Part 6 (1/2)
”You silly idiot,” she thought. ”Must you go on gaping at me like that?
You know what I mean! You must know what I mean. After all, you've been poor yourself...” been poor yourself...”
She hated Rosaleen at that moment. Hated her because she, Adela Marchmont, was sitting here whining for money. She thought, ”I can't Marchmont, was sitting here whining for money. She thought, ”I can't do it - I can't do it after all.” do it - I can't do it after all.”
In one brief instant all the long hours of thought and worry and vague planning flashed again across her brain. planning flashed again across her brain.
Sell the house - (But move where? There weren't any small houses on the market - certainly not any cheap houses). Take paying guests - the market - certainly not any cheap houses). Take paying guests - (But you couldn't get staff - and she simply couldn't - she just couldn't (But you couldn't get staff - and she simply couldn't - she just couldn't deal with all the cooking and housework involved. If Lynn helped - but deal with all the cooking and housework involved. If Lynn helped - but Lynn was going to marry Rowley). Live with Rowley and Lynn herself? Lynn was going to marry Rowley). Live with Rowley and Lynn herself?
(No, she'd never do that!) Get a job. What job? Who wanted an untrained elderly tired-out woman? untrained elderly tired-out woman?
She heard her voice, belligerent because she despised herself.
”I mean money,” she said.
”Money?” said Rosaleen.
She sounded ingenuously surprised, as though money was the last thing she expected to be mentioned. thing she expected to be mentioned.
Adela went on doggedly, tumbling the words out: ”I'm overdrawn at the bank, and I owe bills - repairs to the house - and the rates haven't been paid yet. You see, everything's halved - my the rates haven't been paid yet. You see, everything's halved - my income, I mean. I suppose it's taxation. Gordon, you see, used to help. income, I mean. I suppose it's taxation. Gordon, you see, used to help. With the house, I mean. He did all the repairs and the roof and painting With the house, I mean. He did all the repairs and the roof and painting and things like that. And an allowance as well. He paid it into the bank and things like that. And an allowance as well. He paid it into the bank every quarter. He always said not to worry and of course I never did. I every quarter. He always said not to worry and of course I never did. I mean, it was all right when he was alive, but now -” mean, it was all right when he was alive, but now -”
She stopped. She was ashamed - but at the same time relieved. After all, the worst was over. If the girl refused, she refused, and that was all, the worst was over. If the girl refused, she refused, and that was that. that.
Rosaleen was looking very uncomfortable.
”Oh, dear,” she said. ”I didn't know. I never thought... I - well, of course, I'll ask David...” course, I'll ask David...”
Grimly gripping the sides of her chair, Adela said, desperately: ”Couldn't you give me a cheque - now...”
”Yes - yes, I suppose I could.” Rosaleen, looking startled, got up, went to the desk. She hunted in various pigeonholes and finally produced a to the desk. She hunted in various pigeonholes and finally produced a cheque-book. ”Shall I - how much?” cheque-book. ”Shall I - how much?”
”Would - would five hundred pounds -”
Adela broke off.
”Five hundred pounds,” Rosaleen wrote obediently.
A load slipped off Adela's back. After all, it had been easy! She was dismayed as it occurred to her that it was less grat.i.tude that she felt dismayed as it occurred to her that it was less grat.i.tude that she felt than a faint scorn for the easiness of her victory! Rosaleen was surely than a faint scorn for the easiness of her victory! Rosaleen was surely strangely simple. strangely simple.
The girl rose from the writing-desk and came across to her. She held out the cheque awkwardly. The embarra.s.sment seemed now entirely out the cheque awkwardly. The embarra.s.sment seemed now entirely on her side. on her side.
”I hope this is all right. I'm really so sorry -”
Adela took the cheque. The unformed childish hand straggled across the pink paper. Mrs Marchmont. Five hundred pounds. Rosaleen the pink paper. Mrs Marchmont. Five hundred pounds. Rosaleen Cloade. Cloade.
”It's very good of you, Rosaleen. Thank you.”
”Oh please - I mean - I ought to have thought -”
”Very good of you, my dear.”
With the cheque in her handbag Adela Marchmont felt a different woman. The girl had really been very sweet about it. It would be woman. The girl had really been very sweet about it. It would be embarra.s.sing to prolong the interview. She said good-bye and embarra.s.sing to prolong the interview. She said good-bye and departed. departed.
She pa.s.sed David in the drive, said ”Good morning” pleasantly, and hurried on. hurried on.
Chapter 6.
”What was the Marchmont woman doing here?” demanded David as soon as he got in. soon as he got in.
”Oh, David. She wanted money dreadfully badly. I'd never thought -”
”And you gave it her, I suppose.”
He looked at her in half-humorous despair.
”You're not to be trusted alone, Rosaleen.”
”Oh David, I couldn't refuse. After all -”
”After all - what? How much?”
In a small voice Rosaleen murmured, ”Five hundred pounds.”
To her relief David laughed.
”A mere flea-bite!”
”Oh, David, it's a lot of money.”
”Not to us nowadays, Rosaleen. You never really seem to grasp that you're a very rich woman. All the same if she asked five hundred she'd you're a very rich woman. All the same if she asked five hundred she'd have gone away perfectly satisfied with two-fifty. You must learn the have gone away perfectly satisfied with two-fifty. You must learn the language of borrowing!” language of borrowing!”
She murmured, ”I'm sorry, David.”
”My dear girl! After all, it's your money.”
”It isn't. Not really.”
”Now don't begin that all over again. Gordon Cloade died before he had time to make a will. That's what's called the luck of the game. We had time to make a will. That's what's called the luck of the game. We win, you and I. The others - lose.” win, you and I. The others - lose.”
”It doesn't seem - right.”
”Come now, my lovely sister Rosaleen, aren't you enjoying all this? A big house, servants - jewellery? Isn't it a dream come true? Isn't it? big house, servants - jewellery? Isn't it a dream come true? Isn't it?
Glory be to G.o.d, sometimes I think I'll wake up and find it is a dream.”
She laughed with him, and watching her narrowly, he was satisfied. He knew how to deal with his Rosaleen. It was inconvenient, he thought, knew how to deal with his Rosaleen. It was inconvenient, he thought, that she should have a conscience, but there it was. that she should have a conscience, but there it was.