Whispering (20 page)

‘Maybe,' said Harriet, not for the first time. ‘But, Cat, whatever you do, don't tell him about little Lewis. I think his grandmother's
plans for the poor baby sound alarming enough, without his father's getting involved.'

‘I'm sure you are right about that,' agreed Caterina. ‘It frightens me. She means to have him. She was going to send for her attorney today, she told me. I just hope nothing too drastic comes of that.'

‘What a blessing Lewis is safe in England,' said Harriet.

‘If he is safe.'

‘He may be hungry,' said Harriet, ‘if money is tight. But he will be safe enough, I am sure. Mother has got the sense to take the long view. He won't be in clover, poor little duck, but he won't be in actual danger either. Not so long as you are alive to ask after him.' A shiver ran down her spine as she said it. ‘Cat, do you not think you should tell your father?'

‘I don't dare.' She leaned forward to peer out of the carriage window. ‘If only it would stop raining! How am I going to meet Luiz if it goes on like this?'

‘You won't be able to meet him outside anyway,' said practical Harriet. ‘Your shoes and skirts would be drenched; it would be bound to cause comment you cannot afford. I think you have to assume that Madame Feuillide and your Luiz will have worked something out between them.' Privately, she thought she was glad of the rain, which might force the two conspirators to make their position clear to Caterina. ‘I wish you would let me stay with you this time.' She had urged this before. ‘It would give me a chance to make up my own mind about him.'

‘Your unprejudiced mind? I do see what you mean … Oh, Harryo, if only I knew what to do for the best.'

‘Whose best?' asked Harriet. And went on to answer herself: ‘It seems to me, love, that it has to be little Lewis's. If you hold on to that, I don't think you can go far wrong.'

‘Oh, Harryo, I do thank God for you!' Caterina turned quickly to hug her friend. ‘And here we are!'

‘You are prompt to your hour,' Madame Feuillide greeted them with her usual subtle distinction between rich girl and poor girl. ‘I was afraid this terrible weather might keep you at home.'

‘With the great party only six days off?' said Caterina. ‘Impossible. To tell truth, ma'am, we had been getting a little anxious at not hearing from you.'

‘Oh well, all's for the best now.' The Frenchwoman was bustling about, doing things with damp shawls. ‘We'll begin with you today, I think. Miss Brown. If you wouldn't mind stepping into my humble little salon while we work, Miss Gomez? You know how I need to concentrate. You may find a young relative of mine there, I hope you won't mind it. And the less said about him the better.' With a conspiratorial smile for the two girls. ‘His father went to the United States with the Marquis of Lafayette years ago, but when the Marquis came back, my cousin stayed on and went into business there. Young Louis is on his first voyage to Europe and made a point of coming to see his old cousin. Isn't it the most touching thing? But what with the French connection and this dreadful threat of war between the United States and England, I thought it best for him to lie as low as possible in the few days he is with me. Such a pity! I would so like to show him off here in Porto, but we all know that one cannot afford to set tongues wagging here of all places. Try to cheer him up, Miss Gomez? I am afraid he is finding life sadly dull here with me. Not what he expected at all. And not a word to anyone.'

‘At last!' Luiz had been out in the rain and his normally curly black hair was plastered close to his skull. It made him look quite different. Older. Dangerous? He held out his arms. ‘My little love –' And then, ‘No need to look so scared. Madame the dressmaker has given the strictest orders that we are not to be disturbed. And so have I, which is more to the point. They know better than to cross me here. But, what is it, my own?' As she still hung back, facing him across the little room with its platoon of upright gilt chairs. ‘You want to make your report first, like the admirable colleague you are? Quite right,' he approved. ‘But I've been travelling all day, through this foul weather. Come, love, let's sit here and be comfortable while you tell me your tale.' He stepped forward, took her hand and led her to a stiff
little sofa that matched the gilt chairs. ‘I could curse this weather,' he told her as he seated her and took his place too close beside her. ‘You have no idea what luxurious arrangements I had ordered to be made for us in the garden here. Never mind.' He put a proprietorial arm round her shoulder. ‘Privacy will be all the sweeter when we achieve it at last. What a devilish clever girl you are to tease and tantalise a man so. I'd never had thought it possible, but I am as mad for you now as I was that first day, so long ago. How am I to bear thinking of you, surrounded by those stolid Englishmen at the Factory? I have been teasing madame the dressmaker with the notion that I will smuggle myself into this party next week, just to keep an eye on you, my little witch.'

