She did not know why.
While she had remained unmoved by William and Lionel"s compliments and those which had been accorded to her on the Continent, there was something in Vulcan"s gaze which was different.
It made her feel young and not exactly embarra.s.sed but shy, as a woman is with a man who is very masculine and to whom she responds not only with her mind but with her body.
It was something, she thought, that had never happened to her before and she lifted the hot tea to her lips to sip it, aware of its subtle fragrance even while she was vividly conscious of Vulcan watching her.
"You are lovely, unbelievably lovely!" he said. "How could I have guessed that here in England in the village in which I was born I would find exactly what I required for the very last picture in my book?""
"Will you show me the others?
"Perhaps But not to-day. I want you to think when you leave me that you are still portraying Persephone. I want to put your thoughts and feelings into my conception of what you are."
Astara smiled.
"Are you really suggesting I should think of nothing else until I come to you again?"
"What else can be of any importance?" he enquired. "In completing my picture you are part of history, the history of the past and the history of the future."
"For the Societe de Geographes?"
"Exactly!" he said, "and here in England, if it will interest you, the book will be published by the a.s.sociation for Promoting the Discoveries of the Interior Parts of Africa. "
Astara prevented herself from giving an exclamation, for her father had read papers at meetings of the a.s.sociation on several occasions when they had persuaded him to speak of his travels in the African Continent.
"Where have you been in Africa?" she asked.
"To many places," Vulcan replied, "but you are to concentrate on Persephone and especially on Olympus which of course you know well."
"I have always had the feeling," Astara said, "that the reason why the G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses interfered so often with mortals is that they found that their gold tables on Olympus and celestial nectar and ambrosia palled after a time."
"I dare say you are right," he agreed, "and I am glad that my namesake had more active things to do."
"Of course you could always throw a thunderbolt," Astara smiled.
As she spoke she rose to her feet. "Now I have to go."
"May I come with you? "
"No!"
"You promise to return?"
"I have given you my promise. I will not break it. "
"Then, thank "you," he said. "Thank you, Aphrodite, but when you have gone, I shall find it very hard to believe that you are real."
"Shall I say that I am as real as your picture?" Astara replied. "As real as the mysteries of Eleusis?"
"Then you are real, and you will come back to me," he said positively.
She walked across the room to pick up her bonnet.
She liked the manner in which he made no effort to join her as she walked towards the door.
He merely stood watching her. She turned to smile at him, but he did not respond and did not speak.
There was no sign of Chang but the front door was open. Outside the Mill Astara felt the sun on her face and knew it was still warm but not as hot as it had been earlier in the day.
Then as she reached the turn in the road she started to run towards the wood.
She was not certain as she went whether she was running back to Worfield House or away from Vulcan.
CHAPTER FOUR.
"You have not answered my question."
Astara started as William spoke, realising that she had been far away in her thoughts and had not heard what he said.
"I am sorry," she said. "I was day-dreaming."
"I hoped that you would be dreaming of me, but not when I am present."
There was a note of reproof in his tone and she knew that he was piqued because she had been absent-minded when he was talking to her and they were alone together.
They had finished dinner and Sir Roderick and Lionel had disappeared.
There was something in the way William spoke and the manner in which he, was looking at her which told Astara uncomfortably he intended to propose to her.
She knew the signs only too well from the numbers of young men who, as Sir Roderick had said, had laid their hearts at her feet in Italy and in Paris.
"I wonder where Uncle Roderick is?" she asked. "I thought he was about to join us."
"I have no wish to have either my uncle or Lionel here at this moment," William replied. "I want to talk to you."
He reached out as he spoke and took her hands in his.
"I think, Astara," he began, "you know what I am going to say."
"No ... please," she murmured.
He thought she was shy and went on before she could say any more: "I know we have not known each other for long, but we are both sensible enough to realise what my uncle wants. I a.s.sure you, Astara, that I want, more than I can possibly put into words, that you should become my wife."
Astaras fingers stiffened in his and she looked away from him towards the open window where the sun was just sinking in a golden glow and the stars were coming out over-head.
"I think we will be very happy here together, " the Viscount continued, "our interests are the same, and I know, Astara, that I will make you happy."
He spoke with an obvious confidence and Astara knew that he was supremely sure of himself and of her answer.
"Please, William, " she said after a moment, "do not ... say any more ... it is... too soon ... much too soon for me to ... makeup my mind.
"Then suppose you let me make it up for you? Or rather talk to Uncle Roderick? He is convinced that we are eminently suited to each other, but what is more important is that we should both of us be similarly sure of our future happiness. "
He put out his arm to encircle Astara s waist, but as he did so she rose to her feet.
