I stood up. “I shall go and put on my dry things now. We must go back.”
I ran out of the parlour and up to the room. I was trembling as I put on my clothes. They were stained with mud and smelt none too savoury, but at least they were dry. My hair was still damp about my shoulders.
I went downstairs. Jonathan was dressed and waiting for me. Jimmy Borrows had offered his gig to take us back to Albemarle Street. We should look rather odd arriving at the house in that, but it was quicker than trying to find some other conveyance.
As we came into the house, Millicent appeared. She stared at us.
“Hello, my love,” said Jonathan. “You are astounded by the spectacle, are you not?”
“Whatever happened?”
“A spill on the river.”
“Did you go on a boat then?”
“We were not walking on the water.”
“What on earth were you doing?”
“Rowing… and some idiot ran into us.”
“I thought you were going out on business.”
“It was business, and we took a boat. Well, here we are and I want to get into some clean clothes. I have to go out immediately.”
I went up to my room and changed everything. I was sitting at my dressing table combing my hair when there was a knock on my door and Millicent came in. Her eyes were wide and suspicious, I thought.
She said: “It must have been quite a shock.”
“It was.”
“You might have been drowned.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. There were lots of boats on the river.”
“I did not know that you had gone out with Jonathan.”
“It was decided right at the last minute. I was here and he thought I might like to go out… and as David wasn’t here and you were resting…”
She nodded. “Your clothes will be ruined,” she said.
“I daresay.”
She shrugged her shoulders and went out.
I felt very uneasy. She is aware of something, I thought, and she is suspicious.
Jonathan went out and was away all that day. When David came back I told him of our adventure.
“I thought you weren’t going out today, as you had so much to do in the house,” he said.
“I meant to get ready for our departure, but as it was a special sort of day… Guy Fawkes and all that… I thought it would be silly not to see something of the fun, and as Jonathan was going out he said he would take me along with him.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“The guys and everything, yes. The ducking, well, that was less pleasant.”
“I should have thought Jonathan could have managed a boat better than that.”
“Oh, it was an idiot in another boat. He went straight into us.”
“Well, you are none the worse, I hope.”
“No. Fortunately, the inn was close by and we were able to dry off there. The host and hostess were very helpful. We are going home tomorrow, aren’t we?”
“I think we could. You’re missing Amaryllis.”
I admitted that I was.
“I too,” he said.
I thought how much easier he was to deceive than Millicent.
I was very much aware of her. She seemed to be watching me. Night came and from the windows I looked out on the night sky which was red from the light of the bonfires which were burning all over London.
“It looks,” I said to David, “as though London is on fire.”
The Last Farewell
THE NEXT DAY WE WENT back to Eversleigh—all except Jonathan, who said he had business to keep him in London. Millicent came with us. Jonathan would be away for the greater part of the days and she did not wish to be alone; and in any case, Jonathan said he would be back at Eversleigh in less than a week, so it was a good idea that Millicent should travel with us.
All was well at home. My mother was delighted by our return, particularly as Dickon was on one of his rare visits to Clavering. She had not gone with him because she did not want to leave Jessica, who had a slight cold. Amaryllis was more beautiful than ever and as she was now very much aware of what was going on and expressed a certain delight in seeing me, I was very happy.
The days passed in pleasant domesticity; on the third day I accompanied David on the rounds of the estate. As usual we were taken into the kitchens when we visited the farms, and the farmers’ wives always insisted on our tasting their homemade wines.
We were at the Penns’ farm that day with Jenny Penn, a big buxom woman, who took a great delight in her kitchen and all that she produced in it. But there was one thing she liked better than her food and that was a gossip.
David used to say that we could catch up on what was happening on the estate from Jenny for she knew everything that was going on, not only on the land her husband farmed but all the others too.
“Now what do you think of this brew, sir?” she said to David. “And you, Mrs. Frenshaw. I’ve got a feeling that it is better than the last. A bit too sweet that. I always say to my Len, ‘Wine wants a bit of a tang to it!’ That’s what I say. Too much sweetness can kill a wine.”
We both agreed that it was a perfect vintage, which pleased her; and it was just as we were about to leave that she said: “And what do you think of our ghost? If you was to ask me I’d say it was a lot of fancy.” She put her hands on her substantial hips and added: “I was never much of a one for ghosts myself.”
“Ghosts?” I asked. “We haven’t heard anything about ghosts.”
“Well, it’s that young man… the one that drowned, you know. He was shot at and that was the end of him. Someone said he’d been seen on the shore like… coming out of the sea.”
“But he’s dead and buried.”
“I know. But this was his ghost, you know, sir. Ghosts don’t take heed of coffins. And the other one was with him.”
“What other one?” I asked.
“Oh, that young man he was friendly with. Him as was working up at the big house. What was his name?”
“Billy Grafter?” I said.
“Yes, that’s him. He was drowned when the boat was upset. Well, he’s been seen… according to some. Or his ghost has.”
“He’s been seen… here?” I asked faintly.
“Why, you look all shook up, Mrs. Frenshaw. There’s nothing to be afraid of in ghosts.”
“Who saw this?” I asked.
“Oh, it was one or two of them. Patty Grey’s girl, Ada, said she was down on the beach with her brother collecting wood that had been thrown up by the tide… and she said he was there. He appeared… and then he was gone.”
“It was inevitable that someone should start imagining these things,” said David. “It made quite a stir at the time.”
We put down our glasses.
“That was enjoyable, Mrs. Penn,” went on David. “I am sure you are right about the tang.”
She ushered us out.
“Very good farmers, the Penns,” said David, as we rode away. “Everything in order. I wish there were more like them.”
But I could only think: Someone has seen Billy Grafter. Was it imagination or does that mean that he is here… in the neighbourhood?
We were rather worried about Aunt Sophie for she was not very well. My mother said one of us should call every day.
“She hasn’t been the same since Alberic died,” Jeanne told us. “And now there is all this talk about ghosts, she fancies Alberic can come back and talk to her… tell her who his murderer was…”
“Is there a lot of talk about ghosts?”
“Among the servants, yes. Two of them have said they have actually seen Alberic’s friend who was drowned with him, and now she has the idea that Alberic is trying to reach her. She talks about it all the time. Dolly Mather is there with her a good deal. Poor Dolly, she doesn’t have much of a life. Mrs. Trent has changed so much since that suicide. You know how she always wanted to be included in everything… now she hardly ever goes out. Dolly is here a lot. I think she must find it a relief to get away from Grasslands. And Mademoiselle likes to have her. They talk constantly of Alberic.”