Tale of Raw Head and Bloody Bones (9781101614631) (25 page)

“Was Nathaniel unkind to you?” I asked.

“No. Yes. Yes! He teazed me.”

“He teazed me, too,” I said, remembering the Events of that May Eve. ‘Gelding’, Nathaniel had called me.

“Did you hate him?” said Katherine.

“No; no,” I said. “I love him. He is my dearest Friend.”

Katherine said: “Oh,” and fell silent.

We walked along together, slowly, and attempted no more Conversation. I was no nearer to learning the Answer to my Question, which annoyed me, but I did not press her. She seemed to have slippt back into her earlier fathomless Blackness. Yet she had not gone quite alone, for I could sense the Darkness, circling around us, like a Vortex in a quiet seeming Pool. And perhaps because of that, because her Silence, which was meant to shut out the intire World, included me, I knew that if anyone were to tell me what had happened to Nathaniel, it would be Katherine Montague.

We were almost at the Tavern when Katherine halted, looked up into mine Eyes and said: “Do you want to kiss me? You may, if you like. I should not mind it.”

I stoppt dead, as one struck by a blue Thunderbolt out of a cloudless Heaven. Mine immediate Thought was that I had misheard her. “What?”

“You may kiss me,” Katherine repeated. “Don’t you like me?”

The Beginning of the Ravenscroft Column had entered the Tavern, and the Remainder was rapidly disappearing. Katherine and I, making up the Tail, stood by now a long Way behind; a good thing, for it meant that no one but My Self had heard her. I stared at her in open Amazement for a full ten Seconds, unable to marshall any Reply whatsoever. I did want to kiss her; and surely she could see the Desire etched upon my Physiognomy; but I had no Intention at all of acting upon it. For the first Time since our
eye-Beams had twisted in St Peter’s Church, her Expression was unsure.

“I do,” I said. “I like you extreamly well; but you must not make such an Offer to me; or, God forbid! to anybody else. I shall put it down to your Inexperience—but, Miss Montague! What appears to me in the Light of Innocence must strike another as Forwardness. You will do yourself Harm by such Conduct.”

“Wherefore should I care?” she said. “As if I have anything to look forward to. I shall not marry well, like Miss Hart; I shall die nursing Mama.”

“By Christ!” I exclaimed. “Do not speak so of yourself.” I hesitated, then decided to throw Discretion to the Devil and plunged onwards. “You are the most beautifull Girl that I have ever met, and you are but twelve. Your lack of Fortune need not blight your every Chance.”

“Fortune hates me. I am not beautifull, and I am not twelve. I am a Fortnight past fourteen. Who told you I was twelve?”

“My Sister.”

“She will have got it from Sophy. That lying Bitch! She hath nothing in her Heart but Spite and Jealousy.”

This took my Breath away. “Miss Montague,” I said, after some few Seconds during which I did not know whether to laugh or to disapprove. “You must not call Miss Ravenscroft a Bitch.”

Katherine tossed her Head, and her white Throat glistened in the Sunnelight. “Should I not? It doth not make her any worse, or any more the Liar if I say plainly what she is. And she is a Bitch. What else hath she said to your Sister about me?”

I turned towards her. “That you are a disgraceful Flirt, which would seem no Lie; and that you boxed her Ear.”

“Well, I did that; she was being horrid to me and deserved all that she got. But the Rest is a Lie, and a filthy one.”

My Gaze fixt itself upon the Pulsation of the Aortic Artery within her Throat, swelling and twitching beneath her Skin, as her Life spun thro’ it. “So say you? After the Offer you made just now to me?”

“That was because you were you. And as to your ‘God forbids’, Mr Hart, God forbid you think I’d offer Kisses to any Jacky or Tom. But I shall never offer again if you wish it so.”

“Never? There may come a Time and Place for such Offers. Here and now, Miss Montague, I do wish it so; for your Interest must depend upon the Illusion of Propriety, if not the Reality.”

She steppt up exceeding close to me, her little Teeth bared as in a Growl, and her grey Eyes sizzling with some Emotion I could not quite apprehend, altho’ I felt its Force, and took an involuntary half-Pace backwards to escape it. The top of her blonde Head, in its white Cap, came barely past my Chest. Mine Hands began to ache.

“Propriety?” she said. “You use that Word to me, when I can see Thoughts of the improperest Kind writ all over your Face.”

I had to bend my Neck to look at her; she stood so close to me our Bodies almost touched. “Most improper,” I said. “The Superlative is formed thus: improper, more improper, most.”

