The Devil on Horseback (7 page)

her and how we had laughed and planned together; and how her great relief had been that when she was gone I should have the school-until later when she had made up her mind that Joel Derringham wanted to marry me and had been elated ‘:

contemplating a brilliant and secure future. I The rest of the day I lay there alone with my grief. ;

I had slept at length for I was quite exhausted and the next day when I arose I felt a little rested. The future stared me blankly in the face for I could not imagine it without her. I supposed I should continue with the school as she had always intended that I should until. I shook off thoughts of Joel Derringham. I liked him, of course, but even if he asked me to marry him I was not sure that I wanted to. What had alarmed me about my friendship with Joel was the knowledge that my mother was going to be heartbroken when it would finally be brought home to her that I could not marry him.

The Derringhams would never allow it even if Joel and I wished it.

Margot had told me he had been intended for her and that would be a suitable match. At least my dearest mother would not have to suffer that disappointment.

What should I do? I had to go on with my life. I should therefore continue with the school. I had the contents of the dower chest which was in her bedroom. That chest had belonged to her great-great-grandmother and had come down through the eldest daughters of the family. Money was put into it from the day a girl was born so that there would be a good sum by the time she was marriageable. The key was kept on the chain which my mother had worn about her waist and that chat elaine had also been handed down through the women of the household with the chest.

I found the key and opened the chest.

There were but five guineas there.

I was amazed because I had believed I should find at least a hundred.

Then the truth which I should have realized before dawned on me. Of course, the horse! The riding outfit!

Later I also found lengths of material in her cupboard, and when Jilly Barton came with a velvet gown which she had made for me, I knew what had happened.

The dower had been spent to buy clothes for me that I might show myself to be a worthy partner for Joel Derringham.

I awoke on the first Christmas Day alone to a sense of great desolation. I lay in bed unwisely remembering other Christmases when my mother had come into my room carrying mysterious parcels, calling out: “Merry Christmas, my darling!” and how I would reach out for my gifts to her and the fun we had scattering wrappings over the bed and exclaiming with surprise (often assumed because we were always practical in our choice of gifts). But when we declared, as we often did,

“It’s exactly what I wanted!” it invariably was, as we knew each.

other’s needs to perfection. Now here I was alone. It had been too sudden. If she had been ill for some time I could have grown accustomed to the knowledge that I had to lose her and perhaps that would have softened the blow. She had not been old. I railed against the cruel fate which had deprived me of the one I loved.

Then I seemed to hear her voice admonishing me. I had to go on living.

I had to make a success of my life and I should never do that if I gave myself up to bitterness.

Grief is always so much harder to bear on feast days and the reason is self-pity. That sounded like my mother’s reasoning. Because other people were enjoying life that should not make one more miserable.

I arose and dressed. I had been invited to spend the day at the Mansers who farmed some of the Derringham estates. My mother and I had spent Christmas with them for several years and they had been good friends to us. They had six daughters and they had all been at the school-the two youngest were still there, great strapping girls destined surely to become farmers’ wives. There was a son too Jim, a few years older than I, who was already his father’s right-hand man.

The Mansers’ farm had always seemed to us a house of plenty. They often sent us joints of lamb and pork and my mother used to say they kept us in milk and butter.

Mrs. Manser could never be grateful enough for the education her children had received. It would have been quite beyond the family’s means to send the children away to school -and they were not the kind to employ a governess and when my mother had opened the school so close at hand, the Mansers said it was like an answer to their prayers. There were several other families who had felt the same and that was why we had had enough pupils to support the school. :

I rode to the Mansers’ on Dower and was especially warmly received by all, which was touching. I tried to throw off my grief and be as bright as possible in the circumstances. I could scarcely eat any of the goose which Mrs. Manser had prepared with such loving care, but I did try my best not to cast a gloom over the day. I joined them in the games they played afterwards and Mrs. Manser contrived to partner me with Jim, and I could see how her mind was working. It might have been amusing if I were not in such a sad mood, to see how the people who cared for me were anxious to see me settled.

I could not believe I should make a good farmer’s wife, but at least Mrs. Manser’s solution might be more possible than the wild dreams in which my mother had indulged.

Mrs. Manser insisted that I stay the night and spend the next day with them, which I did, feeling grateful not to have to go back to the lonely schoolhouse.

It was mid-afternoon of the following day when I returned. School would start at the beginning of the next week and I had to prepare the curriculum. I could scarcely bear the silence of the house, the empty chair, the empty rooms. I longed to get right away.

I had not been in the house an hour when Joel called.

He took my hands and looked into my face with such compassion that I could scarcely restrain my grief.

“I don’t know what to say to you, Minella,” he told me.

I replied: “Please say nothing. That is best. Talk … talk about anything, but not…”

He nodded, releasing my hands. He told me he had wondered about me during Christmas and had come over on the morning of Christmas Day to find me gone. I explained where I had been and told him of the kindness of the Mansers.

He took a box from his pocket and said he had a little gift for me. I opened it and there was a brooch lying on black velvet a sapphire surrounded by rose diamonds.

T was attracted by the sapphire,” he said.

“I thought it was the colour of your eyes.”

I was overcome by emotion. Since my mother’s death I had been too easily moved by a show of kindness. It was a beautiful brooch-far more valuable than anything I had ever possessed.

Tt was good of you to think of me,” I said.

“I have thought of you a great deal … all the time … since…”

I nodded and turned away. Then I took out the brooch and he watched me pin it on my dress.

“Thank you,” I said, “I shall always treasure it.”

“Minella,” he said, “I want to talk to you.”

His voice was gentle and a little apprehensive. In my mind’s eye I could see my mother’s smiling eyes, the happy curve of her lips. Could it really be?

Panic seized me. I wanted time to think . to grow accustomed to my loneliness . my unhappiness.

