“I want Mrs. Bellairs,” I told her.
“Right at the top,” she said.
I felt sickened as I mounted those rickety stairs; it wasn’t the smell; it wasn’t the obvious dirt and poverty; it was the fear of what I should find when I opened that door beyond which Gwennan was waiting for me.
I knocked. I heard her voice, with the lilt in it which was so like Bevil’s.
“Harriet So you came … you angel!”
“Gwennan.” I stood there staring at her. Where was my beautiful Gwennan with the scornful, flashing eyes, the springing, tawny hair, the Menfrey look? In her place was an emaciated woman, so gaunt that it took me some seconds to assure myself that it was Gwennan. Her body was wrapped in a dressing gown that might once have been gay. I noticed it was torn in places.
I could have wept at the change hi her since I had last seen her. I wanted to hide from her the horror in my face, so I drew her to me and held her fast.
“Oh, Harriet … you sentimental creature! You always were, I knew it”
“You had better tell me everything,” I said. “Where is Benedict Bellairs?”
“I don’t know.”
“So you’ve left him?”
She nodded. “It was the biggest mistake I ever made, Harriet, when I ran away with him.”
“So it went wrong?”
“Almost from the start. He thought that I had money of my own. He’d heard of the Menfreys … old family … traditions, and the rest. And then … I brought nothing.”
“So you found your marriage was a mistake and …”
“It wasn’t exactly a marriage. I thought it was, but he was married already. I was a simpleton, Harriet. It didn’t take much subtlety to deceive me. I went through a form of marriage … but he didn’t even commit bigamy for my sake. It was a friend of his who played the parson. Another actor, so he did it rather well.”
“Gwennan!”
“You look shocked. I read about you in the papers. ‘Daughter of Lansella’s late M.P. marries the present Member. Miss Harriet Delvaney, daughter of the late Sir Edward, was married to Mr. Bevil Menfrey, M.P. for Lamella and district. So, Harriet, you got your wish then. You always wanted Bevil, didn’t you?”
I nodded.
She smiled rather sadly. ‘Tell me what happened when I left?”
The same Gwennan I Her own affairs were always more interesting than those of others, and she made no attempt to hide this.
“Consternation,”
“III bet there was. And Harry?”
“He was heartbroken.”
“Poor Harry! He would have been a good husband to me.”
“What happened after this … mock marriage?”
“I became ‘with child', as they say.”
“You have a child?”
“It’s for that reason that I’ve asked you here really. Tm sinking my pride for him.”
“Where is he?”
She went to a door and opened it. In a small room was an old wicker basket, and in this a child lay asleep. He was pale-faced and not very clean, but he had the Menfrey tawny hair, and I recognized him as one of them.
“Benedict,” she said gently.
“Benedict Bellairs,” I added.
“Benedict Menfrey,” she corrected me.
“Of course.”
“It’s a difficult situation, Harriet”
I agreed, “Why did you ask me? Tell me everything, Gwennan.”
“I asked you because you’re one of the family now and I expect more help from you than the others. I want to come back to Menfreya, Harriet. I can’t stand this life any longer. And I want him brought up at Menfreya,”
“Well, of course you’ll come back.”
“And how explain … ?”
“It could be done. You’ve lost your husband, so you’ve come home. It’s a delicate situation but could be arranged.”
“I wouldn’t come unless they wanted me.”
“But, Gwennan, of course they’ll want you. You belong to them.”
“Dear old Harriet. You’ve got such nice thoughts. Harriet, we real Menfreys—not those by marriage—may not be so land. I want to come back. I want my baby to come back. But I don’t want any recriminations. I don’t want any grudging admittance.”
“You want them to kill the fatted calf for the prodigal daughter?”
“No. I want to come back … and I want you to arrange it And I want Benedict to be known as Menfrey. I want to forget there was ever such a person as Benedict Bellairs.”
“But the boy is named after him!”
“Well, we were together when he was born. It was only afterwards … when I didn’t get well again … that things really went wrong between us.”
“When you didn’t get well again? You’re ill, Gwennan. You don't look …”
“I’m no beauty now, you mean. I've been through hard times, Harriet”
“I can see it. Tell me what’s wrong, Gwennan.”
“Oh … nothing that the sea breezes can’t cure.”
“What are you doing now? How are you living?” ; fine shrugged her shoulders.
“Oh, Gwennan, you must come back with me,” I cried in horror.
“We’d look well walking together, wouldn’t we? The M.P.’s wife, the lady of elegance, and what I’ve become.”
“I can’t leave you here.”
“I want you to go back and tell them that you’ve seen me. I want to be invited back to Menfreya. I hoped I would never have to do this, but I am doing it now.”
“Ill go back at once. But you should come with me Gwennan. I hate leaving you here.”
She shook her head.
“You’re coming back with me,” I insisted.
“When Bevil or my father comes to fetch me, Harriet”
“I shall go straight back, and they’ll be here today.”
“Will they, do you think?”
“Of course they will! I shall insist.”
“You, Harriet?”
She laughed.
I emptied my purse, leaving myself just a few shillings I might need on the return journey, and I was angry with myself because I had not brought more with me.
I kissed her and left her.
“Ill see you soon,” I said.
I ran to the station, and while I waited for the train I sat thinking of her hi a hundred different scenes. Gwennan on horseback riding through the lanes about Menfreya; at the Chough Towers ball; going into Plymouth to be fitted for her wedding dress. I could not bear to remember her as she bad been and think of her as she was now.
How long that journey seemed, and when I arrived at Liskeard, as I had not known what time I should return, I had to take the local train to Menfrey stow and then walk back to Menfreya.
I was about to run into the house when Bevil came riding into the courtyard.
“Bevil,” I cried. “I must speak to you at once.”
“I’ve something to tell you”
He was excited, but my thoughts were so full of Gwennan that I could think of nothing else. He called to one of the grooms to take his horse and he followed me into the house.
“Bevil… come up to our room. I want to talk to you.”
He took my arm. “You’ll never guess. It's incredible. What do you think, Harriet?”
“Bevil, I must tell you. I’ve been to Plymouth …”
“Harry Leveret. He’s standing against me. What do you think of it? Have you ever heard anything like it?”
“Bevil, I’ve …”
“Of course, I don’t think he’s got much of a chance. But it’s going to be more of a fight than I anticipated. A local man like this … !”
He did not notice how overwrought I was. He could think of nothing but the new situation created by Harry Leveret’s standing against him.
We reached our room. I shut the door and blurted out: “I’ve seen Gwennan.”