Читать книгу Jandy Mac Comes Back - Elsie Jeanette Dunkerley - Страница 8

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Lord Kentisbury greeted the guests with grave friendliness, when they went down for the informal dinner—not, to Joan’s relief, in the great banqueting-hall, but in a cosy little dining-room. He was twenty years older than his wife and showed in his worn face traces of his years of ill-health; but for the time, at least, he seemed well, though not strong. He listened with much amusement to the tale of Janice’s failures to find a friend who was able to entertain her.

“I’m glad Rosamund turned up to welcome you! You must have begun to feel unwanted in a strange land,” he said. “You must certainly not risk another disappointment. We will ring up Lady Marchwood and ask about to-morrow, and if she is not at liberty you must stay here.”

“We’ll talk to Jen to-morrow. At present we’re going to feed you,” Rosamund said firmly. “You’ve had a long day, and you have that luncheon in town to-morrow.”

“Rosamund takes care of me as she does of Geoffrey-Hugh,” the Earl smiled at the visitors.

It was plain to Janice, as she watched during the evening, that his world had its centre in Rosamund, and she guessed, from a few words said by the Countess and afterwards confirmed by other friends, that it was only his marriage that had given him new life and made him as well as he was. She saw, too, that Rosamund’s eyes followed him all the time, with a hint of secret anxiety in their blue depths.

“She’s afraid she may not have him for very long,” Janice thought.

“We won’t talk to Jen till the morning,” Rosamund said, as they left the table. “If we aren’t going to tell her who you are, it’s a shame to leave her wondering all night. We’ll send Joan-Two off to bed, and you shall tell me what Joy and Joan-One were like at sixteen.”

“I want to hear the stories too!” Joan protested.

“Hard lines!” said Lord Kentisbury. “I sympathise entirely. Couldn’t they sit on your bed to talk?”

“Geoffrey, how wicked of you!” Rosamund cried.

Joan danced with joy. “Oh, a marvellous idea! How topping of you to think of it! Oh, please, Lady Kentisbury! Please do!”

“Just for half an hour,” the Earl said hastily, his eyes full of amusement.

“I don’t approve,” Janice remarked. “But since it has been put into her head, I don’t suppose she’ll go to sleep.”

“I couldn’t! It’s a lovely plan! Oh, please!”

Rosamund laughed. “I sympathise too, of course. Anybody would want to hear her mother’s stories of old times! But Joan-Two has had a hectic day and she ought to rest. It was too bad of you to suggest it, Geoffrey. Just for a few minutes, then! We’ll come when you’re in bed, Littlejan; now hurry!”

Joan darted to the door, then stopped in dismay.

“I can’t find my way. I know I’ll be lost in your huge Castle.”

She was conducted to her room and shown the nearest bathroom, and Rosamund and Janice went to the nurseries to look at sleeping Roderick and little Lord Verriton.

“Roddy was the heir until Hugh arrived,” Rosamund said, as they bent over the baby’s cot. “Not because he’s my brother, of course! Geoffrey and I were related, though we aren’t first cousins; Roddy was the next to have the title, until Geoffrey had a son.”

“You’re anxious about Lord Kentisbury, I’m afraid.” Janice spoke with deep sympathy.

“It’s the only cloud,” Rosamund said soberly. “Everything else is so happy. He’s not strong, though he’s wonderfully better. At one time he was quite an invalid; it’s amazing to see him going about and doing things normally. He will try to do too much, and I can’t always make him be careful. I do my best, and he’s usually very good, but sometimes it can’t be helped. I don’t like this trip to town to-morrow, when he’s been out all to-day, but it really seemed necessary he should go.”

“It’s hard for you to be always anxious.”

“I was prepared for that when I married. At first I thought it would mean nursing and giving him a few happier years than he’d ever known; he’d had rather a lonely time. When I was first engaged I didn’t dare to hope we’d have a normal family life; but he improved enormously even before we were married. We’ve heaps to be thankful for; and we are very thankful. But I watch him all the time. Now come and sit on Joan-Two’s bed!”

Janice told of exploration and disaster underground, in the tunnels below the Abbey ruins; of country-dancing on the lawn of the Hall; of the finding of the Monks’ Path and the hermit’s cave; of May Queens and coronations. When presently she insisted that Joan must be left to sleep, Rosamund led her downstairs, saying quietly, when the bedroom door was closed, “You’ve been tactful and kind, and of course you couldn’t say more before the child, but what about the other side of Joy? Well, don’t tell me! We all love her in spite of it, and we won’t discuss her. But you needn’t tell me you spent parts of two summers at the Hall and yet didn’t see Joy’s difficult side.”

