The House of Vandekar (28 page)

Like Alice, Diana had noticed how influenced Richard was by Hugo.

‘Do you think he likes me?' she asked.

He grinned. ‘He couldn't help it, could he? Of course he likes you. So does Mother.'

The most passionate, adoring, marvellous girl. She made him feel superhuman. She told him he was the most wonderful lover, and proved it every time he touched her. And she was the most sweet-natured person he'd ever met. She wouldn't even let him buy her a present. All she wanted was to be with him. And little by little he had learned that life at home hadn't been easy. She was frightened of her father. He had met Lord Brayley once or twice when he went to collect Diana and had found him grim and formidable. Her mother was nice, but she seemed a bit twitchy too. It made Richard very protective towards Diana. Luckiest of all, Alice genuinely liked her. After that first weekend at Ashton, she'd come to stay quite regularly, and the atmosphere was always relaxed and friendly. They had to be very careful, of course, but Diana was clever about sneaking along to his room when everyone had gone to bed and getting back to her own without anyone suspecting. He didn't like deceiving his parents and breaking the code of conduct in his own house, but he couldn't bear to refuse Diana when she begged him to let her come to him. She needed him so badly, to reassure her, as well as to make their delicious, protracted love.

‘Di,' he said, ‘I want to ask you something?'

She flushed. He thought it was adorable the way she blushed without any reason. Her heart did a jig with fright. What was he going to say? What sort of question, put like that without warning?

‘Ask me what?' Oh, please God, I do love him. If I have to lie, help me …

‘Can't you guess?'

He teased her sometimes. He was teasing her now. It wasn't serious, nothing had come to light. She smiled and shook her head. ‘No. Go on, ask me, then.'

‘Will you marry me?'

She gasped and, instead of blushing, all her colour drained away. ‘Oh, Richard! Do you mean it? Do you really mean it?'

‘Of course I mean it. I wanted to ask you for ages, but I couldn't until all this hooha about the brother-in-law and his exhibition had died down.'

She got up and came to him. Her eyes were full of tears. ‘Oh, darling, darling, you know I will.' She clung to him and a tear slipped down her cheek. ‘I'll make you the best wife in the world,' she whispered. ‘I promise.'

‘Richard, you can't be serious!'

Alice came up to him and put both hands on his shoulders. He was much taller and she had to look up to him. ‘Darling, you're only twenty-two! Diana's eighteen – you're both far too young. You shouldn't have done this without telling us.'

‘You'd have tried to stop me, Mother,' he said. ‘That's why I didn't tell you. I want to marry Diana, and she's said yes. Being young hasn't got anything to do with it. People get married at our ages. It's not as if we hardly know each other.'

Alice stepped back. ‘I must sit down,' she said. ‘My God, what a shock you've given me. I don't know what your father will say.'

‘The same as you, I expect. Mother, please. I'm sorry I've sprung it on you. She's the only girl I'll ever want to marry – I don't want to lose her.'

‘You won't, not if she loves you,' Alice countered quickly. ‘She'll wait if she really loves you.'

‘Wait for what? A year? Six months? There's no point. We want to get married.' He sat down and lit a cigarette. Not next to his mother as he usually did, but opposite.

She saw how unhappy he looked and her resolution weakened. She said quietly, ‘Richard, you don't have to marry her, do you?'

He went red. ‘You mean, is she pregnant? No, she's not. If you're asking if we've slept together. I don't want to be rude, but it's none of your business.'

‘No,' Alice said. ‘You're right, it isn't. So we won't mention it again. I must say, I never thought you'd speak to me like that.'

He got up and stubbed out his cigarette. ‘Don't you like her? Is there any other reason you're against it?'

‘No other reason,' Alice answered, ‘except loving you and wanting you to be happy. I've nothing against Diana – she's a sweet girl and you know I've always made her very welcome here. It's just that marriage is one hell of a commitment if you take it seriously, and I'm sure you do. I'm sure she does too. You've just started your career. You've been around London and you know a lot of people, but that's not life, that's not experience. You haven't travelled, you haven't done anything to get a broader view. You're just marrying the first girl you think you're in love with. A year from now you could have grown out of it completely! You're not listening to a word, I can see that!'

