She said to me: 'Come on, Henry, do walk back with us to Mr.
Smeeth's cottage in case Papa does arrive home earlier than expected from Orlestone. If Berry won't defend himself, he will need someone else to do so.' 'No, I won't,' he said indignantly, although he smiled-perhaps at the thought of having a sixteen-year-old schoolboy as his champion. He went on: 'You forget, my love, pacifist I may be, but if your Papa attempts to inflict physical violence upon my person, have no fear that I shall hesitate to disarm him. Heaven forbid, though, that such a state of affairs should come to pass.'
Frankly, I was slightly embarrassed to be involved in this affair, but as we walked out into the cold evening air, we met Lizzie Dickerson who stopped me and said: 'Ah, Henry, I have an important message for you. Your appointment for treatment of your shin is confirmed for Thursday afternoon at five o'clock in the sick bay.'
'Thank you very much,' I answered politely and, hoping to slide out of accompanying Beresford and Nancy to the groundsman's cottage, I said: 'Mrs. Dickerson, have you met Reverend Tagholm and Miss Bulstrode?' 'Oh yes, Nancy and I are old friends and Beresford and I had luncheon with the headmaster today,' replied Lizzie who, to my relief, accepted an invitation to join us in the ten minute stroll.
'Nancy, I presume you do know that your father's carriage drove through the gates Five minutes ago.' The poor girl's jaw dropped in horror at this news. 'No, I was unaware that he was here. Oh, Berry, what shall we do?' Lizzie Dickerson was genuinely distressed to see Nancy so upset and took her hands in her own and asked if there was any way in which she could be of assistance.
'What's the matter, my love? I suppose he is on the rampage again about your keeping company with Beresford,' she said with resignation in her voice. 'Look here, you two lovebirds, go on down to the cottage and don't worry about the General, I know of a good way to keep him occupied. 'Yes indeed,' she added thoughtfully. 'Henry, I may require your help. Would you mind staying with me?' 'Not in the slightest, I'd be glad to do anything I can for you,' I said eagerly and so I stayed with her whilst Beresford and Nancy made their way carefully along the dark drive. 'Good boy, I need you to run an errand for me,' she explained and then, to my surprise, she said: 'Between ourselves, Henry, the General might be a foolish old duffer, but his bark is far worse than his bite and underneath that dreadful bluster, he is really quite kind-hearted.' She chuckled when she saw the look of amazement on my face and went on: 'Now you've probably heard the story about his wanting to witness the floggings at Maidstone gaol. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you but there's not a word of truth in that tale. 'Anyhow, you will do everyone a favour if you would run to the housemaid's quarters and instruct Freda to go with you immediately to Mr. Hutchinson's study. If he is to be found there, you must tell your form-master that I would like to see him as soon as possible.' 'But what if he won't come to you straightaway?' I enquired. Lizzie grinned and said: 'Oh, he'll move himself all right, you may bet upon it. But if he isn't there, tell Freda to stay in the study and await General Bulstrode's arrival whilst you search high and low for Mr. Hutchinson and when you do find him, give him the same message to meet me in my rooms without delay.
Is that quite clear?' 'Oh yes, and then is there anything more for me to do?' I asked. She thought for a moment and then, with a brisk nod, she said: 'Well it would be most useful if, after the General has gone to meet Freda, you could head off anyone going to Mr.
Hutchinson's study and interrupting them.' 'Interrupting them?' I repeated blankly and Lizzie shrugged her shoulders and said: 'Mrs.
Bulstrode spends more time away than at home and, despite what a young man of your age might believe, people in the prime of life still enjoy sexual relationships. And what man in his middle years would not relish fucking a good-looking twenty-five-year-old lass like Freda Prestwich? So, if you could keep guard, so to speak, outside your form-master's study, I will ensure that he won't disturb them.'
'Very well, but could you explain to me why you are making all these arrangements?' I said. Lizzie patted me on the cheek and said gently: 'Run along now, Henry. I think you will find that everything will become clear in the next hour or so. If not, I'll answer any questions you may have on Thursday afternoon.' Still puzzled by her reply, I trotted off first to the servants' quarters where I gave Freda Prestwich the message about meeting General Bulstrode in my form-master's study. She seemed very pleased to hear this news and said: 'How nice, Master Henry, I'll take my keys with me in case Mr. Hutchinson has locked the door.' By good fortune I met Mr. Hutchinson just as he was about to open his door. As Lizzie had correctly forecast, after I passed on her instructions, he muttered: 'As soon as possible, did you say? Very well, I'll go round to the sick bay as soon as I have returned this book I borrowed from Dr Muttley's shelves last week.' 'I'll return the book to Dr Muttley for you, sir,' I said innocently. He nodded and said: 'Thank you, Dashwood, that will save me a little time. Please give the headmaster my compliments and tell him I found Mr. Mountjoy's volume on foreign affairs extremely interesting.' I could also pass on the information about Freda to General Bulstrode, I thought to myself as I knocked on the door. But when I opened the door after Dr Muttley had boomed 'enter', I immediately saw Lizzie standing next to General Bulstrode and realised that she must have already given him the news about Freda. And indeed, this must have pleased the General who said in an almost genial tone: 'Well, I must be away as I have someone waiting to see me. I'm happy to leave the matter we discussed in your capable hands, Muttley. I'm sure that I can rely on your good sense to help me keep this impudent young puppy from pestering my daughter.
Good night to you, sir, and good night to you, Mrs. Dickerson. Thank you once again for passing on that message to me.' He brushed by me as he walked out of the study at a lively pace and shut the door firmly behind him. Forgetting my presence for the moment, the headmaster turned to Lizzie and said: 'What a strange chap he is!
Whatever was in that note certainly calmed him down. In any case, I have no intention of interfering with personal matters which are of no concern to myself or the school. After all, Smeeth's nephew is a Church of England curate, not some kind of libertine cad!' Lizzie coughed and looked meaningfully in my me standing there. 'Ah yes, Dashwood, what can I do for you, my boy?' I gave the headmaster the book and, after I had relayed Mr. Hutchinson's message, Lizzie and I left the headmaster's study together. Outside in the corridor, she kissed my forehead and said: 'Well done, Henry, now I must be off to see Mr. Hutchinson, but you would be doing Nancy and Beresford a great service if you strolled down to Smeeth's cottage and informed them that the General will be too busy to bother them for at least the next hour. Then come back here and keep an eye on things.' I was in two minds whether or not to comply with this request, but when I returned to the study, neither Johnny nor George was to be seen. So, I slipped on my overcoat and walked down the drive to the groundsman's cottage to deliver the good news to the happy couple. Although there was a dim light showing through the curtains in the front room, there was no reply when I knocked on the door. I knocked a second time, but again there was no reply. I decided to walk round the back and investigate for I could not understand why neither Nancy nor Beresford had opened the door. There were no lights showing around the back and I was about to leave, when the thought came to me that, only the other week, I had read in the Ashford Gazette of an old lady who had been badly burned in a fire caused by a faulty oil lamp left burning in her kitchen. Now Smeeth is a most careful kind of chap and would never leave a light on if nobody was at home. So, with the best intentions in the world, I set about looking for the spare key which Polly had told me her father hid under a flower pot if she was working late at the sanitarium. Then it occurred to me that perhaps the cottage was being robbed by one of the petty thieves whose activities have also been recorded recently in the local newspaper. In that case, I decided I would apprehend the burglar. I picked up a stout stick which was lying against the side of the house and, sliding it under my arm, I quietly approached the front door. I tried the doorknob and, to my fear and surprise, the door opened. I stepped into the darkness of the hall and closed it almost noiselessly behind me.