Page 1 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

Hospitality was one of the duties of an earl, but Giles, Earl of Stainton, felt that the arrival of two unexpected guests on Christmas Eve was asking rather much of his forbearance.

Uncle Fergus, his mother’s younger brother, had frequently stayed at the Castle, though never before without warning.

He liked his comfort, so he preferred his hosts to have plenty of notice before he descended on them.

But what young Angus Tullamore, merely a second or third cousin, was doing there was a mystery.

Before Giles could even begin to interrogate Tullamore, his uncle, who had never surprised anyone in his life, stunned the company by announcing that he was going to be married.

Warming his tail at the fire he said, ‘Miss Lombardi – Giulia – has consented to be my wife. I’m for ever indebted to you, Giles: if you hadn’t invited her to Rachel’s ball, I should never have met her!

It took me an age, I can tell you, to pluck up the courage to ask.

I never in the world thought she would say yes.

But as soon as I saw her, I knew there could never be any other woman for me. ’

Giles was still grasping after the right words to respond. His sister Linda got in first. ‘But there never has been any other woman for you!’ she cried in outrage. ‘You’ve never shown the slightest interest in females. It’s ridiculous to start now! Married, at your age? It’s – it’s unseemly !’

‘Linda!’ Giles blenched at her rudeness.

Linda was unabashed. ‘Oh, don’t pretend you’re not thinking the same!’ she snapped. ‘He’s been caught, that’s what it is! An adventuress after his money. Really, Uncle, some painted trollop has only to flatter you and—’

‘Now, now! Come, come!’ Fergus interrupted her, more surprised than offended.

‘No need for that sort of language. I’m not so hideous, am I, that no decent female would have me?

I’ve had my share of admirers over the years, I can tell you.

Fact of the matter is, I could have married a dozen times by now if I’d wanted. ’

‘But you never have wanted!’ Linda raged. ‘That’s the whole point! You’ve been perfectly happy being single, and at your age you ought to be settled in your ways, not making a fool of yourself over some—’

‘Linda, that’s enough,’ Giles admonished sharply.

She rounded on him. ‘You’re not going to side with him? It’s bad enough with Mother’s burlesque marriage, without another member of the family bringing ridicule on us.’

Their widowed mother was even then on her honeymoon with the German prince who had unexpectedly taken a fancy to her.

Fergus was looking wounded now, and Giles had to put an end to it. He took Linda’s arm in a grip that was intended to hurt, and said quietly, but forcefully, ‘Stop this, or leave the room.’

She opened her mouth, then closed it again, seeing he meant business. Uncle Sebastian had oozed up beside her, and caught Giles’s eye with a nod that said, I’ll deal with her if she starts again .

Now Kitty, the countess, from her position by the Christmas tree where she was preventing her younger son, Alexander, from pulling off the baubles, said in just the right sort of warm, interested voice, ‘We’re so pleased for you, Uncle. Do tell us all about it.’

The slight cloud cleared from Fergus’s face.

He was a man of very little conceit: he liked most people, so he assumed most people liked him, and rarely took umbrage at anything.

‘Oh, from the moment I saw her, it was like being struck by lightning,’ he said, beaming again.

‘She’s so beautiful – and clever, too. I never thought she’d favour me, but when I went and called on her and her parents in Florence, they received me so kindly I started to hope. ’

‘Is that why you went to look at your house in Venice?’ Kitty asked.

‘Yes, exactly. And I’ve spent months having it put to rights, because, you know, I had to have something to offer if I was to ask for her hand.’

‘You have three houses in this country,’ Richard reminded him drily. ‘But I expect the Ca’ Scozzesi tipped the balance.’

‘Well, I didn’t like the idea of tearing her entirely from her native land,’ said Fergus.

‘And who doesn’t like Venice?’ Richard said.

‘I am a very ordinary fellow,’ Fergus said, ‘but I’m glad I do at least have the wherewithal to make her comfortable, if that counts for anything.’

Linda could be silent no longer. ‘For God’s sake, it counts for everything! Your estate, your fortune and your title? That’s the whole point! Don’t you see—’ The sentence broke off with a sort of squeak, and Giles guessed that Sebastian had pinched her, hard.

‘It’s wonderful news, Uncle, and calls for champagne,’ Giles said. He could do no less, though the announcement had disconcerted him as much as Linda, though for different reasons.

Afton was just coming in, with footmen William and Sam behind him.

He had anticipated, as a good butler should, that champagne would be wanted, and had brought it, and glasses, and plates of the little savoury biscuits, moulinets , that Mrs Terry made down in the kitchen, having begged the recipe from the earl’s grandmother’s French cook. They went very well with champagne.

