Silver (25 page)

       
He was imploring me with his eyes. He didn’t want to finish his story but I needed him to and I told him as much.

“Tell me what he said.”

“Mrs. Bancroft, there is no need....” Heston’s voice was filled with concern all of a sudden. In imparting the scenes to me, he had returned to his quiet and mannered self.

“Honestly, Imogen. Haven’t we heard enough?” John was quieter than I had heard him all day.

             
“Tell me,” I repeated forcefully.             

“
He grabbed the skirt that he had dressed your father in and lifted it up declaring ‘If you don’t believe me, there is always an easy way for me to prove it.”

“
Good God,” I barely registered John’s voice.

       
My own vision was obscured with a mist as I imagined the scene and I could see the ensuing cacophony as Heston lurched loose from the men at the door and raged towards the man stripping his employer of the last of his remaining dignity. I tasted the visceral anger and my own knuckles throbbed with the impact his own made when they connected with the man’s jaw.

       
The room in which we now sat was silent but voices from the adjoining room pervaded the charged atmosphere and my skin began to crawl with the proximity of the real culprit of the evening.

“
I’m taking George home,” I announced baldly.

       
As I turned to address John, the constable made to object to Heston’s leaving. I flashed him a warning look which I hoped conveyed the determination I had to remove Heston and he nodded before declaring it had been his intention, based on good character to release him without charge anyway.

“
I want my father’s body moved from this place. Tonight,” I added in a firm tone as John sought to contradict me. “If his body is not moved then I shall remain here to guard it personally.”

       
Despite his prior reluctance to assuage me, I will give him his due that he too was astounded at the behaviour of the undertaker and thought it best, on balance, to remove my father to another location. As I escorted Heston to the cab, I left John dressing down Evans.

       
It was a half an hour or so before John, Heston and I were on our way back to my father’s house. In the cab, the only sound was from Heston himself apologising to us both, over and over until I placed my hand over his again. It had the desired effect and he remained silent for the rest of the journey. It was all I could do to stop myself from thanking him for his actions which, far from bringing me shame, as John so obviously perceived the matter, but rather filled me with affection for the old man.

       
Once again, I found myself watching John from the corner of my eye as the shadows rolled across his face from the street lamps we passed along the route home. His face was fixed in an unfamiliar grimace, his nostrils flared as he fought to keep his composure. It was obvious his mind was racing, his eyes flickered in the dark, punctuating each of his hidden thoughts. I tried to remember his face as it had been over Christmas but it seemed too long ago to recall. As we drew up to the familiar house, a silent tension mounted in the cab. I realised that John had not been back here since that night and I could see his body go taut.

“
John, I will see Heston in. You may go on without me. I won’t be long,” I added as he failed to make his mouth form any words.

       
He nodded then coughed, jumping down to allow Heston and myself out. As he climbed back in to the carriage, he glanced up to the second floor window and I saw a flash of guilt cross his face. He looked slightly ashamed as he ducked back in to the cab and he lingered between staying and going. There was a moment’s indecision and he raised his face to me. His expression was softer; his mouth half formed on a question. I waited for the beginning of reconciliation but there was a noise behind me as the door was opened by Mrs. Rooksmith and the moment was gone. John closed the cab door, knocked on the roof of the cab with his cane and then he was gone, without a further glance at me.

       
I turned to face the house and watched the figure of Mrs. Rooksmith come bustling out of the house. She was wearing two overcoats; with just the remaining staff in the house, the fires were not being lit. Heston was still stood by my side watching the street, as the cab in which my husband was being carried had turned from sight. The square was quiet and for the first time since this episode began, there did not appear to be anyone lurking to stare; I suspected that the vultures had already found some fresh story upon which to feast. I turned to face Heston.

“
I’m afraid my husband is having difficulty with....,” I considered what left I had to hide from Heston before I relinquished my thoughts “....the truth.”

“
If you would judge, understand,” he said simply.

       
I half smiled at this, torn between the men I thought I knew. My father and my husband had become like strangers to me in this last week. And there I was, side by side with old Heston, someone I never presumed to know but who seemed so familiar to me then, I felt he could be both of the men I was missing, husband and father. Friend.

“
A man who asks questions cannot avoid the answers," I retorted and with that, I steered the old man up the steps towards the waiting housekeeper who noticed our proximity with a wary eye. She had had quite enough impropriety for one lifetime and, in deference to her blood pressure, I forged forwards to allow Heston the liberty of following after me.

             
To the outsider, tea had been a successful, and seemingly pleasant, affair. Georgina would later remark to her maid that the girls had seemed to have got along very well and that she hoped, very much, that each would serve as a good influence to the other. Elizabeth, usually so sullen had appeared very animated, quizzing Alice over and over about her interests.  In fact, so pleased with the way in which Elizabeth had behaved and how much less bold the awkward Alice had appeared, Georgina had retired to her room to write a small note to advise Toby. Elizabeth had professed an urge to go for another walk and, having accepted her aunt’s advice about sun spots and taken a parasol, agreed to show Alice the formal gardens.

