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‘No, Mama, he wants to see Papa.’
Sir Edward heaved himself out of his chair and left them.
‘What does that man want?’ Isabel asked.
‘He says he is calling in Papa’s debts forthwith and wanted to be sure the estate covered them.’
‘You mean he is not even going to give us time to sell?’ her mother queried.
‘Not unless Papa can talk him out of it. He has added Teddy’s debts to Papa’s and is charging ten per cent interest.’
‘But that’s outrageous!’
‘Yes, it is,’ Jane agreed. ‘I think it is a means to an end. He wants Greystone Manor and is determined to have it and when Teddy got into his debt he saw a way of obtaining it.’
‘But why?’
‘I asked him that and he refused to say.’
‘What are we going to do?’ wailed Isabel. ‘What about my wedding? What will Mark say? And Lady Wyndham? She can be very intimidating.’
‘I am sure it will make no difference to Mark,’ Jane said.
‘But where will I live until the wedding? I expected to be married from here.’
‘Your papa will think of a solution,’ her ladyship said with a simple faith in her husband that Jane thought ill founded. ‘He will not see us turned out.’
There was a knock at the door which, in their heightened state of nerves, made them all jump, but it was only Bessie with a message for Jane. ‘Sir Edward said to rejoin them,’ she said. ‘They are in the book room.’
Reluctantly Jane went. Sir Edward was seated at his desk, with papers that looked very much like deeds spread out in front of him. Lord Bolsover was standing at the window with his back to the room. He turned as Jane entered.
‘Jane, my dear,’ her father began and there was a distinct tremble in his voice. ‘His lordship has suggested a way out of our dilemma and it concerns you. I want you to listen very carefully to what he has to say.’ He stood up to leave. ‘You may not agree and I shall not hold it against you if you do not, but I beg of you to think of your poor dear mama and your sisters.’ And with that he scuttled away, closing the door behind him, leaving Jane facing Lord Bolsover.
‘Shall we sit down? he suggested pleasantly and, taking her hand, led her to the sofa, where they sat side by side.
Bewildered, she pulled her hand from his and said nothing. Her father’s words had eaten into her brain and could only have one meaning. She waited.
‘I do not wish to see your family beggared,’ he began.
‘Then you have a strange way of showing it.’
‘I have had my eye on Greystone Manor for a number of years—all my life, in truth. I have always considered it my birthright.’
‘Why? The Cavenhursts have lived here for generations.’
‘I know. Ever since 1649.’
The date echoed in her head. The date on the headstone. ‘Colin Bolsover Paget,’ she murmured.
‘Ah, so you have found it.’
‘Yes, but I do not know the reason for it.’
‘Colin Bolsover Paget was so foolish as to fall in love with the daughter of a Roundhead. The Pagets were Royalist to the core. They refused to allow Colin to marry his Gabrielle, but he defied them and changed sides. He found himself opposing his Paget and Bolsover cousins in battle. Gabrielle tried to come between them and in consequence lost her life. Colin survived the battle, but he was cut off from his family and his Roundhead in-laws blamed him for their daughter’s death and made his life such a misery, he put an end to it. The Roundheads claimed the Paget home.’
‘Greystone Manor.’
‘Yes. The last Paget lived out his life at Witherington House, which I believe you have discovered.’
‘Where do you come into all this?’
‘Colin’s mother was a Bolsover, daughter to my father’s ancestor, the first Lord Bolsover. I heard the tale at my father’s knee as every generation has. Each of us has been sworn to vengeance, but none has managed it until now.’
‘I have never heard this story.’
‘No reason why you should. It is not something of which the Cavenhursts can be proud, is it? The Pagets that were left hoped their property would be returned to them with the restoration of the monarchy, but it was not to be. Colin Paget was not the only one to change sides.’
‘And you think this Banbury tale will make me look more favourably on you?’
‘I hope it will because I have a proposal to make.’