Janice knit her brows. “I saw very little of it. She had just inherited her house and she was radiantly happy and full of excitement. Occasionally she was hasty and spoke on impulse, but there was nothing serious. Has she been so difficult since she grew up?”

“No, but she has a side that flares out and hurts people. We’ve all felt it, and yet we love her. I’m glad you’ve no hard memories of her.”

“I loved them all. But Joan came first, and—yes, Jenny-Wren came second. I’m longing to see her again.”

“I’m longing to see her when she sees you! Come and look at some of our family treasures! We shall be tempted to ring her up, if we talk about her; and it wouldn’t be kind.” And Rosamund led the way by long corridors to the great hall and the library and picture-gallery, switching on many lights as she went.

Joan was still awake when her mother came up to bed. “I’m too thrilled to sleep! Fancy being in a castle all night! This is the loveliest place, Mother!”

“And the kindest people, Littlejan. Remember that they didn’t even know us this morning.”

“It doesn’t seem possible. I feel I’ve known them for ages.”

“I’ve always found people were very good to me. It was just the same last time; Joan and Joy welcomed me as if I’d been an old friend. I wish we could do something for them all!” Janice remarked.

“They’ve got everything they could possibly want, it seems to me.”

“I know. All the giving has to be on their side. If a chance came and there was something we could do, how glad I should be!” Janice said.

Breakfast was spread out of doors in bright sunshine, in an angle of the grey stone walls. Joan cried out in delight at the sight. “Oh, I do like this!”

“It’s a sheltered spot. The parapet keeps off the wind,” Rosamund explained, “and we have the sun and all the view. You can look down on the town and the bridge, and there’s a glimpse of the sea.”

Janice leaned on the wall and gazed out over the river valley to the woods. “Delightful! And so original; a most unusual morning-room. It feels like going back into the Middle Ages.”

“There ought to be pages and varlets—whatever they were—and men-at-arms, with bows and arrows,” Joan said.

“Now, after a mediæval breakfast, come and be modern, and telephone to Jenny-Wren!” Rosamund invited Janice to follow her. “Joan-Two, if you go straight down that stair you’ll find the garden. Roddy’s in the sandpit again.”

“Oh, cheers!” and Joan raced down the turret steps.

“You mustn’t speak, for Jen might know your voice,” Rosamund said, when she had asked to be put through to the Manor. “But if you stand there you’ll hear what she says.——I want Lady Marchwood herself, please. Oh, Jen! Rosamund speaking. If I run over in the car, will you give me a spot of lunch to-day?”

“Sure! Just a spot. Won’t Geoffrey give you any?” There was laughter in the voice that replied.

“He has to lunch in town. I want to see you.”

“Oh, please do come! Come early, and bring Roddy and Lord Verriton with you. Baby—I mean Katharine—is fond of Geoffrey-Hugh. I mean them to grow up good friends.”

“Matchmaking already?” Rosamund mocked. “I shan’t bring him; serves you right. I say, Jen! I’ve a friend staying with me who knew you at school, when you were quite an infant. I’ve been hearing all sorts of stories about your young days. She’s pining to see you again. May I bring her along?”

“Who?” Jen cried. “Not Rena?”

“No. Somebody else; it’s to be a surprise.”

“Which of our old girls has been away as long as that? Not Marguerite, from America?”

“No; you’ll never guess. I may bring her, then?”

“Oh, rather! If you don’t, I shall come flying to find out. Come as early as you can, and bring anybody you like.”

“Good! No public duties to-day?”

“No public works all this week. I’m going to see Joan and Jimmy soon.”

Rosamund laughed across at Janice. “I went to ask for Joan yesterday, but I didn’t see her. I made such an ass of myself! I insisted on riding, though every one said it was too far. And it was, and I had to sit by the roadside while Ferguson phoned for the car to take me home. I felt like a gipsy or a tramp.”

“The Countess in the gutter! I’m glad you had the sense not to ride home.”

“I’d promised Geoffrey. He’s much relieved that I kept my word.”

“I should think so! You won’t ride to-day, I hope? It’s too far, Ros.”

“I shall be well-behaved and come by car. I must consider my visitor.”

“Yes, of course. Won’t you tell me who——?”

“No,” Rosamund said firmly. “How are the children? Nursery all O.K.?”

“Oh, quite! Come soon, then, and put an end to my misery!” and Jen rang off.

“How pleased she’ll be!” Rosamund turned away with Janice. “And I shall certainly lose you. She’ll keep you, once she gets hold of you!”

“It’s marvellous to have heard Jen’s voice again!” Janice said. “She sounded just like herself.”