Love and Apollo (6 page)

“I am only too willing to do whatever you want and please say that you like my dress and hat, all of which you paid for.”

The Duke chuckled.

“I can see that like all women you would like to be flattered.  Actually I am not flattering you, but telling you the truth when I say that you are exactly the right person to impress the Russians that the British are all powerful!”

Valona smiled.

“I don't think I am capable of that, but at least no one will patronise me because I look threadbare!”

“It is something which will never occur again,” the Duke promised.  “I have already apologised that you have been neglected.”

“We have been extremely happy at Hampton Court.  There are such kind people living there and they all came yesterday afternoon to wish me goodbye and said such nice things about me to my Mama that I was almost sorry to be leaving.”

“And what do you feel about it now?”

“This is the most fantastic thing I have ever done,” answered Valona, “even in my dreams.”

“I saw you looking very animated when my friend the Marquis told us we were stopping at a number of ports on our way to Larissa, so I would imagine that you long to be a traveller.”

“So far I have only been able to travel in my mind and through the books I have read.  Now I am really going to see the great Rock of Gibraltar and the canals of Venice!  I feel sure that once again I am dreaming!”

“I only hope you will not be disappointed, Valona, if one sets one's expectations too high, there is always the chance that you wish the reality could have been a little bit better.”

Valona laughed.

“Now you are being cynical.  I am sure that none of us have any doubts that this magical ship will carry us into an enchanted fairyland!”

The Duke was silent for a minute before he replied,

“That is what we hope Larissa will be like after we have arrived there.  Despite what Gerald might desire, we must not linger too long on the voyage.”

“Why do you say that?”

The Duke hesitated for just a moment as he thought it might be mistake to tell her the truth and then he said,

“I think, Valona, you are old enough to understand the Russian intentions in the Balkans and it will not please them that the King of Larissa is marrying again, although he is no longer a young man, and above all to an English bride related to Queen Victoria.”

“He already has a son, I hear.”

“One child is not enough for a safe dynasty.”

The Duke spoke in a low voice almost as if he was talking to himself.

“If Larissa is really in such danger,” Valona asked him, “why do you allow your sister to go there?”

The Duke smiled a little wryly.

“It is what the Queen desires and it is very difficult to oppose Her Majesty when she has made up her mind!”

“I appreciate that and I was rather frightened that she might send for me and, when she had seen me, decide that I was too young.”

The Duke laughed.

“You must be clairvoyant.  That is just what I was scared of too.  So in case the Queen said that she wanted to see you first, I quickly told her that you were away from home visiting one of your relatives.

“That was a lie!”

“A white lie, shall we say, Valona, but I think if she had seen you, she might well have insisted on Rose being accompanied by some aged crone who would have found fault with everything we did from the moment we left.”

“That would have been dreadful.  And thank you, thank you, Cousin Arthur, for being so clever even if it was a lie.”

“A white lie,” insisted the Duke, “and it is certainly permissible if it is helping someone else.”

As they steamed past the ancient Tower of London and then the dockyards, the Duke told Valona something of their long and interesting history.

A little later it was time for luncheon, so they went down to the Saloon.

As they entered Valona could see that the Marquis and Lady Rose were deep in conversation with each other.

They did not seem to be particularly happy and he was holding her hand in his.

It then struck Valona that perhaps the Marquis had wanted to marry Lady Rose and she had been obliged to refuse him because she was to marry the King.

‘If it was me,' Valona thought, ‘and I was in love with anyone half as good-looking as the Marquis, I would refuse the King whatever Her Majesty might say about it!'

After luncheon Lady Rose told Valona that she was going to rest and did not wish to be disturbed.

“I have not brought a lady's maid with me, so I do hope you will help me later with my gown.”

“Of course I will,” replied Valona.

Lady Rose continued,

“My brother's valet, who has been with us since I was a little girl, is so clever at packing and unpacking it would be such a nuisance to have a lady's maid on board as well, who anyway would doubtless be seasick!”

She did not say anything else, but walked into the Captain's cabin and closed the door.

Valona had no wish to lie down when she might be on deck, so she ran up the companionway.

At the top she almost bumped into the Marquis who was just going down the stairs.

“If you are looking for Arthur,” he said, “you will find him somewhere on deck, or he might be on the bridge with the Captain.”

“Thank you,” Valona replied.

The Marquis then hurried down the companionway.

She thought it a little strange that he should wish to be below.  As he was a man he was not likely to be tired like Lady Rose.

On deck the sun was shining and Valona thought that any man would want to be out in the fresh air.

In a short time there would be a touch of salt in the air blowing in from the sea.

‘It's all so wonderful,' she told herself, ‘and I have no wish to miss anything.  I will tell Mama about it when I write to her.'

She went out on deck and saw the Duke leaning over the rails.

When she joined him, he smiled at her.

“I suppose you would like to see us move into the Channel.”

“I want to see everything and miss nothing!”

“I will try to help you do just that,” offered the Duke.

“You are so kind,” answered Valona.  “Nothing as fabulous as this has ever happened in my life before.”

She was obviously so thrilled with everything and looked so lovely that the Duke smiled at her.

However he knew that every mile they steamed on made his sister more miserable.

And it was the same for the Marquis.

There was nothing he could do to help them.

At least they would be able to be together until they reached Larissa.

It seemed cruel that it was all they would have to remember for the rest of their lives.

Yet he supposed it was better than nothing.

“You are looking worried, Cousin Arthur,” Valona piped up unexpectedly.  “Have I said something wrong?”

