24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

“ L ady Isobel Crawshaw,” the butler said, stepping to one side, as Isobel entered the drawing room.

Alicia had been busy with correspondence relating to the charitable works, and she looked up in surprise to see Ernest’s sister, who looked terribly upset as she entered the room.

“Oh, Alicia… I had to come and see you. Ernest’s in such a terrible state. Is there nothing we can do? He can’t marry that awful woman, but he insists on doing so for the sake of the children. I know he loves you,” she exclaimed.

The butler looked embarrassed, and swiftly withdrew from the room, as Alicia rose to her feet.

“Isobel, I’m glad you’ve come. I’ve been wondering what to do,” she said, for she had been awake all night, pondering her uncle’s unexpected words.

Isobel looked at her in surprise.

“What to do? About Ernest, you mean? You must tell him you love him – if you do. Perhaps we can put a stop to this. I won’t see him give up his happiness, not even for such a worthy cause,” she exclaimed, but Alicia shook her head.

“I don’t think he has to. She lied to him, or rather, her father did. I’ve discovered something extraordinary,” she said, inviting Isobel to sit down next to her in the window.

She and her uncle had sat up late into the night, long after her parents had gone to bed, and despite the legal technicalities, couched in language Alicia did not fully understand, she thought she now had a firm grasp of the fact. Covinghold did not belong to the Viscount Pickering.

“But what do you mean?” Isobel exclaimed, her eyes growing wide.

“Last night, my uncle dined with us. He’s a lawyer, specializing in property and land disputes. He’d heard all about Covinghold. The viscount was left the estate in the will of a distant ancestor. But it came with conditions attached. One of which is that the property can only be used for charitable purposes. It can’t be lived in or given over to anything but the purposes of charity,” Alicia said.

Isobel nodded.

“I see…and that means…?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

“It means, the Viscount is using Ernest to get his hands on the house. Once it’s turned into a school for blind children – and what could be more charitable than that? – he’ll own it outright, and then he’ll be able to do what he likes with it. In a year or so, you’ll find the children cast out, and the house given over to whatever unscrupulous business the Viscount devises for it,” Alicia said.

She had felt a sense of triumph – and immense gratitude to her uncle – at having discovered the possible truth behind the viscount’s apparent generosity. This had surely been his intention the whole time – to gain Covinghold for himself and do with it as he pleased. Isobel stared at her in astonishment.

“But we’ve got to tell Ernest, Alicia. This is…outrageous,” she exclaimed.

Alicia thought so too. But she had held back from confronting Ernest with truth, uncertain as to whether he would believe her.

“We need more proof. We need to know for certain what he plans to do with the house in the future,” Alicia replied.

To accuse the viscount, they would need to be certain of his intentions, even as Alicia had no doubt as to what they were.

“Then we should go there, Alicia – perhaps we can discover something of his plans,” Isobel said, and Alicia nodded.

She had thought the same thing. Ernest had told her the viscount was making some alterations to the house – readying it for the school. But following her uncle’s extraordinary revelation, Alicia had come to wonder if these alterations were not simply a front for what was to come. If a house was turned into a school, it could then so easily be turned into something different – a coaching inn, a boarding house, a gentleman’s club…the viscount would make a fortune, Ernest would be trapped in a loveless marriage, and the children would be abandoned. It was wicked, and Alicia had every intention of putting a stop to it.

“I agree, but I can’t ask you to come with me, Isobel,” she said, but Ernest’s sister shook her head.

“Try and stop me. I don’t want Ernest to marry Caroline. I want him to marry you, Alicia. I know he loves you, and you love him. You wouldn’t be doing this if you didn’t,” she replied, and Alicia blushed.

A short while later, the two of them were in a carriage, making for Covinghold. The house lay on the outskirts of Lancaster, close to the river – a handsome dwelling, built in the reign of Queen Anne, in a neo-classical style. It was approached by a sweeping drive, lined with larch trees, and its grounds spread out on three sides in front, with the river at its rear. As they approached the house, Alicia could see several dozen men – laborers – engaged in making alterations to the facade, where a new entrance and portico were being constructed. To her relief, there was no sign of Caroline, and as they drew up, a foreman came hurrying to meet them.

“The house isn’t safe yet,” he called out, waving his arms.

Alicia was about to reply, but Isobel now climbed down from the carriage and addressed the man in an imperious tone.

