Henry Green - Loving

When Raunce was gone she went to the window. She called the child.

The little girl came running, stood moist in the sun before Edith.

'Where've you been Miss Moira?' She asked sweet.

'Why out by the dovecote Edith.'

'Look at you then,' Edith scolded gently and squatted down. 'Just see the state you're in. You'll be landin' me in such trouble if you don't take good care when your grandma gets back.'

'Is grandma coming?'

'She is that,' Edith said smiling as she began to clear up the child's glowing face with her own grubby handkerchief.

'Is mummy too?'

'I couldn't say love. Whatever've you been at to get in such a state?'

'I hope mummy doesn't come.'

'Hark at you,' Edith said letting it go.

'I do. 'Cos that Captain Davenport will be over all the time when she does.'

'Hush dear,' Edith said sharp, 'someone'll hear. And you shouldn't mention such a thing even to your own Edith.'

'I don't like him.'

'It's not for us to like or not like. You're too little.'

'Darling Edith why are you looking so excited?'

Edith giggled. 'Am I?' she asked, wiping away at stains on Miss Moira's deep blue skirt.

'You should see yourself.'

'Well I expect I've had a day and a half. But what've you been up to? That's what I want to be told thanks.'

'Edith why are you?'

'Can you keep secrets ducky?' Edith asked in reply.

'A secret oo how lovely,' Miss Moira exclaimed.

'I don't suppose you know how.'

'Oh I promise. Let my lips be sealed,' the child said. May I drop dead she added to herself.

'Well then. Only don't breathe to nobody mind. Your Edith's had a proposal.'

'Oh Edith has Albert at last? And are you going to marry him?'

Edith put the handkerchief away and kissed her.

'There that's better,' she said.

'Do tell,' the child pleaded warm.

'One secret for another,' Edith announced. 'You say what you've been along of.'

'Will you marry him then?'

'Look I've told you my secret. Now you come out with yours. Fair's fair,' Edith said.

'We've been with Albert.'

'That's no secret.'

'It was.'

'What's dark about that then?' Edith wanted to know.

'He's got my grandma's ring. The one she lost.'

'Has he so? And what's he done with it?' Edith enquired casual.

'I don't know,' the little girl lied, on account of dropping dead perhaps.

'Which Albert, yours or mine?' Edith asked soft.

'Mine,' Miss Moira answered. 'Oh I do love him.'

'Are you goin' to be married?'

'Of course.'

'Isn't that lovely,' Edith said. 'But what's he been up to with that ring meantime?' she went on carefully disinterested.

'I don't know, honest I don't,' the child lied once more. And Edith let it go. And the day laden with sunshine, with the noise of bees broke in upon their silence. There was a sharp smell of geraniums.

'Well I must be off now,' Miss Moira said. She ran away stepping high.

'I don't know,' Charley grumbled good natured again at Albert in the pantry as the lad washed his face, 'I don't rightly know what to make of you an' that's a fact. Speakin' out of turn like you did. There's times I ask myself if you'll ever learn.'

'I'm sorry Mr Raunce.'

'That's O. K. my lad,' said Charley unexpectedly mild. To-day of all days I wouldn't wish to have a disagreement with nobody. But you must use your best endeavours. 'Owever hard it may seem to keep mum for 'eaven's sake keep mum. That's your place and in a manner of speakin' it's mine. You've no knowledge of this ring, nor I have, we none of us know. What's more it's no concern of ours. When Mrs T. made a rumpus soon as she first lost it well then it was up to anyone she spoke to to make a search. She's always puttin' things down where she can't find 'em. But after the first upset let sleepin' dogs lie. D'you get me?'

'Yes Mr Raunce.'

'It did your heart credit to speak up when you did, mind. But you'll discover it don't pay to have a heart on most occasions. Anyway not with a man of his stamp. Where did 'e say 'e come from? What's 'is trade card?'

Albert picked up the man's bit of pasteboard and handed it to Charley.

'Not with wet fingers,' Mr Raunce began again. '

'Ow many times do I have to tell you, wipe your hands when you pass anything and clean your teeth before you have to do with a woman. Holy Jesus', he sang out without warning, 'holy Moses,' he corrected himself, 'what's this?'

'What's the matter Mr Raunce?'

'Why the Insurance Company. I knew it all along. See 'ere. "Irish Regfna Assurance." Don't you read that the way I do.'

'No Mr Raunce.'

'Why spell me out those letters. Irish Regina Assurance. I. R. A. boy. So 'e was one of their scouts, must a' been.'

'I. R. A.?'

'Where's my girl?' Raunce asked and dashed out.

A few days passed. Then one morning while they were at their dinner in the servants' hall that telephone began to ring away in the pantry. Albert came back with a message he had written out in block letters.

'Returning Monday, Tennant,' Raunce read aloud into a silence. 'Well thank God for it,' he added, 'and about time if you ask me.'

'I never knew you so keen to start work again,' Agatha remarked malicious.

'That's all right Miss Burch,' he said.

'There's more in this than meets the eye,' she suggested.

'Why I've not said a word,' he began as Edith watched him anxiously and as though disapproving. Then he went on, 'I've not let on about it because I wouldn't have you bothered. We've all of us got our worries with this bombin' over the other side to mention just the one item. So I thought I'll keep it to meself. Your own back's broad enough I said.'

'Thanks I'm sure,' Miss Burch announced, putting a small slice of potato dainty into her mouth. Then she raised a crooked finger as if to scratch under the wig but thought better perhaps for she picked up the fork again.

'There's things occur which you'd never believe,' he went on.

'Now Charley,' Edith said. It was the first time, as Kate's eyes showed, that the girl had called him in public by his Christian name. 'You don't want to bring all that up,' she ended weak.

'Well we're all one family in this place, there's how I see the situation,' he started. Kate began to giggle. But she got no encouragement from Edith. 'We can share,' he continued, still sentimental. 'Now Mrs T. is comin' back she can clear this little matter up. It was something occurred not more than five days ago.'

'No Charley,' Edith interrupted.

'Bless me,' Miss Burch said staring at her, 'if it's known to another it should be known to me I hope.'

'She couldn't help herself,' Raunce put in. 'She was present when 'e called along with my Albert here.'

'Who called?' Miss Burch enquired.

'The I. R. A. man,' Raunce announced as though with an ultimatum.

'Mercy,' Miss Burch exclaimed, 'and are we going to have that old nonsense all over again?'

'Nonsense it may be to you Miss Burch but you'll excuse me, I know different,' he said.

'Then I'd best learn more,' she suggested.

'It was about the ring,' Edith put in.

'That was 'is pretext right enough,' Raunce said, 'that was how he got past Albert here at the door. It was my bandage,' he explained. 'I couldn't answer the bell dressed as I was. So I sent the lad. If it had been me opened the door to him then with my experience I'd've told within a second, like in the twinklin' of an eye,' he said serious.

'Mrs Tennant's ring she mislaid?' Agatha enquired.

'That was no more than the way he chose to put it,' Charley began again when Miss Burch surprisingly broke out as follows.

'Then they'll needs must dig the drains up,' she cried in what seemed to be great agitation, 'I've said so all along now haven't I?'

'Come, come,' Raunce said, 'there's no call to take things that far,' he said and frowned. 'She's always mislayin' possessions.'