Lucy felt the warm blush of embarrassment on her cheeks and was thankful that Caro had turned her attention to the piano. She wanted to tell them that it was all a pretence, that Ralph cared not one jot for her. However, she was not free to do so, and if she was honest she did not wish the pretence to end, for when it did she would have to leave Adversane, its owner and his family and she was beginning to realise how hard that would be.
The gentlemen joined them shortly after, Sir James leading the way. He was hardly inside the door when he addressed his wife in ringing accents.
‘I say, my dear, Adversane tells me the Players will be performing here on Midsummer’s Eve. Is that not good news? I am particularly fond of a good play.’
Ralph glanced around the room, watching to see how the others took the news. Adam was looking particularly solemn and went to sit with his wife. Lady Preston’s lips thinned.
‘Life must go on, I suppose,’ she muttered.
‘Indeed it must, ma’am,’ agreed Harry in his cheerful way. ‘The Ingleston Players lost a great deal of income from last year’s cancellation.’
Charlotte looked up.
‘Oh, are they are paid, then, for their trouble?’
Margaret nodded.
‘Yes, they are local people who give up their time and Adversane rewards them handsomely for coming here. The tradition started in our grandfather’s day. The library is turned into a theatre for the first part of the evening and all our neighbours are invited to attend the play. Ralph lays on a good supper for everyone, including the Players, and then afterwards the Players go back to Ingleston to enjoy the Midsummer’s Eve celebrations and the rest of us dance in the white salon until the early hours.’
‘I know.’ Charlotte nodded, her blue eyes sparkling. ‘It is indeed the most wonderful evening. Last time I was allowed to watch the play, although I did not understand it all.’
‘Thank heavens for that,’ murmured Caroline to Lucy, sitting beside her at the piano. ‘It was Vanbrugh’s The Provoked Wife. Not at all suitable for a child of fifteen!’
‘And this time you shall be allowed to dance as well, my sweet,’ announced Lady Preston, ‘It will be good practice for your come-out next year.’
‘Unless she snabbles a husband before that, eh, Adversane?’
Ralph closed his lips firmly as Sir James dug an elbow into his ribs.
Charlotte giggled.
* * *
Singing and music filled the remainder of the evening, until the arrival of the tea tray. Finding herself momentarily alone, Lucy moved to a quiet corner of the room, from where she could observe the rest of the guests.
Mr Colne followed her.
‘Am I disturbing you, Miss Halbrook?’
‘By no means.’
‘You were looking very pensive,’ he said, pulling up a chair beside her. ‘I hope you are not worrying about what we said earlier.’
‘Not at all. I was thinking how sorry I shall be to leave all this.’
Harry’s glance followed hers to where Ralph was standing with his brothers-in-law.
He said quietly, ‘If it is any comfort to you, I think your presence here has done Ralph a great deal of good. He has been looking much happier of late.’
‘That is not my doing, Mr Colne. It is because he has company.’
‘Perhaps. It has been a difficult two years for him. When Helene died he blamed himself. He is not one to share his feelings. Rather, he shut himself away with his grief and his pain. It is good to see him going into society again.’
‘And this...’ she dropped her voice ‘...this charade—my pretending to be Ralph’s fiancée. Are you sure you do not think it is...deceitful?’
The sombre look fled from Harry’s eyes and he laughed.
‘You have met his sisters and seen the way Sir James thrusts Charlotte into Ralph’s path at every turn. They are all determined to see him wed again. How much worse would it be if you were not here?’
‘And the fact that I look like Lady Adversane?’
He regarded her for a long moment.
‘Try not to let that worry you.’
She leaned a little closer.
‘But it does, Mr Colne! You see, Ralph insists that I wear identical gowns, that my hair is dressed the same as hers. I am very much afraid that he is grieving for his lost love—’
‘Ralph never loved Helene, Miss Halbrook. That is a good part of the reason he feels so guilty about her death.’ He smiled, and she found herself blushing, as if Harry Colne had discovered some secret. ‘You need have no worries on that head. Now if you will excuse me, my wife is looking tired. I must take her home.’
She watched him walk away. Perhaps she should not have voiced her concerns, but she guessed that Harry Colne knew Ralph better than anyone. If he did not believe Ralph had been in love with Helene, then it was very likely to be true.
And Lucy was surprised how much that mattered to her.
* * *
The warm, sunny weather continued and Lucy realised she was seeing Adversane at its best. The atmosphere in the house was relaxed, with the visitors left to amuse themselves for most of the day. Sir James and Lady Preston preferred to remain at the house with Ariadne after breakfast each morning, while the rest of the party went out riding. Ralph rarely accompanied them, attending to business during the mornings so that he could be free to spend the afternoons and evenings with his guests.
On the second day Caroline suggested they should all go for a walk. Lady Preston declined, and insisted that Charlotte should remain indoors at least until the midday sun had lost some of its heat. It was therefore late afternoon when the party set off, by which time Ralph had finished his business and was free to join them. Lucy was not surprised when Ariadne decided to remain at home and keep Lady Preston company, and Sir James also declared that he would prefer to spend the afternoon in the library with a good book. The others, however, congregated in the Great Hall, eager to be on their way.
‘Which way shall we go?’ asked Caroline as they stepped out of the house.
‘Oh, to Ingleston, if you please,’ cried Charlotte. ‘We drove through it on the way here, and there were such pretty shop windows that I should dearly like to browse there.’
‘So far?’ said Ralph. ‘It is nearly three miles. Are you sure you wish to walk such a distance?’
Margaret brushed aside his concerns.
‘Pho, what is three miles? We have plenty of time to be there and back before dinner. And you may treat us all to a glass of lemonade at Mrs Frobisher’s when we reach the town.’
‘We could take the route across Hobart’s Bridge,’ suggested Charlotte, pointing to the wicket gate. ‘It must be a good deal shorter.’
‘Past Druids Rock?’ asked Margaret. ‘Are you sure you want to go there, Charlotte?’
‘Oh, yes,’ she said blithely. ‘I have not been there since Helene died, but it holds no terrors for me.’ She giggled. ‘Although I confess I should not like to go there at night. It is haunted.’
‘Who told you that?’ asked Adam, frowning. ‘It is no such thing.’
‘Oh, not by Helene,’ said Charlotte quickly. ‘No, it is by spirits.’ She looked around, her blue eyes very wide. ‘The servants told me.