[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
portant member. She would like to show Hugh Dyson that
his comparison had not been well chosen.
"I'll try for you," she said. "Any particular day?"
He almost stopped, and stared at her. "Will you really
do it. Pat? I may call you Pat, mayn't I? I thought it would
be much more difficult to convince you ... to persuade
you . . ." He broke off, confused but suddenly happy in
a charming, boyish way, and the brown eyes shone brighter
than ever as they searched the grey. "I'll be everlastingly
grateful. Any day will do, any day at all, preferably straight
after school. Can you find out by the week-end?"
"I'll ask him this evening."
"Then you can tell me on Saturday. Will you go to Exeter
with me on Saturday morning? I have to buy some books,
and we could have lunch there and find something to do in
the afternoon. I'll borrow a car!"
After that he took her arm with more confidence, and
the smallness of her wrist in his grasp and elbow against
his side dispersed his embarrassment. His manner had the
complacency of victory.
He left her at the great wrought-iron gates, and as she
went along the drive Pat was pleased she had decided to
help him. She knew that his life had been lonely without
excitement, that his shyness disguised a sensitive nature, and
she recalled her father saying that Hugh needed to be en-
couraged to value his own talents.
Simon would not refuse the request, she was sure. The
boys' visit could be arranged to coincide with his absence
from Craigwood, and in any case, the picture gallery could
be reached as well from the back of the house as from the
front.
Involuntarily, as she crossed the lawn, Pat's heart began
to beat faster. She would speak to him after dinner tonight,
follow him to the'terrace when he went out for a smoke.
How fortunate that there were to be no guests this evening
unless he begged his tennis companions to change and
come back. But it was unlikely that he would; the Belton
twins were vivacious but not conspicuously intelligent, and
Simon'soon became impatient of repetitive small talk.
Quite a crowd seemed to be having tea in the drawing-
, room. They were laughing and chattering above the clinking
of cups and plates, and Mansell came from the kitchen
with a long-suffering expression and a pot of tea.
Pat went straight to the office to dear up the desk. Across
the top of the typewriter lay a sheet of paper containing
a long list' of names, presumably of people whom Marion
proposed to invite to dinner next week. The last few names
were not in Marion's round feminine hand; they had been
scribbled in by Simon, and for that reason alone Pat could
not help reading them first.
She took them in, and a feather of chill air blew about
her. Her hands were shaking. Four of the names in Simon's
writing were completely unknown to her, but sandwiched
comfortably between them was one she did know: "Mrs.
Max Bristow". "
" She drew a sharp breath. Elise Bristow, the woman he
had loved, was coming to Craigwood, at Simon's invita-
tion. Pat couldn't take it in, couldn't face fhe implications;
they stung'like splinters of glass.'
" She still stood there, one hand dendied at her side and
the other holding the list, when a sound came from behind
her, in the doorv/ay. She didn't tarn round.
"Come along, Patricia," said Simon, in those infuriating,
mocking tones of his, "or the tea will be all gone, andjou
deserve it more than most of us. You've done far too much
work for one day." " »
His hand touched her shoulder and she stiffened; in a
moment of helpless anger she''coui}d have thrust him aside.
Habit came to her aid. She twisted and looked at him
coolly.
"I've finished. The rest can wait till tomorrow."
At her tone his brows rose. "How you need that tea!"
he murmured, and stood aside to let her pass.
Frightened by the upmsh of her own emotions, her
sinews contracted with the control she had imposed upon
herself, Pat preceded him into the corridor and walked at
his side to the lounge. She had forgotten that tonight she
had intended asking a favor of Simon; forgotten eveity-
thing save that Elise Bristow had come back into his life.
*
It was next morning, while Marion was snipping flowers
in the garden, that Pat spoke to Simon about Hugh Dyson.
The two of them were standing some way. off from Marion,
72
near a seat beneath an ancient oak tree, and Simon was
staring negligently ^over the grass which swept broadly
down to the willows at the edge of the river. He wore rid-
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]