Barbara Taylor Bradford - Just Rewards

Paddy, still framed in the doorway of the studio, nodded his head. ‘Angelina has finished setting the table in the dining room, and Valetta’s in the middle of cooking lunch. Everything smells delicious, as usual. I have the white wine cooling. Pouilly Fumé. No problems, at least not with lunch, sir.’

‘I’m sure not. Thanks, Paddy. By the way, you’d better make sure the dining room is warm. The countess feels the cold these days, so Lady India tells me.’

‘The fire’s blazing and I turned the central heating on a while ago. Kept it low, though.’

‘That’s fine.’ Dusty paused at the door and, doubting that he would be returning to his studio today, he switched off all the lights. After grabbing his sheepskin coat from the wall peg, he locked the door and walked with Paddy to the beautiful Palladian house set at the top of the hill just a few yards away.

Once inside the house, Dusty murmured, ‘I’d better see Mrs Roebotham first before I greet Atlanta, find out what this is all about. Give me a couple of minutes to freshen up, then bring her to the library.’

‘I’ll do that, sir. And in the meantime, I’ll try to get her to have a cup of tea. She wouldn’t have anything before. But perhaps she will now that she knows you’ll be talking to her in a short while.’

‘That’s a good idea,’ Dusty answered, and then he hurried across the marble entrance hall and into the spacious library. The first thing he did was go into the adjoining bathroom where he washed the paint off his hands, splashed cold water on his face, and then ran a comb through his thick black hair.

He stared at himself in the mirror, thinking that he looked tired, drained. And also worried. Taking a deep breath, trying to steady himself and stay calm, he returned to the library, straightening his sweater as he went to his desk. Lifting the tweed jacket from the back of the desk chair he slipped it on, then sat down at the desk, his mind in a turmoil.

Something must have happened to Molly Caldwell, Melinda’s mother, he decided, or why would a stranger be here with his child? Unless it was Melinda who was in trouble, and her mother had gone to the clinic to see her. But if that were the case why hadn’t Mrs Caldwell phoned him? She usually did, wanting always to keep him informed of everything that affected his child. She was a good woman.

Propping his elbows on the desk, Dusty dropped his head into his hands. Why today? he muttered under his breath. Why did it have to be today of all days? India was on her way to have lunch, bringing her grandmother, the Dowager Countess of Dunvale, and he wanted everything to go right.

Trouble he didn’t want or need.

But there was no doubt in his mind that trouble was about to come and hit him smack in the face.

He braced himself. Everything was about to go wrong; his gut instinct told him that, and he trusted his instinct. Always had.

‘Tell me about Emma, tell me about Grandy,’ India said as she drove down the driveway of Niddersley House and turned left onto the Knaresborough Road. ‘You promised you would ages ago and you never have.’

‘There’s so much to tell, I wouldn’t know where to begin,’ Edwina murmured, settling herself in the car seat. ‘Do you like this car, India?’ she then asked, changing the subject. ‘I gave it to your father, you know.’

‘Yes, he told me. And I love my Aston Martin.’ Giving her a quick look through the corner of her eye, she then asked, ‘Are you comfortable, Gran?’

‘Very. Thank you for asking,’ Edwina answered, glancing out of the window.

‘So, getting back to Emma Harte. Here’s an idea, why don’t I just ask you questions?’

‘That’s a very good idea, India. But surely you know a lot from your father. He was devoted to her.’

‘Oh yes, I do, and from Mummy as well. Daddy always says he was one of the Praetorian Guards.’

Edwina burst out laughing, and chuckled for a second or two. ‘He spoke the truth. He and Paula, Emily and her late brother Sandy, and Winston felt it was their duty to surround and protect her in every way. I must admit, I did sometimes tease your father, asking him if he and the others were ever tempted to do away with her, as the original Roman Praetorian Guards had often had an urge to slay their leader.’ Edwina chuckled again.

India laughed with her grandmother, and asked, ‘And what did my father say?’

‘He was horrified that I could even countenance such an idea. I’m afraid that my teasing fell flat. He and his cousins were utterly devoted to her.’

‘And you weren’t, were you, Gran?’ When Edwina did not answer, India pressed, ‘You were estranged from her for quite some time. I know that because Daddy told me.’

A low sigh escaped Edwina, and she remained silent for a moment longer before finally saying, ‘Yes, it’s true, I was. I became estranged from her just before I went off to finishing school in Switzerland, and we weren’t very close for a number of years after that.’

‘Why? What happened?’

‘It’s such a long story, India dear, and I always get upset when I discuss it these days. I will tell you the details some other time, I promise. Let’s just say, for now, that I was totally wrong. I was the one at fault, not my mother, and when I finally realized that I tried to make amends. And we became devoted to each other at long last.’

‘You sound very regretful, Grandma,’ India said softly, sympathy echoing in her voice.

‘I am, even to this day. I think what I regret most are the years I missed knowing her, being with her, when I was a young woman. I was married to your grandfather, Jeremy, and living with him at Clonloughlin. I was so happy with him and we were devoted to your father, our only child, and I didn’t give a thought to my mother. Not for a very long time.’

‘My father told me he went and sought her out, that he didn’t even tell you.’

‘That’s correct. And it was my uncle, Emma’s brother Winston Harte, who told me that the moment they met was memorable. He said it was instantaneous and absolute infatuation between Emma and Anthony. And they always remained devoted to each other.’ Turning to India, Edwina finished in a low voice, ‘I’m glad your father had the guts to defy me and went to meet his grandmother on his own. They became close and remained close for the rest of her life, and they both benefited from the relationship.’

‘You said earlier that Emma sent you off to live in Ripon with her cousin, Freda. Was that one of the things that upset you?’

Again Edwina was silent as if mulling over her answer, and when at last she spoke she found herself telling the truth. ‘No, not really. I was a baby and I was given a lot of love, care and attention, and it was a pretty, pastoral place to live. Freda was a loving young woman. I knew deep down, when I was older, that Emma had done the best thing for me. We were poor and she had to work hard to support us, and she just couldn’t look after me. Nor was there anyone in Armley who could. Yes, it was the right decision, even though later there were moments when I resented her for doing it. But I was far too young to understand all the ramifications. Later, I did.’

‘You know, Grandma, I really admire you. The way you admit your mistakes, take responsibility for things you did which you now regret. Most people can’t do that … admit they’ve been wrong.’

‘Only too true, India,’ Edwina murmured, ‘and for you to understand that now, at your age, makes you a very smart young woman indeed. I’m proud of you , my dear. Now, enough of the past and Emma. Tell me about your plans.’

‘Just one more question, Gran, and then I’ll stop,’ India pleaded. ‘I’ll talk about my plans, and anything else you want to talk about.’