Above Rubies (11 page)

She bit her lip, remembering how she’d intended to ask Benjamin, then learned that he was already invited to Rossie House. She should have expected that, she thought unhappily, and maybe it was just as well if she was going to be in the kitchen most of the day.

Aunt Elizabeth heartily approved of Nigel when he called to take Sylvia out. At first he had also asked Merry, but last time she’d been much too busy, and now he made no pretence of wanting anyone else but Sylvia. Merry introduced him to her aunt and uncle while they waited for her to get ready, and they were charming to him.

“How nice they can be,” thought Merry. “If only they were like this all the time, they could stay here always.”

Yet some time, long ago, the Neilsons had reduced everything to the level of L.S.D. and made no effort to be charming when they didn’t think it worth their while.

“I might find business a trifle boring because I don’t understand it,” Aunt Elizabeth was saying, “but jewellery is rather different. It’s such an ancient craft, and one can so admire a beautiful piece of jewellery, because man has actually dug it out of the ground and applied his skill to making something of beauty which will last for ever.”

“I suppose the same can be said for all forms of art, dear,” Uncle George boomed. “Pictures, sculpture ... that sort of thing
.
..
”

“Yes, but there’s something very
personal
about jewellery,” Aunt Elizabeth pointed out. “I mean you can’t
wear
a picture. You can only admire it on the wall, but you
can
feel that a piece of jewellery is your very own. Isn’t that so, Mr. Kilpatrick?”

Nigel was smiling, obviously charmed with both of them, then Sylvia ran lightly downstairs in the lovely new dress which Merry was struggling to pay for. She looked so beautiful that Nigel’s face went pale at the sight of her, then he flushed vividly. Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle George were full of pride, but it was to Nigel that Merry turned, wishing she could say what was in her heart. She was still fond of him, and admired him, though she knew she wasn’t in love with him.

“Be careful, Nigel,” she wanted to say. “She looks so beautiful, and so grown-up, but underneath she’s immature and irresponsible. Her heart still hasn’t been touched ... yet. She goes out with young men, and accepts their love because she enjoys it. It makes her love herself all the more. So please be careful
!”

But Merry’s thoughts and emotions had to be kept to herself as they waved the young couple away. There was still a great deal to do, and she would have to do it herself. Aunt Elizabeth had politely informed her of this.

“I’ve had to come here because George and I need a rest so,” she told Merry. “Surely you don’t think we’d enjoy burying ourselves in a backwater like Kilbraggan if we felt able to organise a normal Christmas, and dear Sylvia seems quite happy to be here at this time. It’s all fitting in very well. The house is fairly comfortable, even if it is pitifully old-fashioned. Some of it is very shabby, Merry, and I’m sure you could do something with it without spoiling its character, if you like its old-world atmosphere. I mean, those velvet curtains are badly faded now. Why hang on to ancient things like that? New ones wouldn’t be out of place. In fact, they’d make it a lot better. And that carpet in the hall is very worn...”

Merry sighed. She’d already tried to explain to Aunt Elizabeth that there wasn’t much money for extras, and she couldn’t afford to replace a lot of furnishings, but her aunt had merely looked bored and said it was all a matter of planning.

So now Merry hurried back to the kitchen, and began to make rum butter. Uncle George liked everything that was traditional at Christmas. Ten minutes later, Aunt Elizabeth put her head round the door to tell her that “that young man” had called.

She’d already met Benjamin, but had lost interest in him from the start when she learned he was the artist living in the Cot House.

“Oh, dear,” sighed Merry, looking round the kitchen. She had several things to do, then she must tidy it all up in case it got out of hand. Mrs. Cameron would be upset if her lovely kitchen became cluttered and soiled for her coming back.

“Benjamin can come in here,” she said decidedly. “We’re working together on a children’s book,” she added, as Aunt Elizabeth looked at her suspiciously and rather disapprovingly. She considered that Merry was inclined to be irresponsible in the friends she made. Some day she must explain all about Benjamin, thought Merry rather tiredly, but at the moment it didn’t matter.

A moment later Benjamin walked through, a frown of displeasure on his face.

“What’s the idea of this?” he said. “Cast yourself for the role of Cinderella? I saw Sylvia and Nigel go off gallivanting in his car, and I came over expecting that only desk work was keeping you at home. Now I find you’re the scullery maid, waiting hand and foot on the aunt and uncle. Where’s Mrs. Cameron?”

