A Stranger's Kiss (10 page)

These things were still burning through my mind when Michael pulled the pony up by the steps with a flourish. My darling man was obviously keen to bring whatever it was to a conclusion. As he helped me down to the ground the governess’s cart pulled sharply up behind us.

The ravens flapped and cursed overhead and as we made our way to the great door I saw Mrs Mallory drop the curtain back in place at the window.

The housekeeper greeted us, if something cautiously at the door. ‘What a pandemonium!’ she exclaimed. ‘The ravens are going berserk.’

She was right about that for we could still hear them screeching outside. The sun streamed into the hall and everything seemed normal and yet it was anything but. Mrs Mallory looked Tamsin up and down as if she had a bad smell under her nose just as Violet turned up to add further chaos to the proceedings.

‘And who are you?’ she asked sweetly going over to Tamsin and catching hold of her hand. Oh, no! I thought.

‘Are you Violet?’ Tamsin asked softly.

‘Yes I am, would you like to see my studio?’ asked Violet. ‘And who are you? I’ve never seen you before.’

‘I’m your grandmother,’ said Tamsin. At her words everything went deathly quiet, we could have heard a pin drop on the floor, even the ravens stopped their incessant squawking.

My heart thudded, no-one spoke until a voice from the direction of the drawing room caused us to turn and look in that direction.

‘Are you indeed? I think you’d all better come in here,’ said Abraham and my heart went out to him. We all walked in silence towards him, Violet skipping along by Tamsin. ‘Not you, Violet. Go up to your room,’ he said.

‘But Papa, this is my grandmother and I’ve never had a grandmother before,’ she wailed.

‘Do as you are told for now at least,’ the master said firmly. ‘And Mrs Mallory, please fetch Mr Tobias and Miss Rosalind.’

Mrs Mallory did as she was bid. The poor woman looked as if she needed some smelling salts. They all trooped into the drawing room. Millie Sutton, her back straight, Tamsin, her eyes everywhere. Michael and I lingered behind speaking to Abraham in the doorway.

‘Would you like me to go to my room?’ I offered.

‘No Sara, I want you here. You will be my support, you and Millie Sutton for I fear the time has come.’

He squeezed my hand, me squeezing his back.

We all sat in the lovely drawing room, Tamsin still holding the black reticule and me recalling the day that I had first arrived at Ravensmount. The door burst open to reveal Tobias with Rosalind closely behind him.

‘Whatever is afoot?’ she asked, surveying us all, her eyes resting on Tamsin. ‘And who is this?’ she asked, seemingly most bewildered by the whole thing, with good cause, I mused.

‘Please sit down, both of you,’ instructed Abraham in a kindly voice. ‘There is much to be said and I fear what I have to say will come as a shock to you.’

Tobias and Rosalind both sat down, Rosalind by Millie Sutton on the settle and Tobias by Michael opposite them. Tamsin sat on a high chair by a small table, me next to her and Abraham caught in a ray of sunlight with his back to the fireplace. All eyes were on him as he started to speak.

‘My children, I have something to tell you. I have been dishonest in the nicest possible way,’ he began. ‘All these years you have been led to believe that I am Violet’s father, but in truth Violet is your mother’s daughter, but I am not her father.’ Here he stopped. It seemed so simple by the few words he spoke.

‘So who then is Violet’s father?’ spoke Tobias, asking the question which hovered on all three of the siblings’ lips.

‘My son, Eli, is,’ said Tamsin standing up.

‘And you are?’ began Rosalind.

‘A gypsy, Miss,’ Tamsin replied. For some while there was a hushed silence.

‘So our mother had a child by a gypsy and you knew, Father?’ said Michael finding his voice. ‘And all these years we thought that Violet’s mother was a gypsy and that you were to blame. Oh my God!’ said Michael, holding his head in his hands.

‘I could not besmirch your mother’s memory. I wanted you to think well of her,’ pleaded Abraham.

‘And ill of you?’ Rosalind interrupted.

‘Can you forgive me?’ asked Abraham, his face full of pain and anguish and I wanted to hug him.

‘It would seem, Father, there is nothing to forgive,’ Tobias said quietly, getting up and putting his arm around his father, Michael and Rosalind doing likewise. The scene was quite touching and I was so relieved the three of them had taken it so well.

‘But that is not the whole story. I would like you to sit down, Mr Tremaine, for I have something to tell you which I should have told you years ago,’ Millie Sutton spoke for the first time, vacating her seat so Abraham could sit down. ‘I was the one who delivered Violet into this world twenty years ago, but there were two babies born that night, both girls. Forgive me, Mr Tremaine, but I knew you would accept one, but hardly two, so I gave the one child away to a cousin of mine in Somerset with Tam-sin’s consent.’

Here the nurse broke down, she’d kept this secret for twenty years and could not contain her emotions any longer. I walked across and put a gentle arm around her shoulder.

