The Lace Balcony (75 page)

‘I'd tell you exactly what I think of you, but I'm training my kid to behave like a
real
gentleman. You've got your bird back. I'll bring the lady back here tomorrow.'

‘You have my word, Severin,' Vianna said quickly. She leaned across and kissed his cheek. ‘Until tomorrow.'

‘I never doubted it,' Severin said, his eyes cold and confident. The reason was suddenly clear. Blewitt was fast approaching, flashing his brass knuckledusters.

Vianna saw that Felix had already disappeared over the side with Toby locked in his arms. She did not argue when Mungo grabbed her hand and ran to the side of the ship and looked down. Clinging to the ladder a few feet above the waterline, Felix looked up, exasperated.

‘Silent Jack has left us high and dry. No time to wait. It's only a few yards to the shore. I can make it with Toby. Can you?'

Severin was yelling out, ‘Stop them! That lady can't swim!'

Mungo turned to Vianna. ‘You can, can't you?'

Vianna's heart sank. ‘Never tried.'

Blewitt was running along the deck threatening to kill Mungo.

Vianna looked down into a harbour so deep it might well stretch to England.

‘Trust me,' Mungo said.

‘Do I have a choice?'

‘None.'

Vianna slipped her hand into his. Together they leapt out into space, flying like birds into the face of the sun, where the blue of the water met the blue of the sky.

•  •  •

The four of them spluttered water as the tide washed them ashore. Arms linked around each other's shoulders they crossed the snow-white sands of the little beach to collapse on the verge of native grasses.

Vianna followed in the wake of the others, scarcely able to walk under the weight of her waterlogged gown and petticoats, peering through the wild tangle of seaweed matted hair – that Mungo had grabbed to keep her head above water and tow her to shore.

The little boy walked hand in hand between Mungo and Felix, linking the half-brothers in a strange trio, like three bedraggled musketeers.

It seems Toby has united them and brought some measure of peace.

Felix turned his head. ‘Thank you for coming, Vianna. Don't worry, a gown has been organised for you to wear to the wedding.'

Vianna gave a non-committal nod.
This is beginning to feel like a family conspiracy. Why were they so sure I'd agree to come?

Severin called her name across the water, a plaintive note in his voice she had never heard before.

‘Till tomorrow, Vianna. Promise me!'

From the safety of the little crescent of sand, Vianna called back. ‘I promise.'

There's only one promise you'll get from me, Severin. I will
not
be travelling to India with you! But I'm not wasting a free passage to England either.'

Out of Toby's earshot, she hissed at the brothers. ‘I've only come back for Molly's wedding – nothing more, you understand?'

‘Agreed,' Felix said quickly.

‘Agreed,' Mungo said through gritted teeth. ‘And
you
understand. We only went to all this trouble for Molly's sake. You'll be on board that ship tomorrow if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming.'

The garden lay in that soft velvety twilight that brought a profusion of perfumes. From the window of the guest room that Molly had been assigned to prepare for her wedding, Vianna paused to watch the busy scene in the garden below. Excited servants shouted orders, running and colliding into each other laughing. This would be the first wedding held in this house since Albruna came here to marry Kentigern L'Estrange. Vianna knew today held an additional element of romance because Molly was ‘one of their own.'

She turned to help Molly, who was scrubbing herself in the tub placed on the canvas protecting the carpet.

‘I don't know how ladies of Quality can bear to have servants bathe and dress them. I'm perfectly capable of taking a bath unaided,' she added quickly, ‘but I couldn't have done without you here by my side. Thank you for coming back to support me, Vianna.'

‘I'm honoured to be your bridesmaid, Molly. It was kind of Jane to alter Mrs Lestrange's gown to fit me. But you do understand I'm sailing for Home tomorrow.'

‘I wonder how long it takes you English settlers to think of Australia as Home. Scots, Irish and others don't seem to have the same trouble. Perhaps because most of them came here as convicts – and ended up having a better life than they'd had at home.'

Vianna knew it was not as simple as that but she was distracted from this talk by the size of the moon, strangely large and mysterious as if heralding the forthcoming eclipse.

