Miss Mary Martha Crawford (36 page)

. "Yes, Peg."

Resting the tray on the corner of the side table at the foot of the

stairs. Peg now looked up at Martha Mary and asked quietly, "What's gona happen her when you go?"

"That's Roland's responsibility." She had since yesterday omitted the

'master' when speaking of him.

"I'm not stayin' you ... you know, not when you're not here. Miss Martha Mary, I'm not, no."

"You must think about your grandmother, Peg."

"I've thought about her; an' I've talked it over with Clan early on this mornin'."

"With Clan? Why?"

"cos ... well' she lowered her head and wagged it from side to side "

Well, I'm fifteen on Wednesda'; another year or more an' I could get sort of engaged like. He's for me . was right from the start, an' me for him an' all. An' he thinks the same as me; he doesn't want to work for nobody but you, but as I said to him, we both can't go stark

starin' mad, so he'll stay on an' I'll go along of you. "

Martha now bent down and gently touched Peg's cheek.

"Do you want to please me, Peg?"

"Aye, miss, more than anybody in the world."

"Then ... then stay on here for a while and look after Aunt Sophie.

I.

I don't think she'll need you all that long, but . but if you do this just for me I won't forget it. And later . well, we'll see, we'll

work together. If I get a housekeeper's position I could always make room for you and. Oh, don't, don't cry. Peg, please. "

Peg now wiped her face roughly with her apron, then picking up the

tray, she looked up as if in defiance at Martha, and said, "It's a bloody shame, that's what Clan says, an' I say it an' all an' that's swearin' to it, that you should be so treated like this. There isn't no justice, there can't be no God; Clan says there can't be no God."

She was walking sideways now, nodding back at Martha.

"He says there can't be no God except for those who earn more than two pounds a week;

then they make him up just to thank somebody for. their luck. "

She was still mumbling as she put her buttocks to the kitchen door,

thrust them backwards, then edged herself in with the tray.

Martha, hadn't moved from the bottom of the stairs. There was no

justice, there could be no God except for people who earned over two pounds a week and then they made him up in order to have someone to

thank. It was odd, strange, the things that Peg and Dilly had come out with from time to time . and boys like Clan. It was as if they worked out a philosophy all their own.

Her throat was full; she turned about, went down the passage and into the study, and as she entered the room and looked at the prone figure on the couch she wished in the back of her heart that she was as simple as Peg and the man lying there as uncomplicated as Clan.

It was almost at the moment when she heard the trap drive into the yard that Harry opened his eyes for the third time that day and looked at her, but it was the first time he had spoken to her.

"Hello there," he said, and as she looked down on him she had difficulty in answering in the same vein.

"Hello to you, too."

"What time is it?"

"Just on four o'clock."

When he made to raise himself on his elbow he groaned and she put her hands gently on his shoulders and said, "Now please, don't move, lie still, and... and don't talk."

He blinked up at her as he gasped, TCnow something? " Then his eyes closed before he ended, " I don't want to talk. "

"Well, that's very good." She turned her head slightly away from him now as she heard voices in the hall. But when her name was called, and in quite a loud cheerful way, her chin jerked slightly upwards.

By the sound of his voice her brother intended to pass everything off as normal.

The door opened, but Roland didn't enter, he merely put his head round it, saying, "Martha Mary, can you spare a minute?"

She looked back at him, her gaze straight; then turning once more to Harry, she said gently, "I won't be long."

When he murmured something she bent right down to him, her face close to his, and said, "What is it?" Again she watched him close his eyes, swallow deeply, then say slowly, "I said ... it's arrived." His lids lifted; they were looking at each other and there was the faintest

exchange of amusement in their glance.

It's arrived, he had said. He had called the invader it, not she,

madam, or her ladyship, but it. She wanted to laugh not only at his

effort to put a jocular side to the situation, but with relief at the fact that his brain was clear. He was remembering all the incidents of yesterday. He remembered who was expected. Doctor Pippin had said the concussion might block from his memory a' number of events that

occurred yesterday, and there was one in particular that she wished him to remember: "Gall me Harry," he had said.

When his hand came up slowly from under the blanket and touched hers and he said, "Go on and do battle, but... but don't give in an inch,"

she could say nothing.

Slowly she withdrew her hand from his, straightened her back, stared at him for a moment longer, then turned about and went from the room. In every way the visitor was a surprise.

When Martha opened the drawing-room door from where. she heard the

voices coming and the visitor swung sharply about and faced her, all her preconceived idea of Roland's choice was whipped away. She had

imagined someone tall, even as tall as Roland, with a scholastic

bearing, seeing that she wanted to turn this house into a school, and educated to the extent of speaking three foreign languages. But what she saw was a person who hardly came up to Roland's shoulder.

Moreover, she was plump. Martha was reminded instantly of her father's mistress, but as she advanced and took a closer look of the visitor she saw that there the similarity ended, for this young woman's hair was not in ringlets but taken straight back from her forehead, and she had no claim whatever to prettiness. When they came face to face what

struck

Martha more forcibly than anything else and with something of a shock, was that Roland's future wife was already a woman, and of . an age.

She could be all of twenty-five years of age or twenty-seven. What she was certain of was that she was much, much older then herself.

"My... my sister Martha Mary. And this is Eva ... Miss Harkness, Martha Mary." Roland's introduction was brief, and hesitant.

"How do you do? I am so pleased to meet you. I have heard so much about you from Roland. He's for ever singing your praises to the

sky.

In fact at times it has given me a feeling of inadequacy. "

Martha hesitated before taking the hand extended to her. When she did, she merely offered her finger-tips, while the voice went on non-stop:

"What a charming house! I love it already. And the setting, so wild and beautiful. How fortunate you both are." She flashed a look

towards Roland, who stood to the side smiling at her as if captivated by her charm, her ease of manner, her cleverness, the whole of her.

