here when she was at school, ” Brian said. “ She was the same age as Conn and we, of course, were much younger, but I don ’ t think she ever liked Conn much, and she used to tease Clancy about him and make her cry with rage. Aunt Bea says Clodagh was as wild as Clancy in those days, which always gives her hope. ”
Mark smiled.
“ Hope of another transformation? ” he said dryly.
“ Oh, Clancy will never be like Clodagh, ” said Brian, with brotherly scorn. “ She never has any nice clothes and she isn ’ t half as pretty. ”
Clancy did not come home for lunch, and Mark spent a leisurely afternoon unpacking and disposing his belongings in the tower room, attended at frequent intervals by Brian, who seemed to have taken a liking to his tutor. Away from his father he was not at all shy, and chattered away to Mark, asking innumerable questions and volunteering much random information about the household and the numerous governesses.
“ There were lots of them, ” Brian said vaguely, “ but they never stayed long. Most of them couldn ’ t stick Agnes. ”
“ And what, ” asked Mark mildly, “ are you planning for me? ”
Brian sat on the bed and tried the springs with a speculative bounce.
“ Oh, we never planned anything for the governesses, ” he replied cheerfully. “ They just went. Kilmallin doesn ’ t like women. ”
“ So I ’ m frequently told. ” Mark opened and shut a drawer. “ Well, for your information, you won ’ t find me so easy to get rid of as the governesses. ”
Brian, finding the springs responsive, bounced with more abandon.
“ Oh, I don ’ t want to get rid of you, ” he said. “ I think you ’ ll be much better than the governesses. It ’ s Clancy who ’ s the trouble. She ’ s taken a mislike to you because you ’ re English. ”
“ H ’ m ... I think I can deal satisfactorily with Clancy ’ s politics. Don ’ t make a complete shambles of my bed, my dear child. I ’ m hoping for a good night ’ s sleep. ”
Mark walked to the window and stood looking out across the loch. A boat was putting out from the far shore, and he watched it lazily, recognizing in a little while Clancy ’ s scarlet sweater.
“ When your sister comes in, ” he remarked, “ tell her I want to talk to you both in the schoolroom after tea. ”
After tea, Mark found Brian dutifully awaiting him in the schoolroom, but there was no sign of Clancy.
“ She ’ s not coming, ” the boy said in answer to his inquiry. “ She was here writing to Clodagh, but when I gave her your message she said she ’ d finish her letter in the library and leave us undisturbed. ”
“ Very thoughtful of her, ” Mark remarked, and left the room.
Aunt Bea looked up from her knitting as he entered the library, but Clancy, sitting at a table in the window, only hunched her shoulders higher and went on writing.
“ Brian gave you my message, I think, ” Mark said pleasantly.
“ M ’ m, ” grunted Clancy, without looking up.
“ Very well, then. Come along. ”
“ I ’ m busy, ” she replied.
“ Your letter can wait for half an hour, ” he said, with expressionless courtesy. “ I won ’ t keep you long. ”
She gave him an appraising glance over her shoulder, then continued writing.
“ I ’ ll come when I ’ ve finished, ” she said.
He took the pen gently from her fingers and closed the blotter.
“ I think you ’ ll come when I tell you to, ” he said quietly.
She made a grab at the pen which he removed out of reach, then sat staring up at him, her elbows on the table and her chin propped in her clenched hands.
“ Would you like to know what I ’ ve just written to my cousin, Clodagh, about you? ” she demanded furiously.
His heavy-lidded eyes merely looked lazy.
“ Not in the least, ” he replied. “ Come along. ”
“ I ’ ll come when I ’ m ready, ” she retorted childishly.
He sighed.
“ On the contrary, you ’ ll come when I ’ m ready, ” he
Mark smiled.
“ Hope of another transformation? ” he said dryly.
“ Oh, Clancy will never be like Clodagh, ” said Brian, with brotherly scorn. “ She never has any nice clothes and she isn ’ t half as pretty. ”
Clancy did not come home for lunch, and Mark spent a leisurely afternoon unpacking and disposing his belongings in the tower room, attended at frequent intervals by Brian, who seemed to have taken a liking to his tutor. Away from his father he was not at all shy, and chattered away to Mark, asking innumerable questions and volunteering much random information about the household and the numerous governesses.
“ There were lots of them, ” Brian said vaguely, “ but they never stayed long. Most of them couldn ’ t stick Agnes. ”
“ And what, ” asked Mark mildly, “ are you planning for me? ”
Brian sat on the bed and tried the springs with a speculative bounce.
“ Oh, we never planned anything for the governesses, ” he replied cheerfully. “ They just went. Kilmallin doesn ’ t like women. ”
“ So I ’ m frequently told. ” Mark opened and shut a drawer. “ Well, for your information, you won ’ t find me so easy to get rid of as the governesses. ”
Brian, finding the springs responsive, bounced with more abandon.
“ Oh, I don ’ t want to get rid of you, ” he said. “ I think you ’ ll be much better than the governesses. It ’ s Clancy who ’ s the trouble. She ’ s taken a mislike to you because you ’ re English. ”
“ H ’ m ... I think I can deal satisfactorily with Clancy ’ s politics. Don ’ t make a complete shambles of my bed, my dear child. I ’ m hoping for a good night ’ s sleep. ”
Mark walked to the window and stood looking out across the loch. A boat was putting out from the far shore, and he watched it lazily, recognizing in a little while Clancy ’ s scarlet sweater.
“ When your sister comes in, ” he remarked, “ tell her I want to talk to you both in the schoolroom after tea. ”
After tea, Mark found Brian dutifully awaiting him in the schoolroom, but there was no sign of Clancy.
“ She ’ s not coming, ” the boy said in answer to his inquiry. “ She was here writing to Clodagh, but when I gave her your message she said she ’ d finish her letter in the library and leave us undisturbed. ”
“ Very thoughtful of her, ” Mark remarked, and left the room.
Aunt Bea looked up from her knitting as he entered the library, but Clancy, sitting at a table in the window, only hunched her shoulders higher and went on writing.
“ Brian gave you my message, I think, ” Mark said pleasantly.
“ M ’ m, ” grunted Clancy, without looking up.
“ Very well, then. Come along. ”
“ I ’ m busy, ” she replied.
“ Your letter can wait for half an hour, ” he said, with expressionless courtesy. “ I won ’ t keep you long. ”
She gave him an appraising glance over her shoulder, then continued writing.
“ I ’ ll come when I ’ ve finished, ” she said.
He took the pen gently from her fingers and closed the blotter.
“ I think you ’ ll come when I tell you to, ” he said quietly.
She made a grab at the pen which he removed out of reach, then sat staring up at him, her elbows on the table and her chin propped in her clenched hands.
“ Would you like to know what I ’ ve just written to my cousin, Clodagh, about you? ” she demanded furiously.
His heavy-lidded eyes merely looked lazy.
“ Not in the least, ” he replied. “ Come along. ”
“ I ’ ll come when I ’ m ready, ” she retorted childishly.
He sighed.
“ On the contrary, you ’ ll come when I ’ m ready, ” he
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