Green Girl (29 page)

“
Oh? Yes, I suppose I did. Well, I hope he gets away,
”
Harriet said with such heartfelt emphasis that the girl looked at her curiously.

“
Ah, now, that
’
s no way to be feelin
’
for a felly that
’
s no better than a wild animal, robbin
’
an
’
beatin
’
up an ould woman, for that
’
s what he
’
s in for,
”
she said, and Harriet had to agree, but her sympathies at that moment lay with any imprisoned creature bound as she was by one reckless unthinking action to an endless period of detention.

“
Himself said to tell you Mr. Rory would be takin
’
you to Castle Slyne and himself would meet you there, if he finds time to go at all,
”
Molly said before she left the room, with the firm suspicion that the quality had been at odds with one another while the kitchen celebrated last night, and Harriet remembered with difficulty that they had been bidden to a pre-luncheon cocktail party which was an annual Boxing Day custom at Slyne when drinks were on the house and as good a way as any, Duff had said, of introducing her informally to their scattered neighbours.

Harriet dressed with care, anxious to do him credit, but it would seem that he was not very concerned with making
it
a small social occasion for himself and
his
new bride.
She
pinned a cheap little brooch, the only trinket she had brought with her from England, to the lapel of her new suit, but she left Kitty
’
s pearls on the dressing-table.

Rory took the north road to Slyne, and as they passed the prison, Harriet thought with renewed sympathy of the man on the run. Was he hidden up in the mountains, she wondered, or was he lying in some damp cleft in the rocks on the desolate Plain of Clooney as she had that memorable foggy day which had led to such ill-considered impulses and sorry regrets?

“
Marry in haste
...
”
she thought, and did not realise she had spoken aloud until Rory gave her an enquiring look and observed:

“
And are you repenting at leisure, Princess? You
’
ve been very silent and distrait.
”

“
It
’
s too late for repentance,
”
she said, and he gave her another glance. He was filled with curiosity to discover what if any repercussions there had been from last night
’
s unfortunate little scene, but Duff, when they had met
at
breakfast, had not encouraged either explanations or apologies, and Harriet herself had an uncharacteristic air of withdrawal.

“
Are you nervous?
”
he asked as he turned in at the Castle gates and parked the car among the others in the forecourt, and she smoothed her hair down with a neatly gloved hand.

“
Not really,
”
she said,
“
but I wish Duff could have come with us. Won
’
t it look odd?
”

The thought had crossed Rory
’
s mind that his cousin should have made an effort to support his bride on her first public appearance, but Duff had never found the small conventions important and if, as seemed likely, he had quarrelled with Harriet, it was possible he was glad of an excuse to avoid the embarrassment of a joint appearance.

“
He
’
ll be along later when he can get away from whatever contingency has kept him,
”
Rory said reassuringly.
“
And no one will think it odd at a casual get-together, you silly coot— here
’
s Judy coming out to welcome you, so put on your best bridal face and smile.
”

Judy O
’
Rafferty allowed Harriet no time for embarrassment, rushing her into the house, introducing her to a crowd of tweedy, rather dowdy people who asked innumerable questions but never waited for the answers, and seemed both casual and kindly if rather at a loss for conversation when they found she knew nothing about horses. She was a little shy at first; Rory was hemmed in at the far end of the room, and Duff
’
s continued absence troubled her, for she was sure now he did not intend to come. But her second Martini loosened her tongue and thawed the ice round her heart and she suddenly began to enjoy herself, and even a glimpse of Samantha, sitting on a stool at the bar and looking very smart, failed to cast a shadow. A delightful glow of self-confidence lent her a most unfamiliar sensation of superiority and she elbowed her way through the crowd to the bar.

“
Hullo,
”
she said blithely.
“
Are you pleased with your dirty work?
”

Samantha looked up and for a moment she seemed taken aback. Harriet, pink-flushed, and by the look of her, quite ready to start a brawl, had stepped out of character.

“
Hullo, yourself,
”
she drawled.
“
You sound indecently chirpy and unconcerned, considering all things.
”

“
Why should I be concerned? Did you think you
’
d get Duff back by dropping nice little poisoned darts? It worked with Kitty, didn
’
t
it?”

“
Keep your voice down. I think those Martinis are going to your head.
”

“
But why should I care who hears? You
’
re the one who people would look down their noses at.
”

“
For Pete
’
s sake! If you want a brawl save it till we
’
re alone.
”

“
I should love a brawl!—I
’
m just in the mood, but not here, because my sort of brawl wouldn
’
t be yours. Orphanage scraps aren
’
t confined to barbed remarks and civilised mud-slinging, you know. We quarrel and bite on the floor and pull out hair and black each other
’
s eyes. I would dearly like to do all those things to you, Samantha, and one day I will if you don
’
t lay off Duff,
”
said Harriet, wondering even as she spoke what was inspiring her tongue to such effortless insults.

Samantha for once lost her aplomb.

“
I don
’
t know what
’
s got into you, unless it
’
s the drink, honey, but do remember you
’
re not back in the orphanage now,
”
she said uneasily, aware that one or two people were glancing at them a little curiously.

