Kitabı oku: «Master of His Fate», sayfa 4
‘That’s very kind of you,’ Alexis nodded. ‘Delia and I did the same thing, and Delia’s mother paid for some beds.’
Delia said, ‘This is all turning out very well, and I think it goes without saying that we will literally take anything you can give—’
‘Or cadge,’ Alexis cut in, happy that Delia’s friends were so enthusiastic.
SEVEN
Alexis and Claudia sat together in the drawing room, chatting amiably about the charity. Vera had taken her leave, rushing off to be with her ailing father, and Delia had excused herself and gone up to her boudoir to pen a note to Henry Malvern, to thank him for his cheque.
It was money that Claudia was now speaking about, and this did not surprise Alexis. She knew very well who Claudia was – the daughter of Sebastian Trevalian, head of an ancient bank dating back a century at least. It was as famous as the renowned, longstanding Coutts.
It struck Alexis that her understanding of money was no doubt in her blood. ‘The amount donated is an extraordinary beginning,’ Claudia went on. ‘A veritable fortune, in fact. But I believe we should think further ahead and continue to raise money. Now. For the future. We mustn’t rest on our laurels.’
‘I agree with you. Money so easily slips away. Very fast.’
‘I will ask my father for a donation, and I’m sure he will supply a cheque immediately. I will also attempt to find other sources. We ought to build up a large amount of cash. In reserve, so that we are never caught short. Don’t you agree, Alexis?’
‘I do, and I feel very strongly that we should not waste the cash by buying items we can source elsewhere. Rather, it should be kept for medicines and good, nutritious food. In the six months it took to renovate the house, Delia and I managed to cadge enough furniture, crockery, and kitchen utensils to make the house functional and relatively comfortable to live in. And, in fact, every single thing was donated by our families and friends. Or bought for us by them.’
Claudia chuckled. ‘I shall have to learn to cadge, and I think I might be rather good at it. I’ll start with my sisters and cousins.’
‘That’s usually a good idea. I think you’ll find that those you ask will be glad, even relieved, to have somewhere to send items they no longer use, but don’t want to hoard away in cupboards.’
Claudia said, ‘One thing I forgot to ask you earlier: how many women will the house accommodate at one time?’
‘Twelve comfortably,’ Alexis replied. ‘We have six bedrooms. Delia and I placed two single beds in each room. But at a pinch those rooms could take a third bed, if necessary. There is also a large upstairs parlour that would quite easily convert to become a small dormitory. That would hold about four women and several children. You see, some women may well bring a child with them, or more, afraid to leave them behind. Our aim is to have twenty beds eventually. To give them shelter and safety, and that includes a few children. But we can’t become an orphanage. No one can live there for long: there are too many others waiting for a place.’
Claudia stared at her, a look of shock registering in her eyes. ‘Is it that bad? Is there such a lot of physical abuse among poor women?’
‘Oh yes. And even among the rich, if the truth be known,’ Alexis responded. ‘But wealthier women generally have families to run to, or loyal friends who will help them escape their husbands and their situation.’ Alexis shook her head, and added quietly, ‘Class doesn’t define abusive men, Claudia. I am afraid they are everywhere in society. In all classes and creeds.’
Sitting back in the chair, Claudia snapped her eyes shut, not saying a word.
Watching her closely, Alexis saw that her face had turned pale, and she seemed upset. After a moment, Alexis asked in concern, ‘Are you all right? Can I help you?’
Opening her eyes, sitting up straighter, Claudia said, ‘I’m fine. I was just remembering something …’ A great sigh escaped her. ‘I had a friend who once confided in me, told me her husband abused her, and very brutally. At times she had to remain at their country house until her bruises faded and she had recovered her equilibrium.’ There was a pause. Unexpectedly, Claudia’s eyes filled with tears.
Reaching out, Alexis touched her arm. ‘You are upset. What can I do to help you?’
Blinking back the tears, Claudia endeavoured to recover, to collect herself. Her voice was sad when she said, ‘I was remembering something, suddenly understanding how wrong I once was. About a friend. You see, I didn’t believe her. He was such a good-looking man, full of charm and grace, a true gentleman, an aristocrat of impeccable lineage. It just didn’t seem possible …’ Her voice trailed away and she shook her head.
