Portrait of Jonathan Read online

  The Eldons returned with Lavinia and Lord Rowan but went on to ‘Eldon House’ and returned to dine later in the evening.

  Lavinia, as she had promised her grandfather, wore the gown he favoured. Her hair she had dressed in a more elaborate style than the chignon, high on her head but with ringlets and curls. But gone was all the joy with which she had awoken that morning. She sighed as she descended the stairs to join her grandfather and the Eldons in the drawing-room and realised that she must try her best to be cheerful for no one must guess how the thought that Lady Anthea was once more free to marry affected her.

  ‘Vinny, how beautiful you look,’ Giles greeted her, his wide grin as beaming as ever, as if he had forgotten all about his previous remark in the carriage, or perhaps, she thought, he had not realised how his insinuation regarding a possible marriage between Jonathan and Lady Anthea could hurt her.

  ‘Indeed you do, my dear, doesn’t she, Jonathan?’ said Lady Melmoth.

  ‘But she always looks beautiful,’ he murmured. The half-smile was there as if he had no other thought in his head beyond paying petty compliments to Lavinia Kelvin. He moved towards her and standing close said softly so that no one else could hear,

  ‘Don’t be offended, my dear, but I do like your hair the way it is tonight.’

  His fingers touched one of her ringlets gently. ‘The style you wore this afternoon was sophisticated, but far too severe for you.’

  Despite the ache in her heart, she smiled, amused to think that he had noticed her hair.

  ‘Then,’ she said playfully but meaning it, ‘I shall never wear it that way again.’

  Jonathan gave one of his rare chuckles and offered her his arm as dinner was announced.

  The table was a magnificent sight, for, to add to the fine silver and glassware, was the centre piece—an archway of about five feet high and four feet wide of red roses and fern, beneath which stood a small silver vase of white roses. At either end of the table stood two more identical vases of white roses.

  ‘Wilford,’ exclaimed Lady Melmoth, ‘ what beautiful roses and so wonderfully arranged. Whoever have you on your staff who is so artistic?’

  Lord Rowan and Lavinia exchanged a smile and as they all took their places, he said mildly,

  ‘Not exactly a member of my staff, Evelina.’

  ‘Oh,’ Lady Melmoth said with disappointment, but with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. ‘What a shame. I was hoping to entice whoever it was to join my household.’

  ‘I’m sure,’ Lord Rowan replied finding difficulty in hiding his smile, ‘ that the person concerned would be only too happy to assist you any time.’

  A muffled giggle escaped Lavinia.

  ‘Mama,’ Giles said, ‘I do believe Lord Rowan means Lavinia.’

  Lord Rowan and Lavinia laughed together.

  ‘Really?’ Lady Melmoth looked a little disconcerted. ‘Forgive me, my dear, for being so slow—I should have guessed it was you with your artistic talent. And,’ she said smiling again, ‘ I shall take your grandfather up on his offer on your behalf.’

  The meal commenced on this light-hearted note, but it was inevitable that the conversation should return to the topic of the steamship and Lavinia, once more reminded of Lord Thorwald’s death and all it could mean, became unusually quiet.

  ‘Perhaps we shall see a little more of you, Jonathan,’ his mother remarked, ‘now that the steamship has been launched.’

  ‘Indeed,’ Lord Rowan said, ‘ you have taken more than your fair share of the responsibility in this venture—and you have dealt with all the problems admirably.’

  ‘Thank you, sir,’ Jonathan said quietly, ‘but there is still a great deal to be done before the ship is completed and as we are determined to have her ready to sail about next April, I shall be occupied for some months yet.’

  Lavinia, from her position at table between Giles and Jonathan, could not easily see the expression on Jonathan’s face, but she could sense that Lord Rowan’s brief compliment meant far more to him than all the elaborate flattery he had received during the last few weeks as the building of the steamship progressed.

  ‘You’re very quiet, Vinny,’ remarked the observant Giles. ‘Are you feeling all right?’

  ‘Yes, quite, thank you. A little tired perhaps.’

  Everyone turned to look at her.

  ‘You do look a little pale, my dear,’ said Lady Melmoth.

  ‘It’s the high and giddy life she’s been leading catching up with her,’ chuckled Giles.

