Читать книгу Buried Jewellery Box - Reseda Shaykhnurova - Страница 3

“Let’s everyone take something that troubles you and put it in Grandmother’s antique jewelry box,” Rebecca Fellows, the mother of the family suggested one day, “and ask Megan to hide it from us somewhere safe.”

Henry Fellows – the head of the family, Esquire Harry Fellows’s younger son, who inherited Bradby – a small estate in Derbyshire (his elder brother inherited their family castle in Leicestershire) – smiled at his wife’s suggestion, a younger daughter of an ordinary London attorney and resumed reading his morning newspaper.

He remembered his father, a tyrannical and arrogant cad, who either was absent all day or sat on a chair upholstered with gray-beige brocade. Esquire Fellows hardly ever took notice of his children, and even if he did, it was of his eldest son Patrick. He asked him about his achievements in school, his talents as a racecourse rider or a gig driving experience.

Most of the time Patrick had nothing to boast about to his father. So Henry, wishing to please the master of the household, would talk about his achievements in science and sport. But Harry Fellows always stopped him short at the first sentence and asked him to leave him alone.

The boys’ mother did not make time for her children either, leaving them at their governess’ care. She graced them with her attention on holidays only, hugging and kissing them, but did it somewhat deliberately in the presence of her guests. Matilda Fellows (nee Glasky) never concealed that she had wanted to have a daughter. Alas, she had sons.

Patrick and Henry often quarreled. The elder brother always tried to pique the younger saying he would be their father’s heir, so there was no point in Henry’s efforts to talk himself up in front of the father. The younger son tried to find their governess Rachel’s support at least; however, she did not care much the children, because male servants, to whom she made eyes, took all her attention.

All these memories were interrupted by Henry Fellows’s daughter.

“How can Ralph and I be sure that you or Father will not put Megan up to it and open the box while we are away?” asked Melody, the Fellowses’ younger daughter of 17.

“Mother is just joking, Mel,” her elder 20 year old brother Ralph responded.

“I am not! As for your question, Melody, I have things to hide, too. You are not the only one with secrets of the heart. That is why neither Father, nor I will make deal with the servants. Moreover, Megan will know about our idea only when we have put our things safely away, and every one of us have locked our compartment in the box.”

“I love Megan,” said Melody, “but are you sure that she will not open our cache?”

“You are right, my dear,” Mrs. Fellows paused to think. “That is why we will offer her to put her own secret thing that troubles her in the box. There are only four compartments with a lock though…”

“I personally have no secrets from you,” finally said the father of the family. “And I have nothing to put in the cache, however attractive the idea might be.”

“What about the letter from your father, Henry,” retorted his wife, “where he refused to bless our marriage 20 years ago?”

“It is not a secret to anybody, Rebecca,” her spouse said with a chuckle. “Besides, after the children were born he nevertheless bequeathed us this estate, which, mind you, brings 10 thousand pounds a year.”

“So be it! Megan can put her secret into your compartment then.”

The mother clapped her hands, and Ralph and Melody smiled, looking at her.

“How does Mother know about your love concerns?” asked the brother, going up to his room.

“She does not,” answered Melody sadly. “If she knew, she would…”

“She would what?”

“Believe me – she would not laugh.”

“You are strange. I do not remember you paying someone a visit alone with a governess. Usually you do it with Father or Father and Mother together.”

Melody was quiet.

“What makes you unsure about the object of your dreams, Mel?” continued Ralph, entering his sister’s room without an invitation. “Is he from a working class family or one of Father’s tenants?”

“Are you hiding anything, Ralph?” changed the subject Melody. “What are you going to put in the box?”

Ralph lowered his eyes and uttered unwillingly, “I will put something there. But it has to be a secret, does it not?” and he walked out.

On the following day at breakfast, Mrs. Fellows reminded the members of the household of the jewelry box. All except their father expressed their full readiness to participate in their mother’s initiative, although being suspicious at first of such a venture. The mother, the son and the daughter went to the library, where they took turns to put their secret things in the box and each locked his and her compartment with a key. After that, pulling on the string ending with a bell for the servants, Mrs. Fellows asked a footman to bring her Megan.

