Whatever Bea had expected, that was not it. She was conscious of a whoosh of relief… nothing to do with Bertram then.
“I thought there was some man from London,” Bea said. “A man with a fine estate and four thousand a year.”
“That came to nothing,” Walter said. “He was never right for Winnie, and she gave him his marching orders in the end. Which was a piece of luck for me.”
“Oh, yes. I congratulate you, Mr Atherton,” Lady Esther said smoothly. “Such a sensible match for you in your present circumstances. Miss Strong is an eminently practical girl, she will be able to manage very well on your reduced income.”
Walter looked bewildered. “I hardly chose her for her ability to make gooseberry pie!”
“Why did you choose her?” Bea said. “She has no dowry to speak of.”
Walter smiled with such warmth that Bea was startled. He had never smiled that way at her! But then she had a revelation.
“Oh! You are inlovewith her! Why did you never say?”
“Beatrice, a lady does not enquire into a gentleman’s affections,” Lady Esther said gently.
“We established a long time ago that I am no lady, nor ever likely to be,” Bea said robustly.
Before her stepmother could reply, Walter laughed. “Bea, I am delighted to see that you are as open and forthright as ever. Lady Esther, I have long been wishing to examine the new parterre below, which reminds me very much of the one at Valmont. I know you will not wish to stroll about in this hot weather, but perhaps Bea may be permitted to show me the improvements?”
Lady Esther laughed. “And you, sir, are as charming a rogue as ever. I doubt you were ever within a hundred miles of Valmont.”
“Oh, I am sure I must have been in the same county, at least. It is in Kent, is it not? Or Surrey? Berkshire?”
“It is in Hampshire, Walter,” Bea said, laughing. “Home to the Duke of Falconbury. Family name, Litherholm. Mama made me learn all the dukes and marquesses.”
“Well remembered, Beatrice,” her stepmother said. “The parterre at Valmont is certainly very fine, or it was the last time I visited. A lucky guess on your part, Mr Atherton.”
Walter chuckled. “These great houses always have a parterre, and that being so, I have surely seen an engraving of it in a book somewhere. Grandmother was forever showing me such things. You will not mind if I stroll about with Bea?”
She graciously assented, and they descended the steps to the newly planted parterre and walked sedately round the perimeter.
“So tell me about Winnie,” Bea said. “How did you come to fall in love with her?”
“I think I must have been in love with her for years,” he said, and again his face softened into a glowing smile. “She was always my very good friend, but I never understood how much she meant to me until this fellow started paying court to her.”
“And has she conveniently fallen in love with you, too?”
“That is the amazing part of it, Bea. Winnie has been in love with me for years —tenyears, if you can believe it, and never said a word or showed it in the slightest. I had not the least idea. Did you? Perhaps you suspected something? Did she ever say anything when I was engaged to you?”
“No, not a word.Ten years?And you had no idea? I could not do that! If I loved a man so well as that, I should have told him so.”
Walter chuckled. “So you should. After all, you told me you were going to marry me and you were not in love with me… were you?” he added, an anxious tone in his voice. “I should not wish you to be unhappy on my account, Bea.”
“No, no, no, nothing like that. It was a practical matter for both of us. A suitable match, as Mama would say.”
“Bea…” he began, with a sideways glance. “I should not wish you to think… that I was discontented with our arrangement. I went into it willingly, and I think… I truly believe we would have rubbed along together pretty well.”
“I think so too,” she said slowly. “But… there would have been something missing.”
“Exactly!” he said eagerly. “With Winnie, it is so different. I feel so… soalive, if that makes sense. As if it is summer every day.”
“Itissummer, Walter.”
“Ha! So it is. But it feels like… so much more. Oh, I am no good with words, so I cannot describe it to you properly, but with Winnie I feel as if we complement each other perfectly, as if we are meant to be together, and I am so happy I could burst.I hope… truly I hope you find your perfect match, too, Bea.” A pause, and then he went on gently, “How are you getting on with Bertram? Any luck yet?”
“No, I have abandoned my plan to marry him.” She tried very hard not to sound subdued, but was not entirely successful. “Unlike you, he has told me very steadfastly that he has no intention of marrying at all, and I have given up all thought of it. In fact, I am not sure I want to marry myself. I am learning Latin and—”
