was made the moment we joined in prayer. It doesn’t matter now who stays or goes. As long as Leonora holds the trance the circle is confirmed.’

‘Well I’m not staying!’ A woman scrambled from the table. ‘I find this talk of dead children most distressing. Had I known it like this I’d never have sat. ’

‘Nor I,’ said a man. ‘I came here to learn of my dear wife not wallow in muck.’ He turned to Freddie. ‘If what I’m hearing is right, my summation of it, you are as you said, sir, a bounder. By all means wash your dirty linen in public but in your time and not mine!’

One by one they left. Lillie Langtry gathered her shawl. ‘I too shall withdraw. This is an intimate affair. I am
de trop
. I wish you well to resolve it.’

That left only five left at the table.

‘What now?’ said Luke.

Evie shrugged. ‘Does it matter?’

‘It seems to matter to your brother!’ Luke snapped.

‘And to Madame Leonora,’ said Evie. ‘She’ll not let go until all is resolved.’

‘Then let’s try and resolve it!’ said Luke. ‘I don’t know about this either. It’s seems a foul sort of business. I’d sooner walk out the door and never look back than stay but if this is about Susan Dudley dare we leave it?’

‘No,’ said Julia, ‘anymore than we dare leave Freddie.’

Freddie’s heart was breaking. He wanted to run and keep running until he fell off the end of the world. Darkness and shadows on the wall and that same heartbreaking singing! He hears it every night no matter where he is, London or Rome it’s there and always the same song. ‘I don’t hear the dog,’ he whispered. ‘Usually it’s Bella singing. Oh, Ju-ju,’ ashen, his hand crept to hers. ‘You don’t think that’s my little boy singing? I mean not my son?’

‘Of course not!’ Julia hung onto him. ‘It only sounded like a child.’

‘No,’ Freddie shook his head. ‘It was a child. I heard it and so did you.’ He squeezed Julia’s hand. ‘Was it an angel? D’you suppose that’s possible?’

‘Your little boy is in heaven with his mother, ‘said Julia desperate to ease his pain. ‘If we are to hear anything it would be an angel.’

‘I wanted to keep them. I wanted to take care of Bella. People do, don’t they. She could’ve stayed with her mother and I maintained them. After all it’s not every day one has a son. I wanted to but the more I thought the more difficult it became.’ He shrugged. ‘Such a thing, gossip, don’t you know.’

Julia held onto his hand.

‘You saw him, didn’t you? You held him. Was he beautiful?’

‘Oh yes, so beautiful.’

‘I sent a Christening robe, well, Evie sent it. It was my baptismal robe. I sent flowers, pink roses, ever so many.’ He sighed. ‘It was too late to do any other.’

‘Freddie?’ Julia squeezed his hand. ‘I think it best we stop now. You’re tired, as are we all. We should go home.’

‘No, Ju-ju! I haven’t said what I wanted to say. I haven’t said sorry.’

‘Then say it, dear boy, and be at peace!’

Freddie began to weep, great tears sliding down his gaunt cheeks. ‘I am sorry, Susan. I thought I could do it, I really did. I thought I could love a woman like any other man. You were sweet and kind and you liked me. It is easy to love when all the person wants is to love you back.’

For a moment there was silence, and then from far away a voice echoing, ‘
love you back...love you back...love you.’

It was wet out and cold. Runners were sent to bring the carriages. Madame Leonora having drifted away they waited with Hugh Fitzwilliam. No one spoke, all were numb, and then in need of conversation Hugh turned to Julia.

‘I understand you’re not coming to the funeral Tuesday.’

Julia shook her head. ‘I can’t. I am otherwise engaged.’

‘Pity. Sir Arthur was a popular man. It should be quite a spectacle. Did you know he wanted to be buried with his mother but Her Majesty thought St Pauls the only rightful place for our eminent composer?’

‘I didn’t know.’

‘I think it right decision, people able to remember the man. Do you like his music, Mr Roberts? I seem to recall seeing you at the Savoy.’

‘I don’t know too much about it.’

‘Do you have a favourite of his operas Julianna?’

‘I quite like the Pirates of Penzance.’

‘Indeed. I think Gilbert’s bark worse than his bite. One would have to be a real misanthrope not to love those lyrics.
Pinafore
is my choice though I have a liking for
Patience
. I wonder if Schwenk will attend on Tuesday. They had a falling out, you know, but then they were always at one another’s throats. Clashes of temperament, I suppose. Awful pity really.’

‘Pity?’ Eyes blazing Evie swung round. ‘You talk of pity! I’ll tell you what is a pity you prattling of Gilbert and Sullivan and my poor Freddie in bits!’

‘I say draw it mild, sister mine,’ Freddie sighed. ‘Don’t be rattlin’ at them. It’s not their fault I can’t fire a straight arrow.’

‘I’m not saying it is. I’m simply asking for a little understanding. All this chatter of operas! Don’t they realise you never meant to hurt Bella?’

‘Forget it, Evie,’ Freddie turned up his collar. ‘It’s done and dusted.’

‘I can’t! Why won’t people see you didn’t mean it to end this way? It was a horrible mistake that cost us all peace of mind.’