‘Yes, I am. I've always listened to you. And Mother, you know I've always done what you wanted. Now I want you to do something for me. I want you to say yes, you're happy about my engagement, and welcome Diana into the family. Will you do that for me? Will you, please?'

For a moment Alice didn't answer. He was her son, the child of her one love. From birth he had given her nothing but joy. And, as he said, he'd always done what she wanted. She broke down into tears.

He had never seen her cry since he was a little boy. He couldn't help himself. His anger and disappointment wasn't proof against that. ‘Oh Mum, Mum, don't …' He put his arms round her and they held each other.

‘You really love her?' Alice asked him. I can't refuse him … I can't make him unhappy.

‘Yes, I really love her.'

She drew in a deep breath. She found a handkerchief in her sleeve and wiped her eyes. ‘I'm sorry, darling. Maybe I just find it difficult to lose you so soon. But if you want Diana and you think she'll make you happy, then all right. I'm on your side. Forgive me?'

‘Don't be silly, Mum,' he said. ‘I'll tell Dad when he comes home tonight. I hope he takes it better than he did with Fern.'

Alice managed to smile at him. ‘I don't think he'll be quite so difficult with you,' she said.

Alice wanted a spring wedding, but to her surprise the Brayleys favoured a much earlier date. Diana and Richard didn't want a long engagement – she understood that, but there was a tinge of disappointment that her son's wedding would be in the winter. And not at Ashton either. Diana's father had vetoed that suggestion. Since their house wasn't big enough to accommodate the number of guests, a London wedding was the proper compromise.

Alice gave in gracefully, but she was irritated. If he was too proud to have his daughter's reception at Ashton, he hadn't hesitated to squeeze a handsome marriage settlement out of Hugo. And surprisingly, Hugo had been more than generous.

She in turn passed on the big circle of diamonds to her future daughter-in-law.

‘I thought you'd leave that to Fern,' Hugo said.

‘Fern never wears jewellery,' Alice retorted. ‘Your mother gave it to me, and I've given it to Diana. I've got plenty of other pieces if Fern wants them. It's a bit large for the child, that's the trouble. She's rather swamped by the size of it.'

‘I expect she'll learn to wear it,' was his answer. ‘Most women come to terms with diamonds.'

Alice shrugged aside the sarcasm. As she expected, he had been indifferent to the point of boredom about Richard's wedding. When Alice expressed her worry that their son was rushing into marriage, he remarked that it was just as easy to make a mistake at thirty-two as twenty-two, and the reference was clearly to himself.

Lily was her confidante, the recipient of her doubts, and Lily did her best to calm them. ‘They're young, yes,' she agreed, ‘but they're head over ears in love, My Lady, and that's what matters.'

‘Head over heels,' Alice corrected her irritably. ‘He's too young, Lily, and she's very immature. Some girls of eighteen are grown women, but not Diana. I wish I'd realized it was serious and put a stop to it in the beginning.'

‘You can't run everyone's life for them,' Lily said. ‘Master Richard's a man – he's got a right to make up his own mind.'

‘Oh, shut up,' Alice snapped, as she had done for nearly thirty years. ‘And why get married in January? It's such a damned awful time of year. London in the rain!'

‘But you like her,' Lily pointed out. ‘What would you have done, if she'd been someone you didn't take to?'

‘I don't know,' Alice said impatiently. ‘Yes, of course I like her. She's a sweet little thing, there's nothing
not
to like about her. I'm just uneasy, that's all.'

And jealous, Lily said to herself. You've made an idol of that boy, not that I blame you, and it's hurting to lose him.

Then she had an idea. She made a suggestion that was to change the course of all their lives. She made it out of love for Alice to try to mitigate the loss.

‘Why don't you give them a suite of rooms of their own here?' she said. ‘They won't have a place in the country and it'd be nice for them. Let Miss Diana do them up for herself. There's plenty of rooms going begging. We don't use half of them.'

