‘She’s not mentally ill, she’s just very shy,’ said Gabriel. ‘She seemed perfectly normal when we were at the sea.’ Gabriel lit a cigarette, then put it out quickly in an ashtray.
‘I thought she was a bit slow,’ said Brian. ‘She never had a word to say for herself all that day.’
‘She’s certainly very peculiar,’ said Alex.
‘Poor child,’ said Gabriel. ‘I blame Professor Rozanov, they say he neglected her terribly, he doesn’t like children.’
‘When was this?’ said Tom. ‘This morning?’
‘Yes.’
Tom, kneeling, sat back on his heels. He began saying out aloud, ‘Wednesday, Thursday, Friday …’ If Hattie was still here … what did it mean? When had Pearl said they were gone, on which day did Rozanov take Hattie away, what happened last night? Was Alex simply mistaken, were they dealing with a ghost, what did it all mean? Above all, what ought he to do, was there anything which he should do now, immediately perhaps? Did this make no difference or all the difference? Now it seemed there had been some peace in believing it over. Well, was it not over, in spite of this awful visitation? How horrible it all was, this thing of her coming back, so senseless, so perfectly nightmarish …
At this moment George came into the room.
Although the drawing-room door was shut, George could well have heard their voices as he came up the stairs. Whether he had or not, he enacted surprise.
‘Why, a family scene, drinks too, may I have one?’
‘Hello, darling,’ said Alex, as if she had expected him (which she had not). She did not normally call George ‘darling’ in public, or in private, and the endearment rang out as a kind of proclamation or challenge. She said to Tom, ‘Get your brother a drink.’
‘Whisky, Tom dear,’ said George, taking the endearment cue from Alex and smiling.
Tom poured out the whisky and handed it to him. He said, ‘Is Rozanov still here?’
George said, ‘No, he is far off, he has departed, he is gone from us, he is no more seen, he is obliterated and blotted out, he has been removed into invisibility without thought or motion, the only thing, the necessary thing, in short he has gone.’
‘He has left Ennistone?’
‘He and the little charmer both. What a little girl that was, what an ivory head, what a milky body, what great mauve eyes and how they could flash! What breasts, what pale thighs, and how she fought and wept and kissed.’
‘What are you saying,’ said Tom.
‘He’s implying that he’s had her,’ said Brian. ‘Untrue, of course. George lives in a fantasy world. Typical.’
‘Cheers, Alex,’ said George.
‘Cheers, darling,’ said Alex.
‘Cheers, Gabriel, cheers, sweet Gabriel.’ George raised his glass.
‘Cheers — ’ said Gabriel, flushing with startled pleasure and smiling and lifting her glass.
It was suddenly evident that Ruby was in the room. She must have followed George in and had sat down, a big brown spectator, on a chair against the wall.
‘Look who’s here,’ said Alex, but she did not tell Ruby to leave.
‘I suggest George goes now,’ said Brian. ‘Go on, get out, go.’
‘It’s my house,’ said Alex. ‘If you don’t like it, you go.’
‘All right, let’s play it differently,’ said Brian. ‘I think we’ve got a right to ask George some questions.’
They had all been standing, with the exception of Ruby, and of Adam who was still sitting on the floor. George now sat down near the fireplace. His face had the plump exalted tender shining look which Tom had seen on it on Thursday evening and which had made him wonder if his brother were mad.
‘Oh, what’s the use of asking George questions,’ said Tom. ‘He’ll just tell lies and I don’t blame him!’
‘You don’t blame him?’ said Brian, turning to Tom. Brian was by now clearly very angry, but controlled.
‘Well, I do, but oh what the hell, what a muddle, you can’t mend it or clear it by asking a few questions.’
‘I don’t quite know what you mean — ’
‘Let’s question Tom,’ said George. ‘Ask him where he was on Thursday night.’
‘Well, where were you?’ said Brian.
George said, ‘I suppose you all know that Rozanov offered the little girl to Tom. Did you know that, Gabriel?’
‘No,’ said Gabriel, again red.
‘Didn’t you read about it in the newspaper?’
‘Yes, but it all sounded like nonsense, I didn’t understand it, I didn’t even try to — ’
‘You ought to try to understand things,’ said George, smiling.
Gabriel said timidly, ‘Yes.’
‘Rozanov was very angry with Tom, he wrote me a letter about it.’
‘Rozanov wrote to you about me?’ said Tom.
‘Yes, he thought you had behaved very badly. You see, that was what that riotous party was all about, which people blamed me for. Tom, with his usual discretion and good manners, decided to serenade the lady with his drunken friends.’
‘That’s not so — ’ said Tom.
‘Isn’t it?’ said Brian. ‘Where were you on Thursday night?’
‘With Diane Sedleigh.’
‘There you are,’ said George.
‘But not like that.’
‘You seemed to be on very intimate terms when I arrived,’ said George. ‘You were reeking of face powder.’
Gabriel said, ‘Oh — ’
‘Nothing happened between me and Mrs Sedleigh,’ said Tom. ‘You know that. You’re confusing everything, because you want to cover up your own beastly crimes.’
‘I don’t know what you did with Rozanov’s little girl,’ said George, ‘but it certainly looks as if you behaved like a cad and she behaved like a — ’
‘Stop,’ said Tom.
‘You can’t now claim to be a defender of her honour. Isn’t it strange? It seems that Tom can do anything and still be Sir Galahad, and any ordinary mistake of mine is labelled a crime. You heard him just now talking about my crimes.’
‘I don’t mean anything grand, just malicious lies!’
‘George brings disgrace on the family — ’ said Brian, finding himself incoherent and made angrier thereby.
‘I agree with George,’ said Alex.
‘So do I,’ said Gabriel, ‘I feel George has come back to us, ever since he rescued Zed, he is saved, he’s back, we lost him, it was our fault, we all exaggerate what he does, everyone exaggerates, we pounce on every little thing and call him wicked.’
‘Isn’t it wicked to …’ Brian began.
‘It’s like a conspiracy,’ said Gabriel, unconsciously waving her hand about.
‘Isn’t it wicked to try to kill one’s wife? Wouldn’t you think I was wicked if I tried to kill you?’
‘But he didn’t. It was an accident.’
‘Then why hasn’t Stella come back? Think that one out. Stella’s afraid. That brave strong woman is afraid.’