‘Just because a man is a born gentleman doesn’t mean he isn’t also a cad. And a dangerous cad at that! I can think of a number of worse words to use to describe those bad men.’ Alexis’s voice had raised an octave in anger.
Claudia took out a handkerchief and patted her face. ‘I wish I had believed her. She was reaching out to me. She wanted my help. And I abandoned her. How awful of me. But I never saw any physical damage.’
‘Because she had waited until her wounds had healed.’ Alexis leaned forward, and asked, ‘I hope nothing terrible happened to her. I hope she didn’t die.’
There was a moment of silence before Claudia whispered, ‘She did. But not by his hand … She took her own life.’
‘Then she did die by his hand! He drove her to it.’ Looking at Claudia intently, Alexis saw she was still upset. Her eyes were moist again. She said, ‘You mustn’t blame yourself, or feel guilty. We are all in charge of our own lives, Claudia. Character is destiny … it is who we are inside ourselves that leads us to live the lives we do. Our character makes us who we are.’
A look of comprehension crossed Claudia’s face. ‘I see what you mean. Nonetheless, I should have helped her get away from him.’
‘She should have left him, sought help from someone else. Or did he keep her cloistered away?’
‘I don’t know. She stayed in the country when he’d hurt her badly. She told me she couldn’t show herself in that condition in London society.’
For a moment Alexis was silent, realizing how violent the man must have been. She couldn’t help wondering who he was.
Claudia levelled her gaze at Alexis. ‘Why on earth does a woman stay with a brutal man?’ She sounded genuinely puzzled, frowning.
‘I don’t know.’ A thoughtful look crossed Alexis’s face. ‘What I do know is that a woman living in poverty is extremely vulnerable. She has nowhere to go, probably not one single person to help her. And if she has children, it becomes more difficult, complex.’
Claudia simply nodded.
Alexis shrugged her shoulders, lifted her hands helplessly. ‘As for women of our class, despite the scandal of leaving, why they stay I’ll never understand. Could it be that they still love the man, despite his wickedness? It’s a mystery to me.’
‘And to me, Alexis. I have learned a lesson this afternoon. I shall never disbelieve a friend again, if she comes to me with a similar story. I shall pay attention and I will do something.’
‘I feel the same way.’
‘I know you’re not married,’ Claudia stated, half smiling at Alexis. ‘Neither am I. That is because I haven’t met the right man. But I hope I will do so one day. I would like to have a husband and a family. I love children.’
‘Yes, I’m not married,’ Alexis said, relieved that Claudia had recovered from her sadness about her friend. ‘And, frankly, I don’t expect I ever will be. My business career is more important to me than anything else …’
Alexis stopped short, suddenly wondering why she was confiding in Claudia, whom she did not really know. Then she realized that she had felt drawn to her the moment they had met.
‘Your reputation as a brilliant businesswoman precedes you, Alexis. You inspire other women who would also enjoy being in business, but are not allowed to work.’
‘What about you? Would you like to be a banker, following in your father’s footsteps?’
‘No, I wouldn’t. But I would like something to do, which is one of the reasons I want to be involved with your charity. By the way, does the safe house have a name yet?’
‘It does. Delia and I decided to call it Haven House, because that says exactly what it is – a haven for women who need to be safe.’
‘I can’t wait to visit it next Tuesday, and when will it be opened? When will women be able to come there for help?’
‘It’s really ready now, and Delia and I will make it known to the local churches and hospitals that we are there to give shelter,’ Alexis explained, and looked at the doorway as Delia walked in.
Delia joined them near the window. ‘I can see that you have hit it off. I knew you would. In fact, I’m sorry I didn’t ask you to become involved with the charity before, Claudia.’
‘So am I, but here I am now, ready, willing and able to do whatever I can. Wouldn’t it be possible to go and visit Haven House regularly, Delia?’
‘Of course, we’d love that. Alexis and I believe that the women will appreciate our interest in them. We fully intend to drop by whenever we can. Of course, they may be a bit shy at first.’
Claudia looked from Delia to Alexis. ‘I had a thought when I was on my way here earlier. I’d like to share it with you …’ A questioning look crossed her face.
‘Please do tell us.’ Delia smiled encouragingly.
