Ashton Park (57 page)

Robbie had been gone a week when Harrison woke up one morning and decided it was past time to go and see Sir William. It was still dark but he knew Sir William was an early riser just as he was. He dressed in his usual clothing, including his corduroy jacket and fedora, sat on the edge of his bed and laced his boots tight, placed his American pistol in his pocket, picked up his staff, and headed to the manor, where several lights were already burning. Tavy met him at the door.

“G’day, Tavy,” Harrison greeted the butler. “Is he up?”

“He is. Listening to his new radio in the parlor.”

“Ah.”

“I’ll let him know you’d like a word.”

“Thank you, Tavy.”

Sir William had headphones on and was listening to a broadcast when Harrison came to the door. He saw his groundskeeper and smiled and lifted a finger to indicate he would only be another moment. He finished listening and took the headphones off.

“Marvelous invention, Harrison. I prefer it to the telephone. Just listened to the news from London.” He rubbed his hands together. “I should like some tea. Can I interest you in a cup?”

“No, sir. Thank you. I’ll state my business and then be on about my work.”

“Hmm. This sounds serious. All is well? No intruders? No one lurking, I hope?”

Harrison noted the ivory handle of one of the revolvers that had been used in the duel sticking out from a pocket inside Sir William’s morning jacket. “All’s well on the home front so far, sir.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I confess I’m a bit restless. I need to get back to Westminster but I swore I wouldn’t move an inch until I’d heard that O’Casey and his rogues had been dealt with.”

“Well, sir, the IRA are after him too, so are the Free State folk, and neither side have been able to run him to ground. So far as your son goes I’d say we are looking at weeks rather than days before he catches any scent.”

“I pray for him all day, Harrison. All day, every day. I don’t mind saying I’m worried for his safety.”

“Of course you are, sir. But you can thank the Lord he has a good mate with him in Mickey Gilfillan.”

“I am, thank you, I am.”

Harrison cleared his throat. “Sir. There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about for some time.”

“I see.” Sir William got up and closed the door and stood facing Harrison with his hands in his pockets. “What’s happened?”

“Ah…well…there’s this…” Harrison paused and blew out a mouthful of air. “I’m not good at beating around the bush, sir.”

“Then out with it, man. It can’t be that bad.”

Harrison fixed his gaze on Sir William. Sir William returned the gaze. Neither man looked away or blinked.

“It’s this, sir.” Harrison breathed in. “Holly. Your sister.”

“What? She’s all right, isn’t she? No one’s mentioned anything to me.”

“She’s fine.” Harrison gripped his staff more tightly and took the plunge. “So fine that it’s important I marry her.”

Sir William had been jingling change in one of his pants pockets. He stopped. “I beg your pardon?”

“Marriage. I need marriage.”

“You need marriage?”

Harrison nodded. “To her. Only to her.”

“Why—”

Anticipating a protest, Harrison cut Sir William off. “It’s all this trouble that set me to thinking. Life is short, Sir William. We don’t know how many years the good Lord will allow each of us, do we? It’s best not to squander the days we’re given.”

“Naturally not.”

“Holly and me—well, we love each other, sir, your sister and I. We’d like to spend the rest of our years together. I know she’s of the manor born and I’m but a groundskeeper but—”

“No small thing to look after Ashton Park’s lands and forests, Harrison.”

“No, sir. It’s grand. But it would be grander if I could do it with her by my side.”

“Harrison—”

“I love her, sir. I never thought I’d love a woman. But I adore her. She likes the woods and all the animals and the stars and at sunrise she’s as wide awake as I am and she can walk all the miles I can and more and she, why, she herself is something, when you think of the ash trees at the height of summer, it brings to mind the way she is, stately, full of grace, tall, beautiful—”

Sir William had begun to smile, and his smile grew wider and wider as Harrison spoke as though he didn’t notice, rushing headlong with his words, hoping to overwhelm Sir William and convince him that if he permitted Holly to marry him she would be marrying a man that would treasure her and honor her despite his lowly birth. Finally Sir William laughed out loud, so loud that Norah on her way past the parlor almost dropped a pitcher of cream. Then he slapped a hand to Harrison’s shoulder.