‘But, Luiz, it would be madness.' If only the hand that held her would keep still.

‘Oh, not as myself, love. I'm not so crazy as that. But if you suddenly feel a warm breath on your beautiful bare shoulder from one of the flunkeys, don't look round, for it will be I.'

‘Luiz –' She pulled a little away to look him in the face, and felt that he did not like it. ‘We have to talk, you and I. You must see that I cannot answer your questions unless I know more about why you are asking them. Porto is full of whispers. I've been warned again about careless talk by Frank Ware. You remember, he scolded me before because I asked him about the
Anthea
's cargo.'

‘Young busybody. I must certainly come to that party. But the
Anthea
is an old story now – no longer important, though of course I am infinitely grateful to you for trying to find out for me, my precious one. And the same goes for Marmont's movements, though I am sure you have a great tale to tell me about them too. Everyone knows now that he got supplies into Ciudad Rodrigo and nearly got Wellington too, I believe. And now they are all going snug into winter quarters and we have to wait until spring for our next move. At least I hope it will mean a chance for us to be together, my sweet love. I am hoping my friends will agree that I am the obvious person to watch the course of events
through the winter, here in Porto, and then I can find myself a place of my own, somewhere we can safely meet.' His arm was close round her again now, telling its own urgent tale. Half of her yearned towards him; the other half thought of Lewis, her son, and what Harriet had said. And, suddenly, she knew just what Luiz was planning. Why had she not seen it before? He wanted her pregnant. That way, he thought he could force her father into letting them marry. He was wrong, of course. Her father would simply cast her out. Deep in her heart, she thanked God for the rain.

Did he feel her instinctive, momentary withdrawal? ‘You are absolutely right, my angel, as usual. That Miss Brown of yours will be upon us any moment. We must seem the mere acquaintances she thinks us. I shall put on a Yankee accent and ask you Yankee questions! So – tell me about this great party you are going to look so splendid at next week! You will be guest of honour, Madame Feuillide tells me. I think I really must get myself a flunkey's livery just to watch over you among all those pompous young Englishmen, my angel. I'd like to see you queening it there –'

The habit of confidence dies hard. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she was not to be guest of honour after all. ‘I'm not –' and then remembering Harriet's warnings and Frank Ware's, she turned the sentence in a new direction: ‘I'm not letting myself look forward to it too much,' she told him, ‘for fear that my father should suddenly get into one of his passions and forbid us to go, Harriet and I.'

‘And why in the world should he do that?'

‘He's very strange these days.' It occurred to her that in their two meetings he had asked her nothing about her own life. Did she only exist for him as someone to be made use of? It was dangerous to think like this, sitting here, alone with him, his arm around her. Her coachman and groom were far away in the back parts of this isolated house. Suppose he were to sense that she was no longer the willing, ignorant tool he thought her? Could she really be imagining the possibility of being kidnapped by Luiz, held to ransom? And then what would happen to little
Lewis? She made herself lean a little closer to him, look up at him confidingly: ‘It would be entirely too dangerous for you. She is inviting mainly English people, of course, who would not know you, but think of the servants, Luiz. Your face is not one to be easily forgotten. Promise me you won't think of it. I expect it will be deadly dull really, and I will tell you all about it afterwards. Do you think you will have your own house by then? How in the world will I manage about coming to see you?'

‘No need to worry your pretty little head about that; I shall manage for you. So you don't think I need to be at Mrs Ware's to forbid the banns?'

