Love Is My Reason (25 page)

“
Well, you see
—
”
She cast her mind back to her
conversation with Bertram, and realized immediately that she could not possibly give David the real reason which had de
ci
ded her to claim her place as Sir Basil
’
s niece.
“
I thought—I talked it over with Bertram—and I thought—
”
suddenly inspiration came to her—
“
I thought it would help me so much in my stage career if Sir Basil liked the idea of having me for a niece.
”

“
I see. Well, that certainly was an idea
—
”
David
glanced across to the animated group around Sir Basil
—
all of whom were looking in Anya
’
s direction with varying degrees of interest and approval.
“
And it worked, I take it?
”

“
Oh yes! He seems really delighted to have found me. He has been introducing me to all his friends. And he says I am very talented and that I interest him and—and
—“
She hardly knew how to sum up her satisfactory
position, so that David should no longer see her as a distressingly dependent waif.
“
Anyway, everything is going to be wonderful now,
”
she assumed him eagerly.
“
I—I
’
m part of a family at last. I
’
ve got some roots, and a place in the world and—everything.
”

“
Everything?
”
David looked down at her rather sombrely.
“
Well, it looks as though you won
’
t be ours much longer, Anya But if the change is bringing you so much of your heart
’
s desire, we shall all be happy for you.
”

“
Th—thank you.
”
She began to think she had not created quite the impression she had intended.
“
I—I don
’
t mean that it
’
s only now that everything has become
wonderful. Nothing could have been more
—
”

“
I know, my dear.
”
He interrupted her kindly before she could even begin to make herself clear.
“
You are a good, grateful child, and you mustn
’
t suppose we think you anything else. But of course no stranger, however well-meaning, can be the same as one
’
s own family.
”
She tried to say that that was not so. To find some way of explaining, without offence, that he meant more to her than ten uncles. But, while she was still groping for the words, Celia came up, and David said,

“
Anya has just been claimed with enthusiasm by her uncle. It seems Sir Basil is very happy to have found an unknown niece.
”

“
Is that so?
”
Celia glanced coolly from Anya to David and back again. Then she narrowed her eyes very slightly and said, with a faint smile which struck terror to Anya
’
s heart,
“
Well, how very satisfactory—for all of us.
”

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

There was no
opportunity to ask Celia precisely what she had meant by her cryptic remark—even if she would have explained, which was doubtful. For Anya was claimed by her uncle once more, and swept off to be admired by his friends and to play the part of the happy, lucky niece, who had just been discovered by the most charming and indulgent of uncles.

It was obvious that Sir Basil was enjoying his role to the full, and Anya sensed that she must in no way interfere with that enjoyment. In the ordinary wa
y
, she would not have wished to do so, and would, indeed, have delighted in her own part. But the encounter with David had left her strangely heavy-hearted, instead of elated, and it was disquieting to realize that Celia was very well satisfied by the new turn of events.

No interest but her own would have induced that mood in Celia, and it was evident that, in her view at any rate, Anya had taken a step away from David rather than towards him.

It was hard to smile and be gay when she was consumed by anxiety. But Anya had had a good deal of practice in concealing her feelings, and she thought she must have managed pretty well, for, just as they were going, Sir Basil said to her,

“
You must come and stay with me quite soon, my dear. I shall enjoy taking you about.
”

Anya smiled and thanked him. And then Bertram made his appearance and it was time to go.

Good-byes were brief and rather hasty, since Sir Basil
’
s mind was already on the evening
’
s performance, and several other guests at the party were taking leave and hurrying off to commitments in the theatre world.

Although she looked round as well as she could, Anya was unable to see any sign of David, and was driven to the dejected conclusion that he had left without bothering to say good-night to her. It might have been difficult to find her in the throng, of course, but the thought that he had gone without a word to her made her extremely unhappy.

“
Well, was it a good party?
”
Bertram enquired, as they started on the drive homewards.

“
Very good, thank you.
”

“
Everyone make a fuss of you?
”

“
Yes. Everyone was very kind.
”

“
One or two people told me you were a great success. I saw some people I know, as I was coming in, and they were quite enthusiastic.
”

“
Were they?
”

“
Yes.
”
Bertram glanced at her.
“
Uncle Basil
’
s stock still high?
”

“
Oh, yes.
”
She laughed slightly.

“
What went wrong, then?
”

“
Nothing went wrong!
”

“
But you don
’
t sound like someone who
’
s had a whale of a time. You sound rather subdued,
”
Bertram told her.

“
I was just—thoughtful.
”

“
I see,
”
Bertram did not press the point. But, after a moment, he asked,
“
Whom did you meet?
”
Anyone specially interesting?
”

“
David was there,
”
she said suddenly, and smiled.

“
O-oh. With Celia?
”

“
And that
’
s why you
’
re so solemn and reflective?
”
he suggested.

“
Oh, no! At least, not only for the fact that they were there together. Only—
”
she hesitated a moment, and then burst out—
“
it didn
’
t work out the way you said it would.
”

“
What didn
’
t?
”
He looked amused and rather puzzled.