“You needn’t go on. Elizabeth and I may be getting on in years but we’ve seen that you two have been spending considerable time together. We have discussed the matter. This is not 1899, Harrison. Our children have married who they wished despite our objections. In all cases our objections were erroneous. What I’m saying is this: Holly is a mature woman and certainly doesn’t need my permission to marry whoever she likes, but if she wishes to marry you then I say thanks be to God—I can think of no better man for my headstrong younger sister than you.”

Harrison looked as if he had been hit by a tree. “What?”

“I say, Christ be with you. Elizabeth and I would be thrilled to see you marry my sister. And if you’d like, I’d stand with you. It would be an honor, sir, an honor.”

Harrison looked as if he might topple over at any moment. “You have no objections?”

“None, sir.” Sir William seized Harrison’s free hand—Harrison’s other hand was gripping the staff with so much strength the knuckles and fingers were white—and shook it. “God bless you, Harrison.”

“Why…thank you, sir…thank you…”

“We’ll be brothers-in-law, Harrison. I look forward to that. I look forward to it very much.”

“Thank you—thank you—d’you think…is Miss Holly up, do you know, sir?”

“She is. She was lingering at breakfast with Elizabeth and Lady Grace and Victoria only ten minutes ago.”

Harrison almost walked into the door. “I should try and say something—”

“By all means.”

Harrison finally got a grip on the doorknob. “I’ll be out on the grounds presently, sir.”

“Take your time. I’m sure Todd Turpin has matters well in hand.”

“Aye—he would…thank you, sir…thank you…”

Harrison stood in the hallway with his staff in his hand. Suddenly everything sank in. He broke into a run and almost knocked over two maids carrying bed linen. The dining-room door was open and he burst upon the four ladies still at breakfast like a gust of wind and rain. Spotting Holly he fell to his knee beside her and grasped her hand. She looked at him in shock and delight, her lips curving into a full smile and her eyebrows rising.

“Why, Harrison, what’s this, what—?” she asked but he broke in on her.

“Marry me. I love you.”

Her eyes flew wide as did everyone else’s at the table. “Harrison—”

“Your brother is all for it. He said the Lady Elizabeth was too. Not that they needed to be for us to get married, he told me, but it’s nice all the same, don’t you think?”

“Why, I am—”

“I love you, Holly.” He suddenly dug into a pocket. “I have this.”

He pulled out a diamond ring.

Holly rose to her feet. “Harrison!”

“It was my mother’s. I’ve kept it for years. It’s as old as the hills. It’s not much but I tried to polish it up.”

“Not much? You tell me your mother’s ring is not much?”

“I mean—”

Holly bent down and took his face in her hands. “It means the world to me.”

“Will you—will you take it—will you wear it—will you—?”

His words stopped as she kissed him. When she pulled back he took her hand and pushed the ring up over her finger. It was too large. They both laughed.

“She was a big woman,” he said.

“We’ll make it work.” She smiled through tears that made their way down her face. “We’ve made it work so far.”

Lady Grace began to cackle.

Lady Elizabeth was still holding onto the teacup she’d been raising to her lips when Harrison had run in. “I am greatly astonished.”

Victoria’s eyes gleamed. “I don’t think there’s been a better breakfast at Ashton Park. Not one I’ve been in on at any rate.” She lifted her juice glass as sunlight glinted off the glass of the windows. “To your marriage and your future. God bless you both. And may your love for each other sweeten us all.”

Lady Grace lifted her cane. “I say.”

Lady Elizabeth paused and then got to her feet holding her glass. “Happiness and abundant love. Do we need to start a house for you two as well?”

Holly’s eyes remained on Harrison, who was still on his knee. “A castle suits me just fine.”

