The India Fan (12 page)

I did not see the Comte again, and I forgot about him until one day I met him near the chateau. He smiled at me in a rather absentminded way, as though he were trying to remember who I was. I was not surprised, for during our encounters he had had eyes for no one but Lavinia.

She continued in a kind of euphoric mood. She was less querulous, and would often sit twirling a lock of her hair, staring into space and smiling.

I asked her one day what was happening.

She gave me a rather contemptuous look.

h, you wouldn understand.

f it is so very profound I wonder you do.

his isn silly old schoolwork. This is life.

h that,I retorted. as Monsieur Dubois discovered that he no longer loves his wife and four children and dreams only of you?

on be silly. Monsieur Dubois! That little dancing master! Do you think he is a real man? Oh, you might knowing so little about them.

f course, you know a great deal.

She smiled secretly.

o it is something to do with men,I said.

ush,she replied, quite good temperedly.

I should have been prepared.

One day when we all went to the town she did not come. She said she had a headache. I should not have believed her. She looked quite radiant on that occasion.

When we returned she was not in our room and it was some time before she came in. She was very flushed. I cannot understand now why I was so blind. After all, I had seen it all before with Jos.

Christmas had come. It was celebrated in the traditional manner at Lamason, and most of the girls remained at the chateau, because it was too far to go home, so it was a merry time.

Janine told me that she had seen the Comte again. He was quite near the chateau. He had not seemed to recognize her. Janine said, e looked a little purposeful.

A few days later I was alone with Lavinia and I told her that Janine had seen him.

She smirked a little and said: an you keep a secret?

f course. What is it?

going to be married.

arried? Of course you will be. When Lady Harriet has found a husband for you.

She shook her head. id you think I couldn find one for myself?

ou certainly give the impression that you are on the lookout.

didn have to wait very long, did I?

hat do you mean?

am going to marry the Comte.

he Comte! Do you mean that man who spoke to us in the town?

She nodded gleefully.

ut what of your mother?

he will be delighted.

ave you told her?

o, Jean-Pierre thinks it better not just yet. Not until we have decided how to break the news.

ean-Pierre?

he Comte, of course, silly. Just think of it. I shall be the Comtesse de Borgasson, and I shall live in a wonderful chateau. He is very rich. He will go to England and see Mama. He noticed me at once that first afternoon, and he knew that I was for him. Isn it wonderful?

ell, it sounds as if

s if what? Are you jealous, Drusilla?

f course not.

ou must be. Everyone will be jealous of me.

ell, you hardly know him.

She looked very wise. n these matters it is not how long you know people. It is how deeply you know them. Don tell anyone yet especially Janine.

hy do you have to keep it secret?I asked.

t only for a while. I shouldn have told you, but you know how I seem to tell you things.

She was certainly ecstatically happy. She was more pleasant to me. She did not come on the wagon in the afternoons and I guessed she was keeping some secret rendezvous with the Comte. I wondered where. Perhaps he had his carriage, which would wait for her in a secret place and carry her off to where? I felt a twinge of uneasiness.

Janine said, hat happened to Lavinia? She changed.

as she?I asked innocently.

on tell me you haven noticed.

ell, you never know what mood she will be in.

omething has happened,said the all-seeing Janine. There were suspicions in her eyes. Her overweening curiosity had been aroused; and when Lavinia mood changed once more she was the first to notice.

Lavinia looked a little pale. She was absentminded; sometimes when one spoke to her she did not seem to hear.

I thought something must have gone wrong with the romance and was making up my mind to ask her when she told me she wanted to speak to me urgently.

ome into the garden,she said. t easier there.

As it was February, the weather was cold. We had discovered that although the summers here were hotter than in England, the winters could be far colder. In season the gardens were quite glorious, with bougainvillaea and oleander and many coloured plants. But this was, after all, winter. In the gardens during the month of February, we were less likely to be interrupted than anywhere else.

I met her there. ell, what is it?I asked.

t the Comte,she replied.

can see it is not good news. Has he called off the engagement?

o. I just haven seen him.

e probably been called away on important business that large estate and all that.

e would have let me know. He was supposed to meet me.

here?

t that little hut place. You know it about half a mile away in the forest.

hat broken-down old shed! That was where your meetings took place, then?

obody goes there.

I was becoming uneasy. It was getting to look like the Jos affair.

o he didn arrive

She shook her head. I could see she was trying to hold back the tears.

ow long is it since youe seen him?

t three weeks.

hat is a long time. I have no doubt someone else will turn up. If not you will have to give your attention to Monsieur Dubois.

ou don understand.She looked at me steadily and burst out, think I am going to have a baby.

I stared at her in horror. My first thoughts were of Lady Harriet. Her shock her reproaches. Lavinia had been sent away to escape that sort of thing; and I had been sent with her to protect her.

I said, ou must marry him at once.

don know where he is.

e must get a message to that chateau of his.

t is three weeks since I saw him. Oh, Drusilla, what am I going to do?

I was immediately sorry for her. All her arrogance had been wiped away. There was only fear; and I was flattered that she had turned to me for help. She looked at me wheedlingly as though I could certainly find the solution. I was pleased that she held me in such esteem.

e must find him,I said.

e loved me so much, Drusilla. More than anyone he has ever known. He said I was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

think they all say that to everyone.I thought of a sharp retort, but I spoke gently, for there is something more than ordinarily pathetic about the arrogant when they are brought low. I was looking at a very frightened girl, as well she might be.

rusilla,she begged, ou will help me?

I did not see how, but it was gratifying that the normally overbearing Lavinia should turn to me with that innocent belief in my ability to solve her problem.

e have to think about it,I said. e have to give our minds to it.