There was a pleasant little bustle of pouring and serving. While that was going on, Richard said, ‘So, Uncle Fergus, when is the wedding to be? And where is it to be? Are we invited?’

‘The thing of it is, you see,’ said Fergus, ‘that a young woman marries from her own home. That’s the rule, ain’t it?

And also, there’s the question of . . .’ He cleared his throat, looking slightly awkward.

‘Naturally enough, they are Roman Catholics. Italy, you know – pretty much home of it, what? So the wedding has to be in one of their churches. We’re going to tie the knot in Florence. ’

‘Don’t you have to be a Roman Catholic as well?’ Giles’s youngest sister Alice asked.

‘Ah! Nail on the head, my dear. That’s partly what I’ve been doing over there all these months. Getting m’self accepted into their Church.’

There was a brief, surprised silence.

‘Don’t you mind ?’ Alice asked, but with an innocent frankness that did not offend.

‘Never been a great one for church,’ Fergus said. ‘One religion’s as good as another to me, so if it makes Giulia happy . . . More important, makes her parents happy. Same God, as I understand it, different words, that’s all.’

‘But that’s not— It’s more than— Oh, my God!’ Linda’s intervention ended in a choking sound and she fled from the room.

The champagne had been distributed, and Giles now proposed a toast – ‘To Fergus and Giulia!’ – which was drunk.

Alice asked, ‘So we won’t get to see you married, Uncle?’

‘Weddings are overrated,’ Richard said, to comfort her. ‘Too much crying.’

‘People enjoy the crying,’ Alice said. ‘And it’s not obligatory .’

‘Just coming to that.’ Fergus made himself heard. ‘Wedding itself will be small and quiet, in Florence, but then we’ll come to London and have a slap-up celebration, and you’ll all come to that.’

‘When will that be?’ Kitty asked.

‘March,’ Fergus said. ‘Wedding in February. A few weeks in Paris so she can buy clothes. Then London. Some legal things to tie up. Then I’ll show her round my estates, lie of the land and so forth, then back to London for the Season.

She’s looking forward to that. Culture, you know,’ he added vaguely.

‘Well, that’s something to put into the diary,’ Sebastian said. ‘A grand party in March.’ He raised his glass again. ‘Wishing you every happiness.’

‘Hear, hear,’ said Richard. ‘You’re an inspiration to us all, Uncle.’

At that Alice gave him a questioning look, but didn’t follow it up.

When Kitty was dressed she sent Hatto away, crossed the dressing-room to Giles’s bedroom, and found him in his shirt-sleeves. She thought how handsome he was, even when screwing up his face in the mirror as he wrestled with his tie.

‘Shall I do it?’ she said.

He turned, dropped his hands, raised his chin, and she stepped close, feeling the warmth of his body radiate through the dress shirt, his breath stir her hair.

Since the birth of her second son, he had rarely visited her at night.

It was possible he never would again, and it was a melancholy thought, because she was still in love with him.

Suppose , she thought, I were just to slip my finger in between two of the buttons .

. . how hot and smooth the skin of his chest would feel . . .

She gave the bow a final tweak and stepped back, and he inspected the result in the mirror. ‘Have you come to quarrel with me?’ he asked. She didn’t answer and he turned to her. ‘I saw you look at me, when her name was mentioned. I knew you would.’

‘I saw that you didn’t like it,’ Kitty replied.

‘No, I didn’t like it, but not for the reason you seem to suspect.

’ On their honeymoon in Italy, Kitty had been jealous of his closeness to Giulia, and had let him know it.

‘I have always felt like a big brother to her. And since she wouldn’t have met him if I hadn’t invited her to the ball, I feel responsible. ’

‘She’s a grown woman. She can choose for herself.’

‘He’s too old for her.’

‘He can’t be more than forty.’

‘Forty-one,’ Giles said. ‘She can’t possibly love him.’

She gave a small, wry smile. ‘Of course, you are such an advocate for marrying for love,’ she said.

‘Oh, Kitty!’

She waved away the protest. ‘It’s a prudent match, and he’s a kind man. What’s your real objection?’

He could have refused to answer. But he suspected she still thought he had romantic feelings about Giulia, and he owed it to her to dispel any misapprehension.

‘I want her to be happy, just as I would Rachel or Alice. I hate to think she would tie herself in a loveless match purely for money.’

‘Because that would make you think less of her? But women have to make these decisions. I don’t despise Nina for marrying Mr Cowling. What else was she to do?’