Menfreya in the Morning (27 page)

There was great excitement when Lord Salisbury died and a crisis arose over Protectionist proposals. Bevil came home demanding to know where I was.

I was actually dressing for dinner, and he came bursting into the bedroom.

He told me what had happened.

“It may mean an election in the near future. Then we should have to go into battle in earnest”

“We shall win, of course.”

He sat down on the bed and taking my hands pulled me down beside him.

“You like a fight, dont you?” he said.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Ah, but when a fight has to be fought you go into it In full cry.”

“Shouldn’t one?”

*^Of course. You fight the good fight with all your might Twice armed is he who has his quarrel just Is that right?

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You should know. Harriet, are you looking forward to our fight?”

“I’m determined to see you victorious.”

He laughed. “Spoken like a good and virtuous wife. You know, Harriet, my darling, a good wife is more valuable than rubies. It says so in the Bible.”

*The Menfreys had an opportunity to put that to the test”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m thinking of the table with the rubies missing from the top. I was told they were used one by one, and when they had disappeared, the Menfreys were obliged to seek rich wives.”

“Who told you that story?”

“Gwennan, I think.”

“Poor Gwennan! Still, the boy’s here.”

Tin so ashamed when I think of the conclusions I jumped to.”

He laughed at me. “Well, I didn’t behave very well either. And I’ll tell you something that came out of that Harriet. Beast that. I was, and even more loathsome beast that you believed me to be, you still love me.”

“Well, idiot that I was …”

“You’re right,” he said. “I still love you,”

He kissed me hard on the lips, and I said: “Please no bruises. Fanny noticed.”

He frowned. “That woman doesn’t like me, Harriet.”

“Oh, she’s only mildly disapproving. I’m her child, remember. She doesn’t think anyone’s good enough for me.”

“She may be right. And as long as I have your approval, what do others matter? I need it my darling. Now we have to fight an election together. My formidable Harriet. You’re going to be very busy hi the next few months, years perhaps. Too busy to spend your days entirely looking after young Benny.”

“His grandmother will be ready to step into the breach.”

“She’s not always well, and I was saying to her that I thought it was time we had a nursery governess.”

“She agreed with you, of course.”

He grinned at me. “It’s obvious, you know. I need you more than Benny does.”

I was so happy to be wanted that I couldn’t hide the fact

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After that there was talk about the governess we would get Both Sir Endelion and Lady Meofrey thought it was an excellent idea. They doted on the boy and were very anxious to have the best for him, but nothing was done about it, and I fancied Lady Menfrey was not very eager that we should get someone quite so soon.

“He’s young yet,” she said, for she enjoyed looking after him herself.

Sir Endelion went to London for a visit to friends, and it must have been two or three weeks after his return when he received a letter. He did not say anything about it immediately, but it was clear that something had happened which amused him. He kept chuckling to himself, and one evening at dinner he made an announcement

“While you’ve been talking about what you’ll do, I have gone into action,” he said* “I’ve found you your nursery governess.’*

We all looked at him, but he was intent on watching Pengelly pour the claret into his glass.

Bevil was smiling. I guessed he was pleased, because it had been his idea in the first place that Benedict should have a governess and leave me free to help him.

Sir Endelion waved a hand. “You’ll be surprised,” he said.

“You mean, Endelion, that you have engaged a governess?”

“That’s what I said, my dear.**

“But how could you know what qualifications and er …”

“I’ve no doubt that this one is going to give great satisfaction.1’

“But really…”

“You wait. She’s coming at the end of the week.”

“But I don’t understand.”

“You will, my dear.”

Lady Menfrey looked uneasy. Bevil met my eye and grinned. “It’s what we want,” he said,

“But such an odd way …** began Lady Menfrey.

“She wanted the job; we had it Simple as that,” said Sir Endelion.

He kept laughing to himself.

“You wait and see,” he said.

Bevil and I rode over to Lansella; it was one way of

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exercising the horses, enjoying a ride and combining this with business.

