A Fall from Grace, Maggie Ford [best english novels to read txt] 📗

than family friendship existed between them. She lifted her face to him, her expression hopefully betraying nothing.

‘You must be so deeply relieved in not having to be sent away over… I mean, well, not finding yourself having to be packed off back to France,’ she said, stumbling awkwardly over the words and feeling instantly stupid.

He was looking at her, a faint smile now hovering on his lips. Was he mocking her or embracing her? She couldn’t tell.

‘Yes, very relieved.’ He hesitated, then, ‘Hopefully I’ll be seeing a lot more of you now. You too, Uncle James,’ he added almost as an afterthought which to her ears had a far too significant ring to it for her own peace of mind.

But James hadn’t seemed to notice, saying easily, ‘Yes, of course, as often as we can.’

Mabel had returned followed by her maid carrying tea on a silver tray together with a plate of dainty biscuits. She placed it on the small round table standing between Mabel’s armchair and those of the guests and hurried away on being told, ‘Thank you, Susan. That will be all.’

They watched as Mabel poured, helping themselves to milk, sugar and biscuits. Beyond the window the continuing celebrations penetrated the quiet room as little more than a low murmur. James was first to break the silence.

‘So… Anthony, old chap, I expect we’ll soon be seeing you dashing around again, no doubt looking to find yourself a nice girl – unless of course you’ve already found someone.’

His voice was hearty, overloud, almost forced, and Madeleine shot a glance at him with an instant sense of guilt. What did he mean, found someone? Had he detected something in that possibly unguarded look which had passed so briefly between her and his nephew just a few moments ago? But Anthony was already answering him, his own tone easy.

‘I’m not intending to look, Uncle. If it happens, that’s fine, but I’m not ready to deliberately go seeking anyone, that’s for certain.’

To her ears it was a foolish thing to say. She cast a surreptitious glance towards her husband but he appeared to be satisfied and muttering an amiable, ‘Of course not,’ turned to his sister-in-law.

‘I’m so happy for you, my dear, having your son home safe – nothing worse than an injured leg, but it’s healing well, and not at all impairing his future.’

‘You cannot begin to imagine, James, how happy I am for that,’ she returned. Her tone was lighter than Madeleine had ever known. She sounded almost a new woman as she added brightly, ‘The Dear Lord has answered all my prayers.’ Leaning forward he patted her hand reassuringly then turned back to Anthony. ‘And you, my boy, will soon be returning to normal life, no doubt settling back into banking, hopefully putting these past four years behind you.’

‘I don’t know about that,’ Anthony said a little brusquely and lapsed into silence.

Again that faintly awkward atmosphere settled over the room. Madeleine and James drained their teacups and returned them to the tray together with their plates, biscuits untouched. Mabel continued taking minuscule sips from her own cup. She did not like steaming hot tea, preferring to drink hers lukewarm. Anthony had also drained his, now leaning over the arm of his chair to put the cup on the floor beside him.

As he did so, he looked towards Madeleine. The movement took her attention and as their glances met and held for a second, a meaningful look passed between them, almost tangible, Madeleine hurriedly looking away as she heard James say with a polite sigh, ‘Well, I suppose we’d best be going.’

‘You’ve been here barely half an hour,’ Mabel protested. ‘We shall be having dinner earlier than usual. Why not stay? We had lunch very early, well before one o’clock chimed the commencement of the official Victory celebrations – we didn’t want to be eating then, so dinner will be a little earlier. Do stay.’

But James seemed to have made up his mind, leaving Madeleine to ponder if he’d noticed the look that had passed between her and Anthony, reading something into it.

‘We merely came to see how you were on this special day, my dear,’ he was saying. ‘Make sure you’re not feeling down you might say. I’m glad to find you both so cheery but I do have some work I need to finish ready for tomorrow.’

‘Well, then if you must,’ she said somewhat begrudgingly. ‘Though how you can think of working on a day such as this…’

‘Life goes on,’ he cut in with a small laugh. ‘Perhaps we can take up your offer, my dear, not tomorrow but Sunday, when I have more time. And now we really must be away,’ he added as she nodded her acceptance of the arrangement. ‘And I am so glad to find you well, my dear, you too, Anthony.’

Madeleine too wanted to be away. She could feel herself trembling inside from the look that had passed between her and Anthony, such a depth of meaning that if James had been looking in their direction, which she fervently hoped he hadn’t, he couldn’t have helped but notice.

Without daring to look back at Anthony she quickly followed James out to the hall, his sister-in-law accompanying them, cheerfully bidding them goodbye as they donned their hats and coats and left.

‘I thought Anthony looked very well,’ James said as they drove off, the crowds still clogging the roads. ‘You did too, didn’t you, my dear?’

Nerves still raw from the way Anthony had looked at her as he placed his cup down beside him, she felt herself reading more into those last few words than maybe she should have and cringed inwardly but managed to answer in a small voice, ‘Yes, dear, I did.’

Left wondering just how much he was aware of the feelings between Anthony and her, she found herself reading all sorts of innuendos into almost everything James said when speaking to her. It made her wish they were not going there on Sunday.