Into Temptation (Spoils of Time 03) (7 page)

Next week they were going to Ashingham, to see Billy; apart from wanting to see her brother before they went back to the States, she felt it was important for Jenna to meet the other part of her family, as dynamic in its own way as the super-rich, glamorous Elliotts were. Not only Billy and his wife, but the two little boys, growing up into their own heritage, a large farm in the heart of the English countryside. Much gratitude for this was due to Celia’s mother, Lady Beckenham, who had left it to Billy in her will. ‘Lady Beckenham had bought her son out, paid over the odds for it at a time when he needed the money,’ Billy wrote in a letter to Barty, ‘and it was hers to do what she liked with. Or her half anyway, Joan and I owning the other half.’

That he had been able to buy half the farm years earlier had been entirely due to Lady Beckenham advancing him some money from her own estate; an act of both great generosity and foresight. Billy and Joan were superb farmers.

‘It’s such a beautiful place, Jenna, you’ll love it,’ Barty said. ‘Lots of horses and ponies, and places to play, and you’ll like the boys, I’m sure.’

‘And they’re my cousins?’

‘They are. Joe and Michael, I haven’t seen them for three years now, not since Lady Beckenham died. They’ll have changed a bit. Joe is named after Lady Beckenham, her name was Josephine, goodness knows how Billy knew, nobody else did, she was Lady Beckenham to everyone.’

‘Even her husband?’

‘Well – I think so. Nobody knew his name either, she always called him Beckenham, anyway. In front of people, that is.’

Barty was silent, remembering that infinitely sad funeral, and the death of the indomitable old countess. She died exactly as she would have wanted, falling off her horse on the hunting field and never regaining consciousness. The funeral had been one of the very few occasions Barty had seen Celia near to breaking down.

‘And Joan, is she nice?’ said Jenna.

‘Joan is just lovely. Very warm and gentle but as tough as old boots at the same time. The dairy herd is her responsibility, so she needs to be, often up all night delivering calves, Billy says, and she’s won county prizes for her furrowing—’

‘What’s furrowing?’

‘It’s making straight lines with a plough, for planting crops. Used to be done with horses, but now they use tractors.’

‘I’d like to drive a tractor. I’ve seen photographs, Adele has taken lots, she showed me, clouds of birds follow you over the fields. I might try it when we go there to visit.’

‘Jenna,’ said Barty firmly, ‘there is no way you’re going to drive a tractor.’

‘I don’t see why not,’ said Jenna, smiling at her with appalling sweetness. ‘Anyway, when are we going? I can’t wait.’

‘Next Thursday.’

‘It must be lovely for your brother, having his own farm. I might have one when I’m grown up.’

‘What a good idea,’ said Barty.

‘Kit, won’t you let us publish you in New York?’

‘No, Barty, sorry. I can’t. You must see that would negate my decision.’

‘Not really. Here, have some more champagne. It’s very good, isn’t it?’

‘Very good.’ He smiled at her. ‘But you needn’t think it’s going to change my mind.’

‘Of course I don’t. Although your thinking is a bit confused. A lot of people seem to think you’re leaving because your mother won’t be there any more.’

‘As I keep saying, I don’t care what a lot of people think. She knows why I’ve done it and that’s all that matters.’

‘Kit, you’re going to have to forgive her some time,’ said Barty gently.

‘Don’t you start on it, for God’s sake. I can’t ever forgive her. Or understand what she’s done.’

‘No, all right. Sorry. Let’s just concentrate on having a nice lunch. Did you ever come here when – ’ an imperceptible pause ‘ – when you were a little boy?’

‘You mean did I ever come here when I could see? Yes, of course. My mother felt she had to take me to all the smart restaurants. It was part of my education.’ He sighed. ‘I specially liked it here, actually, because of the view of the river. A lot of the others seemed rather boring. I mean the Ritz, all that gilt! So unamusing. I liked Simpsons too, I remember, because of the great big covered silver salvers on wheels and the huge joints of meat. I used to love watching the waiters carving them. The only place she never took me to was Rules. I was always asking her, because I loved the cartoons. Boy took me sometimes. But she wouldn’t.’

‘No, she never took me there either,’ said Barty casually. She had a shrewd idea of the reason; she had once suggested she and Sebastian went there, and he had refused.

‘Sorry Barty,’ he had said firmly. ‘Rather not. Bad associations.’

‘Bad?’

‘Well – you know. Painful. A bit, anyway.’

‘So,’ she said now, ‘scallops? You always like them.’

‘I do. Or have they any asparagus? I might like that.’

‘It’s on the menu, yes.’

‘Good. Where’s Jenna?’