‘So who is this child?’ asked Abraham as if in a trance.

‘It would seem Sir, it is Amelia,’ said Millie Sutton amongst her tears. We all looked at her and the mosaic was very nearly complete. This was why Amelia had Tamsin’s music box and if the nurse’s words were true then Amelia was Violet’s twin sister.

10

Each and every one of us was silent for a few minutes as I gently led Millie Sutton to the chair I had vacated. My thoughts were that it was all such a strange coincidence that Amelia should come here of all places where her life had begun.

This revelation had a sinister implication for Tobias above all others. I looked at them all. The Master sat with his head in his hands, Tobias and Michael both leant back against the settle. Rosalind got up and walked over to the window then walked back to Millie Sutton and I.

‘Would you like a brandy?’ Rosalind asked her nurse. ‘This is none of your fault you know,’ she said kindly.

‘How I wish I had told the master the truth at the time,’ said Millie, quite calm now.

‘I think,’ said the master suddenly, ‘we all need a cup of tea. Please pull the cord to summon Mrs Mallory, Rosalind.’

At her father’s words, Rosalind pulled a cord by the fireplace.

‘So I fell in love with my half-sister,’ began Tobias, ‘but then I never truly loved her.’

‘We all have our different thoughts, Tobias,’ said his father, ‘but whatever they are, all that matters now is that we locate Amelia’s whereabouts. Let us put the matter of her birth to rest and I assure you, Millie that we lay no blame at your door, you only did what you thought was best.’

‘Thank you so much, Mr Tremaine,’ Millie spoke, a tremor in her voice. ‘I knew all would be revealed one day, but had hoped it would only be to you, Sir.’

‘All I hope,’ Tamsin spoke for the first time, ‘is that you can find my granddaughter.’

‘I can assure you all will be done to locate Amelia.’ At these words the master’s eyes rested on me just as Mrs Mallory opened the door.

‘You rang,’ she said and I could tell she had been crying. Her usual bold manner had left her and I wondered momentarily if the housekeeper was afraid of something.

‘Would you please fetch us some tea?’ Abraham asked her, ‘and also send Violet to me.’ At his words Mrs Mallory retreated silently and Abraham continued, ‘I have a strong feeling that Violet knows more about this than she has said. Some instinct I have tells me so and I intend to get to the bottom of this today,’ he said firmly.

The tea arrived, brought in by Emily and Mrs Mallory on two large trays which they deposited on the low table between the settles. The silver teapot gleamed and I stepped across to help Rosalind pour the tea into delicate white bone china cups.

As we handed the cups and saucers around Violet burst through the door and we all turned to look at her. She stood there, a defiant look on her beautiful face, her violet coloured dress adorning her perfect figure with her black hair flowing luxuriously in waves down her back.

‘You sent for me?’ she said in her shrill voice looking all the while at the master who sipped at his tea.

‘Do you know where Amelia is?’ he asked in a slow precise voice, coming straight to the issue in question.

‘Of course I do,’ answered Violet in her childlike voice. The atmosphere in the room was full of expectation, but alas for me it wasn’t going to be as easy as it seemed.

‘And why,’ continued Abraham, ‘have you not said so before, young woman?’

‘Because, no-one has ever asked me,’ replied Violet innocently her violet eyes flashing with defiance.

‘Will you take me to her now?’ Mr Tremaine asked softly.

‘No,’ came Violet’s reply. ‘I will take Sara.’

‘Not without me,’ said Michael, standing up and coming across to my side.

‘Very well brother, you may come also,’ his half-sister agreed and without any further warning she turned from the room and went out of the door.

Michael and I looked at each other briefly before following her.

As we stepped into the hall we could see Violet was half way up the staircase and I asked myself silently where she was heading. Picking up my skirts, Michael beside me, we walked swiftly up the staircase following the retreating figure of Violet along the corridor in the direction of the south tower.

‘Her studio I’ll be bound,’ murmured Michael.

‘But she took me there and the room is crammed full of her bizarre drawings,’ I replied.

‘There is another room behind it,’ Michael informed me. ‘Why the devil didn’t I think of it before?’

At his words we ran after Violet to the end of the corridor and up the stone steps to the door of the south tower where Violet was already fumbling for the key in her pocket. Was I really going to see my friend, Amelia, at last? I had my doubts as Violet was not always to be believed.

As we stepped from the studio I tried to avert my eyes from the drawings of the ravens, lest I feel nauseous as on that first occasion.

‘Look at this!’ said Violet gaily, obviously not realising the seriousness of the situation at all. She had picked up a small painting, holding it up for us to see. I could see straight away it was Amelia standing next to Abraham, her arm linked through his. What twisted thoughts had Violet got of her father with young women? And in some ways I felt sympathy for her as she evidently wished to see Abraham married again.

‘That’s very nice, Violet,’ soothed Michael, ‘now please show us where Amelia is, there’s a good girl.’

