Part 33 (2/2)
I knew better than to ask questions. If the girl wanted sympathy she could find it in my eyes, but she would resent pity. I praised Mrs. Bal, and found that I'd struck the right note.
”Yes!” Barrie exclaimed. ”Isn't mother--I mean Barbara--gloriously beautiful? She wants me to call her Barbara, and I shall love it. I shall love to do whatever she wants me to do, I'm sure, because she's such a darling. Everybody must want to do what she wants them to do, whether it's right or wrong--though she wouldn't want anything she _thought_ wrong, of course. Just fancy, she's given me heaps of pretty things. I begged her not, but she would make me take them--a string of pearls, and this ring--my very first!” (How I wish that I had put her ”very first” ring--or kiss--on the finger she displayed!) ”And two bangles--and she's going to pay back Sir S.--I mean Mr. Somerled” (so she has her own name for him!)--”the money he lent me for my father's brooch. Barbara doesn't want the brooch. I'm to keep it. And she says she'll give me an allowance--but she expects Grandma to leave me everything in her will. _I_ don't--and I'd rather not, though moth----Barbara thinks I shall some day be quite well off. I fancied we were very poor, but Barbara says Grandma must have got back nearly all that was lost, by saving.”
I guess that the girl was making talk to show me how well satisfied she was with everything; but whenever she met my eyes she looked away, to interest herself in some photograph or ornament.
In less than the promised fifteen minutes Mrs. Bal appeared again, very lovely and ridiculously young in a short blue serge dress, with a turned down collar that showed her firm white throat. I was allowed to remain with Barrie while ”Barbara” went up to see my sister; and the ice being broken between us, we chatted comfortably of everyday things, I unreasonably happy because I had got in ahead of Somerled for once. It began to seem like a game of chess between us; I--directed by Aline--playing against Somerled. If Aline upstairs were at this minute making the move she planned, it would be check to his queen, Barrie of course being queen.
The only questions I ventured to ask the girl, and those in a casual way, were, ”Had she heard from or seen Somerled since yesterday afternoon? And what was the programme for her, during this week of the new play in Edinburgh?”
Her answers were that she had neither seen nor heard from Somerled, and that she didn't know what she was to do during the week. She hoped to see something of Edinburgh. She supposed we--and Mr. Somerled--would soon be leaving for the west or north. But she had written Mr. Douglas, by Barbara's request, and he was very nice. He might be counted on to show her things. He was invited to call this afternoon with his cousin.
Jack Morrison had written asking to come too, and Barbara said that he might do so--bringing his three friends. She--Barrie--must be very, very careful always to say ”Barbara” and never--the _other_. She could _quite_ understand now how the darling felt, though it had seemed queer at first.
By and by Mrs. Bal returned, and I saw by the light in her eyes and the colour on her cheeks that the conversation with Aline had been interesting. Hardly had she arrived and begun demanding from her various maids various things wanted at the theatre, when Somerled sent up to beg a moment's talk with her.
”Tell the gentleman I shall be delighted,” she said to the hotel servant: and I saw that she was smiling the impish smile which Barrie has inherited.
”So glad you came before I got away!” she exclaimed, shaking hands with Somerled. ”Five minutes more and I should have missed you. I'm due at the theatre now. The poor wretches are rehearsing without me, but I must turn up for a scene, at eleven!”
”I won't keep you five minutes,” said Somerled, quietly. ”I only want to ask if you'll let Barrie--provided she'd like it--” he glanced at the girl, whose eyes brightened--”take a few excursions with her friend Mrs.
James and me, in my car this week. You'll be busy and----”
”I should have been delighted, and I'm sure Barrie would,” broke in Mrs.
Bal, ”but you're just too late. A new thing for you, isn't it? I've been having the most charming visit with Mrs. West, who is better, but must keep to her rooms for two or three days. Her car will be eating its head off unless it's used, and I've promised that her friends the Vannecks--such _nice_ people! I met them in Mrs. West's sitting-room--and Mr. Norman shall have Barrie for--probably--the very excursions you have in mind. Too bad! But first come, first served!
You've all been so good to this girl, one hardly knows how to choose between you. But I thought Mrs. James was going home at once? I understood from Barrie that she said so last night?”
”She has decided to stay until the little surprise I'm trying to arrange for her, comes off--or on. She doesn't know what it is, but she pays me the compliment of taking it on trust. She'll be disappointed at having to give up the motor runs she was looking forward to with Barrie.”
”You've plenty of old friends in Edinburgh, I'm sure,” suggested Mrs.
Bal, ”and you can make up a party to console dear Mrs. James for the loss of Barrie.”
”I don't believe Mrs. James can be induced to take any excursions without Barrie,” said Somerled: which meant that he didn't intend to leave Edinburgh while the girl was in it and at the mercy of her erratic parent. I thought he was anxious Barrie should understand that he was not going to desert her. Perhaps she did understand, for she is quick in penetration; but her own pride, and loyalty to Mrs. Bal, kept her from showing that she felt need of protection, or even that she supposed Somerled to be offering it. She did show, however, that it grieved her to refuse his invitation. She took the ”tip” he gave and put it all upon Mrs. James: how sorry she was not to do any more sight-seeing with dear Mrs. James. But I knew that the name in her heart was not the name on her tongue.
Aline had scored. I wanted to know just how, and how far, but I determined not to leave Barrie with Somerled. I needn't have worried, however, for Mrs. Bal and I had the same thought. She asked if Barrie would like to go to the theatre with her and watch a rehearsal.
Naturally, Barrie said yes, and Somerled and I saw them off in the smaller of the two motor-cars which Morgan Bennett had placed at Mrs.
Bal's service for the Edinburgh week. As for Bennett himself, he was apparently ”lying low,” by her wish or his own; but I expected to see him at the theatre that night. Of course, we were all going to turn out in full force for ”The Nelly Affair.” Somerled had taken a box, he told me, and proceeded to invite the whole party; but there also Aline had got in ahead. During Mrs. Bal's call upon her, they had arranged that the Vannecks and I should sit with Barrie in stalls offered by the Star.
Mrs. Bal had (she a.s.sured us fluently, before starting off in her car) intended asking Somerled and Mrs. James too, and stalls were provided for them. But as he had already engaged a box, she would give the seats to the two Douglases. Perhaps he--Somerled--would have room in his box for those nice American boys, of whom Barrie seemed so fond?
Aline was eagerly waiting for me to come back and congratulate her upon her great success. She wanted to tell me everything; but her desire to talk was nothing compared with my yearning to hear.
”It's all right,” she began. ”I've made a bargain with Mrs. Bal. I told her you were in love with Barrie. That's the way I broke the ice, after I'd paid her compliments and she'd sympathized about my eyes. I said I'd keep her secret, and answer for the Vannecks, if she'd give you a chance with Barrie.”
”By Jove!” I grumbled. ”You didn't mince matters between you! Anything said about Somerled?”
”Why, I told her that the child was fancying herself in love with Ian, and behaving rather foolishly. And I said that Ian was naturally flattered, but that he was the last man to marry a baby like Barrie; and if we didn't act quickly, the poor little girl might suffer. You must have noticed, Basil, that Mrs. Bal doesn't like Ian Somerled.”
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