One morning about a week after Jessica’s arrival, as Bevil bad gone to Lansella alone, I went to the nursery to see Benedict.
Jessica gave me her cool smile, which I had begun to compare with that of the Gioconda. She looked neat and, of course, beautiful in a lilac-colored gown with trim-lace collar and cuffs. She had few clothes, but what she bad were in perfect taste. That was something she possessed, a sense of how to make the most of her clothes; but it may have been that beauty such as hers would make any dress look wonderful. I immediately felt awkward in her presence, and I wondered then whether she deliberately made me feel so with those coo] glances of hers. She moved with a grace which I could never imitate, and there was a natural charm hi all her gestures.
“I came to see Benedict,” I said.
“He’s playing with his bricks.”
“I thought I’d take him out. Perhaps over to the island, as the wind’s dropped. He loves that.”
“He’s already been out this morning. I’m afraid he’d be overtired, and that’ll make him cross. Then, of course, he won’t want to eat his dinner. You know what children are.”
She was smiling so disarmingly.
“Oh, but…” I began.
“Had I known you were coming, I should have made him wait for his walk. But I do think regularity is important”
“I see.”
I walked to the door of his playroom; she was beside me.
“Please don’t tell him you were going to take him to the island.”
“You’re afraid he would want to come?”
Again that smile. “He’d want to go, of course. It’s just that I know he would be overtired.”
I went into the room. “Hello, Benny.”
“Hello!” He didn’t look up. But that was nothing. He was absorbed in building a brick house.
“Your auntie is here,” reproved Jessica.
“I know.” Still he did not look up.
She smiled at me.
I knelt down and looked at the brick house. “It’s going to fall soon,” I told him.
He nodded, still not looking at me—and that moment the bricks clattered to the floor. Benedict let out a shout of delight.
Then he picked one of them up and his pleasure faded as he noticed that the colored picture was slightly torn. He said mournfully: “Wants Jessie.”
I took it and said: “Oh, that can easily be stuck on.”
He took it solemnly from me and handed it to Jessica.
“Poor brick wants Jessie,” he said.
She took it “I’ve stuck some of the others,” she explained. “Ill see to it, Benny.”
She raised her eyebrows as though to say, You know what children are.
But that too seemed to me like a sign.
Jessica now joined us every evening for dinner. She had three dinner dresses—one black, one gray and one of blue velvet. They were all simple and by no means costly, but she managed to look magnificent in them; and in mine—some of which I had bought in Paris on my honeymoon—I felt gauche and often overdressed. That was the effect she had on me; moreover, I had an odd feeling that that was what she meant to do.
There was nothing of which one could complain. An onlooker would have said that merely by being present Jessica put others into the shade. But I felt she was aware of this and that she was nursing a secret triumph.
She was like a magnet at the table, drawing to her the attention of all the men. Sir Endelion was gallant; Bevil was always conscious of my being there, always eager to draw me into the conversation, but I sensed it was a studied eagerness, calculated to hide his true feelings; even William lister, who also took meals with us, would turn to her with frank admiration.
If she had been a pretty, frivolous little fool like poor Jenny, it would have been bearable, but she wasn’t She was clever and well educated; and what was most disconcerting was my discovery that she was determined to show her knowledge of politics, for this subject was naturally one most frequently discussed at the dinner table.
Her voice was soft and gentle but because she spoke slowly and her enunciation was perfect, clearly audible.
I listened to her and was aware of the men, all watching her. Lady Menfrey at the head of the table was trying to look alert, as she did when the conversation was political, but I knew that she was really wondering whether she should send for more blue wool for her tapestry or whether Benedict was going to have a cold, since he had sneezed twice during the day.
“I’ve had many a discussion with my father on that point,” Jessica was saying, “He had very firm views. Of course, we didn’t always agree.”
“The doctor was a man who had very strong views on tariff reform, I remember well,” put in Sir Endelion.
“My mother used to say that once my father made up his mind on a subject, he made it up at the same time not to change it”
They all laughed.
“Many’s the time he’s come here and we’ve argued almost to blows,” said Sir Endelion. “A good fellow, the doctor. I don’t care half so much for this new fellow.”
“His wife is a strong supporter of the party,” I put in.
“That’s true,” Bevil smiled at me; it may have been my imagination, but I was certain that he forced himself to turn from Jessica to me.
I was beginning to dread these meals, yet previously I had so enjoyed them. I liked the political talk; William Lister was always deferential to me, and both Bevil and Sir Endelion paid me the compliment of listening gravely to me. Now ft seemed that Jessica was usurping my place even here.
Then she said: “I met Harry Leveret yesterday afternoon. I was riding not far from Chough Towers. He’s in residence there now.”
That was another thing; Jessica had always been fond of riding, and Sir Endelion had suggested that if she liked to give one of the horses a little exercise she should do so. Jessica had responded with enthusiasm.
They were all alert now. Lady Menfrey looked frightened and started to play nervously with her cutlery. I could see the pain in her face. She was thinking of that dreadful day when it had been discovered that Gwennan had run away.
Jessica gave her gentle smile, which I always felt was like a mask spreading across her face.
“He was very friendly,” she went on.
“Why not?” I retorted, and my voice sounded harsh. “He has no quarrel with you.”
“He knows I’m here, of course. He talked … about the future.” She paused and looked from Sir Endelion to Bevil, including William Lister in her gaze. “He said that he’s now accepted as candidate for his party.”
“So it’s settled,” said Bevil.
“Yes. There was something else he said. Perhaps it’s impertinent of me, but … I let him sound me as to your feelings. He thinks you’re probably piqued because he’s going to stand against you.”
“I must say it was a surprise,” said Bevil. “Why didn’t he come out into the open with it? It all seemed somewhat secretive to me.”
That’s what he thought, but he said that the Leverets and Menfreys had always been friends, and he doesn’t see any reason why you shouldn’t continue to be. He asked me whether I thought that if he asked you to dine at Chough Towers, you would refuse.”
Sir Endelion burst out: “I don’t like his politics. I’m surprised at him! Thought he was a businessman. What’s he doing suddenly going into politics like this?”
“If he asks you and you refuse,” said Jessica hesitantly, “he might make things awkward. What I mean is, he might let it be known … Do you see what I mean?”
“Exactly,” replied Bevil, leaning forward and looking at her with approval.
“He could say that he had been badly treated by the Menfreys once …” She smiled deprecatingly, and I thought of how deeply Harry had been wounded at the time of Gwennan’s disappearance. “And that now … just because he doesn’t agree in his political opinions, his friendship had been rejected. I may be wrong, but I don’t think it would be looked on very favorably …”