‘With Lucy. The Warwick nanny has taken them both to the zoo.’

‘Poor woman.’

‘Yes, I shall be surprised if she survives the experience. Still, she insisted.’

‘She’s an extraordinary child, Barty. Incredible conversations I’ve had with her. I do wish I’d met Laurence.’

‘You don’t need to,’ said Barty laughing, ‘he’s been reborn in his daughter, I cannot believe how alike they are. I sometimes think there’s no Miller in her at all.’

‘Her voice is like yours,’ said Kit.

‘Of course it’s not. She speaks American.’

‘She has that lovely huskiness you have. I’ve always loved your voice.’

‘Oh Kit,’ she said, laughing, turning on a Scarlett O’Hara twang. ‘You certainly do know how to flatter a girl.’

‘I wish I did,’ he said heavily. ‘I’m not doing very well in that direction. Thirty-three and still a bachelor. Bit sad, wouldn’t you say?’

‘Well—’

‘Go on,’ he said, his voice heavy suddenly. ‘Go on, admit it. It would be pretty nice to have a girlfriend. A wife. Children.’

‘Kit, you will. It’s just—’

‘Just what? A matter of time? At this rate, Barty, I’ll be a hundred before I even meet someone.’

She sighed. ‘You’re very down, aren’t you?’

‘No. Well – yes, I am a bit. It’s not just this wretched business of my mother. And leaving Lyttons, which in many ways I don’t want to do. I feel a bit—’

‘Stuck?’

‘Well, yes. That’s about the size of it. I feel I’ve conquered all the demons I could, I’ve found a career for myself, I can support myself, I’ve got my other interests, music and so on. Is that it, Barty, do you think? Is there going to be any more?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said carefully. ‘I wish I did.’ She paused, then said, ‘Look, Kit, why don’t you come and stay with us for a bit? In New York. And no, before you say anything, this is in no way a bid to coerce you, undermine your determination to leave Lyttons. Or even a silly attempt to “buck you up”, in quotes. It’s just that I’d love it, Jenna would love it, and you’d love New York.’

‘What would I love about it?’ he said slightly wearily.

‘It’s so – exciting. So fast. So busy. And everyone is so alive, so enthusiastic about everything.’

‘Would I be able to join in?’

‘Of course you would. Look, think about it. Please. I promise you’d have a good time.’

He was silent; then he said, ‘No, Barty. It’s very sweet of you. But I don’t think I want to do that. It’s a difficult time for me professionally, as well as personally. I’m trying to decide which publishers to go to.’

‘What did you think of Michael Joseph?’

‘I loved it. But I think actually I preferred Wesley. They’re so new and young and – well, so enthusiastic. They had such plans for me and the books. And – well, I’m not sure about working with Izzie.’

‘Why ever not? Surely you don’t still—’

‘No, no. Of course not. But we’re – very close. Even now. We get on so, so well. We think alike, almost spookily so, love all the same things, and – I don’t know, someone might – well, put two and two together and make four and a half. And I don’t want to risk it. For her sake, not mine. Incidentally, what’s the situation with Jenna and her inheritance? I seem to remember Father saying you were wondering about trying to get her some more.’

‘Oh I’ve decided against the whole thing. I’m going to waive the claim legally. It means going to court—’ ‘Court! To ask not to have something!’

‘Yes. Odd isn’t it. I have to plead my case before a judge. I suppose because they want to be sure I’m acting in Jenna’s interests. But that’s all right. I just don’t want it for her. Fighting, almost certain unpleasantness, for money she simply doesn’t need. We have more than enough. I don’t

want her to have millions of dollars—’ ‘Millions?’

‘It would be. Many more millions. Obscene isn’t it?’

‘It is a bit.’

‘I really think so. Millions of dollars neither she, nor even I, have earned. I think it would be terribly corrupting. And the lawsuit, fighting for it, more so.’

‘I think you’re right.’

‘I’m so glad you agree. Of course it isn’t straightforward, because if Laurence had known about her, then he would have wanted her to have some of it. Not all, because he was very fond of his other children. But – well, he didn’t. And it’s all gone to them.’

She was silent; Kit took her hand again.

‘I’m so sorry. That must be your biggest regret. That he never knew Jenna, I mean, not about the money.’

‘It is. Yes.’ She fished in her bag for a hanky, blew her nose. ‘In some ways, the only one. I mean of course I miss him terribly every day, I loved him so much, Kit, so, so much – oh dear—’ She heard her own voice tremble, stopped talking. ‘Sorry. It’s the champagne talking.’

‘No it’s not,’ he said gently, ‘it’s you. Go on. If you want to.’

