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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Curthoys Court was once again decked with flowers from altar to font, this
time for the christening of Nicholas Edward Francis Henry Curthoys. Since
the godfathers, including Edward Napier, RA, professed themselves
nervous to a man of the honour, young Nicholas lay placidly in the arms of
his doting godmother and aunt, Mrs James Colville, as the group clustered
round the font to watch the rector sprinkle holy water on the small pink face,
which emitted a single incensed wail in response to the indignity.
'Letting the devil out,' pronounced his grandmother with satisfaction after
the service was over, and held out her arms. 'Right, Charlotte, you've had
him long enough. Hand him over.'
'It's quite a step to the house, honey,' said her husband anxiously, 'you feel
tired and you give him to me now, you hear?'
Harry chuckled as he lagged behind a little with Frances when the
christening party was walking back to the house for a celebration lunch.
'Dexter will have to fight Dolly tooth and nail for the privilege, don't you
think? Look at the way she's hovering at Mother's shoulder.'
Frances smiled as she watched. 'I'm glad Dolly's so happy to be in charge of
the nursery again. Once everything was reorganised, with Bates's niece
Alison in charge of the kitchen, and all the extra help for the house, she
actually admitted it had all been getting a trifle too much for her.'
Harry let out a great sigh of thanksgiving. 'I can't believe it's all happened
sometimes. You, I mean, then young Nick, and the money--'
'Not to mention the new roof!'
'My God, no, let's not forget the new roof!' He paused to kiss her and Eddy
Napier turned from chatting up Jassy to shout at them.
'Come on, you two. Less of the canoodling I'm hungry.'
'You are unfailingly vulgar, Edward Napier,' said Caroline Napier severely.
'I can't think why Frances let you stand as godfather.'
'Because I painted such a superlative portrait of her, dearest sister-in-law,'
said Eddy loftily. 'No other Curthoys bride has ever been portrayed with
such supreme mastery, I assure you.'
'Hey now,' protested Dexter Bancroft. 'I'm sure you've done a great job on
your picture of Frances, young fellow, but it'll have to be something mighty
special to beat the one Harry was kind enough ,to give me of Nadine.'
'Oh, Dexter,' remonstrated his wife, laughing, and surrendered her burden
reluctantly to Dolly. 'Anyway, Harry, when are we to see this famous
portrait ? Have you hung it up in the gallery?'
'No fear!' Harry smiled smugly. 'It's over the fireplace in the morning-room
where I can look at it as much as I like. What's the point in banishing my
wife up to the gallery where no one sees the picture except the visitors?'
The guests were provided with champagne as Dolly bore the baby off to be
changed into something more comfortable than his antique lace christening
robe, and then Harry ushered everyone into the morning-room where a sheet
hung over the portrait on the chimney breast. With due ceremony he reached
up and unveiled the painting, which was greeted with a moment's complete
silence before Matt Wilding cleared his throat and stepped forward to shake
Eddy Napier by the hand.
'Congratulations. You were right. Superlative describes it exactly.'
Eddy gave an expansive bow, lapping up the praise heaped on him from all
sides. Frances gazed up at her likeness, hardly able to believe, even now,
that the beautiful young woman in the portrait was really herself.
Eddy had painted her seated in a winged chair. The faded green tapestry
made a perfect background for the subtle pink of her silk dress and dark
sheen of her hair which curled softly against her cheek and neck as she
leaned slightly over the baby lying on her lap. One hand touched the string
of pearls Harry had given her when their son was born, not waiting for
today, their first anniversary, and she looked up from, beneath slightly
raised brows in the portrait, as though the onlooker had just distracted her
attention from her son.
'A slight departure from the rule,' said Nadine softly, and smiled at her
triumphant son. 'Was it your idea, Harry to have young Nick in the picture
too?'
'No. I just wanted Frances,' he said simply, and squeezed the hand his wife
slid into his.
'Young Frances refused to sit for me unless she could cuddle her son while
she was doing it,' complained Eddy. 'New territory for me, babies.'
'You've caught him beautifully,' said Jassy, admiringly. 'Just look at his
perfect little fingernails.'
'Never mind the fingernails,' said Eddy, aggrieved. 'Just turn your attention
to the lace on that blasted christening robe. That precise age-yellowed tint is
murder to reproduce I sweated blood over it.'
'Not in vain, young man,' observed Mr Godfrey Dangerfield, and resorted to
his monocle to examine the portrait in detail. 'Damn pretty girl, Frances.
You're a fortunate man, Harry my boy. Portrait must have set you back a
packet, though I hear an Edward Napier original don't come cheap these
days.'
'This one does,' contradicted Eddy gloomily. 'It's my wedding present to
Frances and Harry.'
'Bit behind, aren't you?' said his brother, grinning.
'Not my fault. Should have painted it ages ago, but Harry put me olf. Said
they were going off on honeymoon, would you believe. It was months after
the wedding.'
'Frances needed a change,' said Harry blandly, and shepherded the guests
towards the dining-room. 'She'd been working flat out on the Curthoys
archives, so I thought it seemed rather a good idea to nip off to Antigua for a
week or two and lie in the sun. Now, if you'll all go in I'm sure Eddy and
Matt will provide you with more champagne while Frances and I just check
on our son for a moment.' With a brilliant smile at the assembled company
he whisked Frances from the room and ran with her to the library and closed
the door firmly.
'I thought we were off to check on Nick,' protested Frances, laughing, as
Harry pulled her into his arms.
'Our son is perfectly happy with Dolly for the moment, but his father just
couldn't exist a moment longer without telling his gorgeous mother how
much he loves her before they join the party.' And Harry removed his wife's
elegant hat and threw it carelessly on the table before kissing Frances with [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
