This Was A Man (36 page)

Whenever Virginia entered a room, Camilla would leave with her husband and their two children trailing behind her. However, Virginia still had an advantage over the rest of the family: there was
one room none of them could enter, and where she had complete domain for eight hours in every twenty-four.

While Virginia worked on her husband by night, she concentrated on Clarence and Alice by day, accepting that Camilla was not for turning, although she hadn’t altogether given up on her
husband and children.

Virginia made sure that whenever any member of the family saw her with the duke, she appeared to be caring, solicitous and genuinely devoted to him, taking care of his every need. By the end of
the first week some of the frost had begun to thaw, and to her delight, on Christmas Eve Clarence and Alice accompanied them on their morning walk around the grounds. They were surprised to
discover what an interest Virginia was taking in the upkeep of the estate.

‘After all,’ she told Clarence, ‘when you eventually leave the army, we must make sure you take over a flourishing enterprise, and not a moribund estate.’

‘Then I’ll need to find a wife as conscientious as you, Virginia,’ he replied.

One down, two to go.

Alice was the next to fall in line. When she opened her Christmas present to find the latest Graham Greene novel,
The Tenth Man
, she asked, ‘How did you know he’s my
favourite author?’

‘Mine too,’ said Virginia, who had quickly read three of Greene’s novels after she’d spotted a well-thumbed paperback on Alice’s bedside table. ‘I’m not
surprised to find we have that in common, and although
The End of the Affair
is quite excellent,
Brighton Rock
is still my favourite.’

‘That’s hardly surprising,’ said Camilla. ‘After all, you and Pinkie Brown have so much in common.’

Alice frowned, although it was clear that the duke had no idea what they were talking about. Two down, one to go.

When the grandchildren opened their Christmas presents, they yelped with joy. A Star Trek watch for Tristan, and a Barbie doll for Kitty, which Virginia had purchased soon after she discovered
that Camilla had refused to consider them in favour of a Shorter Oxford Dictionary and a sewing kit.

Camilla’s gift had been the most difficult of all to decide on, until Virginia came across a photograph of her playing the flute in her school orchestra, and Cook told her that she’d
heard her ladyship was thinking of taking up the instrument again. After all, you have quite a lot of spare time when the nearest town is over a hundred miles away.

When Camilla opened her present and saw the gleaming instrument, she was speechless. Virginia considered her monthly allowance had been well spent. This was confirmed when Tristan walked over to
her and said, ‘Thank you, Grandmama,’ and gave her a kiss.

By the end of the second week, both Clarence and Alice had agreed that Papa was a fortunate man to have found such a gem, and although Camilla didn’t agree with her siblings, she no longer
left the room whenever Virginia entered it.

On the day of the family’s departure, Virginia organized packed lunches and lemonade for the children to take on the plane, and before they all climbed into the waiting car, everyone
kissed her goodbye, except Camilla, who shook hands with her. As the chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce headed down the long drive on its way to Heathrow, Virginia didn’t stop waving until the car
was out of sight.

‘What an absolute triumph for you,’ said the duke as they walked back into the castle. ‘You were magnificent, old gal. I think towards the end even Camilla was beginning to
come around.’

‘Thank you, Perry,’ said Virginia, linking her arm through his. ‘But I can understand Camilla’s feelings. After all, I would feel the same way if someone tried to take
the place of my mother.’

‘You have such a generous heart, Virginia. But I fear there’s a subject Camilla raised with me that I can’t put off discussing with you any longer.’

Virginia froze. How had Camilla found out about the loan, when she’d arranged for Moxton to leave for his Christmas holiday the day before the family arrived, and not to return until the
day after they’d departed?

‘I’m sorry to have to raise such a painful subject,’ said the duke, ‘but I’m not getting any younger, and I have to consider the future, and yours in particular,
old gal.’

Virginia made no attempt to speak because this was something she had already thought about. Also, Desmond Mellor had taught her that whenever you hope to strike a bargain, be sure the other side
makes the opening bid.

‘The old finishing line and all that,’ added the duke. ‘So I’ve decided to draw up a codicil to be added to my will, so you’ll have nothing to worry about after
I’ve gone.’

‘My only worry,’ said Virginia, ‘is that after you’ve gone, I’ll be all alone. I know it’s selfish of me, Perry, but if I could have my way, I would die
before you. I just can’t bear the thought of having to live without you.’ She even managed to manufacture a tear.

‘How did I get so lucky?’ said the duke.

‘It was me who got lucky,’ purred Virginia.

‘Before I call my solicitor and get the ball rolling, old gal, I want you to give some thought to what I might leave you. Of course you’ll have the Dower House on the estate, and an
allowance of five thousand a month, but if there’s anything else in particular you’d like, just let me know.’

‘That’s so thoughtful of you, Perry. I can’t think of anything at the moment. Perhaps just a little memento to remind me of you.’

The truth was that Virginia had already given the matter a great deal of thought, as it was all part of her retirement plan. She didn’t need reminding that she’d already missed out
on two wills and she didn’t intend to do so a third time.

However, she needed to carry out some more research before briefing Perry on which little memento she had in mind. She knew exactly the right person to advise her on the subject, but she
couldn’t invite him to the castle while the duke was in residence. No matter, that problem would be solved in a couple of weeks’ time when Perry went up to London for his annual
regimental reunion, an event he never missed because, as the regiment’s honorary colonel, he would be expected to chair the dinner.

