Christina’s face was twisted with contempt and disbelief.
“And who have you in mind, Mama? Why should anyone marry me in time to be of any use? And what happens if he doesn’t believe in premature babies?”
“There are several possibilities. Alan Ross suggests himself as the best. And you will marry him straight after Christmas-”
“He doesn’t love me either!”
“You will see that he comes to. You can be charming enough, if you choose. For your own sake, my dear, you had better choose to charm Alan.”
“And if I’m not with child?” Christina’s chin rose sharply, challengingly.
“By the time you are sure you are not, it will be a little late. Anyway, I think it would be better for you to be married.” She took a breath and spoke very levelly. “Christina, perhaps you do not fully appreciate your position. If you bear a child, without a father for it, you will find that you have no place in society. And don’t imagine that you can overcome it. Others have tried, of better birth and greater fortune than you, and all have failed. No man of your own station will marry you, you will become a butt of jokes, decent women will not speak to you. All the places you go now will be closed to you in future. I dislike having to say this to you, but you must understand that it is true.”
Christina stared at her.
“Therefore, my dear,” Augusta continued, “you will use your considerable charm upon Alan Ross, so that he will be happy to marry you, and you will appear to be in love with him. He is a good man, and will treat you with gentleness, if you permit it.”
“And if he doesn’t wish to marry me?” There was the first small shrillness of panic in Christina’s voice and Augusta felt a stab of pity for her, but there was no time for indulgence now.
“I believe that he will; but if he does not, then I shall find someone else. There are other possibilities. You have an influential father-”
“I couldn’t bear him to know about it! Even to guess!”
“Your father?” Augusta was surprised.
“Alan Ross! Or-whoever-”
“Of course not,” Augusta said sharply. “I have no intention he should. Now pull yourself together and make yourself your most attractive. We shall hold a series of parties, and no doubt you will be invited elsewhere. The sooner this is accomplished the better. Fortunately you have known Alan for a long time, so there will be no comment when you announce a wedding date.”
“How will you persuade Alan of the emergency?”
“Don’t worry about it, I shall find a way. In the meantime, of course, you will entirely ignore Max, apart from such civility as is customary toward a servant. If he should prevail upon you for more than that, you will call for assistance and accuse him of familiarity, and he will be dismissed.”
“I wish you would dismiss him anyway. I find the very thought of him offensive now.”
“I dare say you do. I find it hard to understand how you ever found it anything else. But unfortunately it is not so easy to bury our mistakes. Max has taken steps to see that I do not, and I have not yet thought of a way round them; but I shall. Now consider your future, and behave with your utmost charm; you have exercised yourself to enchant men well enough in the past. Do not overdo it; Alan, like most men, will wish to believe he has done the choosing and the pursuing himself. Allow him to persist in that belief. And wear pink as often as may be. It becomes you, and men like it.”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Good. Now compose yourself, and let us direct out efforts to that end.”
“Yes, Mama.”
The following morning Augusta was late over breakfast, which was most unusual for her. She had slept badly. The whole business with Max had distressed her more than she had realized at the time. Perhaps her mastery of herself was not as perfect as she believed. She was still at the breakfast table at half past nine when Brandy came back for another cup of tea. He sat down opposite her, looking at her closely.
“You look a little bashed this morning, Mother. In fact you look the way I feel after a night at the club.”
“Don’t be impertinent,” she said, but without sharpness. She was extremely fond of her son, indeed she might say with honesty she liked him best of all her family. There was a cheerfulness about him that was gentler then Christina, and warmer than his father. Also he was one of the few people who could make her laugh even when she did not wish to.
Now he was squinting at her thoughtfully.
“Hope you haven’t caught Christina’s chill.”
“That is hardly likely,” she said with a shudder.
“I don’t suppose you’d take a day in bed,” he reached for another piece of toast and started a second breakfast. “That would be too much like admitting frailty. But it might show sense. Give it a thought, Mother.” He smiled. “If you like, I’ll swear blind you’ve gone to the races, or shopping!”
“Where on earth should I go to the races, at this time of the year?”
“All right, I’ll say you’ve gone cockfighting, then!” he grinned.
“They’ll be more likely to believe it if you left a note saying we’d both gone,” she replied, meeting his eyes with a smile, in spite of herself.
He shivered.
“Nonsense. I’ve no stomach for blood sports.”
“And do you think that I have?”
“Certainly. You’d have scared the hell out of Napoleon, if he’d met you on a social occasion.”
She sniffed. “Have you just poured yourself the last of the tea?”
“Wouldn’t dare. Really, Mother, you do look a bit dragged out. Take a day off. It’s a decent day, a bit cold, but quite dry. I’ll take you for a drive. We’ll get out the best horses!”
She was tempted. There was nothing she would like better than a drive away from Callander Square, with Brandy. She lingered on the idea, savoring it.
“Come on!” he urged. “Crisp air, fast horses, crunch of wheels on a new road. Last of the beech leaves are still red on the trees.”
She looked at his smooth, olive-skinned face and saw the child in him now, as twenty years ago she had seen the man in him then. Before she could accept, the door opened and Max came in.
“Inspector Pitt is here again, my lady, from the police. Will you see him?”
The crisp air, the flying hooves, and the laughter collapsed.
“I suppose I have no choice,” she pushed her chair back and stood up. “If not now, it will only put him off until later. Put him in the morning room, Max, I’ll see him in a few minutes.”
Brandy was still eating.
“Is it about the wretched babies still? I don’t know why they persist, they’ll never find out whose they were, poor little beggars. I suppose they have to try, but it must be a rotten job. Do you want me to see him? He probably only wants permission to question the servants again.”
“No, thank you, but I appreciate the offer, my dear. I would love to come driving with you, but I cannot.”
“Why not? He’s hardly likely to run off with the silver!”
“I cannot leave him,” she repeated mechanically. She did not want to have to tell him. “How well do you know Alan Ross, Brandy?”
“What?” His hand with the toast in it dropped in surprise.
“How well do you know Alan Ross? The question is simple enough.”
“He’s a good fellow. I suppose I know him pretty well. He closed up rather after Helena took off; but he’s beginning to come out of it now. Why?”
“I wish him to marry Christina.”
He stopped all pretense of eating and put the toast down.
“Your father doesn’t know about it yet,” she went on. “But I have excellent reasons. If you could do anything to further that end, I should be very pleased. Now I suppose I had better see this policeman again,” and she left him still staring after her.
Pitt was waiting for her by the fire, licking its first flames in a still cold grate. She closed the door behind her and stood with her back to it. He looked up, smiling. Did nothing discompose this wretched man? Perhaps he had no sense of what was proper, and thus neither of what was improper? He was enormous and untidy, too many layers of clothes on, and he greeted her with an air of easiness she did not expect, even from her friends.