Matilda Eversleigh.
I was delighted. It would be interesting. I went to find Lucas to tell him about it.
He was in the schoolroom with Harriet. I was glad the children were not there. They would hate our going away, but naturally we could not expect the Eversleighs to invite them.
“Lucas,” I cried, “here’s an invitation from the Eversleighs.”
“The people our mother mentioned. Let me see.”
He read the letter, Harriet looking over his shoulder as he did so.
“You want to go?” she asked.
“I think we must. Our parents want us to.”
“It should be interesting,” said Lucas. “After all, we stay here all the time. It used to be so dull, though we never noticed it much. Only when …”
Harriet gave him a dazzling smile.
“We shouldn’t be away long, I suppose,” finished Lucas.
“Two weeks perhaps,” I said.
“What of the children?” asked Harriet.
“In her letter our mother said they would be all right with the servants. And so they should be.”
“They’ll hate your going,” said Harriet.
“For a few days and then they’ll be used to it. And think of the excitement for them when we come back.”
“I shall miss you,” said Harriet wistfully.
I said I would go to my room and write the acceptance of the invitation; and I left Lucas and Harriet together.
The messenger went off with my letter, and as soon as he had gone I began going through my wardrobe. What one wore was not important at Congrève but visiting would be different.
The door opened and Harriet came in.
She looked at the brown dress which lay on my bed. “You can’t take that,” she said. “It doesn’t suit you.”
She picked it up firmly and hung it up in the cupboard.
“You have very little to go visiting in, Arabella,” she said. “I think we should attempt some refurbishing.”
“I daresay they live much the same as we do. They’re in exile too.”
“They contemplate entertaining so they will surely make some show. Really we shall have to look into our wardrobes. I could lend you something if I wasn’t …”
She hesitated and I looked at her sharply.
“Coming with you,” she added slyly.
“Coming with us. But …”
“It will be more fun,” she said. “Just think how we will talk of it afterwards. You’ll need me there, Arabella.”
“But the invitation was for me and my brother.”
“How could it be otherwise when they didn’t know I was here?”
I looked at her steadily. Her eyes were dancing with mockery.
“How can you come, Harriet, when you have not been invited?”
“It’s simple. If I had been your sister, they would not have hesitated to ask me.”
“But you are not my sister.”
“But I am your friend.”
“You couldn’t just arrive with us. How could I explain your being there?”
“You will explain beforehand. It is so easy. ‘Dear Lady Eversleigh, I have a friend who has been staying with me for some time, and I could not really leave her at the château while we are away. I answered your invitation in a rush of pleasure because I was so delighted to have it. But now I see that I cannot really leave this friend. It would be most impolite and I know you will understand. She is charming, of excellent family, in fact one of ourselves. Now if it would make no difference to you, it might be that you will extend your invitation to her. … If so how delighted we shall all be to come. Do forgive the blunder I have made. It was such a joy to get your invitation that I suppose I answered it without thinking of my responsibilities. …’ There, what about that.”
“I can’t do it, Harriet. It would be quite wrong.”
“I think it would be quite right. But of course if you would rather I did not come …”
“I know it would not be half as much fun without you. But I don’t see …”
Harriet spent the rest of the afternoon making me see. And the next day Jacques rode over with a note such as she had suggested.
He came back in a few days with a reply.
My dear Mistress Tolworthy,
But of course we shall welcome your friend. She must come and be a member of our party. My son and daughter are very much looking forward to meeting you.
Matilda Eversleigh.
When I showed Harriet the reply she laughed with pleasure. “What did I tell you?” she demanded. And I must say I was delighted that she was coming with us.
Proposal in a Tomb
JACQUES ACCOMPANIED US. AFTER our arrival he would go back to Congrève, but it had seemed wise to have him with us on the road. We stayed a night at the inn which the Eversleighs had recommended and the following day arrived at Château Tourron.
It was much more grand than Congrève. There were no goats or chickens in sight, and it had an air of graciousness though a little decayed.
Jacques led us into the stables where grooms hurried up to take our horses, evidently having been warned that we were coming.
A servant appeared and took us into the hall where Lady Eversleigh was waiting to greet us.
She was a tall woman, somewhere in her late forties, I guessed, with masses of light fluffy hair and rather babyish blue eyes and fluttering hands. She was clearly pleased to see us and turned first to Harriet.
“I am so delighted you have come,” she said. “I so much enjoyed meeting your mother …”
Harriet smiled and, lifting her hand slightly, indicated me.
“I am Arabella Tolworthy,” I said.
“But, of course. So like your mother. How could I not have seen? My dear, welcome, and this is your friend … and your brother. We are so pleased to have you. Was the inn comfortable? We have stayed there and found it good … as inns go. Now you must be tired and wish to wash or have some refreshment. We will show you to your rooms first. Have you brought much baggage with you? So difficult travelling. I will have it brought up.”
Lucas said we had two saddle horses and they were in the stables.
“One of the men will see to that. Now come with me. I have put you two ladies together. I hope you will not mind. We have not a great deal of room. My son and daughter are so pleased that you have come. They will tell you so themselves. There are some little ones left behind, I believe. Oh, dear, what a pity they are so young!”
In spite of her somewhat inconsequential manner, I thought she was assessing us rather shrewdly and me in particular.
The room I was to share with Harriet was large and contained two beds. There was a carpet on the floorboards, and although it was furnished in a slightly more grand manner, it reminded me very much of the Château Congrève. Lucas was settled close by.
“I hope this will be adequate,” said Lady Eversleigh. “How I should love to be back at Eversleigh Court. How different! How spacious! How adequately we used to entertain our guests there.” She sighed. “But it will come and you must be feeling the same about your homes …”