Free The Silk Vendetta by Victoria Holt Page B

Benjamin Disraeli then. She hurt her hand when she got into the carriage to drive with him to the House, where he was going to make an important speech. She did not tell him that she had crushed her hand in the carriage door when getting into it. The pain must have been terrible but she sat there smiling and chatting as though nothing was wrong because she feared he might be upset and that would spoil his speech. The pain must have been terrible.”
    “What a lovely story,” said Cassie. “I like it very much, don’t you, Lenore?”
    “Yes,” I replied. “But I was thinking that I would not want to be a shadow of my husband … like Mrs. Barker for in-stance. I should want to be myself. I might want to do something in life … quite apart from marriage.”
    Julia said: “Oh, I wouldn’t want to be somebody else’s shadow. Politicians’ wives, though, have their place in society. Disraeli’s Mary Anne used to follow everything that went on in the House and she used to sit up and wait for him to come home and she always had a cold supper waiting for him no matter at what time he arrived; and then he would tell her all that had gone on in Parliament. And Mrs. Gladstone is very well known in society. She always makes sure that her husband’s material comforts are looked after. Drake says that in the home she is the one who gives the orders. So you see … it is a most exciting life.”
    “Why are you suddenly so interested in the political scene?” asked Cassie.
    Julia blushed a little. “I suppose it is because I’ve been talking to Drake.”
    Cassie and I exchanged glances. It was clear to us that this was Julia in love. It was to be expected. She was past seventeen and Drake would be about four years older, so both of them could be considered marriageable.
    As we neared the house we met Drake with Charles. They had obviously been for a ride.
    “Hello,” said Drake. “Are you just returning?”
    “We’ve been taking an afternoon’s ride,” explained Julia.
    “The forest is beautiful,” said Drake. He smiled at us all in his friendly fashion. Julia was gazing at him. She was rather obvious, I thought, and wondered if I dared tell her that it would be better to hide her feelings a little.
    “Going back to the house now?” asked Charles.
    Julia said we were.
    I did not speak. Charles had not addressed me. He behaved is though I were not there. I wondered if he was going to ignore me from then on. I did not mind if he did. In fact I should be rather pleased.
    We rode towards the house. Drake was between Julia and me.
    He said: “It was a most interesting evening.”
    “It was, wasn’t it,” replied Julia.
    “I saw you were very busily engaged,” he went on, turning to me.
    “Lenore had orders from Mama,” explained Julia. “Mama was afraid people would find the Barkers boring. So Lenore had to look after them.”
    “That was very noble of you,” said Drake.
    “Not in the least. I was told to do it.”
    “Never mind,” put in Julia. ‘ ‘You were there and you danced with Charles and Philip. We had a marvellous time, didn’t we, Drake?”
    “It was very amusing,” he answered.
    “What about you, Charles?” asked Julia.
    “Oh, I had a very good evening,” said Charles,
    “Enjoying yourself with the young ladies?”
    “Immensely,” replied Charles.
    We had come to the mausoleum.
    “What an extraordinary building,” commented Drake.
    “It’s the mausoleum,” Julia explained.
    “It’s most ornate.”
    “It was built about a hundred years ago,” explained Charles ‘ ‘It’s rather eerie, is it not?”
    “Well, I suppose it would be,” said Drake. “Is it open?”
    “Good Heavens, no. It’s opened very rarely … only when someone is put in there, I suppose. Just think, I shall be there one day … Philip too. What a thought. You girls … well, I suppose you’ll marry and you won’t be Sallongers then … so therefore unworthy of the place.”
    “I’ve always been