High Master of Clere (25 page)

CHAPTER X

Presently there was time for the questions; for the happy Whys? and Hows? and Whens? which explored the still uncharted country between them.

‘
How was I to guess what you felt about me?
’
Verity wanted to know.
‘
You snubbed me roundly the day you arrived and you
’
ve kept me firmly in my place ever since.
’

Daniel retorted,
‘
Don
’
t flatter yourself! That day you and Lance only registered with me as a couple of aborigines expecting to be traded down the river. But—
“
ever since
”
? May I remind you you
’
ve a pretty turn of arm
’
s-length stuff yourself? What about the time you called me
“
just
”
—as if it burned your tongue?
’

‘
Oh, that
!’
Verity laughed.
‘
I was working off my resentment against Jane, I think. But
’
—
this she found difficult to express—
‘
I didn
’
t mean
“
in my place
”
as your secretary. I
’
m not narrow enough to mind that. But there have been other times—out-of-school times when you
’
ve been specially kind and then you
’
ve suddenly withdrawn, gone out of reach. And that hurt.
’

‘
Times such as
?
You must quote occasions
!’

She laughed again.
‘
How many? Well, here
’
s one. You see, I had realized, and Mother has admitted it since, that she was indulging a pipe
-
dream about a match between you and me. And I thought, if you knew it too, that could explain why, whenever we seemed to move nearer to each other, if only as friends, you always—pushed me away and reheated again.
’

There was a pause. Then Daniel said gently,
‘
My sweet, this can
’
t hurt you now. But I confess it was
why. It wasn
’
t long after that first day that I knew all you meant to me. But I also knew just what your mother was up to, bless her, and if there is one fundamental right a man has, it
’
s to choose his own woman for himself, not to be jockeyed towards even the right one in someone else
’
s time. Do you see?
’

‘
And I was—the right one?
’

‘
Silly question—silly answer. Now may I ask some?
’

‘
Not yet. So that, the night Nash died and I practically begged you to kiss me, you retreated then because you thought Mother wasn
’
t the only one making the pace? That I was too?
’

‘
You?
’
Daniel exploded.
‘
My darling girl, I
never saw myself as a starter with you
—
Why
did
you make it easy for me to kiss you?
’

Because I wanted you to
!’

‘
Wanted
me
to? You
’
re sure? It wasn
’
t just because I happened to be there?
’

‘
If it had been, I shouldn
’
t have been so—so mortified when you practically patted me on the head and told me I
’
d feel differently in the morning
!’

‘
Patted your head? I did nothing of the kind. I kissed you, didn
’
t I? And if you knew how badly I wanted to in a way you couldn
’
t mistake! But you were all too vulnerable that night and I felt it wasn
’
t fair to trade on your desolation over Nash. Besides, I wasn
’
t sure then how things stood between you and Wales. Later I thought I knew. And later still Jane Dysart put a construction on your relationship with him that sounded pretty nasty. I didn
’
t let her see it mattered, but to my jealousy it did
—
too much. She accused you of
—’

Verity nodded.
‘
Ira told me Jane hinted that I couldn
’
t leave any man alone and that I was trying to take Bob away from his girl-friend. As if I could compete, the way she
’
s been playing him like a fish
for long enough! Anyway, they got engaged on Christ
ma
s Eve and Bob has been going about in a cloud of ecstasy ever since. And you see, Bob and I have been doing that kind of thing for years
—
saving face for each other when we were in a spot. I
’
d
asked
him to take me to the Golden Strand because I wanted to flaunt him at you.
’

Daniel grimaced.
‘
You flaunted
him
too successfully. But why?
’

‘
Because I didn
’
t want you to think I had any part in Mother
’
s matchmaking for us. Besides, there was Ira
—’

‘
Ira
?’
Daniel looked as if he had missed the allusion.

‘
You went to the Golden Strand Gala with her and you kissed her that night, didn
’
t you?
’

His eye gleamed wickedly.
‘
Let
’
s say that, like you, she made it difficult for me to refuse. But how did you know? Did she claim my scalp later?
’

‘
She had boasted beforehand that she could, and I didn
’
t doubt it. And talk about flaunting! She had everyone beginning to watch for developments between you.
’

‘
Exactly.
’
Daniel appeared to be relishing a
private joke.
‘
As astute and devious a young
woman as I
’
ve ever enjoyed observing at close quarters, Ira,
’
he added.

