Here Comes a Candle (17 page)

Poor Arabella? Nonsense. This very minute she was doubtless standing to receive her guests, magnificent in golden velvet, with Jonathan at her side. Poor Arabella? For a moment, she nearly thought, poor Kate, shook herself instead, and went to bed.

Jonathan returned, as he had promised, in good time on the evening of Sarah
’
s seventh birthday. She had rushed downstairs at the sound of the sleigh bells and now watched with eager eyes as Job followed his master into the house, almost invisible behind a huge package carefully wrapped in sacking.

Jonathan laughed, and kissed her, and shook snow off his hat and overcoat.
“
It
’
s your Christmas present, honey,
”
he said,
“
and your birthday present too. What do you think, Kate? Shall she open it now?
”

“
I don
’
t see why not.
”
Kate bent down to help Sarah remove the wrappings and reveal a magnificent scarlet toboggan.

“
Oh!
”
The child drew in a great breath of excitement, and for a moment Kate thought she would speak, but instead she ran over to hug her father.

He felt in his overcoat pocket and produced another parcel.
“
And this is from your mother, honey.
”

The glow faded from Sarah
’
s face and she watched listlessly as Kate opened the parcel for her and revealed a doll, splendid in tawny golden evening dress.

“
How beautiful!
”
For a moment, Kate imagined Arabella sewing those tiny seams, but Jonathan
’
s next words dispelled the illusion.

“
She had her dressed by her own dressmaker,
”
he explained.
“
Out of the pieces from her ball gown. Isn
’
t she a beauty, Sarah?
”

But Sarah
’
s only answer was to drop the doll and run headlong from the room. Kate followed far enough to make sure that she had gone upstairs and not, as, for a cold moment, she had feared, straight out into the snow.

When she returned, Jonathan greeted her ruefully.
“
I thought she was so much better. Besides—what else could I do?
”

“
Nothing. Don
’
t look so anxious. She
’
ll get over it. And she is much better. Six months ago it would have meant a screaming fit. Now—
”

T
he sentence was
finis
hed for her by Sarah, who reappeared carrying the rag doll Kate had made her, sat down on the floor and began to dress her in the new doll
’
s elegant, unsuitable apparel.

Jonathan had still another tiny parcel.
“
And this is for you,
”
he told Kate.
“
From Sarah.
”

“
Oh—
”
Kate breathed her delight as she undid the wrappings to reveal a beautifully plain gold lady
’
s watch.
“
You shouldn
’
t have—
”

“
Not I. Sarah.
”

Kate bent to hug the child.
“
Look what you
’
ve given me, Sarah. Isn
’
t it beautiful?
”
Her hand shook a little as she pinned the watch to her dress, and thought, oddly, of the lines her father had had carved on their sundial.
“
I only tell the sunny hours.
”
Sunny? Memory of her last Christmas rose to choke her.

Did Jonathan see that she was near to tears? He changed the subject:
“
You
’
ve not asked me for the news.
”

“
Is there any?
”
She bent down to help, Sarah with the fastenings of the velvet dress.

“
Yes. From Europe at last. Good news for you. But not for us. Napoleon
’
s beaten. The Allies crushed him at Leipsic last fall. Now, by what I hear, it
’
s only a matter of time. Fantastic, isn
’
t it, that it should be bad news. The end of one of the greatest tyrants the world has known—and the beginning of the end for us.
”

“
You
’
re so sure it is the end? Napoleon
’
s got himself out of tight places before now.
”

“
I doubt if he can this time. There
’
s trouble
—
even in France, by all reports. No, we must face it: we
’
ll have Wellington and his Peninsula veterans here by summer. And then what hope is there for our bungling generals?
”

“
Wellington?
”
said Kate thoughtfully.
“
I wonder if he would come?
”

“
Mr. Madison seems to think so. He
’
s had letters from Castlereagh, offering direct negotiations. Our Peace Commissioners will have something to do at last.
”

“
He
’
ll accept?
”

“
He
’
ll have to. And take what terms he can, and be grateful if it
’
s in time to save the Union.
”

“
You mean,
‘
Peace at any price
’
after all?
”

“
What else can we do? With the full strength of the British Army against us? And their Navy? You know what the blockade
’
s like already. Remember how they sailed up the Potomac last summer without a shot fired against them? And those were just the ships they could spare from blockading the whole of Europe! No, this defeat of Napoleon has altered everything. I just pray God Adams and Gallatin lose no time. But it may be spring before their instructions even reach them. And God knows what may not have happened here in the meantime. You
’
ve heard about Newark?
”

“
Yes.
”
She had wondered when he would bring himself to speak of this wanton act of violence, when the American general, McClure, forced to retreat from Fort George, had burned the helpless village of Newark before he went.

