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You May Kiss the Bride(88)

By:Lisa Berne


“Where is the Hall, Granny? I can’t see anything but fields and woods.”

“Oh, no, we must pass by quite a number of fields before we arrive at the park. And even then it’s twenty minutes or so before we reach the Hall. The estate encompasses some fifteen thousand acres of land, you know.”

“Fifteen thousand?” It was an unimaginably large figure.

“Yes indeed. I wonder what’s growing in these fields. If I didn’t know better, I would say that they’re fallow. Have you any idea, Evangeline?”

“Perhaps it’s something to do with crop rotation,” answered Miss Cott, but Livia observed that she looked a little uneasy; and that Grandmama, in her animation, did not seem to register the vagueness of the reply.

At length they reached the entrance to the park, a wide path flanked by thickly clustered woodland. An old stone and brick building stood to their left, of a ponderous Gothic design with its high-peaked gable topped by a complicated finial, and a large bay window supported by elaborately shaped corbels.

“There’s the lodge!” said Grandmama. “But why does it look so unkempt? And why does no one come to greet us? Where is Mrs. Allard?”

“It doesn’t seem as if anyone is there, Granny. See, one of the footmen has gotten down to knock, but nobody has come.”

“Upon my word! This isn’t the Penhallow way. I shall have to speak to Mrs. Worthing, I perceive. And Crenshaw must attend to it at once.”

Their party moved forward. Livia saw that Grandmama had lost a little of her bright animation, and that Gabriel as he rode along had a slightly puzzled expression. The wide path wound its way among the trees which eventually gave way to open land and there, at last, fronted by immense swaths of grass and gardens and a huge ornamental pond, was the Hall.

“There it is,” said the old lady, unnecessarily.

Livia stared.

She didn’t know quite what she had expected, but it certainly wasn’t this vast, looming, irregular stone structure, with numerous wings built on in a variety of architectural styles that clearly displayed a long span of centuries. Even the Glanville family, with all its wealth, had but one building in which they were housed—a mansion, to be sure, but it was as nothing compared to the sheer size of the Hall. Why, it would take hours simply walking through it. At that moment the sun emerged from behind the clouds, glinting against dozens and dozens of windows, dazzling the eye.

“Well? What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful, Granny.”

“Yes. I think so too.” Then a sharp tone crept into the old lady’s voice. “Evangeline, do you see the hedges? Why are they not clipped properly? And why is the grass so long? This is not at all what I expected.”

Miss Cott murmured something indistinguishable but Grandmama went on, unheeding: “And the gravel of the carriage-drive unraked! Where are the servants to meet us?”

The coach stopped, steps were let down, the ladies handed out. Muffin, pleased to be released from confinement, frisked gaily about their skirts but was ignored. Uncertainly Livia looked from Grandmama to Gabriel, who had dismounted and stood looking about him, frowning a little. He handed Primus’s reins to one of their footmen and went up the short flight of shallow steps to the porch and then to a massive door of some dark knotted wood. Imperatively he rapped the knocker but it was some minutes before his summons was answered.

Slowly the door creaked open and a diminutive woman, elderly, thin, wearing a simple homespun gown and apron and a large, not entirely clean mobcap, stood in the entranceway, dwarfed by its enormous proportions.

“May I help you, sir?” she asked timidly. “Have you come to see the family? But I’m sorry to tell you, sir, that they are not at home.”

Gabriel stared down at her, more perturbed than he cared to admit. Why had he thought he’d be instantly recognized as master of the Hall? But, more important, where was the rest of the staff? Why was a feeble old woman left to grapple with the massive door?

“Mrs. Worthing!” Grandmama came forward, half pleased, half angry.

The old woman in the doorway dipped a stiff little curtsy and Gabriel fancied he could hear her knees crackling. “Good day, ma’am. What a pleasure to see you. Pray won’t you come inside at once?” She tried to push the door open more widely and quickly Gabriel helped her. She smiled up at him and said:

“Thank you, sir! Oh, if you’ll forgive me, sir, you have such a look of Mr. Henry, the master! But he is not at home. Nor is the mistress. I don’t know where they’ve gone, but I’m certain they’ll return soon, for there’s to be a ball tonight. Please, do come in, and I’ll ring for tea.”