The House of Hardie (19 page)

One anxiety had remained after the ending of their relationship. If Midge should have a baby … His first thought when Gordon Hardie had confronted him five days earlier was that his worst fear was about to be
realized. It was relief which helped him to control his anger at the beginning of their conversation – and a different kind of relief which left him in command at the end. Midge had been discreet, he realized. Her brother obviously had his suspicions, but had been given no firm information about what had happened. That meant that she intended to protect her reputation even within her own family. So Archie could consider himself safe from both marriage and paternity.

The pleasure of knocking Gordon Hardie to the ground for impudence had provided a neat end to the episode. Archie would remember Midge with pleasure as well as guilt, but he did not expect ever to see her again. If she were to enter the family by a different door, as Lucy's sister-in-law, how could he face her? There were a good many reasons for opposing Lucy's plans, but this was the one which most strongly prompted him to persuade her that she must be reasonable.

‘I'm not like Aunt Anna, Lucy,' he said. ‘You needn't fear that I'll ever act as a matchmaker. And Grandfather, I'm sure, looks for nothing but your happiness. You'll never be pushed against your will into an alliance with some great family just because it may suit someone else's interests. But it's a matter of common sense that you should choose a husband of equal rank in society to yourself. Someone who moves in the same world as yourself – whose friends are your friends.'

‘I have no
world
, as you call it.' It was hard for Archie to tell whether Lucy was angry or upset. ‘And very few friends. I meet no one here but Granda's acquaintances and the daughters of ladies who come to call for half an hour or so. Castlemere may have provided me with a comfortable world, but it's a narrow one. And if I were to do as you say and think only of “suitability” I should
find myself trapped for the rest of my life in some other great house – Castlemere under another name.'

‘And that's a far better prospect than being trapped in some poky little town house with half a dozen children perhaps and only a maid of all work to help you with them.' Archie spoke as emphatically as his sister. ‘Have some sense, Lucy. Unless Grandfather chooses to make you a marriage settlement, you've no money with which to run a household. You haven't been brought up to be a tradesman's wife. You don't know how to cook or clean a house or nurse a sick child.'

‘I could learn!' exclaimed Lucy spiritedly. ‘And you talk as though the Hardies were paupers. Mr Hardie – Mr
John
Hardie – has a cook, and housemaids, and gardeners. Not as many as there are here, naturally, but a number appropriate to the house. I shouldn't find myself suddenly doing the work of a scullery maid. In any case, as soon as we're married I shall have the chance to explore the real world – the world outside England. I shall be able to accompany Mr Hardie to China.'

‘You'll do no such thing!' Until this moment Archie had been arguing with Lucy in the tone of the wrangles which had regularly punctuated their childhood. But her startling announcement reminded him that within the past few months he had inherited the authority with which he could impose common sense on her. ‘If you want to marry before you're twenty-one, you'll have to have my permission. And if you think I'd give it to such a marriage as this, you can think again. The idea is preposterous, Lucy. And –' But Archie checked himself abruptly. He had been about to voice the opinion that Gordon Hardie might have proposed to Lucy only out of spite, to get his own back on the family for what he saw as a slight to Midge. But, setting aside the fact that Archie was not
anxious to talk about his relationship with Midge, he saw that this would be to carry the argument too far. Lucy was beautiful enough to make any man fall in love with her. To suggest a cynical motive for a proposal of marriage would be hurtful and almost certainly untrue. ‘No,' he said. ‘No, no, no!'

That evening, over a game of billiards with his grandfather, Archie mentioned his sister's request. The tightening of the marquess's lips in annoyance confirmed his guess that Lucy had gone first to her grandfather for permission to marry.

‘You told her not to be a little fool, I hope,' growled the marquess.

‘Of course, sir. But I wondered – she's a headstrong girl – I wondered whether it might be as well to make her a ward of court.'

