Dennis Wheatley - The Rising Storm

For a moment she was silent, then she resumed in a low voice: "What you have told me now reveals that I was greatly guilty towards your poor Condesa. I ridiculed her fears and sought to persuade you that she was lying in order to entrap you. Worse; it seems that I was in a large measure responsible for her death."

"Nay," Roger protested. "You must not think that. The intensity of Don Diego's passion when unsatisfied drove the poor man into morbid fits, during which he was no longer master of himself. Had he not conceived a desperate passion for you he would have done so for some other fair, just as he did in a lesser degree for Sara Goudar. You did all that lay in your power to avert a tragedy; for you gave yourself to him even while unconvinced that by your continuing to refuse him a tragedy might occur."

She shook her head. "Dear Roger; I was more responsible than you know; but only out of love for you. I could not abide the thought of your ruining your future for her sake. I concocted a plan with Papa by which we hoped to save you. That day on which you were in Toledo he went to Manuel Godoy, and pointed out to him that General Count d'Aranda's daughter would have an influence far greater than her husband with the Queen of France; so that if the mission was to be successful 'twas of the first import that she should leave her child and go with him. Godoy was quick to see the sense in that and went to Queen Maria Luisa. The result was the order that ruined your plans for an elopement and sent the Condesa Isabella to die in Paris."

"Strap me! I might have guessed it I" he exclaimed. "I knew the way you felt, and that you were capable of taking any measure that you "thought might save me from myself."

Her dark eyes were shining and she took his hand. "Yes, Roger. And, even could I have foreseen the terrible result of my secret inter­vention, I would have accepted the guilt and done the same. Your happiness means more to me than the life of any woman."

"And yours more to me than the life of any man. I thank you, sweet; for had not matters panned out as they have my life could have been only one long tale of misery. I loved poor Isabella desper­ately when we were together in Florence and Naples; but on leaving the latter place I deliberately killed my love for her, and strive as I would afterwards, I could not revive it. She was incredibly possessive; and had I eloped with her I should have been in honour bound to stick by her for good, in fact, far more so than had she been my married spouse. 'Tis now six months since my first striving to cut her image from my heart, and I would be a liar if I did not confess to you that I am mightily relieved to have my freedom."

For a full moment they were silent, then Georgina said: "No good can come to either them or us from arguing the matter further. I would suggest that we now regard them as other loves of ours that are past and gone; and seek to forget their double tragedy by never referring to it again."

"Egad, you're right 1" he nodded. " 'Twould be hypocritical to pretend that either of our hearts is broken. Shall we—would it be too monstrous callous if we cracked another bottle of wine to seal that pact, and toast the future ?"

Georgina smiled. "Since Fate has ordained that they should die and we should live, 'twould be an insult to our own protecting gods did we weep crocodile tears instead of rejoicing in our deliverance. Go get a bottle up from the cellar, m'dear. Meanwhile I'll rid me of these plaguey pinching corsets and take my ease in a chamber robe."

· · · · ·

Ten minutes later Roger was pouring the Champagne into tall glasses, and Georgina had installed herself comfortably in a corner of the big settee. As he carried the wine over and sat down beside her, she asked:

"Now that you are so firmly re-established in Mr. Pitt's good graces, will you proceed on another mission for him at an early date ?"

"Not for a time," he replied; then added with a sudden gay excite­ment: "I did not tell you all his kindness to me. He was good enough to say that I had done more to deserve a Knighthood of the Bath than most men who receive it But 'tis not possible to reward services of a secret nature in that way; so he asked me what I would have that it was in his power by patronage to bestow. After a moment's thought I said I would like a small house of my own, if it chanced that any of the Crown properties of a moderate size were vacant. By great good fortune Thatched House Lodge in Richmond Park has recently fallen free. He has promised me a life occupation of it, and I can scarce contain my impatience to see my new home."

"Oh, Roger, how truly marvellous!" she exclaimed, her lovely face now glowing with delight. "I know it well, and 'tis the most charming spot imaginable. 'Twill not be too big for you to run, yet large enough for you to put up a few people if you wish and to entertain in. It stands on a rise with a pretty garden at its back and a view that is enchanting. The older part was once a hunting lodge of Charles I. In the garden there is still standing a large, thatched summer-house which he loved to frequent; and some twenty years ago an occupant of the place had Angelica Kauffmann paint the most lovely frescos on its ceiling."

"Think you this large summer-house would prove suitable for a studio?"

"Why, yes!" Her eyes widened. "But have you then a mind to take up painting?"

He nodded. "I have always had a love for pictures, as you know; and short though my travels were in Italy the masterpieces I saw there added to my enthusiasm for the art I'll never be able to do more than daub myself, but I would like to try my hand at it."

"I will come down to Richmond and give you your first lessons."

"Indeed you shall," he agreed eagerly. Then he added with a smile: "As you once did in more important matters. And I think you put a spell upon me then; for no other woman that I have ever met has had the same power to rouse me physically at will, and give me afterwards so perfect a sense of utter content and joyous well-being. I have wondered many times if we were foolish not to have married."

"Nay," she said softly. "We argued that question long ago. Did we wed, by unbroken intimacy we would gradually whittle away that very attraction for one another of which you speak; and marriage vows could do naught to strengthen our precious friendship. So our decision, that you should never lead me to the altar, was a wise one. But that is no reason why my head should continue to repose upon this cushion rather than on your shoulder."

He put his arm about her and they snuggled down together.

For the best part of half an hour they talked of Thatched House Lodge, and the fun they might have in redecorating and furnishing it; then she said: "But Roger, all this by rights is no affair of mine. Now that you have this charming property, 'tis time that you thought seriously of marriage and settling down. You have racketed with all and sundry overlong. Even though you may continue to tumble some pretty baggage now and then during your trips upon the Continent, you should have a home that you can return to in which to find a quiet contentment."

"Mayhap you're right," he agreed. "I have often thought that way myself during these past two years."

She wriggled a little closer to him, and gave a happy sigh. "I am prodigious glad you feel that way, since I have in mind the very woman for you. 'Tis that dear Amanda Godfrey."

"Now bless me !" he exclaimed. "How monstrous strange you should suggest her. I like her greatly and had serious thoughts of proposing to her before Isabella's letter took me off to Spain. Do you think she'd have me?"

"I've not a doubt of it. In her vague, lazy way she dotes upon you; and she is wise enough to recognize mat marriages based only on passion are rarely lasting. My desperate need to attempt to heal the breach between us compelled me to remain in London until you arrived; but I have arranged with her to accompany me to Stillwaters as soon as I had seen you on your return. I have invited Charles, and with him there, for appearance's sake I thought it proper to have another woman in the house; so she has most sweetly consented to play gooseberry. Now, there is naught to prevent your joining us, and what more ideal setting could you have in which to propose to her?"