“Nursing her sister and brother-in-law. There’s ’flu in the village.”

“I know,” said Nigel. “As a matter of fact, old Jake Grieve is down with it very bad. I hope he gets the spunk to fight it. I like that old boy.”

“You know all the villagers well, don’t you?” asked Merry softly
.

“Yes, and I believe you’re beginning to know most of them yourself. You’ve really settled down here, haven’t you?”

“I love it,” said Merry. “I wasn’t awfully
happy with
—
”

She broke off, wondering why she was suddenly rambling on like this. It was none of Benjamin’s business anyway.

“Then why land yourself with them like this?” he asked softly. “I don’t mind seeing you work yourself to the bone in your own interests, or even for people you love and who care about you, but not after an ungrateful family. Your Aunt Ellen wouldn’t like it.”

“They’re all the family I’ve got,” she repeated to Benjamin, as she’d done to Mrs. Cameron.

“Well, you’d be better off without, as, I am,” he said. “I don’t like to see you slaving while others are enjoying themselves, and I hate a girl without spunk who just lets people walk over her, and take things away from her, while she doesn’t lift a finger in protest. She just sits in the kitchen and lets it all happen.”

Merry’s cheeks flamed furiously. There were times when Benjamin went too far, and it angered her in spite of her love for him. He’d no right to talk to her like this!

“For heaven’s sake, try to help yourself a bit more,” he told her. “You know what you want, so don’t let little butterflies like Sylvia steal your cake. Show a bit of fight, can’t you?” Merry’s eyes cleared, as she realised Benjamin wasn’t pleased about Sylvia going off with Nigel. He thought she still cared for Nigel.

“I don’t mind Nigel taking her out,” she said slowly.

“But you’re still fond of him?” asked Benjamin.

Merry turned away, wishing she could explain that it wasn’t love, because she now knew what love was. She couldn’t bear the look on Benjamin’s face if he found out she’d been stupid enough to fall in love with him. He might be kind, or he might try to laugh her out of it. Either way, she knew she couldn’t bear it. Better to let him think it was still Nigel, so she just nodded a little.

“Oh well,” he said, easing his bulk out of a sagging chair.

“There are all kinds of fools, and I can only think of one bigger one than you.”

“Wait a minute, you haven’t had anything to drink.”

“And I don’t want it,” he returned, his face suddenly cold and hard. “Feed it to the relatives, then be sure you wash up and dry all by yourself, and put hot water bottles in all their beds, including Sylvia’s. And you’d better sit up and wait for her, and have her hot drink ready, too.”

Tears stung Merry’s eyes.

“If you’ve said your piece...” she told him huskily, and Benjamin took her shoulders and turned her round to face him, then bent and kissed her swiftly.

“I suppose if you were any different, you
wouldn’t be you,” he said, roughly, “but I wish you’d start thinking of yourself for a change.”

So that he wouldn’t have to think about her, thought Merry dejectedly. The kiss had seared her lips and she felt her heart beating like an excited bird in her breast. Her tears spilled over as the door closed firmly behind him. Even if there was no Stephanie, he couldn’t love her because he despised her and thought her soft and spineless. Sighing, she thought of the small secret gift she had bought him for Christmas in a moment of mad impulse. They were a small pair of lovely gold cufflinks, and as much as she could afford. Now she knew she must hide them away, and buy a tie or a book token. The gift would be a complete give-away.

Sylvia came dow
nstairs
the following morning with the news that she wanted to spend Christmas at Rossie House. She could stay there overnight, and have Christmas dinner with the Kilpatricks, who were having a small party.

“You were invited, too, darling,” she told Merry sweetly, “but I knew you’d be busy here.”

“But surely you’ll want Christmas dinner with your parents, Sylvia,” "Merry protested. A day all by herself with Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle George wouldn’t exactly be full of excitement.

Aunt Elizabeth wavered. It
. would
be rather dull, with only Merry to keep them company,
and if it hadn’t been the fact that she hated cooking, it might have been better just to have her and George on their own. If only that Mrs. Cameron hadn’t gone and taken ’flu herself now. Really, the place was m
o
st unhygienic, and she’d been having to use a gargle and mouthwash herself, and encourage George to follow suit.

