The Morning Gift (32 page)

'Yes, I know that one. Things that are for you. No doubts, no hesitation.'

'Music in your case, I suppose,' he said resignedly, waiting for the ubiquitous Mozart to appear on the horizon, towing Heini in his wake.

'Yes. The first time I heard the Zillers play. But…' She shook her head, 'I loved the Grundlsee. I really loved it, the lake and the berries and the flowers, but when we went there it was still part of the way I'd always lived… with the university and people talking about psychoanalysis and all that. But here… the first morning by the sea… and now, still… I don't understand what's happened.' She looked up at him and he saw the bewilderment on her face. 'I feel as though I shall be homesick for this place all my life… for the sea… but how can I be? What has it to do with me? It's Vienna I'm homesick for. I
must
be.'

His silence lasted so long that she turned her head. It seemed to her that his face had changed - he looked younger, more vulnerable, and when he spoke it was without his usual ease.

'Ruth, if you wanted it to be different… If- '

He broke off. A shadow had fallen between them and the sun. Tall and looming, Verena Plackett stood there, holding out a piece of rock.

'I wonder if you could clear up a point for me, Professor,' she said. 'I think this must be one of the brachiopods, but I'm not entirely sure.'

Quin did not speak to Ruth again till after their return. He was making his way up the cliff path when he heard footsteps and turned to find her hurrying after him, the puppy in her arms.

'I'm sorry to bother you, but could you be so kind as to take him up to the house? Pilly would, but she's busy cooking and I promised Martha I'd see that he got back safely.'

'Why don't you take him yourself? You've obviously made friends with Martha.'

'No.'

He remembered her refusal to come to lunch, and meaning to tease her, said: 'You'll have to look at the place sometime, you know. After all, if I'm killed before Mr Proudfoot can put us asunder, Bowmont will be yours.'

Her reaction amazed him. She was furious; her face distorted - he almost expected her to stamp her feet.

'How
dare
you talk like that! How dare you? Mr Chamberlain said there would be no war, he promised… and even if there is you don't have to fight in it. It was absolutely unnecessary you going off to the navy like that, everyone said so. You could do much more good doing scientific work. It was ostentatious and stupid and
wrong?

'Come, I was only joking.'

'Exactly the sort of jokes one would expect from an Englishman. Jokes about people being dead.'

She thrust the puppy in his arms and stamped away down the hill.

'As a woman I was unfortunately not able to follow the sport,' said Verena, who was engaging Lord Rothley in a conversation about pigsticking. 'But I watched it in India and found it quite fascinating.'

Lord Rothely mumbled something and held out his glass to Turton who, detecting a certain glassiness in his lordship's eye, filled it to the brim with whisky.

The party was a small one: The Rothleys, the' Stanton-Derbys and the widowed Bobo Bainbridge, come to welcome the Placketts and discuss the arrangements for Verena's dance. Needless to say Verena, who had prepared so assiduously for Sir Harold in the matter of the bony fishes, had gone through the
Northumberland Gazette
to ascertain the interests of the guests, though in the case of Lord Rothley she had been deceived a little by the small print. It was pig
breeding
rather than pig
sticking
that interested his lordship. Her duty to him completed, Verena moved over to Hugo Stanton-Derby standing with Lady Plackett by the fireplace. The excellent relationship which Verena enjoyed' with her mother had enabled them to divide their labours: Verena had repaired to the
Encyclopaedia Britannica
in the library to read up about Georgian snuff boxes which Stanton-Derby collected, while Lady Plackett immersed herself in the
Financial Times
for it was as a stockbroker that he earned his living.

The resulting conversation was as informed and intelligent as might have been expected, and when Verena turned to the women, they found her most understanding and sympathetic about their complaints. For as might have been expected, the refugees that Quin had wished on them were continuing to be ungrateful and difficult. Ann Rothley's dismissed cowman had been taken on by the Northern Opera Company and caused havoc among the servants.

'They're all asking for time off to go to Newcastle and hear him sing in that ridiculous opera - the one where they burn a manuscript to keep warm. Something about Bohemians.'

And Helen's chauffeur too was giving trouble: he was threatening to leave and go to London to try and join a string quartet.

'Well if he does at least you won't have to listen to all that chamber music,' said Frances.

But, of course, it wasn't so simple - it never is.

'Actually, he's rather good at his job,' said Helen, 'and much cheaper than an Englishman would be.'

Only with Bobo Bainbridge did Verena not attempt to converse. Bobo, whose adored husband had dropped dead nine months ago and whose mother-in-law did not approve of displays of grief, now navigated through her social engagements by means of liberal doses of Amontillado, and for women who let themselves go in this way, Verena had nothing but contempt.

At nine o'clock, Quin took the men to smoke and play billiards in the library and the women were left to discuss Verena's party.