At Michael’s words his sister placed the picture back on the floor and went to the right hand corner of the room where I could now see there was a small door. Inserting the key in the lock and turning it light flooded into the dark studio. Michael and I followed Violet into the room beyond, thankfully the room was light and airy and lying on a truckle bed beneath the window was Amelia.

‘Thank the Lord,’ uttered Michael quietly.

‘Amelia,’ I said quietly going over to the bed not wishing to alarm her. My friend’s face was pale and she was very sleepy, but other than that she looked better than I had expected to find her. I glanced out of the window above the bed and could see the gates of Ravensmount. To think I’d looked up at this window on my arrival and Amelia had been here all the time.

‘Oh Sara, you’ve come at last!’ were Amelia’s first words to me and I gathered her in my arms.

‘Why is she so sleepy?’ I asked Violet sharply.

‘Because Mrs Mallory puts one drop of laudanum in her tea each morning,’ Violet told me, quite unperturbed by the implication. ‘And has done so for quite a few weeks.’

‘And why does she do this?’ I questioned, smoothing Amelia’s hair back from her cool forehead.

‘I asked her to,’ came the reply, ‘I thought if she had it the potion would cause her to love Papa, but she fell for Michael instead.’ Her voice rose as she spoke and I sensed that she was going to become hysterical once more so I changed the subject.

‘Was it Amelia I saw walking in the grounds?’ I asked her.

‘Oh no, that was me,’ said Violet laughing. She obviously thought of this as a game. ‘I borrowed Amelia’s cloak and Mrs Mallory walked with me hoping to frighten you, Sara.’

I could be forgiven for my mistake, seeing Amelia and Violet together they did look remarkably alike.

‘We must get Amelia to her room, Sara,’ Michael’s voice cut across my thoughts. ‘She needs a rest in familiar surroundings and some refreshment.’

‘Oh, she’s been fed,’ said Violet skipping over to the door, ‘Mrs Mallory comes morning and night.’

I could see there was indeed an empty tray on the small table by the bed. Michael and I helped Amelia to her feet, she was a little unsteady, more from the effects of the laudanum I suspected than anything else, working out that my friend had been held captive for three weeks. She was in remarkable condition and I conceded that she had been well looked after which was in Violet and Mrs Mallory’s favour. Before leaving Violet in her studio I asked her one more question.

‘Was it your face I saw that day at the window of the north tower?’

‘Oh yes, I watched you from there quite often,’ Violet informed me, more intent on her paintings than Amelia, Michael or I as we helped Amelia down the steps and to her room.

Rosalind and I tended Amelia for two weeks in the gold room. Each day she grew stronger and eventually she was back to her normal self. When she was feeling better Tamsin was brought to her room.

Abraham thought it was best that Amelia’s grandmother told her the circumstances of her birth, and when Tamsin had left I noticed that the music box once again stood on the top of Amelia’s dressing table.

That day I went for a well deserved walk in the garden for some fresh air. I made my way past the wine cellar door and thought of the day I had first met the Master of Ravensmount. He now was very dear to me, in fact Ravensmount itself was very dear to my heart too.

Abraham had decided, with the family’s consent, not to tell Violet the circumstances of her birth for she no doubt would not understand it and it may tip her already precarious state of mind over the edge.

One day when Violet was in a quiet frame of mind I asked her why she’d held my friend captive. She told me she’d done it because Amelia had betrayed her Papa with Michael just as I had done. There was no reasoning with her so I accepted this with reservation. As for Mrs Mallory she was reprimanded severely over Amelia’s captivity and the giving of the laudanum, but she was not dismissed for Violet’s sake. The housekeeper very obviously had a strong sense of loyalty to the young woman.

As I stepped into the garden my heart skipped a beat when I saw Michael sitting on the stone seat amongst a riot of colour, the sun shining down on his black hair. He rose to his feet when he saw me and came towards me taking both my hands in his.

‘Amelia is now safe,’ he whispered, ‘so I ask you again, will you marry me? If only because I love you.’

‘Yes,’ I whispered back, ‘Oh yes.’ And my beloved bent his face to mine and gently touched my lips with his own.

*

Four weeks after finding Amelia, my friend, Rosalind, Michael and myself stood at the gates of Ravensmount, our luggage around our feet waiting for the coach to convey us to Bath.

Michael was to ask my parents for my hand in marriage, Rosalind was to have a break from her routine as I had promised her, and Amelia needed some time to come to terms with the story of her birth. Tilly would remain here until my return for she didn’t wish to leave.

‘Please return soon for I shall miss you,’ said Abraham as he kissed my cheek in farewell. Waiting at the gates I turned to look at Ravensmount, the house looked still and quiet in the morning light.

How I loved it here and how I loved the man at my side who was soon to be my husband.

Tilly waved and I waved in return thinking I had well and truly been caught in a spider’s web and had no desire to ever escape it.