The Golden Gypsy (11 page)

She finished with the dough and set it to rise. Richard turned towards her.

'I have heard your strange story. How did you find life with the Romanies after being brought up in a house? It is an unusual experience and I am most intrigued.'

Yasmin talked with him, and despite her instinctive dislike and distrust of him found it easy.

'Maria said you have an uncle in the Admiralty,' he said after a while, casually. Yasmin recalled the first occasion when she had mentioned this and laughed.

'Yes. I said that before Maria knew my story, and she must have thought it very odd.'

He laughed and agreed. 'Indeed! I ask because I have a good many friends there, and I might have met him. Who is it?'

Yasmin hesitated, but she realised Maria and Sir Edward knew her uncle's name, and there did not seem to be any reason for concealing it from Richard, apart from the slight unease he caused her.

'Lord Morris,' she replied. 'But although he knew of my mother's marriage, he does not know of my existence. I beg that if you know him you will not mention me.'

'Of course not. I have met him on one occasion, and I think my uncle knows him. They are both closely associated with Lord Barham, the First Lord.'

He went on to talk of other things and at last took his leave. Yasmin was relieved to see him go, but as Leon appeared to like him she said nothing of her fears. When next she went to visit Maria she mentioned casually he had been to see them.

'He seemed quite pleasant,' she said carefully.

'Yes, Richard is anxious to please.' Maria was non-committal.

'He said he lived nearby. Has he an estate here as well?'

Maria glanced at Yasmin, a slight frown on her face. 'You seem interested. He lives with an uncle, a younger brother of both our fathers. His own estate is not large, and is in Northamptonshire. It is let to some merchant who desires to play the country gentleman, but who pays well. Richard is extravagant, he needs money. He has expectations from this uncle, and is Ned's heir, of course, until Ned marries and has a son. That is why he is so often here, and takes an interest in our affairs.'

It was clear she did not like him, but Yasmin could not let the subject drop.

'He mentioned the Admiralty. Does he work there?'

Maria laughed shortly. 'Richard? Work? He will not if he can avoid it! My uncle is there, though, and several of Richard's friends, also, and several more in the Navy. He seemed anxious to join the Navy himself a few years ago but nothing came of it. By the way, have you heard that the Toulon fleet have escaped from the Mediterranean?'

Yasmin had not and was excited at the news. 'Nelson could not prevent it?'

'Apparently not. Ned says Toulon is more difficult to guard than Brest.'

'Has Nelson followed them?'

'No, for he has orders to guard Sicily and Egypt, so he must remain in the Mediterranean. It is thought Villeneuve is heading for the east.'

'Why that, when we know Napoleon has not abandoned his plans for invading England?'

She shrugged. 'I cannot tell. But let us forget this. I want to show you some more of the grounds. It is the first really warm day we have had this spring, and the ground is dry. I want to show you our grotto.'

'Grotto!' Yasmin exclaimed, for she had not heard about this previously.

'Yes, in the woods on the far side of the lake. My grandfather, who built the Hall, had it made in imitation of those he had seen at some of the French chateaux. But come, I cannot explain properly, you must see it.'

She led the way through the trees, along paths soft with the new moss, and where primroses rioted. The ground rose again to the far side of the lake, and at last Maria stopped beside an outcrop of rocks.

'Look, can you see the seats that have been fashioned out of the natural rocks?' she asked, pointing to them several feet below.

Yasmin exclaimed over them, and Maria laughed.

'That is the least of it. Come, round here.'

She led the way round the largest of the rocks and beyond it they came suddenly onto an opening, with roughly hewn steps that led down between rocky walls.

'We do not need a light, for it is open to the sky again in a little way.'

She led the way down, and Yasmin soon saw what she meant. At the bottom of the half a dozen or so steps there was a short passage, but it was lit up from the further end, a few feet only from where they stood, and as her eyes became accustomed to the gloom she saw that another flight of steps led out of the place. Looking round, Yasmin could see that where she stood was more of a room than a passageway, and another of the cunningly contrived seats was placed to one side.

