Chapter Thirty
After supper, the group gathered in one of the main drawing rooms upstairs. Caroline and Lady Margaret retreated to a spot near the fire and quietly played cards.
Julian was content to nurse a glass of shiraz, while James, Harry, and Francis gave the castle brandy stocks a good nudge.
When James and Francis began to regale the group with tales of their younger years at Strathmore Castle, Julian sat and listened. Harry, meanwhile, slumped in a chair and scowled.
“We climbed to the top of the castle keep and hid there for hours. Good old Caro, here, hitched up her skirts and scaled one of the outer walls to smuggle us some food. Uncle Ewan and my father were furious when they finally found us,” said Francis.
Caroline laughed. She had only climbed a small wall with her skirts barely lifted, but the story, over the years, had gotten legs and become family legend.
“It was a long time before they finally discovered I was the inside agent. Papa was still angry, but since I was nearly an adult, he decided it was all too late to punish me for my youthful transgressions,” she replied.
Harry downed the rest of his brandy and thumped his glass down on the table. Everyone turned and looked at him. “If you were my daughter, I would still have meted out a suitable punishment. Damn foolish to have risked your neck,” he snapped.
He rose from his chair and stood, shaking his head. When a stunned Francis tried to calm him, he pushed him away. “I can see I am in poor company. I am going to bed. Good night.” With a perfunctory bow to the women, Harry turned and marched out the door. It closed loudly behind him.
“I am terribly sorry, Newhall. I do not know what has got into him; he is not the Harry I have known since school. I shall have a word with him in the morning. I think, perhaps, it is time I gave him a firmer nudge about going back to London,” said Francis.
Relief dropped lightly into Caroline’s mind. She too longed to see the back of Harry.
Francis and James settled into their chairs and made an agreement to kick on and continue drinking. Julian rang the bell and when a footman appeared, he ordered another bottle of brandy be brought up for his guests.
Across the room, Julian met Caroline’s gaze. When she smiled at him, he raised his glass and silently toasted her.
The following morning saw only Caroline, Julian, and Lady Margaret in the breakfast room. The castle butler informed them that Mister Radley and Mister Saunders had indeed made good on their promise and seen it through to dawn. They had only taken to their beds a little more than an hour prior to the rest of the household rising.
“Well that will make for a quiet day around here,” noted Lady Margaret.
Caroline picked up her coffee and took a sip. Now, if only Harry would sleep through the morning, she would be able to enjoy some free time.
“We managed to find the ice skates late yesterday. So, when you feel ready to take to the ice, I shall have them brought to you,” said Julian.
Caroline touched the bandage of her injured hand. While she was an excellent ice-skater, she was still hesitant to put herself at risk. If she fell on the ice, the stitches would likely burst.
“Thank you. But I may wait a few days more and then see how my hand feels. I do hope to be able to set foot on the pond before I leave,” she replied.
Lady Margaret looked up from her plate of baked salmon and mashed potatoes. “Are you going to skate on the ice pond? Julian’s father always wanted me to try it, but I must confess to being terrible on the ice. The last time I tried to skate was on the Newhall village pond. I crashed into the local vicar and he was most put out,” she said with a wry smile.
At the end of the table, Julian’s body shook with suppressed mirth. He looked up at Lady Margaret with tears in his eyes. “Of course, the fact that you also knocked down his wife, his sister, and a distant cousin had nothing to do with him being so terribly upset.”
Lady Margaret raised an eyebrow, as the sound of Julian’s laugh rang through the room. Caught up in the moment, Caroline found herself laughing along.
“Well yes, there was that, now that you mention it,” replied Lady Margaret.
Caroline liked Lady Margaret immensely, and it was clear she and Julian were close. There was a warmth between them that was non-existent between him and the countess.
“I promise, if you do decide to venture out onto the ice pond, I shall keep Lady Margaret at a safe distance. In the meantime, since the rest of our small house party are not looking like they will be making breakfast anytime soon, could I tempt you with a post-breakfast walk around the grounds?” he said.
There had been a light rainfall overnight, and Caroline was eager to get out and walk. The sound of frozen grass crunching under her boots was another of her favorite winter delights.
“I shall get my things,” she said.
What she really meant was if she got her cape and scarf, she and Julian could be away from the castle before anyone else found their way to the breakfast room. She rose from her chair and quickly headed upstairs.
She met Julian outside a short time later. Taking her by the arm, he led her swiftly away from the castle via a small copse of trees.
Once out of sight of the front door, he stopped. “Sorry about the rude hurry, but I wanted us to get away. While you were upstairs, a footman came down and mentioned that Menzies was up and about. I wasn’t particularly keen on inviting him to join us. Lady Margaret has kindly offered to keep him company for breakfast.”
