Curse of the Kings (16 page)

ot completely.

He said slowly: have lost someone who was closer to me, until you came, than anyone else in the world. We worked together; we would be thinking along the same lines together often without speaking. He is dead, and he died suddenly. He was there one day and the next he was stricken down mysteriously. I mourn him, Judith. I shall go on mourning him for a long time. That is why you must be patient with me. I can match your exuberance, your pleasure in life. My dear, dear Judith, I believe that when we are married I shall begin to grow away from this tragedy.

Then I put my head against him and kept my arms tightly about him.

o make you happy, to give you something to replace what you have lost that shall be my mission in life.

He kissed my head.

hank God for you, Judith,he said.

There was a little friction between Tybalt and the aunts over the wedding. This, said Alison firmly, could not take place until a easonabletime had elapsed since the deaths of Sir Edward and Sir Ralph.

athers of both bride and groom so recently dead!said Dorcas. ou should wait at least a year.

I had never seen Tybalt express his feelings so forcibly.

mpossible!he cried. e shall be leaving for Egypt in a matter of months. Judith must come as my wife.

can imagine what people will say,Dorcas put in timidly.

hat,said Tybalt, oes not concern me in the least.

Dorcas and Alison were deflated, but afterwards I heard them saying to each other: t may not concern him, but it concerns us and we have lived here all our lives and shall do so until the end.

ybalt is unconventional,I soothed. nd worrying what people think is really rather unnecessary.

They did not answer, but they shook their heads over me and my affairs. I was besotted; and they were sure that to let a man see before marriage how much you adored him was wrong. Afterwards, yes. Then it was a wife duty to think as her husband did, to submit to him in all waysnless of course he turned out to be a criminalut before the marriage one did not ake oneself cheap it was the custom for a man to go down on his knees before marriage.

I laughed at them indulgently. y marriage, as you should know, is going to be like no marriage that ever was. You can expect me to do what is expected of me.

When they were with me they grew excited sometimes, for after all a wedding in the family was an event. They produced all manner of objects for my bottom drawer; and they talked about the reception and worried because Rainbow Cottage was too small for it and the bride house was the necessary place for it.

I could laugh at them mockingly but I sensed their uneasiness. They did not wish me to wait a year so much for convention but because they thought it would give me time to see clearly as they called it. The fact was that they had chosen Oliver for my husband; Evan was second choice; but Tybalt did not appeal to them at all.

Dorcas caught a coldomething she invariably did when she was anxious; and her colds had to be nursed because they turned to bronchitis.

Tybalt came hurrying over to Rainbow Cottage. His eyes were glowing with excitement as he took my hands in his. For the moment I thought it was pleasure in seeing me. Then I discovered another reason.

most exciting thing has happened, Judith. It not very far from here. Dorset in fact. A workman digging a trench has unearthed some Roman tiles. It quite a find. It seems very likely that this is going to lead to a great discovery. Ie had an invitation to go along and give an opinion. I am leaving tomorrow. I want you to come with me.

hat wonderful,I cried. ell me all about it.

know very little yet. But these discoveries are so exciting. One can never be sure what wee going to turn up.

We walked about the Rainbow garden talking about it. He did not stay long though for he had to go back to Giza House to make some preparations and I went into Rainbow Cottage to tell the aunts that I was leaving next day.

I was astonished at the opposition.

y dear Judith!cried Alison. hat are you thinking of? How can you an unmarried woman, go off with a man?

he man I am going to marry.

ut you are not married yet,croaked Dorcas.

t wouldn be right,said Alison firmly.

ear aunts,I said, n Tybalt world these little conventions don count.

e are older than you, Judith. Why, many a girl has anticipated her marriage to her own bitter cost. She trusts her fiance, goes away with him and discovers that there are no wedding bells.

I flared up. t one moment you are suggesting Tybalt is marrying me for my money and at the next that he plans to seduce me and then discard me. Really, you are being so absurd.

hy we suggested no such thing,said Alison firmly. nd if those sort of things are in your mind, well, Judith, you really ought to stop and consider. No bride should feel her bridegroom capable of such a thing.