“Did you call, milady?” said the maid, entering.

“Yes, I did, Megan! We have a rather unusual task for you,” and the mother told the maid what she and her children decided to do at the weekend.

Megan looked at all the present with astonishment.

“Do you want me to put a secret thing into the fourth compartment, milady?”

“Your own secret thing,” clarified Mrs. Fellows, “the one that troubles you and stands in the way of your happiness. After that, I want you to hide the jewelry box where we cannot find it without you.”

The maid took the box.

“In three years you will show us where you have buried it,” said the lady at last. “And remember, none of the other servants must not know about it!”

“You have my word,” said the maid and left the library.

“What is it going to give us, Mother?” asked Melody suddenly. “What will we have achieved, digging up our secrets in three years?”

“Perhaps, having buried our fears and sorrows, we will become happier,” the mother’s voice sounded strange as she said it. “Or, perhaps, digging up the box with the secrets we will not be as dependent on these things as we are now.”

All three were staring at one point lost in thought, when Mr. Fellows entered the library.

“Look at those gloomy faces!” said he, bursting into laughter. “We have visitors – Countess Melshem with her daughter.”

“Wonderful!” exclaimed Melody. “Ralph, you must change before you see Miss Melshem!”

“What about the viscount?”

“I have an impression that you see the countess’s son more often than you do Miss Melshem,” his father muttered. “Remember, a bride with such connections and a dowry will be an excellent match!”

Ralph left to change, and Melody hurried to keep company to her friend.

“Georgia!”

“Melody!”

The girls hugged and went into the garden. In a bower under the shade of rhododendrons, they immediately plunged into a love topic.

“Does your brother ever talks about me, Melody?”

“Sometimes,” lied Miss Fellows.

“He has been so cold to me lately. And when he pays a visit, he spends almost all time talking to George.”

“He is very attached to your brother, Georgia,” Melody tried to justify Ralph. “George is older than he is, so he is more interesting to Ralph, and he can be himself with George.”

“And what do you think about my brother, my friend?” playfully asked Miss Melshem.

“I think of him as your brother,” answered Melody.

“Ah, yes, I remember! Your heart is already taken. But why won’t you tell me who he is?”

“It is too complicated,” confessed Miss Fellows.

“Does he reject you?”

“You can say that too. I have not told him about my feelings though.”

“Why?” Georgia was surprised.

“The thing is that…”

At that moment, Ralph Fellows appeared near the bench where the girls were sitting and greeted Miss Melshem by kissing her hand.

“I am glad to see you, Georgia,” he let fall casually.

“And I you, Mr. Fellows.”

“Your brother is well, I hope?”

“He is,” the guest gave a short answer.

“I am glad to hear it.”

There was a pause, which Melody Fellows had to break, leaving her friend until dinner.

She wandered in the garden for some time and then turned and walked towards the house. Her father was standing at the door sending a servant on some errands. He did not notice his daughter watching him. Suddenly somebody called her name. George Melshem was standing at the gate.

“Good evening, Miss Fellows.”

“Evening, Mr. Melshem,” replied Melody. “My brother is talking with your sister in the bower.”

“I know that my mother and Georgia are visiting you.”

“Ralph mentioned you too today.”

George said nothing in response, just looked at the treetops.

“Please, come in!” offered Miss Fellows. “The countess and your sister are staying for dinner.”

“I think, I’d rather not. I need to see that the smith changes the horseshoes of my father’s horse.”

“Well, then. I dare not delay you, Viscount.”

The young people said goodbye, and Melody came back to the house. On the doorstep, she met with her mother and Countess Melshem. They were discussing something loudly and laughing.

“I have just talked with Mr. Melshem, but he did not wish to stay for dinner, on account of some urgent business in the stables.”

“Yes, he and his father are venturous riders,” confirmed the countess. “Where did you see him?”

“A t the entrance to our estate, near the gate.”

“That is strange. He had not told me that he was going for a walk. Well, let us have dinner!”

And all three ladies laughed. Rebecca’s friend had never been particularly modest, even when she was young.