"If you get any news--ever--before we do," said Pamela, suddenly choking, "you"ll tell us at once?"
"Trust me. He"s never out of my mind."
On that her good-night was less cold than it would have been five minutes before. But he walked home through the moonlit streets both puzzled and distressed--till he reached his club in Pall Mall, where the news coming through on the tape quickly drove everything out of his soldier"s mind but the war.
Mrs. Gaddesden was sitting as usual in the hall at Mannering. A mild February was nearly out. It would be the first of March on the morrow.
Every moment she expected to hear the Fallerton taxi draw up at the front door--bringing Elizabeth Bremerton back to Mannering. She had been away more than a month. Mrs. Gaddesden went back in thought to the morning when it had been announced to the Squire by his pale and anxious secretary that she had had bad news of her invalid mother, and must go home at once. The Squire--his daughter could not deny it--had behaved abominably. But of all of his fume and fret, his unreasonable complaints and selfish attempts to make her fix the very day and hour of her return, Elizabeth had taken no notice. Go she would, at once; and she would make no promises as to the exact date of her return. But on the morning before she went she had worked superhumanly to put things in order, whether for her typist, or Captain Dell, or Pamela, who must at least take over the housekeeping. The relations between her and Miss Bremerton that morning had struck Mrs. Gaddesden as odd--certainly not cordial. But there was nothing to complain of in Pamela"s conduct. She would do her best, she said, and sat listening while Elizabeth gave her instructions about food cards, and servants, and the rest.
Then, when the taxi had driven away with the Dictator, what temper on the Squire"s part! Mrs. Gaddesden had very nearly gone home to London--but for the fact of raids, and the fact that two of her most necessary servants had joined the W.A.A.C."s. Pamela, on the other hand, had gone singing about the house. And really the child had done her best. But how could any one expect her to manage her father and the house, especially on the sc.r.a.ps of time left her by her V.A.D. work? The Squire had been like a fractious child over the compulsory rations. n.o.body was less of a glutton--he pecked like a bird; but the proper food to peck at must be always there, or his temper was unbearable. Pamela made various blunders; the household knew hunger for the first time; and the servants began to give warning. Captain Dell could do nothing with his employer, and the timber business was hung up.
Then came Pamela"s outbreak after a tirade from the Squire bitterly contrasting his lost secretary"s performances, in every particular, with those of his daughter. The child had disappeared, and a message from the station was all that remained of her. Well, who could wonder? Mrs. Gaddesden reflected, with some complacency, that even she had spoken her mind to her father that night, conveniently forgetting some annoying retorts of his about herself, and the custom she had developed of sitting for hours over the fire pretending to knit, but really doing nothing. After her enormous exertions in the cause of the war--she was accustomed to say--of the year before, she was in need of a rest. She was certainly taking it.
Since Pamela left, indeed, she had been obliged to do the housekeeping, and considered it very hard work. She had never yet been able to calculate the food coupons correctly.
So she, like all the rest, was looking eagerly for Elizabeth.
Yes!--that was the cracked horn of the village taxi. Mrs. Gaddesden poked the fire with energy and rang for Forest. But his quick ears had heard the signal before hers, and he was already hurrying through the hall to the front door.
And there was the library door opening, so her father too had been on the watch. Voices in the vestibule, and as the outer door of the hall opened, the Squire appeared at the further end. Alice Gaddesden had an odd feeling that something important--decisive--was going to happen.
Yet nothing could have been more una.s.suming than Elizabeth"s entry.
It was evident, indeed, that Forest was overjoyed to see her. He shouldered her modest boxes and bags with a will, and a housemaid, all smiles, came running half way downstairs to take some of his burden from him. Elizabeth followed the butler and took Mrs.
Gaddesden"s hand.
"My train was late. I hope you"ve not waited tea?"
"Why, of course we have," said the Squire"s voice. "Forest!--tea at once."
Elizabeth, not having perceived his approach in the dimness of the February twilight, turned with a start to greet the Squire. He looked, to her eyes, lankier and thinner and queerer than ever. But it was a distinguished queerness. Elizabeth had forgotten that the brow and eyes were so fine, and the hair so glistening white. The large nose and small captious chin pa.s.sed unnoticed. She was astonished at her own throb of pleasure in seeing her employer again.
His pleasure was boisterously evident, though presently he showed it in his usual way by attacking her. But first Mrs. Gaddesden made the proper enquiries after Elizabeth"s invalid mother.
Elizabeth, looking extremely tired as she sat by the fire, in the chair which the Squire--most unwonted attention!--had drawn up for her, said that her mother was better, and volunteered nothing further. The Squire, meanwhile, had observed her looks, and was chafing inwardly against invalid relations who made unjust claims upon their kith and kin and monstrously insisted on being nursed by them. But he had the sense to hold his tongue, and even to profess a decent sympathy.
Then, without any further preamble, he plunged into his own affairs.
"Everything"s gone to rack and ruin since you left," he said vehemently. "Of course you knew it would!"
Elizabeth"s eyebrows lifted. The look, half tolerant, half amused, with which she greeted sallies of this kind was one of her attractions for the Squire.
"What"s Captain Dell been doing?" she inquired.
"Marking time!" was the testy reply. "He"s been no good by himself--I knew he wouldn"t be--no more use than old Hull."
Elizabeth"s expression showed her sceptical.
"And the timber?"
"Just where you left it. The rascally fellows want all sorts of conditions. You may accept them if you like--I won"t. But I told them we"d meet them in the woods to-morrow--you, and Dell and I. And Chicksands, who likes poking his nose into everything, is coming too."
"Sir Henry?" asked Elizabeth in astonishment.
"Well, I thought you might like the old boy"s opinion, so I rang him up on that horrid thing you"ve put into the office. I don"t care about his opinion in the least!"
A treat arranged for her return! Elizabeth felt as if she were being offered Sir Henry"s head on a charger.
"That will be a great help!" she said with rather artificial enthusiasm, at which the Squire only shrugged his shoulders. "Has Sir Henry been over here--"
"While you"ve been away? Nothing of the sort. He"s not crossed the threshold since I turned him out six months ago. But he"s coming all the same--as mild as milk."
"Very good of him!" said Elizabeth with spirit.
"That"s as you choose to look at it. And as to everything else--"
"The catalogue?"
"Gone to the crows!" said the Squire gloomily. "Leva.s.seur took some references to look out last week, and made twenty mistakes in as many lines. He"s off!"
Elizabeth removed her hat and pressed her hands to her eyes, half laughing, half aghast. Never had anything been more welcome to the Squire than the sheen of her hair in the semi-darkness. Mrs.
Gaddesden had once annoyed him by calling it red.
"And the farms?"
"Oh, that I leave you to find out. I shovelled all the letters on to your table, just as Pamela left them."
"Pamela!" said Elizabeth, looking up. "But where is she?"
The Squire held his peace. Mrs. Gaddesden drily observed that she was staying with Mrs. Strang in town. A bright colour spread in Elizabeth"s cheeks and she fell silent, staring into the fire.
"Hadn"t you better take your things off?" said Mrs. Gaddesden.
Elizabeth rose. As she pa.s.sed the Squire, he said gruffly:
"Of course you"re not ready for any Greek before dinner?"
She smiled. "But of course I am. I"ll be down directly."
In a few more minutes she was standing alone in her room. The housemaid, of her own accord, had lit a fire, and had gathered some snowdrops for the dressing table. Elizabeth"s bags had been already unpacked, and all her small possessions had been arranged just as she liked them.
"They spoil me," she thought, half pleased, half shrinking. "But why am I here? Why have I come back? And what do I mean to do?"
CHAPTER XIII