How could I argue with them? I went to my room and started to pack for the next day trip.

That evening when I was in my room Alison tapped at the door. Her face was strained. worried about Dorcas. I do think we should have Dr. Gunwen at once.

I said I would go and fetch him, which I did.

When he came he said that Dorcas had bronchitis and Alison and I were up all night with the bronchitis kettle in Dorcas room.

I knew the next day that I could not go to Dorset and leave Alison to nurse Dorcas alone, so I told Alison that I was going over to Giza House to explain matters to Tybalt.

Before I could speak, he began to tell me that the finds were even better than had at first been thought. I interrupted him: not coming, Tybalt.

His expression changed. He stared at me incredulously.

ot coming!

y Aunt Dorcas is ill. I can leave Alison to nurse her. I must stay. She has these turns and it is rather frightening when she does. She is really very ill.

e could arrange something. One of the servants could go over to take your place.

unt Alison wouldn have that. It wouldn be the same. I must be there in case

He was silent.

lease understand, Tybalt. I want to come to be with you more than anything, but I just can leave Rainbow Cottage now.

f course,he agreed, but he was very disappointed. I trusted not in me.

Tabitha came out into the front garden where we were standing.

e come to explain that I can go,I said. y aunt is ill. I must stay here to help.

ut of course you must,said Tabitha.

ould you come in Judith place?asked Tybalt. sure you find it of paramount interest.

Paramount interest. Was that a reproach? Did he feel that I should have found it of paramount interest?

Tabitha was saying: ell, since Judith must stay, I will go in her place. You cannot leave your aunts now, Judith.

Tybalt pressed my arm. was so looking forward to showing you this marvelous discovery. But therel be plenty of time later.

he whole of our lives,I said.

In a few days, much to our relief Dorcas began to recover.

She was touched that I had stayed behind to help nurse her and comfort Alison.

I heard her say to Alison when she thought I couldn hear: owever impulsive Judith is, her heart in the right place.

I knew they talked a great deal about me and my coming marriage. I did so want to reassure them; but they had taken it into their heads that Tybalt had asked me to marry him because he had preknowledge of my inheritance.

I was greatly looking forward to the day when I would leave Rainbow Cottage naturally because I longed to be Tybalt wife and in addition I wanted to escape this atmosphere of distrust and to prove to them that Tybalt was the most wonderful husband in the world.

Tybalt and Tabitha were away for two weeks and when they returned they were so full of what they had seen that they talked of little else. I was filled with chagrin because I could not join in their conversation as I would have wished.

Tybalt was amused. ever mind,he said, hen wee married youl go everywhere with me.

The wedding day was almost at hand. Sabina had said that we might have a discreet reception at the rectory. After all, Dorcas had been ill and Rainbow Cottage was small and the rectory had been my home and she was Tybalt sister. insist on it,she cried. can tell you, Judith, you are the most fortunate woman in the world with one exception because even Tybalt could not be as wonderful as Oliver. Tybalt is too perfect. I mean he knows everything all about those ancient things, whereas darling Oliver knows about Greek and Latin. Not that Tybalt doesn too, but you couldn imagine Tybalt preaching a sermon or listening to the farmers telling him about the droughts and the mothers about their babies But our mother wanted him to do just that Isn it odd. She would have been pleased I married darling Oliver, you know. Old Nanny Tester is. But she was always a bit odd since Mamma died, that is. Bats in the Belfry, they say of people like her. It means that they are a little peculiar in the head. Perhaps that why she likes churches.