‘I think you should leave it, Evelyn, and go home,’ Hugh’s expression was bland. ‘This is neither time nor place to scrape the bowl clean.’

‘I’m not scraping the bowl, Godfather, I am trying to speak for Freddie.’

‘I’m sure there’s no need to speak for anyone. We’re all grownups here or pretending to be. From what I’ve heard it’s best no one says anything. We should all repair to our various caves and lick our wounds in silence the better to begin again tomorrow.’

‘I have no wounds to lick, Hugh, and resent the idea that I have. This vile mess is not of my making. All I did was try picking up the pieces.’

‘Let go of it, Evie!’

‘I will when people stop pointing their silly fingers. What is it the bible says, ‘
let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
’ You’d think this time of the year, Christmas soon upon us, people would be kind. They’re not. They’re busy grinding meat cleavers ready to slice our good name to ribbons.’

‘Oh that’s nonsense, Evelyn!’ Hugh snorted. ‘Our name’s been mud for centuries. How d’you think your Grandmamma acquired the addendum Fitz? It wasn’t for serving Holy Orders, though on her knees was the likely position. We are what we are. If mud is thrown we’ve plenty to throw back.’

‘It’s so unfair.’

‘Nothing is fair. And no one is grinding cleavers. Civilised people, and they’re the only ones that count, are busy looking the other way. I suggest you do the same. This night needs to be sat upon not drawn out for the love of drama.’

‘Are you saying I am dramatising this?’

‘Well it’s not me flinging my cloak about and it’s not Freddie. I don’t know what occurred in that room. I caught a whisper and thought it nothing we didn’t already know. It seems your tame parrot majors in Speaking in Tongues which caused some of your company to take offense.’

‘There was no speaking in tongues! There were several messages, some of which were very illuminating. There was a mysterious German lady who for reasons of her own Mrs Dryden chose not to identify.’

‘Bully for Mrs Dryden! It sounds a silly business that if you’re not careful will gather in silliness until it is downright dangerous. In this as with all misalliance least said soonest mended. So please, Evelyn, go home!’

‘Good advice.’ Luke took Eve’s arm. ‘The carriage is here. Let me help you. The steps are wet and you might slip. ’

She shook his hand away. ‘Thank you, I am quite able to walk to the carriage unaided. I’m not so in my dotage I need lean on you.’

‘Take my coat you’re shivering.’

‘That’s because in all the fuss I left my shawl behind. I like that shawl. It was a gift from my late husband and I wouldn’t want to lose it.’

‘I’ll go and look for it.’

‘Thank you, Roberts.’

Luke looked at her. ‘Roberts?’

‘Yes,’ she said eyes cold. ‘That is your name, isn’t it?’

‘Yes that is my name. I must remember it and not imagine any other.’

He turned back to the house.

In silence they watched him go. Freddie shook his head. ‘God, Evie,’ he said. ‘You really are a mad bitch. You want to lose him along with everyone else?’

Evie slapped Freddie. ‘How dare you call me a mad bitch! Three years I’ve put up with you bemoaning your sins. Three years trying to stop you doing what you did tonight and twenty-odd years before that trying to keep you from hurting and being hurt.’

Freddie shrugged. ‘Oh well, now the whole world knows.’

‘The whole world doesn’t care, and thank God it doesn’t, that way people will tire of you and your silly ways. I am ashamed of you Frederick Carrington. You’re like your father. You don’t care who you hurt.’

‘And neither do you!’ Freddie turned away. ‘I’ll go help Luke look for the shawl. Who knows we might find your heart while we’re at it.’

‘It’s true!’ Evie shouted. ‘You are like your father! He loved serving girls, especially if they were on the silly side and Bella was certainly that.’

‘Her name wasn’t Bella,’ Julia could stand no more. ‘Her name was Susan.’

‘Julianna!’ Hugh’s fingers tightened about his wrist. ‘Let’s not add to this.’

‘I hope I’ll not do anything to add to this tragic tale but I beg Evie to remember Susan by her name and not that of a servant.’

‘Oh wonderful!’ Evelyn turned. ‘This is all I needed! You sanctimonious deceiver! If anyone is cause of blame it’s you! You brought Bella to Norfolk. You cut her off from friends and family. While she was with me she was well and every reason to stay so. Yes she was with child. I didn’t ask the father and she didn’t tell. She was a maid! Why would I ask her anything! You brought the problem about by smuggling her away in that questionable manner.’

‘Questionable?’

‘Yes questionable! I’m sure I’m not the first to wonder at the propriety of that decision and the tragic outcome. There was no need for her to leave. Had she stayed I would’ve helped.’

‘Really? You would’ve helped? I wish I’d known!’ Julia held back anger. ‘When Doctor Adelman found Susan she was not in your employ. She was drudge and maid-of-all work in a slum with other half-starved children. No one forced her to come to Norfolk. She was happy to come, at least that was my understanding. Clearly we remember events differently.’

‘
You
remember differently and to your advantage. Why am I surprised? As Hugh says people prefer to look the other way. A girl and her baby die in your care? One can only hope your other protégés are better served.’

‘Protégés?’ Julia frowned. ‘What are you talking about?