This, somewhat to Frances' dismay, soon grew into a much larger affair than she had intended. Her suggestion of a buffet supper and dancing to the gramophone caused Lady Plackett considerable surprise.

'The
gramophone!*
she said in offended tones. 'If it is a matter of expense…'

'No, course it isn't,' interrupted Ann Rothley, rather put out by this gaffe, 'but actually, Frances, there's a very good little three-piece band just starting up in Rothley - it would be a kindness to give them work.'

So the three-piece band was agreed on, and Helen Stan-ton-Derby (over-ruling Lady Plackett's suggestion of lilies and stepanotis from the florist in Alnwick) said she would do the flowers. 'There's such lovely stuff in the hedges now -traveller's joy and rosehips… with only a little help from the gardens one can make a marvellous show.'

'And I thought mulled wine,' said Frances. 'Cook has an excellent recipe.'

Mulled wine, however, affected Lady Plackett as adversely as the gramophone had done and she asked if she could contribute to a case of champagne, an offer which Miss Somerville refused. 'I'll speak to Quin,' she said firmly; 'he's in charge of the cellar,' and they went on to discuss the menu and the list of guests.

Comments on Verena, as the County drove home, were entirely favourable.

'A very sensible girl,' said Ann Rothely and her husband grunted assent, but said he was surprised that Quin, who'd had such beautiful girlfriends, was willing to marry somebody who, when all was said and done, looked like a Roman senator.

His wife disagreed. 'She has great presence. AH she needs is a really pretty dress for the dance and she'll be as attractive as anyone could wish.'

An unexpected voice now spoke from the back of the motor where Bobo Bainbridge had been supposed to be asleep.

'It will have to be a
very
pretty dress,' said Bobo - and closed her eyes once more.

Frances, meanwhile, had followed Quin into the tower - a thing she did seldom - to ask his advice about the drinks.

'Ah yes, Verena's dance.' Quin had taken so little notice of discussions about this event that it took an effort to recall it. 'It's on Friday week, isn't it? Does Verena want me to look in or would she prefer to entertain her friends on her own?'

Frances looked at him in dismay. 'But of course she wants you to be there. It would look very odd if you weren't.' And then: 'You do like Verena, don't you?'

'She's an excellent girl,' said Quin absently. And then: 'Who have you invited?'

'Rollo's coming up from Sandhurst - he won the Sword of Honour, did Ann tell you? And he's bringing a friend of his who's going to join the same regiment. And the Bainbridge twins have got leave from the air force so - '

'From the
air force}
Mick and Leo? But they can't be more than sixteen!'

'They're eighteen, actually - they went in as cadets. Bobo was hoping one of them would stay on the ground, but they've always done things together; they're both fully fledged pilots now.'

'My God!' Bobo's adored twins had kept her alive after her husband's death. When they came home, she sobered up, became the friendly, funny person she had been throughout his childhood.

'And both Helen's girls are coming up from London. Caroline's going to marry that nice red-haired boy in the Marines - Dick Alleson.' Caroline had carried a torch for

Quin for many years and everyone had rejoiced when she became so suitably engaged.

She went on counting off the guests and Quin looked out over the silvered sea. It might not come — the war — but if it did, there was not one of those gilded youths but would be in the thick of the slaughter.

'I know what we'll drink, Aunt Frances!' he said, taking her hands. 'The Veuve Clicquot '29! I've got two cases of it and I've been saving it for something special.'

Frances stared at him. She was no connoisseur of wine but she knew how Quin prized his fabulous champagne. 'Are you sure?'

'Why not? Let's make it a night to remember!'

Frances went to bed a happy woman, for what could this open-handed gesture mean except that he wished to honour Verena? But the next morning came the remark she had been dreading.

'If there's a party of young people, we must ask the students if they'd like to come along.'

Gloom descended on Aunt Frances. Jewish waitresses, girls who did things in the backs of motor cars, to mingle with the decently brought up children of her friends.

'They're coming to lunch on Sunday. Surely that's enough?'

Quin, however, was adamant. 'I can't single Verena out to that degree, Aunt Frances, you must see that.'

But to Frances' great surprise, Verena entirely agreed with Quin and offered herself to invite the students.

She was as good as her word. Arriving at the boathouse while everyone was still at breakfast, she said: 'There's going to be a dance up at Bowmont for my birthday. Anyone who wouldn't feel uncomfortable without the proper evening clothes would be entirely welcome.'

By the time Quin appeared to begin the morning's work, she was able to tell him with perfect truth that the students had refused to a man.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

'But why? Why won't you come? Everyone is invited - all the students go to Sunday lunch at Bowmont. It's a ritual.'

'Well, it'll be just as much of a ritual without me. I'm waiting for a message from Heini and - '

'Not on a Sunday. The post office is shut.'

The other students joined in, even Dr Elke - but Ruth was adamant. She didn't feel like a big lunch, she was going for a walk; she thought the weather might be breaking.