Читать книгу Two Queens At the Abbey - Elsie Jeanette Dunkerley - Страница 8

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There came a telephone call and Mary went to answer it.

“Somebody’s late,” Joy remarked.

“For Marigold,” Mary called.

Littlejan sprang up. “You’d better come, Len. The late person might want to speak to you.”

A clear, very sweet voice spoke. “Littlejan, I’ve just heard. I’ve been in town all day. Maidlin told me your news. Are you really properly married? But you’re such a baby!”

“It’s Miss Belinda!” Marigold gave a joyful shout. “I wondered if I’d dare to ring you up! We heard you sing last night, just a little bit of you. It was too gorgeous for words. When can we hear you again?”

“I’m singing soon in Elijah with Maidlin. I’ve always hoped to do it. I’ve been in town with Dr. Robertson rehearsing all afternoon, and getting used to the hall. That’s why I had to ring you so late; I couldn’t go to bed without telling you how thrilled I am. Are you going to bring him here to see Maidlin—and Marjory and Dorothy, and Jacky-Paul and Malcolm? We are proud of our two boys!”

“We’ll come,” Littlejan promised. “But it will need to be planned. We’ve so many things to do. And he’s going away, you know.”

“Yes, I’m sorry about that. But you must have known!”

“That’s why we did it. It’s nice being married. Miss Belinda!”

“Is everybody ringing you up? I’m quite sure they are!”

“Not yet, but I expect they will, when the news gets round. The twins, quite on their own, have arranged a party in the barn for next Saturday, so that the whole Club can buzz round and say nice things, as the twins put it. I don’t know if Phyl, as Queen, will confirm it. It was quite their own idea.”

“I’ll tell Maidlin. What a time you’ll have! My very best wishes, Marigold.”

Belinda was right about the ringing up. The phone was busy for the next few days, and whoever went to answer it automatically turned to look for Littlejan.

“For you, Marigold,” was said again and again.

“I’m going to ring up Miss Raven at school,” Joy said firmly. “This will get round to her and she’ll think we are very rude. If you really mean to go back to school, she must be told at once.”

“You think I should, don’t you? I don’t know anything about cooking!”

“Most certainly I do. I’ll arrange for you to go and see the Head. You know her, don’t you?”

“I had one term with her, when she took over from Miss Macey. But she may not remember me. I didn’t do anything very awful that term!”

Phyl, the reigning Queen, rang up, wildly excited and agreed to the Saturday night party. Tessa rang also, and many of those who had known Littlejan at school, as soon as the word had been passed round.

“Marigold’s home—she’s coming to school—she’s married!”

“But she’s still called Littlejan Fraser, only now she’s Mrs. instead of Miss. She’s going to learn to cook.”

The twins suddenly found themselves important people.

“Tell us about Marigold! What’s she like now? And the man she’s married—is he there too? Tell us all about it, Twins!”

And delighted, the twins held forth to an enthralled audience.

Len and Littlejan found their days very full. They called on the headmistress and were greeted with amusement but a little reproach. “You are far too young, Mrs. Fraser!” said Miss Raven. “Oh yes! You may come back to school. It’s very wise. But I don’t really consider you needed to get married. I think we must overlook that!”

There were visits to all the parts of the family. Len had to go to Kentisbury to see Chestnut, the pony, and to meet the household at the Castle—to the Pallant, to see Maidlin and Belinda Bellanne and to hear her plans for the opening for her career as a singer—to see Joan Raymond, Littlejan’s godmother, and be introduced to her brothers, Alastair and Alan, enjoying extended holidays, owing to building alterations at their school in York. They were amused and respectful towards their married sister and definitely overawed by Len.

One day was spent in a visit to The Adventurer, Len’s ship which was so soon to sail, and Littlejan met some of his future shipmates and was shown his radio office and as much as was possible of the ship.

“Lucky dog!” said more than one, for, glowing with happiness, she was indeed Marigold, all her bright and vivid colouring to the fore.

“Not so funny when it comes to saying good-bye,” said one understanding comrade, however.

She was Marigold again on Saturday night in the barn, all eager excitement as she went to meet the Hamlet Club. Everyone had voted for full dress for her and Phyl, and for any more queens who wished it, since Len had missed May-Day, and he was determined to see her in her robe and crown.

He was led to the barn by the twins and given a good position. With an eye for dramatic effect, Queen Phyl came in, wearing a beautiful train of warm chestnut brown, lined and edged with gold, and followed by Tessa, in her train of lemon yellow, decorated with vivid spikes of lupins in all colours.

She was followed by a tall fair-haired girl, robed in demure lavender, and a shout of welcome and surprise went up from the Club. She bowed and smiled with great dignity and went to take the place prepared for her.

“Nanta Rose! Queen Rosalind! How has that happened?” Jan exclaimed.

But a roar of welcome had broken out, as Littlejan came in, wearing her brilliant orange train and a crown of marigolds.

“Littlejan! Queen Marigold!” shouted the Club.