“
Why, you said that if I were recognized as Sir Basil
’
s niece and—and rather made the centre of attention, then David—people would find me more attractive.
”

“
No, I don
’
t think I put it quite as naively as that,
”
Bertram protested good-humouredly,
“
though maybe the central idea is there. But, anyway
didn
’
t
David find you attractive, in the role of Edcombe
’
s niece
?
”

“
I don
’
t know,
”
Anya said soberly.
“
But he congratulated me in a rather grave way and—and said I shouldn
’
t belong to you all much longer. That wasn
’
t what I wanted him to say
at all
!
”
She caught her breath on an unexpected sob.
“
He spoke as though I
’
d taken a big step right away from him—from you all. And he spoke of himself as a str-stranger, and said he knew no stranger could mean as much as one
’
s family—which isn
’
t true at all. I don
’
t want uncles or aunts or anyone else if it means losing David.
”
And suddenly she began to cry in earnest.

“
Here—here—there
’
s no need to do that!
”
Bertram slowed down the car and put an arm round her.
“
You cry on your Uncle Bertram
’
s shoulder. At least—no, not if uncles are so out of favour. But, you silly child, what does it matter if David got a bad jolt on seeing you attached to someone else?
”

“
He didn
’
t get a j-jolt. He accepted things in a sort of g-grave and dignified way. But so
finally.
As though we were already talking to each other across a gulf. Besides
—
Celia was pleased with things. I could see she was. And she evidently thought that the new situation was to her advantage.
”

“
Then she was wrong,
”
said Bertram calmly.

“
Oh, Bertram! It didn
’
t look that way.
”

“
Who has the better judgment, do you suppose? Celia or my not-so-humble self?
”
he enquired drily.

“
Well—you, I think.
”

“
Then you take my word for it—Celia is not going to gain over this change.
”

“
But David thinks of me as no longer quite his concern!
”

“
Then he must be made to realize that you still are. You leave that to me.
”

“
Oh, Bertram—will you really see that David understands everything?
”
Anya asked anxiously.

“
I can
’
t guarantee quite such a tall order as that,
”
Bertram said.
“
But I
’
ll see that the right hints are dropped in the right places.
”

“
Oh, thank you!
”
She actually kissed him in her eager gratitude.

“
You
’
d better not do that,
”
he told her,
“
or you
’
ll probably make bad blood between cousins. I shall begin to wonder why I
’
m smoothing the way for another fellow.
”
But he laughed and gave her an encouraging hug before he released her and started the car once more.

As they drove on, Anya was a little shocked to find that she had confided quite so fully in Bertram. But it was too late to retreat now, and she had the comforting conviction that, frivolous though he might often be, he was a very good friend when he cared to put himself out.

By the time he left her at the Prestons
’
house, she had recovered from the worst of her anxiety, and was ready to give Mrs. Preston a full account of the day
’
s events.

“
Darling child! What a wonderful and exciting time you must have had!
”
Mrs. Preston was enchanted at what she considered to be an almost traditional happy ending to Anya
’
s story.
“
But I hope your uncle won
’
t want to take you away from us at once.
”

Anya said that she very much doubted if such a thing were in her uncle
’
s mind.

“
He is truly moved and happy to have found me,
”
she said earnestly.
“
But I don
’
t think he is the kind of man to want to have his day-to-day life altered without a good deal of thought beforehand. And he didn
’
t say anything at all about my going to live with him, Mrs. Preston.
”

“
That
’
s a good thing!
”
One could not doubt the comforting sincerity of Mrs. Preston
’
s tone.
“
Then you will go on living here for the time being. And possibly you may go to stay with him for short visits.
”

This was so exactly what Anya had hoped for
—
so exactly the arrangement by which she might hope to see something of David either at home or in town—that she could not help hugging Mrs. Preston and saying how grateful she was.

“
And the moment I am able to earn my own living, I won
’
t be a nuisance to either of you,
”
she exclaimed.

“
You are not a nuisance to me at all,
”
Mrs. Preston told her tranquilly.
“
And Martin was saying, only today, that there is something very satisfying about having the child of his old friend in the house.
”

Anya
was so moved that she could not say anything. And she thought that if only David could be made to understand that he was still her protector and her hero and her guiding star, there was nothing more she could ask for in life.

At least—almost nothing.

The following day her uncle telephoned from London, with the suggestion—or half-command—that she should stay with him in town from Friday until Monday. He specified exact dates, and nothing in his invitation suggested that Anya should regard his house as home. But his voice was warm and affectionate as he said,

“
Come in good time on Friday afternoon, my dear, and you can go to the show on Friday evening. You have never seen me act, I take it?
”

Anya said she had not.

“
Well, well—I must be on my mettle,
”
he said. And she thought he rather liked the idea of showing her why her uncle was such a distinguished man.
“
Then on Saturday you can shop or sight-see, or whatever you want to do, and on Sunday I shall be free to enjoy you.
”

Anya thanked him, and tried not to feel disappointed at the thought that David would most probably not be in London during the weekend.

“
And bring that photograph with you, Anya. The photograph of poor Francis and his friend,
”
her un
cl
e said, just before he rang off.
“
I don
’
t think I have ever seen it.
”

So Anya promised to do
t
his and then bade her un
cl
e good-bye.

During the week, she went once to London for a lesson. But although Bertram accompanied her, they went by train and there was certainly no opportunity to ask whether he had yet said anything tactful to David. Indeed, Bertram seemed a trifle preoccupied, and Anya could not help wondering anxiously if her unimportant affairs had more or less slipped from his mind.

H
e was interested, however, to hear that she was going to spend the weekend with her uncle, though he told her
he would not be available to take her to London himself that day.

“
But you
c
an have a taxi to the station, and also from Marylebone,
”
he told her.
“
You
’
re beginning to find your way about now, aren
’
t you?
”