The Cavendon Luck by Barbara Taylor Bradford
“I will come with you. Next week?”
“Oh dear, why not sooner?” Lady Gwendolyn sounded dismayed.
“Because of the wedding. It’s not that urgent, is it?” Cecily asked.
“When you’re my age, it is a bit. I could die in my sleep. Or at the dinner table.”
“Oh you’re not going to do that, Great-Aunt Gwen! You don’t want to miss your big birthday party … when you’re one hundred years old. You did tell me you have it planned to the last detail.”
Lady Gwendolyn laughed, and went on briskly, “I shall write a codicil this afternoon, and tomorrow or on Thursday you can pop along to see me. I will sign it with you and Mrs. Alice as witnesses. Just in case I fade away before I see my solicitor.”
Cecily picked up on the jocularity in Lady Gwendolyn’s voice, and chuckled. “I don’t think you’ll fade away just yet. And I think that the codicil would be legal, but I’ll check with Miles.”
“Thank you very much, Ceci. I respect your judgment, you know, since you are the businesswoman in the family. I’m going to leave my house to Diedre. I was willing it to Hugo, but he told me recently he doesn’t really want it. And it has to stay in the family. Also, I do wish to leave some of my good jewelry and various possessions to—” She broke off, lowered her voice and said softly, “Margaret, because she is my daughter. I want her to remember me and that I loved her all these years. She told me she doesn’t want anything, just to know me. But I must give her certain things.”
“Of course you should do that, I understand, Great-Aunt Gwen. I will make a point of coming up to see you tomorrow. Perhaps we can go to Little Skell Manor after tea.”
“That is indeed an excellent idea, Cecily. I shall now go and write my codicil.”
They said good-bye, and Cecily put the receiver in the cradle and sat back in her chair. She felt a suddent rush of pride in Lady Gwendolyn. What a truly wonderful woman she was and an example to them all. She certainly had her wits about her, there was no doubt about that, and was in good health. So far. Finding her long-lost daughter had been a miracle, to say the least, and Cecily knew this had given Lady Gwendolyn a new incentive to keep on living. At least for a little while. Since the introduction it had been touching to see their relationship develop.
Margaret had been very devoted to Great-Aunt Gwen, and came to see her regularly, but always escorted by Charlotte, so that the staff were not in any way suspicious.
From the moment she had met her, Cecily had liked Margaret, had believed her to be a nice woman, and decent; she had been proven right. And the one who had benefited the most was an old lady who had found peace of mind.
Forty-five
Miles Ingham thought his eldest sister Diedre had never looked more beautiful than she did tonight. She wore a red silk dress which made her look svelte and elegant, and the cameo necklace, which had once belonged to Napoleon’s sister Pauline, sat perfectly on her neck.
They were all gathered in the yellow drawing room for a glass of champagne to toast Diedre and William. It was Friday, the night before the wedding. Diedre was standing near the fireplace with William, talking to Harry and Paloma, who was five months pregnant. How well suited they were and happy together, and like the Swanns, he was delighted that they had found each other. His old friend had never looked better in his life.
Cecily was standing slightly in front of Miles, and he drew closer, put his arm around her waist. She swiveled her head, looked up at him, and smiled. He bent down, kissed her cheek. “Well done, darling, Diedre looks amazing, and so do you.” He increased the pressure of his arm against her body, and whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right, I promise you.”
Cecily nodded and leaned against his body, needing to be as close as possible to him. She had felt tired earlier, and slightly downhearted, obviously because of the miscarriage, but she had tried hard to put up a good front. She was aware that Miles believed they would have another child eventually; he had told her he felt it in his bones. God willing, she thought now, and smiled at him.
Looking down at his wife, seeing the shadows under her eyes, Miles thought about that awful night, so long ago now, when he had gone to her little hole-in-the-wall shop on South Audley Street. Knowing she wouldn’t be there, he had walked over there, nonetheless, wishing to feel close to her.