“No, of course not.  I was just reflecting that very few people are as happy as you are at this moment.  I wish we could wave a magic wand and give happiness, if not to the whole world, at least to those we love.”

“It would be marvellous, if we could do it!  When Mama was so unhappy after my Papa died, I felt helpless because I could not bring him back to life.”

“I can understand.”

“Mama was very brave,” said Valona, “because she believed that Papa, although he was no longer with us, was looking after and protecting us.  Perhaps it is all due to him that I am having this superb treat.”

“I do hope everything you do in life will be equally wonderful for you, but I expect like everyone else we will have our ups and downs and setbacks, however hard we try to avoid them.”

“Of course we will, but when we manage all on our own, or perhaps with the help of those we cannot see, to be given such a unique opportunity as I have been given, it is the magical happiness which we seek and when we have found it, we must hold on to it very very tightly.”

“You are so right,” he agreed.  “Perhaps in that way we shall miss very little and gain a great deal.”

He was thinking as he spoke that it was impossible for Rose and Gerald and he could only hope that the short time they were now together would be some compensation.

They reached Gibraltar without suffering too much from a rough sea in the Bay of Biscay.

Valona was quite right in thinking she would not be seasick.

She managed to spend a great deal of time on deck watching majestic waves break over the ship's bow and did not mind occasionally being sprayed herself.

Lady Rose stayed mostly down below.

The second day they were out, Valona suggested,

“You know, Rose, you really must start learning the language of Larissa, because you will be asked to make a speech as soon as you arrive.”

“Why should I have to do that?” she asked rather disagreeably.

“Mama told me that when Royal persons arrive in a foreign country, they are always met by the Prime Minister and Members of the Cabinet.  After they bid you welcome, you are expected to reply in their language.”

“Well, it had better be short, otherwise I shall not remember what I am to say!”

Valona had already written down a little speech for Lady Rose to make.

She tried to teach it to her word by word, but she had the feeling that Lady Rose was not listening, but was anxious to get away from her.

The next day Valona tried once again, but she flatly refused.

Then she realised it was because she wanted to be with the Marquis.  They spent the afternoons sitting close together in a shady part of the ship, where they could not be seen or overheard by any of the crew.

Valona sensed it was no use trying to disturb them and because the Duke was afraid that was what she might do, he challenged her to a game of deck tennis.

Valona had never played it before, but she picked it up quickly and although the Duke won easily, she managed to make him fight for it.

Dinner was a quiet meal with the Duke doing most of the talking.

The Marquis and Rose just gazed at each other.

Valona by this time was absolutely convinced that they were in love and she felt that the whole situation must be most difficult for them.

She was somewhat worried in case she did anything wrong and so she said to the Duke the next day when they were alone,

“I have been attempting to encourage Lady Rose to learn a short speech for when she arrives at Larissa, but she does not seem at all interested. I just feel that she is unhappy at having to marry the King.”

“Of course, she is unhappy, Valona, but the Queen made it almost a command.  In any case it is hopeless for Rose to stay on in England without being able to see my friend Gerald.”

Valona thought that this was a strange thing to say.

She merely glanced at the Duke questioningly and he explained,

“You must realise by now that they are in love with each other – it is impossible for them to hide it.  But there is nothing they can do.”

“Because the Marquis is married?” Valona asked in a low voice.

“If you know that fact, I suppose whoever told you added the information that his wife is incurably mad!”

Valona looked startled.

Her mother had said that the Marquis was married, but she had certainly not added that information about his wife.

There was a silence before Valona remarked,

“It must be very sad for him – ”

“It is a terrible tragedy.  She was very beautiful and apparently charming in every possible way.  No one told him that she had certain seizures and although he has consulted dozens of doctors, they have been able to do nothing for her.”

Valona thought it was the most dreadful story.

“I am sorry, so very very sorry.  Of course, Lady Rose does not want to leave him and everyone else she loves.”

“You must help her if you can,” urged the Duke.

“Of course I will.  She is so sweet and I want her to be happy, but if
you
cannot do anything, who can?”

“I suppose, Valona, that if Gerald and Rose were of little importance, they could run away together and would soon be forgotten, but they come from powerful families, who would both suffer from the scandal, and if Rose had children they would not have a name.”

Valona felt it was the saddest situation that anyone could be in.

She was thus more attentive and gentler with Lady Rose than she had been before.

It was as she was fastening her gown before dinner that Lady Rose blurted out,

“I think you realise, Valona, how unhappy I am.”

“Your brother has told me,” she replied, “and I am so very sorry for you.”

“I am sorry for myself, but there is nothing I can do and it would be wicked to drag Gerald's name through the mud.”

“Of course it would,” agreed Valona.  “And I shall pray every single night when I say my prayers that perhaps one day you will be able to be together.”

Lady Rose did not answer.

Valona realised she was thinking it was impossible for there to be any way out of their misery.

Quite suddenly Lady Rose put her hands up to her eyes.

“I just cannot bear it,” she moaned.  “I really think I would rather die than be married to another man, knowing I can never see my darling Gerald again.”

There was a painful pause before she added,

“I think I will kill myself.  I believe drowning is not too unpleasant.”

“Suppose you did so,” replied Valona, “and then by some miracle the Marquis became free.  Can you imagine what he would feel?”

Lady Rose took her hands from her face.

Her tears had overflowed down her cheeks and she looked very pathetic.

“How can there be any chance of that?” she asked.  “Gerald's wife is only twenty-three and the doctors say she could live until she is sixty or seventy.”