The India Fan (50 page)

The door was flung open and there were Eff and FleurEff the same as ever and Fleur grown far more than I had expected a beautiful, dark-haired girl, who threw her arms round my neck and kissed me.

ell, are we going to stand here all night?demanded Eff. e got the kettle on the boil. And there muffins for tea. Got to be toasted. Didn dare start till you come. Didn want them all dried up, did we?

And there we were sitting in the kitchen, too emotional to say very much at first, but so happy to be together.

I had to meet the governess. rs. Childers, a real lady,I was told. ome down in the world,Polly added. he ever so particular, and glad to be here. No airs and graces just fond of Fleur, and my goodness, is Fleur fond of her. Clever, she is. History, geography and French, would you believe? Fleur a natural for that. You should hear m parleyvousing. Eff and me just curl up, don we, Eff?

ou do,said Eff. know French when I hear it, and it not all that to laugh about. And it right and proper that Fleur should speak French, because most ladies do, and that what she got to be.

Mrs. Childers turned out to be a very pleasant woman. She was in her late thirties, I imagined; she was a widow and very fond of children. She had obviously, as Eff told me, come down in the world, butff againhere was o side to her.She faced facts and, as Polly said, they might not be Lady High and Mighty or Lady Muck, but they treated her like one of themselves and she could take it or leave it.

Mrs. Childers had obviously taken it, and she told me that she was happy in the house and fond of Fleur. So it seemed they had all come to an excellent arrangement.

Each morning Mrs. Childers took Fleur into the park. They looked at flowers and things, Eff told me. It was something called botany.

Eff went often to the market to shop, and this gave me an opportunity to be alone with Polly.

She very soon began to talk about Lady Harriet visit.

ent for me, she did. lease come to Framling without delay.Who does she think she is? ou go and take a running jump at yourself,I said, not to her but to Eff. Then down she comes. You should have seen her. I would have took her into the kitchen, but Eff would have her in the parlour. She was going to take Fleur with her, she said. f you think that,I said, oue got another think coming. This is Fleur home and this is where she stays.She started to tell us how much more she could do for her. So could we, I told her. Do you know we own this house now? Yes, we bought it, and wee on the way to getting next door. Eff talks about retiring to a little place in the country.

he country! You, Polly! But you love London.

ell, when youe getting on a bit it different. Eff always liked a bit of green. Anyway, it not for now. It for later. But what I saying is we can look after Fleur without her ladyship help. Now what about you? Youe living there with that woman.

he children are there, Polly Louise and Alan. You love them.

f theye half as nice as their sister, I reckon I would. I reckon theye glad to have you, but it can be much fun in that house with her ladyship.

manage. She is fond of the children and she realizes that they need me. I was with them all through that terrible time in India, remember.

Polly nodded. ou know, if you couldn stand her you could always come here. I reckon we manage all right the way wee getting on. Rents are coming in regular and now that wee got our own house it good. Mind you, we had a struggle to get it and we were a bit short at one time. That reminds me. I ought to have told you before. Well, I had to do it. Youl understand, I know.

expect so, Polly. What is it?

leur been ill.

ou didn tell me.

here wasn no sense in worrying you when you were so far away. There was nothing you could have done. There was one time when it was touch and go.

h, Polly! Do you mean that?

. If that old grandmother had been there then, I reckon Fleur would have been with her by now. We have had to let her go. Something in her throat it was. It could have been the end of her if she hadn had this operation.

his is terrible, Polly. And I didn know it.

here was this man a clever surgeon or something. Dr. Clement told us about him. He thought he was about the only man who could save her. Mind you, he was one of the Harley Street men and it was fancy prices to get him to work. We had to find the money. We just bought the house. If it had been earlier we could have used that money and let the house go. But there we were not much we could lay our hands on. Well, we got the house now, but that wouldn have meant much to us if we lost Fleur.

I looked at her in horror, but she shook her head and smiled at me. t all right now. He did the job it was a complete cure. Il tell you what we did. Remember that fan you got the one the old lady gave you?

I nodded.

here was a bit of jewellry in it.

es, Polly, yes.

took it to the jeweller and he said that piece of glitter was worth quite a lot of money.She looked at me apologetically. said to Eff, his is what Drusilla would want if she was here.She agreed with me. We had to have that money quick. I had to make up my mind there and then. And there were the jewels and there was dear little Fleur so I took the fan to the jeweller and he bought the jewels took them out he did ever so careful It saved Fleur life.

There was even some over, so we took her to the seaside with that Eff and me. A rare old time we had. You should have seen the colour come back into that little one cheeks. You see

f course I see, Polly. I glad I so glad.

knew you would be. What a bit of stone compared with a child life, eh? That what I said to Eff. And I tell you this. He made a good job of the fan, that jeweller. It looks just like it did before. Ie kept it very special here. Just a minute.

I sat still, feeling shaken, while she went away to get it. I could never think of peacock feathers without seeing that terrible bloodstained fan lying at Lavinia feet.

Polly stood before me and proudly opened the fan. It looked scarcely different from when I had last seen it; the place where the jewels had been was neatly covered.

here!said Polly. pretty thing it is. Il never forget what it done for Fleur.

As soon as I returned Lady Harriet wanted to know what had happened.

hey are adamant,I told her. hey will never give Fleur up.

ut didn you point out the advantages I could give her?

hey think she is better with them. They have a governess, you know.

did know. What any good governess would be doing in a place like that, I cannot imagine.

he seems to be a very intelligent woman and she is very fond of Fleur.

ubbish!said Lady Harriet. hey must be brought to their senses. I can assert my rights, you know.

he circumstances are rather extraordinary.

hat do you mean? Fleur is my grandchild.

ut you have only just learned of her existence.

hat of that? I know she is my grandchild. I have a right.

ou mean you would go to law?

will do anything that is necessary to get possession of my grandchild.

t would mean bringing out the facts of the child birth.

ell?

ould you care for that?

f it is necessary it will have to be done.

ut if you took this matter to law there would be publicity. That would not be good for Fleur.

