Lady Catherine's Necklace (21 page)

‘But first,' said Charlotte Collins, ‘let me take your hat and pelisse, my lady, and I feel sure you are in need of a little refreshment.'

Her tone was anxious, solicitous. It held a touch of commiseration.

‘Where, pray, is Mrs Jenkinson?'

‘I am afraid she has left your service, Lady Catherine.'

‘
Gone?
But why? And where?'

‘She – she began to feel her age. Those headaches from which she suffered so—'

‘Headaches?'

‘She sent you her humble apologies, my lady. She will be writing a letter of more complete explanation and apology as soon as she is settled.'

‘Settled? But where? Where has she gone?'

Charlotte said, ‘She has gone to live with relatives in Wales. Will you not sit down?' Lady Catherine sat down in the saloon as suggested. A tray with wine and rout-cakes was put beside her. She sipped a little wine and her bewildered gaze swept round the room.

On the mantelpiece opposite her was a large portrait of Anne, life-size, sitting with a cat on her lap. One corner of it was unfinished.

‘How did
that
get here? Where did it come from?'

‘I imagine you recognize the style, Catherine,' said Lord Luke. ‘It was by Desmond Finglow. His last picture. Anne has left it for you.'

‘
Left
it? What can you mean? Where
is
Anne?'

‘She has left a letter for you,' said Lord Luke. ‘Here it is.'

Lady Catherine read:

My dear Mother,

But the time you read this, I shall be in Wales, living with Mrs Jenkinson in the cottage that my father bequeathed in a codicil to his eldest child. But I am not that child. The person who owns the cottage is Joscelyn Godwin, who was my father's daughter by Mrs Godwin. She was brought up as a boy by the wet-nurse Petronella Smith, because the pay was higher for boys at nurse; and Petronella loved Joss and carried her off to London. When Joss grew old enough to choose, she could see very well that boys can make their way in the world more easily than girls. But she and I love each other like dear sisters, as we are, and we are going to share the cottage in Wales that my father left Joss, and Mrs Jenkinson is going to keep house for us. You will have to find another companion.

I am sorry to hear from Uncle Luke that you have been having a hard time of it in the West Country. But I hope you are now safe home.

Yours etc.,

Anne de Bourgh

It took Lady Catherine many minutes to assimilate the contents of this letter. Under Maria's pitying gaze, she seemed to age visibly as she read and thought about it.

She murmured, ‘Joss? The
garden
-boy?' in tones of incredulity.

‘Did you know about this?' she asked Luke. He shook his head.

‘Not until latterly.'

He thought of Anne's ecstatic programme, which she had divulged to him.

‘We shall get up at six. We shall read Latin – Joss knows it, old Sir Felix taught him – for two hours. Then breakfast. Then literature and French until twelve o'clock. Then we shall work in our garden. We shall have
just
enough money to live on, if Mamma continues to pay my allowance until my majority. If not, we shall sell produce from our garden. Joss says we shall be able to manage. It was kind of you to give Joss that ten gold guineas. We shall be able to live on that for some months.'

‘Where are the Delavals?' Lady Catherine asked, as if she needed a respite from thinking about Anne.

‘Ralph has gone to live with Young Tom.'

‘Young Tom, who is Young Tom?'

‘Ambrose Mynges, the younger of the two painters.'

‘How very strange … And his sister? Miss Delaval?'

‘She has returned to her home in Wensleydale.'

‘I thought she planned to visit an aunt in Exeter? Or was that a lie? There have been so many lies told, I begin to feel quite confused. And FitzWilliam? Where is he?'

‘He has returned to Derbyshire. He sent his best wishes and respects.'

‘Ha! I know what value to put on
them.
That minx will get him. As soon as she knows about Adelaide's legacy, he is doomed … He would have been far better off with little Miss Lucas,' Lady Catherine said, half to herself, forgetting that the Miss Lucas in question was standing close beside her.

Maria said, in a gentle tone:

‘Lady Catherine, would you like it if, for a while, I came here to Rosings to take over Mrs Jenkinson's duties? I am a famous housekeeper, I can promise you – Charlotte will attest to that! When our mother was laid up with the pleurisy, I took over all the duties of the house till she was better, and that was a family of thirteen! And I would not be a stranger to your ways. What do you say? Shall I try for a while?'

Lady Catherine stood up shakily.

‘Yes, thank you, Miss Lucas, I think that is an excellent suggestion. We – we shall talk again later. Now, if you will excuse me, I think I shall retire to my room for a while … So much to think about. Lucius!' She turned suddenly to her brother. ‘I have many things to say to
you!
'

He quailed a little.

‘Yes, Catherine.'

‘But they shall not be said now. You—' Suddenly she sounded anxious. ‘
You
are not going off immediately – not going back to Derbyshire, not just yet, are you?'

‘No, Catherine. Not in the immediate future. Not if I can be of any use here.'

‘Good. I am glad to hear that. I shall come down again in a little while. Then I shall have a bone to pick with you!'

Lady Catherine left the saloon, with Charlotte and Maria following solicitously in her wake.

Lord Luke murmured, ‘At the marriage banquets of the Sicilian poor, the bride's father, after the meal, is accustomed to hand the bridegroom a bone, saying, “Pick this bone; for you have taken in hand a much harder task…” Deucalion, after the deluge, was told to cast behind him the bones of his mother … To make no bones of a thing is the equivalent of the French
“flater le dé…”
.'

ALSO BY JOAN AIKEN

The Silence of Herondale

Trouble with Product X

Hate Begins at Home

The Ribs of Death

The Windscreen Weepers

The Embroidered Sunset

The Butterfly Picnic

Died on a Rainy Sunday

Voices in an Empty House

Castle Barbane

The Five-Minute Marriage

The Smile of a Stranger

The Lightning Tree

The Young Lady from Paris

Foul Matter

Mansfield Revisited

Deception

Blackground

Jane Fairfax

Morningquest

Eliza's Daughter

Emma Watson

The Youngest Miss Ward

LADY CATHERINE'S NECKLACE
. Copyright © 2000 by Joan Aiken Enterprises Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

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ISBN 0-312-24406-1

First published in Great Britain by Victor Gollancz, an imprint of Orion Books Ltd

First U.S. Edition: April 2000

eISBN 9781466884694

First eBook edition: September 2014