The Mask of the Enchantress (9 page)

I would roll about with delight and get Jessamy doing the same, forgetting all the rules about deportment, choosing names for people like William Planter. The cook, I said, should be Mrs. Bakewell instead of Mrs. Wells. Thomas, the butler, should possess the obvious for his name. No one seemed to know what his real one was. He was always called Thomas. The footman should be Jack Foot. The coachman George Horsemare. As for Jessamy, she should be Jessamy Good.

It all seemed hilariously funny to me.

I remained very interested in this omethingbetween William and Amelia. On one rare occasion I induced Amelia to talk of it. Yes, there was an understanding between them, but William had never spoken and, until he did, things must remain as they were.

I could not understand what was meant, for I had heard William speak many times. He wasn dumb, I pointed out. e hasn spoken,insisted Amelia, and that was all she would say.

I was instrumental in getting him to peak.I managed to get them together one afternoon. I had lured Amelia into the garden to get some roses when I knew William was working on the rose beds.

So, having them together, I said: illiam, you will not speak. You must do so right away. Poor Amelia can do nothing until you speak.

They just looked at each other and Amelia went bright pink, and so did William.

Then he said, ill you then, Amelia?

And Amelia replied: es, William.

I watched them with satisfaction although they did not seem to be aware of me. But William had pokenand now they were engaged.

The engagement went on for several years but it was known that William and Amelia were bespoken from that day, and when Janet told me that meant no one else could have them, I remarked that I did not think anyone else wanted them.

I told her how I had made William peak.

iss Interference!she said; but I knew she was laughing.

There were always reasons why Amelia and William could not get married. William lived in a small place in the vicarage grounds. It was little more than a hut, and there was not room for two there. The marriage would have to be put off until they could find a place to live.

Amelia chafed under the delay but she was happy that William had spoken. I often reminded her that it was due to my prodding.

Several years passed and then one autumn day William had a fall. He had mounted a ladder to gather apples from the topmost branches when he missed his footing. He broke his leg and it was never right again after that. He limped about the place and developed rheumatism in the afflicted limb and my father spoke to Sir Timothy about him.

Sir Timothy was a kindly man who took a pride in looking after his work people, and of course ourshrough Aunt Amy Jane of courseere under his jurisdiction.

It soon became clear that something must be done for William Planter. Sir Timothy, who seemed to have possessions all over the country, owned a cottage on Cherrington green. It was called Crabtree Cottage because of the crabapple tree in front of it.

William was past his best work. He should have an annuity and marry Amelia, whom he had kept hanging about far too long, and they should take up residence in Crabtree Cottage, which should be theirs for their lifetimes.

So William and Amelia married and departed in certain splendor for Cherrington and Crabtree Cottage.

Amelia sent us a card every Christmas and both she and William seemed to have settled into matrimony as comfortably as they did in Crabtree Cottage.

We had a jobbing gardener who also worked at Seton Manor and one of the widows in the village came in to help about the house in Amelia place.

We were growing up. Jessamy was a few months older than I, but I always thought of myself as the elder.

We were seventeen and there was talk of oming out.That would not be until we were eighteen and the object would be to find us suitable husbands. Before this great event there were what I called skirmishing parties and it was one of these which did not seem overly significant at the time but which, looking back, I think may have changed the whole course of our lives.

Aunt Amy Jane was inviting some people for a house party. There was to be what she called little dance.No, not a ball, just a pleasant evening, a sort of rehearsal, I gathered, for the great campaign which would begin when Jessamy was eighteen.

I was to have one of Jessamy castoff dresses, made over. My father protested and said I was to go into the town and buy some material and get the village seamstress to make it up for me. Now I knew that any material we could get and any work industrious Sally Summers could put into it would not compare with a made-over garment from Jessamy wardrobe, for Jessamy clothes came from London or Bath and they were not only of the latest fashion, which all Sally Summersneat stitching could not match, but they were of such delicate and expensive materials as we could not hope to acquire.

