Seven for a Secret (23 page)

Gaston said: “I dare say you’ll be coming again soon.”

“It’s a long way and we’ve been saving up for this for years.”

“Well, good luck,” said Gaston.

“And a safe journey back,” I added.

He left us.

As soon as I saw Flora, I knew something was wrong. Her eyes looked wild, her face distorted.

“Flora!” I cried.

“What has happened?”

She stared at me blankly and shook her head from side to side.

“Tell me. Flora, what is it?”

She stared at the doll in her arms.

“It’s not … it’s not, it’s only a doll,” she murmured.

Suddenly she threw the doll from her. It lay across the pram, inanimate, smiling its china smile.

I could not believe this. Flora was coming back to reality.

Everything seemed very still around us. 1 was aware of Flora’s tortured face and the avid curiosity in Gaston’s.

“Why?” he said to her.

“Why has it changed?”

I laid my hand on his arm to restrain his questions. And then I saw Lucy coming into the garden.

“What’s happened? What’s happened?” she cried.

It’s only a doll,” said Flora piteously.

Lucy’s eyes were filled with fear. Her lips moved as though she were praying. She put her arm through Flora’s.

“Come along in, dear,” she said.

“It’s all right. Nothing’s changed.”

“It’s a doll,” whispered Flora.

“You’ve been dreaming,” said Lucy.

“Only a dream?” whispered Flora.

“It was only a dream.”

Lucy looked over her shoulder at us.

“I’ll take her in,” she said quietly.

“I’ll soothe her down. She has these turns.”

She went into the house with Flora, leaving Gaston, with me, looking after them as they went.

I said: “Come on, we must go.”

We went through the gate and out to the road.

“What do you make of that?” he said.

“I suppose she has flashes of reality.”

“Sister Lucy didn’t seem very pleased about that one.”

“She is very anxious about Flora. What a terrible responsibility it must be.”

“She had just had a visitor,” said Gaston.

“I think there must have been some revelation. I wonder what our pioneering colonist had to say to her.”

1 could not stop thinking about Flora and a few days later I called on her. Lucy was at home on this occasion.

“It was good of you to call,” she said.

Flora was in the garden, the pram containing the doll with her.

“She’s well now, aren’t you, dear?” said Lucy to her.

Flora nodded. She was pushing the pram backwards and forwards.

“This rocking gets him off to sleep sooner than anything,” she said.

It seemed that everything was back to normal.

Lucy came with me to the gate.

“She’s recovered,” she said. I thought ‘re covered’ was ;

hardly the right way to describe it. For a moment Flora had been in the present time. Could that not have been a good thing?

“She’s been like this before,” Lucy told me.

“It’s not good for her.

She’s not well after. She gets over-excited. Gets nightmares. I have some soothing medicine for her from the doctor. “

“She seemed for a moment as though she were seeing things as they really are.”

“No, it isn’t quite like that. She’s better as she is now. She’s quiet and contented, really.”

“Something must have provoked it,” I suggested.

Lucy lifted her shoulders.

I went on: “I wondered if it had anything to do with Gerry Westlake?”

Lucy looked startled.

“Why ever should it?”

“I just wondered because he had been to see her. We saw him leaving.”

“Oh no. He’s been away, it must be twenty-seven years or more.”

“I do hope she will be all right.”

“Thank you. I shall see to that.”

I walked soberly home.

1 was dismayed when 1 saw Tamarisk. I had guessed that all was not well after my conversation with Crispin, and I had tried to win her confidence. My dislike of Gaston Marchmont was increasing. Moreover, there was something about his interest in Flora which made me uneasy.

He seemed to be amused by her affliction; and the fact that he was visiting her disturbed me.

On this occasion Tamarisk was not so guarded as she had been. I could see that she had been crying. She must have realized that it would be futile to continue the pretence that all was well.

“Tamarisk,” I said, ‘why don’t you tell me? It helps sometimes. “

“Nothing will help.”

“Is it Gaston?”

She nodded.

“You’ve quarrelled?”

She laughed.