“Best improperest,” hissed Katherine Montague.

I would have kissed her then; but before I could catch her, she suddenly reeled away from under mine Hands, and left me standing in the open Roadway, mine Heart pounding like a Blacksmith’s Hammer and my Loins aroused to such a pretty Pitch I did not dare follow her into the Tavern. Instead, I waited, uncomfortable, upon the Verge beneath the Hedge, until mine Appearance should return to something approaching respectable. From the middle Branches by my Shoulder came the undistinguished twittering of
a Dunnock. I listened closely; but again, there was no Need; and it occurred to me that mayhap the Birds within the Village were as friendly to me as were those within the Gardens of Shirelands. They are mine, I thought. Not Viviane’s. The Notion encouraged me immensely. I was no longer intirely alone.

But what to do, I thought, about Miss Montague? I felt certain that she should have somewhat to say to me about Nathaniel; and, besides, there now remained the unfinished Matter of that Kiss. It is imperative, I thought, that I speak with her alone. Before the Thought was but half-finished I saw plainly how it was to be brought about. My Father, according to Tradition, was bound to invite the Rector and Mrs Ravenscroft to dine with us this Evening at Shirelands Hall. I would, for Politeness’ Sake, extend the Invitation to Sophia, as evidently she was Out; and, once this had been accepted, insist in the Name of Charity that Miss Montague attend also, since she had been in such Want of good Society.

The Dunnock in the Holly ceased his Song and put his Wings to Flight, wisping past mine Head in a shy Flutter. The Aire breathed sweet upon my Face, and Daiseyes shone beneath my Feet. Upon the top Branch of a Rowan across the Lane, a Robin filled his small Breast and began an Aria.

So my Sister was married, and the cake Crumbs had been showered over her Head, and she had driven away at last with her new Barnaby to Withy Grange. I offered mine Invitation to Sophia and to Katherine Montague, and mine Aunt said loudly how Sophy had always been to me like a second Sister. She did not seem to think it necessary to warn me away from Katherine Montague. I wondered at this. Surely, Miss Montague was exactly the kind of Girl mine Aunt should have feared the most, being young and beautifull with no Dowry whatsoever; but then I realised that Jane must have misinformed her also regarding Katherine’s Age. A Twelve-yeare-old could pose no Threat at all.

I decided to focus mine Attentions over Dinner very firmly upon Sophia. By this Method, I hoped to set mine Aunt and Mrs Ravenscroft about the Ears, and thereby distract all three Women from my true Objective.

I was not, anyway, intending anything beyond the claiming of one small Kiss and some Intelligence. I had no Desire to marry anyone.

I returned to Shirelands in my Father’s Coach. He did not speak thro’out the Journey. This was perfect to my Purpose, for I took full Advantage of the Silence by retrieving from my Coat those Drawings from whose Study I had previously been disturbed, and did not notice the Distance in the least. Mine Aunt, for her Part, had announced that she should join us later; her motherly Devotion to her Son was such that she could not bear to leave him and his new Bride alone even on their Wedding Daye. How I pitied Jane! But she had made her Bed, and now would have to lie in it, however crowded.

We arrived at Shirelands at about two o’ Clock in the Afternoon, and I at once took My Self up-Stairs to my Study where I remained till it was near on dinner Time.

I was very much afraid on entering the front drawing Room, where we were all assembled, for altho’ I saw the Rector and mine Aunt I did not immediately see Katherine. Then I perceived that she had been coerced by Sophia to join her in Play upon the Harpsichord in the Back. After briefly offering my Politenesses to the Rector and his Wife, I proceeded thither, to observe.

Sophia played well, and it was apparent that she knew it. She could, moreover, be in little Doubt of the Fact that the golden evening Light streaming thro’ the western Window displayed her handsome Features to their best extent. She was now dresst up in
flaming red Silk, that was stood on end with Lace. Her Figure possesst the womanly Curves of a Titian, her Complexion was fresh, and her Profile very elegant; but she did not attract me and I thought it impossible that she ever would. Sophia was too ordinary; too base; and she seemed so much the more so when I compared her to the scowling Sylph who sate alongside, turning the Pages of her Musick with a thin-fingered Hand. Katherine also had changed her Dress for the Evening, and was now attired in a Gown of pale blue-grey, with white Facings.

“You play enchantingly, Madam,” I said, when Sophia came to a natural Break. “’Twould do mine Heart good to hear you all Night.” Sophia preened. Katherine glowered. “Miss Montague,” I said. “Shall we not hear you play? Or should you rather sing?”

