The India Fan (15 page)

Faces seemed to swim in and out of my mind. The Duchess the scientist the man with his fires all waiting for Death and so many of the women for a new life to begin. I pictured Agatha cheerful grin, Emmeline wistful looks and Miriam tortured face. I was aware of Aunt Emily secret smile as she smiled at me as though she were saying: Youl never escape you will be here forever cosy cosy

I awoke crying out, o, no.

Then I realized I was in my own familiar bed and it was only a dream. I was free.

Lavinia came over the next day.

et ride,she said, and we rode out together, for being finished young ladies we could rides long as there were two of usithout a groom in attendance.

She said, t the only way I can really feel safe to talk. There are so many people around. I feel they might be listening. My mother is talking about a London season.

he doesn guess anything?

f course not. Why should she?

y father asks awkward questions about Lindenstein.

h, it too far away for people to know about. A London season, think of that!

o you want it?

f course I want it. I want to marry a rich man so that I can pay off Aunt Emily. The woman a shark.

ou didn think that when you went to her.

didn know it was going to cost so much.

ow long is it going to take you to pay?

ore than a year unless I can get Mama to top up my allowance.

hy don you ask Fabian?

couldn tell him what I wanted it for and he want to know.

ouldn you tell him it a secret?

ou don understand Fabian. He wants to know everything. That how he has always been. No. Il have to pay it out of my own allowance until I find a rich husband.

I looked at her wonderingly that she could talk so. Did she never think of little Fleur? Did she not want to be with her baby sometimes?

I asked her.

h yes,she replied, ut I can, can I? Those two will look after her. They love her already.

shall go down and see them soon. I want to see Fleur, too.

h good! You can let me know how she is.

I marvelled at how rapidly she was regaining her old assurance. The submissive, fearful Lavinia was fast disappearing. She had overcome her misfortune and was, I could see, ready for adventure again.

She could think of little but the coming season. How she would revel in it. She was already regaining her healthy looks; she was even preening herself, certain that she would become the debutante of the season.

I went once or twice to Framling. I saw Lady Harriet, who was gracious in a detached sort of way. I was no longer of importance in her scheme of things. I had served my purpose as Lavinia steadying companion over the school years and was now relegated to my proper positionhe rather plain rector daughter.

Lavinia excitement grew. Such plans there were. Lady Harriet was having her schooled in certain accomplishments. She would soon be leaving with Lavinia for their London residence and there Lavinia would be put through her paces, learning how to curtsey, how to dance the new fashionable dances and certain matters of deportment; and of course she must visit the Court dressmakers. She was to be presented at Easter time.

All through the winter I saw little of Lavinia. I had written several letters to Polly and she reported the progress of Fleur. The child was flourishing. There wasn a baby like her on the common. She and Eff took it in turns to wheel her out; and they had that nice bit of garden at the back where she could be in her pram.

She already knew them, and did she kick up a fuss when she wanted a bit of a cuddle!

I imagined there would be plenty of its of cuddlefor Fleur, and I rejoiced, as I had throughout my life, for the good fortune which had brought Polly into my life.

Christmas camelways a busy time for us at the rectory. There were the usual servicesidnight mass on Christmas eve, the carol servicend before that the decorating of the church, organized by church workers, but my father had to be present, of course. We had friends from the neighbourhood to dinner on Christmas Day. They were the doctor, his family, and the solicitor and his wife.

There was a good deal of entertaining at Framling. Fabian was home. I saw him once or twice. He would call a greeting and give me that somewhat cryptic smile, which I had come to expect from him.

ello, Drusilla,he said. inished school now?

es,I told him.

ow you are really a grown-up young lady.

What was there to say? He smiled as though it were a great joke that I had grown up.

He did not stay long at Framling. I heard from Mrs. Janson, who had it from the Framling cook, that he would be going to India soon; and that he was in London most of the time, in the offices there, learning about the East India Company, with which the Framling family had been concerned ever since it came into existence.

I wrote to Polly and sent Christmas presents to them, among them a little jacket for Fleur. Polly wrote back, but her letters were full of how the baby was getting on, how she smiled at Polly first, only Eff wouldn have it, that that was not a smile. It was only a bit of wind, said Eff, determined to be the first to win recognition from the baby. In February, Lavinia and Lady Harriet went to London. The weather was extremely cold and my father caught a chill, which turned to bronchitis. He was quite ill and most of my time was spent nursing him.

A curate came to help out. He was Colin Brady, a fresh-faced, earnest young man who was quickly popular with the household. Mrs. Janson cossetted him and the others followed her lead. He was very much liked in the neighbourhood.

I was pleased that he had come, for willingly he took all the onerous tasks from my father shoulders; he very quickly became part of the household.

He and I got along well together. We both enjoyed reading and discussing what we had read. There was an air of innocence about him which I found refreshing. He would discuss his sermons with me and he always listened to my ideas. I seemed to take more part in church affairs than I had when my father was in charge.

My father health was improving, but, as Mrs. Janson said, he had to take care. We never allowed him to go out if the wind was cold; it was really quite touching to see how Colin Brady was always there when there was a question of my father doing something which would be too much for him, and doing it himself in an unostentatious way.

I was very grateful to him and very glad that he was there, until I began to notice the surreptitious looks that came to us, not only from Mrs. Janson, but from the servants and certain of the parishioners. They had decided that the ideal solution was for me to marry Colin and that he should take over completely, thus solving the future of my father, Colin and myself in one swoop.

The result was that they had spoilt my pleasant relationship with the curate. I liked him very much, but the thought of what was in people mind concerning us made me less comfortable in his presence.

With the coming of the spring my father was almost back to normal.

e a marvel,said Mrs. Janson. hey say creaking doors go on for a long time.