  Lavinia saw her grandfather looking concerned, so she smiled brightly at him. She must not allow any one of them to guess the truth for her despondency—the thought that now Lady Anthea was free once more, she, Lavinia, would perhaps lose Jonathan for ever.

  ‘Maybe we should go to ‘Avonridge’ for a while,’ Lord Rowan remarked.

  ‘Why, yes, I would love that. Grandfather,’ she said quickly, trying to ignore the feeling of swift disappointment at being parted from Jonathan again.

  ‘Would you all care to come?’ Lord Rowan addressed the Eldon family.

  ‘That’s very kind of you, Wilford,’ Lady Melmoth answered. ‘Well, Rupert?’

  ‘Yes, my dear. It would make a welcome change. Rowan. Many thanks. Can’t speak for the boys, of course.’

  ‘I should love to come—must get that woe-begone look off Vinny’s face, y’know,’ smiled Giles. ‘And I’m the chap to do it.’

  Everyone laughed, but Lavinia was waiting for Jonathan’s answer, hardly daring to breathe. She dare not hope that he would want to come with them to ‘Avonridge’—no doubt he would wish to stay in town now near Lady Anthea. But she was wrong for Jonathan said, ‘I too would very much like to come for a short while. The steamship can take care of itself for a week or two,’ he smiled, ‘though I mustn’t desert her entirely—in fact, I may go on her first trip to China when …’

  ‘Oh no,’ Lavinia cried before she could stop herself.

  Lord Melmoth looked sharply at his son.

  ‘I don’t think that would be wise, my boy.’

  ‘There’s always Giles to take my place if …’

  ‘If you go, I go too,’ put in Giles firmly, all trace of his boyishness gone in an instant.

  Lavinia heard Jonathan sigh softly. ‘There’s an end to it then. I can’t possibly go.’

  ‘There’s something going on here I don’t understand,’ Lady Melmoth said. ‘Will someone please enlighten me?’

  Lord Melmoth cleared his throat uncomfortably, but Lord Rowan looked as puzzled as Lady Melmoth and Lavinia were.

  ‘Jonathan has mentioned before that he wanted to go on the steamship’s first voyage to China,’ Lord Melmoth explained. ‘ Giles and I are trying to persuade him not to do so.’

  ‘I see. But why exactly?’ his wife asked. Lord Melmoth and his sons exchanged glances.

  ‘Her first voyage to China will be a major trial for her. Provided all goes well, she will bring a cargo of tea back—her first. At about the same time—roughly the beginning of next July, we understand that Myron will have a ship—a clipper, of course—due to leave Shanghai and we anticipate that that could be the greatest test for the Lavinia. Whichever ship docks in London first will quite probably mean rain for the loser.’

  ‘In short,’ added Jonathan, ‘ the situation will develop into a race. You know the importance now of being the first to dock with a new shipment of tea. Clippers have often raced each other, but this time, with a new steamship involved, the result has more far-reaching effects.’

  ‘Don’t you see, Mama,’ put in Giles excitedly, ‘if the clipper should win—which it won’t—Myron’s Company will have proved themselves right that the steamship is a failure? But if the steamship docks first, we shall be vindicated and prove that the steamship is the ship of the future.’

  ‘And you mean because of the rivalry which will develop there will be actual danger to the Lavinia and that’s why you do not want Jonathan to go?’

&nbs
p; ‘Precisely, my dear,’ her husband replied.

  ‘And, you’ll note,’ Jonathan put in, smiling gently, ‘that I’m being blackmailed. Giles says that if I go, he will go, and naturally I can’t endanger him, so …’

  ‘Why should you want to endanger yourself?’ said Lavinia with some sharpness. ‘ Do you imagine we care so little for you that … that …’ She stopped, appalled at her own stupidity in betraying her feelings. But Giles, her confidant, came to her rescue by agreeing vehemently with her statement and so minimising the underlying meaning of her words.

  ‘Exactly, the silly goat must think we would happily wave him goodbye not caring whether or not he ever came back,’ he snorted. ‘You’d think he’d know differently, wouldn’t you?’

  The other members of the gathering smiled, amused by Giles’ outburst and Lavinia hoped fervently that her own impetuous words were forgotten. But some time later, when the gentlemen rejoined the ladies in the drawing-room, Jonathan drew Lavinia to one side and said softly, ‘Would you really worry about me, Vinny, if I were to go with the steamship?’

