Velvet (18 page)

‘That's what's important to me, Bertie. I shall take advice as soon as I can.' Lady Blue glanced at George, who had been sitting mute during most of this discussion, hunched over his notepad and occasionally shaking his head in disbelief. ‘Provided, of course, that the young man here is agreeable. He may not want the responsibilities that come with big houses and large sums of money.'

The deep voice chuckled. ‘Ceci, he is like me! Of course he will.'

‘Very well, dear.'

There was subsequent talk about the maintenance of the two houses and then Lord Blue had to go, drifting back into that unknown land on the other side of the veil where spirits dwelt and, it seemed, occasionally sought the attention of those still on earth.

Madame came out of her trance and the three of them discussed what had occurred during the séance. George proved very reluctant to give his point of view, saying that he was utterly incredulous; he could hardly believe that Lord Blue had meant what he said.

‘But spirits speak from the heart,' Madame said. ‘There's no concept of artifice in the spirit world. Spirits have nothing to lose, so why should they confuse things by dissembling?'

‘Bertie
was
a bit of a philanthropist,' Lady Blue said. ‘Always giving to charity, trying to help those less fortunate than himself.'

‘Spirits have the highest aspirations,' Madame said. ‘Whatever they were like on earth, those qualities are doubled, even tripled, after death. I find this time and time again.'

‘I must take further advice,' said Lady Blue.

‘Of course, dear lady,' Madame said. ‘But when all is said and done, remember your husband's specific words . . .' Madame looked at George, who glanced down at what he had written.

‘Regarding the solicitors, he said you must insist on having what you want,' George said.

‘Especially if you want him to come to you again,' put in Madame.

‘What do you mean?'

‘Just this,' said Madame gently. ‘I find that if those left on earth fail to carry out the wishes of those on the Other Side, then the spirits are most reluctant to attend them after.'

Lady Blue's eyes filled with tears; the handkerchief was utilised once more. ‘You mean that my husband might not want to communicate with me again?'

‘Oh, let's not be hasty!' Madame said. ‘It's just that sometimes – when the spirits realise their wishes are being ignored – they feel there's little point in returning to give advice.'

‘I see.'

‘But we've all been cooped up here too long,' Madame said, ‘and I'm about to send George into Regent's Park to enjoy the sight of the beautiful shimmering water of the boating lake.'

‘Yes . . . yes,' said a distracted Lady Blue.

‘Keep your husband's words in your head,' said Madame. ‘I hope – if you trust in what your heart tells you – we'll see you here again very soon.'

Chapter Eleven

In Which Velvet and George Share Some of Their Secrets

George and Velvet entered Regent’s Park through the ornate, wrought-iron gates and, as they did so, George raised his boater and offered Velvet his arm. It was the afternoon following the materialisation of the Fortesque baby, and they were taking a walk in the park amidst the happy families, courting couples and well-dressed gentlemen. Boys in sailor suits rode hobby horses, nannies pushed perambulators and little girls in white petticoats bowled hoops along the pathways. Everyone seemed pleased to be out in the sunshine. Except for Velvet, who pretended not to see George’s proffered arm, but instead concentrated on putting up the pink parasol that Madame had lent her.

‘Velvet, please,’ George said. ‘I can explain.’

‘There’s nothing to say,’ Velvet replied. Having fled from the front room, she had spent a sleepless night, most of it at her window, gazing out at the moon and feeling desperately miserable. Sissy Lawson and George! How
could
he?

She wouldn’t have come out with him at all, except that Madame had insisted that – it being such an unexpectedly lovely day – her two favourite people, as she called them, should take the air. She was only sorry she couldn’t join them, but she had some important business to attend to after a client’s visit that morning. Had she somehow sensed the atmosphere between George and herself, Velvet wondered, and wanted them to make up? Well, it wasn’t going to happen! If George thought that just because he had sea-green eyes and gave all the old ladies the vapours, he could play her off against Sissy Lawson, then he was quite wrong.

‘Velvet, she means nothing to me!’ George went on. ‘It’s always been you. When I kissed you, it was something I’d been longing to do ever since you first arrived at Madame’s with your little brown paper bag.’

There had only been two kisses between them, Velvet thought. She’d been a fool to think that they amounted to anything.

‘Please speak to me, Velvet.’ George sat down on a seat and pulled her down beside him. ‘How will we work together if you’re going to be like this?’

‘I have no idea,’ Velvet said coldly.

‘Look, let me explain.’

‘Please don’t bother.’ Velvet wondered what on earth she was going to do. How would she cope if Sissy Lawson and George began walking out together? What if they became betrothed . . . married? She couldn’t bear it. She would have to leave Madame’s!

‘I can explain.’ He tried to turn Velvet around to face him, but she wouldn’t budge. ‘Sometimes one has to do things one really doesn’t want to. You understand that, don’t you?’

‘No,’ Velvet said. One did not kiss someone in the dark when one really did not want to. ‘I saw you!’ she burst out. ‘I couldn’t believe it. I saw you with her – you were kissing. Not that that’s any business of mine and of course you must kiss whoever you like, but don’t think you can make up to me as well.’

‘My dearest Velvet –’

‘Don’t call me that! Is
she
your dearest, too?’ Velvet asked childishly. ‘Is she your dearest Sissy?’

At this, George suddenly jerked back from her as if he’d received a shock. ‘Dearest Sissy?’ he repeated.

‘Or is it darling Sissy? And had you been longing to kiss
her
since the moment she arrived?’

George looked at her steadily before saying with conviction, ‘Sissy Lawson means absolutely nothing to me, Velvet. I don’t care for the girl in the slightest.’

He actually sounded as if he meant it, Velvet thought. ‘It didn’t look like that last night,’ she said, lips pursed.

