The Five-Minute Marriage (22 page)

She noticed
Durnett
, the maid, again favor Mrs. Carteret with a very searching glance. The latter, who had been following this conversation in a vague and troubled manner, gazed at the two younger ladies, wide-eyed.

“
Delphie?
”
she said in a puzzled and perturbed voice.
“
What is all this about? What uncle does this young lady refer to? And why should you both assert that you are the same person? I do not perfectly comprehend what you are saying.
”

“
Do not trouble your head about it, Mamma; I am sure it will all be straightened out,
”
Delphie said gently.

“
But,
”
burst out Elaine, without taking the least notice of Mrs.
Carteret,
“
how can
I
be accepted as the
true
Miss Carteret, if
you
are married to Gareth Penistone?
”

Plainly this was her chief and keenly felt cause of grievance; when she pronounced the words
Gareth Penistone
her voice took on a covetous, admiring note, as if she had said
the crown jewels.

“
Married to Gareth Penistone?
”
said Mrs. Carteret perplexedly.
“
Delphie, do you think the young lady is a little feverish? Much of what she says appears to be nonsense. Perhaps she ought to be laid down with some hartshorn or spirits of ammonia?
”

Delphie said with composure,
“
Do not let it distress you, Mamma, it is all a kind of silly tangle, which will be unraveled in time, I am certain.
”
And to Miss Elaine, she said,
“
If only you will be a little patient, ma
’
am, I believe it will help matters!
I
have not the least wish in the world to be married to Mr. Gareth Penistone, I assure you. But I am persuaded that nothing can be done at the moment, the more particularly since my uncle is in town—
”

“
What
?”
exclaimed Elaine, bounding out of her chair.
“
Great
-
uncle Mark is here? In Hanover Square? Is Mordred here too? Why did not he
tell
me?
”

“
Lord Bollington arrived only this morning,
”
Delphie said.

“
You
seem to know a great deal about it. Pray, how comes it that
you
are so well informed?
”

Delphie noticed that the hard-featured maid had abandoned all pretense of tidying the desk and had moved a little nearer, listening intently.

“
I happened—quite by chance—to observe Lord Bollington in his coach in the Strand this morning,
”
Delphie replied.

“
Then—then there is no time to be lost! Will you write the declaration I require? Renouncing any claim to the Penistone money?
”

“
No. I certainly shall not,
”
said Delphie.
“
I do not see that I am under any such obligation to you to do so. For my part, matters may take their course.
”

“
Then—I consider that you are the most odious, detestable, disobliging—
”

“
Quiet, now, Miss!
”
said the maid, Durnett, sharply.
“
There
’
s no sense flying up into the boughs like that. Besides, you
’
re frightening Madam, there.
”

“
Oh—!
”
Elaine stamped her foot furiously upon the floor.
“
If you will not accede to my request, I wonder that you stay here where you are not wanted! Why do you not begone!
”

“
Miss, miss!
”
remonstrated the maid, and then, in a sharper tone,
“
For shame, Miss Elaine! Hold your tongue and try for a bit of conduct!
”

It was true that at Elaine
’
s outburst, Mrs. Carteret had made a sharp little movement of distress, half rising to her feet, and upsetting her glass of ratafia, which spilt down her skirts. Then she sank back again weakly, crying in a plaintive tone,

“
Delphie, I don
’
t like it here. I don
’
t like these angry voices and all this talk of
Bollington
and
Penistone!
I do not like it at all. Let us go! Take me away!
”

“
Very
well, Mamma; we will go directly,
”
said Delphie. And she added, to Miss Carteret,
“
I am only sorry we came. This discussion has done no good. And it has distressed my mother very much.
”

“
Go as soon as you please!
”

Delphie carefully assisted Mrs. Carteret to her feet.

“
Madam
’
s weak yet,
”
said the maid, watching with a vigilant gray eye.
“
Best let her have a sniff of this,
”
and she proffered a vinaigrette.

“
Thank you, but I believe she will do
,”
said Delphie, accepting it, however.

“
Best keep it for the moment, Miss. You never know but she might come over faint outside. Miss Elaine can send around to Greek Street for it tomorrow.
”

Delphie thanked her again, somewhat surprised by this unexpected solicitude, and then added,

“
But we are not in Greek Street any more. We have removed to Curzon Street.
”

Busy guiding her mother to the door, she did not see the look of consternation which appeared on Elaine
’
s face at this news. Elaine opened her mouth to make some protest or ejaculation; as Delphie turned in the doorway to say farewell, she was astonished to see the maid,
Durnett
, sharply box her mistress
’
s ears, as if this were the only way to bring her to reasonable behavior. Delphie could hardly believe her eyes. But she thought it best not to become embroiled any further, and busied herself with helping her trembling mother down the stairs.

