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Authors: Philippa Carr
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horrible. But it is what is happening all over Germany.”
I could see their minds were on Dorabella.
“We’ll ask the young man here as soon as possible,” said my mother. “Then we’ll see what we think of him.”
“Perhaps Dorabella has already made up her mind that she is going to marry him,” suggested my father.
“She has been known to change her mind…”
At that moment Dorabella herself came bursting in.
“I knew I’d find you here. Learning all about it, of course, from sensible Violetta. Well, what has she been telling you?”
“About the adventurous time you had in Germany,” said my father.
“Oh, it was wonderful…until all that put an end to it. Dermot was marvelous, wasn’t he, Violetta? The way he got us out of that place…and then he rescued us in the forest, you know.”
“He was the perfect knight,” I said.
“Actually, he is really rather marvelous. Wait until you two see him.”
“I suggest we do not wait too long before we do,” said my mother. “We’ll invite him very soon.”
Dorabella hugged her.
“You will love him. You really will. I have never met anyone quite like him. He’s the nearest thing to Daddy you can have.”
My father was greatly touched, but I could see my mother was wondering whether this was just another of Dorabella’s transient enthusiasms.
Edward took Gretchen to see my grandparents. Their house was as much home to him as ours was, for my mother had only been about sixteen when she took him home and her mother had really brought him up.
A few weeks after our return Dermot Tregarland visited us. People sometimes seem different against another background and I wondered whether Dermot would. But no, he was the same exuberant, charming person at Caddington as he had been in the Böhmerwald.
He was interested in the house, which he naturally compared with his own home. There were many similarities, he told us. He wanted us all to pay a visit to Cornwall soon.
By this time it was mid-September and Dermot stayed with us for two weeks and, I think, during that time my parents decided that he would be a suitable match for their daughter.
He met people in the neighborhood—the doctor and his family, the rector and his—and although there was as yet no announcement of an engagement, it was taken for granted that he was Dorabella’s fiancé.
Dorabella was at the height of excitement. She was radiant and her happiness enhanced her beauty.
In contrast to her exuberance, I felt faintly depressed. I was lusterless beside her. I came to the conclusion that I did not want change. I wanted us to be schoolgirls again. Perhaps I was a little resentful that she needed me less. Someone else had moved closer to her. Dorabella was in love. I was dearly loved by my family, but it was not the same.
Perhaps I felt envious. Always before, when people noticed her and made much of her, I accepted the fact that I lacked her charm, and I had been pleased that she was so popular. I might be becoming a little tired of being the sensible one…the one who was expected to take responsibility…the one who must be there when needed to help Dorabella.
It had been my role to look after her, and although sometimes I may have complained, I did not want that changed.
I often thought back to that moment when Else’s young man had suddenly stood up and begun the riot. I thought that after that nothing would ever be the same again.
That was nonsense. This would have come in any case. It had had nothing to do with the riot. Dorabella would have met Dermot—and even if she had not met him, it would have been someone else one day.
But now, because of what had happened, I was aware of evil as I had never been previously. I could not accept life as I had done previously.
It was arranged that we should pay a visit to Dermot’s house. My mother decided that we would not wait until Christmas, much to my brother’s disgust. He declared that beastly school was going to spoil
I could see their minds were on Dorabella.
“We’ll ask the young man here as soon as possible,” said my mother. “Then we’ll see what we think of him.”
“Perhaps Dorabella has already made up her mind that she is going to marry him,” suggested my father.
“She has been known to change her mind…”
At that moment Dorabella herself came bursting in.
“I knew I’d find you here. Learning all about it, of course, from sensible Violetta. Well, what has she been telling you?”
“About the adventurous time you had in Germany,” said my father.
“Oh, it was wonderful…until all that put an end to it. Dermot was marvelous, wasn’t he, Violetta? The way he got us out of that place…and then he rescued us in the forest, you know.”
“He was the perfect knight,” I said.
“Actually, he is really rather marvelous. Wait until you two see him.”
“I suggest we do not wait too long before we do,” said my mother. “We’ll invite him very soon.”
Dorabella hugged her.
“You will love him. You really will. I have never met anyone quite like him. He’s the nearest thing to Daddy you can have.”
My father was greatly touched, but I could see my mother was wondering whether this was just another of Dorabella’s transient enthusiasms.
Edward took Gretchen to see my grandparents. Their house was as much home to him as ours was, for my mother had only been about sixteen when she took him home and her mother had really brought him up.
A few weeks after our return Dermot Tregarland visited us. People sometimes seem different against another background and I wondered whether Dermot would. But no, he was the same exuberant, charming person at Caddington as he had been in the Böhmerwald.
He was interested in the house, which he naturally compared with his own home. There were many similarities, he told us. He wanted us all to pay a visit to Cornwall soon.
By this time it was mid-September and Dermot stayed with us for two weeks and, I think, during that time my parents decided that he would be a suitable match for their daughter.
He met people in the neighborhood—the doctor and his family, the rector and his—and although there was as yet no announcement of an engagement, it was taken for granted that he was Dorabella’s fiancé.
Dorabella was at the height of excitement. She was radiant and her happiness enhanced her beauty.
In contrast to her exuberance, I felt faintly depressed. I was lusterless beside her. I came to the conclusion that I did not want change. I wanted us to be schoolgirls again. Perhaps I was a little resentful that she needed me less. Someone else had moved closer to her. Dorabella was in love. I was dearly loved by my family, but it was not the same.
Perhaps I felt envious. Always before, when people noticed her and made much of her, I accepted the fact that I lacked her charm, and I had been pleased that she was so popular. I might be becoming a little tired of being the sensible one…the one who was expected to take responsibility…the one who must be there when needed to help Dorabella.
It had been my role to look after her, and although sometimes I may have complained, I did not want that changed.
I often thought back to that moment when Else’s young man had suddenly stood up and begun the riot. I thought that after that nothing would ever be the same again.
That was nonsense. This would have come in any case. It had had nothing to do with the riot. Dorabella would have met Dermot—and even if she had not met him, it would have been someone else one day.
But now, because of what had happened, I was aware of evil as I had never been previously. I could not accept life as I had done previously.
It was arranged that we should pay a visit to Dermot’s house. My mother decided that we would not wait until Christmas, much to my brother’s disgust. He declared that beastly school was going to spoil
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