'What is that sound?' she asked, referring to the regular tap-tap that came from one side of the grotto.

'Water dripping from the roof. It forms a pool, see, over here. Then it drains away to the outside. Did you see the little stream beside the seats? It flows from there into the lake. I think this chamber had been worn away originally by the water, and my grandfather enlarged it and made the steps and the two entrances. One of my nursemaids had some liking for the place and was always bringing me up here. I think she used to meet a lover inside while I played round about. But I came to enjoy being here very early, and used to hide away when I wanted to be alone. Usually no one else comes to it. Charlotte and I used to use it when we had secrets to tell each other, or messages to leave. We thought it was most romantic!'

She laughed, and moved across to the other opening. This opened onto the far side of the rocks, and from there they could see across the lake to the side of the house, with the stable yard behind.

'See, I could watch what went on and be unseen unless I went out by the seats,' Maria pointed down to the house. 'But there is someone just arriving now.' She watched for a moment as a chaise entered the stable yard. 'It is Ned,' she exclaimed, 'but I thought he was coming down from London tomorrow. I wonder what has brought him back earlier?'

'Then you will want to be with him,' Yasmin said quickly, thinking to be tactful. 'I ought to return to Leon now, for Joey said he had to go on an errand, and I promised not to be away too long.'

'Oh, then you will not come and see Ned?'

'I must go back,' Yasmin repeated, for she did not wish to appear pushing, presenting herself at Sir Edward's side almost as soon as he had arrived home.

'Then promise me you will come tomorrow?'

* * * *

She was insistent, and as Yasmin longed to see him again, she soon agreed. They parted, Maria taking a short cut back to the house, while Yasmin made her way slowly back to the cottage, where she was so silent for the rest of the day Leon asked if she were ill, and looked unconvinced when she said all was well.

The next morning Yasmin started towards the Hall, but was surprised to meet Maria on the path.

'I am just taking some butter to Joan at the lodge. Walk back with me, it is but a short way.'

Yasmin turned and accompanied her, but Maria was unusually quiet. At last Yasmin asked if something worried her.

'Ned is worried,' she replied. 'You remember what we spoke of yesterday, Villeneuve's fleet getting away from Toulon? It seems they have not gone eastwards, but to the West Indies. Nelson has set off after them, but there are rumours in London that the wrong information was sent to Nelson, or his orders somehow altered.'

'How in the world can that be?' Yasmin asked, astonished.

'Well, I do not precisely know the details, for Ned would not tell me everything, but it seems it has been known for some time a spy has been at work, and papers must have been copied, for the French seem to have been aware of some of our plans. That and a deal of indiscreet talk which some traitor has used. Now it appears as though someone has access to the orders that are sent to the fleets, and may even have forged them.'

'It cannot make a great deal of difference,' Yasmin tried to console her.

'Not before, when the French fleets were blockaded, but now Villeneuve is free he can manoeuvre, and if our admirals get the wrong information they may make a mistake. Napoleon has said he needs control of the Channel for but one day to effect an invasion! It is essential we find this traitor and stop him before he can do great harm!'

They walked back towards the house slowly, discussing this disturbing thought, but before they reached it other things had driven it completely out of Yasmin's head. As they came in sight of the lake Maria exclaimed in annoyance.

'Really! Charlotte is the limit! She knows Ned never allows anyone except himself to take out the boat!'

Yasmin looked across at the lake, to see Charlotte sitting in the small boat that was kept there, rowing it inexpertly a few yards from the shore.

'She is not likely to come to harm. The lake is not deep, is it?' Yasmin asked.

'Not there, but it is very deep in the centre, and Ned does not permit us to use the boat without him. Charlotte was in an odd mood this morning.'

'You have seen her earlier?'

'Yes, she rode over soon after breakfast, but she was in such a pucker she refused to come to the lodge with me. I left her for Ned to deal with. Heaven help him if he ever does marry her!'