“I am Lady Isobel Crawshaw, daughter of the Duke of Crawshaw, and this is my friend and companion, Miss Alicia Saunders. My brother is in charge of this estate in the name of the Viscount Pickering. We’ve come to inspect the works,” she said, and the foreman faltered.

“Well…I suppose…” he stammered, and Isobel took Alicia by the arm and marched towards the half-finished portico.

The laborers looked up in surprise at the two women, each so fashionably dressed, inspecting the work, as the foreman now came hurrying up behind.

“I see you’re making good progress,” Isobel said, and the foreman nodded.

“Yes, my Lady. We’ll be finished in a week. The Viscount was very particular in his demands, as I’m sure you’ll know,” he said.

“Yes…though I question the need for such an elaborate portico on a school for blind children. It hardly matters what it looks like, does it?” Isobel said.

The foreman shook his head.

“No, but as you’ll know, my Lady, when it’s turned over to be a gentleman’s club, there’ll need to be a portico for the carriage to draw up beneath in bad weather – and we get plenty of that here. Yesterday’s storm was terrible,” he said, shaking his head.

Isobel and Alicia glanced at one another, and Alicia’s heart skipped a beat. It was true, then – the viscount planned to turn the school into a gentleman’s club. Charitable attentions were merely a front to his plans for profit. It made her feel sick, even as she now knew for certain what had to be done.

“Yes, it’ll make a fine gentleman’s club,” Alicia said, and the foreman nodded.

“That’s what the Viscount said. I can show you the plans if you’d like me to. We’re to turn the lower rooms into a library and reading room, then they’ll house the school upstairs on a temporary basis,” he said.

“Yes, I’d like to see the plans again…I’ve forgotten the details. We’ve been working so hard to ensure the school can open on time,” Alicia said, and the foreman nodded.

“This way, please,” he said, ushering them up the steps and into the house.

Here too, a hive of activity was occurring, with laborers hurrying back and forth through the hallway, where a grand staircase led up to a gallery above. The doors into the other rooms were open, and Alicia could see a long library, the shelves bare, with an ornate ceiling, and another room she presumed to be the reading room, where a large mantelpiece was being dusted and pieces of furniture being laid out. The foreman led them down to the kitchens, where an office had been set up in one of the pantries.

“The Viscount has such vision, doesn’t he?” Isobel said, and Alicia was impressed as to how well she was playing her part.

“Oh, yes, my Lady – you’ll know better than me. But it’s all here – the plans, as you’ll see,” he said, unrolling several technical looking diagrams, showing clearly the plans for the gentleman’s club.

The school would soon be forgotten, cast aside, and there was no doubt in Alicia’s mind as to the viscount’s intentions.

“It’s very impressive,” she said, trying hard to control her temper, and the veneer of complicitness she and Isobel were forced to maintain.

“No expense spared,” the foreman replied.

“Well…I think we’ve seen enough,” Isobel said, glancing at Alicia, who nodded.

She felt nauseous. It was a wicked scheme, one they would all have fallen victim to, had her uncle not revealed the truth. The foreman nodded, rolling up the plans, before escorting them back up to the hallway.

“What do we do now?” Isobel said, as they climbed back into the carriage.

Alicia looked out sadly at the house – it would have made the perfect school, and now she feared for what would happen to the children in the months to come. She had to tell Ernest the truth, but whilst it would bring his betrothal to Caroline to an end, it would still result in tragedy – the closure of the school, and a sorry fate for the children entrusted to their care.

“We tell Ernest the truth,” she said, glancing at Isobel, who nodded.

“You should be the one to tell him, Alicia, not me,” she said, and Alicia nodded.

“Very well. I’ll tell him tomorrow night – at the ball. If we’re to lose the school, at least we can prevent Ernest from losing himself,” she said, knowing there was a chance for her own happiness, even as it came at the expense of so much else…

***

“ O h, Alicia, don’t you look pretty,” Caroline Pickering exclaimed, greeting Alicia with an overexaggerated set of kisses on both cheeks.

Alicia had arrived at the ball with her mother, and now they were ushered into the ballroom, where several dozen couples were dancing, whilst others stood watching on the wall. A lavish refreshment table had been provided, and the room was hung with silk drapes, giving it the impression of a Bedouin tent, with open doors at the far end leading onto the terrace. The viscount was holding court in an anteroom, whilst Caroline played hostess, reveling, it seemed, in the announcement she was about to make.

“It’s very of you to invite us, Caroline,” Alicia said.

