Natalie gratefully sank down onto the chintz-upholstered cushions. ‘So you haven’t a telephone?’ she asked as Lady Mary poured them each a generous measure of whisky.
‘No.’ She handed Natalie a glass and sat down beside her. ‘Charles and I have mobiles now. You’re more than welcome to use mine–’ she leaned forward and picked up a mobile phone from the coffee table ‘–if you’d like to call your young man and let him know you’re all right.’
‘Thank you.’ Natalie rang Rhys and got his voicemail. She left a quick message and rang off. ‘I don’t want him to worry.’
‘Of course you don’t. By the way, I’m sorry if I was rude when I answered the door. We get so many girls, traipsing up to the hall looking for Dominic. They use every pretext in the book – they need to use the loo, their car broke down, and so forth, and it gets very tiresome. Charles gets quite put out.’
‘I can imagine. How is his lordship?’ Natalie asked politely. She’d always been petrified of Dominic’s father, truth be told.
Perhaps, she thought uneasily, he’d mellowed with age.
‘He’s fighting the good fight – trying valiantly to keep Mansfield in the family, you know. It’s a heavy burden to bear…like tilting at windmills.’
Natalie set her drink aside and leaned forward. ‘Have you thought about renting Mansfield Hall out for wedding receptions and films and such? It can pay quite well.’
Lady Mary arched her brow. ‘I looked into it recently and the county council charge a £2,000 fee just to apply for a licence. Why do you ask, dear?’
‘Well, Rhys and I are getting married in a few months. I’ve left it too late to blag a decent venue for the reception, and now everything in London is booked. Even Mum’s house is under renovation. And I refuse to make do with a marquee in the back garden.’ She met Lady Mary’s eyes. ‘I’d really love to hold the ceremony and reception here, at Mansfield Hall.’
‘Oh! Well, it’s a lovely idea in theory, darling – but we’d need a licence to host a wedding reception here…which would require fire exits, parking, and public loos…’ She paused and added, ‘Then there’s my son to consider.’
‘Do you mean Dominic?’
‘Well, whatever Rupert’s calling himself these days,’ she said, and shrugged. ‘He won’t welcome the idea of your getting married here, you know.’
‘Why wouldn’t he? We broke up ages ago! Besides, he’s with Gemma now.’
‘That may be, but he won’t relish seeing you tie the knot with another man here at Mansfield. Rather like rubbing salt in a wound, I should think.’
‘Oh. Oh, I hadn’t thought of it like that.’ Natalie looked at her in dismay.
Lady Mary leaned forward and patted her knee. ‘Not to worry, my dear. As it happens, I’m having lunch with Rupert tomorrow, to meet his new girlfriend. I’ll ask him about it then.’
‘Dominic and Gemma are here?’ Nat squeaked, wide-eyed.
‘Yes, they’re staying at a hotel in the village. I thought it best to get Charles used to the idea of having Rupert back in the family fold before I spring any more surprises on him.’
‘Oh…yes. Yes, of course,’ Natalie agreed.
‘Well,’ her ladyship pronounced as she set aside her drink and stood up, ‘I’m sure you’re tired, so let’s take you upstairs and get you settled. I had one of the guest bedrooms readied earlier for Gemma…that should do nicely.’
‘I can’t thank you enough,’ Natalie said as she followed Lady Mary back down the hallway and across the foyer to the stairs. ‘You’ve been more than kind.’
Her ladyship paused on the landing and turned to face her. ‘Why, you’re like family, Natalie! I’m terribly fond of you.’ She frowned and murmured, ‘After all, it ought to be you, not someone else. I’ve always thought so.’
‘I’m sorry - me?’ Natalie echoed, puzzled.
‘You were good for Rupert. He was happy with you.’
‘But we were horrible together,’ Nat blurted.
She didn’t add that Dom had cheated on her – repeatedly – and broken her heart six ways to Sunday, because she didn’t wish to hurt Lady Mary’s feelings or tarnish her high opinion of her son. ‘He and Gemma are perfect for each other. Gemma’s wonderful, and she loves Dominic very much.’
‘I’m sorry, my dear,’ Lady Mary said firmly, ‘but I still believe that you and Rupert ought to be the ones getting married here at Mansfield.’
‘How do I look?’ Gemma asked Dominic the next morning.
Dominic bit back a groan. If there was ever a more loaded female question, he didn’t know what it was. The only worse question was ‘does my bum look too big?’ No matter what answer he gave, Gemma wouldn’t believe him. And if he didn’t answer, she’d accuse him of hating her outfit…and of thinking her bum was too big.
Which it was, actually; but he liked her bum just as it was.
‘You look lovely. Perfect. Can we go now, babes?’
Gemma hesitated. ‘Do I have on too much slap?’ she asked Dominic anxiously as she leaned closer to the mirror. ‘Is my lippy too bright? Perhaps I should wear a different shade—’
He took her firmly by the arm and dragged her towards the hotel room door. ‘Your lippy’s fine. You’re only meeting my mum, after all. Come on, or we’ll be late.’
‘Your car needs an alternator,’ the garage mechanic told Natalie as he wiped his hands on a cloth. ‘Have to send over to Todenham for the part. It’ll be here by Wednesday morning.’
‘Wednesday morning!’ Natalie said, dismayed. ‘But it’s only Monday! What am I to do in the meantime?’
‘You can get a hire car in the village,’ he replied, already turning away. ‘We’ll call when your car’s ready, love. Oi!’ he shouted as one of the mechanics backed his van out of the work bay and nearly ploughed into a Citroën. ‘Watch it, you muppet!’
Lady Mary, who’d walked with Natalie to the garage, said reassuringly, ‘Don’t worry, darling – of course you must stay at Mansfield until the car’s ready.’ She tucked her purse under her arm. ‘You’re welcome to join us for lunch.’ She rather liked the idea of having Natalie along when she met Rupert’s new girlfriend.
‘Thank you,’ Natalie said, ‘but I think I’ll pop over to the high street and buy a few things. I’ll meet you back here in–’ she consulted her wristwatch ‘–an hour and a half?’
‘Perfect. I’ll see you then.’ So saying, Lady Locksley strode off to the hotel to meet her son’s new girlfriend with the gleam of combat in her eye.
The Locksley Arms Tap Room was all but deserted at 11:45 as Gemma and Dominic sat down at the bar to wait for Lady Mary.
‘Whisky for me, mate,’ Dominic told the bartender, ‘and a Bloody Mary for the lady, please.’
‘Make it two Bloody Marys,’ Lady Mary called out as she joined them at the bar. She laid her clutch down and added, ‘A rather appropriate drink, under the circumstances, isn’t it?’
‘Mum!’ Dominic stood to give her a quick embrace and turned to Gemma. ‘Gemma, this is my mother, Lady Mary Locksley. Mum, this is Gemma Astley.’
Gemma smiled and extended her hand – her nails were newly manicured and painted ‘Foxy