“But he must care for her …”
“He’s not an easy man to know. There was no question of how he felt about your mother … and she about him. But the present Mrs. Lansdon … well, she’s young—a lot younger than he is—and she’s good looking if you like that foreign sort of way which I don’t much. And the time she spends on her clothes and her hair and all that … and it wouldn’t surprise me if some of that nice complexion of hers didn’t come out of a box. Then she’s got this French maid. Yvette or some such outlandish name … well, some of the servants say she must have thrown herself at him … helping him with the constituency … and of course, as Jim Fedder down in the stables says … forgive the expression, Miss Rebecca, but you know what he means … he said she was a tasty piece … the sort a man would find it hard to say no to if you know what I mean.”
“I do, Mrs. Emery.”
“Well, I must say you found out about that room pretty quick and I had to take you in there … you being mistress of the house so to speak in the absence of him or her. But I think it’s what I call unhealthy. I’ve said it to Mr. Emery and I’d say it to Mr. Lansdon himself if I had half a chance. In a house like this you don’t want people to get imagining things … servants being what they are. There’s some of them already saying she can’t rest because of him being so cut up. They’ll soon be seeing her under that oak tree … and they’ll say it’s like Lady Flam-stead all over again.”
“Yes, I do see what you mean, Mrs. Emery,” I said. “It is unhealthy.”
She sat there nodding her head sagely. Then she said: “Another cup, Miss Rebecca?”
“No thanks. I’d better go. I have things to do. It’s been pleasant having a chat.”
I left her then. I wanted to be alone to think.
I was sure that by the time I had to leave Manorleigh the children would have settled in. They had the familiar figures of Leah and Miss Stringer; and Mrs. Emery had already become a favorite with them as had Ann and Jane.
But while I was there I spent as much of my time as I could with them.
I was in the nursery one day when Jane brought in the milk and biscuits which they had midmorning. She was very fond of them and they of her, and she waited while they drank their milk, which was natural as she did not want to make another journey to the top of the house to collect mugs and plates.
Leah was there and we all talked together for a while … of the weather, I believe. I said they all seemed very comfortable and I asked if Jane regretted leaving London.
“Well, it was ever so nice working for Mrs. Mandeville,” she said. “But it was rather a little house … and not convenient like … but she was such a lovely lady. It’s different here but there is something about working in a big house.”
“Owned by a Member of Parliament?” I asked.
“Well, a gentlemen like Mr. Lansdon … that’d be working for somebody, I reckon.”
“It’s quiet here, Jane.”
“Only when the master’s not in residence. When he is … well, there’s entertaining all the time. It’s very exciting … all those people coming and going, some of them you’ve seen in the papers. It’s not often we’re as quiet as we’ve been since you’ve been here, Miss. There hasn’t been any guests …”
“Do you get many people actually staying at the house?”
“Oh yes … friends of the master, they come. And then there’s her people.”
“You mean Monsieur and Madame Bourdon?”
“Mind you, they haven’t come. It’s different with that Monsieur Jean Pascal.”
“Oh … Mrs. Lansdon’s brother. He’s been?”
“That’s him. He comes down now and then.” She flushed a little and giggled. I remembered when I had met him long ago and, young as I was, how I had noticed that his eyes rested on the young girls.
“Well, ’tis natural like, Miss … he being brother to the mistress.”
“Quite natural,” I said.
Leah had not been well for the last few days and I suggested that she see a doctor.
“Oh no, Miss. I be all right.” She was emphatic. “ ’Tis just the change of air, maybe.”
“There is a difference between here and London, Leah,” I reminded her. “But this is more like Cornwall.”
“Oh no, Miss, nothing be quite like Cornwall.”
I thought she looked a little tired. She told me she had had a bad night. “Go to bed for an hour or so now,” I told her. “It will do you a lot of good.”
At length she agreed and I took the children into the garden.
I was near the Hermes pool, lazily watching the gnats dancing above the water and the girls bouncing a red ball between them, when suddenly I was aware that we were not alone.
I looked up sharply. A man was standing nearby watching us.
He smiled. He had one of the most charming smiles I had ever seen. It was warm and friendly and there was a hint of mischief in it. He took off his hat and bowed low. The children stopped playing and stood still watching him.
“What a charming group,” he said. “I must apologize for disturbing it. I believe I am in the presence of Miss Rebecca Mandeville.”
“You are right.”
“And one of these charming young ladies is Miss Belinda Lansdon.”
“It’s me,” shrieked Belinda.
“If Miss Stringer were here what would she say?” I asked.
“Don’t shout,” said Lucie. “That’s what she’d say. You’re always shouting, Belinda.”
“People want to hear what I say,” Belinda pointed out.
“You are forgetting your manners,” I said. “And what Miss Stringer would say is ‘Watch your grammar.’ It should be ‘It is I’ not ‘me.’ ”
“Well, it is me all the same however you say it.” She went to the newcomer and held out her hand. “I am Belinda,” she said.
“I guessed,” he told her.
“Are you looking for Mr. Lansdon?” I asked. “He’s in London.”
“Is that so? Well, I must content myself with meeting his charming family.”
“You know who we are,” I said. “Could you introduce yourself?”
“You must forgive the omission. I have been so overcome with pleasure to meet you in this somewhat unconventional manner. I am Oliver Gerson. I might say an associate of your stepfather.”
“I presume you want to talk business with him.”
“Not as much as I want to chat in the sunshine with his family.”
I thought he was a little too suave—the typical man about town with a talent for paying flattering compliments which were obviously false, although I had to admit that he did so with a certain grace and charm which inclined one to forget the insincerity.
He asked if he might sit with us. Lucie came and stood close to me. Belinda was stretched on the grass; she stared with unconcealed interest at the newcomer.
He surveyed her benignly: “You are putting me under close scrutiny, Miss Belinda,” he said.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“You are studying me intently, wondering whether I fit into your scheme of things.”
She was a little taken aback but pleased to have his attention focused on her.
“Tell us about you,” she said.
“I am an associate of your father. We are in business together. I, however, never did aspire to the Houses of Parliament. Now tell me, Miss Rebecca, is it true that you are shortly to be presented to the Queen?”
“I can do the curtsy,” cried Belinda, and leaping up proceeded to show him.
“Bravo!” he shouted. “What a pity you are not going to be presented too.”
“They don’t present little girls.”
“But fortunately little girls become bigger in due course.”
“But they have to wait until then. I’ve got ages to wait.”