Текст книги "The Return of the Gypsy"
Автор книги: Philippa Carr
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“I knew I was too heavy for him to lift,” he said.
“Toby seems a very pleasant young man.”
“Yes. Very eager to help. I feel a great burden. There are you, James, and Clare … and now Toby all waiting on one useless cripple. But you are the one I worry about most. Sometimes I feel it is too much for you.”
“What nonsense is all this?”
“You … young … beautiful… tied to me. It seems so wrong.”
“Please, Edward, you promised me not to talk like this. I chose this, didn’t I?”
“Sometimes people make rash choices and then they are stuck with them. It’s no life for you, Jessica. I was thinking of Amaryllis. There she is a happy wife and mother.”
“I wouldn’t change places.”
“You are so good, Jessica.”
I thought: If only he knew! I was almost on the point of telling him, of trying to explain. I love you, Edward, but I love Jake in a different way. It isn’t anything to do with your being crippled. I love Jake as I can never love anyone else. I’m not the same person when I am with him. Everything becomes exciting and wonderful.
How could I tell him that?
He was right. I had chosen this way. In a moment of pique I had chosen it. And now it was my life.
His next words startled me. “What about that man … Tamarisk’s father?”
“What… what of him?” I asked faintly.
“What is going to happen about him?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is Tamarisk going to live with him?”
“I think she ought to be given time to decide.”
“Is he agreeable to that? Did you see much of him when you were in London?”
“Oh yes. He came to dine with us, and Tamarisk was with him quite a few times.”
“Do you think she will want to go with him?”
“I think she is getting fond of him but she is so devoted to Jonathan.”
“Yes. That’s almost a love affair, isn’t it? It’s surprising that the young can have these fierce feelings.”
“Tamarisk is fierce in her emotions.”
“I expect it’s a phase.”
“I think it is what will make her want to stay here. She wants to be where Jonathan is.”
“Time is the answer.”
“You mean … don’t rush into anything.”
“Exactly. Let her see as much of her father as she can. I suppose he would like to be asked down here.”
“He might find it difficult to leave London. I believe he has business there, and he also has that estate in Cornwall. Perhaps something will be decided soon.”
“In the meantime all you can do is take her to London to see him.”
“Y-yes. I shall want to go up before Christmas. Will you be all right?”
“Certainly. I have all these people to take care of me.”
“You don’t mind my going?”
“I miss you, of course. I miss you very much, but on the other hand I get a comfortable sort of feeling that at least you are getting a little respite. I know how much you enjoy those visits to London. You always come back rejuvenated.”
My deceit weighed heavily on me. But at the same time I was thrilled at the prospect of another visit to London.
I asked Tamarisk if she would like to go again. She wanted to know if Jonathan was going. I said I did not know. I thought he might not be eager to after the last disastrous visit.
“What happened about that girl?” asked Tamarisk.
“What girl?”
“Prue, of course. What was Jonathan supposed to have done to her?”
“Jonathan says he did nothing.”
“Then he didn’t. So why was there all that fuss?”
“Oh … it’s all over now.”
She stamped her foot. “It’s not over. Great-Grandpapa Frenshaw is very cross with Jonathan and he might not leave him Eversleigh.”
Where did she learn such things? Listening at doors, I supposed, slyly questioning the servants. I knew she would be adept at that.
She went on: “That girl came into his bedroom. He didn’t send for her.”
“Who told you that?”
“Never mind,” she said severely. “It’s not the point. She came in and he didn’t send for her. Then she blamed him and said he tore her clothes. She was lying.”
“It’s all over now,” I said. “We don’t want to worry about it any more.”
“I want to know the truth. I’m going to make Prue Parker tell the truth.”
“Prue Parker has gone. We shall never see her again.”
“She must be somewhere.”
“Listen,” I said, “do you want to go up to London to see your father?”
“Yes.”
“Very well, then. We’ll go.”
David and Claudine came with us this time. Neither of them really wished to leave Eversleigh, but there were some products which David had to buy. Peter was already in London. He had left some days before—on urgent business, he said.
When we arrived at the house in Albemarle Street he was there.
I could not stem the exuberance which was rising in me. I should see Jake. It would be difficult to be alone with him because there was Tamarisk to be looked after. It had been different when Jonathan was there to take her off my hands.
Jake was delighted to see us. Tamarisk asked a good many questions about his home in Cornwall which made me think she might be considering going there. There was no doubt that she was rather fascinated by him. Who would not be by Jake?
There was an occasion when Tamarisk was out of the room and we had a few words together.
