Love at the Tower (8 page)

Had she looked back, she would have seen a wistful look on the Earl's face and the way he stayed outside, watching her until she disappeared from view.

Robina arrived back at Trentham House with barely half an hour to spare.

She ran into the house in time to see her stepmother descending the staircase, dressed in one of her finest gowns and festooned with so many jewels that she glittered like a chandelier.

“Just why are you so late?” she snapped, as Robina drew level with her on the stairs. “Go upstairs at once and dress in your very best gown. And I want you to wear the diamonds I have had Molly put out for you – hurry, she is waiting to dress you.”

“But only Nanny helps me dress – ”

“Nanny is too old. If she is to be your companion, it is another matter entirely. No, Molly will see to it.”

“But I don't want Molly – ”

“There is to be no argument – we do not have the time!” cried her stepmother.

Robina became upset by this latest turn of events.

‘What will happen to Nanny now?' she wondered, as she entered her room to find Molly bustling around.

“Your bath is ready and drawn down the hall, miss,” she mumbled in her dull voice.

Robina shuddered.

After her bath she changed as quickly as she could into her lilac velvet dress with the extra long sleeves and a high bodice. She deliberately decided not to wear her pink dress as it showed too much flesh.

‘I don't want to feel vulnerable,' she thought, ‘and I will not feel at all comfortable if I think that Lord Drury is peering down my neck!'

She sat in front of the mirror and had to patiently explain to Molly how she wanted her hair done.

Unlike Nanny with her deft fingers she was clumsy and took an age to do it. She also pinched Robina's ears when she tried to put in the heavy drop-diamond earrings.

“So sorry, miss,” she said as Robina flinched. “We want you to look nice tonight, don't we? Madam says there be a special guest tonight, an important gentleman by all accounts. Madam says he's very interestin' and has a great deal of money.”

Robina forced a smile but did not reply.

“I would count myself real lucky if I were to meet such a distinguished gentleman,” continued Molly. “I hears he has three houses – one in Biarritz, one in London and one in the County. And then there's his big stable of racehorses.”

“Molly, I don't care if he is the Prince of Arabia!” interjected Robina impatiently.

It was obvious that her stepmother had primed the girl to extol Lord Drury's virtues.

“I was only saying, miss – ”

“I would prefer it if you concentrated on my hair, thank you,” insisted Robina firmly.

At last the gong sounded and Robina was relieved to get away from the girl.

“Don't worry about attending me before bed,” she called as she was leaving. “I will see to things myself.”

‘Goodness!' cried Robina inwardly. ‘If I am forced to have that girl attending me, I shall go quite mad! I must ask Papa why I cannot have Nanny back.'

She checked her reflection again in the small mirror and could see how the diamonds gave her skin a luminous sheen and she wished she did not have to wear them.

‘I don't want to appear too attractive,' she thought gloomily.

Taking a deep breath she descended the stairs and walked towards the drawing room.

She went inside and at once saw Lord Drury.

He was just as she had feared – quite an old man with snowy-white hair and a rotund figure. His hair stood on end as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning and his face was florid and chubby.

“Ah, here she is,” announced her stepmother. “Lord Drury, this is my stepdaughter, Robina.”

Lord Drury turned around and his rubicund face lit up as he took in Robina from head to toe.

He struggled to his feet and Robina could see that his waistcoat was straining at the buttons.

She tried her best not to show her distaste, but she realised that her expression often did give away her innermost thoughts.

“Charming! Quite charming!” gushed Lord Drury, as he held Robina's hand and planted a slobbery kiss on it.

She withdrew her hand as soon as possible without causing offence, but if there had been a napkin to hand, she would have needed it.

Her stepmother watched her like a hawk as Robina walked to a seat as far away from Lord Drury as possible.

“Robina, his Lordship was just telling us all about his new stable of racehorses. I told him that you adore to ride,” said her stepmother, just daring her to contradict her.

