Loving, Living, Party Going (9 page)

'What are they up to now?' he asked half under his breath. What's Edith after?' he repeated. He was grave all of a sudden.

He started on his way, then almost at once stopped by a large bowl which sat naked on a window ledge and which had a sheet of cardboard laid over. He picked this up, set it aside, then dipped his fingers in the rustle of potpourri which lay within. Walking on again he sniffed once at his fingers he had dabbled in the dry bones of roses and to do this was a habit with him the few times he was over in this part.

He went forward, still intently listening. To his left was a range of high windows muted by white blinds. On his right he passed objects sheeted in white and to which he had never raised the cloths. For
this house that had yet to be burned down, and in particular that greater part of it which remained closed, was a shadowless castle of treasures. But he was following music. Also he went like the most silent cat after two white mice, and to tell them as well that what had been missing was now found to have been stolen by a rat.

The music came louder and louder as he progressed until at the white and gold ballroom doors it fairly thundered. He paused to look over his shoulder with his hand on a leaping salmon trout in gilt before pressing this lever to go in. There was no one. Nevertheless he spoke back the way he had come. 'They'll break it,' he said aloud as though in explanation, presumably referring to the gramophone which was one of the first luxury clockwork models. 'And in a war,' he added as he turned back to these portals, 'it would still fetch good money,' talking to himself against the thrust of music. 'The little bitches I'll show 'em,' he said and suddenly opened.

They were wheeling wheeling in each other's arms heedless at the far end where they had drawn up one of the white blinds. Above from a rather low ceiling five great chandeliers swept one after the other almost to the waxed parquet floor reflecting in their hundred thousand drops the single sparkle of distant day, again and again red velvet panelled walls, and two girls, minute in purple, dancing multiplied to eternity in these trembling pears of glass.

'You're daft,' he called out They stopped with their arms about each other. Then as he walked up they disengaged to rearrange their hair and still the waltz thundered. He switched it off. The needle grated.

The girls said nothing. They stood with arms up rolling their curls and watched. He went over to the window, twitched down that blind. He came back. He spoke at last.

'Oh all right,' he said, 'I only happened to be passing OK.? Yes I know it's none of my business. Go on play it once more if you like.'

'Not now,' Kate said.

'It was only that one of them might hear you,' he explained.

'It's over now,' Edith answered him.

'And that reminds me,' he went on seeming to forget he had just given another reason for his presence. 'What I came to tell you girls was I found out about the waterglass. It's my lad has been and had
some. Only a trifle, not enough to notice. He took what he did more out of curiosity than anything.'

'Albert?' Edith exclaimed.

'Fortunate 'e didn't try a taste,' Raunce continued. 'He's that sort. He'd never think twice if it came over him to see what the effects might be. He's a crank that's why. I know I've tried along of that lad but there's some you can't do anything with.'

Kate laughed. 'So it was Albert, Albert after all,' she said.

'I came special to mention the matter,' Raunce added and he had not left Edith with his eyes. 'Ever since Mrs Welch barged in like that at teatime I thought well you never know maybe these girls will take what she said wrong, think it was addressed to them.'

'That cap didn't fit, we never took no notice,' Kate announced.

'It's Edith here,' Raunce said, 'with her talk of she must get home and being dissatisfied.'

'Well thank you very much,' Edith replied as though astounded.

'Don't mention,' he said. 'And I must be off. Busy Charley that's me,' he wound up with what seemed an empty return to his old manner as he abruptly turned away. He went straight out not saying another word.

'Well would you believe that?' Edith murmured half giggling. But Kate was looking at her like she might have been a stranger and she stopped.

'All right come on,' Kate said vicious, 'we're not goin' to stay here all night are we? I reckon we've done what we can. Enough's enough,' she said and they set about leaving this end of the great room as they had found it. And then made their way back to the part that was inhabited, their day's work done.

It may have been a few days later that Miss Burch came in late for her elevenses. She looked worried. As she sat down she said,

'She's mislaid her big sapphire cluster.'

There was no need to ask whose ring that was Ever since the French maid went back to her own country Miss Burch had been in charge of Mrs Tennant's things. But Mrs T. was always finding what she had just lost, while she seldom bothered to announce that whatever it might be was no longer missing. Charley seriously said, and at the same time imitated Mrs Welch's nephew,

'Maybe she put'm down and forgot to pick'm up.'