‘They say an eclipse brings radical change in our lives. It certainly will for you – as the younger Mrs L'Estrange.'

Molly gave a shiver of delight. ‘Are the guests beginning to arrive?'

Vianna described the scene. Old Crawford, Cockney George and the two newly assigned Irish servants were climbing up ladders and hanging Chinese lanterns from the branches of trees, advised by a cluster of laughing, barefoot children. When the lanterns were lit
they formed the magical pattern of a multi-coloured Chinese paper dragon, swaying in the breeze.

The half-completed gazebo was short of a roof, but lined with lanterns. Giggling servant girls, their skirts looped up into their belts to free their bare legs, hung the frame with baskets of geraniums. Racing each other like children, they charged back and forth to furnish the gazebo with white-clothed table and lectern. Their mood of bubbling expectation seemed to mock Vianna's wistful resignation.
The beginning of Molly's new era – and the end of mine.

She was startled by Molly's dramatic cry.

‘I can't get married! My wedding gown is borrowed, my shoes are new, but I haven't got anything old, or blue. I'll bring bad luck to Felix!'

Vianna said calmly, ‘You're the best thing that ever happened to Felix. But I'll organise something old and something blue.' She turned in the doorway. ‘Jane is bound to have blue flowers in her herb garden – to add to your bouquet.'

‘Bless you, Vianna, you'd make a perfect lady's maid!' Molly teased.

‘That's not how I see my future, but thanks for the compliment, Molly.'

Vianna raced through the garden and found Jane in her herb garden already picking forget-me-nots and blue bergamot flowers.

‘How did you know Molly needed these?'

‘My granny was fey. A bit of it rubbed off on me – and Mungo.'

‘You'd have been proud of him today, Jane. Despite his vertigo he climbed up to the crow's nest to rescue Toby.'

‘So I heard. Whatever his failings, no one can ever say he's short on courage.' Jane handed her the blue flowers and added pointedly, ‘Sometimes all it takes to be happy is a bit of courage. But I guess you can't teach a mermaid new tricks.'

I suppose I deserved that. But she doesn't know the half of it.

‘Molly deserves a happy ending,' Vianna said quickly. ‘Thank you for the flowers. I still have to find something old to complete the tradition.'

As if regretting her sharp tongue, Jane tightened the sash around her waist. ‘You look lovely – considering I only had an hour to nip
in the waist and add a flounce to Albruna's gown. By the way, where are the rest of your clothes?'

Vianna faltered. ‘I left them on board the
Bussorah Merchant.
'

Jane was nothing if not forthright. ‘Accidentally – or on purpose?'

‘It's a long story, Jane, and rather complicated.'

Jane gave a sigh of resignation. ‘It always is with you and Mungo. Now off with you before Albruna L'Estrange sends out a search party for you.'

Vianna bunched her skirts to clear the ground as she hastened to the house.

Early guests were already filtering into the garden as Vianna ran into the kitchen. Cook was flushed and angry, shouting orders in all directions.

‘I know you're busy, Mrs Baker, but Molly needs –'

‘Whatever's the problem, you'd best fix it yourself. Molly's gone against my advice. I know
my
place. But organising a wedding breakfast at scant notice to meet the mistress's high standards would try the patience of a saint.'

‘Of course. But Molly needs something
old
to wear. She'd be delighted if you could give her something. A handkerchief perhaps?'

‘I've nothing fit for the likes of a L'Estrange bride!' she snapped and Vianna saw it would take a long time for her to be reconciled to Molly's marriage.

What did Mungo call it? Inverted snobbery.

As she turned to leave, Vianna's heart gave an involuntary lurch at the sight of the figure seated in a corner of the kitchen. A pretty, dark-haired, plump young woman held a babe in her arms who was sucking contentedly on one full, generous breast.

‘I'm Sadie,' the girl said with a knowing smile. ‘And you'd be Fanny, or is it Vianna? We haven't met but I know all about you from Mungo. I was assigned here years back. Mungo, Felix and me, we were all kids together. Got up to a lot of wild tricks we did. That's not hard with Mungo in the lead.'

