Part 60 (1/2)
Aymer had long given up dining with them, and no one spoke of the lawyers' visit or of Christopher's rapid flittings, or indeed of any of the subjects on which their minds were really intent. But there seemed a tacit understanding amongst them that dinner must not be a long affair and was a prelude to something yet to happen.
They went out together and Christopher delayed Patricia in the hall.
”I must see Nevil and Caesar and tell them at once,” he said hurriedly, ”then I want you, my dearest. I've news for you, which I forgot just now. You must know it, though it makes no difference to us.”
Nevil came out at that moment and she slipped away after Renata with curiosity wide awake.
”Am I to congratulate you as a millionaire or commiserate with you as a bearer of burdens, old fellow?” asked Nevil, flinging himself into a big chair.
”You will congratulate me, I hope, but not about that confounded money though. Nevil, you are Patricia's guardian. Will you and Renata give her to me?”
He spoke abruptly and without any preamble, gripping the back of a chair in his hands. A sudden doubt as to the family acceptance of what was an unquestionable matter in his eyes suddenly a.s.sailed him.
”You want to marry Patricia?”
Christopher nodded. ”You can hardly urge we have not had time to know our own minds,” he said, smiling a little.
”No,” Nevil admitted, and then added rather distractedly, ”What ought I to urge, though, Christopher? Of course it's the greatest possible thing that could happen to Patricia, but for you?”
”I'm appealing to Patricia's guardian, who has only her interests to consider. I'll look after my own. However,” he went on hastily, ”it's only fair to tell you, Nevil, I don't mean to take either the fortune or the name. So long as you'll lend me your own I'll stick to it.
Failing that, my mother's will serve me.”
Nevil made no comment beyond a nod. The younger man waited with what patience he could command.
”Does it seriously affect the matter?” he asked at last, ”my refusing the beastly money?”
Nevil got up slowly and shook himself.
”It affects Patricia's guardians not one bit. It's not as if it were that, or nothing.”
”No, I've enough. Of course if I hadn't I might feel differently about it. I can keep her in comfort, Nevil.”
Nevil got up deliberately and altered the position of a bronze on the high mantelshelf.
”It's not Patricia I'm thinking about,” he said in his slow way, ”but hang it all, you belong to us, Christopher. We must think of you! Have you counted the risks?”
”I probably understand them better than anyone.”
”Then I dismiss further responsibility. I'm really more pleased than I can say, Christopher. Poor little Patricia! What fortune for her!”
”You clearly understand there won't be any fortune?” persisted the other bluntly.
”Oh, Peter's fortune? Of course not. Where's the obligation? I'll go and tell Renata.”
He strolled off and Christopher hurried to the West Room, where he found Aymer and Mr. Aston waiting expectantly. Christopher came to a standstill by the fireplace and to his amazement found his hands shaking. He had never imagined there would be any difficulty in this interview, yet he found himself unaccountably at a loss before these two men. The absurdly inadequate idea that they might consider it unjustifiable greed in him to grasp so great a prize as Patricia Connell when they had already given him so much a.s.sailed him.
Both men were aware of his unusual embarra.s.sment and neither of them made the slightest attempt to help him out, for Mr. Aston had a very fair idea of what had happened, and had conveyed his suspicions to Aymer. They both found a certain amusing fascination in seeing how he would deal with the situation, and it was a situation so pleasing to them both that they failed to realise it might present real difficulties to him.
He faced them suddenly, and plunged into the matter in his usual direct way.