  She hesitated, blushing faintly. ‘Of course,’ she muttered. ‘Shouldn’t I?’ she added defensively.

  ‘But I didn’t think you …’

  ‘I say, Vinny,’ interrupted Giles joining them, ‘have you done any more paintings lately? And when are you going to do another of me? I could sit for you, you know.’

  Jonathan cursed softly to himself as Lavinia turned her attention to Giles. Could he never converse with Lavinia, Jonathan was thinking, without Giles interrupting? But she, however, was thankful for Giles’ intervention. Jonathan subsided into silence and moved away, saying very little during the remainder of the evening.

  It was arranged that Lord Rowan and Lavinia should leave for Warwickshire the next day and the Eldons would join them at the week-end giving Lord Rowan time to make the necessary arrangements for entertaining them. By the time the Eldons arrived several days later, Lavinia had composed herself and had with great effort and no little courage, managed to become the cheerful, vivacious girl she was now expected to be all the time. She thrust all thoughts of Jonathan and Lady Anthea aside and concentrated upon assisting her grandfather and enjoying the company of the Eldon family as a whole.

  ‘You look much better now, my dear child,’ Lady Melmoth remarked as she kissed Lavinia in greeting.

  ‘It must be ‘Avonridge’ then, for I love it here,’ Lavinia laughed.

  Their stay was pleasurable. Lavinia found herself constantly in the company of Giles and Jonathan, though rarely with either of them alone. They became a merry trio—Giles with his usual exuberance, Lavinia with her determined gaiety and even Jonathan was relaxed, and flashes of his youthful impetuosity and frivolity began to reassert themselves. The three went riding together, for Lavinia was now well able to keep pace with their horsemanship. They went for carriage drives and walks through the grounds of ‘Avonridge’. But their activities were undertaken at a relaxed, restful pace, entirely different from the hectic whirl of London social life.

  ‘Don’t you long for the city?’ Giles remarked one sunny afternoon in late September when the three of them were sitting in the garden which had now come to be known as Lavinia’s since it was her favourite spot—the garden with the little fountain where Giles had inadvertently stumbled upon Lavinia’s secret when he had seen all her drawings of Jonathan.

  ‘No—I don’t. Do you?’

  ‘Yes and no. I like it here, don’t you, Jonathan?’

  Jonathan nodded.

  ‘But,’ Giles continued, ‘ I couldn’t stay here for ever.’

  ‘Oh, I could,’ sighed Lavinia.

  ‘So could I,’ Jonathan murmured. ‘But you seemed to be enjoying the city life, Vinny.’

  ‘I did—I suppose. But it’s all so— shallow, somehow. I mean, all those balls and dinner parties. What have you got at the end of it?’

  ‘You certainly hide your feelings remarkably well.’

  ‘Oh I did enjoy it, especially at first. And I didn’t want to hurt Grandfather. He was doing it all for me—I didn’t want to appear ungrateful.’

  ‘You’re rather good at hiding your feelings, aren’t you, Vinny?’ Giles said softly. Lavinia smiled and she saw Jonathan glance at her, a puzzled expression in his eyes.

  ‘It would be unbecoming of a young lady to do otherwise,’ she replied flippantly and tried to laugh gaily.

  ‘But I thought you enjoyed the attentions of all those handsome young men?’ Giles teased her.

  She laughed. ‘I’d much rather be here with just the two of you.’

  ‘Really?’ Giles beamed at her affectionately, his eyes telling her he understood why, but Jonathan seemed rather surprised.

  ‘Do you mean to say you prefer our dull company to all those handsome, dashing bachelors in town?’

  ‘Dull!’ Giles exploded. ‘You speak for yourself Lord Eldon. I’m not dull, am I, Vinny?’

  She laughed. ‘Neither of you is dull.’

  ‘But what about James Andover?’ Giles teased, mentioning one of the young men who had been an admirer of Lavinia. ‘He used to hang upon your every word.’

  ‘And what of Lord Selwyn?’ murmured Jonathan, a little too casually.

  ‘I heard before we left town,’ Giles said, ‘ that he’d been seen visiting Lady Anthea.’