“Oh, beautiful!” Len Fraser cried. “I am glad to see this!” and his eyes followed her as she stood and bowed, laughing at the girls.

“Now she’ll be mobbed!” Joy said. She and Jen had come to look on but had not dressed as Queens. “Let Marigold have to-day. We are back numbers,” Joy had said.

“But we didn’t know our dear Lavender would be here,” and Jen hurried to the Lavender Queen, who sat laughing and looking on at the excited throng crowding round Marigold. “Nanta Rose, it’s grand to see you, but how has it happened? We thought it was too far for you to come. We didn’t forget you, but we didn’t see how you could possibly come from Wiltshire for one evening, and so very soon after May-Day!”

“Are you staying with Rosamund? We knew she couldn’t be here,” Joy said.

Queen Lavender smiled up at them. “I’m staying with Tessa. It was her idea. She begged me to come; she remembered how Marigold and Jansy and I had been friends and how bad we felt when she went away. We couldn’t have Jansy, but she asked me to come to her for the night, and to bring my train and my fiddle. I hope they’ll let me play for some dancing when all this excitement is over. Isn’t it lovely to see Marigold again? And she looks so happy and well! I want to talk to her and to see if she really is wearing a gold ring!”

“She’ll let you look at it,” Jen said solemnly. “Presently you must speak to Mr. Fraser too. But just at the moment, I suppose——”

“I’m expected to stay put,” Rosalind smiled. “He looks very jolly. He can’t take his eyes off Marigold.”

Littlejan broke away from the crowd who were still cheering her, and pushed her way free to run to Rosalind.

“Nanta Rose, how lovely of you to come!” She used the old school nickname.

“Let me see that wedding-ring!” Rosalind demanded. “How could you go so far ahead of us all, Marigold?”

She took Littlejan’s left hand, still unbelieving. “Is that your engagement ring? Oh, I do like it!”

Littlejan gave a shout. “But you’ve got one too! Oh, everybody—Lady Jen! Lady Joy! Nanta Rose is engaged! A lovely sapphire ring!”

On her second finger Rosalind wore the blue ring given to her as Queen, as a gift from the Club; three small sapphires set in silver. But on the third finger next to it was a big beautiful sapphire, surrounded by small pearls—an obvious engagement ring.

She flushed at the excitement, as the friends crowded round. “It’s very new. We haven’t told people yet. We’ll announce it properly next week. I wanted the Hamlet Club to know first.”

“But who is he? Where is he?” Marigold burst out.

“Is it Derek Grandison?” Jen demanded.

“It couldn’t possibly be anyone else,” Rosalind retorted. “Marigold, I’m sorry to butt in on your day, but I couldn’t bear to take off my lovely ring. Derek brought me to Tessa’s this afternoon, but he was shy, so he’s gone on to town to see his people. He has new music to discuss with Dr. Grandison. He’ll take me home to-morrow.”

“Is he that one that wrote the Abbey music? Jansy told me,” Littlejan asked eagerly.

“He is,” Joy said. “When are we going to hear the Song of the Abbey again, Nanta?”

“Soon, I think. Hasn’t Sir Ivor told you he wants it at one of his summer concerts?”

“I’d heard rumours and I’ve had hopes,” Joy smiled. “Our Marigold will like to hear the Abbey song.”

“I’ll love it! And to see him,” Littlejan added. “I’m dying for both things!”

Under cover of the chorus of congratulations to Rosalind, Jen turned to Tessa. “How nice of you to invite Nanta Rose! We never thought it would be any use asking her.”

“She wanted to see Littlejan. I owe a lot to her,” Tessa said. “It was her doing that the girls chose me as Queen, and then she stood by me when I made such an ass of myself and it was owing to her I was crowned at all. I wish I could do something really big for Nanta Rose!”

“You’ve done something by bringing her here to-night. She’s very happy to see Marigold again.”

“Everybody—and Nanta Rose!—you must speak to Len!” and Littlejan whirled Nanta and Phyl to her husband.

Not in the least shy, he sprang up and the Hamlet Club crowded round.

“Littlejan looks lovely to-night,” Tessa said.

“She has a very special reason,” Jen laughed. “Oh, she’s radiant! Len had a wire from town; their sailing is postponed for about three weeks. Somebody very special, a real V.I.P. who is putting up a lot of money for the expedition, wants to sail with them as far as Sydney, and he can’t get away till the end of the month. It means Len and Littlejan will have a least a fortnight longer than they had hoped. She has been like this, on top of the world, ever since the news came.”

“How marvellous for them! She does look happy. She won’t come back to school yet, I suppose?”

“I’m quite sure she won’t,” Jen smiled.

“Will she collapse when he goes?”

“She’ll cope with it,” Jen said confidently. “She has plenty of pluck. But she’ll need it. If she goes as far into the depths as she’s up in the air to-night, we shall all have to rally round and keep an eye on her. I don’t think she will. She knows she has to lose him, and she’s very brave.”