‘
Close? You can say that again!
’
quipped Verity.
‘
But what do you mean about Ira?
’

‘
Just that I have a theory about her. But I think I
’
ll leave you to find out, and if I
’
m wrong you
may name your own price for a
—
Anything you
specially want?
’

Verity traced the line of his sleeve down to his hand and turned that palm upwards.
‘
Nothing now. I—seem to have got it,
’
she whispered.

‘
And if I have, what have I done to deserve it,
I wonder
?’
He drew her to him again, his kiss and
his
touch at first gentle, then urgent, hungry, summoning her response and her promise in the lovers
’
language which has no need of words. There was still so much to say. But for the moment touch and sight and their straining nearness said it all.

A long time later Daniel asked,
‘
When do you expect this theatre party home? And I hope you realize all—this is going to show?
’

As if she could conceal the miracle by cooling her flushed cheeks and smoothing her ruffled hair, Verity ran her hands over both.
‘
Oh, not to all of them, surely? Not
yet
!’

‘
But certainly to your mother. She
’
ll be surprised and pleased to see me, and then she has only to look at you. Do you mind?
’

‘Do
you
?”

Daniel grinned.
‘I
can
’
t wait to see her reaction, and I
’
ll
eat my own words, seasoned to taste, if she doesn
’
t claim it as entirely her unaided work
!’

‘
Not wholly unaided, is my guess,
’
Verity laughed.
‘
I think she
’
ll give our stars credit for some of it.
’

They were both right, and by the next day everyone at Clere knew.
Mrs.
Lytton saw to that, and in hearing her tell the news to all and sundry they allowed her the airy assertion that
‘
naturally a mother sensed these things
’
and that she had
‘
seen it coming for quite some time
’
. Only to Verity, when they had sat late talking overnight, had she admitted that since she had learned Verity
’
s secret, she had only let herself hope
...
and pray.

Bob Wales, told when he rang to give good news of Ted in hospital, said,
‘
Well, blow me! So
that
’
s
what that Golden Strand caper was in aid of! You can tell Verity I
’
ll scrag her, if she doesn
’
t come
clean with the whole story, chapter and verse!
’
And though Lance
’
s first reaction was a blank,
‘
You
’
re joking, of course. Try pulling the other one, why not?
’
both Verity and Daniel agreed in their impression that he saw advantage and added prestige in the prospect of owning a brother-in-law as High Master and a sister as
‘
Mrs.
High
.’

The one person whom
Mrs.
Lytton most wanted to confound with her triumphant tidings escaped her until the evening of that day. Ira had left Clere early to join Jane, who was staying near the hospital until Nicholas was off the danger list. Ira had told the maids at West House that she might not return herself that night. But shortly after dusk her taxi drove past and
Mrs.
Lytton suggested asking her to dinner, murmuring,
‘
Such a pity for the poor girl to have to eat all alone,
’
as if she had no other motive in the world for the invitation than that she found unbearable the thought of Ira
’
s solitary meal.

She was a long time on the inter-house phone and rejoined Verity slightly deflated.

In answer to Verity
’
s question—
‘
Oh yes, Ira will come to dinner. Delighted, she said. And when I told her about you and Daniel she said all the right things—congratulations to Daniel and how pleased she was for you. But she said,
“
It goes to show just what a good publicity agent can do, doesn
’
t it?
”
and when I asked her what she meant, she only laughed. And then what do you think?—she came out with the news that she
’
s engaged herself! To Guy Tabor! After all I did for that man in the way of moral support and tipping him off about Klosters, and not a word from him since to thank me
!’
concluded
Mrs.
Lytton indignantly.

Verity had to laugh.
‘
You
’
ll have to make successful intrigue its own reward, Mother darling!
But it
’
s certainly a surprise. Did Ira tell you how it all came about—that she had accepted Guy Tabor? Or when she did?
’

‘
No, though it must have been after he went on that Munich trip, or the Dysarts and Daniel would have known. But we had to ring off, as Ira was expecting an inward call from Jane, reporting on Nicholas. So she asked if you would walk over to West before dinner. She seemed to want to see you alone. You
’
ll go, dear, I expect?
’

Verity went, to find Ira ready with drinks. As she handed Verity her choice, she drawled,
‘
Well, I dare say we can take the mutual good wishes as read? I just wanted to say
“
Sorry
”
to you in private, for needing to be home and dry myself before I let you off the hook. Or hasn
’
t it dawned even yet what I was up to with your Daniel?
’