Robina managed a thin smile and looked down.

She refused to be drawn into the conversation.

“I used to ride a lot myself,” added Lord Drury, smiling away at Robina, “but not in recent years, I admit.”

“My horse has not seen me for many a long month either,” added her father. “Poor Hercules!”

“He misses you, Papa,” came in Robina, seizing the opportunity to turn the conversation away from herself.

They were interrupted by Newman, who came in to announce that dinner was waiting to be served.

Lord Drury took the opportunity to heave himself out of his chair and made a beeline for Robina.

“Accompany me into dinner, won't you, my dear?” he suggested, leering at her.

Robina took hold of the proffered arm and tried not to shudder.

She could see her stepmother smiling in triumph as they walked towards the dining room. In her head Robina was almost halfway up the aisle.

In the dining room Robina was given a place next to Lord Drury, much to her horror.

“You must tell me all about yourself, my dear,” he began as they sat down.

“Oh, there is nothing much to impart.”

“Your father has told me that you have spent some considerable time in Paris – wonderful City.”

“Yes, it surely is,” she answered, staring down at the
consommé
that had been placed in front of her.

“I have friends in Montmartre – do you know it?”

“Yes.”

“Robina, dear, tell Lord Drury about the Lamonts,” prompted her stepmother, flashing a warning glare at her.

“They are some friends of Papa's,” she offered and then fell silent.

In spite of her best efforts, Lord Drury continued to attempt to draw her into conversation. He talked at length about his horses, and then his house in London, and then his friendship with Lord Salisbury – Robina did her best to stifle a yawn as the plates of the main course were taken away.

“A very fine sirloin of beef,” declared Lord Drury, who had eaten several large helpings.

‘It is no wonder he is as round as a ball!' thought Robina, as her half-eaten plate was removed.

“My wife, God rest her, loved her food. I cannot be doing with women who don't like to eat. To eat is to live,” he boomed.

“I confess I do have the appetite of a bird,” replied Robina, feeling pleased to have something with which to discourage him.

“Ah, that will all change when you marry and wish to please your husband.”

“It is true,” added Laura, “since Herbert and I have married, I have eaten like a common field hand. I put it all down to being happy.”

She smiled at her husband and reached out to touch his hand.

Robina felt her stomach lurch at this distasteful display of affection.

It did not seem right that someone other than her mother was making a fuss of her Papa.

“Robina has been spoiled by the fancy ways of the French. I must write to the Lamonts and chastise them.”

“That is not so, Laura,” said Sir Herbert suddenly, “look at Robina. She left the house as skinny as a newborn colt and returned a young woman.”

The way he looked at her with obvious pride made Robina's heart swell.

‘Perhaps Papa does still love me,' she reflected, as she smiled back at him.

Determined to spoil the moment, Laura jumped in,

“She could still do with gaining a few pounds – no man will look at her if she is too thin. Tell us, Lord Drury, do you think Robina is too skinny?”

Robina felt the man's hot eyes upon her, raking up and down her figure in the most nauseating fashion.

She could not help herself reddening with a mixture of shame and embarrassment.

Was it not enough to be paraded in front of him as if she was for sale?

“Far from it,” he murmured, his heavy-lidded eyes full of pleasure.

Robina attempted to turn the conversation round to a different topic.

“Papa, I spent the day with Lord Hampton and saw his plans for the Castle. I think you would be interested in seeing what he is planning as you are working on changes here at Trentham House.”

Her father's eyes lit up, as he was fond of discussing architecture and buildings.

“Really? I would like to see what he intends to do with the old place. I am so happy he is giving it his full attention, unlike that brother of his! I am quite certain that his father is looking down from Heaven and rejoicing.”

“The Earl has asked me to help him with his plans to open the Castle to tourists,” supplied Robina, hoping that her father would not object.

“I am glad that you shall have something to occupy you. I had feared that, after Paris, you would find Surrey very dull. It is good that you will learn something of the value of money if you are earning your own.”