  Lavinia could not help glancing at Jonathan to see whether Giles’ words had any effect. Was it possible, she thought in alarm, that the old rivalry over Lady Thorwald between Lord Francis and Jonathan could be renewed? She was startled to see that Jonathan’s eyes were upon her regarding her intently. Swiftly she turned away, and, with more command of the situation than she felt, she tactfully changed the subject.

  The Eldons’ visit came to an end and when they had gone, Lavinia found ‘Avonridge’ was not quite the haven she had so strongly claimed it to be—perhaps because Jonathan was no longer there.

  However, she still preferred ‘Avonridge’ to city life for although back in town she would have been nearer Jonathan and more likely to see something of him, nevertheless Lady Anthea, she knew, also remained in the city and Lavinia had no wish to risk encountering Jonathan and Lady Anthea together as she feared they may now often be, in spite of Giles’ information that Viscount Selwyn had visited her. Perhaps his call had been merely a courtesy call to express his condolences on the death of her husband, Lavinia thought, for Lord Francis had obviously been on friendly terms with her when her husband had been alive—had he not escorted her to the ball—so it was natural that he should be on hand to offer comfort. But Lavinia’s thoughts tortured her. Would Jonathan too want to comfort and console Lady Anthea now, even though he had, she believed, seen little of Lady Thorwald before her husband’s death?

  The months passed and Christmas—a quiet affair for Lord Rowan and Lavinia—came and went. They saw nothing of the Eldon family during that time for, although they had received an invitation to spend Christmas at ‘Eldon House’, Lord Rowan was at the time not feeling well and preferred to stay at ‘Avonridge’. Lavinia, for her grandfather’s sake, hid her disappointment. She heard of the Eldons frequently, though, for Lord Rowan was kept fully informed of the progress of the steamship and Lady Melmoth and Giles wrote to her often.

  Winter gave way to spring, and spring to summer, but there was still no word from Jonathan himself.

  The Lavinia sailed from England in April and at the beginning of July, when news came through that she was laden and ready to leave Shanghai for England, Lord Rowan, his health improved, said, ‘ Lavinia, I think I should go up to London whilst this business is on. You remember Melmoth telling us about the possibility of a race developing between the Lavinia and Myron’s clipper?’

  ‘Yes, Grandfather, I do.’

  ‘It looks as if he was right, and that is exactly what is going to happen. In fact, we rather think that Myron and his associates—your father and brother amongst them and, I suppose, Lady Anthea Thorwald—have
engineered the whole thing. We believe they want a race to develop in an attempt to discredit us.’

  ‘You think you should be on hand in case anything goes wrong.’

  ‘I do, my dear. As you know, Melmoth and his boys do most of the day to day running of the Company, but I feel I should be there to shoulder my share of the responsibility this time.’

  ‘Of course,’ Lavinia kissed his temple.

  ‘When do we leave?’

  ‘I don’t think you should come, Lavinia. There may be unpleasantness whatever the result of the race. I think you had better stay here.’

  ‘Just you try to keep me away,’ she laughed merrily.

  There was a moment’s pause whilst Lord Rowan appeared to be considering whether to allow her to accompany him.

  ‘Very well, child,’ he said gently and the look on his face left her in no doubt that he guessed that there was someone in London whom she wanted to see in spite of herself. In all probability he had eliminated all casual friends and acquaintances down to the two Eldon brothers, but she was sure he could not guess which of them it was.

  On their arrival in London they were surprised to find the extent of interest the race was causing amongst people not even connected with the Keldon Line. Other shipping companies divided themselves either on the side of the Keldon Line or in favour of Myron’s clipper, according to whether they were forward-thinking persons or old-fashioned sceptics.

  From China they received word that the steamship and the clipper had left together.

  The race had started.

  Day by day the tension mounted. Lord Rowan and Lavinia met with the Eldons frequently and always the major topic of conversation was the race. Jonathan became even more serious, even more wrapped up in the progress of the steamship. His face wore a perpetual frown and the scar was more than ever apparent. Lord Melmoth’s agitation showed itself in his restlessness—he would frequently pace about the room. Even Giles had lost much of his natural exuberance. Only Lady Melmoth appeared to retain her serenity, her calm face never showing any disquiet. But to the discerning observer, one feature gave away the fact that she too was anxious—her dark eyes followed the movements of her husband, or searched the sober face of her elder son.