The Marriage Wheel (2 page)

CHAPTER TWO

Frederica’s m
other and sister were toasting crumpets in front of the electric fire in the dismal sitting-room of their
flat
when Frederica arrived home to join them.

Frederica
’
s mother had been out shopping and had bought herself a hat and paid five guineas for it. It was a ridiculous, flowery confection that would suit Electra Wells down to the ground when she appeared in it for Easter, wearing it with one of her slender suits and the accompaniment of trim, expensive shoes and immaculate gloves. She had a heart-shaped face that was so like Frederica
’
s vivid one that they could have passed for sisters, except that Frederica was fair and her mother had an exquisite Italian darkness—and was the daughter of an equally exquisite Italian mother.

Rosaleen, on the other hand, was like an April day—all sunshine and smiles. Her complexion made ordinary people think of alabaster vases, and when she blushed they thought of rose gardens. Her eyes were darkly blue and beautiful—and she had little teeth that bit into apples with a delightful crunchy sound, the very thing they were doing now as she watched her mother buttering the crumpets.

“
Well, darling,
”
Mrs. Wells enquired, looking up at her younger daughter,
“
did you get the job?
”

“
Yes; I got it.
”

Frederica explained all that it would mean, and Rosaleen was quick to see the advantages of living in the country almost on top of a large country house. Mrs. Wells, who made a practice of being absolutely forthright and could see no reason why she should ever pretend about anything, immediately seized upon the obvious advantage of her daughter acquiring a bachelor for an employer
... and at least Frederica knew that Humphrey Lestrode was a bachelor.

“
Let me see now,
”
Electra murmured, clasping both hands together beneath her chin, and exercising her excellent memory.
“
There used to be a Richard Lestrode who hunted with your father, and I believe he had a place in Gloucestershire ... or was it Huntingdonshire?
”

“
Mr. Lestrode has only just bought Farthing Hall,
”
Frederica explained patiently.

“
Oh, has he, darling? Now, isn
’
t that interesting?
”
Electra
’
s vivid and singularly youthful face acquired an extra vividness.
“
When an unmarried man takes over a new house and has to furnish it he
’
s always glad to listen to advice from experts. I flatter myself that I know all there is to know about furnishing and settling down in a new home, and if we
’
re to live near him I can be of the utmost assistance
...
and Rosaleen, too. You know she took that course in
modern
decor, and I
’
m sure she
’
d be delighted to let Mr. Lestrode have the benefit of all the knowledge she acquired on the subject, wouldn
’
t you, darling?
”
addressing her eldest daughter.

Rosaleen deposited her apple core in the waste-paper basket and agreed that it would be highly diversionary, especially if Mr. Lestrode was under forty and unmarried.

“
I
’
m willing to teach him everything I know if he
’
s good-looking,
”
she remarked, licking the butter off a crumpet.
“
I
’
ll even choose his colour-schemes for him,
and
select his furniture if he likes to give me
carte blanche
in the way of a blank cheque.
”

“
Don
’
t be ridiculous,
”
Frederica said curtly, with an upsurge of impatience ... for Rosaleen, she knew, was quite capable of putting some such suggestion to Mr. Lestrode if she ever found herself installed in the cottage.
“
For one thing, I haven
’
t the least idea whether he
’
s married or not, and for another, the furnishing of his house will be nothing to do with us.
”

Rosaleen smiled at her impishly.

“
You think not? But then you don
’
t think along the same lines as I do, do you?
”

Electra talked animatedly over tea, painting pictures of their life in the country, on the Farthing Hall estate, and reminding them that she had lived the better part of her life amidst rural surroundings.

“
I loathe town life,
”
she declared,
“
and my complexion is always several degrees fairer in a good clean atmosphere. I shall go out tomorrow and buy curtain materials for the cottage, and when you find out just how much furniture there is there already we
’
ll move in. Of course, if there isn
’
t any furniture we
’
ll have to go to sales and see what we can pick up
...
And we might have a few nice pieces on hire
-
purchase. Oh, we
’
ll manage!
”
she declared, with airy optimism.
“
Fortunately, we
’
ve got all that silver Uncle Joe left us
...
We can get that out of store.
”

“
I wouldn
’
t do anything at all, Mother,
”
Frederica advised her,
“
until I
’
ve actually met Mr. Lestrode, and we know what the position is.
”

But Mrs. Wells could see no reason for cautious behaviour, and she spent the evening discussing their future plans. Frederica went to bed early, and the next morning she devoted to pressing her clothes and packing some of them in a suitcase. The bulk of her possessions she determined to leave behind in the Notting Hill flat, despite constant urgings from her mother to have confidence in her own abilities and take everything with her on her first trip to Farthing Hall.