‘Well – I think so much about it. That last lovely time, that was so sad and so wonderful, when he was in London you know, during the war, and—’

‘And you got married.’

‘Yes. And we got married, and didn’t tell anyone. It was so extraordinary. So intense. And even the last time I saw him, saying goodbye to him for ever – only I didn’t know it was for ever of course – it was so absolutely joyful, in its own way. And then, then there was Jenna, and he never knew and he would have loved it so much. Loved her so much of course, but just knowing she – existed. He never had that happiness. And it’s so cruel. Such a – huge, dreadful loss for him. Even though he wasn’t aware of it. Everything else I can come to terms with. And God knows what sort of marriage we would have had, once the war was over. He was absolutely impossible.’

‘Go on. Tell me about him. You never have. Please. I really want to know.’

‘He was the most extraordinary mixture,’ she said slowly, ‘of good and bad. He behaved quite appallingly, a great deal of the time. Not just to colleagues and employees, but to the family. Maud. His brother Jamie. To Robert—’

‘Who’s still alive. Amazing.’

‘Yes. Dear Robert. He’s even still working. He loves Jenna so much. Says she looks exactly like her grandmother. It’s true actually, I’ve seen pictures.’

‘It must have been hard for Laurence,’ said Kit, ‘having to accept a stepfather. And a new sibling.’

‘Kit, I can’t make too many excuses for him. Of course it was hard. Other people have to endure hard things. Like you.’

‘I didn’t always behave very well,’ he said heavily.

‘I know. But you weren’t wicked. Laurence set out to – well, to defraud Robert, to wreck his business. He persecuted Jamie dreadfully, simply because he was nice to Robert and Maud—’

‘Just a minute,’ said Kit, ‘how do you know all this? Family gossip I suppose.’

‘No,’ said Barty simply, ‘he told me.’

She could remember it still, listening to Laurence by the hour, while he told her about all the dreadful things he had done – and then giving her the excuses, the rationalisation for them. His terrible childhood, his father’s death, his mother’s remarriage to Robert Lytton, the birth of Maud and of the second child that had killed her. She could remember wondering how she could possibly love this man, who had deliberately wreaked such harm on people; and wondering that she did.

‘He even,’ she said now, ‘threw away a telegram telling me about Wol’s first stroke, because he didn’t want me rushing back to England—’

‘What? Surely not.’

‘’Fraid so. Oh, Kit, there’s lots more. But – I loved him. I loved him so, so much. I fought it and fought it, but I couldn’t help it. Always. From that first moment.’

A long silence; the waiter refilled their glasses.

‘Oh dear,’ she said, picking hers up, ‘I’m sorry, Kit. Bit heavy, all this.’

‘No,’ he said. ‘No, no, I’m so very pleased you’re telling me.’

‘I – haven’t told many people. Obviously. Sebastian knows. He was so marvellous, he helped me through it. Both times, when I first left Laurence, and the second time when he – ’ her voice shook ‘ – he left me.’

‘He knows about grief,’ said Kit, ‘he told me once that when Pandora died, his only wish was to die too. For years, that’s what he wanted. He said grief was the only thing he knew. Until – well, until he accepted Izzie. That was the turning point.’

‘Dear, darling Sebastian,’ said Barty. There was another silence; then, ‘But you see, Kit, I’m not sure that we would have been exactly happy, Laurence and I. That it would have worked very well. I’m not exactly pliant myself.’

‘True. Very true. But I’m sure you’d have managed something. And I’m sorry you’re so unhappy.’

‘Kit, I’m not.’ She sounded surprised. ‘I’m really not. I like my life. New York is wonderful, Lyttons New York is wonderful, I have a great time. I’m really happy. I just – miss him. That’s all.’

‘Of course you do.’ He sighed, then said, ‘Anyway, back to Jenna. I think you’re absolutely right. She shouldn’t be exposed to lawsuits and lawyers and greed. It would be bad for her. Have you ever met the other children?’

‘No. Now
their
mother really had a bad time. With Laurence, I mean. He only married her to—’ She sighed. ‘Enough of this. I can’t have you thinking entirely badly of him. He had so many virtues. He was loyal, and generous and brave and – well, lots of good things. Anyway, I wrote to Annabel, that was the first wife, when I moved to New York. I felt I had to lay some ghosts, say some things, put what I feared were some misconceptions right. She was surprisingly generous and courteous to me. And we very occasionally meet, at some benefit concert or other. But she’s pretty steely. I don’t see her parting with any of the money. It’s all been left to the children, in trust anyway, and she gets the income. Anyway, I’m afraid I’m boring you.’