“Some time,” I began.

He said:
I will see you tomorrow. Perhaps we will ride together. “

“Yes,” I replied.

“Please.”

He went and I sat for a long time staring ahead of me.

I was aware of a serenity in the house. It was almost as though my mother was there. I could almost hear the strains of “Heart of Oak’.

I spent a restless night turning over in my mind what I should say if Joel asked me to marry him. The brooch was perhaps a symbol of his intentions which I was sure were honourable with a man like Joel they could not be anything else. I seemed to hear my mother’s voice urging me not to hesitate. That would be foolish. I imagined that she was with me and that we discussed the matter together.

“I don’t love him as one should love a man one marries.” I could see her lips purse as I had seen them so often when she expressed contempt for a point of view.

“You don’t know anything about love, my child. That’ll come.

He’s a good man. He can give you all I ever wanted for you. Comfort, security and enough love to do for the two of you . for a start.

You couldn’t help but grow to love a man like that. I see your little ones playing there on those lawns near the sun-dial where you first really got to know each other. Oh, the joy of little ones. I only had one, but after your father died she was all the world to me. “

“Dearest of mothers, are you right? You often were but do you know what is best for me?”

I could never have told her of my feelings when the Comte had seized and kissed me. There had been a kind of stirring within me, something rather terrifying and yet irresistible. It had brought with it a realization that there was something I did not understand but which I must before I entered into marriage. The Comte had made me realize that Joel could not have that effect on me. That was all.

I could hear my mother’s gentle laugh.

“The Comte! A notorious philanderer. A most unpleasant and uncomfortable mani The fact that he behaved as he did shows him to be wicked. And his wife sleeping in the next room! Think of good kind Joel who would never do anything dishonourable and could give you all that I ever wanted for you.” All I ever wanted for you. Those words kept echoing in my mind.

in

It was on the following day that the drama started. It began by Sir John’s riding over to the schoolhouse.

“Miss Maddox,” he cried, and his distracted looks amazed me, ‘is she here? Is Margot here? “

“Margot!” I answered.

“No. I haven’t seen her for several days.”

“Oh my God, what can have become of her?”

I stared at him blankly and he went on: “She has not been seen since last night. Her bed has not been slept in. She told the girls that she was going to bed early on account of a headache. That was the last time she was seen. Have you any idea where she can have gone?”

I shook my head and tried to recall my last conversation with Margot.

There was nothing to suggest she contemplated flight.

When Sir John went back to the Manor I was very uneasy. I kept telling myself that it was a prank of hers. She would turn up and laugh at us.

For some time, though, there had been a certain secrecy about Margot.

I should have taken more notice but I had been so absorbed in my own affairs.

I could not settle to anything and in the early afternoon I could not resist going over to the Manor to see if there was any news. I waited in the hall and when Maria and Sybil came down to me their faces were taut with excitement, yet I felt they were revelling in the disturbance.

“I believe she has gone off with someone,” said Maria.

“Gone off with someone. With whom?”

That is what we have to find out. Joel is most upset. ” Maria was looking at me. of course there was to be a match between them.”

“She can’t have gone off,” said Sybil.

“There is no one for her to have gone off with. Besides she knew she was going to marry Joel as soon as she was old enough. That was why the were so anxious for her to learn English and like it here ” Have you questioned the servants? ” I asked.

“Everyone has been questioned,” replied Maria, ‘but the don’t know anything. Papa is frantic. So is Mama. He says h will have to send a message to the Comte and Comtesse if sh is not found by tomorrow. “

“She was under Papa’s care,” said Sybil.

“It is dreadful fo him. I do hope nothing is wrong. We thought she might havi confided in you. She was always more friendly with you that with us.”

“She confided nothing,” I said, and I thought of th osi occasions when I had been sure I had seen secrets in he eyes. I should have asked her what was happening. I belie vi she might have wanted to tell. Margot was not the sort t( keep secrets.

“Is there anything we can do …” I began.

“We can only wait,” replied Sybil.

As I was about to leave, one of the grooms came into th hall, dragging a young boy from the stables who looked scare out of his wits.

“Miss Maria,” said the groom, “I think I should have a won with Sir John and no delay.”

“Is it about Mademoiselle Fontaine Delibes?” asked Maria “The French young lady, yes, Miss Maria.”

Sybil ran off at once to search for her father while Marii pulled the bell rope and sent a servant in search of him. Fortunately he was soon found and came hurrying to the hall. ;

knew that I had no right to stay but I was so concerned about Margot that I stubbornly remained.

The groom burst out: “Tim here have something to say, Si) John. Come, Tim. Tell what you know.”

“It’s our James, sir,” said Tim.

“He haven’t been ‘ome. Hi have gone off with the French young lady, sir. He said he wer< going but us didn’t believe ‘im.”

“Oh my God,” muttered Sir John under his breath. He hall closed his eyes as though to convince himself that this was no really happening.

I remembered James. He was the sort a young man one would remember tall and startlingly hand some-a rather swaggering, arrogant young man who st outstanding looks appeared to have given him a good opinion of himself.

Sir John became brisk. He looked straight at the stable boy and said.

“Tell me everything you know.”

“I don’t know nothing but that he be gone, sir. I only know he said he were going to marry into society, like …”

“What 1’ cried Sir John.

“Yes, sir, he said as he were going to run away to a place in Scotland. He said they’d get married there and he’d be gentry after that.”

Sir John said: “There is no time to lose. I must go after them. I must bring her back before it is too late.”

I returned to the schoolhouse for there was no reason why I should stay. I fancied that both Maria and Sybil were inclined to think that I had played some part in Margot’s wickedness, for they were convinced that she would have confided in me. I should have to assure them that this was not the case, but Margot herself would do that when she was brought back.