“What?” Lady Elizabeth stopped the glass at her mouth. “That damp, musty place? It’s full of ghosts.”

“My man will slay any and all ghosts for me.” Holly cupped Harrison’s face in her hands again, the diamond throwing off light every time she moved her fingers. “Won’t you, my love?”

He grinned and finally remembered to take his hat off his head. “A short morning’s work, m’lady.”

“Ah. Edward. Come in and sit down, my boy.” Sir William tapped a finger on the radio. “I can’t seem to tear myself away from this contraption. I was listening to a march with pipes and drums. Astonishing.”

Edward shook his father’s hand and sat down. “We had a radio in Canada. One day they’ll be in every home.”

“Do you think so?” He smiled. “Thank you for coming by. Have you heard the news?”

“Aunt Holly and Harrison? I’m frankly amazed. Char is totally delighted. It’s much in keeping with all the barriers Ashton Park has had to breach over the past five years.”

“It is indeed.” He placed a large hand on his son’s arm. “Have you given any more thought to entering the political arena?”

Edward’s face lit up. “Why, yes. I’ve thought about little else besides Char and Owen and running for office.”

“Good. Good. Things began well for me with the new prime minister, Mr. Bonar Law. Since New Year’s that has changed. I expected to be in the Cabinet but that has not happened. I anticipated appointment to various committees and sub-committees—I have, after all, been a very loyal party man. And Mr. Law hinted last fall such anticipation on my part would not be out of place. But nothing has come to pass.”

Edward narrowed his eyes. “Why do you think that is?”

“I have an enemy who is close to the prime minister. I suppose he is the family’s enemy. Do you recall hearing how your brother brought Lady Caroline home from France? When she was being threatened by a man who used to be our groundskeeper at the Lodge in Scotland?”

“Of course. Buchanan.”

“That same man is now an assistant to the prime minister.”

“Buchanan?”

“Yes. An assistant on Scottish affairs. Heaven knows who recommended him or how he was selected. But he’s at the prime minister’s side on a daily basis.” Sir William leaned forward. “I don’t know how long he will exert an influence on the prime minister’s office. But I’m sure he has his ear when it comes to myself and to the Danforth name. It is his way of getting back at us, you see. He’ll damage and thwart us any way he can.” Sir William smiled. “But I am not unduly troubled. God provided us with a prime minister from Canada. He has provided me with a special assistant from Canada. It all balances out, you see.”

“What, sir?”

“You, sir.” Sir William smiled. “If you will take it. I am bringing you on board as my special assistant. We shall work side by side on a daily basis.”

“But how—?”

“I was placed on a committee by Prime Minister Lloyd George before we Tories pulled out of the coalition government and Bonar Law was put up for PM instead. I remain on that committee. Policies related to agricultural issues in the north of England—Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Durham, and Northumberland. And the borderlands—so Scotland and Wales. You have spent some time at our hunting lodge in Scotland and are not unfamiliar with the Highlands and their practices and needs especially with regards to sheepherding. It is my desire we produce recommendations of such breadth and wisdom that Buchanan’s attacks against us would eventually be dismissed by the prime minister as being no more than a personal vendetta against our family. Why, perhaps he will dismiss Buchanan altogether. We shall meet the devil’s fire with the Lord’s grace and at the same time groom you for a political career—what do you say?”

Edward smiled. “When can we begin?”

“You will return with me to Westminster. Does that suit you, my boy? Are you ready to touch your heels to the horse’s flanks?”

Edward laughed and spread his arms over the back of the chair he was sitting in. “I am, sir. I am.” He threw back his head. “Tally ho! Hounds away!”

Winter and Spring 1923

“I want to know what’s up, Ben.”

Victoria was holding a bawling Ramsay, her hair askew and her face flushed in exasperation at her child’s ill temper. Ben took all this in as he opened the door to their bedroom at Ashton Park, but despite the blaze in her green eyes and the red splotches on her skin he could only smile at how incredibly beautiful she was. The smile was not what she wanted to see however.