It had been a busy morning, and as we rode home we discussed the queries which always seemed so amusing in retrospect

Lady Menfrey called to us as we came into the house.

“She’s come. She’s here now. You’ll never guess. I was never more surprised.”

“A guest for luncheon?1* I asked.

“Oh… no. The nursery governess.**

We hurried in and as we were about to mount the staircase she appeared at the top of it She was standing there above us, her beautiful oval face composed, dressed in dove gray; plain almost to severity, it only served to show her perfections. Her features were perfectly modeled, Grecian and classical; her dark hair waved loosely about her well-shaped head; her blue eyes were long, deep-lidded and black4ashed. She smiled, and it was her smile which alarmed me. It was so gentle and yet so full of wisdom . .. which later I thought of as cunning.

She said: “You look surprised. Sir Endelion came to the house where I was working, and I had an opportunity of speaking to him. I had heard about the little boy. One does hear these things. And when I knew you were looking for a nursery governess, I told him I should like the post**

I felt numb with apprehension, and as Jessica Trelarken slowly descended the stairs I felt my contentment fading away. I dared not look at Bevil for fear I should understand too much. I remembered how be had in the first place suggested we look for a nursery governess. Had he planned then to bring Jessica into the house? I remembered his attitude when Sir Endelion had made his announcement. Had he known then? Had he asked his father to invite Jessica to the house?

The future seemed very uneasy. I knew that life at Menfreya would change for me when Jessica Trelarken came into it

8

The first indication of the effect Jessica would have came almost immediately on her arrival. It was dinner-time on her first evening. I had dressed in a gown of dark-green velvet which I had always thought rather becoming, and ! wore the garnet earrings, brooch and bracelet which Lady Menfrey had given me. They had been hers, she told me, and the previous Lady Menfrey’s before her, so she was keeping them in the family.

While I looked at myself in the mirror—feeling pleased with the effect—Bevil came hi and, taking my shoulders, stood behind me looking at our reflection.

“Very effective,” he commented. “You look as if you’ve stepped out of one of the canvases in the gallery. But then you often do.”

I waited for him to say something about the new governess, but he didn’t, and that, even at this stage, seemed suspicious. Surely it would have been the most natural thing in the world to talk about the new arrival, particularly as we had known her in the past

So we went down to dinner. It was Sir Endelion—in his new puckish mood—who called attention to the fact that no extra place had been laid.

Lady Menfrey said: “But we are expecting nobody.”

“What of Miss Trelarkenr

Lady Menfrey looked uneasy. “But, Endelion, she’s the governess now.”

“Now! But her father used to come here to dine. You cant banish people belowstairs when in the past they’ve dined at your table.”

“She isn’t banished belowstairs,*’ pointed out Lady Menfrey. “She has a tray in her room. That has always been the custom with governesses. They always had trays in their rooms because naturally they would not expect to eat in the servants’ hall.”

Bevil said nothing, but I could see that the bronze color 186

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of his skin had deepened. He was concerned about the outcome of this; and I felt certain that if I had not been there he would have joined in to support his father. The advent of Jessica had already changed him; he bad become less frank, as though he were a man with something to hide.

“My dear, you can’t put Jessica Trelarken in the servants* hall. She’s a lady.”

“She’s a governess DOW, Endelion. Alas, so many ladies have to become governesses … or companions. It’s the only course open to them when they’re left penniless as poor Jessica was.”

I was watching Bevil. I thought: She will be here every evening. It’s impossible. She must stay in her room … at least that.

I said: “My governesses never dined with my father. They always seemed to prefer a tray in their rooms.”

**My dear Harriet,” laughed Sir Endelion. ‘This isn’t your governess. It’s Jessica Trelarken. An old friend of the family. That’s so, eh, Bevil?”

Bevil hesitated for a second. Then he said: “The Trelarkens used to dine here now and then. I suppose we ought to show Jessica that we don’t regard her as a servant.”

“Governesses are not servants,*” I said. “They take some meals with their charges.”

