Outbreak of Love (24 page)

From Wolfie's room she took a blue vase which Harry had given her at Christmas when he was twelve, and she collected photographs of the children from various parts of the house. She took a Florentine pottery bowl which her mother had brought back from Europe for her when she was a child. It was of no value and she would probably be going where she could buy hundreds of such things, but she had known it nearly all her life and it would help to give her a feeling of continuity. She put these things on her bed and looked at the pitiful array; all the material evidence she would have of her past life.

She tried to encourage herself by feeling angry with Wolfie, but she did not feel angry, even when she thought of Mrs Montaubyn. Then she thought of Russell, all his attractive qualities and his kindness, but they seemed irrelevant. She could only think of the children and of her life being cut in half.

While she was standing there looking in desperation at the photographs and the blue vase, the watercolour and the pottery bowl, she heard a motor car stop at the gate. She could not let Russell see these things, and she opened one of her cases and managed to squeeze them in. Then she looked in the glass, and surprised at her tragic face, she tried to smile. The bell jangled down in the back passage, and feeling that she was going to execution, she went to open the door.

Josie and John were standing there. He was carrying her suitcase.

She stared at them for a moment, unable to speak.

“You do look surprised, Mummy,” said Josie.

“I thought you were not coming till Monday,” Diana explained at last.

“I wasn't but something's happened.”

“Nothing unfortunate?”

John and Josie laughed. “We don't think so,” she said.

Diana looked at him. “Aren't you—er—”

“Captain Wyckham,” said Josie.

“Of course. Won't you come in?” She gave this invitation but she stood uncertainly in the doorway. She wondered how soon she could get rid of him. But then Josie would still be here. Would she catch Russell if she rang up immediately? The situation was appalling.

“I'd like to come in if I may,” said John apologetically, feeling that he was not very welcome.

“Did you drive Josie down?” asked Diana, saying anything to give herself time to think. “That was kind of you.”

“Yes. Josie and I have something to tell you.”

Diana had been so completely submerged in her own feelings and her situation, that for a moment she thought that they must somehow have discovered her intention, and have come to prevent her. But what had this young man to do with it?

“Won't you come in?” she repeated and led them into the drawing-room. She stood under the bleak light of the solitary gas jet and turned to hear what John had to say.

“Aren't you well, Mummy?” asked Josie.

“I'm perfectly well, darling.” Diana tried to smile reassuringly. “I was only startled to see you there. You must forgive me,” she said to John.

“I hope you'll forgive me, Mrs von Flugel,” he replied.

“Why, what have you done?”

“I've asked Josie to marry me.”

“Oh! Do sit down.” She felt her knees weaken, and did so herself.

“Aren't you pleased?” asked Josie, a little plaintively.

Diana put her hand to her head.

“Yes, I think I will be. I'm sure I will be. It's rather much to take in. I had no idea … I don't really know you,” she said to John.

“He's awfully nice,” said Josie. John moved close to her and took her hand.

“I'm sure he is.” She felt that if she were not careful she might burst into hysterical laughter. Supposing Russell walked in at this moment? In fact he was certain to, within a quarter of an hour. Then when she thought of him, she realized that it would not matter at all, as she knew that she could rely on him in any situation. He would pretend that he had been driving past and had looked in on the chance of finding someone at home. And she would have a respite. There would be arrangements to make. She would have time to accustom herself to the idea of her situation.

As this dawned on her she felt a tremendous surge of relief, and she was able to give the two young people her entire affectionate interest.

“Now you must tell me everything,” she said, “or tell me a little. I don't know anything. I didn't know you knew each other.”

“I introduced you at Government House,” said Josie. “I told you I knew him.”

“Yes, so you did. You're one of the A.D.C.s,” Diana said to John. “I suppose I ought to ask you questions, but I don't know where to begin. When my other daughter was married, it was to a young man she'd known as a child. He didn't ask our permission. He just married her. I couldn't reasonably object, as I married against my own parents' wishes, and I've never regretted …” She stopped abruptly. She had noticed two or three times in the last fortnight that if she was not careful, her mind continued to flow along the channels it had been accustomed to, before she discovered Wolfie's infidelity. She went on: “I suppose I ought to ask you if you can keep her.”

“I haven't any money,” said John, looking anxious.

“None at all?” asked Diana, kindly but equally anxiously. She did not want Josie to trail homeless round the world as the wife of a soldier living on his pay. It turned out however that John had an allowance from his parents, from whom he would inherit an estate of four thousand acres in Devonshire, with a house called Wootton Speke built in the fifteenth century, which had been in the possession of his family since the seventeenth. His father had thought that he should go into the army till he married, but he did not like it very much. When he married he was to have a farm and take part in the management of the estate.

“I don't call that having no money,” said Diana.

“Yes, but we won't have much until I inherit, and I hope that will be years and years ahead. You would like my father.”

Diana smiled at him and said to Josie: “You go and tidy yourself while I ask Captain Wyckham some more questions.”

“He's John,” said Josie, and she went out of the room.

“I must apologize,” said Diana. “When you arrived I was worried about something—a personal matter, quite irrelevant, but at first I could hardly take in what you were saying. Apart from what you have told me I know nothing about you. It's rather strange to agree immediately to one's daughter marrying a young man whom one doesn't know. But I may tell you that I do like what I have seen of you, and that from our point of view you are an extremely desirable
parti
. In Australia so few of the people of our sort have much money nowadays. My other son-in-law is very nice, but he's penniless. I'd rather have that than a rich boor, but naturally I don't want my daughters to starve. What I most want to be sure of is that you really love Josie and that you will do your best to make her happy.”

