While we were talking Benjamin came up.
"This is Mr. Benjamin Darkin who is general manager of what we call our shop in Great Stanton."
"Don't tell me you are Mallory's Maps."
"We are indeed," said Granny M.
"This is a great honour to meet you. I'm Billington ... Raymond Billington."
"It is indeed an honour to meet you, Sir," said Benjamin.
"What is so pleasant about gatherings like this," I said, "is that even though people haven't met before, they know of each other."
"And have a chance to get to know each other which is so much more satisfactory than knowing of," said Raymond Billington.
We all went along to the room where the refreshments were served and Granny M and I seated ourselves at a table for four while the men went off to get the refreshment.
That was an extremely fascinating encounter. We were all vitally interested in what had been said during the lecture and we discussed it with animation, exchanging views, agreeing, disagreeing, expounding our own ideas. The men took charge of the conversation because they were more deeply involved, but Granny M and I were knowledgeable enough to be able to take part and were by no means excluded.
We were reluctant to leave.
Raymond Billington said we should all go to the next lecture together because it was so interesting to exchange views afterwards.
There was to be some sort of forum later on during which he would be on the platform. He would get us tickets for the front row.
He had his own brougham for the Billingtons had their offices in the City of London and he told us that he lived just a little way out in Knightsbridge.
So he took us back to our hotel and we parted, having made arrangements to see him again.
Granny M was very taken with him.
"What a delightful young man," was her comment, and that said a good deal for she was inclined to be critical, particularly of the young.
Benjamin said that he had been rather overawed to meet one of the Billington family. "You know what a reputation they have, Mrs. Mallory."
"Very good indeed, but of course they are not of such long standing as the Mallorys."
"Oh no, Mrs. Mallory, of course not. They only go back about a hundred years."
"Not as long as that," Granny M corrected him. "About eighty at the most. However, credit where credit is due. They have a very good reputation in the world of maps."
"I liked that young man," repeated Granny M later.
So did I. He had helped me to forget Philip for quite a little time.
It turned out, during the next three days, that wherever we went we were accompanied by Mr. Raymond Billington.
He took us to his family's premises near the Strand and we had an interesting morning touring them. He introduced us to his father and to his young brother Basil, who was just coming into the business. They were very agreeable and, said Granny M, just what one would expect Raymond Billington's family to be.
Granny M said that Raymond must come to Great Stanton and we would show him how we worked.
We were all impressed by his performance at the forum and he gave straightforward and very knowledgeable answers to the questions which were asked.
We were all rather sorry as the conference was drawing to its close. It had been a stimulating three days.
He asked if he might conduct us to the ball which was to bring the proceedings to an end, and of course permission was gratefully granted.
It would have been false modesty on my part if I had not admitted that the assiduous attention he bestowed on us was largely due to his interest in me. And it would have been more than false if I had denied that I was pleased.
I liked him. I found him a great improvement on Charles Fenton and Gerald Galton. He was interesting, charming, sophisticated, in fact he was all that a young man should be.
He danced well and carried me along with him. I felt in complete harmony with him.
He said: "This has been an exciting conference ... quite the best I ever attended."
"They have them every year, don't they? This is the first time I have been. Perhaps we shall meet next year."
"Oh... before that, I hope."
I laughed. "Well, a year is rather a long time."
"Your grandmother has invited me to see your premises in Great Stanton"
"She is very enthusiastic about them, although of course Mr. Darkin is the expert who runs the place."
"You are very knowledgeable too."
"Oh... I'm interested. They all say it is from the romantic angle. I look at the blue seas and see palm trees and natives in canoes."
"It's all part of it."
"But you are interested in sextants and the instruments you use for measuring distances ... and so on. Far too practical for me. My brother is like that."
I paused. Philip had intruded and with him came sadness.
"Your brother? Where is he?"
"We don't know. We are very anxious. He went off on an expedition last October."
"And you haven't heard of him since?"
"One letter only."
"Well, that's not bad. Communication is difficult from so far off, you know."
"Yes, I suppose so."
We danced in silence.
"Now, you're sad," he said, after a long pause.
"I'm thinking of him."
"You must tell me more about him."
"Well, you know how it is. Two children... left to themselves. My mother died and my father went away and married again. He has another family in Holland. My grandmother brought us up."
"She seems a very charming lady but I fancy she could be formidable."
"That's true. Philip and I were a good deal together."
"You must tell me about it... about your childhood. I want to know everything about you."
"It's not very interesting. It could be told in a very short time."
"I believe I should find it of the utmost interest."
His arm tightened about me.
I said: "The music is coming to an end."
"Yes, alas. The dance is over."
We went back to Granny M and Benjamin.
"Shall we go and find some supper together?" asked Raymond.
He was very efficient looking after us. We secured one of the best tables in the room and he and Benjamin went off to bring the food from the buffet.
"What a pleasant conference this has been," said Granny M. "I never enjoyed one more, and a lot of it is due to that charming young man. Has it ever occurred to you, Annalice, how little incidents shape our lives. If we had not been late we might not have met him."
"He gave us his seat. That's hardly shaping our lives."
"Knowing him might well do so." She looked contented, rather complacent. I knew what she was thinking. Here was a young man who was attracted to me. She worried about my lack of opportunities for getting to know people and I think she realized that the Fentons and Galtons were not for me.
And myself? How did I feel? I liked him. I liked him very much. And how should I feel if I said goodbye to him forever? Sad... definitely sad. A little nostalgic?
Was that what was called falling in love? There was nothing violent about it. No breathtaking moments, no knowing without doubt that this was the one. It was just pleasant—well, rather delightful.
The men came back with salmon and little new potatoes and green peas. A waiter brought the champagne which Raymond had ordered. And there we sat, on the last day of the conference, laughing, joking, reminiscing about the lectures, commenting on this and that.
"This is a wonderful finale," said Granny M. "And I want to thank you, Mr. Billington, for making it all so easy and pleasant for us."
"But I have done nothing."
"Nonsense. You, as they say, know your way about. And you have made it doubly enjoyable. Is that not so, Annalice? Benjamin?"
We declared that it was.
"Well, you are coming to see our little shop are you not?"