‘To – oh!' This was disconcerting. ‘You have heard of that crazy plan of my father's? I told you he is strange these days. He really did seem to think he was going to marry me off to Frank Ware, and get himself a son-in-law who would do as he was told.' She laughed, infinitely relieved to have hit on this safe subject. ‘Of course I don't mean to marry him. You should know me better than that, Luiz. Anyway, I think Frank Ware has quite other plans.' She heard the sound of movement in the next room, and disengaged herself gently. ‘We are going to be interrupted. Promise me you will be very careful, Luiz.'

‘I'll be careful, and lie low here, so long as you promise to be my eyes and ears. We need to know who comes down from upriver, and all the news they bring.'

‘Yes, of course.' Yesterday, she would have told him at once about Major Dickson and his wheelwrights. Today, she answered with a question of her own: ‘How shall I let you know?'

‘I've worked it all out; can't go on being dependent on madame the dressmaker.' Lowering his voice. ‘I don't entirely trust her, to tell you the truth. I begin to think that she has fish of her own to fry. So I have been working at alternatives. My father's house is too dangerous for me. You are quite right, alas, mine is not a face that is easily forgotten. But I have found a friend there. I knew someone must still be faithful to me, and looking forward a little too. I'm the heir, remember, when those two old wrecks drop dead at last. What a joyful day that will be! For both
of us. In the meanwhile, write me all you hear, tuck your little love letter under a stone in our summerhouse. Never fear, I shall have it within twenty-four hours at the longest. And answer with all my heart.'

His callous tone chilled her heart. How could she ever have loved him? Thought she loved him? ‘Here you are at last, Harriet,' she turned with relief to greet her friend. ‘Monsieur Feuillide has been telling me the most interesting stories about life in the United States.'

Madame Feuillide wanted to know about Mrs Ware's party too, but after fending off Luiz's questions, Caterina found the dressmaker's easy enough to parry and responded with some of her own as the dressmaker pinned, and fitted, and admired her admirable handiwork. Caterina longed for the fitting to be over. There was so much to think about, so much to face.

‘There,' said Madame Feuillide at last. ‘You will be the belle of the ball my dear. I'll send the dresses to you in good time, two days before the party. I mean to come into town the day before it,' she told Caterina, ‘so that I can make any final adjustments my clients may chance to need. I do not usually do so, but something tells me that this is to be a very special occasion. There are all kinds of interesting rumours flying round the town, you must have heard some of them, surely?'

‘I try my best not to listen to them,' Caterina told her. ‘Where should I get in touch with you, madame, if Miss Brown or I should need your assistance?'

‘It is not entirely settled yet, but I am rather letting myself hope that Mrs Ware herself may contrive to find some tiny attic where I can tuck myself away and make myself useful to her and to her guests. Just think what a chance for a country mouse like me. To be actually there in the house; to hear the music, maybe contrive to peer out of my attic window to see the honoured guests arriving. If Mr Ware should chance to call on you, as a little bird tells me he frequently does, perhaps you would be so good as to say a word in my favour? It would be such a convenience
for you young ladies to have me right there in the house to pin up your hem for you if you should chance to need it.'

‘I don't suppose I shall,' said Caterina. ‘So well as you make, madame. But of course I will say a word if Mr Ware should call. I can imagine it might be a great comfort to his mother to have you in the house. Does it rain still?' She wanted this fitting over.

‘Harder than ever, I am afraid. Will you not let me give you a cup of tea, and wait until it slackens? It is no weather for young ladies to be out in.'

‘I think not, thank you kindly just the same. The nights are drawing in and my father does not like me to be out after dark.'

‘I am glad to hear he takes such good care of you.' She might as well have said: ‘I don't believe a word of it.'

It made Caterina more anxious than ever to be gone. She opened the door into the salon and found Harriet alone. ‘Time to be going,' she said, and then: ‘What happened to Monsieur Feuillide?'

‘I am afraid he found my company vastly tedious, though he was too polite to show it.' Harriet, too, seemed eager to be off, and they were both relieved at the speed with which the coachman brought his horses round.

He bundled them unceremoniously into the carriage, shouted something to the groom, whipped up his horses and drove off at such speed over the rough road that the two girls could do nothing but cling to each other and set their teeth against the jolting they were getting.