Except for Miss Burch they none of them bothered. It could be assumed if she did not in good time come across the ring that she would get another of equal value out of the Company and better because it was fresh.

'Which reminds me,' Charley asked his lad, 'did you remember to take her back that glove? Now don't give me the old answer, don't say which glove?'

'It's in the pantry Mr Raunce,' Albert said.

'What is?'

'The gardening glove.'

'You'll excuse me it's not. I ought to know seeing that's my own pantry. Where is it then?'

'I put 'er glove in the cupboard,' Albert said, 'on the bottom shelf. I seen it only this morning.'

'Oh well if you've hidden the thing,' Raunce replied and they fell back on silence.

Edith looked up to find Kate watching her. She blushed.

'Land's sakes there she goes colouring again,' Raunce announced hearty. 'She should go and give one of them blood transfusions they are asking volunteers for, she's got too much,' he commented out of one side of his mouth to Miss Burch next him.

'Don't be disgusting,' was all this woman said.

But he had obviously recollected. Eggs must have made him think of waterglass. 'Wait a minute,' he cried. Kate watched. 'I've just remembered summat,' he went on. He paused, and his eyes were on Edith while her blushes flooded once more, 'I do believe I done you a real injustice,' he said to Albert perhaps. But he did not seem able to take his eyes off the girl while she looked at him melting as though at his mercy.

'We shall have to make them open up the drains for us that's all,' Miss Burch stated, still on about the ring.

'Oh forget it,' Charley said to Edith, probably meaning this remark for Albert. He lowered his eyes and an odd sort of bewilderment showed in his face. But Miss Burch must have understood that he was answering her for she objected,

'I can't forget,' and she spoke resigned. 'I'm sure I've looked every place and it was a beautiful ring, an antique,' she added.

At this moment Mrs Welch had an idea away in the kitchen. Leaving her black notebook she shuffled swift into the scullery
where little Albert was at table over a cup of cocoa while the two girls prepared vegetables in one of six sinks.

'There's none of you girls go talking to the tradesmen?' she asked in a menacing voice and gave no warning.

'Oh no m'm.'

'There's not one of you so much as passes the time of day with that butcher?'

'No m'm truly.'

'Because remember what I said. Don't have nothing to do with them Irish or you'll likely bring our own blood on us. By reason of the I R.A. And never forget.'

'Yes m'm.'

'And where do they carry the victuals when they call?' Mrs Welch went on to ask.

'They leave 'em in the outside larder like you said.'

'Now when d'you fetch what they've left?'

'When they're gone,' the girls answered.

'That's right. Also I'll take up with those merchants what they've delivered short, what they owe me, on the blower, understand. Nor you 'aven't spoken with one of them?'

'No m'm.'

'And 'ow d'you know when they've been?'

'They ring the little bell as they're leavin'.'

'That's right. Then it can't be one of the tradesmen after all,' she said going back into the kitchen and there cried out loud to herself, 'Oh my waterglass.'

What she had lost still seemed uppermost on Mrs Welch's mind when after dinner that same day Miss Burch dropped in to have a word.

'I've been and measured'n again,' she greeted Agatha, 'and there's above a quart gone without trace. Mary bring Miss Burch a cup of tea.'

'I do miss Mr Eldon, I do miss that man,' Miss Burch said. 'No matter who couldn't happen to lay their hands on something he always imagined where to find it. He startled you that way.'

'Not what is short out of my jar he never could.'

'No matter where it was Mrs Tennant dropped whatever it might be,' Agatha went on regardless, 'he was on 'and to restore it. He
knew where things had lodged before they were rightly out of your fingers. There you are Mrs Welch it's a gift.'

'It's a gift right enough the way some is born sticky fingered.'

'Now I wouldn't say anyone had taken that ring, no I'd never go so far as that. I don't believe there's a soul in this Castle would do such a thing.'

'I've 'ad the matter over with my girls,' Mrs Welch said, 'right into things I've been, and I've given Albert a talkin' to my word. If 'e'd known the slightest bit I'd've had it out of 'im you can lay your oath on that.'