“Well, you couldn’t possibly miss this. It’s going to be quite the most exciting evening,” Caroline replied, still beaming, as Alicia forced a smile onto her face.

“I’m sure it is,” she replied, even as she had every intention of making sure it would not be.

Her mind was made up. She had to tell Ernest the truth about Covinghold and the intentions of the viscount. This would be her last chance, for once the betrothal was announced, there could be no going back. She spotted Ernest by the refreshment table. He was with his father, talking to the Duke of Lancaster, and Alicia now spotted Lily, sitting on a large divan, with Maximilian at her side.

“Alicia, over here,” Lily called out, beckoning Alicia to join them.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you. Are you sure you should be here?” Alicia asked, for Lily looked fit to burst.

Maximilian rolled his eyes.

“She insisted on coming,” Maximilian said, and Lily tutted.

“I’m quite all right…well…as well as I can be,” she replied.

She was drinking a glass of milk, and Alicia could not help but smile at the thought of her friend’s cravings, a bowl of pickled onions standing on a table at her side.

“But you won’t be dancing, will you?” Alicia asked.

Lily shook her head.

“I don’t think so, no. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t, Alicia. Aren’t you going to dance with Ernest?” she said, lowering her voice.

Alicia glanced over to where Ernest and his father were still in conversation with Maximilian’s father, the Duke of Lancaster. For a moment, their eyes met, and Alicia gave a weak smile, knowing she could not hold back from telling Ernest the truth, even as she knew it would be the hardest of things for him to hear.

“I hope so, but…well, he might not want to dance with me. Or Caroline might not allow it,” Alicia replied.

She knew how jealous Caroline could be – this was her moment, and when the announcement came, she would bask in the adulation of the ton, and their congratulations on her becoming heir to the title of Duchess of Crawshaw. She did not love Ernest, but only those benefits she would receive through betrothal and marriage. It was the same for her father, and Alicia could only shudder at the thought of what he intended for Covinghold at the expense of the children.

“No…perhaps not, but…this could be your last chance,” Lily replied.

The waltz had come to an end, and the couples were bowing and curtseying to one another, as the musicians prepared to strike up a new tune. Alicia turned to look at Ernest, who had now stepped away from his father and the Duke of Lancaster. She caught his eye again, and with Caroline still greeting guests at the door, he stepped forward and gave Alicia a weak smile.

“Will you dance with me, Alicia?” he asked, and she nodded, glad to have been asked, even as her heart was beating fast.

“I’d be honored,” she replied, taking his hand in hers, as she thought back to the intimacies they had shared at the orphanage and in the meadow.

He slipped his arm around her waist, drawing her close to him, as now the waltz began. A dozen or so couples were dancing, and Alicia wondered what Caroline would say if she saw them dancing together.

“I’m sorry about what happened the other day at the orphanage,” he said, gazing down at Alicia, who shook her head.

“It doesn’t matter. It was nothing… Ernest, I need to tell you something,” she stammered, not knowing the words to say.

It was a remarkable claim – unbelievable, in fact. But one she could not hold back. He looked at her curiously.

“What is it?” he asked.

“It’s Covinghold. There’s something you need to know, It’s all wrong,” she said, but he sighed and shook his head.

“It’s too late for that, Alicia. I’m to take the house on this very night. The alterations are almost finished. We can bring the children there in the next few days. I’ve already appointed a matron, and three of the teachers are coming from Manchester to help get things going,” Ernest said.

“Please, you’ve got to listen to me. Talk to your sister, talk to Isobel, she knows it, too. I know we can’t be alone together, but you’ve got to understand…” Alicia said, as now the music came to an end.

Ernest looked at her curiously, glancing over to where his sister was watching them from beside one of drape covered pillars.

“Alicia, what is it?” he said, but at that moment, Caroline’s voice sounded behind them.

“Come along, Ernest. It’s nearly time for the announcement,” she said, smiling at Alicia, as she slipped her arm into Caroline’s.

Ernest was still staring at Alicia in confusion, and she gazed back at him imploringly.

“Your sister, Ernest,” she said, and Ernest nodded.

“Yes… Isobel… I need to speak to Isobel,” Ernest replied, turning to hurry across the room, as Caroline looked after him in surprise.

“He’s very nervous, bless him. Come along, Alicia. We’ll take some refreshment, then step out onto the terrace for a moment. There’s something I want to say to you,” she said, taking Alicia firmly by arm, and ushering her away.