       
As Georgina mounted the stairs to the first floor landing, she watched curiously at the view of Elizabeth striding out across the lawn, her tall frame carried upright and perfectly poised underneath her parasol. By contrast, the angular shape of Alice Silver, trotting behind to keep pace made the girl appeared ungainly and clumsy. Georgina was cheered by the good turn she was accomplishing this summer. She had a good feeling about the outcome and felt deserving of the praise both Toby and her brother would surely give her after this episode. Contentedly, she broke off her gaze and continued to her room, humming to herself.

~o~

“Miss Greenwood, wait.”

        Elizabeth didn’t turn, nor did she wait, but only slowed her pace slightly to allow the form of Avery to draw level with her.

“
Miss Greenwood, I must apologise. I don’t know what you must think of me,” Avery began awkwardly.

       
Elizabeth snorted derisively, quickening her pace and turning sharply off the path towards a small summerhouse. The speed at which this was executed caused Avery to overshoot the path and he had to hurry to catch Elizabeth up again.

“
Miss Greenwood, please I want to explain!”

“
I don’t pretend to understand why you have deceived me, Miss Silver,” she stopped and made a big show of looking Avery up and down. “Or is it Mr. Silver? I barely know where your duplicity starts!”

“
You wouldn’t understand if I told you,” Avery said.

“
Why don’t you try?”

       
Avery thrust his chin to the sky, searching for inspiration from the heavens to try and put into words the feelings he had, until now, not been asked to describe. He tried to remember what he had explained to Kate but he could not recall her asking him to. Avery had told her and that had been enough. He wondered now whether even she actually believed him. He saw Elizabeth lose patience and it was obvious that she felt this whole thing had been some kind of joke at her expense and he needed to make her understand. Above them, the canopy under whose dappled shade they now stood, wavered in the breeze and a few early acorns fell. Avery stooped to collect one, all at once an idea forming in his mind and he pressed it into Elizabeth’s hand.

“What?”
she asked, her brow furrowed.

“What is it?”
Avery nodded at Elizabeth’s open palm and the seed she held upon it.

“
And now we are to have a nature lesson? Really Miss Silver, this is quite ludicrous.”

“
Tell me what it is, please,” he added.

“
Okay, if you are intent on making this difficult as well as awkward. It is an acorn.”

“
And when you plant it, Miss Greenwood, what will grow from this acorn.”

       
Elizabeth rolled her eyes before uttering in a sing song voice. “Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow.”

“An oak tree! Correct.” Avery grew more animated. “
So we are agreed that inside this little seed; in this tiny acorn are all of the elements to grow an oak tree?”

       
Elizabeth raised one eyebrow and was about to retort before Avery continued.

“
So when I plant this acorn, the shoots will come from the ground and divide. Two leaves will grow and spread and slowly the sapling will take the form of an oak?” he earnestly held his arms aloft, stiff inside the pale grey dress. Elizabeth’s head hurt to watch him so attired. “But what if, when the leaves formed,” he continued, “instead of the familiar rounded seven eared oak leaf, instead they were more like my hand, like green fingers, like a chestnut tree? What would it be? Would it be an oak because it had come from an Acorn or would it simply be what it was?”

       
He looked at her with desperation, he was struggling to make himself plain and he willed her to understand.

             
“Would it be any less a chestnut because it had grown from an acorn?” he asked.

             
“Miss Silver, I hate to interrupt this riveting nature lesson but I am quite sure that what you are suggesting would never happen?”

“Why?”

“Because how trees grow is God’s divine will and what you are suggesting is to presume that God could make a mistake.”

“But what if He did?” Avery asked.

“Who? God?”

“
Yes”

       
Elizabeth looked at Avery uncomfortably. It was clear she understood the implication of what he was suggesting and she needed time to think. Where before she had assumed that Avery’s disguise had been some elaborate trick, a wild joke played on unsuspecting girls, here was something else entirely. Elizabeth had not been prepared for this but she felt sure she knew what her sister, Agnes would do. In that moment, she was the only guide Elizabeth could summon.

“
God doesn’t make mistakes,” she stated coldly before wheeling around and returning towards the house.

       
But Avery knew that He already had.

~o~

A perfunctory and cool dinner followed and it was breakfast the next day before Elizabeth was drawn to Avery again. Having retired to his room after breakfast
, Georgina encouraged Elizabeth to invite Avery to accompany her with some studies. The weather was good and she fancied Miss Silver might find some interest in drawing. Unable to explain her reluctance to her aunt, Elizabeth knocked lightly on Avery's door and stood waiting. There were hushed tones from behind the door and Elizabeth could make out Avery's voice and that of a girl. Elizabeth froze for a moment. She wrinkled her nose in annoyance. She had wanted to speak with Avery directly and now she may have to wait. She listened and their conversation continued. The volume was low but a hissing urgency beckoned her to lean against the cool door, but she could make out nothing. The closer she pushed her ears to the wood, the less she was able to determine. She was about to knock again when she was startled by Avery’s sudden call.

“
Come in.”

