Loving, Living, Party Going (10 page)

Albert stopped work and stared. He seemed astonished.

'After cleaning your teeth of course,' Charley added.

'Why what d'you mean?' Albert asked.

'What would you say to Kate? A lovely blonde? Now then take your hands out of those pockets and get on with the work or we'll be here all night. Have you ever had anything to do with a woman?'

The habitual look of obstinacy appeared on Albert's face. He did not answer.

'There's no call to be bashful,' Raunce said. 'Everyone's got to make a start one time or another. Have you or have you not? You won't answer. I don't blame you neither. Broadminded Charley that's what I'm known as. But one thing you can get into that thick skull of yours. You lay off Edith, understand. You can muck about with Kate all you please but Edith's close season, get me?'

'Yes Mr Raunce, whatever you say.'

'What d'you mean whatever I say? You be careful my lad else you'll be getting me upset in another minute. Strike me blind I don't for the life of me know why I'm talking to you. But I lie awake at night moithering about that lass. Have you ever lain awake at night?'

'No Mr Raunce.'

'Don't. It's not worth it. Tell me something. D'you shave?'

The boy's left hand went to his chin.

'Not yet I don't'

'Then put it out of mind, she wouldn't think of you Kate might now. She's different. What say we go to their room to-morrow eh?'

'You wouldn't dare.'

'I wouldn't dare! Who d'you take me for? Let me tell you there was many an occasion I went up to Mamselle's boudoir to give her a long bongjour before she went back to France.'

'That's different,' the boy said and said under his breath, 'oh Christ help me.'

'What d'you mean that's different? They're all made the same aren't they an' that means they're built different from you and me doesn't it? What are you gettin' at talking so soft?'

'Then why ask me then?'

'Because you're sweet on 'er, that's why.' Raunce said in a sort of shout. 'Holy Moses I don't know why I allow myself to get put out,' he went on calmer. 'But there's a certain way you have of looking down that dam delicate snotty nose you sniff with that gets my goat. Gets my goat see?' he added in rising tones.

'Yes Mr Raunce.'

'That's all right then. Don't pay attention to uncle, at least not on every occasion. No you're going the wrong way about it with that toast rack,' he said as helpful as you please. 'Hand over and I'll show you.' And he proceeded to demonstrate.

Meantime Mrs Tennant and her daughter-in-law were making their way as usual to the ruined temple.

'Violet,' she said, 'Mrs Manton, poor Mother's old friend, has asked me to stay with her at Belchester on my way over.'

'Yes dear.'

'I thought I might. It would be a change.'

'Yes dear.'

'When did you say Jack was definitely getting his leave? The twenty-first isn't it? Well if I crossed over on the eighteenth that would give me three days with Hermione at Belchester before coming up to London. You wouldn't mind just forty-eight hours down here alone?'

Every part of the young woman's body except her Adam's apple was crying out the one word Dermot. She could not trust herself to speak.

'Because if you did,' Mrs Tennant went on in a doubtful voice, 'I could visit Hermione after Jack had gone back to his unit. Because I expect you will be staying on in London for a few days.'

'Don't you bother about little me,' Mrs Jack brought out at last 'I shall be all right.'

'Are you sure? Really I feel I would rather get away from this place for a bit. The servants are being so truly beastly. And then there was my lovely cluster ring Jack's Aunt Emily gave me. D'you know I haven't had a word of sympathy yet from one of them about it.'

'Darling it is a shame,' Mrs Jack said. 'Badger come here. Come here when I tell you.'

'I know it's an absurd thing to expect,' Mrs Tennant went on looking up into the sky, 'but Eldon with all his faults always had a word of comfort when there was a disaster. Oh isn't it really too dreadful? Violet dear what d'you think?'

'I think it'll turn up. I know they haven't found anything in your bedroom but it can't simply have disappeared.'

'That's why I think if I went away somehow the luck might change,' Mrs Tennant said. 'I know there's a voice tells me the minute I turn my back they'll find my ring.'

'But Raunce is a bit of a wet rag isn't he?' her daughter-in-law remarked.

