children, and perhaps one or two landscapes by Constable.
A flicker of sympathy for Sir Arthur passed through Abigail
as she wondered whether it was the cost alone that had induced him to veto
Hilda’s proposition. Abigail had a vision of a bucolic landscape by Constable
against a glaring background of gold, red and black Chinese dragons and
pagodas. Even as she repressed the temptation to giggle, Abigail knew it was
possible that she was being unfair. There were Chinese wallpapers of great
beauty and delicacy that would grace any room and any furnishings. As she had
no reason at all to place any reliance on Hilda’s taste, however, she did not
feel guilty.
Still, Abigail did not contradict or express any
reservations, even when Hilda’s comments on Sir Arthur’s niggardliness centered
on expenditures where Abigail agreed even more heartily with the executor, as
in his refusal to pay Hilda’s dressmaker’s bills and the cost of an expensive
horse for Eustace. Hilda, Abigail knew, could well afford to pay her own bills,
particularly as she was living at Victor’s expense instead of supporting her
own household.
Although it was true enough that Abigail was glad she could
avoid any confrontation on this subject, she was not silent out of cowardice. Her
mind was busy trying to sort out the contradiction between Alexander Baring’s
favorable comments about Sir Arthur and Hilda’s diatribe against him. It did
seem as if Sir Arthur was not too busy with politics to pay rather close
attention to his executor’s duties. On the one hand, this was helpful because
he was protecting Victor’s interests efficiently and bearing the brunt of
Hilda’s animosity, which otherwise, Abigail guessed, would have been directed
against herself and possibly against Victor. On the other hand, this close
examination of minor matters like dressmaker’s bills again raised the specter
of his interference in her affairs.
There was little to be gained by her speculating, Abigail
soon decided. She would have to arrange a meeting with Sir Arthur and discover
for herself whether his close attention was owing to a distrust of Hilda, a
most reasonable attitude as far as Abigail was concerned, or to a general
desire to control others, which was sometimes an unfortunate result of the
strong sense of responsibility Eustace had mentioned. Once or twice Abigail
glanced at Eustace, but he had returned to his abstraction, and there was
little pleasure in listening further to Hilda’s painful voice. Thus, it was
with considerable relief that she saw the remains of the second course of the
dinner removed and replaced by the sweets and savories.
Just before release finally came, a shout of laughter from
Victor, hushed with uncharacteristic rapidity, reminded Abigail that her
children had been models of behavior. It was close to the end of the meal, so
she took the chance of glancing at them and noticed that both were looking at
Griselda. Then their eyes caught Abigail’s, and Daphne began to giggle and
Victor joined her. The halcyon period was obviously at an end. Abigail hastily
suggested that the children take a few cakes and excused them from the table.
Even so, she made a mental note to reward them for not adding to her
difficulties.
Over the next few days, however, Abigail had no time to
pursue her plan for meeting Sir Arthur. The weather turned wet, and the
children’s curiosity and the newness of the house led them into constant
mischief. The servants were more amused than disturbed, but Hilda, having
several times discovered a maid repairing the traces of Victor and Daphne’s
passage rather than performing her accustomed duties, fumed over the disruption
of their work.
Eustace was no better pleased with the hitches in the
previously smooth functioning of the household. Although he did not complain
directly to her, Abigail heard him angrily castigating Empson for permitting
the footmen to lead the children around the house, which made them
A flicker of sympathy for Sir Arthur passed through Abigail
as she wondered whether it was the cost alone that had induced him to veto
Hilda’s proposition. Abigail had a vision of a bucolic landscape by Constable
against a glaring background of gold, red and black Chinese dragons and
pagodas. Even as she repressed the temptation to giggle, Abigail knew it was
possible that she was being unfair. There were Chinese wallpapers of great
beauty and delicacy that would grace any room and any furnishings. As she had
no reason at all to place any reliance on Hilda’s taste, however, she did not
feel guilty.
Still, Abigail did not contradict or express any
reservations, even when Hilda’s comments on Sir Arthur’s niggardliness centered
on expenditures where Abigail agreed even more heartily with the executor, as
in his refusal to pay Hilda’s dressmaker’s bills and the cost of an expensive
horse for Eustace. Hilda, Abigail knew, could well afford to pay her own bills,
particularly as she was living at Victor’s expense instead of supporting her
own household.
Although it was true enough that Abigail was glad she could
avoid any confrontation on this subject, she was not silent out of cowardice. Her
mind was busy trying to sort out the contradiction between Alexander Baring’s
favorable comments about Sir Arthur and Hilda’s diatribe against him. It did
seem as if Sir Arthur was not too busy with politics to pay rather close
attention to his executor’s duties. On the one hand, this was helpful because
he was protecting Victor’s interests efficiently and bearing the brunt of
Hilda’s animosity, which otherwise, Abigail guessed, would have been directed
against herself and possibly against Victor. On the other hand, this close
examination of minor matters like dressmaker’s bills again raised the specter
of his interference in her affairs.
There was little to be gained by her speculating, Abigail
soon decided. She would have to arrange a meeting with Sir Arthur and discover
for herself whether his close attention was owing to a distrust of Hilda, a
most reasonable attitude as far as Abigail was concerned, or to a general
desire to control others, which was sometimes an unfortunate result of the
strong sense of responsibility Eustace had mentioned. Once or twice Abigail
glanced at Eustace, but he had returned to his abstraction, and there was
little pleasure in listening further to Hilda’s painful voice. Thus, it was
with considerable relief that she saw the remains of the second course of the
dinner removed and replaced by the sweets and savories.
Just before release finally came, a shout of laughter from
Victor, hushed with uncharacteristic rapidity, reminded Abigail that her
children had been models of behavior. It was close to the end of the meal, so
she took the chance of glancing at them and noticed that both were looking at
Griselda. Then their eyes caught Abigail’s, and Daphne began to giggle and
Victor joined her. The halcyon period was obviously at an end. Abigail hastily
suggested that the children take a few cakes and excused them from the table.
Even so, she made a mental note to reward them for not adding to her
difficulties.
Over the next few days, however, Abigail had no time to
pursue her plan for meeting Sir Arthur. The weather turned wet, and the
children’s curiosity and the newness of the house led them into constant
mischief. The servants were more amused than disturbed, but Hilda, having
several times discovered a maid repairing the traces of Victor and Daphne’s
passage rather than performing her accustomed duties, fumed over the disruption
of their work.
Eustace was no better pleased with the hitches in the
previously smooth functioning of the household. Although he did not complain
directly to her, Abigail heard him angrily castigating Empson for permitting
the footmen to lead the children around the house, which made them
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