Yasmin was silent. Those last few words had confirmed all her fears and she was incapable of speech. It appeared it was accepted by their families that Sir Edward might marry Charlotte. She had feared it, dreaded it, but knew there was absolutely nothing she could do to prevent it. Even if he did not marry her, and she clutched desperately at the use of the word 'if' by Maria, there was no hope for her, a penniless gypsy, even though her birth on her mother's side had been as good as Charlotte's. Yasmin stared miserably at Charlotte, too disheartened to take any pleasure in the inept way she was handling the boat. Then she stood up and the boat rocked alarmingly, but even then Yasmin did not  notice there was anything wrong until Maria began to run.

'Quick! It is sinking!' she flung over her shoulder and picked up her skirts and ran swiftly towards the lake about a hundred yards distant.

Shaken out of her despair Yasmin saw she was right. The boat was very low in the water, and she too began to race towards the lake, but before she reached it the boat began to tip over, Charlotte who had been waving towards the shore frantically, was thrown into the water and the boat disappeared from view.

The girls were not the only ones to have witnessed the accident. Sir Edward was before them and as they panted up to the shore he was already wading out in water that only came up to his waist. Charlotte was standing spluttering in water very little deeper, and Sir Edward soon reached her. He grasped her hands, and it was an easy matter to lead her out, though she sobbed and clung to him and hindered his progress greatly.

He lifted her onto the bank and scrambled out himself, a dark expression on his face. Yasmin thought it was anger at the danger she had been in, though he must have known better than Yasmin it had not been great in that particular spot.

Charlotte glanced round at him, standing a little behind her, and began to sob. 'Oh, Ned! I was so afraid! Oh dear, I feel so peculiar!'

She closed her eyes, swayed, and would have fallen to the ground had he not moved quickly forward to catch her in his arms. She lay limply, the wet muslin of her dress clinging tightly to limbs that were thus revealed as very shapely. Sir Edward looked down, an inscrutable expression on his face, then turned to his sister.

'Maria, I will carry her in. You go ahead and get one of the maids to help.'

'Bring her to the room next to mine. She can lie down on the bed there,' Maria said, and without any further word ran off. Yasmin hesitated, wondering if it would be best for her to offer to help, or to go. Sir Edward did not seem to be aware of her presence, for he was staring fixedly at Charlotte who lay still and limp in his arms. Then he bent towards her so that his lips almost touched hers, and stopped, apparently recalling they were not alone. He drew back, glancing across at Yasmin with a stern expression on his face. She could bear to watch them no more, and muttering she would be in the way, she turned and ran. She fancied she heard him call her name, but did not stop running until she reached the cottage and flung herself on the bed in the little room where she had privacy to weep.

* * * *

Some hours later Yasmin had recovered and was working in the kitchen when Maria appeared, demanding to know why she had left so suddenly.

'I thought I would be in the way,' Yasmin explained. 'I felt it would be best if I left quietly.'

'Oh, well, there was not a great deal of excitement. Charlotte recovered from her swoon as soon as she had been carried into the house. I have not known her to swoon before, but I suppose she had a shock. Ned was furious with her, but he could not say much as she had been ill.'

'I expect he was frightened too,' Yasmin said, contriving to keep her voice as steady as possible.

'No, but he was excessively annoyed. It was odd, for he seemed to suspect something. He went straight back into the lake and had the men help him lift the boat. He said he could not understand why it had sunk, but he found several small holes in it. If he had been rowing and had gone straight out into the centre of the lake as he usually does, it would have sunk in the deepest part. It was fortunate for Charlotte she could not row well enough to do that, for she cannot swim. She might have drowned.'

Yasmin was thinking furiously. Had someone interfered with the boat, thinking that as Sir Edward was the only one who used it he might drown? She recalled the man she had seen waiting, as she had been convinced, to shoot him. Was he in danger?

But Maria did not allow her to indulge in these speculations for long, for she had gone on speaking.

'So you will come up to the house for the whole day tomorrow, will you not? I have seen Mrs Barber, and she says she will look after Leon. It will be the last chance I shall have to see you for a couple of months.'

'Oh, why?' Yasmin asked blankly.

'Haven't you been attending, Yasmin? I said we were going to London on the next day, and will stay for a couple of months or more, probably until the end of July.'