“I wanted to marry Josie the first minute I saw her,” said John. “I knew I must. It was at that party at the Radcliffes' when she stood by the door and looked surprised, as if she had just come into the world. I wanted to put out my hand and touch her. I've been looking for her ever since, but she's so elusive. I saw her a few times up at Macedon and I was going to ask her to marry me at the ball, but I was called away to remove that awful woman. Then I ran her to earth at Warrandyte this afternoon.”

“But what d'you think your parents will say? They might not like your marrying an unknown girl from the other side of the world.”

“They'll be thrilled when they see Josie. This afternoon when I met her she was carrying a pot plant to give to your nephew. We planted it together and she knew all about how to do it. My parents will love that. When I saw her carrying that pot of daphne I knew I couldn't live a minute longer without her. And I'd rather cut off my head than not make her happy,” he added, with a touch of indignation. “I only hope I can.” His eyes were moist.

“I'm sure you will,” said Diana gently.

Josie came back into the room. “Is everything all right?” she asked.

“It's more than all right,” said Diana. She took Josie in her arms and kissed her and the warmth of her affection was due not only to pleasure in her happiness, but to the fact that she had been so surprisingly restored to her for a little longer.

The bell jangled again in the kitchen passage, and Diana went towards the door. “Isn't Maggie in?” asked Josie.

“No. They're both out. I'll go,” said Diana.

When she opened the front door, Russell, as she expected, was standing there.

“Is somebody here?” he asked quietly. “There's a car at the gate.”

“Yes. It's Josie and that young Captain Wyckham, the aide-de-camp. They've just arrived from Warrandyte. They're engaged. It's a complete surprise.” Diana stepped out on to the veranda. “I'm afraid I can't possibly come tonight, Russell. I am so sorry, but it's impossible.”

He thought a moment. “Yes, of course, I see that.” He paused and as if finally convincing himself, added: “It would be quite impossible. Ought I to come in?”

“I think it would be better if you did.”

“I could say I was passing and called in.”

“I thought you would do that,” said Diana. She now felt completely at ease. Half an hour earlier, when she was in despair at leaving her home and her children, Russell had seemed unreal, almost menacing, a slightly sinister, romantic hero. Now that he was here in the flesh, kind and sensible as usual, she was immensely comforted and cheered. She led the way into the drawing-room.

“Here's Mr Lockwood,” she said.

“I was in the neighbourhood and called on the chance of finding someone in. I believe I'm to congratulate you,” he said.

“Yes, you're the first,” said Josie.

“That's a privilege.” He shook hands with both of them, giving John a quick approving scrutiny.

They stood talking conventionally for a few minutes, then Diana said: “I'm sorry I can't ask you to stay to dinner, because there's no dinner.”

“Why don't you all come and dine with me in Melbourne?” asked Russell.

“At Menzies? We'd all have to change.”

“No. At a foreign restaurant. I've found quite a good one.”

“That would be lovely,” said Josie.

She went with John, and Diana drove with Russell.

“This is a dreadful thing I've done to you,” she said. “I told you I had complications, but I didn't foresee this one. It isn't fair that you should have your plans upset by my affairs.”

“Naturally, I'm disappointed,” he said, “but I regard your affairs as my affairs—I don't mean to interfere with—but what happens to you, happens to me.”

“You understand so perfectly that I feel I can tell you everything.”

“I hope you will.”

“Russell, I hope you'll understand what I'm going to say. I'm glad that this has happened. All the time I have been worried about Josie, and this settles that difficulty. He seems an extremely nice young man, simple in a good way. You may think I'm rather unstable. It was I who wanted to go quickly because I felt that I couldn't go on living in the house with Wolfie. But since I came back from Westhill it has not been so bad. We lead our independent lives fairly comfortably. I hope to bring him round to accept the arrangement. You see at first I wanted to rely on anger to make the break, and that's cowardly. I want to make it peacefully if I can.”

“That would be better,” he agreed.

They did not speak much for the rest of the drive. He seemed rather thoughtful. Diana wondered if he had really accepted what she had said, but she did not feel that he had withdrawn from her. She felt that he was
with
her.

They drew up outside a French restaurant, near the Exhibition Buildings. John, who had been ahead, slowed up and signed to them to pass so that he could follow them and know where to go.

As they went into the restaurant Diana had a moment of anxiety lest they should find Wolfie there with Mrs Montaubyn, but this was a situation which she was spared.

Russell said that this was a celebration, and he ordered champagne. They became cheerful, and John and Josie were lively and amusing, already chaffing each other about how they would behave when they were married. Russell and John appeared to get on well together, and Diana thought what a well-assorted party they made. She had thought so the last time they were together, for those few minutes in the drawing-room at Government House. Everything, after her terrible anxieties of an hour or so ago, was falling into its proper place. New aspects of this development occurred to her at intervals. Josie would be in Europe and they would not be separated. She and John both evidently liked Russell, and nothing could be more desirable than that this should happen before events which might prejudice them against him. Also, she knew the attitude of most Englishmen to Australians, and to produce someone as highly-civilized as Russell as an old family friend, would give a good impression of Josie's background. The four of them together created happiness, and Diana thought that in a year's time, when she had fixed up her arrangements here without too great a scandal, they might be dining together like this in Paris or in Rome, and how wonderful it would be.

When they came out of the restaurant, John said that he could take Diana back to Brighton, but Russell said it would be more comfortable if they took both cars.

When they were again together in the car, Diana was thinking that they would be unable to go before Josie's marriage, so she was surprised when Russell said:

“We shan't be able to go before their marriage.”

“It seems so unfair to you,” she replied.

“It would be shockingly unfair to them if we did.”

“Yes. I was just thinking that.”

“When are they likely to be married?”