second floor of the house were her bedroom and dressing room, Joseph’s bedroom and dressing room, and a study. She led Madeleine into her bedroom, closed the door, and waited for her reaction.
She had furnished the room in the latest Japanese style, with fretwork chairs, peacock-feather wallpaper and a display of porcelain over the mantelpiece. There was an immense wardrobe painted with Japanese motifs,and the window seat in the bay was partly concealed by dragonfly curtains.
“Augusta, how daring!” said Madeleine.
“Thank you.” Augusta was almost completely happy with the effect. “There was a better curtain material I wanted but Liberty’s had sold out of it. Come and see Joseph’s room.”
She took Madeleine through the communicating door. Joseph’s bedroom was furnished in a more moderate version of the same style with dark leather-paper on the walls and brocade curtains. Augusta was especially proud of a lacquered display cabinet that held his collection of jeweled snuffboxes.
“Joseph is so eccentric,” said Madeleine, looking at the snuffboxes.
Augusta smiled. Her husband was not in the least eccentric, generally speaking, but it was odd for a hard-headed Methodist businessman to collect something so frivolous and exquisite, and the whole family found it amusing. “He says they’re an investment,” she said. A diamond necklace for her would have been an equally good investment, but he never bought her such things, for Methodists considered jewelry to be a needless extravagance.
“A man should have a hobby,” Madeleine said. “It keeps him out of trouble.”
Out of whorehouses was what she meant. The implied reference to men’s peccadilloes reminded Augusta of her purpose. Softly, softly, she said to herself. “Madeleine, dear, what are we going to do about cousin Samuel and his ‘secretary’?”
Madeleine looked puzzled. “Ought we to do something?”
“If Samuel is to become Senior Partner, we must.”
“Why?”
“My dear, the Senior Partner of Pilasters has tomeet ambassadors, heads of state, even royalty—he must be quite, quite irreproachable in his private life.”
Comprehension dawned, and Madeleine flushed. “Surely you’re not suggesting that Samuel is in some way … depraved?”
That was exactly what Augusta was suggesting, but she did not want to say it outright, for fear of provoking Madeleine to defend her cousin. “I trust that I shall never know,” she said evasively. “The important thing is what people think.”
Madeleine was unconvinced. “Do you really suppose people think … that?”
Augusta forced herself to have patience with Madeleine’s delicacy. “My dear, we are both married women, and we know what men are like. They have animal appetites. The world assumes that a single man of fifty-three living with a pretty boy is vicious and, heaven knows, in most cases the world is probably right.”
Madeleine frowned, looking worried. Before she could say anything else there was a knock at the door and Edward came in. “What is it, Mother?” he asked.
Augusta was annoyed by the interruption and she had no idea what the boy was talking about. “What do you mean?”
“You sent for me.”
“I most certainly did not. I told you to show Lady Florence around the garden.”
Edward looked hurt. “Hugh said you wanted to see me!”
Augusta understood. “Did he? And I suppose he is showing Lady Florence the garden now?”
Edward saw what she was getting at. “I do believe he is,” he said, looking wounded. “Don’t be cross with me, Mother, please.”
Augusta melted instantly. “Don’t worry, Teddy dear,” she said. “Hugh is such a sly boy.” But if hethought he could outwit his aunt Augusta he was also foolish.
This distraction had irritated her, but on reflection she thought she had said enough to Madeleine about cousin Samuel. At this stage all she wanted was to plant the seed of doubt: anything more might be too heavy-handed. She
She had furnished the room in the latest Japanese style, with fretwork chairs, peacock-feather wallpaper and a display of porcelain over the mantelpiece. There was an immense wardrobe painted with Japanese motifs,and the window seat in the bay was partly concealed by dragonfly curtains.
“Augusta, how daring!” said Madeleine.
“Thank you.” Augusta was almost completely happy with the effect. “There was a better curtain material I wanted but Liberty’s had sold out of it. Come and see Joseph’s room.”
She took Madeleine through the communicating door. Joseph’s bedroom was furnished in a more moderate version of the same style with dark leather-paper on the walls and brocade curtains. Augusta was especially proud of a lacquered display cabinet that held his collection of jeweled snuffboxes.
“Joseph is so eccentric,” said Madeleine, looking at the snuffboxes.
Augusta smiled. Her husband was not in the least eccentric, generally speaking, but it was odd for a hard-headed Methodist businessman to collect something so frivolous and exquisite, and the whole family found it amusing. “He says they’re an investment,” she said. A diamond necklace for her would have been an equally good investment, but he never bought her such things, for Methodists considered jewelry to be a needless extravagance.
“A man should have a hobby,” Madeleine said. “It keeps him out of trouble.”
Out of whorehouses was what she meant. The implied reference to men’s peccadilloes reminded Augusta of her purpose. Softly, softly, she said to herself. “Madeleine, dear, what are we going to do about cousin Samuel and his ‘secretary’?”
Madeleine looked puzzled. “Ought we to do something?”
“If Samuel is to become Senior Partner, we must.”
“Why?”
“My dear, the Senior Partner of Pilasters has tomeet ambassadors, heads of state, even royalty—he must be quite, quite irreproachable in his private life.”
Comprehension dawned, and Madeleine flushed. “Surely you’re not suggesting that Samuel is in some way … depraved?”
That was exactly what Augusta was suggesting, but she did not want to say it outright, for fear of provoking Madeleine to defend her cousin. “I trust that I shall never know,” she said evasively. “The important thing is what people think.”
Madeleine was unconvinced. “Do you really suppose people think … that?”
Augusta forced herself to have patience with Madeleine’s delicacy. “My dear, we are both married women, and we know what men are like. They have animal appetites. The world assumes that a single man of fifty-three living with a pretty boy is vicious and, heaven knows, in most cases the world is probably right.”
Madeleine frowned, looking worried. Before she could say anything else there was a knock at the door and Edward came in. “What is it, Mother?” he asked.
Augusta was annoyed by the interruption and she had no idea what the boy was talking about. “What do you mean?”
“You sent for me.”
“I most certainly did not. I told you to show Lady Florence around the garden.”
Edward looked hurt. “Hugh said you wanted to see me!”
Augusta understood. “Did he? And I suppose he is showing Lady Florence the garden now?”
Edward saw what she was getting at. “I do believe he is,” he said, looking wounded. “Don’t be cross with me, Mother, please.”
Augusta melted instantly. “Don’t worry, Teddy dear,” she said. “Hugh is such a sly boy.” But if hethought he could outwit his aunt Augusta he was also foolish.
This distraction had irritated her, but on reflection she thought she had said enough to Madeleine about cousin Samuel. At this stage all she wanted was to plant the seed of doubt: anything more might be too heavy-handed. She
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