After an unproductive visit from the doctor, dinner was a strange affair, for the gathering of their disparate group around the table. It was not helped by the smell of Fluffles emanating from under the table nor Henrietta’s conversational opening.
“Darling Percy, you should be sitting at the head of the table," she observed. “It’s your place in your father’s absence. It’s only proper.”
“I don’t. I can’t…” Percy mumbled, shrinking from the idea and his relative’s inquiring grey eyes with the raised eyebrows, which seemed to signify permanent mild disapproval.
Diana could see how much the suggestion upset him, but Lady Birks seemed oblivious to his feelings. She began to alternately praise the good qualities she knew were inside him somewhere and lightly chide him about taking up his responsibilities. Her ever kindly but somehow disappointed face looked the way it had when she had scolded Percy for eating some of Andrew’s sweets as a child.
How could such a lovely boy do such a wicked thing? She and Andrew loved Percy so much and would never have guessed that he was someone who would steal another child’s treats. It would be so very disappointing for Percy’s poor mother to hear. In retrospect, Harriet’s comments seemed a little absurd, but Diana guessed that her aunt’s over-protectiveness of Andrew lay at the root of the matter.
It was another long-forgotten and now returned memory. Diana also remembered thinking that Andrew had been greedy not to have shared the sweets with all of them in the first place.
“It seems to me… I would say—” Diana tried to support her brother at the table, but their aunt talked over her, regardless.
“Cousin Esther has such high hopes of you, Percy, as her only son and the future Lord Templeton. When she writes to me, she always tells me of your accomplishments and good qualities. It brings tears to my eyes to think about it at the present moment, with your poor father lying so ill in the house."
Then, Edmund spoke up politely but more forcefully.
“Lady Birks may be right on the matter of young men taking on family responsibilities, but in a crisis like this, there is surely a need to create as little additional work as possible for anyone. We won’t be disturbing Jenson and the staff to rearrange the table settings while your father is lying ill, surely?”
“You are quite right,” Percy said with some relief at his friend’s intervention. “I don’t want to create any additional work tonight. There’s enough going on with sick room arrangements and the normal running of the house. Now we have three guests too.”
“We’ll all pull our weight,” Edmund promised.
“You’ve been running your own estates for some years, I understand, your Grace?” Lady Birks asked, turning her attention to him. Diana couldn’t tell if she were irritated by Edmund’s intervention or genuinely interested.
“Yes, ever since my father died three years ago. It has been challenging work but well worth the security and comfort it has brought to my mother and sisters.”
“I’m glad to meet a young man who has lived up to his responsibilities,” Henrietta said, and Diana resented the further slight implied in her words towards Percy. “It will be so good for dear Percy to see and learn from you, Your Grace. Your mother must be very proud of you.”
“I hope she is, Lady Birks. It’s my aim in life to make her so.”
“Then she is as lucky as I am. My son, Andrew, is a marvel. So clever and so good with people. He’s made such a fine start to his career with his trading firm in India, and I can imagine him one day in politics in the service of the nation…”
They all listened to her politely as she extolled the virtues of her sainted son. Diana struggled to reconcile the picture painted by his mother with her own, admittedly blurred, impression of a selfish, disinterested and spoiled teenage boy. She hoped for her own sake that her aunt’s view was the more accurate.
When the meal was over, the plates cleared and Fluffles retrieved from his place under the table where he had apparently been making sport of poor Jacob’s leg throughout the meal, Diana realized that Lady Birks had been looking at her thoughtfully for some minutes with that expression of mingled affection and chagrin that took her back again to her childhood.
“What a beautiful child Diana is, Esther. Quite, quite delightful. But is she growing well? She does seem rather small for her age, and it would be as well to consult a physician. I would hate to see any permanent harm done.”
“I’m sorry that you’re so sad Diana, but it’s not really kind to ruin everyone else’s fun, is it? Andrew was having a lovely time with his boats, and now, he’s all upset and so is Percy because of you. Why don’t you just watch them like a good girl and let’s see a pretty smile.”
“Diana, my darling, what a naughty story to make up. We know that Andrew would never deliberately hit Percy, would he? He’s a young gentleman of excellent manners. Now, run along back to Andrew and apologize. I don’t want to hear another thing about it."
Henrietta now spoke up gently and firmly, “Percy and Diana, my dears, I would welcome a few minutes alone with you before I retire to the Dower House, if I may.”
For some reason, her aunt’s request chilled her without even knowing the subject to be raised. Percy also looked as though he wanted to refuse, but Diana saw Edmund giving his friend a reassuring nod.
“Of course, Aunt Henrietta,” Diana said dutifully. “Shall we speak in Father’s study?”
ChapterFour
The three of them sat down together at the small table beside the safe in Richard’s study. It was where Diana’s father usually sat with his agent or lawyer, or anyone else who came to talk business with him. She had never sat at this table before and it made the conversation seem grave before it even began. Percy wriggled uncomfortably in his chair beside her.
Lady Birks sighed and looked at them both with great compassion. The sympathy in her eyes was so heavy that it gave Diana an odd sense of guilt, even though the current situation was entirely beyond her control.
“My dear children, it has been a hard week for everyone in this family, I believe. The doctor told us tonight that your father’s illness could continue indefinitely. Or end suddenly.”
“He might also get well again,” Percy piped up. “Dr. Hughs said it wasn’t impossible.”