‘I’ll be up after lunch,’ Simon promised.
As they descended the stairs, reaction setting in, Charlotte said shakily, ‘He was so pleased. I thought at the very least he would be upset by the suddenness, the speed… After all, we’ve only known each other two days.’
‘Falling in love at first sight seems to run in the Farringdon family,’ Simon remarked.
So he did love her…
Her heart singing, she asked, ‘Is that what your grandfather meant when he talked about following the family tradition?’
‘Yes. My great-grandparents were married within a few weeks of getting to know each other—though Sophia, my great-grandmother, was Italian and spoke very little English—and Grandfather asked Grandmother to marry him less than six hours after meeting her.’
‘What about your parents?’
‘My father proposed to my mother three days after they met. He had to propose twice more before she accepted him, but the circumstances were different. She was a young widow and still in mourning for her husband, who had been killed by a terrorist bomb. Though my grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ marriages were long ones, and my parents’ marriage tragically short, they were all very happy.’
It seemed a good omen, and, her gladness overflowing, Charlotte slipped her hand into his.
Just for an instant, as if his mind was elsewhere, he failed to respond, then his fingers closed around hers and gave them a squeeze.
When they reached the sunny living-room, he suggested, ‘If you give me the phone number of your flat, I’ll have a quick word with Miss Macfadyen. Then you can fill her in on all the details while I talk to Matthew.’
She told him the number, and he tapped it in.
On the second ring the receiver was lifted and Sojo’s voice said laconically, ‘Hello?’
‘Miss Macfadyen, this is Simon Farringdon…’
‘Simon Farringdon…’ she echoed. Then sharply, ‘Is there something wrong? Where’s Charlotte?’
‘There’s nothing wrong; in fact everything’s fine, and Charlotte is here with me now. She tells me that you’re on holiday, so I’m ringing to invite you down to Farringdon Hall for a few days.’
‘Is this some kind of joke?’ Sojo demanded.
With a rueful glance at his companion, Simon denied, ‘Not at all. Charlotte and I would very much like your company.’
After a pause, Sojo said cautiously, ‘Well, if you really mean it, I suppose I could get a train down. When do you want me to come?’
‘If you have no plans for this afternoon?’
‘No.’
‘Then I’ll send a car for you. Say three o’clock… Now Charlotte has something to ask you, so I’ll leave her to explain.’
He handed over the receiver and went into the library, which also served as his office-cum-study.
Doing her utmost to curb her excitement, Charlotte said, ‘Sojo?’
‘What’s going on? Why do you want me to come down?’
‘Nothing’s going on, but quite a lot’s happened.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like Simon and I are going to be married.’
There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line, then Sojo laughed. ‘You’re kidding, of course.’
‘I’ve never been more serious.’
‘Honestly?’ Her voice squeaked a little.
‘Honestly.’
‘That ghost must have been quite something.’
‘It had less to do with the ghost than being stranded overnight.’
‘Stranded overnight! Hang on a minute… OK, now I’m sitting comfortably, so tell me everything before I die of curiosity.’
As succinctly as possible, Charlotte explained about the storm and the car breaking down. ‘But luckily we were close to one of the estate cottages, so Simon suggested that we spend the night there.’
‘Ooh, the devil! Were you alone?’
‘Yes.’
‘Share a bed?’
‘Yes.’
‘No regrets?’
‘None. Even before he proposed.’
‘That’s wonderful,’ Sojo said slowly.
‘But?’
‘I can’t help but worry in case this is just on the rebound from Wudolf. Because if it is—’
‘It isn’t,’ Charlotte broke in decisively. ‘As you yourself said, Rudy’s very Byronic, and I was on the verge of being infatuated, but that’s all…’
‘So it won’t rock the boat if I let on that he rang this morning wanting to speak to you?’ Sojo revealed.
‘No, it won’t. What did you tell him?’
‘That you were away for the weekend, but just in case he had the nerve to ring Farringdon Hall, I didn’t say where.’
Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief.
‘I hope I did the right thing?’ her flatmate asked.
‘Yes. I wouldn’t have wanted him to ring here.’
‘Knowing how painfully honest you are, I suppose you’ll want to put him in the picture. What will you do? Ring him up, or write to him?’
‘I can’t do either,’ Charlotte said. ‘I don’t know his home address or his phone number, or where to contact him in New York.’
‘Well, if he hasn’t got fed up and stopped ringing before I get back, I’ll be pleased to tell him that you’re going to marry someone far nicer. Incidentally, I’d love to see his face,’ Sojo said naughtily.
‘I hope he won’t be hurt,’ Charlotte remarked a shade anxiously.
‘Don’t start feeling guilty. The only thing likely to be hurt is his pride. I know his sort. That’s why I’m glad you’re not still hankering after him… You aren’t, are you?’
‘No, not in the slightest. In retrospect I can see that I wasn’t in love with him. I’m not sure I even liked him.’
‘What about Simon? Are you in love with him? Or is that a question I shouldn’t ask?’
‘Ask it by all means. The answer is madly. I was lost the moment I saw him. A coup de foudre.’
‘And it was mutual, I take it?’
‘Yes.
Sojo sighed. ‘How romantic. But to get to the nitty-gritty, does Sir Nigel know?’
‘Yes, we told him almost as soon as we got back.’
‘What did he say?’
‘For some reason he seems to have taken a fancy to me, and he was genuinely pleased. He’s going to give me away.’
‘I thought he was very ill,’ Sojo commented.
‘He is. That’s why Simon would like us to get married as soon as possible. He’s going to apply for a special licence so we can arrange the wedding for Wednesday or Thursday.’
‘You don’t