'It's a mystery.'

'A dark mystery's right,' Mrs Welch echoed. 'A ring will roll I grant, but don't tell me above a quart of waterglass will fly out of what it's in without a drop spilled on the floor, the diabolical stroke,' she added.

'I knew a woman once went down to Brighton for the Whitsun,' Miss Burch began, 'and her ring slipped in the sand. The next day she went back with her little nipper's wooden shovel, dug away where she'd been seated, and there it was after the tide had been over even.'

'You'll 'ave to get the plumbin' opened up that's all.'

'Just what I said with the cup of cocoa this morning,' Miss Burch replied. 'Of course I've got my girls searching this minute but they would never see the Crown jewels laying right before them they're so occupied looking over their shoulders for that Raunce.'

'I won't 'ave 'im in my kitchen.'

'Oh you're fortunate, you've a place you can call your own. Though he's improved the last few days, I will allow that. We may make something of him yet.'

' 'Ave they so much as glanced at those drains in the last twelvemonth?' Mrs Welch enquired.

'They should be done out,' Miss Burch said. 'But the proper time will be when they both go over for Mr Jack's leave which will be any time now or so I'm led to believe.'

'I was goin' to speak to 'er myself on it,' Mrs Welch announced. 'It ain't 'ealthy in these old buildings that has a cesspool dug before sewers come to be invented. Not with children about that is.'

'And where would the little chap be this afternoon?'

'My Albert? Oh I sent 'im up to Miss Swift to get 'is run out.'

'That's right,' Miss Burch said. 'It's not right for them to be all day inside. Like Raunce is for instance.'

'Gawd 'elp us with the man when they do go over the other side for Mr Jack.' As she spoke Mrs Welch started to look wild again.

'You think so?' Miss Burch asked seeming at once to dread.

'It's not thinking, I'm certain sure. Well there's just the one thing for it,' Mrs Welch cried suddenly frantic, 'every mortal object must be under lock and key. There maun't be a drawer can be opened or a door they shall get in by. And as for my pots and pans I'll get me a padlock and chains and stake 'em down to me dresser,' she almost shouted pointing to the vast array of burnished copper and aluminium. 'And if I can't get a chain will go through them 'oles in the 'andles so 'elp me God I'll send to Berlin if I shouldn't find what'll suit in this poor law island.'

'To Berlin?' Miss Burch asked with a gasp.

'That's right,' Mrs Welch answered and seemed gratified. 'We're in a nootral country aren't we?'

'Bless me but I can't stay sitting here,' Miss Burch said getting up, 'I must do a bit more I suppose. I'm obliged to you for the cup of tea I was parched,' she added.

'You're welcome,' Mrs Welch replied as she reopened her black notebook.

Agatha walked stiffly through the back premises towards Mrs Tennant's bedroom which was being given a thorough turnout by her girls. She had made the loss of this ring an excuse to favour the room with a proper doing. But unusual sounds of activity in the pantry made her choose to go through this on the way upstairs. She found Raunce hard at it with silver out over green baize cloths across every table he could lay hands on and even into his bedroom. Saucers filled with a violet coloured polish, old toothbrushes, shammy leather and the long white soft-haired brushes were laid out for use among sauceboats, salvers, rose bowls and the silver candlesticks of all shapes and sizes. She passed Raunce and his lad in a silence which seemed to grant gracious approval.

'The old cow,' Charley remarked once she was out of earshot.

'You've said it,' the boy replied.

'You know Bert I sometimes marvel women can go sour like that. When you think of them young, soft and tender it doesn't 'ardly
seem possible now the way they turn so that you would never hold a crab apple up to them they're so acid.'

'That's right,' the boy said as he worked.

'And what Mr Eldon could see in her is a mystery but then he was deep,' Raunce commented with admiration in his voice. 'He was deep if ever there was one.' At any pause in what he was saying he whistled between his teeth like a groom while he rubbed and polished. He was apparently in fine fettle.

'What day is it?' he asked.

'Why Saturday,' the boy answered.

'Holy smoke if we was to creep upstairs tomorrow after dinner and find those two slaves of hers laid out on their little beds where they'll be of a Sunday afternoon. What would you do eh?'