“
If you arrive with a lot of luggage Mr. Lestrode won
’
t dare to send you packing, however unsuitable he might think you,
”
she predicted.
“
In any case, he
’
ll think twice about deciding you really won
’
t do, especially if you come over all feminine and appeal to him nicely. Tell him you
’
re much stronger than you look, and that, above all, you
’
re willing! So many people nowadays are not at all willing.
”

It might have been by accident that Frederica
’
s glance alighted on her mother
’
s beautifully kept hands, and she wondered whether willingness, according to her lights, included ruining one
’
s nails with a tool-kit, and risking one
’
s hair-do beneath the bonnet of a car.

In connection with her own hair she took a resolution. It had to be neater, less obvious, as it were
...
And before she left London she had it cut short and styled in a manner that made her look more sophisticated and deprived her of a little of her youth, but was very becoming all the same. She also bought herself a couple of dresses that were rather like uniform dresses, with neat collars and cuffs, and a slim coat to wear over them when the weather was cold.

At the moment it was spring
...
very early spring, and a coat was still necessary. The one she bought prevented her having a bulky appearance at the wheel of a car, and was commendably serviceable and trim.

It had been arranged that she should leave London by the afternoon train, and she arrived in Gloucestershire shortly after darkness clamped down over a rolling countryside. A car driven by a local taxi-man took her to Farthing Hall, and through the open windows of the taxi she could smell the sweetness of the coming of spring
...
exciting whiffs of daffodil-starred hedgerows, early primroses hidden in the dusk, and violets. She thought of some lines about the West Country that she had learned as a child:
“
Apple orchards blossom there, and the air
’
s like wine
...
”

The air was certainly like wine, despite the fact that it was also cold. She missed her comfortable old windcheater that she had been wearing for some time, and found the brief collar of her tailored coat a little inadequate.

They turned in at a pair of gates that could only be vaguely seen in the star-pricked gloom
,
and moved swiftly up a winding drive. Only one or two lights streamed from the house, and the main bulk of it looked very dark.

She paid the taxi-man, and he carried her cases to the foot of the short flight of steps that led up to the front door. The latter was opened suddenly, and the housekeeper stood there, young and unusually smart in a tailored silk dress, and with beautifully managed hair coiled elegantly about her head.

She was unexpectedly friendly, however.

“
Oh, come in,
”
she said.
“
You
’
re the new chauffeur, aren
’
t you? I heard from the agency that
you
’
re the wrong sex, but apparently your qualifications are so exceptional that we can only hope Mr. Lestrode won
’
t mind your not being a man.
”

Frederica, who was feeling lost and a little uncertain after her journey, followed her into a hall with beautiful dimensions and uttered a faint sound like alarm.

“
You don
’
t think he—he really will mind, do you?
”
she enquired with travel-weary huskiness.

The housekeeper—who in addition to being slim and elegant had an amused pair of brown eyes—turned and surveyed her with rather more interest now that they were trader the blaze of a splendid chandelier, and tried not to allow anything like concern to show in her face.

“
Well—er—you are a bit younger than I expected,
”
she admitted,
“
and there isn
’
t a great deal of you, is there? But women drove all sorts of heavy vehicles in the last war, and perhaps your appearance is deceptive.
”

“
I could drive a tank if it was absolutely necessary,
”
Frederica assured her.
“
And I don
’
t suppose Mr. Lestrode drives about in a tank, does he?
”

“
Oh, dear me, no!
”
the housekeeper laughed.
“
Nothing like that ... In fact, our means of transport is the most luxurious thing we
’
ve got at the moment.
”
She waved a hand to indicate the slight bareness of the hall.
“
Furniture is arriving daily, but we still need masses of it, and Mr. Lestrode is in London at the moment buying up pieces he fancies for the Hall. Of course, it will look marvellous when it
’
s finished ... all the furnishing, I mean,
”
with a note of pride in her voice.
“
And the grounds are going to look marvellous, too, when the gardener
we
’
ve just engaged has had a chance to get to work on them.
”

“
Then the place has been a little neglected?
”
Frederica suggested, thinking that the panelling must be worth a small fortune.
“
I
’
ve never been to Gloucestershire before, but this is a gorgeous house, isn
’
t it?
”

“
Absolutely gorgeous,
”
the housekeeper agreed with enthusiasm. She took her coat, and then dived out into the night to bring in her suit-cases.
“
We
’
re a little understaffed at the moment,
”
she admitted.
“
In fact, we
’
re badly understaffed, and as yet we haven
’
t even got a manservant. But that
’
s another little problem Mr. Lestrode is looking after in town.
”