The sign on the door had said SHOP TO RENT, and he had panicked, wondering where she had gone. He had come to realize that he would worry about her and love her for the rest of his life. This was when he had known that the die was cast, that there was no way out for him. He had to stay on the path which had been decided for him by others long before.
It was only recently that he had come to understand that the die was cast long before then, when Cecily had been thirteen and he fifteen. They had become aware that they loved each other and were not simply platonic childhood friends anymore.
Years of heartache had followed, after his disastrous marriage to Clarissa; then Clarissa’s tragic accidental death had brought him back to Cecily at last, the way it was meant to be. Forever.
Thoughts of his full and happy life with her and their three children filled him with a rush of pleasure, and helped to balance the massive worries that plagued him all the time these days. Cavendon, running the estate, the coming war and everything this meant. And the dismal future … what it held for them. I won’t think about the future tonight, Miles decided. I want this to be a happy weekend for us all, and particularly for Diedre. It’s probably the last one we’ll have for a very long time.
Looking across at Diedre once again, he felt a rush of pride in her. She had been stoical for years, coping so well with her grief over Paul’s unexpected death. Miles frequently wondered if the problems of Cavendon and the huge money losses had been responsible for that massive heart attack he had had.
Diedre had been brave, had pulled herself together, gone back to work at the War Office, brought up Robin. Finally she had allowed herself to open up her emotions, to fall in love, to start the relationship with William that had led to their marriage, to this very night.
Miles smiled inwardly, thinking about how Diedre had retained her independence, her need to be in control of her own destiny. As much as that was possible for anyone. He was amused that she had insisted on paying for this dinner party tonight, much to his father’s irritation. But at least she had permitted her father to foot the bill for the wedding reception.
Glancing around the room, Miles noticed that everyone had now arrived. Aside from all the Inghams, and four of the Swanns, he spotted Edward Glendenning, Paloma’s father, and her mother, Adrianna Bellamy, the Jollions with Noel, William’s brother, Ambrose, and his wife, Veronica. Mark Stanton was also present, considered one of the family, and Tony Jenkins, Diedre’s friend he had met in Berlin, was a guest along with another friend of hers, Alex Dubé. He was genuinely delighted that Felix and Constance Lambert had been included on Diedre’s guest list.
“It’s quite a crowd,” he said to Cecily. “So much for Diedre’s wish to have a really small wedding.”
Cecily laughed. “Lists do seem to grow. Just look at Great-Aunt Gwen, she’s positively regal in her royal purple, as she calls it. And she’s really on form at the moment. She was full of beans when I saw her yesterday.”
Miles nodded. “I bet she makes that hundredth birthday of hers, I really do.”
“Oh she will. I’ve no doubt about that,” Cecily replied.
A moment later, Constance and Felix came to join them, followed by Dulcie, who said, “James has found a friend. He and Edward Glendenning are off to it fast and furious, and Alicia’s standing there with her mouth wide open, lapping it up. She can’t believe it, being with two great actors.”
“I didn’t realize that this family had so many children,” Constance commented, staring at Miles. “I’ve counted ten already.”
“You’re missing a few,” Miles remarked. “Papa has twelve grandchildren altogether, and there are two more
“A potential army—” Cecily said, and stopped abruptly. Instantly her face changed as she caught Miles staring at her. She left the rest of her sentence unfinished, remembering that Charlie and the twins could easily be called up the moment war broke out.
Felix jumped into the awkward silence. “I’m so glad that Alex Dubé was invited. He’s certainly going to make a star of Annabel. And my goodness, the girl’s a genius at the piano.”
A moment later Diedre came over to speak to them, immediately followed by William. Cecily was relieved that the conversation took yet another turn, went to a different subject.
It was not long after this that Hanson came to announce that dinner was served, and they all slowly trooped out to the blue sitting room. As usual, it was transformed into the blue ballroom for the wedding. There were two tables for the adults, two for the children, and they looked beautiful, filled with glittering silver and crystal. Yet again Harry and Charlotte had worked their magic with an array of flowers throughout, banked in the window area, and placed around the room. A fire blazed in the hearth and in a corner near the other window a trio played soft background music.
