Side by side the two horses trotted, past the new herd of Jersey cattle, past the pigs and ducks in the farmyard. They followed the cart-track through the estate to the road where the church was being built. Philip had given this road for public use and already many a vehicle had passed along it, but still it was rough and the forest pressed close to it.
Now they saw the walls of the church rising solid on a tree-crowned knoll. Loud hammering filled the air. The forest birds liked the noise of the hammers and sang their loudest to its accompaniment. The river circled below the graveyard where there was, as yet, no grave. They could see Mr. Pink in shirt-sleeves working among the men. But there was no sign of Philip. Daisy could not quite conceal her disappointment when he was not to be found. She looked suspiciously at Adeline.
"Are you sure", she asked, "that he said he would ride with us?"
"Well, I think he did", returned Adeline, with a little laugh. "But we are happy enough without him, aren’t we? Let’s gallop!"
The horses broke into a gallop, their hooves thudding on the sandy soil. Trees arched overhead with boughs almost touching. The morning sunshine sifted golden through their greenness. When they drew rein, the sound of hammering was far behind. Daisy’s colour was high.
"Please let us not gallop again", she said. "The ground is too rough. It makes me nervous".
"Very well", answered Adeline affably, "we’ll not gallop. We’ll go at a nice walk. Let us follow this path that branches off. I’ve never been here before".
They turned into the path, which was too narrow for them to ride abreast. Adeline led the way, her anger seething within her. At last in a grassy opening she drew rein, wheeled and faced Daisy.
"Now", she said, "you are to answer for the way you tried to seduce my husband last night".
For a moment Daisy was stunned. She could not take in the words. Then they sank into her, and the look on Adeline’s face. She turned her horse sharply and made as though to gallop back.
"Stop!" exclaimed Adeline, and brought the weight of her riding-crop across Daisy’s back.
Daisy turned her mare and faced Adeline.
"You devil!" she said.
"If I am a devil", said Adeline, "it is you who have roused it in me. The men of my family would take their riding-crop to a man who would play loose with their women. What did you do? You fairly wound yourself around my Philip’s body! You threw yourself across his knees last night by the lake! What do you think I am? Blind? or a creature of no spirit? Let me tell you-I have been watching you. Ah, my eye has been on you. Take that!" she shouted, brandishing her riding-crop.
If Adeline had expected Daisy to fly in terror she was mistaken. Daisy was indeed terrified but she was furious also. There was a snakelike quality in her sinuous body, crouched on the saddle, in her short, slant-eyed face with the lips drawn back from the teeth. She raised her own riding-crop in menace as she avoided Adeline’s blow.
"Don’t you dare to strike me again!" she cried.
"I’ll flog you as you deserve", exclaimed Adeline, but her horse was nervous. He struggled against the bit and danced here and there. She could not reach Daisy.
"What do you know of love?" Daisy cried out. "You’re wrapped up in yourself. You’re too proud to love Philip as he deserves. I’m not proud. I’ve always wanted him! I’m going to have him. He loves me. What you saw last night, that wasn’t the half. We’re lovers, I tell you!"
"Lies! Lies! There’s no word of truth in you! But now you shall have your lesson".
She rode close to Daisy and again and again she struck her with the crop. At each blow Daisy gave a cry of rage, for she was scarcely conscious of pain. She struck at Adeline but the blow descended on the horse. In a convulsion of surprise he reared himself on his hind legs. Daisy’s mare, as though in emulation, reared also. And there for a short space they faced each other immobile, like two riders cut from bronze, the green forest standing in its denseness about them, the lustrous blue sky arching above. It was a pity that there was no spectator of this scene or that none of the four participants was conscious of its beauty.
Then suddenly Adeline’s horse began to plunge. He wheeled and galloped violently in the direction whence they had come and, as though in a concerted plan, the mare flew along the path into the forest. There was soon a wide space between them.
Adeline let him gallop but she spoke soothingly to him and bent forward to pat him.
"It was not I who hit you, Prince. It wasn’t I, old man. It was that villain Daisy. We’ve always known in our hearts she was bad. But I flogged her! Lord, how I laid it on!"
Her cheeks blazing, her eyes ashine, she galloped home.
It was now high noon and very warm. She went to her room and changed into a cool flowing dress. She went to the dining-room and busied herself in arranging rows of delicate glass goblets in a French cabinet. The room was now papered; rugs were laid on the floor; the long curtains, of a golden yellow with heavy cords and tassels, hung from the ornate cornices. The portraits of herself and Philip were side by side, above the silver-laden sideboard. It was a handsome room, she thought. She would not be ashamed to entertain here.
She busied herself, humming a little tune. But one part of her mind she kept locked.
The Laceys came to dinner and it was not till they were leaving and the shadow of the young birch lay at length on the grass that Robert Vaughan drove up to the door. His face was pale.
"What has happened?" he demanded, as though all were aware of something unusual.
"Happened?" answered Philip. "What do you mean?"
"Is Mrs. Whiteoak safe?"
"She is".
"Well, my cousin isn’t! Pixie has come home without her!"
Philip turned in astonishment to Adeline.
"You were riding with Daisy, weren’t you?"
"Yes… We had words… a quarrel… and we separated. I came home alone".
"Oh", cried Mrs. Lacey. "I’m afraid the poor girl has had an accident! Oh, dear-oh, dear!"
"We must organise a search party at once", said Captain Lacey. He turned almost accusingly to Adeline. "Where was Miss Vaughan when you parted from her, Mrs. Whiteoak?"
Adeline knit her brow. "I don’t know. It was quite a long way off. On the cart-track leading from the church. Then along a narrow path to a clearing. We separated there".
"You must come and show us", said Philip.
Mary asked, "Do you think there are wolves about?"
"Not a wolf", answered Captain Lacey, but he spoke uneasily.
"I’ll bring Nero", cried Sholto. "We shall need something in the way of a bloodhound".
"What I am afraid of is that she has been thrown and injured. How was her horse behaving when you parted from her, Mrs. Whiteoak?"
"She was a little restive".
Robert found the opportunity of saying to Adeline:
"I have quarrelled with Daisy too. I thought her behaviour last night was detestable. But now I feel frightened".
"Nothing has happened to her".
"But how can you know?"
"Something tells me".
While Adeline and Philip were changing into their riding-clothes, he exclaimed, "This is a pretty kettle of fish! If anything has happened to that girl, you will be blamed. You need not have said that you quarrelled".
"I am of a frank nature", she returned.
"There is no need to disclose everything".
"I did not disclose the cause of our quarrel".
There was complete silence for a space. Then Philip said, "I don’t want to be told what it was about".
"No. Because you already know".