“She can’t dine with hers at this hour,” retorted Bevfl. “Unless she takes it at his bedside while he sleeps.”

Pengelly was hovering. My newly sharpened wits, which were already beginning to frighten me, assured me that in the servants’ hall they would be talking. Of course, she didn’t want her. Nor did my lady. It was the men who were determined to have her. Titters! The suspicion running through the house penetrating every corner.

“Has Miss Trelarken’s tray already gone up?” asked Lady Menfrey.

“No, my lady. That’ll be after the family has finished,” said Pengelly gravely.

“Then,” put in Sir Endelion, *1ay another place. Then go to her and tell her we expect her to dine here with us.”

Pengelly inclined his head, signed to one of the girls to lay another place, and disappeared.

InjBye minutes Jessica came hi. She was wearing a plain black silk dress, which she must hurriedly have slipped on

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when she received the summons, but there was no sign” of hurry about her.

She hesitated at the door, but I believed that to be studied hesitation.

Sir Endelion said: “Sit down, my dear. Of course, you’re to dine with us. Trays in rooms! Whoever heard such nonsense. Many’s the time your father has sat at this table.”

“Thank you,” said Jessica calmly. Pengelly held the chair while sbe sat.

She smiled, demure, serene, but unsurprised. It was clear that she did not think it strange that the governess should dine with the family. It could not have happened in other places where she had worked. But this was different. This was Menfreya.

Oddly enough, the change affected everybody. Jessica Tre-larken seemed to illuminate the house in an oddly sinister way, making me see everything and everyone differently, so that I felt unsure of myself and wondered whether, after all, I was naive and without knowledge of the world.

She was so serene, but I was soon asking myself whether it was not a deadly serenity. Everything about her was quiet. She moved noiselessly; I often found that she had come into a room without a sound; one was unaware that she was there until one looked up and caught the blaze of her beauty.

Her beauty! No one could be unconscious of it It was rare beauty, and none could deny it It was perfection of feature; there was not a flaw in that perfect face. Her skin was smooth and seemed to glow. I had seen such a complex* ion only once or twice before; her hair was smooth, yet vital. She had everything, this woman—except fortune.

And it was inevitable that the presence of such a person in the house should have its effect upon us all. She seemed to bring out characteristics which had lain hidden within us. My father-in-law had always been charming to me; I had not seen a great deal of him, but when we had met our encounters were pleasant. I believed that he welcomed me into the family because I was an heiress, perhaps; but nevertheless he had been very friendly—fatherly, one might say. Now I was aware of a puckish streak in his character. He had known that Bevil had at one time been attracted to Jessica Trelarken; then why had he brought her into the house? There were times when I believed that he was mischievous—

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like a boy who puts two spiders into a basin and takes pleasure in watching them fight. Perhaps, I thought, he never forgets that he once lost the seat for the Menfreys, and it was only recently that it had been regained.

Whenever such thoughts occurred to me I dismissed them as hastily as I could. I was sure that but for Jessica Trelarken they would never have come into my mind.

Then there was Lady Menfrey. I had never thought her a very strong character; I knew she had given way to her family continually; but now she seemed cowed; and I noticed that she meekly accepted Jessica’s authority.

Fanny? Sbe had become wary—furtive, almost In the past she had always been frank with me; now I had the feeling that she was holding something back.

Bevil? Naturally he who had always admired attractive women could not but be affected by her presence; in particular he had admired Jessica, and it was clear to me that he still did.

And myself most of all. I seemed to lose the attractiveness which being Bevil’s wife had given me. I had tried to follow —and with some success—that rather strange look of another century which the topaz gown and snood had brought out in me. People said of me: “She’s not conventionally good-looking, but that strange other-worldliness about her is attractive.” I knew it made me stand out, even among prettier women; and I wanted to stand o6t—for BeviL

With the coming of Jessica it seemed to drop from me. I felt plain, as I had hi my childhood, and the feeling had its effect on my looks. My limp seemed more obvious; but perhaps that was because when I was happy I could forget it; and I was certainly not happy now.