I said: eally, Sabina, you do dodge from one thing to another, like a butterfly.

y father used to say I was like a grasshopper. He didn really approve of me, I wasn clever like Tybalt. However grasshoppers are rather nice. I always liked them. Not so pretty as butterflies but hopping around seems to me a rather pleasant way of going on. Better than staying in the same place all the time.

hat are you talking about, Sabina? Wee supposed to be discussing my wedding.

f course. It to be here. I insist. Darling Oliver insists. Youl be married in his church and wel have just a few friends as my father and yours what a surprise and fancy your being Sir Ralph daughter all that time and our not knowing. What was I saying? Oh, youe to have your reception in the old rectory.

It did seem a good idea; and even Dorcas and Alison accepted it, though they insisted that in view of the recent deaths it must just be a quiet family affair.

When I discussed the matter with Tybalt he was rather vague. I could see that it was immaterial to him where we had a reception or whether there was none.

He wanted us to be married, he said. Where and how was unimportant.

He had a surprise for me.

el have a honeymoon. You won want to go straight back to Giza House.

hat,I said, s immaterial to me. All I ask is that I am with you.

He turned to face me and with an unusually tender gesture took my face in his hands. udith,he said, on expect too much of me.

I laughed aloud was so happy. hy I expect everything of you.

hat what makes me uneasy. You see, I am rather selfish, not admirable in the least. And I am a man with an obsession.

share in that obsession,I told him with a laugh. nd I have another. You.

He held me against him. ou make me afraid,he said.

ou afraid? You are not afraid of anything or anyone.

certainly afraid of this high opinion you have of me. Where could you possibly have got it?

ou gave it to me.

ou are too imaginative, Judith. You get an idea and it usually something you want it to be and then you make everything fit into that.

t the way to live. I shall teach you to live that way.

t better to see the truth.

will make this my truth.

can see it is useless to warn you not to think too highly of me.

t is quite useless.

ime will have to teach you.

said we will grow closer together as the years pass. We shall share everything. I never thought it was possible to be so happy as I am at this moment.

t least you will have had this moment.

hat a way to talk! This is nothing to what it is going to be like.

y darling Judith, there is no one like you.

f course there isn! I am myself. Reckless, impulsive, the aunts would tell you. Bossy, Sabina and Theodosia will agree and Hadrian will confirm that. They are the ones who have known me the longest. So you must not have too high an opinion of me.

glad there are these little faults. I shall love you for them as I hope you will love me for mine.

I said: e are going to be so happy.

came to tell you about our honeymoon. I going to take you to Dorset. They are so excited about this discovery. I long to show it to you.

I said that was wonderful; but it did occur to me that there would no doubt be a great many people there and a honeymoon on our own might have been more appropriate.

But Tybalt would be therend that was all I asked.

There was so much to do in preparation even for a iscreetwedding, including sessions in Sarah Sloper cottage which seemed to go on for hours. There was I in my white satin wedding gown with Sarah kneeling at my feet, her mouth full of pins, and as soon as she had it free she would talk all the time.

ell, fancy it coming to this. You, Miss Judith and him. He was for Miss Theodosia, you know, and she gets the little professor and you get him.

ou make it sound as though it some sort of lottery, Sarah.

hey do say marriage be a lottery, Miss Judith. And you being Sir Ralph girl and all. I always guessed that. Why he had a real fancy for you. And Miss Lavinia. Pretty as a picture she were but I say you took more after Sir Ralph.

hank you, Sarah.

h, I weren meaning it that way, Miss Judith. Youl look pretty enough in your bride dress. Brides always do. That why there nothing I like making better. And is it to be orange blossom? I reckon there nothing like orange blossom for brides. I had it myself when I married Sloper. That going back a bit. And Ie still got it. Put away in a drawer it be. I look at it now and then and think of the old days. Youl be able to do that, Miss Judith. It a pleasant thing to do when things don turn out just as you fancied. And don we all have fancies eh, on our wedding days?

look on it as a beginning of happiness not a climax.

h, you and your talk. Always was one for it. But as I say it nice to have a wedding day to look back ons long as it don make you fretful.She sighed and went on fervently: hope youl be happy, Miss Judith. Well, we can but hope. So let pray the sunl shine on your wedding day. They do say appy be the bride the sun shines on.