I watched Sophie while Léon was speaking. I was surprised that she had joined us as we had a visitor. Dickon had not shown by a flicker of his eyelids that he was surprised by her presence; he had talked to her naturally and although she was a little quiet she appeared to be at ease. In fact she looked pretty in a gown of pale lavender and a hood to match. I noticed how often her eyes rested on Léon Blanchard and although I was glad to see her changed and happier, I did feel a certain apprehension as to what the future held for her. Was it really possible that he would marry her? If he would, some of the happiness she had known during her engagement to Charles might be brought back to her.
Armand was talking enthusiastically about the work he and his band were doing, gathering together noblemen from the outlying districts. ‘We’ll get these agitators,’ he cried. ‘They’ll get their just deserts and that will hit at the root of the trouble.’
When we left the table Dickon said he wanted to take a walk round the ramparts and asked if I would join him.
I said I would. I took a wrap and we went to the top of the tower and walked round the path, pausing now and then to lean on the stone between the battlements and look out over the countryside.
Dickon said: ‘It looks deceptively peaceful, doesn’t it?’
I agreed.
He put an arm round me. ‘You shouldn’t stay here, you know. It’s going to blow up at any minute.’
‘You have been saying that for a very long time.’
‘It has been simmering for a long time.’
‘Then perhaps it will go on for a little while yet.’
‘But not too long a while, and when it comes the deluge will be terrible. Marry me, Lottie. That is what you should do.’
‘And come to England?’
‘Of course. Eversleigh awaits you and the children. My mother hopes every time I come to France that when I return you will be with me … you and the children to grow up with mine. Of course, I can’t promise you such a paragon of a tutor as Monsieur Blanchard appears to be. Who is that man, by the way? He is a very distinctive character.’
‘Did you think so? You have only seen him at dinner.’
‘He’s the sort of man who makes his presence felt. He seems to have changed the whole household. Not you perhaps. I hope your thralldom is for one only.’
I did enjoy Dickon’s company. I liked the way he could be light-hearted when discussing the most serious subjects.
‘I am in thrall to no one, Dickon,’ I answered. ‘You should know that.’
‘To my sadness, yes. But why don’t you come to England? Get away from this cauldron of discontent.’
‘Which you have said several times is on the point of boiling over.’
‘It will be no joke when it does. Some will be sadly scalded. But not my Lottie. I shall not permit that. It would be much easier though if you summoned up your good sense and left while it is easy to do so.’
‘I can’t go, Dickon. I won’t leave my father.’
‘Eversleigh is a very big house. Don’t underestimate it because you have passed your days in châteaux. Let him come too.’
‘He never would. This is his home, his country.’
‘A country, my dear, from which men such as he is will soon be trying to escape.’
‘He never would and I would not leave him.’
‘You care more for him than for me.’
‘But of course. He loves me. He brought me here to acknowledge me. I have been treated as his daughter. You chose Eversleigh.’
‘Will you never forget that?’
‘How can I? It is there while you are there. You are Eversleigh and I was the one whom you rejected for its sake.’ I laid my hand on his arm. ‘Oh, Dickon, I have forgiven it … if there was anything to forgive. You were just behaving naturally as Nature designed you should. No. What I mean is that it is not important any more. But I won’t come to England while my father lives. You can see how he relies on me. If I went and took the children—and I would never go without them—what would happen to him?’
‘I know his feelings for you. That is obvious. You are the one. Poor Sophie means little to him and he does not like his son overmuch. I see that. I am not surprised. Armand is a fool. What is all this about a band?’
‘It’s some sort of society … an organization. They are trying to scent out agitators.’
‘I gathered that, but with any success?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘But what do they
‘They meet and talk … ’
‘And talk and talk,’ said Dickon derisively. ‘That sort of thing should be done in secret. He should not announce his plans at the dinner table.’
‘Well, it is the family.’
‘Not entirely. There is the tutor for one.’
‘Oh, but he is one of them. Armand eventually persuaded him and Monsieur Blanchard is very obliging. He likes to live on good terms with everyone. He did plead too much work at first but eventually he agreed.’
‘Such an obliging man. How did you come by him?’