Alice smiled suddenly. ‘Lily, what a good idea! Richard loves this house, and after all, they'll live in it one day. They'd spend most weekends here in the winter – he's mad on his shooting. And Diana would be happy – she's always saying she hates London. Lily, I'll do it! I'll tell them tomorrow. I'm sorry I told you to shut up just now. I didn't mean it.'

‘Don't worry,' Lily said. ‘After all these years, I'm used to it.'

It didn't rain in January. It snowed instead. The night before her wedding Diana and her parents stayed in Claridges Hotel. Her wedding dress had been delivered. Her father had said she must be married in proper style. There was no paring of the costs. He sold a block of shares and told her mother to spend what she needed. With what was left of the money he had booked a long cruise for himself and his wife. The dress was beautiful, designed by Dior, the snowy velvet trimmed with white mink. She had been lent the Vandekar tiara; her own family jewels had been sold off long ago. It was too large and too heavy for her, but she didn't want to offend her parents-in-law by refusing. Alice's big diamond brooch had to be worn too.

They had dined with some cousins of her mother and Diana had gone up to bed early. She was still awake when Anne Brayley tapped on her door.

‘Mummy? Come in!'

‘I saw the light under your door,' her mother said. ‘We've dropped Joan and Peggy back and your father's gone down to have a nightcap. Can't you sleep?'

‘No, I'm too excited. Come and sit with me for a minute.'

Anne sat on the bed. She looked so pretty, she thought, sitting up with the red hair flaming against the pillows. So pretty and vulnerable and young. ‘You are happy, aren't you, darling?' she asked. ‘You really love him, don't you?'

‘Oh, yes, I really do. He's wonderful. I'm so lucky.'

Anne reached over and took her daughter's hand. ‘You've got every chance of happiness, Diana. From tomorrow, it's up to you. You know what I'm trying to say, don't you?'

‘Yes.' She looked at her and the big grey eyes filled with tears. ‘I'm so sorry. I wish I hadn't been such a worry to you. But everything is all right now.'

‘Of course it is.' Anne held out her arms and for a long moment she embraced her child. Tomorrow Diana would be someone else's responsibility. She and Bill would be on their cruise. There was a limit to their capacity for anguish. They had done their best. Now, as she had said, it was up to Diana. She was not a religious woman, but at that moment she offered a silent plea to God, if He existed. Then she kissed Diana and got up. ‘Good night, go to sleep, darling. You've got a big day tomorrow.'

Diana switched out the light and slid down under the bedclothes. She could see the white dress in its cellophane shimmering in the dark. Tomorrow she would be married. On the way to her honeymoon. Richard wouldn't tell her where they were going. Somewhere in the sun was all he'd say. It was only one night, after all. One night alone, and then after the wedding she would have Richard with her and they could make love over and over again, and she would never need another man.

‘The Snow Bride,' the tabloids called her. People thronged round the church twelve deep to see the beautiful society girl marry her handsome millionaire. Snow flurried round them as they came out of the porch and stood for the photographers. The diamonds on her head and at her neck flashed and glittered. There were oohs of excitement from the crowd. She smiled and Richard smiled, their hands clasped tightly, and then the cavalcade moved off, and the photographers were busy again, snapping frantically as Sir Hugo and Lady Vandekar came into view, with Lord and Lady Brayley. It made the front page of every national newspaper.

The wintry weather lifted within the week. The rain Alice had predicted fell in torrents and London was slippery with mud.

‘If they've got their own suite of rooms, then surely we ought to have some as well. After all, it's my home too.'

Alice had gone for a walk. Brian had offered to go with her and that had upset Fern. Richard and that simpering wife of his were upstairs with two-year-old Nancy Alice. Diana
would
have a baby the first year, Fern thought bitterly, while we keep trying and nothing happens. Hugo looked up from his book. Weekends were precious when he could spare them from his constituency. He liked to read and be at peace. He loved his daughter but he could see that she was working herself up. She and her husband often quarrelled in public now, and Hugo found that distasteful and embarrassing. He blamed his son-in-law's lack of upbringing.

‘Fern dear,' he said, ‘of course this is your home, just as much as Richard's. If you want some permanent rooms here, then you shall have them. Why didn't you mention it before?'