Still, she liked Sylvia being friends with the Kilpatricks. They were obviously people of substance, and Nigel was charming. Sylvia could do a lot worse for herself.

“All right, darling,” she conceded. “I suppose it wouldn’t be proper to hang on to such a popular girl as yourself at Christmas time. I expect we quieter ones will have to get along without you.”

Merry bit her lip. She knew she ought to assert herself and refuse to be the doormat Benjamin accused her of being. She ought to insist that Sylvia should stay and help a
little
, then both could go to the party.

But she suddenly felt rather tired. She had to go to the village now, for some last-minute groceries, and to see Mrs. Cameron who had collapsed with ’flu after attending her sister. Merry had a nice gift for her, a neat brown handbag which she knew would match her coat, and she hoped it would cheer Mrs. Cameron up if she took it now.

There hadn’t been much money for Christmas gifts, not after foolishly buying Benjamin that present, but she had tried to choose wisely. Now she wondered if her gifts weren’t a bit dull, after watching Sylvia tie up several pieces
o
f
nonsense into fairy-like packages. Sylvia chose amusing, novelty things, or small pieces of luxury which rarely lasted after Christmas Day, but were lots of fun at the time. Nevertheless, it would have been nice to take her gifts to Rossie House and tie them to the huge Christmas tree to have them distributed by Mr. Kilpatrick in his Father Christmas costume. Instead, Merry found time to slip over to Rossie House on the afternoon of Christmas Eve and hand in her small parcels. The ones for Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle George she saved for Christmas day.

There was still magic about Christmas, thought. Merry on Christmas morning. Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle George seemed to shed their veneer of selfishness and become quite sweet towards her. If only it would last! thought Merry.

By her plate she found several small packages which, had been sent over from Rossie House, and the welcome gift of a good pair of gloves from Aunt Elizabeth and a bottle of perfume from Uncle George. Stephanie had chosen a book of poems; and Nigel’s gift gave her a great deal of pleasure when she opened the long jeweller’s box to find a pretty pendant. It was a tiger’s eye, set in silver on a silver chain, and Merry loved it on sight. Later she found that Sylvia had also received a pendant, hers being a lovely cultured pearl in a gold heart-shaped setting on a fine gold chain. Sylvia admired it, but would secretly have liked something more flamboyant.

Merry set aside all packing, and her few small gifts including the wisp of lace handkerchief from Sylvia, and tried not to feel too disappointed that there was nothing from Benjamin.

Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle George complimented her on the Christmas dinner, then retired to doze a little and watch television while Merry cleared away. She was still polishing glasses, when the kitchen door opened, and Benjamin walked in.

“Why aren’t you at Rossie House?” he demanded without preamble. “I seem to do nothing else these days but talk to you across a tea towel.”

“Oh, Benjamin!” she cried, near to tears with sudden tiredness of spirit. “Please don’t start again. Can’t you wish me a Merry Christmas instead? Look what Nigel’s given me!”

She held out the tiger’s eye pendant for his inspection.

“Very nice,” he said briefly. “Perhaps you’ll find this a bit tame, then. Thanks for the tie, by the way.”

She flushed.

“It was a poor sort of gift. Actually I
...
er ...
had something else in mind..
.”

She opened her small parcel, and exclaimed with pleasure at the dainty charm bracelet, with a tiny silver typewriter already fixed to it.

“I thought it might be fun to add a few charms now and again,” he said awkwardly, and she felt a surge of pleasure at his words. Should she run upstairs and retrieve his cufflinks? she wondered. Then she bit her lip to restrain herself. Benjamin still belonged to Stephanie. Nothing had changed, nothing at all.

“Are you coming over now?” he asked.

“Has Stephanie ... I mean, does she know you’re here?”

“The Kilpatricks gave you a firm invitation for today,” said Benjamin. “It was contained in a note sent to you via your cousin. I understand you only sent a verbal refusal, also via your cousin, and I was tempted to think you didn’t get the note.”

She shook her head.

“I didn’t.”

“Then get a move on. I’ll wait for you. And don’t keep throwing Stephanie at me every five minutes. Whatever
y
ou think of her, she’s no fool.”

“No,” said Merry, “I know she isn’t.”

“I suppose Nigel ou
g
ht to have come,
but...”