“When?” he asked.
“It’s difficult,” I replied. “There is Tamarisk …”
“If you could come one evening.”
“I can hardly do that.”
“We could say we were at a concert… a theatre … Who is with you?”
“David and Claudine.”
“They would not be as watchful as your mother. I fancied sometimes she was … aware.”
“She may well have been. She is aware of a good deal… particularly when it concerns me.”
“This is too frustrating,” he said. “We shall be together. I can’t stay here just waiting for you to come to me. I’ll find some reason why you have to be here.”
“No … not in this house. It seems too great a betrayal.”
“We’ll stay in an inn … I’ll rent a house …”
I shook my head.
“What are we going to do, Jessica?”
“The wise thing would be to say goodbye. If Tamarisk would go with you to Cornwall that would be a solution.”
“And never see you … or rarely!”
“There isn’t anything for us, Jake.”
“Nonsense. You love me. I love you.”
“It’s too late. Someone once said that life was a matter of being in a certain place when the time was right. The time was wrong for us.”
“My dear Jessica, we have to make it right.”
I shook my head. “It is impossible. I couldn’t hurt Edward. He relies on me. He has suffered. I can’t just use people like that.”
“He would understand.”
“Yes, he would understand. But understanding doesn’t make the hurt less. He would understand too well. I will never leave him.”
“And what of me? What of us?”
“We are two strong and healthy people. We have to live our own lives in the best possible way.”
“You are condemning us to a life of emptiness.”
“You have your daughter. She is an interesting girl. You could find great joy in her, and if she gives you her affection she can be fiercely loyal.”
“As she is to Jonathan. Who else?”
I shrugged my shoulders and he went on: “To you? To the people who did so much for her? I agree she is interesting. I should be happy to have her affection … if she deigned to give it. But it is not a daughter I crave for. It is you… my own love, my Jessica.”
“I can’t see a way out then. Perhaps in time it will be easier to bear.”
“I don’t intend to stand aside and let life use me.”
“What will you do?”
“I’ll find a way.”
“You frighten me a little when you talk like that. I think you could be rather ruthless.”
“I am sure you are right,” he said.
“There is no way… except by telling Edward, and I will never do that.”
“If he knew he would understand. It is unnatural for you to be condemned to such a life.”
“He is my first duty.”
“Your duty is stronger than your love?”
“In this case it has to be.”
He shook his head. “I will find a way,” he repeated.
Tamarisk came into the room.
“Are you talking about me?” she demanded.
“You always imagine people are talking about you. Do you think you are such a fascinating subject?”
“Yes,” she said and we all laughed.
When it was time to leave Jake said he would come back with us.
“That is not necessary,” I said. “I want to call in at one of the shops and we have not far to go.”
He stood at the door waving to us. I was deep in thought remembering his words. He had looked so determined when he had said he would find a way. What could he do? There was only one way: To go to Edward and ask him to release me.
I knew I could never be completely happy again if I did that. Edward would haunt me all the days of my life.
We had turned out of Blore Street when I saw a young woman, some yards ahead of us, hurriedly start to cross the road.
In a second Tamarisk was after her. The woman disappeared round a corner. Tamarisk followed.
What was she doing? I started to run. I did not want her to be alone in the streets of London. She knew her way to Albemarle Street, of course, but how inconsiderate of her to run off suddenly without a word.
I turned the corner. The woman was going into a building. Tamarisk went after her.
I ran as fast as I could.
Then I recognized the building. It was Frinton’s Club, that place of ill omen where Jonathan had lost five hundred pounds on his visit.
“Tamarisk!” I shouted. “Where are you going?”
I pushed open the door and went in. There was a hall carpeted in glowing red. The walls were plain white. A man was seated at a desk, staring after Tamarisk’s flying figure.
“Where are you … ?” he was beginning when he saw me … I ignored him. My eyes were on Tamarisk who was disappearing through a door which led from the hall. I followed.
There were people in the room—two men and several women. I stared in bewildered amazement. One of those women was our one-time parlourmaid, Prue Parker. But what a different Prue Parker! Her face was delicately painted and she was smartly dressed in a light navy coat trimmed with fur; her gloves were a delicate grey which matched her shoes. I realized that she was the woman whom Tamarisk had been following.
That was not all. The girl beside her was not unknown to me. On the other occasion when I had seen her she had been pretending to be blind. Yes, there with Prue Parker was the girl who had led me to that empty house.
But the greatest shock of all was the sight of the man who had risen from his chair and was staring at us as though he could not believe his eyes.