“We’re always quarrelling. He really doesn’t make any effort now.”

“What went wrong?”

“Everything. He said I was a fool and he preferred Rachel. He said she was a simpleton and knew it. I was one too, and didn’t. That was the only difference between us. Crispin hates him and he hates Crispin. I think he hates me, too. He has a violent temper and I thought he was so charming…”

“Poor Tamarisk!”

“I don’t know what to do. I think Crispin would like there to be a divorce.”

“On what grounds? You can’t divorce people just because you suddenly find that you don’t like them as much as you thought you would.”

“Adultery, I expect.”

“On what evidence?”

“I’m sure we can find some. He said he was Rachel’s lover before we were married. He said he would have preferred her. I know why he married me. It’s because of all this. He thinks I’m rich. Well, I do have something, of course. He’d like to own all this. He’s envious of Crispin. He says my brother doesn’t know how to live.”

“And I suppose he does … making people unhappy … cheating, lying.”

I could not stop thinking of what she had said about Rachel. What if this were known? It would be an end to

the happy life at Grindle’s. And what of little Danielle,;

who was such a joy to them? I could not bear it if he spoilt! that.

But he must not, he would not. He would be puttings himself in such a bad light the man who seduced and deserted a young trusting girl!

“Crispin is trying to think of some way to get rid of him. He has been cheating all the way. Even his name. He hasn’t any estates either.

He’s a penniless adventurer. Oh, Fred, I’m so ashamed. “

“Well, I don’t suppose you’re the only one who has been taken in by him. He was very plausible.”

“He drinks too much. That’s when lots of things are revealed. He talks a lot about Rachel. He said he could get her to leave everything and go away with him if he wanted! to.” “That’s nonsense!” :

“I know. But I think it’s true about them. I know she was very keen on him.”

I said: “Rachel is happily married. She has a child. I am sure she would despise him if he made advances to her.”

“She’d be the good little wife, of course. And there is the baby. She must have been very friendly with Daniel at the time, too.”

I had to stop this. I said quickly: “What are you going to do.

Tamarisk? “

“I don’t know. I think Crispin will find some way. He’s very clever and he’s working on it. I don’t think he’ll tolerate having Gaston in the house. Gaston still gets round my mother with that flowery talk about her being as beautiful as a young girl. She’s on his side, but that won’t help him. I am sure Crispin will do something soon.”

1 was thinking of Crispin. I thought I ought to tell him that Tamarisk had confided in me to some extent.

When he came to the office I had the chance of telling him.

“Good,” he said.

“Can you meet me at the Little Vixen at one o’clock for lunch?” I said I would be there.

I told him what Tamarisk had said.

“What can you do about it?” I asked.

“The best thing would be to get rid of him. But that is impossible. He is not going to relieve us all by departing. The only other solution is divorce. It’s not entirely satisfactory, but I see no other way out.”

“On what grounds?”

“Adultery, I dare say. I feel sure from what we know of him we could find evidence somewhere.”

Not Rachel, I thought. That would be unbearable. Besides, that happened before his marriage. It would not count. But it would be revealed if there were probings, suggestions. Rachel’s happiness must not be sacrificed.

“Do you know for sure that he is promiscuous?” I asked.

“I’m fairly sure of it. As a matter of fact, I am having him watched.

It is highly secret. He has no idea, but if he suspected . well, he would be warned. “

“Do you think you will find something?”

“He’s reckless. Although he is sharp, with an eye on the main chance, he can be foolish in many ways. He married Tamarisk because he thought she would provide a comfortable life for him, which so far she has done; but the strain of keeping up the pretence of being a loving husband has been too much for him. He is a rogue, an impostor, a self-indulgent adventurer. He is clever, but not quite clever enough.