‘Believe me, it’s true. I swear it on my life. I swear it on the life of the girl I hold most dear.’ Saying this, he looked her straight in the eyes. ‘You are the only one for me, Velvet.’

Velvet hesitated – he sounded so sincere. ‘I don’t believe you,’ she said nonetheless.

‘She flung herself at me, Velvet. She’s the most extraordinarily forward girl I’ve ever met. Why, she hid in the front room in the dark, and practically leaped on me when I went to put on the window locks.’

Velvet gasped, shocked at such a show of vulgarity. ‘But surely you could have pulled away or made an excuse or something.’

‘Well, at first I didn’t react – I was just so astonished and appalled at her behaviour – but then I looked up and saw you and pushed her from me.’ George shook his head, his brow furrowed. ‘It pains me to say it of one of the fairer sex, but she’s a vulgar girl of dubious morals. Ever since Mrs Lawson brought her to work in the house she’s been the same. And it’s not just me she goes after – have you seen the shameless way she talks to tradesmen?’

‘Can’t you complain about her behaviour to Madame?’

‘How could I do such a thing?’ George said. ‘It would seem so weak, as if I’m unable to deal with one silly girl on my own. And besides, Mrs Lawson would get involved and then the whole thing would get out of hand.’

Velvet was silent for a long time, wondering how much she believed. Had the Lawson girl really thrown herself at him in the dark? What might there have been between them in the past, before she came? And what of, just a moment ago, when he’d looked at Velvet and called her the girl he held most dear? Was that true? How was an inexperienced girl such as she supposed to tell?

They remained sitting together there on the bench whilst people promenaded around them, and Velvet, already more than halfway to forgiving him, could not help wondering if they made a handsome couple. Certainly George was drawing sideways glances from nearly every woman, young or old, who walked by, because he, in his Sunday best – striped blazer, boater and spats over brown-and-white shoes – was easily the handsomest man in the park.

‘Please don’t spoil everything we have,’ George said. His hand reached for hers and squeezed it. ‘I’ve never met anyone like you, Velvet. You and I are surely meant to be together.’

With a lump in her throat, Velvet decided that, yes, she had almost forgiven him.

‘You’re blushing,’ he said, looking at her intently. ‘Your cheeks look pink enough to kiss . . .’

‘Please!’ she protested, pretending to fan herself. ‘Such behaviour on a Sunday afternoon.’

George, laughing, got up from the seat and, this time, when he offered his arm, she took it.

‘I shall endeavour, as much as I can, to never be alone with Miss Lawson again,’ George said, squeezing her arm against his. ‘From now on, we must both be truthful with each other. If she makes a nuisance of herself I’ll tell you, and in return you must tell me all your secrets.’

‘If you wish,’ Velvet said, but immediately thought of the big secret regarding her father’s death. Whatever happened, she could not tell George about that. She wanted him to love her and surely he would never love a murderess.

‘I say we must be truthful and let’s start now. You recall that policeman who took me to the station to identify Aaron?’

‘Yes.’ Velvet felt a chill run through her.

‘Did you know him at all? Because I thought he looked at you in a very warm manner and spoke in a most informal way.’

Velvet hid a little smile. George sounded positively jealous.

‘We do know each other,’ she admitted. ‘At least, we did. Charlie is a friend from my childhood, someone I used to play with in the street.’

‘Forgive my asking, but is a friend all that he was to you?’

‘Indeed! We went scrambling for pieces of coal together following the cart, vied with each other to see who could get the best stale cakes from the baker and fought to be first in line when the organ-grinder passed the monkey around.’

George looked at her questioningly, head on one side. ‘And . . . ?’

She shook her head. ‘There was not so much as a kiss between us.’ But she suddenly thought of the mock wedding she and Charlie had had when they were about eight. She’d worn her mother’s lace petticoat pulled up high under her arms and placed a daisy-chain circlet on her head. Charlie had tried to kiss her, she remembered, but she’d turned her head at the last minute and his lips had landed on her ear. ‘It was all very innocent,’ she reiterated.

‘Although he wishes it was more?’

Velvet shrugged. ‘Perhaps he does.’ She’d had a train to her ‘wedding dress’, she recalled: a ragged curtain of Charlie’s mother’s, which had been knotted in the front and trailed in the mud behind. She could even remember that her mother had smiled to see her dressed so and said, ‘One day, Kitty. One day
. . .
’

‘So in that respect he’s an unwanted suitor – and a little like Sissy Lawson?’

‘Well, yes,’ said Velvet.

‘Then if he becomes persistent or too annoying, you must tell me and I’ll challenge him. I won’t have my girl upset or disturbed in any way.’

Velvet, pleased to be called his girl but rather horrified at the thought of him challenging Charlie to a fight, quickly said that she was quite sure it wouldn’t come to that, and they walked on.

By the time they returned to Darkling Villa, she had forgiven him entirely – indeed, had convinced herself that there had been nothing to forgive him for. Sissy Lawson was a forward baggage who had instigated the whole business, and Velvet would certainly be watching her like a hawk from now on.

Later that afternoon, Velvet was called to Madame’s private apartments and went there wondering, rather nervously, if she’d done anything wrong, for Madame was not usually so formal in her invitations. Had Madame detected the feelings between her and George, perhaps, and wanted to put a stop to things? Had Velvet neglected to pay enough attention to Madame’s tiny yapping dog, or had she made a stupid mistake when that morning (for the first time) she’d answered that frightening telephone?

It was none of these.

‘My dear girl,’ Madame said, ‘do sit down and stop looking as though I’m going to eat you.’

Velvet smiled and sat, relaxing a little.

‘You’ve been here several months now and I just want to know if you’re still quite happy with us, or if there’s anything that might be improved.’

Velvet shook her head. ‘Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m very happy.’