‘Waste of money. Chancery proceedings would eat up a far larger fortune than Lucy can expect. That sort of business is for heiresses on the grand scale, with no relatives, or else quarrelling ones. To protect her from fortune-hunters. You and I can agree on Lucy's well-being, I take it. And what fortune has she got? On her twenty-first birthday she'll come in for a few pennies from the money I put into her mother's marriage settlement. As for the rest – if she makes a sensible marriage she can hope for a settlement of her own, and a bit more when I'm gone. But that's not money in her hands now. No call to let the Chancery get its hands on the family affairs. The Hardie boy won't give up his China ambitions just for the sake of the girl. He's due to sail soon – in October, I believe he said. We should be able to keep Lucy under our eyes until he's gone. After that – by the time he
comes back in three years or so, she'll have forgotten him.'

‘Perhaps it would be a good idea for her to accompany me to Scotland when I visit Aunt Anna next week; and to stay for a month or two.'

‘Not Scotland!' exclaimed the marquess. ‘Brougham may have put an end to all this wedding-by-handshake business at Gretna Green, but they still have some outlandish laws up there. She's over sixteen, so she'd only need twenty-one days' residence north of the border and she could marry any Tom, Dick or Harry without needing permission from anyone. Hardie's no fool. He'd be on to that fast enough. Certainly not Scotland. She'll do better here, where I can keep an eye on her myself. I'll put an end to any correspondence, for a start.'

Archie nodded his approval. ‘You mentioned our mother's marriage settlement,' he said tentatively. ‘When I was talking to Lucy just now, I saw no reason to speak of that. It seemed better to make her recognize that she could have no expectations at all if she were to behave foolishly.'

The marquess, concentrating on a successful series of cannons, made no comment, but from his manner seemed not to disagree.

‘I'd like to go further, with your permission, sir,' said Archie. ‘I think it should be made clear to both Lucy and Hardie that should this marriage ever take place, they couldn't expect you or myself to recognize it, and certainly they could never hope for any financial help – whether in the form of gifts or of legacies.'

‘Doubt if that will make much difference,' grunted the marquess, marking up his score as the break came to an end. ‘Young girls in love think they can live on air. And as for young Hardie – doesn't know his place, but that
doesn't mean he's a fortune-hunter. Probably reckons he can afford to keep a wife – and so he can, no doubt, in a way. Not the way I want for Lucy, that's all.'

‘Even so.' Archie pressed doggedly on. ‘I would be glad to have your agreement on this, sir. If Lucy understands that both the men she should most respect are adamant in refusing permission for her to marry, she might think again. And the best way to indicate firmness would be in the way I suggest. It would be a support to me if I could have your word that if she is disobedient to your wishes you will give her nothing during your lifetime and leave her nothing when you die.'

‘It won't come to that. You're right – when she sees that the two of us are of one mind … But yes, you can tell her that by all means, if she comes to you again. My word on it.'

On each of the first five days after his return to Oxford, Gordon received a letter from Lucy. She wrote of her love for him, and her plans and preparations; she asked how she could find a way to learn Chinese. The letters bubbled with her youthful vivacity, bringing a smile to Gordon's lips as he read them.

On the sixth day, however, her tone had changed, bringing a thoughtful frown to his forehead. Archie was being horrid and stubborn and had refused to give his consent to any marriage on her part. And her grandfather, who had by now returned from Scotland, was taking longer than usual to respond to her blandishments. He would come round in the end, of course, to give his own consent and order Archie to follow suit: Gordon was not to worry.

Midge must have taken note of the flurry of letters from Castlemere. No doubt at the time of her friendship with Archie she had learned to look out for the distinctive seal. She made no comment until the servants had withdrawn and her parents and Will Witney had all left the table. ‘Is the marquess proving to be a demanding patron?' she enquired then as Gordon read the latest epistle through for a second time.

‘I think I must expect that he will withdraw his patronage,' Gordon told her. ‘Although not for any reason connected with the plants he instructed me to provide for his garden.'

‘Why then?'

Gordon hesitated. Would Midge be upset if he told her what had happened? Well, she would have to know at some point. He gave a rueful smile as he confessed.

‘I've had the presumption to ask Miss Lucy Yates if she will marry me. And she has had the sweetness to accept my proposal. She will be sailing with me to China.'