Frederica, I must get him out of the house. I am so glad that Tamarisk has started confiding in you. She talks to me very rarely and then with restraint. You can let me know exactly what she feels. We must meet often. “

He smiled at me very warmly and I felt a glow of i93

pleasure, as I always did when he showed an interest:

in me. I “Are you still getting on well with Perrin?” he asked. “Oh yes, he is very kind and helpful.” ‘ “You know I have a special interest in you, Frederica?” “After Barrow Wood. Yes. I understand that.” 1 couldl not resist adding: “Though before that you were hardly! aware of me.” “Oh, 1 was aware of you when you first came tol St. Aubyn’s for lessons.”

“I shall never forget the first time I saw you,” I said.

“Yes?” he asked.

“It was on the stairs. I was with Tamarisk and Rachel. We came down and you were about to go up. You nodded briefly and when you were still in earshot you said in a voice which we all heard distinctly, ” Who is the plain’ child? “, meaning me.”

“No,” he said. ;

“Yes, it’s true.”

“It rankled?”

“Very much so. Aunt Sophie had to spend a long time soothing my wounded vanity.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t believe that. What I really meant was, ” Who is the interesting child? “” “When one is thirteen years old, it is rather hurtful to be called a child, and plain is the final insult.”

“You have never forgiven me.”

“Well, I believe I was plain.”

“I remember you had two plaits, very severe, and a penetrating look.”

“And you had a penetrating voice.”

“Believe me, I am very sorry. It was foolish … and obtuse. I should have recognized you as a very attractive young lady. The plainest people often turn out to be the real beauties, the ugly duckling, you

know, turned into the ” There is no need to make excuses. I was plain. And, do you know, I began to take an interest in my appearance after that. So you see, it was all right in the end. You did me good.

”

He put his hand across the table and held mine firmly in his.

That’s what I want to do,” he said.

“Always.”

1 thought then that he was going to say something else, but he hesitated and appeared to change his mind.

“This is a pact, then,” he said.

“We are going to meet often. You will tell me what you discover and we shall see if we can find a way out of this.”

We chatted then about the estate, of which I was becoming quite knowledgeable. That pleased him and he became very animated.

When we parted, he said: “I am anxious about Tamarisk, but we’ll find some way out and at least we have had a very pleasant time together.”

I frequently called at Grindle’s Farm. Danielle was an enchanting child and I took a very special interest in her. Rachel was happy too.

I think she was succeeding in forgetting the past and one of the main reasons was her absorption in Danielle.

Alas, this contentment did not last.

Soon after Crispin and I had talked in the Little Vixen, 1 went to see Rachel and realized that all was not well.

“Freddie,” said Rachel, ‘he’s been here. Gaston has been here. “

“Whatever for?”

“He said he wanted to be friends again.”

“What impertinence!”

“Oh, Freddie, it was awful. I’m frightened.”

“What happened?”

“He said, ” You used to love me, remember? ” I told him i95

to go away. I did not want to see him ever again. He was horrible. He tried to put his arm round me. 1 was frightened. ” ” How did he get in?

” I “

He just called. One of the maids brought him to the:

sitting-room where I happened to be at the time. I thought he would never go. “

“Did you tell Daniel?” ;

“Yes. He was very angry. I think he would kill him if he1 saw him. It is not often Daniel is angry, but then he was.:

Oh, I do hope Gaston never comes here again. If her does. “

“He can’t harm you.”

“I am thinking about Danielle.”

“Did he guess?”

“Yes. I told him when I was going to have a child and I could see then that he didn’t care … only that it shouldn’t go and spoil his plans for Tamarisk.”

“He can’t hurt you now, Rachel.”

“He could tell people Danielle was his child. He could make a terrible scandal. Think what that would mean to her. People would talk of it for years. Oh, Freddie, what a mess I have made of everything!”

“It will be all right. There’s nothing he can do.”

She clung to me.

“I’m so afraid. I’m terribly afraid.”

I did not tell her so, but I was too.

How I hated that man! He caused misery wherever he went. I had thought everything had been comfortably settled when Daniel accepted and cherished the child. I could clearly see what harm Gaston could do to them. 1 railed against him to myself. If only he would go away! As if he would! He liked the luxury he enjoyed at St. Aubyn’s too well. He had schemed to marry Tamarisk and establish himself there and he meant to stay. He would fight to;