And yes, Martha detected at once that this person should be admired for her cleverness if for nothing else, for she certainly had mesmerized Roland.

"I've been wanting to make your acquaintance for so long. Although Roland told me what you would be like I couldn't help, well, but be a little afraid of you." She now joined her hands together under her chin as if in prayer, and the childish attitude she posed was so

ill-suited to her self-assured manner that it was almost embarrassing, so much so that it penetrated Roland's trance as she finished, "I have so much to learn from you. But I can assure you you'll never have a

more willing pupil," for now he brought his sheepish gaze to rest on Martha.

The smile had left his face; he now looked like a young boy caught out in some misdemeanour, and when he lowered his head Martha, speaking for the first time, said, "I'm afraid. Miss ... Harkness, isn't it?

I'm afraid my brother has misled you, I shall not be able to instruct you in any way as I am leaving the house in the very near future. In fact had our doctor not suffered an accident last night I should

already be gone. But I'm staying only as long as he requires my aid, which I should imagine will be another two to three days at the most.

"

Miss Eva Harkness seemed to be taken off her guard for a moment, her expression looked blank; but then with the same swift twist of her body with which she had turned to view Martha as she entered the room, she now confronted Roland, saying, and as if to a naughty child, "Roland, you didn't inform me of this, why?"

"There wasn't time, Eva, and ... and I wanted you to see the house and explain in full...."

"Your other sisters, are they staying at home?"

The glance Roland now flashed towards Martha was no longer boyish but held a look of venom, and she stared back at him as she said quietly,

"Miss Harkness asked you a question Roland."

"You are out to make it difficult, Martha."

"I don't agree with you, Roland, but... but as I said, Miss Harkness is waiting for an answer."

"Perhaps you would give me the answer." The small figure was confronting her now, any touch of girlishness in her manner having

utterly disappeared.

"Very well, since you insist. My sister Mildred, who is next to me in age, works in Hexham in our bookshop; she returns each evening except when, as now, the weather makes the roads almost impassable. My

youngest sister Nancy' she paused now and glanced at Roland 'was

married yesterday and has taken up her abode some four miles away. And now to save time and further misunderstanding, Miss Harkness, I think you should be informed that there is no staff here to speak of, except a young girl of fifteen called Peg Thomy- croft and an outside boy.

Moreover, there is an invalid in the house, but I suppose Roland has informed you of our aunt and her condition. "

Apparently Roland hadn't told his fiancee about his aunt, for now he had walked to the window, his hands joined s-MMMc-o 261 behind his

back, which again reminded Martha forcibly of her father when vastly displeased.

Miss Harkness appeared slightly shaken. She looked towards Roland,

then back to Martha, whom she had recognized 'immediately not only as an obstacle to her future, but as an enemy, one who was determined to frighten her away. Roland had given her the impression that he had

three sisters who would fall upon her neck, especially the eldest

one.

He had spoken of the house and its situation as idyllic. Well, on

first sight she had found it far from that. And the journey out here had been torturous. Nevertheless, she had told herself that beggars

couldn't be choosers, and having already suffered four rejections she was determined this was not going to be a fifth. All right, let this madam go; she would have been a thorn in her flesh anyway. But the

sick aunt, that was something that would have to be dealt with;

as also would one solitary maid. Yet give her time to get a ring on

her finger and call herself mistress of this house, then they would see changes. And what about the bookshop? Was that a kind of myth too?

Why had he not taken her there today? He had said they mustn't linger because of the weather and the conditions of the roads. Had that been merely an excuse? Well, the house wasn't a myth, although it was old and frightfully shabby both inside and out. But these were things that time and management, her management, could and would change.

Seeing the best form of attack at the moment to be submission, she

looked up at Martha and said softly, "You seem determined to frighten me, Miss Grawford."

"I'm merely placing the facts before you, which would not have been necessary if my brother had given you the true picture before you

arrived."

"You can't rule my life, Martha." Roland had swung round from the window.

"I have no desire to rule your life, and never had, Roland."

"That's not true, you've ruled this house and everybody in it since Mother died. You planned my career."

"Only because up till recently you wished it planned for

you. And I may add, by going to the university you saw yourself as

being freed from responsibility for some years ahead. "

"I did nothing of the kind. Anyway, this house and the business is now my responsibility, and for the future I would have you remember that.

Come Eva, I will show you to your room as no one else seems to have the courtesy. " With this he marched up to his fiancee, took her

masterfully by the arm and led her out of the drawing-room.

Martha stood exactly where they had left her. She looked about her,

bit on her lip, then lowered her head; she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The last scene had put her in mind of one of the only two

plays she had seen in her life. It was in the chapel hall in Hexham.

The hero had so overacted his part it had been embarrassing, and Roland acting the master of the house for the first time had been equally

so.

But strangely now, she felt a wave of pity for him filling her because he had become ensnared by that cunning little woman, and she was a

woman fully grown and long past the period when the term young lady

could be applied to her. Moreover, she had detected in her manner and voice the essence of a refined termagant, and there was one thing sure, should there . no, when was the word needed here, when the time came that Roland needed to look for solace elsewhere, as his father had

done, he would not dare make such a move.

He had treated her abominably, thinking only of himself, yet in this moment she could forgive him because of what lay ahead of him.

It had rained for forty-eight hours without ceasing, then early on the Thursday morning the leaden sky lifted and the sun came through.

Harry, turning his head slowly towards the window, looked at the rays streaming into the room and thought, Thank God, then added. And may it last, because as soon as the roads were passable the sooner he'd get away from this house.