She clung to me desperately. don know what to do. Ie got to do something. You will help, won you? Youe so clever.

I said, l do all I can.

h thank you, Drusilla, thank you.

My mind was occupied with her problem. I thought: The first thing to do is to find the Comte.

I went into the town on the wagon with the girls that afternoon. Lavinia stayed behind, pleading a headache. Perhaps it was a real one on this occasion.

I chose my cake and when Charles came out with the coffee I seized the opportunity to talk to him.

o you know Borgasson?I asked.

h yes, Mademoiselle. It some fifty miles from here. Did you think of taking an excursion? It is hardly worth a visit.

here is an old chateau there owned by the Comte de Borgasson

h no, Mademoiselle, there is no chateau just a few little farms and some small houses. Just a village No, not worth a visit.

o you mean to say that there is no Chateau de Borgasson?

ertainly there is not. I know the place well. My uncle lives there.

Then I began to see clearly what had happened. Lavinia had been duped by the bogus Comte; and the significance of her position was borne home to me.

I had to tell her. I said, harles, the garcon, says there is no chateau in Borgasson; there is no Comte. He knows because his uncle lives there. You have been deceived.

don believe it.

e would know. And where is the Comte? You better face up to the truth, Lavinia. He was pretending all the time. He merely wanted you to do what you did. And that is why he talked of marriage and all that.

e couldn have not the Comte.

avinia, the sooner you face the facts the better for the easier it will be for us. We have to look at this as it really is and not as you would like it to be.

h, Drusilla, I am so frightened.

I thought: I not surprised at that. She was relying on me. I would have to do something. But what?

People began to notice the change in her. She was looking pale and there were shadows under her eyes.

Miss Ellmore said to me, think Lavinia is unwell. Perhaps I should have a word with Madame. There is a good doctor here a friend of Madame

When I told Lavinia this she fell into a panic.

on worry,I said. ull yourself together. It would be fatal if she sent for the doctor. They would all know.

She tried, but she was still pale and wan.

I told Miss Ellmore that she was considerably better.

irls do go through these phases,said Miss Ellmore; and I felt we had got over that fence.

It was inevitable that Janine should notice.

hat wrong with our forlorn maiden?she asked. as the noble Comte deserted her? Are we witnessing the symptoms of a broken heart?

It suddenly occurred to me that the worldly Janine might be able to help us and I asked Lavinia if I might tell her.

he hates me,said Lavinia. he would never help me.

he would. She hated you because you were more attractive than she was. Now that you are in deep trouble she wouldn hate you so much. People are like that. They don hate people half as much when they fail. And she might be able to help.

ll right, tell her. But make her swear not to tell anyone else.

eave it to me,I said.

I went to Janine. ill you swear not to divulge it to a soul if I tell you something?

Her eyes glistened at the prospect of sharing a secret. promise,she said.

avinia is in deep trouble.

I must say I did not like the light of pleasure that came into Janine eyes.

es yes she urged.

he Comte has gone.

always knew he was false. All that talk about the title and the estates at the first meeting. Go on.

he is going to have a baby.

hat?

afraid so.

y goodness. What a story! Well, well. It serves her right. She was anybody for the taking. All that attraction she is supposed to have for the opposite sex. What is it? Just I easy. Smile at me and I willing.

hat are we going to do?

e?

ee got to help her.

hy should we? She has never been particularly pleasant to us.

t just her way. She different now.

f course she is.Janine was thoughtful. hat could we do? We can have the baby for her.

herel be a terrible scandal. You can imagine what her mother is like. There is already a mad aunt in the house who believes peacocksfeathers are unlucky.

hat that got to do with it?

t just means it will be awful for her if she has to go home and tell them she is with child.

eing biblical about it may sound very fine, but it doesn alter anything.

persuaded her to let me tell you because I thought you might help.

I could see that that had flattered Janine.

She began to laugh. just thinking of the fuss there be. It just serves Madame Lavinia right. When you think how arrogant she has always been, lording it over us all and now this. ride goeth before a fall.I reckon this will put an end to that grand marriage her mama has in mind for her. Wealthy gentlemen do like to think they are getting a virgin.

anine please try to help.

hat can I do?

I used the tactics Lavinia employed with me. oue clever. You know something about the world. You might think of something.

ell,she said grudgingly, might.

Janine did give her mind to the matter. She talked with Lavinia, discovered when the baby was likely to appear, and when Lavinia calculated that it might be in August, Janine said with an air of wisdom: ell, it will be in the holidays. That something to be thankful for.

We looked at her eagerly.

ou see,she explained, t gives you a chance to have the child and no one know.

ow?pleaded the newly humble Lavinia.

f you could leave here at the beginning of July when the terms ends My goodness, it will be eight months. Can we hide it so long?

el have to,I said.

will. I will,said Lavinia, like a drowning woman clutching a life belt which has just been handed to her.

here is my Aunt Emily,went on Janine.

I turned excitedly to Lavinia. anine aunt runs a clinic where people go to have babies among other things.

Lavinia clasped her hands as though in prayer.

unt Emily is very discreet,said Janine.

here is it?asked Lavinia.

ear the New Forest.Janine eyes were sparkling. isten. Wel go there. You must tell your people that you have been invited to stay you might say at the Princess place.

hat would please Lady Harriet,I said.

nd you are to go there from Lamason when the term breaks up.

Lavinia nodded excitedly.

will write to my aunt and see if she will have you. If she will, you must write to your people and tell them that you will be staying at the Princess mansion in wherever it is. It is very remote, I know. I had never heard of the place. When we leave here we will go together to my aunt clinic, and there you will have your baby.