“
Can you call my mother a chair?
”
she civilly asked the manservant when they were down in the hall.
“
She has come over a little faint.
”

“
Certainly, miss.
”

He stepped outside and returned in a moment to say that a chair was waiting.

Mrs. Carteret seemed relieved by the fresh air.

“
I don
’
t need that thing!
”
she said impatiently, pushing away the vinaigrette, which Delphie was offering.
“
I don
’
t want it! Put it in your reticule.
”

“
Very well,
”
Delphie said, and helped her mother into the chair.

“
Can you tell me, my man,
”
Mrs. Carteret inquired of the manservant,
“
what was the name of the gray-haired lady who came down the steps just as we arrived?
”

“
In a violet silk pelisse, ma
’
am?
”
he said, looking a little surprised.
“
Why, that was the mistress. That was Lady Bablock
-
Hythe!
”

Mrs. Carteret was unusually quiet and subdued all the way to Curzon Street. Delphie blamed herself bitterly for having allowed the visit to Miss Carteret. When they arrived at the new rooms, she could see that all these novelties together in one day were too much for her mother; Mrs. Carteret suffered herself to be shown around in silence, with a stunned, almost stupefied air which troubled her daughter very much.

“
Very handsome!
”
she murmured, absently, hardly appearing to take in what she saw.
“
Am I dreaming, Delphie, or are we really here? And did I dream that I saw Maria Gosport and those others
—
or did
that
really happen? I feel very much confused—too many things have been happening to me. After such a handsome nuncheon too—cold chicken and cake and fruit in wine! Far more than I am accustomed to take at midday. It has been too much for me, Delphie; I think that I had better lie down on my bed.
”

Delphie, with feelings of guilt that all these things should have occurred also on the day of her impulsive change of their abode, carefully assisted her mother to bed, helping her to undress and drawing the curtains.

“
Pray give me my handkerchief, dear,
”
feebly said Mrs. Carteret when she was upon the bed, and a mild breeze from the half-open window blowing upon her.

Delphie pulled out the handkerchief, and a biscuit fell out of the reticule.

“
I slipped it into my bag—for later on,
”
confessed Mrs. Carteret.
“
When they offered—so full of Mr. Browty
’
s delicious
—
but did not like to refuse altogether—
”

“
It looks rather dusty now,
”
Delphie said.

The biscuit was covered with fluff and hairs from the bottom of the bag, and looked very uninviting. Delphie dropped it out of the window onto the paving outside, where a covey of hungry sparrows immediately pounced upon it.

“
I will bring you a few of Madame Lumiere
’
s cakes, Mamma, when you are feeling a little better. Now, try to sleep a little.
”

“
Very well, child
...
Who
was that young lady?
”
Mrs. Carteret said fretfully.
“
And why was she saying such very strange things—that you are married to Gareth Penistone—that she and you are the same person? Is she deranged?
”

“
I do not think so, but I believe she may have a very turbulent temper. But do not fret about it, Mamma; it is all a stupid mistake which will be cleared up in time.
”

“
Well, I do not like it at all. It is very uncomfortable. And I do not wish to see that disagreeable girl again. Can you shut the window, child, the wind is blowing a draught.
”

“
Very well, Mamma.
”
Stepping back to do so, Delphie paused, frozen to the spot with horror. For where the ring of greedy energetic sparrows had been pecking away at the biscuit, five little dead birds now lay on the flagstones.

“
Mamma!
”
she said hoarsely after a moment.

“
Yes, dear? What is it? Why do you sound so strange?
”

“
Those biscuits that they served us—that Miss Carteret gave us. Did you eat any of yours?
”

“
No child—did I not just tell you? I put it in my bag.
”

“
The ratafia? Did you drink any of it?
”

“
Hardly a sip
,”
said Mrs. Carteret regretfully.
“
It was spilt, unfortunately. Why? Why do you ask?
”

Miss Carteret had sipped at her own ratafia, though, Delphie recollected. It must have been innocuous. But the vinaigrette! Where was that? What a merciful dispensation that her mother had not sniffed at it. She found the thing in her own reticule and walked with it toward the door—looked back, searchingly, at her mother, who now seemed more peaceful, drowsily settling toward sleep.

“
You know that girl—that disagreeable girl,
”
Mrs. Carteret murmured.
“
In the strangest way she reminds me of some occasion connected with
your
early life, Delphie. But I cannot call to mind what.
”

“
Try to sleep, Mamma!
”
whispered Delphie.
“
I will come back presently to see how you do.
”