“
Drink is a great aid to clear thinking, I
’
ve discovered, though others mightn
’
t agree,
”
Harriet went on.
“
You warned me yesterday, and now I
’
m warning
you.
I
’
ve had enough of being pushed around to make a Roman holiday for you and Duff, so make up your minds, both of you.
”
Someone put another Martini into her hand, and she sipped it with evident pleasure. She did not sound at all tipsy, Samantha had to admit, despite the extraordinarily uninhibited things she was saying.

“
And have you said all this to Duff, darling?
”

“
Not yet, but I will,
”
said Harriet cheerfully.

“
Then you
’
d better say it at home, I think,
”
said Duff
’
s voice behind her, and she swung round so quickly that she spilt her drink down her skirt.

“
So you made it after all, darling,
”
Samantha drawled with something of relief.
“
Your neglected bride was getting all
ready to tear a strip off you, as you may have heard.
”

“
My neglected bride should know by now that estate matters come before parties,
”
he said with a hint of impatience, but when he looked up there was a faint twinkle in his eye which Harriet failed to catch.

“
Other matters, too,
”
she said menacingly, with a final snatch at her swiftly departing bravado.

“
Such as two strings to your bow, honey?
”
said Samantha, and Duff stood looking down at them both with impartial consideration.

“
I hear you
’
re leaving for Dublin shortly, Samantha, so we
’
ll not be seeing you at Clooney,
”
he said conversationally, and Samantha
’
s eyes were suddenly wary.

“
Where did you get that idea?
”
she asked sharply, and he shrugged.

“
Oh, these rumours get around. I heard you
’
d fallen out with old Miss Docherty.
”

“
Well, the old girl says she wants her house to herself again, or she has another guest coming or something, but that doesn
’
t mean I
’
m leaving the district. I shall come here. Raff isn
’
t booked up at this time of the year.
”

“
Oh, but we are—we
’
ve no vacancies until after Easter,
”
said Judy O
’
Rafferty firmly, passing by with a fresh tray of drinks, and Samantha flushed.

“
Little liar! I know they
’
re not booked up, but that girl
’
s never liked me,
”
she said, and Harriet, whose spirits had begun to rise again at the unexpected news of Samantha
’
s departure, said innocently:

“
Perhaps she
’
s rather fond of her husband.
”

But it was a rash bid for the last word.
“
You, I should judge, have had enough to drink, so we
’
ll make our excuses,
”
Duff said, taking the half-empty glass from her and setting it down on the bar counter.
“
I should think about Dublin, if I were you, Samantha. I
’
ll be going down myself for a couple of nights on business very shortly. Goodbye.
”
Harriet followed him through the crowd to find their host and hostess, then out to the car, leaving Rory to follow on later, her elation quenched. There had seemed to be a deliberate suggestion in Duff
’
s casual remark which cancelled out his apparent indifference that Samantha
’
s visits to Clooney would cease.

“
I wouldn
’
t,
”
said Duff as. they drove away from Slyne,
“
make the mistake of being too brash with our friend Samantha.
”

“
She
’
s not my friend,
”
Harriet returned rather childishly, and he answered gravely:

“
No, I don
’
t think she is. You have unexpected moments of rushing in where angels have second thoughts, you know, and I
think
this was one of them. I
’
m only trying to warn you.
”

“
Everyone
tries to warn me—I
’
m getting tired of it,
”
she said crossly.
“
Anyway, you can
’
t possibly know what we were talking about unless you
’
re a mind-reader.
”

“
I can guess.
”

“
You couldn
’
t for a moment,
”
she contradicted him flatly, and saw the eyebrow nearest her lift.

“
Well, suppose you tell me,
”
he suggested mildly.

“
Why should I? You don
’
t tell me what you and Samantha talk about,
”
she retorted, and he smiled. She really was behaving like a contrary
schoolgirl
, he reflected.

“
As a matter of fact,
”
she said when he made no answer,
“
I told her I
’
d like to roll her on the floor and black her eye and pull out handfuls of hair like we did in the orphanage, and would too, if—
”

“
If what?
”

“
Never mind!
”
she said, and he burst out laughing.

“
Oh. Harriet! Will you never grow up?
”
he said.
“
How many of those Martinis did you have?
”

“
I wasn
’
t
tight,
was I?
”

“
No, you weren
’
t tight, just elated sufficiently to forget your inhibitions, I should say. Still, be careful. You
’
re no match for Samantha.
”

“
Are you really going to Dublin on business?
”
she asked, feeling suddenly depressed.

“
Yes, in a few days.
”

“
Why?
”

“
Really, Harriet, I can
’
t see that my business affairs could have much interest for you, but I
’
m selling the pig-farm, if you must know, and that necessitates discussions and papers to sign in Dublin.
”

“
Selling the farm!
”
she exclaimed.
“
But I thought you mainly depended on that to keep Clooney going.
”

“
Yes, well—it
’
ll mean drawing in our horns a bit, but I need the capital. I thought you
’
d be pleased, actually—you never did like all those little piggies going to market, did you?
”