“I am no Songbird,” Katherine said. “And I play badly.”

“Fie, Sir! You must not make her, ’twould be most unkind!” Sophia twittered. “She is better employed as she is.”

“In that case,” I said, “you must play on; and sing, too, if you will.”

I knew that Sophia was no Singer—a Truth which always had appeared somewhat strange to me, as Nathaniel’s Voice could have made the Devil swoon—but tonight I was determined to be seen to give her the fullest Encouragement. So she began, and I sate on a Sopha nearby and affected Rapture; and Katherine threw me furious Looks, and turned the Musick over far too fast. Before long, tho’, my Father’s Butler came in to tell us that Dinner was served, and so the Pace of mine Entertainment met with a brief Caesura.

Tonight’s Dinner at Shirelands was a significant Event, to be marked by the high Seriousness of its Demeanour and the superior Quality of its Food. Mrs H. had ordered several Courses of Quails
and other small Fowles Malaret, followed not only by the Beef Alamode upon which my Father insisted almost every Daye, but a roasted Sirloin, with various Sauces. These were followed in their Turn by a delightful Array of iced Creams sculpted into the Shapes of Flowers, red Berries, Bees, and pretty Mice, and then a Syllabub flavoured with the best Nantes Brandy. When I was able, I made light Conversation with Sophia and observed from the Corner of mine Eye that mine Approaches were not passing un-noticed before her Mother and mine Aunt. This gave me Hope that mine Aunt at least would shortly seek to break me off. I stole a sly Look towards Katherine, who was seated next to me at Table, tho’ some Distance away. To my Surprize, I apprehended at once that she had in her Hand one of our silver table-Forks, and was busy secreting it about her Person. I gave no Indication that I had seen her, and carried forward with my pointless Seduction of Sophy. Yet I wondered hugely at the Strangeness of it.

After Dinner we withdrew again all together. After some more Conversation, Mine Aunt called for an Hand of Quadrille, and when I made no Move to join her, called Sophia to sit beside her. The Ravenscrofts were summoned next, and I was left standing in an imagined Dudgeon with only my Father and Miss Montague for Company. This was all as I had intended, so I began to cross the Room towards Miss Montague, who had sate down at the Harpsichord with a Scowl as dark as Thunder.

Then my Father did an unexpected thing. Seating himself before the Fire, he took out his pocket-Book and opened it; but before beginning to read any of it, he looked direct at me, and made as if to speak. Before I had even begun to register my Surprize, however, he lowered his Gaze and began the Perusal of his precious Pages.

“Sir?” I ventured. He did not lift his Head.

There was a loud Crash at the far End of the drawing Room. The Ladies all cried out in Fright; my Father almost droppt his Book, and I came close to jumping from my Skin. Any Thoughts I may have entertained of disturbing my Father were driven quite out of mine Head. Miss Montague had taken violent Hold of the Lid and slammed it down onto the Keys.

“Oh!” cried mine Aunt and hers, with one Voice.

Katherine stared at me, her Teeth bared with the same Ferocity she had shewn me before; yet her Eyes looked wild as a Hare about to leap. Then leap she did, tearing thro’ the drawing Room in a brilliant Storm of blue-grey Silk.

“Oh!” cried Sophia, a little late. “Whatever is wrong now?”

I nodded to the Rector, who was already half upon his Feet, and headed with Alacrity towards the Exit. “I shall discover the Matter,” I said. Inclining mine Head to the three Ladies, I quitted the Room.

Still slightly trembling from the Shock, I stood still with my Back against the Door. There was no Sign without of Miss Montague’s whereabouts, but that was nothing. I had Time to find her, Time a-plenty; and so many of Shirelands’ Rooms were locked when not in use, there were few within which she could hide. I drew in a deep Breath. I had rather to thank her than to be annoyed, I thought. How to get Katherine Montague on her own had been the Evening’s greatest Hurdle. I had not imagined that she would so presciently demolish it by running off into an House she had never before visited; but I was beginning to understand that where Katherine was concerned it was unwise to rely upon mere common Expectation. Still, I thought, where, truly, would she go? Not below Stairs, nor into any unknown Chamber. Perhaps outside; but first
I should try the only other Room I knew her to be acquainted with.

My Spine began to sparkle with Anticipation. Smiling quietly to My Self, I proceeded up-Stairs again, to the dining Room. I did not knock.