She hesitated for a moment. Then she said, am determined to get the child.

I felt it was a little ironical that when Fleur had been born she was unwanted by her mother and we had been at great pains to find a home for her. Now there were two strong factionsne determined to get her, the other to keep her.

I wondered who would win.

Time was slipping by. Louise and Alan were growing up into Framling children. They were given riding lessons, which delighted them, and each morning they spent half an hour in the paddock with a Framling groom. Lady Harriet used to watch them from her window with great satisfaction.

The nanny arrived. She was in her mid-forties, I thought, and had been looking after children for more than twenty-five years. Lady Harriet was pleased with her. She had worked in a ducal family, Lady Harriet told menly a younger son, but still ducal.

he will relieve you of the more onerous duties,she said. ou can confine yourself to the schoolroom now.

The children accepted Nanny Morton, and as she was in full possession of that nanny-like gift of keeping a firm hand and at the same time conveying the impression that she was one of those omniscient beings who would protect them against the world, she soon became part of the daily routine and she helped them gain a strong hold on that state which is all-important to the young: security.

Now and then they referred to their mother and the ayah, but these occasions were becoming more rare. Framling was now their home. They loved the spaciousness of that mysterious and yet now-familiar house; they loved their riding; and although they were in awe of their formidable grandmother, they had a certain affection for her and were gratified on those rare occasions when she expressed approval of something they had done; then they had Nanny Morton and myself.

Those weeks that they had spent cooped up in Salar house and the general feeling of unease that they must have experienced made them appreciate the peace of Framling, the glorious gardens, the exciting riding and the general feeling of well being.

Lady Harriet often talked of Lady Geraldine.

here is some restoration to be done in the west wing,she told me. ut I am doing nothing. Lady Geraldine may want to change it all when she comes.And then, ady Geraldine is a great horsewoman. I daresay she will want to improve the stables.

Lady Geraldine had a habit of cropping up in the conversation, and as time passed she did so more frequently.

urely there is nothing now to keep Sir Fabian in India,she said. am sure he will be home soon. I shall invite Lady Geraldine over so that she is here when he comes. That will be a nice surprise for him. Louise and Alan had better make the most of the nursery. They may have to be sharing it before long.

ou mean Fleur

es. Fleur, and when Sir Fabian marries.She gave a little giggle. ady Geraldine family are noted for their fertility. They all have large families.

She was getting more and more excited, because she could not believe he would be away much longer.

Then Dougal came home.

We were at lessons in the schoolroom when he arrived. There was no warning.

Lady Harriet came in with him. I heard her say before she appeared, hey are having their lessons with Drusilla. You remember Drusilla that nice sensible girl from the rectory.

As if he needed reminding! We had been good friends. I had seen him in India, and he knew I had looked after the children there. But Lady Harriet was never very clear about the relationships of menials.

He came in and stood still, smiling, his eyes on me, before they went to the children.

I stood up.

Lady Harriet said, hildren, your papa is here.

Louise said, ello, Papa.

Alan was silent.

ow are you?said Dougal. nd you, Drusilla?

ery well,I answered. nd you?

He nodded, still looking at me. t has been so long.

e heard about Lucknow. That must have been terrible.

errible for us all,said Dougal.

think the children might finish with their lesson,said Lady Harriet, nd as it is rather a special occasion, we will all go to my sitting room.

They left their books and I paused to shut them and put them away.

ou will want to be with your papa, children,said Lady Harriet.

es, Grandmama,said Louise meekly.

Dougal looked at me. el talk later,he said.

I was alone in the schoolroom, reminding myself that, in spite of all that had gone before, I was only the governess.

The children did not seem to be particularly excited to see their father, but Lady Harriet was delighted; the reason was that he brought news that Fabian would soon be coining home.

his is good news from India,she told me. y son will soon be on his way home. The wedding will take place almost immediately. They would have been married now, but for those wicked natives. I have started thinking about what dress I shall wear. As the bridegroom mother I shall have my part to play, and Lizzie Carter, although a good worker, is rather slow. Louise will make a charming bridesmaid and Alan will be quite a stalwart little page. I always enjoy planning weddings. I remember Lavinia

Her animated expression faded. oor Dougal,she went on briskly. e is a lost soul without her.

I had never noticed his reliance on her, but I did not imply this. The mention of Lavinia was as painful to me as it was to Lady Harriet.

Dougal was staying for a few days at Framling; then he was going to his estates. He took an early opportunity of talking to me.

t was wonderful to see you, Drusilla,he said. here were times when I thought I should never see anyone again. What experiences we passed through.

e did among thousands of others.

ometimes I feel I shall never be the same again.

think we all feel like that.

am leaving the Company. I intended to in any case. Indeed, I think there will be changes. The feeling is that this will be the end of the Company as such. It will be passed over to the State. I intend to hand over my interests to a cousin.

hat shall you do?

hat I always wanted to. Study.

nd the children?

He looked surprised. h, they will be with their grandmother.

hat is what she wants, of course.

t seems the most sensible thing. She has the big house the nurseries everything the children need and er she is determined to keep them. I was telling Louise about some of the newest discoveries in archaeology and she was quite interested.

ouise is very intelligent the sort of child who is interested in everything she hears.

es. It fascinating to study a child mind to watch the dawning of intelligence. They have perfect brains uncluttered and quick to learn.

hey have to be, to grasp what is necessary in life. It has often occurred to me that they think logically and clearly. All they lack is experience, and therefore they have to learn how to deal with triumph and disaster.