Miss Hetherington summoned me to her study. She was so disturbed that she was unable to hide it completely and was slightly less than her usual ruffled self.
"A disgraceful display!" she said. "I've sent for you, Cordelia, because Teresa is your special protégée."
"Teresa! What has she done?"
"She has attacked another girl."
"Attacked!"
"Indeed yes. Physically ... attacked!"
"What girl? Why?"
"The girl in question is Charlotte Mackay. The reason neither of them will say. I expect it is some trivial disagreement, but that a pupil of mine should actually resort to violence ..."
"I can't believe that of Teresa. She is really rather gentle."
"She has been more assertive of late. She threw a shoe at Charlotte Mackay which hit her above the temple. There is quite a deep cut. The girls were frightened when they saw blood and called Miss Parker who happened to be passing."
"Where are they now?"
"Charlotte is lying down. Fortunately it missed her eye. Heaven knows what damage might have been done. As it is, thank God, it is only a cut. Teresa is locked in the punishment room. I shall decide her punishment later. But what shocks me is that there could be such behaviour here. I only hope the parents don't hear of it."
"Shall I go and see Teresa?"
"She is very sullen and refuses to say anything. She sits there with her lips tightly shut having said that Charlotte deserved it."
"Charlotte is, of course, a very aggravating girl. Her character is not the most pleasant and I know that in the past she has teased Teresa a good deal."
"The girl never attacked her before."
"No ..."
"She's got a lot more spirit than she had, and I thought that was a good thing. No... I'm not so sure. Yes, go and see her, and try to find out the reason for this extraordinary and unacceptable conduct."
I unlocked the door of the punishment room. It was a small cell-like place which had been used for storage by the lay brothers. The rather repelling name suited it. There were three desks there and a table and chair. Girls were sent there to learn or write lines, and it was used when an offence was considered more than a venial one.
Teresa was Sitting at one of the desks.
"Teresa!" I cried.
She stood up uncertainly and looked at me almost defiantly.
"Tell me about it," I said. "I'm sure there is an explanation."
"I hate Charlotte Mackay," she said.
"You don't really. She's just a silly arrogant girl most of the time."
"I hate her," she said. "She's wicked."
"Tell me exactly what happened."
She was silent.
"Miss Hetherington wants an explanation, you know."
Still she was silent.
"There must be a reason. Was it perhaps some little thing, and you remembered all your anger with her in the past ...? Was it the last straw?"
She said: "It wasn't little."
"What was it then?"
Again that silence.
"Perhaps if you could explain, Miss Hetherington would understand. She is just, you know. If you have a good reason she will realize that for the moment you lost control. We all know how trying Charlotte can be."
But she would not tell me. I tried again and again but although I was sure of her affection for me I could get nothing out of her.
"She's wicked," was all she would say. "She's wicked and a liar and I hate her. I'm glad I did it."
"Don't tell Miss Hetherington that. You must be penitent and say you're sorry and you must never do such a thing again. I daresay you'll have some lines to write after this. You'll probably have to spend all day tomorrow here doing your penance."
"I don't care. I'm glad I hurt her."
I sighed. That was not the right attitude, and I was very disconcerted that Teresa refused to tell even me what had happened.
I had to go back to Daisy and admit defeat.
Uneasy days passed. Charlotte made the most of her injury. Once I went to her bedroom and found Fiona and Eugenie there with Elsa. They were sitting on the beds laughing.
It was hard to reprove them when I remembered that only a short time ago I might have figured in such a scene at Schaffenbrucken.
I continued to avoid Jason Verringer but I did go out alone sometimes. When I rode into the town I took a long route round so that I did not go too near the Hall. This led me past Rooks' Rest. I saw signs of activity there and guessed the Coverdales were moving in.
I hesitated about going into the post office but should have to do so one day, and the time came when I boldly went in. Mrs. Baddicombe was overjoyed to see me. She showed no rancour over my coldness during our previous encounter. She kept me waiting until she had served two customers and then gave me that lively curious look and leaned over the counter with an air of intimacy.
"Nice to see you, Miss Grant. I hear there's to be grand doings up at the school with that pageant."
"Oh yes," I replied. "It's the anniversary of the building of the Abbey so a rather special occasion."
"Fancy that! All them years ago. I was saying to Mrs. Taylor when she was in this morning that I wondered how the little mite Miranda was getting on. Happy enough, I'll bet. That Jane Gittings dotes on her and so does Ada Whalley."
"Who is Ada Whalley?"
"Jane's sister. The Whalleys lived here in Colby for years. Old Billy Whalley was manager of the cider place. Did well for himself. Brought up on the moors he were and the girls was with their grandmother there when they was little. When he retired he went to the cottage on the moors. His mother was dead then. Jane had married Gittings and Ada went with him to keep house for him. Down at Bristonleigh, it was, right on the edge of the Moor. They were always talking about the Moor, those Whalleys were. Percy Billings was sweet on Ada at one time, but nothing came of it because she had to look after the old man and then Percy all of a sudden marries Jenny Markey."
"Quite a little saga."
"Well so it be, me dear. Ada would have made a good mother. I'll reckon she'll look after that little Miranda, her and Jane Gittings between them. Jane didn't have no children neither. Funny how some 'as 'em and some don't ... and it's more likely them that don't want them as gets them. Look at Sophie Prestwick. Easy to see what she's been up to. There'll have to be a quick wedding there, mark my words. So Sophie larks about and gets caught .. . and them that wants 'em can't get 'em. Take Sir Jason for instance ..."
She was looking at me slyly.
I told her what stamps I wanted, and almost reluctantly she took out her folder and gave them to me.
"Well, be seeing things won't we, now the lady in the case has passed on, you might say."
"Passed on?"
"We don't know where to, do we? All we know is that she ain't with us now. I'll tell you one thing, Miss Grant, nothing stands still does it? Life moves on. I often say to myself: well, I wonder what next?" "You seem to be well informed on everything that goes on," I said ironically.
"It's in the nature of the post office, you might say. As I always say to Baddicombe: There's not much to this job ... you work hard and you don't get much ... but I says to him, I says: There's people ... and that's what makes it worthwhile."
She raised her eyes and with the air of a benefactress to mankind, put her folder in a drawer.
I went out feeling relieved that she had shown no displeasure and wondered whether at our last meeting she had even grasped my disapproval.
In the afternoon I went for a walk through the ruins, keeping a wary eye out for Jason Verringer in case he had decided to take a walk there. He might easily do so for I guessed he was trying to catch me, and would do so sooner or later.
I came to the ponds and looked at their waters rushing to the falls as they reached their lower depths. They made a soothing sound and I walked along beside them to the river and then started to wander along its bank.