The Five-Minute Marriage (24 page)

“
The deuce!
”
said Gareth.
“
Do you
know
this boy, Cousin Delphie?
”

“
Not at all! I saw him in the street, merely; gave him an old book.
”

“
It
’
s a kinchin,
”
pronounced Bardwell.
“
Gangs o
’
thieves uses
‘
em—they
’
re better for getting in winders and climbing up awkward places, see?
”

“
Lemme go!
”
whined the boy.
“
I didn
’
t take no vallybles! You can
’
t bone me for what I done!
”

“
Oh, can
’
t we! The Beak will be glad to see you in the morning
—
I dare say he knows you well! Until then you can spend the night in the coal cellar, tied up with the clothesline. Come along!
”

So saying, Bardwell approached the boy and grabbed him roughly.

“
Ay, that will teach the little varmint!
”
approved Mrs. Andrews.

But the boy, with an expert squirm, suddenly whipped away, as Bardwell was removing him from Delphie
’
s grasp, and in a flash was over the windowsill and away through the garden before anybody had the presence of mind to stop him.

“
Oh, well,
”
said Delphie, chafing her hands together—for they had been almost numbed by the strength with which she had been obliged to grasp him.
“
He had not taken anything, after all!
”

“
Oh!
”
quavered Mrs. Carteret.
“
I shall never be able to sleep securely in this room, if thieves are to be always breaking in and waking me up!
”

“
Ay,
”
remarked Mrs. Andrews,
“
a postern door do always make a thief!
”

“
Have no fear, ma
’
am,
”
said Gareth grimly.
“
Tomorrow morning we put bars across the window!
”

“
Bars
!”
objected Mrs. Carteret.
“
As well live in a prison!
”

“
Let us discuss it in the morning,
”
said Delphie, who found her mother
’
s analogy unfortunate.
“
I do not imagine the boy will return tonight! I am obliged to you all for coming to my aid so swiftly.
”

“
I am beyond anything vexed,
”
said Gareth, sounding it,
“
that such a thing should have occurred on your first night here.
”

“
Oh yes indeed,
”
agreed Delphie cordially.
“
After a week or so here I dare say we should not have regarded it in the slightest!
”
which earned her an outraged look from her cousin, as he retired with Bardwell.

“
In any case,
”
said Mrs. Carteret after they had gone,
“
now I bethink me of it, there was nothing at all of value in that desk, Only old papers—letters, and my wedding lines, and other such stuff. I presume the boy was looking for money, but he was sadly out of luck!
”

But Delphie, having returned the papers to their pigeonholes and checked that none were missing, locked the desk, and spent the rest of the night with the key under her pillow.

Next morning she encountered Gareth briefly, as she darted out on her way to give a lesson in Grosvenor Square.

“
How are you, cousin?
”
he inquired, viewing her carefully.
“
And how does your mother? I fear you must be somewhat anxious and distressed after the alarums of the night?
”

Delphie gave him her flashing smile, with the two dimples.

“
My dear cousin—how thoughtful you are! But pray do not waste your solicitude on us—we are in the very best of health and spirits. Why, since I have encountered you, I have hardly known what it is to be dull: life in your circle offers one interest after another—deathbed ceremonies, headlong carriage rides—poison
—
threats—housebreakers—really I cannot imagine how I endured the tedium and languor of my existence before I met you! But if you will excuse me, I am late for my lesson. I shall see you tonight. Pray, for my sake, do not be one minute later than twenty minutes before five o
’
clock!
”

And, leaving him looking rather blankly after her, she ran away up South Audley Street.

Great-uncle Mark arrived with terrifying punctuality, at exactly a quarter before five o
’
clock.

In the end it had been decided that it would be best to receive him on the ground floor: thus there would be less danger of his hearing any sound from the inmates of the top story. Furthermore, the Palgrave children had been bribed to be quiet as mice, by the offer of a trip with their uncle to Astley
’
s circus on the following evening.

“
Why not send them off tonight?
”
Delphie had suggested.
“
Then they would be out of the way altogether.
”

“
But suppose they returned just as Uncle Mark was taking his leave?
”
Gareth pointed out.

Delphie chuckled.
“
Very true! We should have to pretend that they were total strangers who had mistaken their direction and come to the wrong house. How one piece of deceit does lead on to another.
”

Gareth gave an impatient sigh and walked away, leaving her to regret her lighthearted words.

Bardwell had, in the course of the morning, carried down, leaf by leaf, a handsome dining table, which he had erected in Delphie
’
s front parlor. Then he had produced an epergne, various pieces of crested silver, and an elegant set of wineglasses.

“
Lucky we just got the silver out of hock,
”
he remarked laconically.
“
Mrs. Una had a lucky runner at Chester—Fly-by
-
Night. But don
’
t tell the guvnor! He don
’
t like it above half if she has a flutter!
”

Delphie promised that she would not mention the matter. But her opinion of Una went down still further.

