High Master of Clere (6 page)

‘
It didn
’
t matter. You wrote to Mother, didn
’
t you?
’
Wishing she needn
’
t ask, Verity added,
‘
What are you doing here? And what did you mean about needing to be rescued?
’

‘
Just that. I
’
ve been press-ganged, dragooned, corralled by a female I thought had fun possibilities, only to find she
’
s Cultured with a capital
“
C
.”
She must have shed a lot of her inhibitions at the party where I met her, and with her metaphorical hair down she was quite something to look at. I fell. You know how easily I do?
’

Verity moistened her lips.
‘
Yes.
’

‘
Yes, well—after a bit of by-play, during which I told her I knew these parts, she asked me to stay for a night or two at her home at Castle Rising. So I came. Oh, my! Her parents and the exalted intellectual company they keep! It seemed the lesser of a lot of evils to bring Lola to this concert, though how wrong I was. But then, when she trailed a bit, talking counterpoint or something to some long-haired type she knows, and I saw you, I chanted
“
Eureka
“
, and you can
’
t let me down, Verity my pet, you really can
’
t. Say we slip off somewhere together now and face the consequences later?
’

Verity shook her head.
‘
I can
’
t. What
’
s more, Max, if you were alone and I were and we
’
d met here or anywhere at all, I shouldn
’
t want to. Not any more. I
’
ve—got over you.
’

His mouth took an ugly line which she recognized,
‘
Speaking frankly, eh? Well, come to that, I
’
ve got over you too.
’

Calm now, detached,
‘
Then why salute me as your
“
darling
”
in front of a few dozen people?
’
she asked.

‘
Oh, that! Just a figure of speech. Anyway, I wasn
’
t suggesting a trip to Gretna Green, you know. Or did you think I was?
’

‘
I know you weren
’
t. Anything so impulsive as Gretna Green isn
’
t in your line, is it
?’
Verity broke off as a girl with shoulder-length black hair and wearing diamante wing-framed glasses touched Max on the shoulder.

‘
Sorry for deserting you, Max. But you don
’
t seem to have missed me too much.
’
Her glance at Verity asked for an introduction, and as Daniel Wyatt stepped again to Verity
’
s elbow she had to introduce him too.

On hearing Max
’
s name he said he remembered seeing it in the previous term
’
s staff list.
‘
You were on locum terms at Clere, I believe? Where are you moving to next?
’
he asked.

To an Outward Bound school in Cumberland, Max told him, and the four talked generally until the interval bell sounded. Then the girl named Lola took repossession of Max.

‘
Come along,
’
she said firmly with an air of terminating his parole, and Max went. But not before he had had his revenge on Verity for her snub. Tweaking her cheek between finger and thumb, he dropped a butterfly kiss there.
‘
Bye, Verity dear. Nice to have met up again. Too bad I couldn
’
t oblige over Gretna. Meanwhile, good luck and
’
—
his eyes narrowed on her companion—
‘
next time,
better hunting
!’

If she had needed curing of Max, of hoping they would ever meet again, the malice of that would have done it. Her cheeks flaming, conscious only of her chagrin, she went ahead of Daniel Wyatt into the hall, waiting for whatever comment he might make and, when he made none, feeling cheated of her chance to laugh Max off as a joke.

Darling! Gretna! That empty kiss
—
What
would a stranger have made of that
?
She could only hope Max was enough involved with his Lola to have to explain
that
away! Raging, she did not recover her poise until the sonorous, repetitive insistence of the second movement of her favourite symphony was under way.

On the journey home it was evident that Daniel had learned all he wanted of Max during their brief exchange. For his name wasn
’
t mentioned, though they discussed most other aspects of the evening.

It was while they were halted at a closed level crossing that Daniel half turned in his seat, crooking an arm over the steering wheel.

‘
Don
’
t you care much for Beethoven? The items before the interval seemed to be captivating you more,
’
he commented.

‘
What makes you think that?
’

‘
I was watching you. You caught me at it, you may recall, and it was good to see you concentrating and enjoying for all you were worth. Later, you weren
’
t.
’

‘
You
’
re very observant
—’

‘
Yes. But as I
’
ve mentioned, you
’
re rather transparent too. For instance, when I dictate or pass memos to you, I can always tell whether or not you approve of the subject matter.
’

‘
Oh dear. How? I
’
ve never said anything
—’

No, but you draw down the
corner
s of your mouth when you disapprove, and you don
’
t look me in the eye. Take my letter to the staff, cutting short their holiday—that went against the grain, didn
’
t it?
’

‘
I only thought that if they had made arrangements for any of those last three days they mightn
’
t see the necessity for it.
’

‘
You underestimate your colleagues. I found them very co-operative and there weren
’
t any truants.
’
Ignorant of her role as peacemaker with the rebels, he went on,

‘
Then there was my memo to them that there should be no promotions from West House to North until after half-term; that is, until after I
’
ve taken my own measure of the candidates for upstairs You didn
’
t like that either, did you?
’

Verity moved uncomfortably, remembering her shock at a decision which had cut across the
age long
rule that promotion to North and automatic prefecthood took place at the age of fifteen. She said,
‘
Well, I know, you see, that up till now all the eligible boys have regarded North as their right when the time came.
’

‘
Which it won
’
t be in future. It
’
s to be a privilege they must earn.
’
As Daniel spoke the crossing gates creaked open and he put the car in motion.

