Young bloods

So, he knew the courting must come to an end, one way or another. Either she would be his wife, or… the alternative was too painful to contemplate.

If it had been down to Kitty he was fairly sure that she would consent. She had intimated as much when he had broached the matter a week earlier. The difficulty lay with her brother. Tom Pakenham had inherited the estate in the autumn and was to become an earl when his old and infirm grandmother died. A bright future lay ahead of the young man, and it had understandably gone to his head, Arthur surmised. The prospect of seeing his sister marry a poorly paid army officer with limited scope for any kind of financial or social advancement could not have been appealing. If Arthur was brutally honest with himself, there was no way he would be prepared to see his own sister, Anne, marry below her station for love.The only avenue open to him to try to impress Kitty's stuffy brother was for Arthur to use his seat in parliament to win some kind of a political reputation. Recently he had taken a more prominent role, and spoken against the French people's execution of King Louis. He had also bought a promotion to captain. There had not been so much as one word of grudging praise from Tom Pakenham for Arthur's efforts.

It was clear to Arthur that his stock with the Pakenhams would not rise any further, and that he must risk all and formally ask Tom for the hand of his sister. To which end he had written a most gracious letter asking for an interview to discuss his intentions. Tom had replied in equally gracious terms and invited Captain Arthur Wesley to the Hall. And so he rode up the drive to make the appointment, sick with anxiety that his decision to settle the issue might well result in him losing the chance to wed his beloved Kitty.

The drive curved round a dense growth of rhododendron and there stood Pakenham Halclass="underline" an elegant country house with fine views over its landscaped surroundings. Arthur knew that he would never be able to afford the comfort of such a home. He halted his horse for a moment and stared at the Hall. Then he drew a deep breath of the fresh spring air and with a gentle prod from his spurs he urged his horse up the drive towards the main entrance.

Kitty must have seen him approach for he was still some distance off when she came trotting out of the porch, wrapped in a dark cape, and ran towards Arthur. He slid from the saddle, landing with a crunch of gravel, and leading the horse by the reins he strode towards her. As she drew close Kitty looked up and gave him a brilliant smile. For an instant all the doubts and fears of the young officer dissolved in a burst of pure affection and pleasure. Kitty grabbed his arm and pressed herself against his shoulder.

'Arthur! I thought you'd never come!'

He made a show of being disappointed in her lack of faith.'I'm on time, dearest. Punctual almost to the minute.'

'Oh, you!' She punched him lightly on the arm. 'I just meant that I've been waiting in the porch for hours.'

'Hours?'

'Well, it seemed like hours. Anyway,' her tone became more serious, 'you're here now.'

'Yes… Where's Tom?'

'In his study. He's got a few arrears summons to deal with before he'll see you.'

Arthur frowned. This was typical of her brother. Giving priority to some petty difficulties with his tenants over the suitor of his sister was a crude attempt to put his visitor in his place.This latest affront did not bode well. Arthur squeezed her hand under his arm.

'What do you think he will say?'

Kitty shrugged. 'I don't know. Honestly I don't. He's changed so much this last year.'

'Inheriting a fortune has that effect on some men,' Arthur said bitterly, and Kitty gave him a quick glance as he continued, 'He'll refuse me. I feel sure of it. Because I have no money.'

'Not at the moment,' Kitty replied. 'But I know you, Arthur Wesley. I know how much potential you have. One day you'll win your fortune… Not that wealth is important to us,' she added quickly.

Arthur smiled. 'I doubt Tom will be prepared to accept potential as a deposit. To be perfectly honest with you, Kitty, all I can offer you is my love.There is nothing else. Even if I were the heir to my family's name, Dangan Castle is mortgaged, and my mother has had to sell most of her six per cents just to live. All I have is the income from my captaincy and a small allowance from Richard. That's it.'

'That's enough,' Kitty smiled, and kissed him quickly. 'Come on,' she said, tugging his arm. 'It's cold. Let's go inside and sit by the fire.'

As they approached the entrance to the Hall, a groom scurried out from a side entrance and took the reins from Arthur, leading the horse away towards the stables. With Kitty still clutching the sleeve of his bright red uniform coat, they climbed the weathered steps to the main door. Beyond the threshold the familiar smell of polish and a faint dampness wrapped itself round Arthur like an old friend. Kitty released her grip and he followed her across the hall and down the dim corridor towards the library. On the way they passed the closed door to Tom's study and the muffled voice of Kitty's brother could be heard in conversation with his agent. Arthur was tempted to tarry a moment and listen, but quickly dismissed the thought; he was here to make an honest and open appeal for Kitty's hand, not to skulk about like a spy on the scrounge for intelligence.

A log fire glowed in the large iron grate and Kitty led him over to a long couch that faced the fireplace and took full benefit from its heat. A book lay open on the arm of the couch and Arthur recognised it as the copy of Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding he had given Kitty for Christmas. He nodded towards the book.

'Waiting for me all morning, eh?'

'Most of it,' Kitty answered, then blushed. 'Well, it certainly felt like it.There's not many girls I know who'd sit in a freezing porch waiting for their beau to arrive.'

'How many girls do you know?'

'Enough to make such a judgement,' Kitty replied.

'I'm overcome by gratitude.'

'Don't try to be sarcastic, Arthur. It doesn't suit you.' Kitty pouted, then rang a small bell. 'You'll have some tea?'

'Tea? I think I need something a little stronger to calm my nerves.'

'Nerves?' Kitty raised her eyebrows. 'You? I'd never have believed it. Sensitive, yes – but nervous… Arthur Wesley, you are something of a dark horse, I do declare.'

He leaned closer to her and stared frankly into her eyes. 'Please, Kitty, don't tease me so. I've never been more serious, nor had so much at stake, in my entire life.'

She stared back at him in silence for a moment and then reached a hand up and stroked his cheek.'Bless you, my dear, dear Arthur.You really do love me, don't you?'

He nodded, and said softly, 'And you? Tell me it's true, what I hope you feel. Tell me.'

She smiled and her lips parted. 'I-'

The door to the library creaked open and the two of them quickly moved apart. A maid entered and stood waiting for instruction.

'I'll have some tea, Mary.'

'Yes, Miss Pakenham.'

'And a brandy for the captain.'

'Yes, Miss Pakenham.'

As soon as the maid had left the room Arthur leaned back towards Kitty, but the spell had been broken and she looked embarrassed, her eyes darting round the library, lighting upon an ivory chess set on a card table.

'Chess! Let's have a game of chess while you wait for Tom.'

'Chess?' Arthur repeated weakly. 'Must we?'

'Yes, we must. Come.'

And so they sat down to a game, in the winter sunshine that slanted in through the library window. Arthur's troubled mind could not focus on the game and he was in a hopeless position in fairly short order.