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Authors: Victoria Holt
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Aubrey.
The sunken eyes surveyed me with interest.
“I am delighted to meet you,” he said.
“And I you,” I replied.
Amelia placed a chair beside the bed and I sat down. She and Aubrey took chairs a little farther away.
Amelia said I would stay with them for a week and then go home to make arrangements for the wedding.
“I think that’s what you intend, isn’t it?”
I said it was.
“The wedding will take place at your home, I imagine,” said Stephen.
“My father and I have discussed it,” I replied.
“We thought it should be at my uncle’s rectory. My uncle would like to officiate and I did pass a great deal of my childhood there.” I smiled at Aubrey.
“We haven’t talked much about the arrangements yet.”
“I hope you will not delay too long,” said Stephen.
“There is no reason for any delay,” Aubrey put in, smiling at me, and added: “I hope.”
Stephen nodded.
“I haven’t been able to do very much for some time, have I, Amelia?”
he said.
“No, but we have a good manager. Things run smoothly. And now that Aubrey is home …”
“Amelia has been a great help to me,” said Stephen.
“As you will be to Aubrey.”
“I shall do my best,” I said.
He nodded.
Amelia looked anxiously at her husband.
“I think you want to go to sleep, Stephen,” she said.
“There’ll be plenty of time to see Susanna before she goes. I may call you Susanna, mayn’t I?”
“Of course.”
“And we must be Amelia and Stephen. After all, you are coming into the family. Stephen, Susanna will come and see you tomorrow.”
Stephen nodded; his eyes were half closed.
Amelia rose and I did the same. , I leaned over the bed and said: “I shall come to see you soon.”
The sunken eyes opened and he smiled at me.
We came out of the room and Amelia shut the door.
56 j
“He’s feeble today,” said Aubrey.
“I know. But he did want to meet Susanna.” Aubrey said he would take me for a walk round the gardens and show me the stables.
Amelia left us and we went out.
During the next days I became familiar with Minster St. Clare and its occupants. I felt I knew Aubrey better than I had before. People often seem different against the background of their homes. I was amazed at his enthusiasm for the Minster. In India he had seemed something of a nomad, the man of the world, perhaps a little cynical. Now he was almost like a different person. Certain traits which I had not seen before were revealed to me. His passionate love of the house which seemed to have developed because it would shortly be his and very soon, I could not help thinking, for his brother was undoubtedly very ill indeed. There was his love of horses. He delighted in the stables;
he proudly drew my attention to the fine points of the horses. There was a recklessness about him which was apparent when he drove his carriage. He loved to control the magnificent greys and would have them galloping at a tremendous speed so that when I drove with him I was almost thrown out of the carriage the faster he went, the better he liked it. I thought it was a little dangerous and told him so.
“Not with me,” he said proudly.
“I am in complete control.” It seemed to me that he loved danger for its own sake, and if he had not been such a superb horseman I should have feared for him. He was rather naively conceited about his prowess with the horses and that made him seem more vulnerable than before. I found that lovable.
When I rose each day I would go to the window and look out on the drive and I would say to myself: This great house will be my home.
Shall I be happy here?
I was excited by the place. Every day new aspects were revealed; yet there was something about it which was a little repellent. I supposed that was the case with most old houses. The past was too close; it was as though it had been imprisoned
within those walls and it continually intruded on the present. But I was too fanciful. I wished that my
The sunken eyes surveyed me with interest.
“I am delighted to meet you,” he said.
“And I you,” I replied.
Amelia placed a chair beside the bed and I sat down. She and Aubrey took chairs a little farther away.
Amelia said I would stay with them for a week and then go home to make arrangements for the wedding.
“I think that’s what you intend, isn’t it?”
I said it was.
“The wedding will take place at your home, I imagine,” said Stephen.
“My father and I have discussed it,” I replied.
“We thought it should be at my uncle’s rectory. My uncle would like to officiate and I did pass a great deal of my childhood there.” I smiled at Aubrey.
“We haven’t talked much about the arrangements yet.”
“I hope you will not delay too long,” said Stephen.
“There is no reason for any delay,” Aubrey put in, smiling at me, and added: “I hope.”
Stephen nodded.
“I haven’t been able to do very much for some time, have I, Amelia?”
he said.
“No, but we have a good manager. Things run smoothly. And now that Aubrey is home …”
“Amelia has been a great help to me,” said Stephen.
“As you will be to Aubrey.”
“I shall do my best,” I said.
He nodded.
Amelia looked anxiously at her husband.
“I think you want to go to sleep, Stephen,” she said.
“There’ll be plenty of time to see Susanna before she goes. I may call you Susanna, mayn’t I?”
“Of course.”
“And we must be Amelia and Stephen. After all, you are coming into the family. Stephen, Susanna will come and see you tomorrow.”
Stephen nodded; his eyes were half closed.
Amelia rose and I did the same. , I leaned over the bed and said: “I shall come to see you soon.”
The sunken eyes opened and he smiled at me.
We came out of the room and Amelia shut the door.
56 j
“He’s feeble today,” said Aubrey.
“I know. But he did want to meet Susanna.” Aubrey said he would take me for a walk round the gardens and show me the stables.
Amelia left us and we went out.
During the next days I became familiar with Minster St. Clare and its occupants. I felt I knew Aubrey better than I had before. People often seem different against the background of their homes. I was amazed at his enthusiasm for the Minster. In India he had seemed something of a nomad, the man of the world, perhaps a little cynical. Now he was almost like a different person. Certain traits which I had not seen before were revealed to me. His passionate love of the house which seemed to have developed because it would shortly be his and very soon, I could not help thinking, for his brother was undoubtedly very ill indeed. There was his love of horses. He delighted in the stables;
he proudly drew my attention to the fine points of the horses. There was a recklessness about him which was apparent when he drove his carriage. He loved to control the magnificent greys and would have them galloping at a tremendous speed so that when I drove with him I was almost thrown out of the carriage the faster he went, the better he liked it. I thought it was a little dangerous and told him so.
“Not with me,” he said proudly.
“I am in complete control.” It seemed to me that he loved danger for its own sake, and if he had not been such a superb horseman I should have feared for him. He was rather naively conceited about his prowess with the horses and that made him seem more vulnerable than before. I found that lovable.
When I rose each day I would go to the window and look out on the drive and I would say to myself: This great house will be my home.
Shall I be happy here?
I was excited by the place. Every day new aspects were revealed; yet there was something about it which was a little repellent. I supposed that was the case with most old houses. The past was too close; it was as though it had been imprisoned
within those walls and it continually intruded on the present. But I was too fanciful. I wished that my
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