He was often riding past the schoolhouse and on several occasions he called in. My mother received him graciously and without fuss, and the only reason why I knew she was inwardly excited was by the faint colour in her cheeks. She was delighted. This most prosaic of women was vulnerable only where her daughter was concerned, and it became embarrassingly clear that she had decided that Joel Derringham should marry me. Instead of at the schoolhouse my future was to be at This was the wildest dream” for even if Joel thought it a possibility, his family would never permit it.
Yet in the space of a week we had become very good friends. I enjoyed our meetings, which were never arranged but seemed to come about naturally, though I suspected they were contrived by him. It was amazing how often I would go out and come upon him. I rode Jenny, our little horse which drew the jingle-our only means of transport. She was not young but docile and my mother had been anxious for me to ride well. Several times when I rode out on her I would come upon Joel on one of the fine hunters from the Derringham stables. He would ride beside me and it invariably happened that where I proposed to go was just where he was going also. He was so gracious and charming as well as informative and I found his company interesting. I was flattered, too, that he should seek me out.
Margot told me that her parents had left England because of the way things were going in France; she did not seem to be very perturbed and was delighted to be left alone in England. Vaguely I wondered about Margot, who was very merry and abandonedly gay one day and subdued and serious the next. Her changes of moods were quite unpredictable, but being absorbed in my own affairs, I put it down to her Gallic temperament and forgot her.
It was Joel who told me about the reason for the Comte’s sudden departure. I had ridden out on Jenny for I used to exercise her after school in the evenings, so the time when I would be at liberty to ride was almost certain to be early evening. Invariably I would see the tall figure coming towards me through the trees and it happened so often that I came to expect it.
Joel looked grave when he discussed the Comte’s departure.
“There is a great scandal brewing at the Court of France,” he told me.
“Some members of the nobility seem to be involved in it and the Comte thought it would be wise for him to go back to be on the spot. It involves a diamond necklace which the Queen is said to have acquired with the assistance of a Cardinal and that in exchange for his services he hoped to become her lover … might, indeed, have been her lover. Of course it is denied by the Queen, and the Cardinal de Rohan and his accomplices have been arrested. It is going to be a cause celebre.”
“And does this concern the Comte Fontaine Delibes?”
“There is a strong feeling that it might concern the whole of France.
The royal family cannot afford a scandal at this time. Perhaps I am wrong . I hope so. My father thinks I exaggerate, but as I told you I sensed a seething unrest in the country when I was there. There is a great deal of extravagance. The rich are so rich and the poor so poor.
“Is that not the case everywhere?”
“Yes, I suppose so, but there seems to be a growing resentment throughout France. I believe the Comte is very much aware of it. It was for this reason that he decided to return without delay. He made arrangements to leave on the night of the soiree.”
I thought about; his leaving in haste and supposed he had not given me another thought. And that, I told myself, is the last I shall see of the distinguished gentleman, and that is not such a bad thing. Something told me that his acquaintance would bring me no good.
I must dismiss him from my mind. That should not be difficult, for at this time I was enjoying a very pleasant friendship with the most eligible young man in the neighbourhood.
We did not speak much of the Comte after that. Joel was interested in the country’s affairs and was hoping one day to become a Member of Parliament. His family were not eager for , this.
“They think that I, being the only son, should give my attention to the estate.”
“And you have other ideas.”
“Oh, I am interested in the estate, but it is not enough to occupy a man’s lifetime. One can delegate to managers. Why should a man not go out and take an interest in the governing of the country?”
“I dare say Mr. Pitt makes a full-time job of his parliamentary career.”
“Ah, but he is Prime Minister.”
“Surely you should aim for the highest office.”
“Perhaps I should.”
“And delegate more and more of estate matters to your managers?”
“That could be. Oh, I like the country. I am interested in managing affairs here, but these are uneasy times. Miss Maddox. They are fraught with danger. If there was trouble on the other side of the Channel…”
“What trouble?” I asked quickly.
“You remember the ” ‘rehearsal I mentioned. What if that really should have been a rehearsal with a full-scale performance to come? “
“You mean a kind of civil war?”
“I mean that the needy might rise against the affluent … the starving against the extravagant spendthrifts. I think that could be a possibility.”
I shivered, picturing the Comte, proud in his chateau and the mob marching . the bloodthirsty mob . My mother said that I allowed my imagination to run away with me.
“Imagination is like fire,” she used to say.
“A good friend but a bad enemy. You must learn to direct it in the way it can serve you best.”
I asked myself why I should be concerned about what happened to that man. I was sure that if an evil fate overtook him he would deserve it, but I imagined no ill fate would ever overtake him. He would always be the winner.
Joel went on: “My father always reproves me if I talk of these things.
He believes there is a good deal of speculation which means nothing. I expect he is right. But in any case the Comte did think he should return. “
“Is it significant that he has left his daughter here?”
“Not in the least. He approves of the tuition she is getting in English. He says that since she studied at your school she speaks far better English than he does. He wants her to perfect it. You can rely on her being with you for another year.”
“My mother will be pleased.”
“And you?” he asked.
“I have a fondness for Margot. She is very amusing.”
“She is very … young …”
“She is growing up fast.” ‘. and lighthearted,” he added Joel was scarcely that, I reflected. He took life somewhat seriously.
He loved to talk politics to me as I was aware of what was happening in the country. My mother and I always read any newspaper which came into our hands. Joel warmly admired Mr. Pitt, that youngest of our Prime Ministers, and he talked of him glowingly, how clever he was, how the country had never been better served, and he believed his introduction of the Sinking Fund would gradually reduce the National Debt.
When there was an attempt on the King’s life, Joel actually called at the schoolhouse to tell us about it. My mother was delighted to see him and brought out a bottle of her homemade wine-kept for special occasions and some of the little wine cakes she took such a pride in.
She was almost purring as we sat down at our parlour table and Joel told us about the demented old woman who had waited for the King as he alighted from his post chariot at the garden gate of St. James’s on a pretext of handing a petition to him, and had tried to stab him in the chest with a knife she had concealed.
Thank God,” said Joel, ‘that His Majesty’s guards caught her arm in time. The King behaved in a manner one expects of him. His concern was for the poor woman.