“I don’t know.”
He shook his head. Then his face was suddenly tender again. “Poor Harriet, it must have been bad.”
“I heard Aunt Clarissa talking about the difficulty of finding a husband for me,” I blurted out “Because,” I added, “I was ...”
“Well, don’t let that worry you. Who knows, I might marry you myself.”
I laughed.
“I resent that,” he said mockingly. “Here I am making a perfectly reasonable suggestion, and you treat it with scorn.”
“Well,” I said, “it wasn’t serious.”
“People never treat me seriously. I’m too often flippant” He shipped the oars and, leaning towards me, kissed me on the forehead. I was fully aware then of the charm of the Men treys.
When he helped me out of the boat he held me for a moment, his face close to mine.
“Don’t forget,” he said, “there’ll be a row. But it’ll pass. Come on. Now we’ll go and face the music.”
The dogs started to bark as we crossed the courtyard.
The hall was dimly lighted by two gas jets in what looked like lanterns, and there was just enough light to show the vaulted ceiling and the armored figures at the foot of the staircase.
Bevil shouted so that his voice echoed up to the rafters. “Come and see what I have found. Harriet Delvaney! I’ve got her here.”
Then the household was alive. The sounds of voices started up everywhere.
Sir Endelion and Lady Menfrey came first; then some of the servants, and I saw Gwennan at the top of the staircase looking at me with wide, accusing eyes.
I felt relieved because the time had not yet come when I said to myself: What next? I felt excited because this night’s adventure had brought me closer to Bevil.
I sat in the library drinking hot milk.
Lady Menfrey kept murmuring: “Harriet, but how could you? Your poor father … frantic … quite frantic.”
“We’ve had to telegraph him,” Sir Endelion told me apologetically, pulling at his mustache. I thought then how much nicer sinners were. Sir Endelion wasn’t half as shocked as Lady Menfrey; nor had Bevil been.
Bevil sat on die table, smiling at me, as though he wanted to keep my spirits up. I couldn’t feel unhappy or frightened while he was there.
Gwennan had come in quietly so that she wouldn’t be seen and sent back to bed; she was watching me intently.
“What he will say I can’t imagine,” sighed Lady Menfrey. “At least we’ve done our best...”
“You’ll have to face the music, my dear.” That was Six Endelion, and he sounded just like Bevil.
“Exactly my words,” said Bevil. “Don’t let us repeat ourselves. I think that Harriet should go to bed and sleep; then she will be in better form for the musical interlude.”
“I’ve told Pengelly to have a bed prepared,” Lady Menfrey said.
“The room next to mine,” added Gwennan.
“Gwennan, my dear, what are you doing here? You should be in bed and asleep.” Lady Menfrey looked worried. Her family, I guessed, was a source of continual anxiety to her.
“Awakened by the arrival of Harriet,” said Bevil. “It must have been a great shock to her.”
“It was,” retorted Gwennan defiantly.
“Such a surprise?” asked Bevil.
Gwennan scowled at her brother.
“The last place you would have expected to find her.”
“You too?” suggested Gwennan. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have decided to go there tonight”
Sir Endelion burst into loud laughter; Lady Menfrey looked bewildered. I thought what an exciting household this was, and fervently wished that I belonged to it I could see that all except Lady Menfrey were taking a very lenient view of what I had done, and Lady Menfrey’s opinion did not count for much.
“Had I known Harriet was there, I should have gone there last night, I do assure you,” retorted Bevil.
I put my glass on the table.
“Gwennan,” said Lady Menfrey, “since you are here, perhaps you will take our guest to her room.”
I said good-night to Bevil, Sir Endelion and Lady Menfrey, and Gwennan and I mounted the staircase together; and even at such a time I could not help feeling thrilled to be in Menfreya.
“Your room’s next to mine,” she said. “I told Pengelly I wanted you to be there. So you didn’t tell ...”
“They know. There was nothing to tell.”
“About me, I mean.”
I shook my head.
The room they had given me was large—all the rooms were at Menfreya—with a window seat around a bay window which looked out to the island. On the double bed was a pink-flannel nightdress.
“One of mine,” pointed out Gwennan. “You’re to get undressed right away.”
I hesitated. “Go on,” she said. “Don’t be so prudish.”
I wriggled out of my clothes while she watched me, and when I was in bed she sat at the end bugging her knees, her eyes still on me.
“I’m not sure that you won’t go to prison,” she said. “After all, the police were brought in, and when that happens you never know.” I could see that while she taunted me her mind was busy with plans for my rescue. “But I don’t suppose that would happen. Your father would bribe them not to. I’m in for it, too. You see, they’ll want to know who took you over there and who robbed the pantry. Mrs. Pengelly missed that leg of chicken I brought you yesterday. And other things. Suspicion points to me … and I shall be in the dock with you. That should be a comfort Mamma and Papa will go into deep conferences, and a decision is about to be made. And, by the way, Bev will be furious with you.”
“Furious with me, why?”
“Because you spoilt his little adventure. Since Papa furnished the house, he uses it for his seductions. It’s romantic, and the ladies’ fear of ghosts adds a piquancy to the occasion. He can be bold and protective, and the purpose is achieved in half the time.”
“You’re making it up. How could you know?”
“My dear Harriet, all the Menfreys know about each other. It’s a gift we have. All the men are devastating attractive to women, and all the women to men. We can’t help it We have to go along with it.”
I looked at her and believed it was so; the thought saddened me.
“I’m tired,” I said. I wanted to be alone, to go over those moments when Bevil and I were in the boat together, to remember every word he bad said.
Tired!” cried Gwennan. “How can you be tired when you think of tomorrow. What a good thing I didn’t send that ransom letter.”
“There was no question of a ransom letter.”
“Wasn’t there? I’ve been drafting it You don’t think I’d let an opportunity like that pass. The Menfreys never miss their opportunities.”
“I don’t believe it.” I closed my eyes. “All right,” she said huffily and leaped off the bed. “Go to sleep and dream about tomorrow. I shouldn’t like to be hi your place, Harriet Delvaney. You wait till your father comes.”
Gwennan and I were watching for his carriage, so we saw it arrive. Very shortly afterwards I was summoned to the library.
Never had I seen his eyes so cold; never had he looked at me with such dislike; and never had I felt so ugly as I did when I limped into that room. Strangely enough, when I was aware of my deformity I fancied it became more obvious; and hi his presence I was always conscious of it.
“Come here,” he said, and as usual the tone in his voice when he addressed me made me feel as though cold water was being poured down my back.
“I am shocked beyond belief. I could never contemplate such ingratitude, such selfishness, such wickedness. How could you … even you—and I have learned that you are capable of many undutiful acts—but how could you be capable of such conduct!”
I did not answer. The last thing I could do was try to explain my reasons to him. I wasn’t entirely sure of them myself. Their roots were too deeply embedded; and I knew even at this time that those few ill-chosen words of Aunt Clarissa’s were not the entire reason why I had left home.