So I persuaded my father that I was quite happy in Jessamy castoffs, and when Janet had done with them, no one would notice that they had been altered for me.

It was a beautiful dressith rather a tight bodice nipped in at the waist and the skirt cascading out into hundreds of frills. It had become too tight for Jessamy and it was ideal for the transformation.

Jessamy was dark-haired and a little sallow; she took after her father and had inherited his nose, which was rather large. She had a sweet expression, though, and lovely dark doelike eyes. I thought that if she could only be a little more animated she would be quite attractive. The dress was pink and it had not matched her complexion. I was fair-haired with light brown eyes and very long gold-tipped lashes; my brows were very firmly defined and of a darker shade than my hair, which made them stand out. My skin was very fair and I had a slightly retrousse nose and a wide mouth. That I was attractive I knew, because people always looked first at me and then looked again. I was by no means beautiful, but I had those high spirits which were irrepressible, for there was little I could do to restrain them. I was always finding something in life so excruciatingly funny that I had to share the joke with someone. To some peopleeople like Aunt Amy Jane and Ameliahis in me was a decided fault; they shook their heads over it and did everything they could to repress it, but to some people it was amusing and attractive. I knew by the way they smiled when they looked at me.

Well, there we were at this little dance which was to prove so fatal to my future.

The carriage was sent over for me, which was considerate of my aunt, for it would have been awkward to walk from the vicarage to the great house in all my finery.

I arrived before the other guests and went to Jessamy room. She was in a blue silk dress, all frills and flounces. My heart sank, for it was the wrong color for Jessamy; frills did not really suit her. She looked best in her gray riding habit with its severely tailored coat and the topper with the gray silk band round it.

As usual she was delighted to see me looking so well in the dress.

t lovely,she cried. hy do my things always look better on you than on me?

ear Jessamy, you imagine it,I lied, for I was never haunted by Janet truth-at-any-price philosophy. nd you look lovely.

h, I don. Everything is getting so tight. Why do I put on weight? Youe as slim as a wand.

move about more than you do, Jessamy. Heaven knows I eat as much. But youe only pleasantly plump. Mary Macklin said men like plump women and she should know.

I giggled, for Mary Macklin was our local light lady whom Aunt Amy Jane was trying to shift from the village.

id she tell you?asked Jessamy.

h no, it only hearsay.

Just at that moment Uncle Timothy came in. He was carrying two little white cardboard boxes.

or my girls,he said, looking at us with pride.

Inside the boxes were orchids. I cried out with delight. This was just what I needed to add a touch of elegance to my made-over gown. The orchids had been chosen with care, for they matched our dresses to perfection.

Uncle Timothy was standing there looking like a pleased schoolboy and suddenly I thought how good he was. He had given the Planters Crabtree Cottage and to me a beautiful orchid which matched my dress perfectly.

I put down my flower on Jessamy table and put my arms about Uncle Timothy neck. I kissed him vehemently. And just at that moment my aunt came in.

hat is going on here?she demanded.

I withdrew my arms and said: ncle Timothy has given us such beautiful orchids.

Uncle Timothy looked slightly red and apologetic and my aunt continued: ou seem to be acting in a very boisterous manner. Now I will pin the flower on your dress, Jessamy. There is a right place and a wrong place.

Uncle Timothy said: ell, Il be going. There is a lot to see to.

here is indeed,replied my aunt coolly.

I went to the mirror and pinned on my orchid. I was delighted with it and I noticed Aunt Amy Jane casting one or two malevolent glances in my direction.

Captain Lauder was one of the guests. He was in his early twenties, I imagined, tall, graceful and debonair. He was the son of Sir Geoffrey Lauder and it was clear that he and his family were among the more important members of the company, for Aunt Amy Jane was very gracious to them.

Captain Lauder was presented to Jessamy and they danced together. He was very charming and put Jessamy at her ease immediately, which was not without its difficulties, for I knew she persistently regarded herself as inferior in some way. However, she blossomed with Captain Lauder and it occurred to me that Jessamy was really quite attractive; all she needed was someone to convince her so strongly of this that she believed it herself.