"It is ... too soon, " she said.
As she spoke her eyes were drawn towards the picture over the mantelpiece.
She seemed to remember reading that all three of the G.o.ddesses had been confident that they would receive the apple from Paris, not through conceit in their beauty, but knowing that in addition _what each had to offer him was of supreme importance.
She stood looking up at Hera remembering how she had said in an attempt to influence Paris"s decision: "If you will award the prize to me I will make you Lord over all Asia!"
That, Astara told herself, was what William was offering her.
Almost as if he read her thoughts he said: "As my wife you will be able to entertain everybody of importance in London from the King, who has always given me his friendship, to the very cream of the Beau Monde.
He paused. Then as if his own imagination was excited by the prospect ahead he continued: "You will be able to rival all the other great hostesses the d.u.c.h.ess of Devonshire or Lady Bessborough and we will see that the parties in our London house surpa.s.s them all!"
In a quiet voice Astara enquired: "That is what you want?"
She did not turn her head but she was sure there was a smile on the Viscount"s lips as he replied: "There are many other things. I want to enlarge and improve my stable so that I can carry off the prizes at all the great races."
As if this suggested he was thinking only of himself he added hastily: "I know that you are fond of horses and I think you can trust my judgement to find that you will enjoy riding and driving. And my coach-builders will make you the fastest and smartest curricle that has ever been seen in the Park."
He certainly put a good case for himself, Astara thought dispa.s.sionately.
He was waiting for an answer but when she did not speak he rose and came to stand just behind her.
"There are other things that will interest us both," he said, "but of course the most important is love."
He turned her round as he spoke and she saw that she had been right in thinking there was a smile on his lips.
There was also a certain glint in his eye and she questioned whether it was entirely one of love.
She could not help feeling that he had thrilled to his own description of what their lives together could mean. He put his arms around her. But when he bent his head to kiss her lips, moving smoothly with an expertise that she felt "had something almost too professional about it, she freed herself and walked away towards the window.
"Astara!"
There was undoubtedly a note of surprise in William"s exclamation.
"I have told you, " she said. "It is too soon. We do not know each other well enough. "
"I know you! I know you are everything I want - the woman who will bear my name and with whom I wish to spend the rest of my life. "
He was too glib in the way he spoke, which Astara told herself grated on her, although perhaps she was being unreasonable and over-critical.
She stood looking out into the garden.
It was so beautiful, so romantic, and she thought that if she had been a man about to propose to a woman she would have made some excuse to take her outside And let the sinking sun and the twinkling stars speak far more eloquently than any words could do.
"You are being evasive, Astara," William said as he joined her at the window, "but I understand. Getting married is a very big step for a woman."
"As it is for a man?"
"Of course!" he answered., "But when a man finds the ideal person with whom he wishes to share his life, it is easy for him to make up his mind quickly and decisively. "
"I appreciate that," Astara said, "and thank you for offering me the position of being your wife, but I still need more time to think about it."
"How long?"
She sensed the impatience behind the question and she smiled as she answered: "What are a few hours, a few days, a few months, compared to the years we may spend in each other"s company? "
"I will try to possess my soul in patience," William said, "but do not keep me waiting too long."
He took her hand and raised it to his lips and as he did so to Astara s relief Sir Roderick and Lionel came into the Salon.
"You are looking at the stars?" Sir Roderick enquired as he crossed the room.
"It is very beautiful to-night, Uncle Roderick," Astara said, "and as you see, the sky is red - "Red sky at night is a shepherd"s delight!" "
She thought as she spoke that it would be fine to-morrow and therefore easy for her to go to Vulcan as she had promised to do.
She had no idea how it could be arranged without Sir Roderick being curious about her movements, but on one thing she was quite determined - she must not make William or Lionel suspicious that she was seeing their cousin.
She was sure that if she was wise she would tell Vulcan the truth about her ident.i.ty, and tell him that lying on his desk was a very interesting invitation which could affect his whole life.
But she had the uncomfortable feeling that he might not be interested.
There was nothing about him to suggest that he was short of money and she was quite certain he had not written his book in order to make any.
"It is my turn to talk to you," Lionel said in her ear, "and you promised that I could teach you "Piquet "
"I have not forgotten," Astara replied, "so let me have my first lesson now. I am quite sure it is an accomplishment in which I am sadly lacking."
She realised that William was annoyed that she should move from his side with obviously no regrets.
She felt he was used to the type of woman who fawned on him and would not leave his side if there was a chance of their being together either alone or in company.