“How lovely,” Constance murmured to Dulcie as they walked in together. “It’s going to be a wonderful evening for Diedre and William.”
* * *
After breakfast, Diedre’s sisters and Cecily rushed her upstairs to her bedroom, where they followed the ancient tradition of giving the bride four tokens for good luck: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
“Here is something old,” Cecily said, presenting Diedre with a small box. Inside there was a lace handkerchief, with a tiny gold safety pin attached. “We’ll pin it on the inside of your waistband,” Cecily explained. “Nobody will see it. Also, it’s not bulky.”
“Thanks, Ceci,” Diedre said, and accepted another box from Dulcie. Lifting the lid, she exclaimed, “Oh my goodness! Gorgeous stockings.”
“I bought them in Beverly Hills,” Dulcie told her. “And they’re pure silk, perfect for a beautiful bride. Now you have something old from Ceci, something new from me.”
“And now something borrowed,” Daphne announced, handed her a velvet box. “Yours to wear today.”
Diedre opened the box and was momentarily stunned. “Ruby-and-diamond earrings! They’re spectacular, Daphne. Are they yours?”
“No, ours. Papa took me down to the big vault yesterday to look for something for you to wear at your wedding, and when I saw these I knew they were perfect for you. But they must go back into the vault tomorrow.”
They all laughed, remembering the lost jewels years ago, and then DeLacy stepped forward and offered Diedre a small silk bag. “And finally something blue.”
Opening the drawstring pouch, Diedre took out a blue silk garter trimmed with lace.
“Something blue to wear above the knee.” DeLacy grinned. “And unlike the rubies, you don’t have to give it back to me. It’s yours to keep.”
“I shall treasure it.”
There was more laughter, and then Diedre arranged the gifts neatly on the bottom of the bed. “Thank you. And I just want to add that you’ve been lovely to William, so thanks for that. Actually, I think he’s fallen in love with all of you.”
“But you’re his one true love,” Dulcie said, giving Diedre a hug. The others also hugged her, and moved toward the door.
There was a moment of silence before Diedre suddenly said, “I can’t believe I’m getting married today. I never thought I would fall in love again.”
“But you did. And it just goes to show that you never know what’s going to happen. Life is just full of surprises,” DeLacy remarked. “Of course, not all surprises are as nice as this one.”
“Only too true,” Daphne agreed. “Now we’re going to leave you in peace for a while.”
* * *
Cecily came back at one o’clock to help Diedre put on makeup and do her hair. And then she helped her to get dressed in her wedding outfit.
Because it was her second marriage, and also winter, Diedre decided she wanted to wear a suit with a long skirt rather than a dress, and Cecily had concurred. Avoiding white, cream, and the obvious blue, together they had settled on a deep rose pink, a color that was most flattering to Diedre with her creamy complexion and blond hair.
The fabric was a soft wool, and it fell beautifully because, as usual, the outfit was well cut and tailored. The long narrow skirt had a slight flare just below the knee and was ankle-length, topped with a short, cropped jacket which ended at the waist. It had a round neck, narrow long sleeves, and small buttons down the front.
Now as she stood in front of the cheval mirror in her bedroom, Diedre smiled and turned around to face Cecily. “I love the suit! Thank you, Ceci. It is so chic, and the color is marvelous. I don’t often wear pink but it’s going to be my favorite.”
“It does suit you, Diedre, and so did the red dress. Another good color for you. I’ll let you put on the Juliet cap yourself, but it must be right on top, on your crown and straight. Don’t slant it.”
Diedre did as she said, and nodded, liking the effect, and then she clipped on the ruby-and-diamond earrings. Her only other jewelery was her diamond engagement ring from William, and her own narrow diamond watch. She hated not knowing what time it was. My training, no doubt, she thought, and turned once again. “How do I look, Ceci?”