It was easy enough to interpret the expression on his sister's face. She was astonished – but she was also hurt. He hurried to make it clear that he had not gained the acceptance earlier refused to herself. ‘His lordship is no more approving in this case than he was in yours. But there's a difference. Archie Yates depends on his grandfather to set him up in the world. Otherwise – heaven forbid! – he might find himself forced to work for a living. Without family approval, he has no hope of being able to support a wife. But Lucy … if Lucy is prepared to accept a more modest way of living than that of Castlemere, then she may accept the support of a husband and snap her fingers at her grandfather and brother.'

‘My impression, when we met, was that she was strongly attached to them.'

‘Yes. So we hope that they can both be brought round, if only by the realization that she cannot be turned from her decision. It's only the marquess, though, whose good opinion I would like. It would give me a certain satisfaction to marry Lucy
against
the wishes of her brother.'

‘You're not, I hope …' Midge looked down at the table, her fingers playing with the unused cutlery. ‘It was love for Miss Yates, I take it, which prompted your proposal? Not any wish to take revenge on her brother? Not anything to do with myself?'

‘How can you think such a thing?' Midge's suspicions came so close to the truth that it was necessary for Gordon to be vehement. ‘You've seen how beautiful she is.

You've learned from speaking to her how delightful her enthusiasms are, and how sweet her nature.'

Midge nodded her agreement, but did not abandon the argument. ‘I also remember how clearly you set out your views on marriage to me. You would not dream of looking for a wife until after your return from China. And even then, you would first of all check all contenders for the post in terms of their suitability before deciding with which one to fall in love.'

‘Was I so pompous?'

‘Only because you were playing the part of the big brother. But that gives me the right, as little sister, to remember it.'

‘Well, I was saying what I believed. To tell the truth …' Gordon hesitated before proceeding to an indiscretion. Midge would laugh – but why should he rob her of that amusement? ‘To tell you the truth, I hadn't intended to make any proposal of marriage before I left. It was Lucy herself –'

‘She asked you?' As Gordon had expected, Midge laughed delightedly. ‘How my opinion of her rises! A young lady not just sweet and pretty, but prepared to speak her mind.'

‘Not in so many words. She merely made it very clear that she wished to accompany me. And you see … I would have found it possible to sail off without saying anything at all of my feelings for her. Then at least I could have indulged in dreams that she might still be free when I returned. But once it had been put to me in such a way that I must say Yes or No – why, how could I say No and rob myself of all hope?'

‘But you could just have asked her to wait for your return,' Midge pointed out.

Gordon shook his head. ‘She loves me as an explorer
rather than as a wine merchant.' There was a silence between them as they both at the same moment realized the significance of what he had said. ‘I must get to work,' he added hastily.

He spent that day at The House of Hardie, sitting at a table with Will Witney and going through the ledgers. Within a few weeks a new generation of undergraduates would arrive at the start of the academic year. Before that fluster of activity began it was as well to notice which of the old accounts were overdue for payment and to consider how best to treat the young debtors. Gordon gave the new manager what amounted to a thumbnail character sketch of each of his customers.

So efficiently had Will already taken over the office that Gordon wondered as their session ended whether there would be any place for himself in the business after his return from China. The Oxford establishment was now in good hands, whilst John Hardie himself would not expect to hand over the general management of the business for a good many years yet. Gordon could not extend his first expedition beyond the three years he had planned, because his patrons would expect him to return with their promised plants, but there seemed no reason why he should not contemplate a second exploration before too long.

It was not hard to guess what had led him to this thought. Did Lucy Yates realize that she would be marrying a vintner who would only for a very short period of his life be free to travel abroad? Gordon felt no false humility about his social position. Lucy might be the granddaughter of a marquess, but her father had been only an army captain at the time of her birth, and she had neither title nor fortune in her own right. She would not,
in Gordon's opinion, be demeaning herself by marrying into a family which had earned a comfortable livelihood for all its members by two and a half centuries of honest hard work. She needed her family's permission to marry while she was still under age, because that was the law; but she was not being asked to bring a dowry with her.