‘I should get back to Leicestershire, unless you need me, of course.’ Both his mother and his brother shook their heads. ‘In that case, if you are travelling through Dunstable, I will pick up the Mail there. It’s an easy run to Leicester, then I’ll hire a gig.’
‘Of course,’ Lady Radcliffe said warmly. ‘Cassie, dear?’
‘I would love to go to Whitebeams. As far as travelling back to my own time is concerned, it doesn’t seem to matter where I am. When it is time to go – I go!’
* * *
The inquest took place two days later. The Prescotts, poor souls, shut themselves away at Tillingham Hall for the very private interment of the Viscount, Doctor Frederick as was, in the family vault. In some distant corner of the graveyard, Jerald was laid to rest. Matthew had convinced the Vicar that his fall had been accidental, and not suicide, so at least his parents were able to bury him in consecrated ground. Percy escorted Arabella and her mother home, so perhaps, after all, there was some happiness ahead for her.
After that it took a day to make the final preparations and to send some of the London staff back to St James’s Square, with others staying to carry out instructions on renovating Rook’s Acre.
‘By the time Matthew is old enough to decide what he wants to do with it, these horrors will be a distant memory for all of us, I hope,’ Luc said, as we climbed into two carriages very early the next morning for the journey to Suffolk. It would take us all day, but the weather was good and I thought that our spirits would rise the closer we got to Whitebeams.
The twins, fully recovered from their fright, went in one vehicle with their attendants and the rest of us travelled in the other. ‘At least until we all brighten up a little,’ Luc said. ‘It is a miracle the boys have not picked up our mood the last few days.’
‘Adrien looked a little happier,’ I said as the carriage turned on to the turnpike road. He had ridden over that morning to say goodbye and had spent some time talking to Luc.
‘I suspect that his father is going to want to employ him as his confidential secretary,’ Luc said. ‘But he was also discussing with Marcus which estate they could let him occupy.’
‘Both his cousin and his Uncle Frederick left Adrien money,’ I said. ‘I think he will want to buy his own property with that to add to his legacy. He needs to be more independent, even if he does work with his father. And he is going to be able to marry Rebecca soon.’ I smiled. ‘At least his life is full of hope now.’
We dropped James off at The White Hart in Aylesbury with half an hour to wait for the Mail and drove on steadily through the long, hot summer day, with several stops to let the boys out to run off some energy and to give their long-suffering attendants a little peace.
At last Luc announced, ‘The final change,’ and we stretched and smiled and all, I think, were imagining cool baths, long drinks and a civilised supper.
‘I will ride with the boys,’ Lady Radcliffe said. ‘They look very tired now and that means they will be a handful for poor Nanny Yates.’
‘I’ll do it,’ Luc said immediately.
‘No, they need firmness and you know perfectly well you are putty in their hands when they are tired,’ his mother said. ‘Your father was just the same with you and James.’ She turned to the nanny who was sitting on a bench watching two harassed nursemaids chasing small boys around the village green. ‘Let us call them, Mrs Yates. We will set out first and we will soon be home.’
‘Yes indeed, my lady.’ The two of them walked towards the duck pond – an irresistible temptation, of course – and the twins came running at their grandmother’s call.
‘She is wonderful with them,’ I said, watching them all climb into the carriage.
‘She said she learned all there was to know about naughty small boys from James and me.’ Luc watched the team set off at a brisk trot. ‘How are you feeling, Cassie?’
‘Weary. Glad we are all safe, depressed for those two young people and their families.’
‘There’s hope for Adrien and for Arabella,’ Luc comforted me.
‘Yes.’ I found I wasn’t so very comforted: I was jealous.
We sat side by side, my head on Luc’s shoulder, both too tired, I think, for talking or anything else, for that matter.
I must have dozed because I came awake with a jerk when Luc said, ‘Here we are at last.’
The carriage drive through the park at Whitebeams runs for almost a mile, and curves picturesquely to give tantalizing glimpses of the lake and the house. There is a final long sweep before the bridge over the narrow neck of the lake and we could see the other carriage, the team still keeping up a brisk pace.
‘Oh, look how close the deer are,’ I said, pointing. ‘So pretty.’ The herd of fallow deer were usually quite shy, but they must have been down to the lake to drink and were clustered close to the bridge.
We never discovered what spooked them, but suddenly the deer erupted into movement, springing towards the drive, then rushing away as the carriage rattled towards them. The lead horses shied, then the whole team bolted, even as our own driver was slowing our carriage to a halt.
The crash happened within seconds as the heavy coach swung and hit the pillar where the parapet began. The vehicle swung round, teetered and almost tipped on its side before righting itself with a thump.
Luc was out of the door while it was still moving, running towards the bridge. I followed, running too, close enough to see the small figures tumbling out and hitting the water. Luc dived in and I scrambled down the bank after him, tearing at my skirts until the light cotton ripped and came away. There was deep mud at the edge and I floundered through it, reaching desperately for the small hand I could just see through the murky water. I grabbed it and pulled, then managed to lift the child into my arms, stagger back to the shore and lay him down.
He was breathing. I turned him on his side, banged him briskly on his back and he threw up water, then flopped back, gasping.