Read Online Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Andrew Taylor
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when I said you were away."
"You should tell her the truth." She paused but Marcus said nothing. "You still haven't said how you knew."
"About your news, or about where you were?" He held out the cigarette case to her, and she shook her head. "There was a letter from that chap in Harley Street. Enclosing his bill, of course."
"You opened my letters?"
"What else could I do? I was worried. Your quack wanted to recommend some diet or other that is good for pregnant women, so it was damned obvious what was in the wind. I just wish you'd told me."
"I tried. But you wouldn't let me. You remember?"
Marcus turned away to light a cigarette. "All right--I'm sorry. It's just that you came in at an awkward time, and I didn't want to queer my pitch with Rex Fisher." His face reddened. "But let's forget that now. The important thing is the baby. It changes everything."
"Everything?" she said quietly.
He waved his cigarette. "Of course. The main thing is, of course, it will mean an heir. Even these days, that's important."
"An heir to what?" she snapped. "Nine hundred acres in darkest Gloucestershire? A house you can't afford to live in that leaks like a sieve when there is the slightest drop of rain? And the lease on Frogmore Place only has another twenty years to run, and you'll probably have to let it in any case because you've already spent all my money trying to hang on to everything. What's it all for , Marcus? I wish you'd tell me."
For a moment she thought he was going to hit her again. "I happen to believe that some things are worth hanging on to," he said. "People like us, we've a duty to maintain standards. If we don't, nobody else will. The landed classes are the backbone of this country, any fool can see that. This socialist rot is all very well--I know some of those chaps are well-meaning enough--but it's leading this country down the road to ruin. Ramsay MacDonald couldn't run a butcher's shop. He's completely out of his depth."
"And my having a baby would somehow drag the country back from the brink?"
"Don't be stupid," he said coldly. "The point is, families like ours stand for continuity. You should listen to Sir Oswald on the subject."
"I don't want to, thank you. Anyway, I'm not having a baby."
"What? But your quack said--"
"You've added two and two and made five. The gynecologist said he could see no reason why I shouldn't conceive. He promised he'd send me details of a diet that's meant to be good for women's fertility and when you're pregnant. That was my good news. I was happy, Marcus, because it means I'm probably not infertile after all. Except I no longer want to get pregnant. But I do want to know how you found out where I am."
Marcus sighed. "I went through your bureau."
"It was locked."
"I had to force it."
"First you open my letters, then you break into my bureau."
He ignored this. "I found a letter from your father, written from this address. I thought he was in America."
"He came back last year."
Marcus raised his eyebrows. "And you didn't see fit to mention it?"
"I didn't think it would interest you. You hadn't shown any signs of interest in him before. Or I thought you'd get angry. Just as you are now."
"Have you been seeing him all this time behind my back?"
Suddenly she felt weary. "Until two days ago I hadn't seen him since I was a toddler."
"But you wrote to him?"
"Yes. I sent him a little money." She hesitated. "That was what he wanted. If you've read the letter, you'll know that. Does my mother know?"
"I told her everything. It was she who advised me to come here. She is as shocked as I am. You must understand--you must come home. Lydia, I--"
Marcus broke off. There were footsteps on the stairs and on the landing. The door opened, and Captain Ingleby-Lewis came in.
He stared at Marcus. "Who's this?" he demanded.
"My husband," Lydia said. "Marcus Langstone. Marcus, this is my father."
Marcus held out his hand. "How do you do, sir."
Ingleby-Lewis shook his son-in-law's
"You should tell her the truth." She paused but Marcus said nothing. "You still haven't said how you knew."
"About your news, or about where you were?" He held out the cigarette case to her, and she shook her head. "There was a letter from that chap in Harley Street. Enclosing his bill, of course."
"You opened my letters?"
"What else could I do? I was worried. Your quack wanted to recommend some diet or other that is good for pregnant women, so it was damned obvious what was in the wind. I just wish you'd told me."
"I tried. But you wouldn't let me. You remember?"
Marcus turned away to light a cigarette. "All right--I'm sorry. It's just that you came in at an awkward time, and I didn't want to queer my pitch with Rex Fisher." His face reddened. "But let's forget that now. The important thing is the baby. It changes everything."
"Everything?" she said quietly.
He waved his cigarette. "Of course. The main thing is, of course, it will mean an heir. Even these days, that's important."
"An heir to what?" she snapped. "Nine hundred acres in darkest Gloucestershire? A house you can't afford to live in that leaks like a sieve when there is the slightest drop of rain? And the lease on Frogmore Place only has another twenty years to run, and you'll probably have to let it in any case because you've already spent all my money trying to hang on to everything. What's it all for , Marcus? I wish you'd tell me."
For a moment she thought he was going to hit her again. "I happen to believe that some things are worth hanging on to," he said. "People like us, we've a duty to maintain standards. If we don't, nobody else will. The landed classes are the backbone of this country, any fool can see that. This socialist rot is all very well--I know some of those chaps are well-meaning enough--but it's leading this country down the road to ruin. Ramsay MacDonald couldn't run a butcher's shop. He's completely out of his depth."
"And my having a baby would somehow drag the country back from the brink?"
"Don't be stupid," he said coldly. "The point is, families like ours stand for continuity. You should listen to Sir Oswald on the subject."
"I don't want to, thank you. Anyway, I'm not having a baby."
"What? But your quack said--"
"You've added two and two and made five. The gynecologist said he could see no reason why I shouldn't conceive. He promised he'd send me details of a diet that's meant to be good for women's fertility and when you're pregnant. That was my good news. I was happy, Marcus, because it means I'm probably not infertile after all. Except I no longer want to get pregnant. But I do want to know how you found out where I am."
Marcus sighed. "I went through your bureau."
"It was locked."
"I had to force it."
"First you open my letters, then you break into my bureau."
He ignored this. "I found a letter from your father, written from this address. I thought he was in America."
"He came back last year."
Marcus raised his eyebrows. "And you didn't see fit to mention it?"
"I didn't think it would interest you. You hadn't shown any signs of interest in him before. Or I thought you'd get angry. Just as you are now."
"Have you been seeing him all this time behind my back?"
Suddenly she felt weary. "Until two days ago I hadn't seen him since I was a toddler."
"But you wrote to him?"
"Yes. I sent him a little money." She hesitated. "That was what he wanted. If you've read the letter, you'll know that. Does my mother know?"
"I told her everything. It was she who advised me to come here. She is as shocked as I am. You must understand--you must come home. Lydia, I--"
Marcus broke off. There were footsteps on the stairs and on the landing. The door opened, and Captain Ingleby-Lewis came in.
He stared at Marcus. "Who's this?" he demanded.
"My husband," Lydia said. "Marcus Langstone. Marcus, this is my father."
Marcus held out his hand. "How do you do, sir."
Ingleby-Lewis shook his son-in-law's
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