It was Peter Lansdon.
There was a silence, which seemed to go on for a long time. It was as though neither of us could believe what we saw and were trying to come to understanding in our bewildered minds.
He spoke first. “Jessica?” he murmured.
I did not answer. I looked from him to those two women.
“How … how did you get in here?” he stammered.
“We walked in,” I said.
“It’s no place for you.”
“No. I daresay not.”
“There are explanations I must give you.”
“Indeed … yes.”
He came towards me, quite calm now. Everyone else in the room was silent.
“I’ll take you and Tamarisk home,” he said.
Tamarisk cried: “I want to take her back.” She pointed at Prue. “She lied. She was the one … not Jonathan.”
“Yes, yes,” said Peter soothingly. “I’ve discovered everything. I’ll take you back and tell you all about it. Come along, both of you.”
I was summing up the situation. He was involved in this. He knew the blind girl; he knew Prue; he knew these clubs. They were not ordinary clubs, after all. Strange things went on in them. What had I stumbled on?
He took Tamarisk and me by our arms.
Tamarisk was shouting: “You’ve got to tell them. You’ve got to tell Grandpa Frenshaw. It wasn’t Jonathan. It was Prue. She ought to come back with us. She ought to confess.”
“Leave it to me,” said Peter. “I’ll explain everything. Jonathan shall be cleared.”
That satisfied Tamarisk.
I was silent, bewildered and incredulous.
We came out into the street.
He said: “I found the girl. I was trying to help her. She planned the whole thing … to compromise Jonathan. She had blackmail in mind of course.”
“It’s all right now,” said Tamarisk. “I wish Jonathan were here. When can we go home and tell him, and tell them all. I found her. Wasn’t it clever of me? I recognized her by the way she walked … because she looked different, didn’t she? But I knew her.”
We came to the house. Tamarisk ran in at once to tell David and Claudine what had happened.
They listened in a somewhat bewildered fashion while Peter explained calmly that he had discovered Prue Parker and confronted her. She admitted she was trying to compromise Jonathan so that she could extract money from him. Then she became frightened and had run away. Peter said he believed he was going to save her from a shameful existence. He had already found a post for her in a respectable household and had arranged to meet her at the club where she worked to tell her of her good fortune. He was there for this purpose when we burst in on them.
“I saw her,” repeated Tamarisk. “I recognized her, Jessica, didn’t I?”
“You were very sharp, Tamarisk.”
After they had marvelled at the story Claudine said she and David had to call on the Mattons, who particularly wanted to meet Tamarisk. “Will you come with us, Jessica?” asked Claudine.
I said I would prefer to stay at home.
So they went off and as soon as they had gone Peter came to my room.
He stood looking at me almost slyly and then said: “Well?”
“Are there any warehouses?” I asked. “Is there any importation of rum and sugar?”
“There are as a matter of fact.”
“And your main business, I believe, is in another kind of house. Not exactly a warehouse. Do they call them whorehouses?”
“An unpleasant term I always thought.”
“Why did you want to see me?”
“I have to discover to what conclusions you have come.”
“I have been thinking a great deal… over our acquaintance, and certain things seem to be becoming clear to me. I hope you have not prepared some intricate fabrication for I shall not believe it.”
“I know that. You are very shrewd. I soon became aware of that. I can see the intricate fabrication would soon be pierced by your astuteness, so therefore it would be a waste of time to manufacture it.”
“I believe you are a scheming adventurer.”
“There is no point in denying it.”
“You came into my family because you knew there was money there.”
He nodded.
“I suppose the inn meeting was a chance one?”
“Yes. There I learned who your father was, and also a great deal about the family from the innkeeper.”
“I see, and you decided that his daughter would be a worthy wife. How could you make your entry? My father is a rather suspicious man with many interests in London. Is that how you figured it out?”
“But of course.”
“So we had the little blind girl episode. One of your girls from your warehouses?”
“We were moving out of the premises. That gave us the venue, you might say.”
“What a convenient coincidence that you were there that day with your decoy.”
“Oh, we had waylaid you several times. We were waiting for the opportunity.”
“It was an unusual beginning, designed of course to earn our gratitude. Having succeeded in that you started to pay court.”
“It was very agreeable. I have always found you attractive.”
“Thank you. But you turned to Amaryllis.”
“You were too lively … too inquisitive. I thought you would very quickly start to pry.”
“And Amaryllis was docile so you chose her.”
“And in pique you turned to the gentleman who is now your husband. Hard luck you should go on with the game after he was injured. But that was your own fault.”