‘I was wondering what I would actually do if I visited the shelter. It suddenly occurred to me that I might be able to teach the women something during their stay. I came up with the idea of taking some books. I thought perhaps there might be some women who can’t read.’
Alexis exclaimed, ‘What a clever idea! It’s just wonderful, Claudia. And there are bound to be many women who never went to school before it became compulsory.’
A smile spread across Claudia’s face, and she began to discuss the kind of books she would collect, how she might bring a carpenter to build bookshelves in one of the communal rooms with their permission.
As she sat listening to her, liking Claudia more and more, Alexis saw the strong family likeness between her and Delia. Their mothers were sisters, making them first cousins. Margot, Claudia’s mother, had died some years ago, but Delia’s was still alive and had helped with the charity.
Both women had the same burnished, glossy brown hair and dark eyes. Pretty women, they were well groomed and smartly dressed. She knew that Delia was just thirty because she had attended her birthday luncheon. But she had no idea how old Claudia was … younger than Delia, about twenty, perhaps, not much older than that.
Each of them was wearing a gown by Madame Valance. Her unique style was easy to recognize and it was obvious to Alex that they also patronized the French designer.
Delia had chosen a deep-rose-coloured silk gown, with long sleeves, a square neckline and a sweeping bustle; Claudia was dressed in a purple silk jacket with a cleverly cut skirt which matched. It was a straight skirt, with side drapes, but no bustle. Alexis thought it was chic, and decided she would order something similar. She liked the idea of skirts without those cumbersome bustles that she no longer tolerated.
Delia broke into her thoughts, when she said, ‘You are certainly giving us a very sharp once-over, Alexis. And the answer is yes. We are clients of Madame Valance.’
Alexis laughed. ‘I was actually admiring you both. And I have suddenly had a serious thought. We must be simply dressed when we are at Haven House, wearing plain clothes.’
‘Nothing like these gowns, nothing fancy. That’s most important,’ Delia interjected. ‘They would be upset, I think.’
Claudia was in agreement. ‘We have to show them respect and kindness, and we mustn’t appear to be superior or patronizing.’
‘Correct,’ Alexis said. ‘Plain clothes, plain talk, too, and very good manners. We must also have a lot of patience. These women who are so much in need must never be made to feel inferior.’
EIGHT
As they took their leave of Delia, Alexis turned to Claudia. ‘I have my carriage waiting, and I’m certain you do, too. But, if not, I would be happy to take you to your home.’
‘How nice of you, Alexis, and thank you. I’m going to visit a relative with my father. He said he would come for me, and I’m sure his carriage is already outside.’
It was. As Alexis and Claudia left Delia’s house, she saw it at once. Her father was standing outside on this glorious sunny afternoon, leaning against the carriage door nonchalantly smoking a cigarette. As soon as he saw them he dropped it, stubbed it out with his foot. Then he began to walk towards them, a smile on his face.
After greeting his daughter in an affectionate tone, he said, ‘Won’t you introduce me to your friend?’
‘Of course, Papa.’ She looked at Alexis. ‘I would like to present my father to you … Sebastian Trevalian. Papa, this is Alexis Malvern.’
Sebastian bowed slightly, offering her his hand.
‘Good afternoon, Mr Trevalian. I am very pleased to meet you,’ Alexis murmured, taking his hand.
‘The pleasure is all mine, Miss Malvern,’ he responded, staring at her with great intensity. He was still holding her hand in his, struck by her vivid beauty: her luxuriant auburn hair, deep-green eyes, and English-rose complexion. She was stunning. A beauty. No, a great beauty, and extremely elegant in her cream gown.
Startled by her father’s attention to Alexis, even puzzled, Claudia cleared her throat several times.
Glancing at his daughter, noting the surprised expression on her face, he immediately let go of Alexis’s hand and took a step back. ‘Wherever it is you are going, Miss Malvern, we will take you there.’ Turning, he put a hand under her elbow and began to walk her to his carriage.
‘Thank you, Mr Trevalian,’ Alexis said, ‘I have my carriage here, but such a kind offer on your part.’
Claudia said swiftly, ‘I’m so glad we met, Alexis, and I look forward to visiting Haven House on Tuesday.’