Fabian came to Framling and with him was Dougal Carruthers. Lady Harriet and Lavinia were still in London. I was writing regularly to Polly and received news of the baby. I told Polly that I wanted to come and see them, but in view of my father health I had not been able to do so before. But now that he was better I wanted to arrange a visit. Polly wrote back that the baby was a little love, bright as a button, and did she know how to get her own way! I was not to worry about her and when I did come I could be sure of a big welcome.

Dear, dear Polly! What would I have done without her? What would Lavinia have done? I imagined her now being presented to the Queen, going to balls and parties; she would have completely forgotten the bogus Comte just as she had Jos. But could she have forgotten Fleur? I could not believe even Lavinia would do that.

I decided that I would go to London during the following week.

Dougal called to see my father. He stayed to tea and my father greatly enjoyed his visit. I was pleased to see him so animated, looking as well as he had before the winter.

When Dougal left I conducted him to the hall and thanked him for calling.

ut it was a pleasure,he said.

t has done my father so much good. He has been rather ill and that makes him low in spirit.

hope I may come again.

lease do. My father will be delighted to see you at any time.

ou too, I hope.

I did not expect him to come again so soon, but the next afternoon he presented himself. It was another pleasant teatime and my father said, o come and dine with us. There is so much we have to talk about.

should greatly enjoy that,replied Dougal, ut I am a guest at Framling. I could hardly leave my host.

ring him too,said my father rashly.

ay I? I am sure he would be delighted to come.

Mrs. Janson was slightly less than delighted. She did not like the idea of entertaining hem up at the House,and of course Sir Fabian would be our guest.

I said, on worry. Just forget who he is.

he trouble with them Framlings is they never let you forget who they are.

And so Fabian came to dine.

He took my hands and held them for a few moments in a warm grip.

hank you for letting me come,he said, somewhat insincerely, I thought, for I was sure he was not in the least grateful to be invited to our humble dwelling.

r. Carruthers suggested it,I told him.

He raised his eyebrows as though he were amused. In fact I was beginning to feel that most of the time he regarded me with amusement.

he Rector has an astonishing knowledge of ancient Greece,said Dougal. e has some quite unusual ideas.

ow fascinating!said Fabian, continuing to smile at me.

I took them to the drawing room, where my father was seated in his chair. Colin Brady was with him.

think you all know each other,I said.

don think we have met,said Fabian, eyeing Colin closely.

r. Brady came to help my father when he was ill and we are hoping he is going to stay with us.

hat must be useful,said Fabian.

nd Mr. Brady this is Sir Fabian Framling.

Colin was a little in awe of Fabian. He knew he came from the influential family that ruled the village.

Soon we were seated at table. Mrs. Janson had excelled herself and the maids had been given detailed instructions as to how they were to behave.

Dougal was in conversation with my father, with Colin Brady now and then throwing in a remark. Fabian turned to me.

id you enjoy Lamason?he asked.

t was a most interesting experience,I told him.

think my sister found it so, too.

am sure she did.

nd now you are back what shall you do?

suppose I just go on living here.

He nodded.

My father was talking about the ancient civilizations that flourished for a while and then passed away.

t is a pattern,said Dougal. mpires rise and fall. I suppose the most significant fall was that of the Roman Empire. All over Europe you can see the remains of that civilization in spite of the fact that its fall was followed by the Dark Ages.

Then I heard my father say, rusilla was at Lindenstein only recently.

indenstein,said Dougal. ow that is a very interesting spot. You remember it, Fabian.He turned to me. abian and I did a kind of grand tour. We visited all the conventional places, didn we, Fabian? But we did stray from the beaten track now and then. Actually we were quite near Lindenstein.

I felt myself flushing a little. I was always uncomfortable when there was reference to our deceit. I wanted to change the conversation quickly.

ell us what you think of Florence, Mr. Carruthers,I said. have always felt it must be the most fascinating city in the world.

here are many who would agree with you,replied Dougal.

My father said, ow I should love to stroll along the Arno where Dante met Beatrice.

hat do you think of Lindenstein, Miss Delany?asked Fabian.

h very interesting.

hat medieval Schloss

hat is where Drusilla stayed, isn it, Drusilla?said my father. he Princess was at school with Drusilla and Lavinia. She invited them. It was a great experience.

es,I said with feeling. e had a great experience.

My father had turned the conversation back to Dante, and Colin and Dougal joined in.

Fabian said quietly to me, n amazing little country, Lindenstein. Those mountains stark and grim don you think?

h yes,I said.

nd the Schloss. Extraordinary architecture all those towers

I nodded.

t must have been very interesting to stay in such a place.

I nodded again.

He was regarding me intently. I wondered if Lavinia could have confided in him after all; and I felt suddenly angry that I should have been burdened with her secret.

When I left the men with the port I went to my room. Fabian Framling always disconcerted me. It was the way in which he looked at me, as though he were trying to remind me how vulnerable I was.

When they were taking their departure my father said, his has been a pleasant evening. I rarely meet people who are interested in my hobbies. Do please come again.

ou must dine at Framling,said Fabian.

hank you,I said, ut my father should not be out in the evening.I was looking at Dougal. t is better for you to come here.

hat I shall certainly do when I am asked.

hope you will be here for a little while yet,said my father.

think so,answered Fabian. doubt we shall be leaving the country until the end of next year.

ext week it is next week, is it not, my dear? Drusilla is going to London.

h?said Fabian, his gaze on me.

t is to stay with her old nurse,explained my father. ou know how strong these ties are.

es,said Fabian. hen perhaps we may come when Miss Drusilla returns.

here is no reason why you should not come when I am away,I said. rs. Janson will take care of things, and my father would enjoy your company.