65 A Heart Is Stolen Read Online Free PDF Page A

satisfaction, thinking that the pictures on the walls, which were all of ships, were very appropriate to the position of the house and that nothing had changed from when he was here as a boy.
    “I anticipated that your Lordship would like a bath before dining,” Mr. Markham said, “and it’s already waiting for you upstairs and a man who will look after you until your own valet arrives.”
    “Hawkins will not be far behind, as we lingered rather longer than we intended over luncheon,” the Marquis answered, “but the travelling chariot could not be expected to keep up with my phaeton.”
    He spoke with just a touch of pride in his voice and, as if he knew this was a cue for congratulations, Mr. Markham said,
    “I thought as your Lordship was coming down the drive, I had never seen a finer team!”
    “Neither have I, as it happens,” the Marquis agreed.
    He turned to his friend.
    “I expect, Anthony, you would like to wash off the dust before you do anything else?”
    “I certainly would. At the same time I would like a drink.”
    “There’s a bottle of champagne cooling in the ice bucket, my Lord,” Mr. Markham said, “and there’s also some claret, should you prefer it.”
    “Champagne for me,” Anthony said, before the Marquis could reply, “and let us hope it’s easier to obtain now we have peace.”
    “I don’t suppose the people in this vicinity have had much difficulty in obtaining wine all through the war,” the Marquis commented dryly. “Were our locals in the smuggling racket, Markham, like everybody else along the coast?”
    “There’s very little of it locally, my Lord,” Mr. Markham replied. “The big gangs, and I may say the dangerous ones, were all working near the Romney Marshes.”
    “I have heard a great deal about those particular smugglers,” the Marquis said, “and I am relieved to hear that you are not troubled by them. I am told they terrorise the local population.”
    “We are very fortunate, my Lord,” Mr. Markham said.
    He snapped his fingers at a servant who had followed them into the room and now at the signal hurried to open the bottle of champagne.
    The Marquis looked at him and saw that he was a well-built young man of about twenty-one or two.
    He was wearing the Veryan livery, but it did not seem to fit him very well and the Marquis had the impression, but he was not certain why, that the man felt rather uncomfortable in it.
    Then to his surprise, as the footman poured the champagne into the glasses, he saw that his wrist, which just showed beneath the cuffs of his coat, was tattooed.
    “Were you in the Navy?” he enquired.
    “Yes, my Lord.”
    “Then I suppose you have only recently been discharged.”
    “Yes, my Lord.”
    “That is interesting. I had imagined that I would find only old servants in the house.”
    The footman looked quickly in the direction of Mr. Markham, who explained,
    “I am afraid that a number of the retainers you would remember, my Lord, either left us to go to the war or retired through old age. We were able recently to fill their places with younger men like Billy here.”
    “That was lucky,” the Marquis approved. “I hope, Billy, you enjoy your new position.”
    “I be glad have it, my Lord.”
    The Marquis was about to say something else, but Anthony lifted his glass.
    “Your health, Justin! And it is delightful to be back at Heathcliffe again!”
    “Thank you,” the Marquis said, “and Markham, you must have a glass too. Coming home is certainly an excuse for a celebration.”
    “That’s very kind of you, my Lord.”
    He spoke in a tone that the Marquis thought was one of relief.
    For a moment he wondered what his agent had to be relieved about and then as he drank the champagne, he forgot that such an idea had even occurred to him.

CHAPTER TWO
    The Marquis came down early to dinner looking as resplendent in his evening clothes as if he was going to a reception at Carlton House.
    As he descended the ancient oak