“How … awful! What about Charles?”
“He’s going tonight. He won’t say where … except that he is going to stay with a friend and he will go straight on from there to the University.”
“So … they’ve both gone … and it was all because of me.”
”Drake couldn’t stay in a house where he had had such a fight with his host. As for Charles, perhaps he is ashamed of what happened. Philip is very worried about you.”
“Philip has always been kind to me.”
“I think he will be along soon. He wanted to see you last night but Madame Cleremont said it was best you were not disturbed.”
“What a dreadful end to the holiday!”
“I don’t suppose anything like this has ever happened before, do you?”
“I should think it would be very rare.”
When she left me I lay back thinking about Drake coming into the mausoleum, picking me up and bringing me back to the house. I should probably never see him again. He certainly would not come to The Silk House as Charles’s guest. They must hate each other. I felt a mingling of feelings. I was gratified that he had defended me; it was almost like fighting in the lists or in a duel. It made me feel important and after the humiliation Charles had inflicted on me, I needed that. But I was sorry that I should not see Drake again.
Philip came to see me.
“My dear Lenore,” he said, “this is most upsetting. What a terrible time you had!”
“It is good of you to come to see me,” I answered. “You might have felt you didn’t want to after all the trouble this has caused.”
”You’ve heard then about Drake?”
“Cassie told me. …”
“I ‘m so ashamed of my brother, Lenore.”
“I always knew he was not as kind as you are.”
“I think he is rather arrogant… going through a phase just now. He wants to assert himself. I’m sure it will pass. He is not such a bad sort really.”
I smiled at Philip. He was one of those people who mean well towards the whole world and think everyone else is like themselves.
“How are you feeling now?”
“I’m being cosseted by Grand’mere, and everyone seems to be very kind. Even Mrs. Dillon said I must eat porridge.”
He laughed, then he was sober. “It must have been very frightening for you.”
“It was. And I should be there now if it wasn’t for Willie and Pepper.”
“Good for Willie. I suppose Drake felt he couldn’t stay after such a violent quarrel with Charles.”
”And Charles is going, too.”
“He’s going this evening.”
“I’m afraid I’ve broken up the party.”
“Charles did that by behaving like a brute. I’m not surprised that Drake was angry with him and gave vent to his anger, too.”
“You can imagine how I feel to be the centre of it all.”
“The centre of it is Charles’s beastly vanity. He’s had a big lesson.”
”But Drake has been driven away.”
“He wouldn’t stay after that. How could he … as Charles’s guest. He’s had a good thrashing and been thrown into the lake. Don’t be afraid of what Charles will do now.
We shan’t see him here for a while, I reckon. All you have to do is get well.”
“I’m not ill… just shaken.”
“It was enough to shake anybody. You’ll be all right in a day or so. I’m going to look after you. Cassie and I have decided we must do that. My father is coming home soon. He wants to talk to us very seriously about the business. He’ll want to talk to Charles as well as to me, of course.”
“But Charles is leaving.”
“I don’t think Charles cares very much about the business, He happens to be the elder, but I am the one my father really wants to discuss things with. I’m going to persuade him to let me finish with my education. I want to go into the business … now.”
“Do you think he will agree?”
”I have an idea he might. He is so pleased that I am interested in it. Charles isn’t in the least and that upsets him. But at least there is one of us.”
It was pleasant talking to him. I liked his enthusiasm and his kindness. There was something very natural about him. When he left me I felt a good deal better. I was glad Charles would be leaving that night and I should not have to see him again perhaps for quite a long time.
I was unprepared for Julia.
After Philip left she came into my room. She looked as if she had been crying and she was very angry. She stood at the foot of my bed glaring at me.
“It’s your fault,” she said. “I thought Drake was going to kill Charles.”
“I’ve heard about it. I’m sorry it happened.”
“You started it.”
”I? I did not ask to be locked in the mausoleum.”
“You told tales. You told Drake. I’ve watched you. You were always trying to get his attention … and you thought this was n good way of doing it.”
“Julia, what are you saying? Do you think I wanted to be locked in that awful place? I was scared almost out of my wits. It was awful… with all those coffins.”
“But Drake came and rescued you, didn’t he? That was what you wanted.”
“He came because Willie heard me there and went to find someone. It just happened that he found Drake.”
“He’s gone and I don’t suppose I shall ever see him again.” Her lips trembled. “We were getting on so well … and you had to spoil it.”
”Julia,” I said firmly,’ ‘it wasn’t my fault. It was Charles …”
She just looked at me stonily and ran out of the room. I could see that she was ready to burst into tears.
I knew, of course, that she had felt deeply about Drake, and now she was blaming me because she had lost him.
The Engagement
Although I could never pass the mausoleum without recalling the terror of my incarceration there, my dreams were no longer haunted by that dank underground chamber with the rows of coffins and the lifelike statues.
Charles stayed away for a long time. He even spent the next Christmas at the home of a friend, coming home on Boxing Day just to see the family and not even staying the night. Our first meeting was a little embarrassing, but he had obviously determined to behave as though that distressing incident had never taken place, and I was glad to do the same. He was distant, cool, but not unfriendly. It was the best way to behave.
Julia had recovered from her disappointment because at Easter she was to be presented at Court and such an undertaking demanded all her attention. I imagined she hadn’t time to spare many thoughts for Drake. His name was never mentioned except by Lady Sallonger on one occasion who said: “What was the name of that rather charming young man who stayed here once? Was it Nelson or something?”
“Something like that, Lady Sallonger,” I said.
“I’d like you to read to me now, Lenore. It will send me to sleep. I had a rather bad night. I think I want more cushions … not that green one … the blue is softer.”
So Drake Aldringham seemed to have passed beyond our horizon.
It was decided that Julia should spend a week or so in London under the guidance of the Countess of Ballader. There were so many things she had to learn and she must be ready in every way for the great occasion.
Grand’mere was to go with her, so that she could study the current fashions, for although her work was excellent and she had that something which is called by the French “je ne sais quoi” and was entirely hers, there was a possibility that she might not be au fait with the very latest fashion. She might also acquire some new materials other than those which came to her from Spitalfields. Miss Logan, who knew of these matters having served in a very aristocratic family, assured Lady Sallonger that this was necessary.