“
You don
’
t say you told me so?
”

“
What
’
s the use?
”

He turned to make sure that Sarah was still busy dressing Kate
’
s doll. Then back to her.
“
I don
’
t like to tell you, but there
’
s worse.
”

“
Worse?
”

“
Yes. The English have stormed Fort Niagara. It
’
s—vengeance, I suppose. They
’
re burning and harrying from Lewiston to Buffalo.
”

“
Oh my God! And the Masons?
”

“
I
’
ve heard nothing. Well, there
’
s hardly been time. One can only hope—and pray. Their house is secluded—a little way from Fort Niagara. But—it
’
s the Indians. The English have let them loose. You were right, Kate, about this war.
”

“
I wish I hadn
’
t been.
”
Horrible to remember Janet Mason
’
s kindness, her simple pride in the comforts of her home. Where was she now?
“
And in this weather too.
”
She shuddered, looking out at steadily falling snow.

“
I know. And—Kate—I expect you
w
ould want to know.
”
She had known somehow that there was still more to come.
“
The 98th were there.
”

“
The 98th!
”
He might as well have hit her.
“
Oh—thank you.
”
Absurd, but what else was there to say?

Once again—aware of her distress—he changed the subject.
“
How are the piano lessons going?
”

“
Do you know
”
—she seized on it—
“
I hardly dare begin to tell you. It
’
s—I feel almost superstitious about it. She takes to it like an angel. I think she
’
d spend all day at the piano if I
’
d let her. And I
’
m sure, the
o
ther day, I heard her trying to sight-read from that book of carols you sent us. I
’
ve certainly never played her
The Holly and The Ivy
.”

“
Reading music, you mean, when she can
’
t read words? But how in the world?
”

“
I simply can
’
t imagine. Of course, she
’
s watched me, but I
’
ve never tried to teach her.
”

“
Perhaps that
’
s the answer,
”
he said.
“
Well, God bless you, Kate, at least there
’
s something hopeful, one bit of good news in a black winter. I don
’
t know how to thank you.
”

“
There
’
s no need. You know how happy it makes me.
”
But there was a glow of pleasure, just the same, for his praise.

“
And when I think I had my doubts about bringing you!
”
he went
o
n.
“
I don
’
t know what I
’
d do without you now.
”
And then, quickly, as if to get it over with:
“
I have to go back to Boston at the end of the week. There
’
s a meeting I must attend. You
’
ll be all right, you and Sarah?
”

It was only just a question.

“
Of course.
”
She swallowed something bitter. The glow of pleasure had turned, all of a sudden, to one of rage.

A meeting, indeed! Why could he not be honest and say he was going back to his wife?
“
No need to trouble yourself about Sarah and me,
”
she said.
“
We wouldn
’
t dream of keeping you from your politics.
”
And then, aware that she had not managed quite the casual tone she had intended, she made a business of looking at her new watch.
“
Goodness! It
’
s late. Sarah! Time we were changing for dinner.
”

As a great treat, Sarah was to dine with them that night, and Kate was glad of it. With Sarah there, sitting bright-eyed between them, following everything they said, their conversation must inevitably keep in the shallows, and that was where she wanted it. While she talked, and laughed, and told Jonathan about the snow castle she and Sarah had built down by the river, she was wrestling with an emotion at once familiar, horrible and strange. She was jealous. Jealous of Arabella.

She would not think about it. Jonathan had been over to the factory before dinner and was retailing a long story of his overseer, Mr. Mackintosh, and his battles with the independent, outspoken factory girls.
“
But he
’
s a good man, Mackintosh. I
’
m lucky to have him.
”

“
Yes.
”
And lucky to have me, so you can spend your time in Boston, dangling after Arabella. Stop it, she thought, and plunged into a story of her own about Prue and her brothers. But Sarah was too observant. Sarah had recognized the strain in her voice, and was looking at her
with big, puzzled eyes. Sarah
’
s mouth was beginning to quiver.