'Wet blanket you mean,' Mrs. Tennant said. 'Oh well what can you expect with servants nowadays.' She spoke much more cheerfully. 'Then that's settled,' she went on, 'I'll go over a day or two ahead and we'll all meet in London to try and give the dear boy a good time. But talking of Raunce,' she went on and Mrs Jack could have had no suspicion of what was coming, 'he brought me his book this morning. You know I hardly ever look at it but well this was the first time he'd presented the thing himself and I don't know why, I suppose it's the war, but four pounds seven and six for a new arm to the map in the study why I could hardly believe my eyes. Why darling whatever's the matter?' Because Mrs Jack was leaning helpless against a tree with her face averted.

'Nothing,' she murmured weak voiced.

Mrs Tennant asked herself under her breath if the child was going to have another baby, and counted up the months from when the darling had seen her husband last.

'Sit down. No it's damp. Lean on my arm,' she said, and then her lips shaped March April May.

'I shall be all right in a minute.'

'I should never have dragged you out like this you poor child,' Mrs Tennant said. 'You should have said you didn't feel quite the thing.'

'What did he say?' Mrs Jack enquired as though in spite of herself.

'What did who say? Here sit here. At least it's dry.'

'That man Raunce,' the younger woman answered.

'My dear really I shall always repeat what you've just asked as the most wonderful example of self possession that's ever come my way. I must say your generation's too extraordinary. Here you are you poor child nearly in a faint and yet you remember I was talking about the compass arm over the map in the study. Lean back against me now. And keep your head down.'

Her daughter-in-law made a great effort.

'Well you wouldn't want me to go on about my silly old tummy, would you?' she asked in stronger tones.

'Why my darling,' Mrs Tennant exclaimed in what was almost a fruity voice, obviously visualizing a third grandchild. 'Why darling...'

'No, it isn't that,' Mrs Jack said and the searing rage, which that very moment swept over her as she realized, showed in how loudly she spoke. 'I expect it's something I had for lunch,' she added subsiding, guilty.

'I'll speak to Mrs Welch.'

'Oh no don't, please don't,' her daughter-in-law implored. Mrs Tennant said no more but she had made up her mind. The pots and pans were not being kept clean. That was all, or was it?

Raunce also became the subject in Mrs Tennant's bedroom. Miss Burch had not stayed long. When they were alone, turning the place upside down, Edith tried without success to get Kate to talk. They took the covers off all the armchairs, removed every rug and stripped the bed but to each comment Edith made such as 'well it's not here,' or 'I can't see it love can you?' Kate made answer with a silence that might have begun to work on Edith. For at last this girl said,

'D'you think I did ought to have told Mr Raunce about that waterglass?'

'Ah you're a deep one you are,' Kate immediately replied.

'I'm not and I don't know what you're after,' Edith protested beating a monogrammed pillow edged with lace between the palms of her two hands. But Kate made no reply and Edith apparently did not want to leave the matter for she tried again.

'When all's said and done love it's not as if Albert was suspected. That's just Mr Raunce's way,' she said.

'What makes you give him a Mr?' Kate asked.

'Why he's got the position now surely?'

'But he's no different to what he was,' Kate objected.

'According to one way of takin' it he's not,' Edith said, 'but whichever way we regard him he sees himself the butler.'

'O.K. if that's how you look at it.'

'Now Kate what's come over you? You wouldn't wish to spite him surely?'

'Listen,' Kate said, 'it don't matter to me what he thinks we think. All he'll be to me is Charley same as he always has been.'

'All right,' said Edith, 'I'll call him Charley and drop the mister.'

'And blush right in 'is face?'

'Kate Armstrong I'm surprised.'

'You can be surprised all right. I should worry. No I'm disappointed in you Edie, I am that.'

They stood on either side of the bed looking at each other.

'Then you do think I should never have kept silent. What you say is I should have talked up at the first go off when Mrs Welch came in at teatime?' Edith spoke as though she had been running but Kate only smiled. Kate said,

'I wouldn't play the innocent if I was you, not with me. It don't come off and that's a fact.'

'Then what you're gettin' at, without you're having what it takes to tell, what you're tryin' to say is you think I'm after 'im when he's something to you? Is that right?'

'Christ 'e's nothing to me. Charley Raunce? I'd sooner be dead.'

'I'll bet you'd sooner be dead.'

