Page 159 of One More Christmas at the Castle
I turned my head to look mutely at Xan and found him gazing down the table at Mrs Powys, a frown twitching his dark eyebrows together.
‘Me?’ he said incredulously. ‘Is this some kind of joke, Sabine?’
‘It must be, because it’s quite preposterous!’ cried Nigel, springing to his feet. ‘To leave it to Xan, when you know that I, your nearest relative, would love and care for it?’
‘I’m quite serious,’ Mrs Powys said calmly.
‘But … that’s sounfair!’ Lucy wailed, tears springing to her eyes. She appealed to Mr Makepeace: ‘Timothy, surely you—’
‘I advise, but the decision must, of course, rest with my client – and she has made it.’
Xan, still staring fixedly at Mrs Powys, said slowly, ‘Tome? You’ve really left it to me? But why?’
‘Because, as I said, I want it to remain a much-loved family home – and I hope that you will marry and settle down here. For not only have you been as good as a son to me, but you are, no matter how distantly, related to my mother’s family.’
‘A ridiculously remote connection, at the most!’ protested Nigel, sinking back into his chair as if his legs would no longer hold him.
Xan was still frowning. ‘But, Sabine, you know I mean to marry Dido?’
‘I do and, with Nancy’s help’ – she paused to exchange a smile with her friend, who nodded at her encouragingly – ‘withNancy’s help, I have come to accept and embrace that idea. And Dido has an affinity for the house and the Winter Garden.’
My brain seemed to be having trouble processing what she was saying, and now, Frank, Nigel, Olive and Lucy were all starting from me to Xan and back again, as if we’d turned into some kind of two-headed monster.
‘There’s something else most of you don’t know about Dido,’ said Mrs Powys, and my head jerked round so suddenly my neck cricked.
‘Her father is my half-sister, Faye’s, illegitimate son – so Dido is my great-niece.’
‘A fact evenIonly learned this morning,’ said Mr Makepeace drily. ‘I admit, I was quite dumbfounded.’
‘Not, I assure you, as much asweare!’ faltered Nigel, his usually rosy face now looking pale and shell-shocked, which was much how I felt.
But Xan now laid his warm hand over mine and squeezed it, and I immediately felt heartened by the contact.
‘It was your uncle who dealt with Faye when she came back from America to claim the money my father left her, Timothy, and although he told me of her return, and that she had had a child out of wedlock, at the time that was still the kind of thing that was hushed up.’
‘Did you know about this?’ Olive asked me curiously.
‘Only in the last few days, and my father had no idea. He was adopted by a cousin of Faye’s mother, but she wouldn’t talk about her.’
‘Isuspect you knew before you got here and have been busily inveigling yourself into Sabine’s good graces – not to mention getting yourself engaged to Xan,’ began Nigel hotly.
‘Really, Nigel!’ reproved Nancy. ‘You’ve had enough time to form a better estimate of Dido’s character than that.’
Nigel looked a bit shamefaced at his outburst, but said sulkily, ‘I find it hard to believe, Sabine, that you really want a grandchild of Faye’s, who we all know you detested, to marry Xan and live here!’
‘But I do,’ Mrs Powys said firmly. ‘Nancy has made me see that it would complete a pattern, by bringing the past and present together – that is, if she and Xan are willing to accept the inheritance and the responsibility?’
She looked questioningly at us.
‘If thatiswhat you truly want,’ Xan said, and then smiled lovingly at me. ‘What about it, Dido? Will you take me on – and all that comes with me?’
I looked doubtfully at Mrs Powys. ‘I don’t think this can have been a very easy decision, Mrs Powys! Are youquitesure …?’
Her lips twisted slightly. ‘Only the first step was hard and I know it is the right decision. And I think it’s time you started to call me Sabine, don’t you?’
‘Very touching,’ drawled Frank.
‘Well,Ithink you’ve been quite unfair to Nigel,’ exclaimed Lucy, tears rushing into her eyes again.