“Like a million dollars, as Dulcie would say.”
A moment later Dulcie was rushing in, exclaiming, “Here I am for your inspection, Cecily. Oh my God! Diedre, you look like a million dollars!”
Cecily and Diedre couldn’t help exchanging laughing glances, and Cecily said, “Come on then, Dulcie, I’d like to just check the back of your gown.”
Moving forward, Dulcie glanced at herself in the cheval mirror, straightened a lock of hair, and then faced Cecily. “Do I pass muster?”
A faint smile flickered in Cecily’s eyes, and she nodded. “You certainly do.” She straightened the shoulders, and was satisfied.
She had designed a long tailored dress made of the palest of pinks for Dulcie. Like Diedre’s skirt, it was ankle-length. The gown had long sleeves, and it was understated but elegant. Dulcie wore pearl earrings and no other jewelry except her engagement ring and wedding band. So that the matron of honor did not echo the bride, Cecily had made a headband of pale pink wool for Dulcie, rather than a Juliet cap.
“You’ll both do,” Cecily announced with a huge smile, went across the room and picked up her jacket. She was also in a long-skirted suit, which was made of silver-gray wool. She liked this look which she had just created. Quite aside from being stylish and elegant, the long skirts were warm in the winter weather.
“Shall we go?” Dulcie asked. “Papa is waiting in the library.”
* * *
Cecily left Diedre and Dulcie in the entrance hall, and hurried off to the church. The two sisters went into the library, where their father was waiting for them.
Charles was standing near the fireplace. He was dressed in his morning suit with a white rosebud in his buttonhole, and at almost seventy he still looked handsome and in good health, which pleased the girls. They exchanged knowing smiles with each other.
After kissing Diedre and then Dulcie on the cheek, he said, “What a lucky man I am to have two beautiful daughters like you.”
“You have a couple more,” Dulcie said, laughing.
“Too true, and also Ceci, who has become my fifth daughter.” His eyes swept over them, and he continued, “And she’s certainly done you proud today. Your clothes are lovely, and I must admit, I do love this rose color on you, Diedre, and your pink gown, Dulcie. What a nice change after so many years of seeing you both in blue.”
Dulcie chuckled. “Great-Aunt Gwendolyn won’t be able to tease us today about wearing clothes to match our eyes.”
Charles smiled, said, “We must go. We’re running a bit late.?
Dulcie exclaimed, “I’ll go on ahead, Papa. See you both in the church.”
Charles and Diedre followed her, walking across the stable yard at a steady pace. “I’m very happy about this union, Diedre,” Charles said, and patted her hand affectionately. “I liked William the moment I met him, and I knew he was interested in you as a woman and not just as a colleague. I’m rather pleased I decided to poke my nose in…” He let his sentence slide away, simply patted her hand resting on his arm.
“It was an intervention that proved to be most successful, Papa. And thank you for your little chats with Robin. He did like William the moment they met, but you’ve made him feel relaxed and very secure about trusting Will.”
“He’s a good boy, intelligent and sensible, a bit of an old soul, I think. He’ll be right by your side today. As for William, he’ll never let him down, or you either, for that matter.”
They fell silent as they went up the hill, and a few seconds later they arrived at the little church. As they stepped into the porch they were greeted by the four ushers, who looked smart in their morning suits, each with a fresh white rosebud in their buttonholes.
Robin was in the forefront and came and kissed his mother. There was a wide smile on his face when he said, “You’re a beautiful bride, Mummy.”
Charlie, and his twin brothers, Thomas and Andrew, were grinning from ear to ear, and they echoed Robin’s sentiments when they complimented the bride.
The ushers led them into the church where Dulcie was waiting, standing next to a small table holding the bridal bouquets. She was matron of honor, the only attendant Diedre had wanted.
Dulcie handed Diedre her wedding bouquet, which was a mixture of deep pink roses and carnations of the same color; Dulcie’s bouquet was a posy of pale pink rosebuds that matched her gown.