'What d'you insinuate by that Edie? I don't have to tell you you can go so far and no farther where I'm concerned thank you.'

'All right then I'll learn you something,' Edith said and she panted and panted. 'I love Charley Raunce I love 'im I love 'im so there. I could open the veins of my right arm for that man,' she said, turned her back on Kate, walked out and left her.

'You needn't have told me. I knew, don't worry,' Kate said to the now empty room, but with a sort of satisfaction as it seemed in pain.

On the 18th Mrs Tennant left for England and Belchester. That same evening Captain Davenport dined at the Castle alone with Mrs Jack who had instructed Raunce that he need not wait up to see the Captain out.

There was nothing unusual in this to draw comment, and next morning Edith was rubbing her face, yawning like a child when it was time to call the lady. She gently knocked. She got no reply but then she never did. When she went in after knocking a second time the curtains which Miss Burch had already drawn back in the passage outside let sufficient light for Edith to see her way across the room. But she went soft, cautious so as not to stumble against the gold oar that stood out from the bed. Then she drew those curtains. She folded the shutters back into the wall. And Edith looked out on the morning, the soft bright morning that struck her dazzled dazzling eyes.

A movement over in the bed attracted her attention. She turned slow. She saw a quick stir beside the curls under which Mrs Jack's head lay asleep, she caught sight of someone else's hair as well, and it was retreating beneath silk sheets. A man. Her heart hammered fit to burst her veins. She gave a little gasp.

Then the dark head was altogether gone. But there were two humps of body, turf over graves under those pink bedclothes. And it was at this moment Mrs Jack jumped as if she had been pinched. Not properly awake she sat straight up. She was nude. Then no doubt remembering she said very quick, 'Oh Edith it's you it's quite all right I'll ring.' On which she must have recognized that she was naked With a sort of cry and crossing her lovely arms over that great brilliant upper part of her on which, wayward, were two dark upraised dry wounds shaking on her, she also slid entirely underneath.

When Edith came to herself she found she was outside in the Long Passage, that bedroom door shut after her and with Miss Burch halted staring at her face. She said, all come over faint,

'I don't know how I was able to find me way out.'

'How d'you mean Edith?'

'An' if I'd been a'carryin' her early tea I'd 'a' dropped it.'

'And so you might dashing into me as you did.'

'In there,' Edith added. She seemed at her last gasp.

'In where?' Miss Burch asked grim.

For two moments Edith struggled to get breath.

'A man,' she said at last.

'God save us a man,' Miss Burch muttered, knocked and went straight through, shutting the door after. Edith leant against the table, the one that had naked cupids inlaid with precious woods on its top. She bent her head. She seemed afraid she might be sick. But when Miss Burch came out again as she did at once Edith drew herself straight to hear the verdict.

' 'E's puttin' 'is shirt on,' was all Miss Burch said, shocked into dropping her aitches. Then she added as though truly brokenhearted,

'Come on away my girl. Let 'im get off h'out.'

Edith made no move, stayed gazing at her.

'Come will you,' Miss Burch repeated gentle, 'this is no place for us my dear,' she said drawing a hand across her mouth.

At that Edith took to her heels and ran. She ran. She went straight up the back stairs. And along their passage into the deep room she shared with Kate. This girl was doing her hair before she went down to breakfast. She was at variance with Edith yet, which may have been why she did not turn round at first. But Edith's panting made her look.

'Why whatever...?' she began.

'There 'e was,' Edith broke out between gasps, 'I seen the hair of 'is 'ead, large as life, you could 'a' knocked me down with a leaf,' she said.

'The what?' cried Kate arrested.

'A man,' Edith said.

'A I.R A. man?' Kate asked, voice rising.

'The Captain,' Edith replied calmer, put a hand to her throat and swallowed. With obviously a great leap of her mind Kate got there.

'In your young lady's bed. Oh goody,' she shouted, at which both began to giggle helpless. 'Large as life,' one said, the other repeated, then the two of them giggled again. 'In her bed,' one said, the other echoed, and both shouted with laughter. 'All night?' shrieked Kate, and it seemed she forgot she had been at odds with Edith about Charley Raunce. 'All night,' Edith screamed back. Holding their sides they crowed with laughter.