Виктория Холт - Seven for a Secret

“They must have been very annoyed with her for being born.”

“Oh, it was all right once she was born. Then she was handed over to nurses. She wouldn’t be allowed to intrude. No wonder she’s said to be wilful and wayward. Like her brother. I expect the nurses gave in to them. It would be a nice easy job without interference from above. They wouldn’t want to upset that. Poor little things. Their parents must have been almost strangers to them. But perhaps I should say poor Mrs. St. Aubyn. Her life had been with her husband and she lost him. Maud Hetherington and I take it in turns to visit her. She doesn’t want to see us and I am sure we don’t want to see her. But Maud says it must be done, and there is no gainsaying Maud.”

“Shall I know them?”

“That’s what I’m coming to. But first the Dorians at the Bell House.

Nice place. Stands back from the road. Red brick. Mullioned windows.

Pity. “

“Why a pity?”

“Pity the Dorians are there. That could be a happy house. I’d like to live there. Rather large for me, I suppose, but we could use it. I think old Josiah Dorian can’t forget it was once a meeting house.

Quakers, most likely. It’s not exactly a church, but as near as makes no difference. A meeting place for people . the sort, I imagine, who think to laugh means a ticket to hell. It’s in that house still.

Hangs on, I suppose, and Josiah Dorian is not the man to change it.”

“There’s a girl there, isn’t there? You said a girl of about my age .. like Tamarisk St. Aubyn.”

“Yes, you’d be much of a much ness Poor girl! Lost her parents some time ago. Pity for her she came to her uncle and aunt.”

I came to my aunt. “

She laughed.

“Well, dear, I’m no Josiah Dorian.”

“I think I was very lucky.”

“Bless you, child. We both were. We’ll bring luck to each other. I’m sorry for poor Rachel in a place like that. It’s all very Sunday-go-to-meeting, if you know what I mean.

They can’t get servants to stay long. Mary Dorian weighs out the sugar and locks up the tea . at her husband’s command, they say. Josiah Dorian is a mean man. Rachel’s mother was Mary Dorian’s sister. Well, what I’m getting at is this. I’ve taken my time getting round to it because I wanted you to know the people you’d be with. That’s if I can fix it. It’s your education I’ve got in mind. I want you to go to school. a good school. “

“Wouldn’t that be costly?”

“We’ll manage when it’s necessary. But not yet. In another year, say.

In the meantime. Tamarisk has a governess up at the house Miss Lloyd. Rachel shares the governess. She goes along each day to St. Aubyn’s and has lessons with Tamarisk. You see what I’m driving at? “

“You think that I… ?”

Aunt Sophie nodded vigorously.

“I haven’t quite fixed it yet, but I’m going to. I can’t see why you shouldn’t join them. I don’t think there’ll be any difficulty. I’ll have to get Mrs. St. Aubyn to agree, but she doesn’t care much what goes on, and I don’t expect opposition there. Then there is old Josiah Dorian. I suppose I’ll have to get him to agree, too. However, we’ll see. It would certainly solve our problem for a time.”

I felt excited by the prospect.

“It would mean your going to St. Aubyn’s every morning. It will be nice to be with people of your own age.”

While we were talking Lily put her head round the door.

“That Miss Hetherington’s here,” she said.

“Bring her in,” cried Aunt Sophie. She turned to me.

“We’re going to meet our vicar’s daughter his right hand and good counsellor in whose capable hands lies the fate of Harper’s Green.”

When she came into the room I saw that she was all Aunt Sophie had said she was. I recognized her power at once. Tall, large, hair drawn severely back from a face under a small hat which was perched on the top of her head and decorated with forget-me-nots, she wore a blouse, the neck of which was held almost up to her chin with supports and which gave her a look of severity; her eyes, behind her spectacles, were brown and alert; her teeth were slightly prominent; and about her was that unmistakable air of authority.

Her eyes immediately fell on me. I went forward.

“So this is the niece,” she said.

“She is indeed,” said Aunt Sophie, with a smile.

“Welcome, child,” said Miss Hetherington.

“You’ll be one of us. You will be happy here.” It was a command rather than a prophecy.

“Yes, I know,” I said.

She looked satisfied and regarded me steadily for a few seconds. I think she was trying to assess what useful tasks could be assigned to me.

Aunt Sophie told her that she was hoping I might join the girls for lessons at St. Aubyn’s.

“Of course,” said Miss Hetherington.

“It’s only sensible. Miss Lloyd can teach three as easily as two.”

“I shall have to get the agreement of Mrs. St. Aubyn and the Dorians.”

“Of course they must agree.”

I wondered what steps she would take if they did not, but I hardly thought they would dare to disobey her.

“Now, Sophie, there are matters to be dealt with …”

I slipped out of the room and left them together.

A few days later Aunt Sophie told me that the matter of the governess had been settled. I was to join Tamarisk and Rachel in the schoolroom at St. Aubyn’s.

Ever thoughtful, and realizing that it would be good for me to know something of my companions before joining them for lessons. Aunt Sophie invited both girls to tea at The Rowans.

I was very excited at the prospect of meeting them and went down to the sitting-room filled with curiosity and some apprehension.

Rachel Grey arrived first. She was a slight, dark-haired girl with big brown eyes. We regarded each other with some hauteur and shook hands gravely while Aunt Sophie looked on smiling.

“You and Rachel will get on well,” she said.

“My niece is new to Harper’s Green, Rachel. You’ll show her the ropes, dear, won’t you?”

Rachel smiled wanly and replied: “As far as I am able, I will.”

“Well, now you know each other, sit down and let’s have a chat.”

“You live in the Bell House,” I began.

“I think it looks charming.”

“The house is nice,” said Rachel, and then stopped.

“A real period piece,” said Aunt Sophie.

“Nearly as old as St. Aubyn’s.”

“Oh, not as grand as that,” said Rachel.

“It has great charm,” insisted Aunt Sophie.

“Tamarisk is late.”

“Tamarisk is always late,” said Rachel.

“Hm,” grunted Aunt Sophie.

“She’s ever so keen to meet you,” said Rachel to me.

“She’ll be here soon.”

She was right.

“Oh, here you are, my dear,” said Aunt Sophie.

“Delayed, were you?”

“Oh yes,” said the newcomer. She was quite attractive, with very fair curly hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a short retrousse nose which gave her a jaunty look. She looked at me with undisguised curiosity.

“So you’re the niece.”

“And you are Tamarisk St. Aubyn.”

“From St. Aubyn’s Park,” she said, her eyes sweeping round Aunt Sophie’s tastefully furnished but not very large drawing-room and somehow belittling it.

“How do you do?” I asked coolly.

“Well, thank you, and you?”

“Well,” I replied.

“You’re going to have lessons with Rachel and me.”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”

She screwed up her face and made a pouting expression with which I was to become familiar, implying that I might change my mind when I met the governess.

She said: “Old Lallie is a slave-driver, isn’t she, Rachel?”