felt she knew what it meant.
Routed at last, chivied and hounded and humiliated, the Burkes were driven to the station after a mere three days visit.
Giles could have eased their humiliation, for he was not in the least afraid of Felicity and had always had a soft spot for the underdog. But Giles had left for France after persuading himself to take a well-earned holiday.
Had he stayed, Felicity and Susie would not have been left together, and the shocking tragedy would not have occurred.
But he was not clairvoyant. He was merely a handsome young man with a guilty conscience, who wanted to put as much mileage between himself and Susie as possible.
Chapter Five
Winter held a firm grip on the south of England. A brief thaw in February had melted the snow. Then the wind had turned, hurling icy gales in from the sea; dry, frozen gales that whistled and sang through the hard, dry grass.
Like a sleeping princess, Susie remained immured in the strong walls of the keep, escaping occasionally from Felicity’s harsh social training to lie on her bed and weave endless fantasies about that homely young man who would one day ride up to the castle walls to rescue her.
Dominated by Felicity’s iron will, Susie never contemplated escaping by herself. Her late husband’s man of business had paid her a visit and had taught her how to write checks for “pin money,” and had advised her to charge everything else and have the bills sent to him.
Susie longed to buy some pretty dresses, but it was unthinkable that she should wear anything but black until at least a year of mourning had passed. She had been allowed to visit the local town of Barminster, draped in a heavy black crepe veil and accompanied by Felicity. She had been allowed to draw a small sum of money from the bank but had been unable to spend any of it, since Felicity found all her choices, such as a pretty fan or a smart black plush hat, “utterly common and frivolous.”
Everything seems to be damned as “utterly common,”
thought poor Susie.
Oh, that I had stayed in Camberwell and maybe had married someone comfortable like the grocer’s boy
.
But she hadn’t, and she had therefore gained Lady Felicity as a mother-in-law.
Little did Susie know that Felicity had reluctantly to admit that Susie was coming along very nicely indeed. She still said “theeter” instead of theater, “blouse” instead of bloose, and “chariot” instead of charrot. But she had stopped saying “ever so” and pronouncing really, “reelly.” Obscurely alarmed that she might no longer have anything to bully Susie about, Felicity started on about the servants one cold, bleak day when both women were warming their feet at the fire in the rose chamber.
“I could
order
them to treat you with respect, of course,” said Felicity grimly. “But respect from servants is something that must be earned.”
“Perhaps,” replied Susie hesitantly, “they feel they are following your example.”
“What do you mean, girl?”
“I—I m-mean,” stuttered Susie, “I know you have my best interests at heart, b-but the s-servants hear you ordering me about, and therefore—just perhaps, you know—that makes them think that I am not a person to be treated with respect.”
“Balderdash!” said Lady Felicity vehemently, and then quickly changed the subject, for she privately felt that there might be some truth in what Susie had said. “We will continue your education in good vintages,” said Felicity. “Go down to the cellar and bring back a bottle of
good
vintage claret.”
“Very well,” said Susie meekly, all the fight going out of her.
She left the room only to return some minutes later.
“The cellar door is locked,” she said, “and I can’t find the key anywhere. I can’t find Thomson or any of the servants.”
“Wait a minute,” said Felicity, striding over to an old escritoire in the corner and jerking open the drawer. “I keep a few spare keys here. Ah, this is
Routed at last, chivied and hounded and humiliated, the Burkes were driven to the station after a mere three days visit.
Giles could have eased their humiliation, for he was not in the least afraid of Felicity and had always had a soft spot for the underdog. But Giles had left for France after persuading himself to take a well-earned holiday.
Had he stayed, Felicity and Susie would not have been left together, and the shocking tragedy would not have occurred.
But he was not clairvoyant. He was merely a handsome young man with a guilty conscience, who wanted to put as much mileage between himself and Susie as possible.
Chapter Five
Winter held a firm grip on the south of England. A brief thaw in February had melted the snow. Then the wind had turned, hurling icy gales in from the sea; dry, frozen gales that whistled and sang through the hard, dry grass.
Like a sleeping princess, Susie remained immured in the strong walls of the keep, escaping occasionally from Felicity’s harsh social training to lie on her bed and weave endless fantasies about that homely young man who would one day ride up to the castle walls to rescue her.
Dominated by Felicity’s iron will, Susie never contemplated escaping by herself. Her late husband’s man of business had paid her a visit and had taught her how to write checks for “pin money,” and had advised her to charge everything else and have the bills sent to him.
Susie longed to buy some pretty dresses, but it was unthinkable that she should wear anything but black until at least a year of mourning had passed. She had been allowed to visit the local town of Barminster, draped in a heavy black crepe veil and accompanied by Felicity. She had been allowed to draw a small sum of money from the bank but had been unable to spend any of it, since Felicity found all her choices, such as a pretty fan or a smart black plush hat, “utterly common and frivolous.”
Everything seems to be damned as “utterly common,”
thought poor Susie.
Oh, that I had stayed in Camberwell and maybe had married someone comfortable like the grocer’s boy
.
But she hadn’t, and she had therefore gained Lady Felicity as a mother-in-law.
Little did Susie know that Felicity had reluctantly to admit that Susie was coming along very nicely indeed. She still said “theeter” instead of theater, “blouse” instead of bloose, and “chariot” instead of charrot. But she had stopped saying “ever so” and pronouncing really, “reelly.” Obscurely alarmed that she might no longer have anything to bully Susie about, Felicity started on about the servants one cold, bleak day when both women were warming their feet at the fire in the rose chamber.
“I could
order
them to treat you with respect, of course,” said Felicity grimly. “But respect from servants is something that must be earned.”
“Perhaps,” replied Susie hesitantly, “they feel they are following your example.”
“What do you mean, girl?”
“I—I m-mean,” stuttered Susie, “I know you have my best interests at heart, b-but the s-servants hear you ordering me about, and therefore—just perhaps, you know—that makes them think that I am not a person to be treated with respect.”
“Balderdash!” said Lady Felicity vehemently, and then quickly changed the subject, for she privately felt that there might be some truth in what Susie had said. “We will continue your education in good vintages,” said Felicity. “Go down to the cellar and bring back a bottle of
good
vintage claret.”
“Very well,” said Susie meekly, all the fight going out of her.
She left the room only to return some minutes later.
“The cellar door is locked,” she said, “and I can’t find the key anywhere. I can’t find Thomson or any of the servants.”
“Wait a minute,” said Felicity, striding over to an old escritoire in the corner and jerking open the drawer. “I keep a few spare keys here. Ah, this is
Similar Books