“And having charge of Amaryllis’ fortune, you are increasing your holdings in your apparently very prosperous business?”
“It is indeed profitable. Amaryllis has increased her fortune since marrying me.”
“It is still her fortune, is it?”
“I have been very careful about that. I have used her money, but not taken it. If your father… or any of the family… decided they would look into my affairs they could not default me. I am in the clear.”
“How worthy of you! I wonder what Amaryllis would say if she knew for what purpose her money is being used.”
“She will never know. She is a completely contented wife and mother. It is better she remains so.”
“I think I would rather know what is going on around me. I know why Jonathan was led to Frinton’s. I know where the anonymous letter came from. And then you staged that little affair with Prue Parker. You are determined to discredit Jonathan in my father’s eyes.”
“Well, we have Peterkin now. A male heir right in line. I’ll see that he makes a better job of Eversleigh than Jonathan would.”
I cried: “It’s monstrous! And to think Tamarisk was the one to expose you!”
“That child is a nuisance. She always has been. Let’s hope she goes off with her father.”
“You amaze me,” I said. “You are so indifferent. You don’t mind being exposed.”
“Not by you.”
“What do you mean? You wouldn’t want my father to know the manner in which you make your fortune. You are a procurer. I always thought that was one of the worst things to be. You won’t want my father to know about those tricks you played on Jonathan.”
“I certainly would not.”
“And yet… you seem to think your secrets are safe with me!”
“They are.”
“What do you think my father will say when he knows you deliberately brought Prue into the house, sent her to Jonathan’s room and made her feign that attempted rape scene?”
“He would be horrified of course, but he won’t hear of it, will he? He will be told that by one of those queer quirks of coincidence—which happen more in life than people realize—I discovered Prue Parker walking the streets. I was horrified, for after all she had such a short time ago been a servant in the family house. I questioned her; she confessed that she had attempted to compromise Jonathan and demand money. She knew that he was already in his grandfather’s bad books and had a great deal to lose. It went wrong. Jonathan wouldn’t play, so she pretended he had attacked her. She became frightened by what she had done and fearing exposure ran away. She was without work and there was nothing for her but the streets. She was attached to that club where you discovered us, and when I had found a post of parlourmaid in a respectable household I went along to the club to find her. Then you and Tamarisk burst in.”
“And you think I will allow you to get away with this?”
“You must, mustn’t you?”
“Why should I? How do I know what other schemes you have. I think Amaryllis should know how her money is being used. I think my family should know. After all, you are a member of that family now.”
“But nobody must be allowed to bring disgrace on the family.”
“You already have. It was an ill day when you came into it.”
“We all have our weaknesses. You too, Jessica. This is going to be our little secret.”
“You presume too much.”
“I have justification. Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.”
I was silent. A terrible fear was beginning to grip me.
“You certainly, my dear Jessica, are not without sin. What of this passionate love affair with the fascinating Sir Jake?”
I felt myself flushing hotly. I stammered: “What… what do you mean?”
“I have been frank with you. You must be with me. Do you think I don’t know what is going on? You and the handsome gentleman are lovers, are you not? You visit his house … alone. You spend several hours there. You see, Jessica, it ill behooves any of us to pass judgment on the rest of us.”
I could see his smiling face through a haze of wretchedness. My secret was in the hands of this evil man.
“Sit down,” he said. “You’ve had a shock. I was aware some time ago of the feeling between you. You couldn’t disguise it from me. You have the glow of love upon you, Jessica. Oh, I thought, I must be watchful of this. I am always eager for scraps of information. One never knows how useful they will be. And now here is this. One of my people has been set to watch you.”
“You mean I’ve been followed!”
“To and from the little love nest. Naughty Jessica! But understandable, of course. I’m not blaming you and I shall keep your secret… as long as you keep mine.”
“And if I don’t?”
“It would be rather sad for that kind husband of yours to know that when his wife comes to London it is to be with her lover. You would not want that?”
I was silent. I felt as though the walls of the room were closing in on me. I wanted to shout out to him to go away. He terrified me. He had changed a little. His face had become evil. He was like someone who had removed the mask he had been wearing and now showed himself for what he really was.
He was smiling at me cynically, sardonically, horribly.
“That’s our little bargain,” he said. “You don’t tell on me and I don’t tell on you.”
He came close to me, took my arm and brought his face near to mine. “Remember,” he said. “One word from you and I shall go straight to your husband and tell him of those jolly little occasions in Blore Street. Do you understand, Jessica?”
I nodded dumbly. Then I wrenched myself away and ran from the room.