Cavendon Hall. Barbara Taylor Bradford

Чтение книги онлайн.

       THIRTEEN

      Harry Swann, Cecily’s fifteen-year-old brother, had her full attention, and she was listening to him closely, impressed by his knowledge.

      ‘And so,’ he said, ‘it was Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick, who put Edward Plantagenet on the throne of England, and when he was very young. Only eighteen. Imagine that!’ he ended in an excited voice.

      ‘You certainly learned your history well, Harry,’ Cecily responded, giving her much-adored brother a warm smile. ‘No wonder you were top of your class when you were at school.’

      Harry grinned at her. ‘The Earl of Warwick lived at Middleham Castle. We once went there, if you remember, with Aunt Charlotte. Do you think we could go up there again sometime? Would she take us? It’s such an historic place. And history is my hobby.’

      ‘It’s not very far away. We can ask her tomorrow when we go to tea. Perhaps she’ll go with us in the summer.’

      Harry nodded, bent his fair head, ate his baked apple in silence, savouring it. Ever since childhood, it had been his favourite dessert. The two of them were in the kitchen of their home, finishing supper.

      Sitting back in her chair, watching him, Cecily couldn’t help thinking that he looked older than his age, perhaps because of the intelligence in those light grey eyes, and his serious nature. And also his build. Like his father, he was tall; certainly there was no mistaking that Harry was a Swann. Not only because of his looks, but his bearing, his self-confidence, and his natural charm as well.

      Cecily was aware that he had always been diligent, and he was quick, clever, and articulate. She knew he would go far in life, given the opportunity. Aunt Charlotte had told her the same thing: they were in agreement about his abilities and his talent as a landscape gardener, working with his cousin Bill at Cavendon.

      Suddenly, he glanced up at her, asked, ‘When is Miles coming home from Eton? For the summer, I mean.’

      ‘I don’t know, but it’ll be soon. By the end of the month.’

      ‘I hope we can all go fishing one weekend. What do you think, Ceci?’

      ‘Yes, we’ll go fishing, and bird watching, and we’ll have picnics in the woods. DeLacy will come with us.’

      ‘We always have fun together,’ Harry said.

      ‘Now then, how are you both doing?’ Alice asked, sounding as cheerful as usual when she came hurrying into the kitchen. But her heart was heavy with worry about Daphne, and she felt unsettled, at odds with herself. She could not get the girl’s predicament out of her mind.

      ‘We’ve enjoyed our supper, Mam. Haven’t we, Ceci? The cottage pie was nice, and thanks for my baked apple.’

      Alice stood looking at them, filled with sudden joy. They were her adored children. She knew they were special, each in their own way, at least to her and Walter. They would have good lives. She smiled at them, picked up their empty plates and carried them to the sink. As she began to run the tap water she thought once more of Lady Daphne, and sadness flooded through her. She simply couldn’t bear to think of her pain.

      ‘We’ll help you, Mam!’ Cecily jumped up and so did Harry, and the three of them washed and dried the dishes together. They chatted to their mother about what they would do the next day with Walter. Their father had tomorrow off, as he did every other Sunday. This was a privilege given to any Swann who was the Earl’s valet.

      Much later that evening, when Walter had returned from Cavendon to Little Skell village, he and Alice went to see Charlotte. She lived across the street from them, and it was a late-night ritual they often enjoyed. They would have coffee and cognac as they chatted about the goings-on at Cavendon, and catching up with each other in general. They were close, and bonded to each other.

      Although it was May, it was a cool evening. Charlotte had a fire blazing in the parlour; the coffee and brandy were ready for them on the sideboard, and she was waiting with a smile on her face.

      Once they were settled in front of the fire in the cosy room, sipping their coffee, Charlotte said, ‘I have a bit of news. Something unexpected, and it upset the Earl this morning. I happened to be going down the terrace steps, when he saw me, and came out of the library to speak to me about it.’

      ‘What kind of upsetting news?’ Walter asked, eyeing her keenly, as always concerned about anything affecting Cavendon.

      ‘You’re not going to believe this, but Hugo Stanton’s coming back here to see the Earl.’

      ‘That’s a turn-up for the books!’ Walter exclaimed. СКАЧАТЬ