“
If you care to leave the arrangement of the table to me, ma
’
am, I will see that all is as it should be,
”
Bardwell said.

“
Thank you, Bardwell! I am sure that you know more about such matters than I do,
”
Delphie said gratefully.

Uncle Mark
’
s fondness for game and dislike for ragouts and jellies had given Delphie, Mrs. Andrews, and Bardwell, who was called in to advise, very considerable need to exercise their wits, since game was far from plentiful in the month of May. The best they could achieve (Gareth having provided the necessary cash) was a goose-and-turkey pie, a capon dressed with artichokes, some buttered lobsters, and a sirloin of beef. This was followed, for a second course, by a pair of ducklings with cherries and green peas, various vegetables, a dish of apple tartlets, and some almond cakes
—
hardly an elegant repast, as Bardwell said, sighing, but at least a neat, plain dinner. However, since Lord Bollington spent so little time in town, was not in the habit of fashionable fare, and was known to be a frugal eater at home, Delphie hoped that the meal would do well enough. Fortunately Mrs. Andrews had proved to be a notable cook, and such dishes as they
had
managed to produce could not be faulted. Bardwell, casting his eye over the side board, announced that he thought they could all congratulate themselves.

Delphie had taken a great liking to Bardwell, a lean, spare, grayhaired personage who, she learned, had been his master
’
s batman in Spain, during the two years Gareth had served in the Peninsular War before, on his father
’
s death, he had been obliged to sell out of his regiment and return to assume the management of the manor at Horsmonden and his sister
’
s affairs.

This was all news to Delphie. And if she had not scrupled to ask questions of a servant, and if they had not all been so busy, she would have liked to find out much more. But, glancing at the carriage-clock, she exclaimed,

“
Mercy! My uncle will be here in half an hour! I had better go and dress directly!
”

She put on her white crape, and borrowed a silver necklace and a Norwich shawl from her mother, who, on hearing that company was expected, had declared that she did not wish to see
anybody
. Mrs. Carteret had kept her bed all morning, quite worn out with the fatigues and excitements of the previous day and night; she did get up in the afternoon for a short time to sit in the garden, but then returned to her bed at four, announcing that she should not stir from it again.

“
Mrs. Andrews can bring me a little soup when you dine; that is all I wish for. And perhaps a handful of almond cakes.
”

This decision was a relief to Delphie, who would have tried to persuade her mother to such a course had not Mrs. Carteret arrived at it independently. She had felt obliged, in honesty, to mention that Lord Bollington was expected, but when Mrs. Carteret said faintly,

“
Oh, heaven! Not
another
of them?
”
in a piteous manner, Delphie thought it best to drop the matter entirely. She would have been very apprehensive as to the effect of such a confrontation upon her mother
’
s nerves—though she could not repress some curiosity as to Lord Bollington
’
s reactions.

Gareth came downstairs at four-thirty, dressed plainly but correctly in knee breeches, silk stockings, a white waistcoat, and a long-tailed jacket; if his apparel was plainly far from new, at least it looked in good trim.

“
You are as fine as fivepence, cousin,
”
Delphie told him politely.

“
You, too!
”
he responded.
“
I am afraid all this is a dead bore for you, and much more nuisance than I had intended; I must indeed apologize. I hope that Bardwell has done most of the work?
”

“
Pray don
’
t think of it,
”
said Delphie, smilingly waving aside all the hours she had spent in rolling pastry, paring apples, podding peas, boning, stoning, stuffing, larding, basting, stirring, beating, and chopping, under Mrs. Andrews
’
s exacting eye.
“
After all, think in what an excellent cause! To earn my uncle
’
s favor must be an object with us all!
”

He gave her an ironical glance, but only observed,
“
You have a dab of flour on your nose, cousin.
”

“
Thank you—I must have got it when I took those wretched pies from the oven,
”
she said, rubbing at it.
“
What a fortunate thing you informed me! Do I hear a carriage outside?
”

“
You
still
have not got it—here—
”
he said impatiently, and, laying a light hand on her shoulder, turned up her face with the other hand. For a moment their faces were so close that she could see his eyes were not black but a very dark brown; she had the oddest feeling that he might kiss her—he did look very intently into her eyes—but at that moment came a loud peal on the doorbell, and he gently rubbed the end of her nose with his handkerchief, before moving quickly into the hallway, bracing his shoulders as he did so.

Evidently it took some little time for Lord Bollington to be extracted from his carriage, supported across the pavement, and inducted into the house; but at last he appeared in the parlor doorway, limping heavily, assisted by a thick ebony cane. As he gave a peevish glance about him, Delphie swept him her best curtsy.