“I believe you doubt my word,” he insisted.
” I believe what you say to be true, but is it not a little embarrassing even impertinent to test the theory on toe present company?”
” You’ll discover that I’m a blunt Yorkshireman; and they are not noted for their tact.”
” Why speak of the future? I have already made the discovery.”
I saw the smile touch his lips again; I thought it rather a brutal smile. He enjoyed baiting me because I was a worthy opponent. At least I had the satisfaction of knowing that, even if he did consider me a fortune-hunter, he did not find me a simpering one. I came to the conclusion in that moment that he had a grudging admiration for me, partly because he believed I had endeavoured to catch Gabriel, as he would put it, and had achieved my object. There was a ruthlessness in him which would always admire success.
I said impulsively: “You are Gabriel’s cousin, or second cousin, are you not? Yet how unlike him you are! You are absolute opposites.”
He gave me that cool, appraising smile again. I was telling him that I did not like him; and he was retaliating by implying that I would not have caught him as I had caught Gabriel. As if I should have wanted to! As if there had been any ” catching ” in our marriage!
” Talking of faces,” he said, ” you’ve looked at the gallery. What a splendid example of the revelations of physiognomy. You can see old Sir John who went on fighting for his King to the fury of Cromwell. He lost us the Revels for a while, that one. You can see his obstinate idealism in his face. Then there’s Sir Luke, the gambler who nearly gambled away our inheritance. And then there’s that other Luke, and John … the suicides. If you look long enough you can read their histories in their faces. Take that Luke, for instance. You see the weakness of the mouth. You can imagine him, finding life too difficult and standing there on the west balcony, and suddenly … over …”
I realised then that the others at the table had become silent and were listening to Simon.
Sir Matthew leaned forward and patted my arm. ” Don’t listen to my nephew,” he said. ” He’s telling you about our disreputable ancestors.
Simon’s annoyed because he’s a Rockwell on the distaff side . and the Revels is not for him. “
I saw that inscrutable gleam in Simon’s eyes and said:
” I dare say you have a pleasant residence of your own.”
” Kelly Grange!” Sir Matthew almost spat out the words. ” The Redvers family were always jealous of the Revels.” He pointed to Simon. ” His grandfather married one of my sisters but she wouldn’t stay away from the Revels. She was always coming back and bringing first her son, then her grandson, with her. Don’t see you here so often now, Simon.”
” I must remedy that,” said Simon; and he was smiling ironically at me.
There was a deep chuckle from Sir Matthew which seemed to shock the vicar and his wife.
So the conversation progressed and, in spite of my dislike of my neighbour at the dinner table, I was a little sorry when it was over;
I enjoyed a battle, and I was enjoying mine with him although it was merely one of words. I told myself that I particularly disliked those people who were ready to be critical before they knew the truth. I was sure Simon Redvers was one of these.
After dinner the ladies retired to the drawing-room and I tried to get to know Damaris; but it was not easy; she was pleasant, but so reserved that she made little effort to help with the conversation, and I decided that a blank mind lay behind that lovely face. I was pleased when the men joined us; and when Simon Redvers kept at Damaris’s side rather to the chagrin of Luke I was glad and gave myself up to conversation with the vicar, who told me how the grounds of the Revels were used for the church annual garden party and that he and his wife were trying to arrange to do a miracle play or pageant in the Abbey ruins next Midsummer Night’s eve. He hoped that I would support his endeavours, and I told him that I should be delighted to do all I could.
It was shortly after dinner that Sir Matthew was taken ill He lay back in his chair, his face a deeper purple than usual. Dr. Smith was immediately at his side, and with the help of Simon and Luke took Sir Matthew to his room. The incident naturally broke up the party, but when Dr. Smith rejoined us he told us that Sir Matthew would be all right. He was going back to his home for leeches. Sir Matthew always insisted on being bled in such a manner as his father had before him.
” He’ll be about again in a day or so,” the doctor assured us before he left.
But the party spirit had gone and we sat on talking desultorily.
When Gabriel and I retired it was about eleven-thirty. He put his arms about me and told me that I had been a success and he was proud of me.
” I’m not sure that I was very popular with everybody,” I said.
” Who could fail to be charmed?”
” That cousin of yours for one.”
” Oh, Simon! He was born a cynic. He is jealous. He’d throw away Kelly Grange for the Revels any day. You wait till you see the Grange.
It is not half the size of the Revels- it’s an ordinary old manor house.”
” I don’t understand why his desire for the Revels should affect his attitude to me.”
” Perhaps he’s jealous of me for more reasons than one.”
“How absurd!”
At that moment Friday ran to the door and began barking furiously while he leaped at the door as though he would break it down.
” What on earth’s the matter with him?” I cried.
Gabriel had turned pale. ” Someone’s out there,” he whispered.
” It’s evidently someone Friday doesn’t like.” I turned to Friday. “
Be quiet, Friday.”
But Friday for once ignored me; he continued to bark and jump frienziedly up at the door.
I picked him up and opened the door.
“Who’s there?” I called.
There was no answer, but Friday was struggling out of my arms.
“Something has disturbed him,” I said.
“I’m going to put him on his lead. I don’t want him jumping over the balcony.”
Still holding him I went back to the room for his lead and slipped it on; and when I set him down he tugged at it with all his might.
He dragged me along the corridor, but before we reached the balcony door he leaped at another to the left of it. I tried this and it opened easily. It was a large empty cupboard, and Friday ran into it and began sniffing around.
I opened the balcony door, and there was no one on the balcony either.
” You see, Friday,” I said. ” It’s nothing. What is it that’s bothering you?”
I returned with him to the bedroom. Gabriel had his back to me as I entered the room. When he turned I saw how pale he was; and a terrible thought came to me then: he was afraid of what was out there and he had let me go alone. Was the man I had married a coward?
It was a horrible thought which I discarded almost as soon as it entered my head.
” Much ado about nothing,” I said lightly.
Friday appeared completely to have satisfied himself ; when I took him off the lead, he leaped into his basket and curled up there.
As I prepared myself for bed I wondered what Gabriel had been so disturbed about.
Then I remembered the conversation at dinner and I asked myself whether Gabriel had thought it was a ghost prowling out there. The balcony certainly had a morbid attraction for him.
But in a house like this fancies came easily.
It was late during the next afternoon when I discovered that Friday was missing. I remembered then that I had not seen him since the morning.