       
So her knock had been heard! Elizabeth’s initial fury rose again. The rudeness to have left her waiting! She gripped the door handle with renewed vigour and erupted into the room. Avery was seated at a desk and a girl, the serving maid he had brought with him, was stood close beside him. Too close. Elizabeth had not noticed the young girl before but was instantly struck by their proximity, the hushed rowing a moment before and now the look upon the girl’s face. Elizabeth could not place why, but the girl was uncomfortable and she immediately sensed an awkward tension in the room. The young girl did not look away as Elizabeth appraised her but, rather, she raised her chin slightly, proffering her best side for inspection.

       
She knew immediately that there was something unusual in the relationship between Avery and his young maid. The girl seemed uncomfortable with Elizabeth’s presence in Avery’s bedroom. Her gaze was direct. Elizabeth was amused by the sense of guarded jealousy that she could feel emanating from this young girl and her lips twitched at the corners, suppressing a smile.

“Miss Silver
? I wonder if I might have a word with you.” Elizabeth did not break her gaze from the maid’s. “Alone,” she added after a pause.

“
Of course. Thank you Kate. That will be all,” he said simply.

       
The girl looked like she could spit and, for a moment, Elizabeth was afraid that a scene may break out. She neither moved nor spoke and it was Avery who began to look most afraid of a scene. After a few moments the young girl collected herself.

‘Of course
, Miss Silver.’

       
She emphasised her address a little and Elizabeth saw Avery flinch at her words. The young girl scowled as she took her leave from the room, remembering only to nod her head courteously as she left. Elizabeth did not watch her leave but merely waited until the click at the door indicated they were alone.

“
Elizabeth, I,” Avery stuttered.

“
I haven’t come here to listen to any more of your explanations”

“
But Elizabeth, I must explain. Please.”

“
Please?” Elizabeth repeated, one eyebrow raised. Her tone was at last familiar and he was momentarily struck dumb. She stood with the same assured confidence that he recognized. It was only he who now differed from their meetings of a few weeks ago. His attire and his situation put him at a great disadvantage. He felt without wind to his sails, quite shipwrecked entirely. “I came to talk to you about my Aunt Georgina,” Elizabeth said.

       
For a moment, Avery looked as though he might continue with his protestations but, unable to find anything to say, he remained silent. Elizabeth walked over to the window, her back now to the room and to Avery, still sat at his desk. He was afraid to stand, ashamed to show the full length of himself before her. He wanted to remain small. He wanted the floor to open beneath him and swallow him whole.

“
You know if this all wasn’t quite so absurd, it could be rather funny.” She turned. She was smiling. It was a strained expression. Avery’s face was confused.

“
Oh for pity’s sake. You remember why I am here?”

       
He looked puzzled.

“
What happened in London....I don’t want to talk about.” She held out her hands to stop Avery interrupting her. “I hardly understand what has happened myself but the extraordinary circumstances are that my Aunt has become engaged to your father. We are to be cousins Avery. Isn’t that wonderful news?” Her face was set with the same grim smile. It did not look like it was wonderful news to Avery. When Elizabeth had mentioned she did not want to discuss what had gone on in London, Avery looked crestfallen but Elizabeth pressed on.

“
And if that in itself weren’t such marvellous news, I have gainful employment,’ she continued, a small laugh escaped her and she looked around, gesturing to the room as if the whole place amused her. “I am to be your mentor and guide!”

       
Avery looked up. He no longer looked confused. He was scowling. Of course he knew why he was here. His father and Mrs. Fearncott had already told him of their hopes for him this summer. He could find neither the words nor the expression to match the grimness of his mood.

             
“Now don’t look at me like that! The way I see it, you and I have much to gain from one another and you owe me.”

       
She continued to talk into the silence he was affording the room.

             
“Now, my aunt is expecting us to spend a good deal of time with one another in the hope that the best of our respective virtues,” here she counted on her fingers and looked at Avery.

“Clumsy,
bookish, shy, modest, prim….’ She indicated to herself. ‘Graceful, charming, feminine, alluring...”

“
Elizabeth,” he tried to interrupt.

“
Whilst I am sure that much of your tutelage will be closely monitored here at the house, I am quite sure that in a week or so we can be trusted to venture into town together. We shall be each other’s chaperone.”

“Elizabeth,”
he pressed.

“
Whilst I have no wish at the moment to spend any more time with you, the diversion into more civilised company will be reward enough.”

             
“For God’s sake, Elizabeth!” Avery erupted. He could not understand such  a cool reaction. If the shoe had been on the other foot, he was sure he would be furious. He had been waiting for an opportunity to speak with her and now they were alone again, she was refusing to acknowledge him or what had passed between them in London. He watched as she took a measure of him again. Her long gaze took in the drab dress, the sleeves of which he tugged at uncomfortably. He could see that it made her as uncomfortable as it did him and he sat down again behind the small desk to conceal some of himself. Whilst he hoped she would rather not see him dressed this way, he could see that she was not entirely unsympathetic to his discomfort. As if she could read his mind, she offered quietly.