"There's no reason why she should be. The Hall is big enough to accommodate both the girl and Miss Grant."
The doctor smiled apologetically at me. I must have conveyed my repulsion at staying in the Hall. "I wouldn't want her upset in her present state," he said. "Sir Jason's solution seems the best in the circumstances."
I felt very upset. The relief that Teresa was not badly hurt had no sooner come than this further problem presented itself. I knew I could not leave Teresa. On the other hand I loathed the thought of spending a night under this roof.
The less anxious I felt about Teresa the more angry I was with Jason Verringer. He had been the cause of the accident, and now he was more or less telling the doctor what he must say.
I had a notion that the idea of my spending a night under his roof was amusing him, and that he was as eager that it should happen as I was that it should not.
I heard myself say in a voice which I hoped was steady: "Miss Hetherington will have to be informed."
"She will know of the accident by now. I will send over to her immediately and tell her what the doctor says. Thank you so much, doctor. There is nothing else we can do, I suppose?"
"I will send up some liniment." He looked at me. "Apply it once ... and once only. It is too strong to use often. It should help the bruises. Then I will send some medicine to soothe her. If she has concussion that might not be immediately obvious. Don't let her get excited. She should be herself in a week ... or less, providing there are not unforeseen consequences."
Jason Verringer went off with the doctor and I went back to Teresa. She was greatly relieved to see me and I assured her that everything was going to be all right.
Teresa closed her eyes and seemed to sleep, and it must have been half an hour later when a maid arrived to tell me that Miss Hetherington was below. I went down to the hall with all speed.
On the way down I glanced through a window and saw the school carriage with Emmet in the driving seat.
Daisy Hetherington was seated at a table with Jason Verringer beside her.
"Here is the excellent Miss Grant," said Jason. "Oh, Cordelia," said Daisy, forgetting ceremony at such a moment. "The child is not harmed, I believe."
"She is sleeping now. I think it is mainly shock." "That this should have happened to one of our girls!"
"These things will happen when drivers take their carriages along the road at such speed as to frighten everyone nearby."
Daisy looked faintly shocked and a Little alarmed. "I know that accidents will happen," she murmured.
My anger was hard to suppress. Because he had done this we had to shrug it aside, pretend it was a natural everyday happening. He gave me a kind of triumphant smirk.
Daisy went on as though I had not spoken. "Sir Jason tells me that the doctor says she should not be moved tonight."
"He did say that."
"It was good of you, Sir Jason, to send for the doctor so promptly and to offer hospitality."
"The least I could do," said Jason Verringer.
"Indeed yes," I began angrily even though Daisy was present and was reminding me that we had to be affable to our rich and powerful landlord.
Daisy said quickly: "Teresa must stay here for the night and as she is such a highly excitable girl and you, my dear, are the only one who can soothe her ... well, Sir Jason has most kindly invited you to stay here too."
I felt trapped. "That would be-" I began.
"The ideal arrangement," he interrupted. "I am sure Teresa will be happy enough to rest in peace if she knows you are at hand."
"Well, thank you so much, Sir Jason." Daisy had turned to me. "I will have certain things you will both need sent over. Now I think I must go. But I know I can leave Teresa safely in your hands, Cordelia. I must get back and make sure things settle to normal. They are in a state of excitement."
"Charlotte Mackay brought the girls back safely, I hope," I said.
"Oh yes, and clearly enjoyed her moment of authority. I haven't seen Charlotte so contented before. She was quite polite and docile. You did the best possible in the circumstances. Now I will send the things over and, on receiving a message tomorrow, Emmet will drive the carriage over and bring you back."
So it was settled.
Jason Verringer and I accompanied Daisy to her carriage.
"There is nothing to fret about," he said to her. "The girl is just shocked and I can see Miss Grant is a most sensible young lady."
I knew that Daisy was trying to hide a certain uneasiness and I guessed that she was no more happy about leaving me at the Hall than I was to stay. However, we were in this unfortunate situation and Daisy could see no diplomatic way out. Tactful relations with Sir Jason were necessary to the wellbeing of the school and the school was all important to Daisy.
"I will send Emmet over with what you need," were her parting words, and I stood disconsolately looking after her carriage.
Jason Verringer turned to smile at me.
"I am looking forward to the pleasure of dining with you, Miss Grant," he said.
"There is no need to stand on ceremony, Sir Jason. If something can be sent up to Teresa's room for both of us, we shall be very satisfied."
"But I should be most dissatisfied. You are an honoured guest and I want you to know it."
"I don't feel in the least honoured. This is something which should never have happened."
"You make it very clear that you blame me."
"How could you drive as you did! You should have known that you could frighten the horses. They are only girls ... not very practised some of them. It was thoughtless . . more than that, it was .. . criminal."
"You are hard on me. I was thoughtless, I admit. I have driven those greys several times a week and have never before encountered a party of schoolgirls hack-riding through the lanes. Perhaps I could say if I wanted to answer your recriminations that they should not have been on that stretch of road. But I won't go into that because I have no desire to displease you."
"You may say exactly what you wish. The girls always ride through the lanes. What is different about that one?"
"It happens to be the one which leads to my house."
"You mean it is your private property."
"Dear Miss Grant, you are a newcomer to Colby, otherwise you would know that most of the land hereabouts is my property."
"Does that mean that none of us has any right to be here?"
"It means that you are here by my permission and if I wish I could close any of the roads."
"Why do you not? Then at least we should know where we might ride and walk in safety."
"Let us go in. I have told them to prepare a room for you. It is one of our best rooms and fairly near the blue room."
I felt suddenly alarmed. There was something satanic about him. He looked complacent too and I did not care for the boldness of his expression. It ,was as though he was making plans and was very confident of their success.
"Thank you," I said coldly, "but I should prefer to stay in Teresa's room."
"We can't allow that."
"I'm afraid I could not allow anything else." "There is only one bed in the blue room."
"It is a very large one. I am sure Teresa would be happier if I shared it."
"I have asked them to prepare a room for you." "Then it will be ready for your next guest."
"I see," he said, "that you are determined to have things the way you want them."
"I am here to look after Teresa and that is what I intend to do. She has had a terrible shock thanks to..."
He looked at me reproachfully and I went on: "I would not want her to wake up in the night and wonder where she was. She might be alarmed. After all, there could be unpleasant after-effects of this fall. I should be with her."
"Teresa is very lucky. She has such a delightful and faithful watchdog."