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She rode with Marco and their cousins, helped the
duchess plan entertainments for the coming party,
explored the house, and met several neighbours. Every
day she took Gayo out, and they soon had a regular
audience of fascinated gardeners, dairy maids, and
any other servants who could sneak away from their
duties for a few minutes.
* * * *
One afternoon, she was descending the main stair
with the parrot on her shoulder when she saw a
gentleman in a greatcoat standing with his back to her
in the hall. He was studying a full length portrait of
the First Duke in all his be-wigged glory.
Teresa was going to retreat, not wanting to risk
Gayo embarrassing a guest, but there was something
familiar about the set of his blond head. She paused,
and he turned.
"Andrew!" She ran down the stairs, her face alight
with joy; then she remembered the terms on which
they had parted.
"Teresa!" He took a step towards her, both hands
held out, then stopped.
Gayo bridged the gap: "Hello, dinner!"
"I did not think you would come."
"I had to, if only to apologise. If you cannot forgive
me, I shall not stay."
"Forgive you?"
"It was all my fault well, Lord John was not
precisely blameless! But had I not swept you onto my
horse and galloped off with you like Young Lochinvar
in Scott's poem, no one need have connected you with
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the incident."
"I was afraid Marco might be badly hurt, and I had
to retrieve Gayo before he caused further disaster.
Given the choice of picking up my skirts and running
through the mud, or playing the Bride of Young
Lochinvar..." Teresa flushed. "Well, you know what I
mean." How she would have liked to play bride to this
"braw gallant !
"You know the poem?"
Somehow they were friends again.
"Papa once bought a whole chest of books from an
English captain, without any idea what was in it. One
was Marmion, and that was one of my favourite bits.
Are you just now arrived?"
"Yes, the butler has gone to announce me to the
duke. I am very glad to have seen you first, for I had
no notion how to tell him that my staying depended
upon you."
She laughed. "But you will stay. I am taking Gayo
outside. When you have seen my uncle, if you are not
too tired, will you come out?"
"Happily."
He joined her some ten minutes later, and together
they strolled about, chatting comfortably, while Gayo
enjoyed his freedom.
"It is growing chilly," said Teresa at last, pulling her
cloak closer about her. She whistled, and Gayo flew to
her. As they turned towards the house, she told
Andrew, "The rest of the guests are arriving tomorrow.
My aunt has a hundred entertainments planned to
keep us all busy."
"Then I am pleased to have arrived early, to enjoy a
quiet coze with you." He smiled at her.
"How is it that you did not travel with Muriel?"
Teresa asked, her heart aching. She had no desire to
talk of his betrothed, but the words escaped her. She
fought to keep her voice even.
"I came via my home, to see my family." He seemed
no happier at the choice of subject.
"I am surprised she did not go with you, since she
will so soon be your wife."
"Muriel and my sister-in-law are...I cannot say at
daggers drawn for Muriel is by far too gentle for such a
phrase. They do not deal together."
"You mean, I collect, that your sister-in-law bullies
her. I remember that you told me she is an
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intimidating female. Something like your future
mama-in-law, I daresay! Poor Muriel is such a meek
creature, you do well to keep them apart, though you
cannot separate her from her mother."
"I cannot, but the duchess can. The invitation did
not include Lady Parr."
They exchanged grins and went into the house in
perfect agreement for once.
That night, in spite of her active day, Teresa lay
awake for some time after Annie snuffed out her
candle. If only Andrew were not engaged to Muriel. If
only Muriel were not her friend. If only Don Eduardo
had never invited him to the Hacienda del Inglés. She
realised now that the damage to her heart had been
done before ever they left Costa Rica.
She had believed Papa that she was attracted to
Andrew only because he was a sophisticated stranger.
Now she had met half the eligible gentlemen in
England, many of them more elegant, handsomer,
richer and of higher rank; now she knew for certain
that she loved him.
And somehow, she must keep both him and Muriel
from guessing it.
* * * *
The next afternoon the rest of the house party
arrived. As well as Teresa's particular friends, there
were people of the duke and duchess's generation, and
their elder daughter.
Lady Pamela Jordan, a little younger than her
brother Tom, was accompanied by her husband, Lord
Jordan, and four children under the age of ten. She
largely ignored the former in favour of the latter. In
fact she spent so much time in the nursery that
Teresa, after a friendly greeting that made her hope for
a closer relationship, seldom saw her cousin.
Jenny Kaye and Daphne Pringle, in raptures to be
invited to Five Oaks, immediately set about the siege of
Lord Danville. Teresa found it impossible to blame him
for turning increasingly to the non-threatening, safely
betrothed Muriel. Whenever the younger set split up,
for instance when they went by carriage to see Arundel
Castle, he manoevred so that he, Teresa, Muriel and
Sir Andrew were together.
This did not please his brother. "The devil of it is,"
he explained to Teresa, "that as soon as Tom's out of
view they start after me, though I ain't half such a
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good catch."
Teresa had mixed feelings on the subject, which she
confided to no one. It was a painful joy to be so often
with Andrew. The presence of his betrothed increased
the pain. Though in some ways Cousin Tom s company
helped her bear the situation, he also presented a
source of confusion: he and Muriel seemed often to
have more to say to each other than to Andrew or
herself. She knew Andrew noticed it and was hurt.
In spite of these circumstances, she enjoyed the trip
to Arundel. She had never seen anything remotely like
the ancient medieval castle, rebuilt time and time
again over the centuries, and she listened fascinated to
Cousin Tom's tales of its history. It belonged to the
Duke of Norfolk, and though he was not in residence
his housekeeper made them welcome and provided a
magnificent luncheon.
The December days were short, so they left early for
the two hour drive back to Five Oaks. Though the sun
was shining it was bitterly cold, and the housekeeper
provided hot bricks for their feet. Andrew and Lord
Danville carefully tucked fur rugs about Teresa and
Muriel in the smaller of the two carriages, then took
their seats opposite and tucked themselves in. They
set off, followed by the larger coach with the rest of the
group.
Some three miles from Five Oaks, they passed
through the village of Billingshurst. They were in the
middle of the village when their carriage stopped
abruptly, with much whoa-ing from the coachman.
"What is it?" called Lord Danville.
The answer was drowned by a confusion of snarling
growls and screams. Teresa leaned out of the window,
but all she could see was a village girl carrying two
pails of water on a yoke, her hand raised to her mouth,
an expression of horror on her face.
 Lord, what s to do? asked Andrew, peering over
Teresa s shoulder.
 I cannot make out.
 Here, let me by and I ll go and see. He swung open
the door and jumped out of the carriage, followed by
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