Part 56 (1/2)

Lady Garribardine was well acquainted with the signs of all his moods.

This one, she knew, resulted from pain of some sort, and mental perturbation. What had occurred between him and Katherine? Could they have quarrelled? This must be ascertained at the earliest possible moment.

After luncheon they were all to motor to an old castle for a picnic tea, a beautiful ruin of a former habitation of the Monluces about five miles away.

Katherine should go with the younger people, and she should have the Duke to herself.

His manner was certainly preoccupied, and he spoke only of ordinary things as they went through the park.

”The party has been the greatest success, Mordryn. Are you pleased?

Everyone has enjoyed it.”

”Yes, I suppose it has been all right, thanks to your admirable qualities as hostess, dear friend. But how irksome I find all parties! I have been too long away from the world.”

”I thought you seemed so cheery, Mordryn, yesterday, but to-day you look as glum as a church. You must shake yourself up, nothing is so foolish as giving way to these acquired habits of solitude and separation from your kind.”

”I am growing old, Seraphim.”

”Stuff and nonsense!” Her Ladys.h.i.+p cried. ”You have never looked more vigorous--or more attractive, and you are not subject to liver attacks or the gout--so you have no excuse in the world for this doleful point of view.”

”Perhaps not--It is stupid to want the moon.”

”There are no such things as moons for Dukes; they are always lamps which can be secured in the hand.”

”Not without fear of combustion or fusing as the case might be.”

”Nothing venture nothing have. No man ought to sit down and abandon his moon chase--if he wants it badly enough he will get it.”

”In spite of his conscience?”

Her Ladys.h.i.+p looked at him shrewdly--now was a moment for indicating her sentiments she felt--he might understand her as he so pleased.

”No, never in spite of his conscience, but in spite of custom or tradition or any other man-made barrier.”

But although the Duke found much comfort in her words, he was not easily influenced by anyone and the torrent of his pa.s.sion had not yet reached the floodgates, and was restrained by his will. So he turned the conversation and endeavoured to be cheerful. And Seraphim saw that for the moment she must leave things to fate.

Katherine looked quite lovely at tea. Her new air of rather pensive gentleness suited her well. She showed perfect composure, there was no trace of nervousness or self-consciousness in her manner, only her eyes were sad.

What dignity, the Duke thought as he watched, her conduct and att.i.tude during the whole visit had shown! He knew it must have been a moment of exceptional excitement to her to come there among his and Lady Garribardine's friends, as one of them, and yet not for a second had she shown anything but composure and ease, talking with quiet politeness to whoever addressed her, neither with subservience nor with expansiveness, but with exactly the consideration which so becomes a great lady, even if she is but a girl. He looked at her again and again, and could find only something further to respect and admire.

He wondered how much she was feeling? What had that little sob meant?

Pain as well as understanding a.s.suredly. Was she, too, longing secretly to be taken into his arms--as with every fibre of his being he was burning with desire to hold her? Or did she not really care, and was the attention of young Wes...o...b..rough enough to divert her--and would she eventually marry Sir John?

This last thought was disgusting! but His Grace of Mordryn had not the type of mind like that of Gerard Strobridge, to take comfort in the thought that if she did so, his own chance of future joy would be the greater. No touch of anything but reverence was in his heart towards Katherine.

And so the afternoon pa.s.sed with much suffering in two souls, and the rainbow tints of the evening came over the sky. The chestnut trees were the softest fresh green, and the oaks only just out. Copper beeches and limes and firs all added to the beauty of tint. And young birds were twittering their good-nights; the whole world was full of love, and springtime promise of joy.

And Mordryn battled with himself and banished temptation, and had his sitting-room blinds drawn immediately to hide all these sweet things of nature, when they returned, and stayed alone there until it was time to dress for dinner, saying he had important letters to write.