V
IRGINIA JOINED
P
ERRY
for the short journey to the local station.

‘I wish I was going with you,’ she said as they walked out on to the platform together.

‘Not much point, old gal, I’m only staying in town overnight, and I’ll be back by tomorrow afternoon.’

‘When you’ll find me standing on the platform waiting for you.’

‘You don’t have to,’ he said as the train pulled in.

‘I want to be here when you return,’ she said as the duke climbed into a first-class carriage.

‘That’s good of you, old gal.’

‘Goodbye,’ Virginia called out, and waved as the train set off on its journey to London. She then quickly left the station in search of another man.

‘Are you Poltimore?’ she asked a young man standing on the pavement and looking a little lost. His fair hair almost reached his shoulders, and he was wearing a duffle coat and
carrying a small suitcase.

‘I am indeed, your grace,’ he said, giving her a slight bow. ‘I wasn’t expecting you to come and pick me up.’

‘My pleasure,’ said Virginia, as the chauffeur opened the back door of the car for them.

On the drive back to the castle, Virginia explained why she’d invited an art historian from Sotheby’s to come and view the Hertford collection.

‘For some time the duke has been concerned that he might have overlooked something of real value that ought to be insured. We keep a full inventory, of course, but as my husband
doesn’t take a great deal of interest in his family heirlooms, I thought it would be sensible to bring it up to date. After all, none of us are getting any younger.’

‘I’ve been looking forward to seeing the collection,’ Poltimore replied. ‘It’s always a bit special to be allowed to view a collection that hasn’t been seen
by the public. I am, of course, aware of the Constable of Castle Hertford, and the Turner masterpiece of St Mark’s Square, but I can’t wait to find out what other treasures you
have.’

Me too, thought Virginia, but didn’t interrupt the young man’s enthusiastic flow.

‘It didn’t take a lot of research to discover that it was the third duke, who travelled extensively around the continent during the eighteenth century,’ continued Poltimore,
‘who was responsible for putting together such a fine collection.’

‘But he can’t have been responsible for purchasing the Turner or the Constable,’ said Virginia.

‘No, that would have been the seventh duke. He also commissioned Gainsborough’s portrait of Catherine, Duchess of Hertford.’

‘You’ll find her hanging in the hall,’ said Virginia, who had already studied the inventory in great detail, before coming to the conclusion that the duke would never agree to
part with any of the Hertford family heirlooms. However, she was rather hoping that during the past three hundred years, something just might have escaped their notice.

On arrival back at the castle, Virginia didn’t waste any time, but took the man from Sotheby’s straight to the library, where she presented him with three thick, leather-bound
volumes entitled
The Hertford Collection
.

‘I’ll leave you to get on with your work, Mr Poltimore. Do feel free to roam around the house, remembering that your main purpose is to try to find anything we might have
missed.’

‘I can’t wait,’ said Poltimore, as he opened the first volume.

As she turned to leave, Virginia said, ‘We dress for dinner, Mr Poltimore, which will be served promptly at eight.’

‘I’ve been able to check almost everything listed in the inventory,’ said Poltimore over a glass of sherry before dinner, ‘and I can confirm that it all
appears to be in order. However, I do think the current estimates for insurance purposes are well below the collection’s true value.’

‘That’s hardly surprising,’ said Virginia. ‘I doubt if many of the aristocracy could afford to insure their possessions at their current value. I remember my father once
telling me that if the family pictures were to come on the market, he would no longer be able to buy them. Did you come across anything of significance that wasn’t accounted for?’

‘Not so far. But I haven’t had the chance to check the two upper floors, which I’ll do first thing tomorrow morning.’

‘Those are mainly the staff quarters,’ said Virginia, trying to mask her disappointment. ‘I don’t think you’ll find anything worthwhile up there. But you may as
well look, as you’re here.’

A gong sounded and she led her guest through to the dining room.

‘Where’s Mr Poltimore, Lomax?’ Virginia asked the butler when she came down for breakfast the following morning.

‘He took an early breakfast, your grace, and when I last saw him he was on the top floor making notes of the pictures hanging on the landing.’

Virginia retired to the library after breakfast and began to double-check the inventory, wondering if there just might be a minor masterpiece somewhere that the duke wasn’t particularly
attached to and would be willing to part with. However, when she looked through Poltimore’s revised valuations, there was nothing that would make it possible for her to continue to live in
the style she considered worthy of a duchess. She would just have to make sure that her monthly allowance was raised from £5,000 to £10,000 so she didn’t starve. Her mood
didn’t improve when Poltimore told her over lunch that he had found nothing of any real significance on the top two floors.

‘Hardly surprising, bearing in mind they’re the staff quarters,’ Virginia replied.

‘But I did come across a drawing by Tiepolo, and a watercolour by Sir William Russell Flint that should be added to the inventory.’

‘I’m most grateful,’ said Virginia. ‘I only hope you don’t feel your visit has been a waste of time.’

‘Not at all, your grace. It’s been a most enjoyable experience, and if the duke were ever to consider selling anything from his collection, we would be honoured to represent
him.’