Virginia closed the door behind her. She had never known Lomax to address her in that offhand manner. She tried to concentrate on her make-up, but couldn’t help wondering what they were discussing in the duke’s old study. She assumed all would be revealed over dinner.
Half an hour later, Virginia walked slowly down the wide staircase, across the hall and into the drawing room, only to find nobody else was there. She sat and waited, but no one joined her. When the gong was struck at eight o’clock, she made her way through to the dining room, to find the table had been laid for one.
‘Where are the rest of the family?’ she demanded when Lomax appeared carrying a small tureen of soup.
‘His grace, Lady Camilla and Lady Alice are having a light supper in the library,’ he said without further explanation.
Virginia shivered, although the fire was crackling in the hearth. ‘And the children?’
‘They have already eaten, and as they were tired following their long journey they went straight to bed.’
A feeling of foreboding gripped her and she tried to convince herself that there was nothing to worry about, but without a great deal of conviction. She waited until the clock in the hall struck nine before leaving the dining room and making her way slowly upstairs to her room. She undressed and went to bed, but she didn’t sleep. She had never felt more alone.
Virginia was relieved when Clarence and Alice joined her for breakfast the following morning, only to find that the conversation was stilted and formal as if she were a stranger in her own home.
‘I’ve almost completed the order of service,’ volunteered Virginia, ‘and I thought perhaps—’
‘No need to waste any more of your time on that,’ interrupted Clarence. ‘I have an appointment with the bishop at ten this morning, and he told me he agreed all the details of the ceremony with my father some time ago.’
‘And does he agree with me that Thursday—’
‘No,’ said Clarence equally firmly. ‘He recommends Friday, which will be more convenient for my father’s friends who will be travelling up from London.’
Virginia hesitated before saying, ‘And the guest list, would you like to see my recommendations?’
‘We settled on the final list last night,’ said Alice. ‘But if there are one or two names you’d like to be added, do let me know.’
‘Isn’t there anything I can do to help?’ asked Virginia, trying not to sound desperate.
‘No, thank you,’ said Clarence. ‘You’ve done quite enough already.’ He folded his napkin and rose from his place. ‘Please excuse me. I don’t want to be late for the bishop.’ He left without another word.
‘And I ought to be getting on,’ said Alice. ‘I’ve rather a lot to do if everything is to be in place by Friday.’
After breakfast, Virginia took a stroll around the grounds as she tried to fathom what had caused such a sudden change of attitude. She derived some comfort from the fact that she still had the Dower House, five thousand pounds a month, and two Ming vases that Li Wong had confirmed were worth at least a million. Her smile disappeared when she saw Camilla and her husband coming out of the estate manager’s office.
Virginia had lunch on her own, and decided to go into town and buy some new clothes, as she intended to shed her widow’s weeds the moment they had all departed. When she got back to the castle that evening, there was light coming from under the study door, and she thought she could hear Camilla’s strident voice.
Virginia had supper alone in her room, one thought continually returning to her mind. She was beginning to wish Perry was still alive.
St Albans Abbey was already packed by the time Virginia made her entrance. The senior usher accompanied the dowager duchess down the aisle to a place in the second row. She didn’t feel able to protest while a thousand eyes were on her.
As the first chimes of eleven sounded on the cathedral clock, the organ struck up and the congregation rose as one. The coffin, draped in decorations and honours, processed slowly down the aisle, borne on the shoulders of six Coldstream Guards, followed by the immediate family. Once it had been placed on the bier in the chancery, the duke, his two sisters and the grandchildren took their places in the front row. They didn’t look back.
The service was a blur to Virginia, who was still trying to work out why they were sending her to Coventry. During the burial ceremony, held in the grounds of the cathedral, she was only allowed to step forward and cast a spadeful of earth on to the coffin before she got back in line. Once the family and a few close friends had left the graveside, she had to cadge a lift back to the castle with Percy, the duke’s uncle, who accepted her explanation that there must have been an oversight, but then they’ve all been under a great deal of pressure.
During the reception, Virginia mingled with the guests, many of whom were kind and offered words of sympathy, while others turned away the moment she approached them. However, the greatest slight was saved until after the last guest had departed, when Clarence spoke to her for the first time that day.
‘While you were at the service,’ he said, ‘all your possessions were packed and moved into the Dower House. A car is waiting to take you there immediately. There will be a family meeting in my study at eleven tomorrow morning, which I hope you will attend. There are some serious matters I wish to discuss with you,’ he added, reminding Virginia of her father.
Without another word, the duke walked to the front door, opened it and waited for Virginia to leave, so she could begin her first day of banishment.
35
Virginia rose early the following morning and took her time inspecting the Dower House, which turned out to be quite large enough for someone living on her own. Her staff consisted of an under-butler, a maid and a cook, no more and no less than Perry had specified in his will.
At ten to eleven a car arrived to take her to the castle, which only a few days ago had been her sole domain.
The front door of the castle opened as the car drew up, and after a perfunctory ‘Good morning, your grace,’ the butler accompanied her to her husband’s old study. Lomax knocked quietly on the door, opened it and stood aside to allow the dowager duchess to enter.
‘Good morning,’ said Clarence as he rose from his place behind the desk. He waited until Virginia had taken the only available chair. She smiled at his sisters, but they didn’t return the compliment.
‘Thank you for coming,’ began Clarence, as if she’d had any choice. ‘We felt it would be useful to let you know what we have planned for the future.’
Virginia had a feeling he meant ‘your future’. ‘That’s considerate of you,’ she said.
‘I intend to report back to my regiment in a few days’ time, and I won’t be returning before Christmas. Alice will be flying back to New York on Monday.’
‘Then who will run the estate?’ asked Virginia, hoping they had at last come to their senses.
‘I have entrusted that responsibility to Shane and Camilla — with my father’s blessing, I might add, as he accepted that I’d always wanted to be a soldier and was never cut out to be a farmer. Shane, Camilla and the children will live at the castle, fulfilling another of my father’s wishes.’
‘How very sensible,’ said Virginia. ‘I hope you’ll allow me to help out, at least during the transition?’
‘That won’t be necessary,’ said Camilla, speaking for the first time. ‘We’ve received a good offer for our farm in New Zealand, and my husband will be flying back to finalize the sale and deal with any other personal matters that need attending to, after which he’ll return to take over the management of the estate. With the help of Mr Moxton, I will keep things ticking over until he’s back.’