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‘It couldn’t be that you want the Dorringtons to offer you work, would it, my love?’ Claude said wryly.
‘Certainly not. The thought never entered my head, although I know that Lord Dorrington is a patron of the arts. We will go to Dorrington Place today.’
‘But, my love, we’ve only just arrived here. We’ve been travelling for months.’
‘You are my manager as well as my husband, Claude. You did the bookings, now it’s my turn to choose where I wish to perform. Not, of course, that I am doing this for selfish reasons, but my public always wish to see me and hear me sing.’
‘Yes, my love,’ Claude said with a sigh. ‘Of course.’
‘You will put a carriage at our disposal, Bertie.’ Felicia met his baffled look with a hard stare.
‘Yes, if you so wish, Mama. I doubt if it would make much difference if I refused.’
‘Precisely.’ Felicia rose gracefully from the table. ‘What are you waiting for, Nancy? Go and pack a few things. I need to tell Violet to stop unpacking. How long do you think we will be away, Claude?’
He shrugged and shook his head. ‘It was your idea to visit Dorrington Place, my love.’
‘You are no use. As always it will be up to me to make the necessary decisions.’ Felicia brushed past Nancy and Freddie. ‘Don’t stand there staring. Go and change into something more suitable for travelling, Nancy. You don’t want to arrive at Dorrington Place looking like a peasant, do you?’
‘My parents have no say in this, Nancy,’ Freddie said firmly. ‘I will marry you whatever happens. But we will go to Dorrington Place today, if that makes you happy. We will face them together.’
‘I don’t want to lose you, Nancy,’ Tommy said firmly, ‘but I can see the way things are with you and Freddie. You can hold your head up no matter whether you are just Nancy Sunday or Miss Nancy Greystone. Don’t allow anyone to make you feel inferior.’
‘Well said, Tommy.’ Freddie gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
‘There’s just one thing,’ Bertie said plaintively. ‘If you marry Freddie, you will have to move far away. We’ve been a family for so long, Nancy. I, for one, will miss you very much.’
Freddie shook his head. ‘Don’t worry, Bertie. I won’t take her away from the people who love her. I don’t care if we live in a shepherd’s hut just so long as Nancy is happy.’
Hester appeared in the doorway. ‘I don’t know what is going on but Christina Cottingham is here and she demands to see you, Nancy. I don’t know how the news has spread so fast but it seems that everyone in Rockwood village knows who you really are.’
‘Where is she, Hester?’
‘I left her in the music room. She doesn’t look happy.’
‘I’ll come right away.’ Nancy turned to Freddie. ‘Please will you go and keep Mr Mounce entertained? I might need him to speak to Christina before he leaves.’
Freddie raised her hand to his lips. ‘Of course. Don’t allow her to bully you, Nancy.’
‘Certainly not. I must remember that I am Miss Nancy Greystone. I am not afraid of Christina; after all, she is my cousin.’ Nancy giggled at the thought as she made her way to the music room.
Christina stopped pacing the floor to face her with a belligerent frown. ‘So you are claiming to be the rightful owner of Greystone Park. My papa left it to me and to Sylvia. I suppose that imposter Gervase North put you up to this.’
‘Won’t you take a seat, Christina?’
‘No, I am not staying long. I just came to tell you that Greystone Park belongs to me and my sister. I heard that Gervase has been arrested, which is right and proper, but don’t think you can take advantage of his absence.’
‘Christina, please stop a minute and allow me to explain.’ Nancy sank down on a damask upholstered piano stool. ‘My solicitor is here if you wish to speak to him. He has proof that I am Sir Oliver and Lady Greystone’s daughter. It was Gervase who told me that he saw Sir Oliver place an infant in his father’s care, but Gervase was convinced that he himself was Sir Oliver’s son, which is untrue.’
‘What proof could your solicitor possibly have after all this time? How old are you, Nancy? Seventeen, eighteen?’
Nancy smiled. ‘I was nineteen on the thirtieth of March, Christina. Mr Mounce, our solicitor, has the documents. I’ll ask him to show them to you before he applies to register my birth.’
Christina gasped as if all the air had been sucked from her lungs. ‘You’re lying. Just like Gervase, you will say anything to cheat Sylvia and me out of our birthright.’
Nancy rose to her feet, holding out her hand. ‘You have Cottingham Manor, Christina. If your sister wishes to live at Greystone Park, I will take care of her, although I haven’t yet decided if I will live there myself. Come with me, and speak to Mr Mounce.’
‘If you’re lying you will look very silly when I tell the world that you were in league with Cousin Gervase.’