She tenderly stroked the babe's head and Vianna saw the betrothal ring on her finger, suspecting Sadie had meant her to notice it. ‘Your baby's beautiful.'

Sadie nodded. ‘They all are.'

‘Excuse me. I must take these flowers upstairs for the bride's bouquet.'

‘Hang on. Aren't you needing something old for her? It's not flash, but it could do the job.' She withdrew a comb from her hair causing a pile of lustrous black hair to fall to her shoulders. ‘Mungo gave it to me when I left here a few years back.'

Vianna stiffened but took the comb, forcing herself to thank Sadie, then fled.

The layout of both L'Estrange wings was largely unfamiliar, so Vianna bailed up a servant girl to ask directions as she had re-entered the house by a different door.

‘Where's the
bride?'
Vianna repeated her question. Was the girl deaf?

The answer was a jabber of words and sign language. Vianna realised that Gaelic was the only tongue the girl knew. So she continued rushing down corridors.

This is chaotic. I'd need a map to find my way around these houses.

As she crossed the Bridge of Sighs, that she had only seen from the perspective of Mungo's loft, Vianna paused by an open doorway.

Mungo was calming his brother with his peculiar brand of encouragement. ‘Here, let me have a go at your cravat, Felix. Your hands are shaking so hard you could pass as a dipsomaniac.'

‘I wanted to look my best,' Felix said in despair. ‘But how can I? There wasn't time to visit Blooms for new wedding clothes. And thanks to Silent Jack my suit was ruined by Port Jackson saltwater. Is it always so nerve-wracking getting married?'

‘No one's going to give
you
a second glance. The bride cops all the attention.'

‘Damn you, Mungo! That's the third neck cloth you've ruined. Can't you do a better job than that? You're supposed to be my best man – not a saboteur!'

Vianna decided it was high time to intervene. ‘Can I be of help? I used to be a lady's maid, but I feel sure I can manage a gentleman's cravat.'

Heaven knows I've handled enough men to form my own army.

In rapid time she tied everyone's neck linen to their satisfaction. ‘There, you're both perfect. Now I must help Molly finish dressing. If you'd kindly point the way?'

Felix sprang forward to escort her, halted by Vianna's genuine cry of alarm. ‘No! It's bad luck for a bridegroom to see his bride on their wedding day before he meets her at the altar!'

‘There
is
no altar,' Mungo said. ‘It's a civil ceremony. No time for churches.'

‘The same traditions apply.' She added discreetly to Mungo, ‘Don't forget the wedding rings. That's your duty as best man.'

Mungo gave her the thumbs up sign that he had everything under control and told her how to find Molly again. Flowers in hand, Vianna raced off, repeating his directions.

Relieved to find the room, she burst into the bedchamber and stopped short. Albruna L'Estrange stood side by side with Molly, their backs to her as they checked the bride's appearance in the cheval mirror.

‘My wedding dress fits you perfectly Molly. Jane Quayle has done well.'

Vianna made a respectful curtsey to the mistress of the house. ‘I am sorry for the delay. These blue herbs are from Jane Quayle's garden. And a girl named Sadie offered Molly this hair comb for the something old.' Vianna could not bring herself to link the gift to Mungo.

Albruna accepted the comb with a smile. ‘That was kind of Sadie. She's well known to us. But I have something even older that you might like to wear, Molly.'

Molly was close to tears. ‘I'm so lucky to have your support, ma'am. I was afraid you'd bolted again, Fanny. I couldn't face this without you. Ma doesn't want to know me – and I've got no decent father to give me away.'

Albruna said gently, ‘My husband would be honoured to step into that role, if you should wish it, Molly.'

‘Oh, would he? That's wonderful,' Molly immediately twirled around like a happy child – then stopped when she saw what the older woman held in her hands.

‘We Prussians are nothing if not far-sighted, my dear,' she said, holding out to Molly a gold chain from which hung an exquisite gold locket.

‘I have kept this to present to Felix's bride on her wedding day. I wore it on my wedding day and my grandmother wore it on her
wedding day in the 1760s. Is that old enough for you, my dear?'

How odd. No mention of her mother's wedding day.