Taking hold of her father’s arm, still amazed by his fascination with her new friend, she made to lead him in the direction of their carriage. He shrugged her off gently, an amused look settling on his face.
‘I shall escort Miss Malvern, help her into her carriage,’ Sebastian announced firmly, and did just that, with Claudia staring after him, more and more surprised.
After stepping up into her carriage and seating herself, Alexis rolled down the window and looked at him, her attention held by his pale-grey eyes.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured.
Sebastian stared back at her for a long moment, before saying, ‘I do hope we shall meet again, Miss Malvern. Soon. I shall have Claudia give a small supper. You will come, I hope?’
Alexis found herself saying, ‘I would enjoy that,’ and then she wondered why she had accepted so quickly.
He nodded politely, and as he turned away she noticed the small smile playing around his mouth.
Her carriage moved forward, the horses snorting, the driver urging them on. Alexis leaned back against the leather seat, thinking about Sebastian Trevalian. His behaviour had been a bit odd. No, not odd. Very male. She knew he had been surprised by her appearance. And he had been attracted to her. Very much so.
With a little jolt, she understood that Claudia had been startled by her father’s behaviour. And she wished she had not accepted his invitation with such alacrity. It might look too eager. And she didn’t have the slightest interest in him. None at all.
And yet her thoughts stayed with Claudia’s father as the carriage rolled on towards Mayfair. He was undoubtedly one of the handsomest man she had ever set eyes on. It was his silvery-grey eyes, translucent and clear, that were so arresting and compelling.
His colouring was very fair, his light brown hair filled with blond streaks. There was no doubt that he was an Englishman, although his face had strong lines. It was sharply chiselled, with a Roman nose, a masculine jawline and generous mouth. He looked too young to be Claudia’s father. Her guess was that he was only forty.
Oh bother, what does it matter, she thought, as the carriage finally pulled up at her front door, at the bottom of Chesterfield Hill on the corner of Charles Street. Why am I thinking about him? I’m not going to supper. I’ll never see him again.
But she was wrong.
Alexis crossed the marble-floored entrance foyer and noticed that the library door was half-open. She hurried forward.
Her father was sitting in a chair near the fireplace and immediately jumped up, putting the book he was holding on a nearby occasional table.
‘There you are, my dear. I hope you had a good afternoon and that all went well.’ His smile was welcoming.
She kissed his cheek, and went and sat on the edge of the chair opposite his. He also seated himself again.
‘Yes, it was a great success, Papa.’ Opening her reticule, she took out the envelope, explaining, ‘Delia has written to you about your donation.’
Henry Malvern took the envelope, opened it and read the note. He passed it back to his daughter, so she could read it for herself. ‘She expresses herself very well,’ he murmured.
‘And it is indeed a very generous gift to us. Thank you again, Papa. Delia’s husband donated and so did Vera’s, and Claudia Trevalian the same amount. We’ve suddenly got a nice cash reserve.’
‘You do indeed!’ he exclaimed. ‘Is your friend Claudia Trevalian by any chance related to Sebastian Trevalian?’ he asked, an interested expression on his face.
‘Yes, she is his eldest daughter,’ Alexis answered but, noting the curiosity, seeing an eagerness in her father’s eyes, she said nothing else.
Henry leaned back in the wing chair and was silent for a moment or two, wondering how well his daughter knew Claudia. Unable to resist, he finally asked, ‘Have you known Claudia a long time? Is she part of the charity?’
Although she knew where this was leading, Alexis understood she had no option but to continue the conversation. ‘No, not an old friend, I met her today. She’s Delia’s cousin, and yes, she really wants to be genuinely involved, from what she said. She’s come up with the idea of teaching some of the women to read and has offered to pay for bookshelves and bring books.’
‘How remarkable! And it’s an excellent idea. I’m certain a lot of those women never went to school. So now you’re all set to open Haven House, aren’t you?’
‘We are, Papa, and Delia and I will probably do so next week. We want to get the word around first, so that people know of its existence.’
‘I will tell Jack Holden and some of the other stallholders when I go to the Malvern on Monday. They’ll spread the word. Good news travels as fast as bad news, you know. And how old is your new friend?’
‘Claudia? Oh, I’m not sure – about twenty, I think.’
