Page 144 of The Gathering Storm

Speculation was rife about what the groom would buy for the bride for a wedding present, with the smart money on diamonds. Bagrath’s the jewellers on Stonegate confidently redesigned their window display to show their choicest pieces – including a delicate tiara, such as would become a beautiful golden head, and must appeal to a millionaire in love.

But on the Thursday before the wedding, Lennie interrupted Polly in the steward’s room and asked if she would come with him for a moment. ‘It’s your wedding present. I can’t give it to you on the day, and I expect you’ll be busy with last-minute arrangements tomorrow, so I want to give it to you now.’

‘How mysterious you’re being,’ she said, but she got up from the desk obediently.

John Burton hesitated, and Lennie said, ‘You can come too.’ He led the way into the Great Hall, where already a number of people, including servants, were hovering, and Barlow was stationed at the great door, his face so wooden it was obvious he was trying not to grin.

‘What on earth … ?’ Polly said.

Barlow opened the door, and Lennie took her hand and led her through. In the yard, at the foot of the steps, Butterfield, the head man, stood with the reins in his hand of a dark bay thoroughbred gelding of fifteen-two.

‘He’s four years old,’ Lennie said. ‘His name is Orlando. Jessie and Roberta helped me find him. He’s by Dante out of Enigma, which I’m told is a very respectable lineage.’ He looked at Polly. ‘You haven’t said anything. Don’t you like him? Roberta says he’s very fast and he jumps, and Jessie says he’s good to handle.’

Polly turned a shining face to him, ‘He’s beautiful,’ she said. ‘How did you think of such a thing? I thought you’d buy me a necklace or something.’

‘Judging by how much time you spend in jodhpurs, that would have been rather a waste. I know Zephyr’s getting on a bit, and that you’ll need a new hunter soon, so this seemed a more personal present.’

She kissed him, more eloquent than words, and went down to steps to meet her horse.

James arrived on the 10th, looking tired, rumpled and smutty from the journey. Polly hugged him hard for a long time, then said, ‘You smell of trains. You must want a bath.’

‘I can’t tell you how nearly I didn’t get here. I should get top marks for effort. And I’m hoping someone will have some suitable togs I can borrow, because I wasn’t able to pack much.’

‘I’ll see you kitted out,’ Lennie said. ‘We’re about the same height.’

‘Thanks. You’re looking well,’ James said, shaking his hand. ‘Are you going to make this sister of mine happy?’

‘If I don’t, you’ll hunt me down to the ends of the earth,’ Lennie said.

‘How did you guess what I was going to say? Alec! You rapscallion, what have you been up to? No good, I bet.’ He swept the ecstatic Alec off his feet, into the air, hugged him, and deposited him again.

‘I’ve been very good,’ Alec protested. ‘I’m going to be a page at Mummy’s wedding and she says it’s all right to wear breeches and stockings because the King does, at court. And Bibi is too, and Mimi’s going to be a bridesmaid and throw flour at people.’

‘I think that’s flowers, isn’t it?’ James corrected. ‘Are these your new friends?’ He shook Bibi’s hand in manly fashion, and bowed to Mimi, and won their hearts by addressing them in German.

‘I didn’t know you could speak German,’ Polly said.

‘I’ve had to learn. I’m proud of you, Pol, for taking in these two. I wish more people would. How have they been?’

‘They seem to have settled very well.’

James nodded. ‘I can’t tell you the things I’ve seen. The terrible partings.’ He stopped abruptly. ‘I’m for a bath. And then I hope there’s something substantial for dinner, because I haven’t eaten all day.’

At dinner that night, James told them more about the state of affairs in Germany than they could have gleaned from the newspapers. ‘Hitler has vowed to exterminate the Jews, in revenge for them “stabbing Germany in the back”, as he puts it, in 1918. Everything is their fault, apparently. At his big annual speech to the Reichstag in January, he said that if there was another Great War, it would be their doing, and it would result in the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe.’

‘As I understood it,’ Lennie said, ‘the only person who wants a war is him.’

‘Of course. The Jews are just an excuse. It’s all about getting Lebensraum for the Fatherland, which is code for Germany spreading out and taking over any country it fancies. He’s got Austria – Czechoslovakia will be next.’

‘But Chamberlain brought back that piece of paper,’ Polly objected.

‘Czechoslovakia’s not a stable country. The Slovaks want independence, and Hitler will use them to break it up and take it over. And some say he has Poland in his sights, too.’

Perplexed, Polly said, ‘But what does that mean for us?’

‘Britain, you mean? I don’t know, Pol. I think it has to mean war in the end. However little we want to fight, we can’t let Germany go on like this. You know what happened last time.’

‘Well, I don’t believe it,’ Ethel said. She looked pale. ‘There’s not going to be a war. You shouldn’t talk like that, James, spreading alarm. We got caught up in it last time, and for what? Let the French and the Belgians and the rest sort it out for themselves.’