When the Duke arrived by motor, tea had just been brought out on the terrace at the eastern side of the house. His glance travelled rapidly over the group. Miss Bush was not present.
His impatience had been growing and growing ever since the Thursday night when his resolution had been taken, and now he almost felt like a boy in his great disappointment at noting Katherine"s absence.
How was he going to talk to the Colvins and Tom Hawthorne and old Gwendoline! However, he did manage to be almost his usual self, though Lady Garribardine was quite aware that his nerves were strung to a high tension.
She got through tea as quickly as possible, and then walked him off to see a new set of herbaceous borders.
The very second that they were alone, Mordryn began to talk openly to her. He had determined to have no further cross purposes of any kind.
"Do you guess, Seraphim, what has brought me here to-day?" he asked.
"I have some shrewd idea--you have decided to appreciate reality and discard appearance, as my Katherine Bush would say."
"That is it. Have I your sympathy, dear friend?"
"My warmest sympathy, Mordryn; your happiness means a very great deal to me. I have had some horrible moments in those past years, of remorse for my part in your sorrows--but if you secure this girl, I can feel that you will be amply compensated."
"I am deeply in love, Seraphim, and you, I know, will not laugh at me, or think it absurd."
She gave him a frank smile full of affection.
"Indeed, no--and what is more important, the girl will not laugh either.
She is full of pa.s.sion, Mordryn--have you ever watched her little nostrils quiver? You will have no colourless time with her! She is not of the type of poor Lao Delemar, Gerard"s friend, or Julia Scarrisbrooke! The fierce red blood rushes through her veins!--But she is too entirely self-controlled to let even me see what her real feelings are, though I shrewdly suspect she is in love with you--You, the man, Mordryn--and not, strange to say, the Dukedom at all!"
His Grace thrilled with delight--as why not, indeed! Of all beautiful and maligned things, he knew real pa.s.sion was the rarest!
"If it had been the Dukedom, she could have tantalized me into committing any madness--weeks ago--but she has done nothing of the sort.
She has simply _understood_, that is the wonderful part."
"She is an amazing creature, a wonderful character, old friend--perfectly honest and intensely proud. Not with the pride which sticks its chin in the air, but that which carries the head high; there is all the difference in the world between the two. Upstarts nearly always have their chins in the air, but are unacquainted with the other att.i.tude. She will make the most perfect d.u.c.h.ess your house has ever known--And think of your children!"
The Duke drew in his breath sharply, a new joy permeated him at her words--"Just think of your children! Why, my dream of the six st.u.r.dy boys may yet come true!"
"Seraphim--really!"
Her ladyship chuckled happily. "Now we must use common sense; there must not be a flaw in the whole affair. If she agrees to marry you, I will begin to arrange the situation at once. I will bring her out more and present her to people--and we will not announce the engagement for a few weeks. No one will dare to question who she is, or where she came from if I choose to do that. Some of them may even suggest that she is the result of some past indiscretion of one of the family that I have adopted. They may think what they like! She is so absolutely honest, she would tell anyone the truth herself without a care--but I think I shall advise her to be silent, and let people make up what they please. No one can dispute her perfect refinement or suitability to take any position in the world."
"Seraphim, you are an angel."
"No, I am not--I am merely a capable craftsman. I like to do everything I undertake well. Your d.u.c.h.ess shall start unhandicapped."
"How deep is my grat.i.tude, dear friend!"
"Tut, tut!"
But her dark eyes beamed mistily. "When I see you safely off--with the knot tied, on your way to Valfreyne for the honeymoon--I shall feel content."
"Where is she?"
"I told her to go and rest under the chestnuts this afternoon. She looked as pale as a ghost."
"May I find her there, then, now?"
"Yes--be off! And bless you!"
They wrung hands, and the Duke strode away looking, as Her Ladyship admitted, with a fond half-sigh, still the hero of any woman"s dream.
His years sat so lightly upon him.
But he searched under the chestnuts and beyond, and Katherine was nowhere to be seen. A rug was folded beneath one great trunk--she had evidently been there, and had now wandered on and perhaps was not far off.
He continued his search for some time without success, and when he reached the edge of the near woods, with their beautiful paths, some of which ran down to a bit of ornamental water just big enough to be called a lake, he stopped, puzzled as to which one to follow. His heart was beating as it had not beat for years. He decided to go straight to the water"s edge to a Chinese tea-house which was there, and when he came at length in sight of this, he perceived the flutter of a grey linen skirt disappearing round the corner of it--On the verandah which overhung the water, there were great white water lilies growing in ma.s.ses just beneath, while two stately swans swam about in the distance; the sun was sinking, it was past six o"clock; and the lights were very lovely and all was serene and still.
His footfalls did not sound on the soft turf, and Katherine did not know of his approach until he actually stood before her on the broad verandah step.
She was leaning against the bal.u.s.trade gazing out over the lake, and she turned and caught sight of him.
He came forward with outstretched hands, his face aglow.
"So I have found you at last!" he cried, gladly. "What made you hide away here all alone?"
Katherine controlled herself sternly. She shook hands calmly, saying it was cool by the water and a pleasant place to be.
"Solitude is good sometimes."
She had felt too restless to stay beneath the trees--even her will could not keep her disturbed thoughts from speculation as to what the day might bring. And now the Duke was here beside her, and the situation must be faced.
He came close and leaned upon the quaint wooden rails trying to look down into her averted face, while he whispered:
"I had rather enjoy a _solitude a deux_."
He saw that she was pale and that her manner was restrained. Did she possibly misunderstand the purpose of his coming?
"Look," and she pointed over to the swans--"they perhaps agree with you--they swim lazily about together, dignified and composed, far from turmoil and agitating currents. One envies the birds and beasts and fishes--sometimes," and she sighed.
"You must not sigh--look at me, Katherine. I want to see your eyes."
But she disobeyed him and turned the broad lids down. He leaned closer still, and this caused a wave of emotion to sweep over her, producing the same feeling which she had once thought only Lord Algy in all the world could evoke in her--so that the Duke saw those little nostrils quiver, which his friend Seraphim had spoken to him about, and the sight gave him great joy.
"Look at me, Katherine!" and now his voice was full of command.
Then she slowly raised her gray-green eyes and he saw that they were troubled, in spite of the pa.s.sion that lay in their depths.
"Why do you come here and speak to me like this?" and in her voice there was reproach. "We said farewell at Valfreyne--that was the end--I understood--Why do you come again to trouble me now?"
"Because I could not keep away--because I love you, darling child."
She drew back, shivering with the pain of the struggle which was developing in her soul.