‘Yes, that sounds right. Her mother died when she was quite young … ten years ago, if I remember correctly, when Claudia was ten. And I must say Sebastian has done a wonderful job of bringing up his three girls. With the help of nannies, I’ve no doubt, but he’s been a spectacular father, devoted to them.’
Before she could stop herself, Alexis said, ‘You sound as if you know him.’
‘I do, but not in the sense of being a friend. He’s a nodding acquaintance, shall we say. We’re members of the same club.’
Alexis merely nodded, not wishing to be drawn into a conversation about Sebastian Trevalian. But her father had other ideas, and her heart sank when he began to speak.
‘Trevalian’s the most eligible man in London, from what I hear. Only forty or so, a widower with a fine reputation, no scandals about women. Handsome, rich and available. No wonder women fall at his feet.’
‘Oh really,’ Alexis muttered, ‘Have you seen them actually doing that?’
Henry began to laugh. ‘No, of course not; no one means it literally. It’s just a saying. They do flock around him, though, according to some of the other club members. A few of the men wonder why he’s never remarried, others don’t. They think he enjoys his bachelor life to the hilt.’
Alexis sat very still on the edge of her chair, not liking the way she was feeling. Her chest had tightened, and she was suddenly uneasy. Obviously Sebastian was one of those men-about-town they called playboys. Why do I care? It doesn’t matter to me what he does.
She knew she must remove herself from her father’s presence for a while, otherwise he would go on and on about Claudia’s father. Single men drew him like a bee to honey. He was always on the lookout for a good, upstanding, available man. For her. Even though he knew she was not interested in becoming involved with any of them, and certainly marriage was out of the question. For her.
She stood up, clutching her reticule and the envelope, which she passed back to her father. ‘If you don’t mind, Papa, I am going to go to my room and change my clothes. I thought I would wear one of my house gowns for supper. They are much more comfortable.’
‘Yes, my dear, do go and change. And I shall continue to read David Copperfield.’
‘Yet again,’ she said, smiling at him. He looked about to speak, and she cut across him and said, ‘I do know it’s your favourite book of all time. It was even Dickens’s own favourite.’
‘Do you always have to have the last word?’ he asked, his eyes loving.
She brought her fingers to her lips, shaking her head. Then she blew him a kiss and disappeared.
Within minutes, her lovely maid, Tilda, was in her room helping Alexis undress. First she undid all of the little buttons down the back and helped her out of it. Alexis removed her small hat. Then Tilda began to unlace the tight corset which went over her torso and down over her hips. Once the corset was removed, two different petticoats came off, then the half-hoop which was tied around her waist. The last things to be removed were her knickers, the chemise across her chest, and finally the garter belt and silk stockings.
Naked, Alexis slipped on the silk robe Tilda held out to her and tied it, turned around to look at her maid, and thanked her profusely.
‘What a relief it is to get these undergarments off,’ Alexis said. With a smile and another word of thanks, she went into the adjoining bathroom as Tilda began to hang up the gown.
Feeling free at last, Alexis stretched her arms above her head; she bent low, touched her toes, then she waved her arms in the air and reached for the ceiling. She did these exercises every night, the moment her garments were removed. They were very constricting.
Once she felt suppler and free, she leaned forward, gazed at herself in the mirror above the washstand. There was no doubt in her mind that she did look rather nice this afternoon … how hard he had stared at her. When she had looked at him through the carriage window, he had held her eyes, devoured her with his. She had been unable to look away. His eyes were so translucent she felt as though she were looking deep into his soul. Something had been said without words … a message had been sent.
She turned away from the mirror swiftly. Why was she thinking about Sebastian Trevalian? She must dismiss him from her thoughts.
Returning to her bedroom, she found it was empty. Tilda had put her clothes away and disappeared. Before leaving, her maid had closed the draperies and placed a small quilt on the chaise, so that Alexis could take a rest before supper.
She lay down, covered herself with the quilt and closed her eyes. But she did not fall asleep. Her mind turned and turned … about the charity, her new friend Claudia, and Claudia’s father.
Why had he stuck in her mind? Because of his extraordinary eyes, and what they had told her so eloquently. That he desired her, wanted to be with her, aimed to get her. She could not allow that to happen. Sebastian Trevalian might be the most handsome man she had ever met, but he was also the most dangerous.
