“There was quite a stir at the time in Nottingham or somewhere like that. Jake went off and did the seven years and now he is back … one of the biggest catches in Town.”
My mother looked at me anxiously. Perhaps she noticed the shine in my eyes.
When we arrived home she came to my room for one of those talks of which she was so fond and made a habit.
She came straight to the point.
“Do you realize who that man was?”
“Yes. Romany Jake.”
“That’s right. I was trying to think of his name. You danced with him quite a lot.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Did he talk about the past?”
“Yes. Quite freely. As a matter of fact I told him about Tamarisk.”
“Good heavens, yes. Of course he’s her father … if Dolly was telling the truth.”
“Dolly would not have lied. He is the father. I can see something of him in her.”
“What a situation. Who would have believed it?”
“He’s making no secret of his past. Lady Inskip mentioned it, didn’t she?”
“Oh, it adds a sort of glamour. The man who lived as a gypsy, killed a man to save a woman’s honour and served seven years in a penal settlement because of it. Lady Inskip is right. It’s so romantic—particularly when there’s a fortune and a title to go with it.”
“Yes,” I said. “He will be much sought after. He will have a wide choice.”
“He seems to have a very pleasant manner. Not much of the wandering gypsy there tonight.”
“I thought he was very much the same.”
“You had a long session with him, of course. Oh, here’s your father. He must have guessed where I am. Hello, Dickon. You were right. We were gossiping again.”
“I’m always glad when these affairs are over,” he said, sitting down in my easy chair. “You were the two most beautiful women at the ball.”
“Isn’t he a good faithful old husband and father?” said my mother. “There were more glittering figures than we were.”
“I wasn’t talking about glitter. I was talking about beauty.”
“Dickon, did you see who was there?”
“Half of fashionable London, I imagine.”
“Anyone in particular?”
“I had eyes only for my beautiful wife and daughter.”
“Dickon, you are really old enough now not to be so maudlin.”
“You ungrateful creature!”
“What I meant was did you see the young man who was dancing with Jessica quite a lot?”
“Dark fellow.”
“That’s right. Did you notice anything about him?”
“Good looking, well set-up sort of fellow.”
“Dickon, you are so unobservant. He’s a figure from the past. Do you remember Romany Jake?”
“God bless my soul! Well, yes … I can’t believe it.”
“It’s true,” I said. “He made himself known to me.”
“Lady Inskip told us,” said my mother. “They are making no secret of it.”
“What was he doing at a ball like that?”
“Invited,” I replied. “And he was an honoured guest.”
“Introduced to me by Lady Inskip herself,” put in my mother.
“He’s inherited a fortune and a title. That’s why he has come home from Australia. His estate is in Cornwall but he has a house in London.”
“You certainly found out all the details.”
“Isn’t it a romantic story?” said my mother.
“He’s a romantic sort of fellow.”
“He’s coming to Grasslands,” I said.
They both looked rather startled.
“He has a right to see his own daughter.”
“Tamarisk, of course,” said my mother.
“Best thing to do would have been to keep quiet about that,” added my father.
“He doesn’t seem to want to keep quiet. He wants to see his daughter.”
“So he’ll be staying at Grasslands?” said my mother. “Would you prefer us to have him at Eversleigh?”
“Why?” I asked.
“Oh,” said my mother quickly. “I thought you might have preferred it.”
“Tamarisk is at Grasslands. He would want to be where she is.”
“Quite so,” said my father.
“I hope people are not going to harp on about his sentence,” I said.
“What does it matter? He’s served his term. It’s over.”
“He has a daughter,” my mother reminded him.
“Lots of men have daughters.”
“Illegitimate ones?” asked my mother.
“Scores of them!” he retorted. “Let him come. He might even take her off your hands, Jessica. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” He yawned. “Come on. I’m not so fond of these late nights as I used to be. Goodnight, daughter. Sleep well.”
My mother kissed me tenderly. I had a notion that she was aware of the effect Romany Jake had had upon me.
The next morning he called at the house and asked for me. I received him in the drawing room, pleased that he had come and yet uncertain of myself.
“Good morning,” he said, taking both my hands and smiling at me. “I hope you will forgive such an early call. We left each other last night without making arrangements.”
“Arrangements?” I repeated.
“You kindly said I might visit you at Grasslands to see my daughter.”
“Yes, of course. I think I had better consult my mother. When would it be convenient for you?”
“As soon as possible. I feel that having suddenly learned that I possess a daughter I should lose no time in making her acquaintance. I was going to ask you if you would care to take luncheon with me. I know one or two very good inns hereabouts.”
I hesitated and he went on: “There is so much I want to know about… my daughter.”
“I understand that, of course.”
I felt foolish, awkward … wanting so much to go with him and at the same time feeling it was unseemly to do so with so much enthusiasm. But why not? I was no longer a young girl, I was a married woman. They deserved certain privileges, certain freedoms. To refuse to go with him alone would have suggested that I suspected him of intending to make advances. Or would it? Sensing my hesitation he pressed home the point.
“What about a trip on the river? Some of the riverside inns are of the best. We could sit in the gardens and watch the world sail by. I always find that pleasant.”
I said I should be ready in ten minutes. I went to my mother’s room but her maid told me she had just gone out with my father. I was rather glad as I did not want her speculating.
I put on my cloak and came down.
He looked very elegant in his dark blue coat and light waistcoat and his hessian boots. In my dreams I had seen him in his brown breeches and orange coloured shirt. Even then he had had a certain style—gypsy fashion it was true, but he had been outstanding as he always would be.
I was beginning to feel happy for no reason at all except that I was in his company.
He took my arm as we walked through the streets towards the river. It was a lovely morning: the sun was warm and that ambience of victory still hung about the streets. Everyone seemed full of joy.
“I am so pleased I found you,” he was saying. He pressed my arm. “Of course I should have done so in due course. I was planning to come down to find you when I left London. How much more interesting this is! I little knew when I set out for the Inskips’ ball how much I was going to enjoy it.”
“Surprises are always appreciated.”
“Pleasant surprises, yes. Do you know, I have often thought of something like this, sauntering through the streets of London, a beautiful young lady on my arm, and the strange thing was that it was with one particular young lady … and here I am. In my mind’s eye I have seen it many times. Is that precognition, would you say?”
“Certainly not. Once you were in London you could easily have found a young lady to stroll with you. You must have been homesick during your stay abroad.”