‘
You
’
re worried about your brother
’
s reaction?
’
he asked.

‘
A bit. He
’
s counting on it so much. But perhaps you
’
ve forgotten how deeply people take disappointments and imaginary slights at that age?
’

Daniel laughed shortly.
‘
That sounds as if you considered me old enough to remember, say, Mafeking Night or lamplighters! But no, I haven
’
t got so far away from my own youth that I don
’
t appreciate that growing pains can hurt like the devil. Arid after all, I shouldn
’
t be much good at this job if I couldn
’
t.
’

He paused.
Then,
‘
Take
some
advice from me,
will you?
’
he
a
s
ked.

‘
If you think
I
need it.
’

He shook his
head.
‘
I haven
’
t known
either
you or Lance long enough to judge whether you do or not. But for what it
’
s worth—don
’
t try to fight his battles for him or shoulder too many of his burdens. Sooner or later he
’
s got to accept the loss of his father, and the sooner, the happier he
’
ll be.
’

Verity bit her lip.
‘
You think he hasn
’
t come to terms with it yet?
’

‘
From the little I
’
ve seen of him, it
’
s—rather evident,
’
Daniel said quietly, and dropped the subject there.

The first Hall assembly of the term took place the next evening, after the majority of the boys had arrived. It was no part of Verity
’
s duty to attend Hall, but that night she was there in spirit with Lance, sharing his disappointment at the news he would learn from the general notices which would be read out after Prayers.

In the morning he had grumbled that it was hardly worth while moving his gear to West House, only to move it again as soon as he was allotted a study
-
bedroom in North. But he had packed and gone, not to be free again until the school
’
s first
half-holiday
. Verity, therefore, was completely unprepared for his arrival in her office just as she was ready to lock up.

‘
Lance
!
What
—
?’

‘
As if you didn
’
t know
!’
he cut in rudely.

‘
But have you got leave?
’

‘
Of course. Old Nick gave me a quarter of an hour and that should be enough. Look, V., you knew, didn
’
t you? About my not getting North?
’

She nodded.
‘
Yes.
’

‘
Mother too, I suppose?
’

‘
No, she didn
’
t know.
’

‘
Well, that
’
s something
—
But
you
did and
you hadn
’
t the decency to tell me. Why not?
’

‘
I couldn
’
t, Lance. I
’
ve known for more than a week, but only through a confidential memo to the staff, and I hadn
’
t the right to pass it on to you.
’

‘
You hadn
’
t the right! Lord, how hidebound
can you get! And d
’
you suppose that if Father had brought in such a fool rule, he wouldn
’
t have given me a hint first
?’

‘
But
Mr.
Wyatt isn
’
t Father,
’
murmured Verity wretchedly.

‘
Too right he isn
’
t. He hasn
’
t a clue. Anyway, I suppose you think I
enjoyed
hearing, slap out in front of the whole school, that North wasn
’
t on for me?
’

‘
It
’
s not just you. Barnes Senior and Kennet and Crossman were due for North as well. Besides, it
’
s only until half-term.
’

‘
When it
’
s to be a plum offered to good boys only! And you don
’
t think I can
’
t guess that the whole thing is geared against me?
Just
me?
’

‘
Lance, don
’
t be silly! Of course it isn
’
t
!’

‘
It is, I tell you. The man hates me. Well, that makes two of us.
’

‘
You can
’
t hate him. You hardly know him. You only resent his taking Father
’
s place.
’

‘
And you don
’
t, eh? But why, need I ask? In just the fortnight I
’
ve been away, you
’
d got matey enough to go out with him last night!
’

‘
Only because Mother asked him to take me to the Lyre Group concert, as she didn
’
t care to use the tickets.
’

‘
But you went, didn
’
t you? I wonder how much you had to force yourself?
’
Lance turned moodily away.
‘
All right, V. Just so long as I know where we stand—that we aren
’
t on the same side any more, that you
’
ve gone over to the
enemy
—’

‘
Lance
!’

But he had flung away. She heard the big main door slam behind him and his feet clattering away down the steps.

Gone over to the enemy.
Absurdly theatrical as the taunt was, it had struck home. Lance had put her original fears into words—that in the coming weeks there were indeed going to be
‘
sides
’—
each of them equally greedy for any loyalties which might be given to them to tear.