“This is only a temporary measure, I would hope?” snarled Laura, “You should be looking forward to marriage and children and a house of your own, after all.”

She glared at Robina, daring her to contradict her.

Robina fell silent.

“Quite right,” added Lord Drury, “women working! Whatever next? I would die rather than send any wife of mine out to work!”

“But, Lord Drury, a woman would not need to think of lifting a finger if she was married to you,” cooed Laura in an attempt to sweeten the conversation.

Robina shuffled in her seat.

‘I wish she would refrain from discussing the topic of marriage,' she fumed, just as the strawberry tarts were brought in.

Dinner seemed to drag on forever as Robina waited in vain for her father to request that the port be served.

Eventually after the conversation began to dwindle, Lord Drury asked Sir Herbert if he might have a word in private.

“Please come into the drawing room and I will ask Newman to bring the port and cigars through.”

They all rose and Robina suddenly felt as if her legs would give way.

She had an awful sinking feeling that the reason for Lord Drury's request of a private audience was an ominous one.

Once they were alone Laura grabbed Robina by the arm and looked hard into her face.

“In spite of your best attempts to make yourself as uninteresting and unattractive as possible to Lord Drury, I do believe that he is rather taken with you. I would hazard a guess that he is, at this precise moment, asking for your hand in marriage. A man like him does not linger once he has made up his mind.”

“I will not marry him!” Robina cried out, almost in tears. “
I will not
!”

“You will do exactly as you are told,” snapped her stepmother, gripping her arm so tightly that her fingers made angry red marks.

Just then Newman walked in, so she let go.

“Now – you will smile and look pretty,” she hissed, “Don't let us down.”

‘I am surely walking to my doom,' thought Robina, as they moved towards the drawing room.

She could see that Lord Drury and her father were laughing and smoking and two glasses of port stood on the small mahogany table by the sofa.

“Ah, ladies,” beamed Lord Drury.

“Robina, my dear,” began her father, “Lord Drury has something to ask you.”

With every fibre of her body taut she forced herself to move towards him as he leered up at her from his chair.

“My dear, I am in the habit of taking my carriage out in the early mornings for a breath of fresh air. Would you care to accompany me tomorrow morning?”

“I am very sorry, but I just cannot. I shall be busy working.”

“What silly nonsense!” cried Laura angrily, “Don't pay any heed to her fanciful notions.”

“I have been engaged by Lord Hampton to work as his secretary and he is expecting me to be at the Castle first thing.”

“You will write to him and inform him that you are unable to visit him tomorrow and that is now the end of it,” snapped Laura. “Now gentlemen, would you care for some more port?”

Robina was left sitting there feeling powerless.

‘This is a clever game my Stepmama is playing,' she reflected, ‘she thinks that if she embarrasses me, I will concede defeat. I have no intention of doing as she says!'

“Do come and sit beside me, my dear,” suggested Lord Drury, patting the sofa next to him.

Robina smiled as best she could, but she felt sick to her very stomach.

His presence revolted her.

‘The Earl said that if ever I should need sanctuary, then he could provide it. I shall make certain that I am not in the house tomorrow morning when Lord Drury arrives,' she determined as a plan formed in her mind.

*

Robina made her excuses and left to retire to bed as soon as she could.

She allowed Lord Drury to kiss her hand and she smiled thinly as he told her that he would collect her at ten-thirty sharp the next morning.

Although she had asked Molly not to stay up, when she arrived in her room, she was turning the bed down.

‘Heavens. Can I have no privacy?' she moaned to herself.

“Shall I help you, miss?” Molly asked.

“No, thank you.”

Molly bobbed a curtsy and then after lingering for a split second by the door, she took her leave.

As soon as she heard the footsteps die away down the corridor, Robina locked her door.

Quickly she took down a small bag from the top of her wardrobe and began to put clothes into it along with a facecloth and some handkerchiefs.