I had plenty of dances and now and then noticed Aunt Amy Jane watching me cautiously. I hoped I had not done anything amiss, for I did so enjoy gatherings like this and should hate to be banished from them. There was so much to enjoy at the time and laugh about afterwards. I danced the supper dance with a pleasant young man who was a soldier and when we went in to supper we ran into Jessamy and Captain Lauder.

ere my cousin,said Jessamy.

Captain Lauder turned and looked at me. Admiration shone from his eyes as he took my hand and kissed it.

oue Miss Anabel Campion,he said. iss Seton has been telling me about you.

I grimaced and Jessamy said quickly: nly nice things.

hank you for keeping back the rest,I replied.

Everybody laughed.

The four of us sat down together and it was a very jolly party, but every time I looked up Captain Lauder eyes were on me.

When we left the supper room he was at my side.

should like to have a dance with you,he said.

ell,I answered, hey are just starting something.

We danced together.

oue beautiful,he said.

That was not true but I had long since learned that if people had a good opinion of you, however misguided, it was best to let them keep it.

wish I had found you earlier,he went on.

ut I am sure you have been enjoying the evening in spite of the lack of my company.

He laughed: oue the daughter of the vicar, I hear.

h dear, Jessamy has been supplying you with information.

he is very fond of you.

nd I of her. She is a delightful person.

es, yes, I gathered that. I am still wishing, though, that I had found the intriguing Miss Campion earlier.

hat charming things you say.

ou sound as though you doubt my veracity.

hould I? I have such a high opinion of myself that it hadn occurred to me not to accept all the nice things you are implying about me.

o you find it hot? Shall we slip outside?

Now of course I should have said no. But I did not. I was too warm and I wanted to discover how outrageous Aunt Amy Jane cherished guest could be.

There was a half-moon among the stars out there.

ou look enchanting in moonlight,he said.

t less revealing,I replied.

He had drawn me under the shade of a tree and put his arms about me.

I withdrew myself. n sober consideration,I said, think we should go back to the ballroom.

ober consideration is impossible when you are near me.

He had suddenly seized me in a viselike grip from which I could not extricate myself. Then his lips were on mine.

This had happened far more quickly than I had thought it could. I had no wish to be in the gardens, kissed forcibly by a man whom I scarcely knew. But he was stronger than I.

Then I heard a cough, and so did he, for he released me. To my horror Aunt Amy Jane was coming towards us.

h,she said in a startled voice when she saw who it was she had caught kissing under one of her trees. Then she added: aptain Lauder and er Anabel. My child, you will catch cold. Go in at once.

I was only too pleased to escape. As I did so I heard my aunt continue imperturbably: do want to show you my hydrangeas, Captain Lauder. While we are out here

I went straight to Jessamy bedroom. I was ruffled and slightly pink. There was a red mark on my cheek. I touched it gingerly. It would soon go.

I tidied myself and went back to the ballroom. Jessamy was there dancing with one of the neighboring squires.

The next day I was expecting a reprimand from Aunt Amy Jane. She had actually seen the captain kissing me and I was sure that as he had been one of her favorite guests I should be blamed for what had happened. Captain Lauder was of too good a family, too rich a family, to be in the wrong. He was an eligible bachelor and the discovery of the ideal gentleman in that category was her next project and one which she would pursue with single-minded purpose. Therefore, if he had been seen to act in an unseemly manner, he could only have been led into the indiscretion.

I was amazed that not a word was said to me, although I caught her looking at me rather oddly now and then.

For a while I allowed myself to believe she had forgotten. But Aunt Amy Jane would never forget.

Thus, when Jessamy and her parents were to pay a visit to Mateland Castle, I was not invited, although but for that incident I was sure I should have been, for I often went visiting as a companion for Jessamy, and Jessamy always begged that I should go with them. I was sure she did on this occasion, but Aunt Amy Jane was adamant.