I could hear my mother’s gentle laugh.
“The Comte! A notorious philanderer. A most unpleasant and uncomfortable man! The fact that he behaved as he did shows him to be wicked. And his wife sleeping in the next room! Think of good kind Joel who would never do anything dishonourable and could give you all that I ever wanted for you.” All I ever wanted for you. Those words kept echoing in my mind.
III
It was on the following day that the drama started. It began by Sir John’s riding over to the schoolhouse.
“Miss Maddox,” he cried, and his distracted looks amazed me, ‘is she here? Is Margot here? “
“Margot!” I answered.
“No. I haven’t seen her for several days.”
“Oh my God, what can have become of her?”
I stared at him blankly and he went on: “She has not been seen since last night. Her bed has not been slept in. She told the girls that she was going to bed early on account of a headache. That was the last time she was seen. Have you any idea where she can have gone?”
I shook my head and tried to recall my last conversation with Margot.
There was nothing to suggest she contemplated flight.
When Sir John went back to the Manor I was very uneasy. I kept telling myself that it was a prank of hers. She would turn up and laugh at us.
For some time, though, there had been a certain secrecy about Margot.
I should have taken more notice but I had been so absorbed in my own affairs.
I could not settle to anything and in the early afternoon I could not resist going over to the Manor to see if there was any news. I waited in the hall and when Maria and Sybil came down to me their faces were taut with excitement, yet I felt they were revelling in the disturbance.
“I believe she has gone off with someone,” said Maria.
“Gone off with someone. With whom?”
That is what we have to find out. Joel is most upset. ” Maria was looking at me. of course there was to be a match between them.”
“She can’t have gone off,” said Sybil.
“There is no one for her to have gone off with. Besides she knew she was going to marry Joel as soon as she was old enough. That was why the were so anxious for her to learn English and like it here ” Have you questioned the servants? ” I asked.
“Everyone has been questioned,” replied Maria, ‘but the don’t know anything. Papa is frantic. So is Mama. He says h will have to send a message to the Comte and Comtesse if sh is not found by tomorrow. “
“She was under Papa’s care,” said Sybil.
“It is dreadful for him. I do hope nothing is wrong. We thought she might have confided in you. She was always more friendly with you that with us.”
“She confided nothing,” I said, and I thought of those occasions when I had been sure I had seen secrets in he eyes. I should have asked her what was happening. I belie vi she might have wanted to tell. Margot was not the sort t( keep secrets.
“Is there anything we can do …” I began.
“We can only wait,” replied Sybil.
As I was about to leave, one of the grooms came into th hall, dragging a young boy from the stables who looked scare out of his wits.
“Miss Maria,” said the groom, “I think I should have a won with Sir John and no delay.”
“Is it about Mademoiselle Fontaine Delibes?” asked Maria “The French young lady, yes, Miss Maria.”
Sybil ran off at once to search for her father while Maria pulled the bell rope and sent a servant in search of him. Fortunately he was soon found and came hurrying to the hall.
knew that I had no right to stay but I was so concerned about Margot that I stubbornly remained.
The groom burst out: “Tim here have something to say, Si) John. Come, Tim. Tell what you know.”
“It’s our James, sir,” said Tim.
“He haven’t been ‘ome. Hi have gone off with the French young lady, sir. He said he were going but us didn’t believe ‘im.”
“Oh my God,” muttered Sir John under his breath. He hall closed his eyes as though to convince himself that this was no really happening.
I remembered James. He was the sort a young man one would remember tall and startlingly hand some-a rather swaggering, arrogant young man who st outstanding looks appeared to have given him a good opinion of himself.
Sir John became brisk. He looked straight at the stable boy and said.
“Tell me everything you know.”
“I don’t know nothing but that he be gone, sir. I only know he said he were going to marry into society, like …”
“What ?’ cried Sir John.
“Yes, sir, he said as he were going to run away to a place in Scotland. He said they’d get married there and he’d be gentry after that.”
Sir John said: “There is no time to lose. I must go after them. I must bring her back before it is too late.”
I returned to the schoolhouse for there was no reason why I should stay. I fancied that both Maria and Sybil were inclined to think that I had played some part in Margot’s wickedness, for they were convinced that she would have confided in me. I should have to assure them that this was not the case, but Margot herself would do that when she was brought back.
I sat in the sitting-room and thought about Margot who had become involved in this foolish adventure. What if she really did marry the groom? What would the reactions of the Comte be to that? He would never forgive us for allowing it. Margot would doubtless be cast off, for could the proud Comte accept a groom as his son-in-law? How could Margot have done this? She was only sixteen years old and she had a passing fancy for a groom! How like her! No doubt she thought it amusing at first. She was quite childish. But what would the outcome of the affair be?
Mrs. Manser came over to see me. She had brought some eggs but the real object of the visit was the desire to gossip. She sat at the table, her eyes round with excitement.
“What a how-do-you-do! That little madam … going off with James Wedder. My goodness gracious me! They’ll never get over this at the Manor.”
“Sir John will bring her back.”
“If he’s in time. James Wedder was one for the girls always. He’s got a real fancy for himself, that one. Mind you, he’s a fine figure of a man. They say that far back he’s connected with the Derringhams. Sir John’s grandfather was a bit of a rip, I believe. Ladies and serving girls … it didn’t matter much to him and that meant that there was a good deal of Derringham blood hereabouts … though called by other names. There was one of the Wedder girls who had two bastards by him, so the story goes, and that where James comes in. Always gave himself airs, did James. And now to run off like that.”
They can’t have got far,” I said.
“They’ve got a start you know. They’ll bring them back mayhap … and what then?” She looked at me intently.
“They say it was to have been a match between her and Mr. Joel. That was why she was brought over here … least, that’s what I heard. What’ll happen now … who can say?”
“She is very young,” I said.
“I know her well … through school. I think she would be inclined to act recklessly and regret afterwards. I do hope Sir John is in time.”
“They say Mr. Joel is determined to stop the marriage. He’s gone off with his father. The pair of them will put an end to this, you can be sure. But what a scandal for the Manor.”
Anxious as I was to glean all the information I could, I was glad when Mrs. Manser left. I think she was trying to offer me some oblique warning, for it had been noticed that I sometimes rode out with Joel Derringham. Although there was not such a wide gulf between us as there was between Margot and her groom, still the gulf was there.