Penhallow (39 page)

‘He’ll turn up all right,’ replied Conrad indifferently.

However, Clifford continued to look grave, and took himself off to join Clara. They both returned half-an hour later, with little to report, except that Bart had sent several grooms off in various directions, and had himself ridden up towards the Moor.

‘One of the men saw him by the Upper Paddock, watching the colts,’ said Clifford. ‘But that was some hours ago! I can’t make out where he can possibly have gone to. He hasn’t been to the stud-farm, according to Mawgan. The whole thing is utterly incomprehensible!’

‘Oh, I hope there isn’t more trouble comin’ upon us!’ Clara said, her gaunt countenance wrinkled into lines of foreboding.

Charmian, who had been sitting apart from the others, reading a book, looked up to say dryly: ‘Well, if you’re wise, you won’t say anything about this to Faith, until we discover just what has happened. Judging by what I can see of the state she’s in, I should say that she’d go into hysterics on the slightest provocation.’

‘Lord, Faith wouldn’t worry her head over Ray!’ Conrad said scornfully.

‘Listen! What’s that?’ Clara said sharply.

‘Only Ingram,’ Conrad answered, recognising the halting tread.

The door was thrust open; Ingram, his florid countenance strangely pale, and an expression of scarcely controlled excitement in his eyes, came in, and swallowed twice before he could manage to speak. ‘My God!’ he uttered, dragging his handkerchief from his pocket, and passing it over his face. ‘Have you heard? No, I know you haven’t. Gosh, I can’t get over it!’

He was so obviously struggling under the burden of strong emotion that even Eugene was roused from his pose of languid boredom. ‘Well, what is it?’ he demanded. ‘Don’t stand there gobbling at us, Ingram!’

‘Ray!’ Ingram jerked out. ‘Ray!’

‘Yes, dear, we’ve already grasped that you have come to tell us something about Ray,’ said Aubrey kindly. ‘Has he attempted to fly the country, or what?’

‘He’s shot himself!’

A moment’s shocked, incredulous silence greeted this announcement. Conrad broke it. ‘Christ.’

Clara gave a moan, and collapsed on to the sofa, rocking herself dumbly to and fro. Charmian sprang up from her chair. ‘It isn’t possible!’

‘I tell you he has! Good God, you don’t think I’d make up such a story, do you? What do you take me for? It’s true!’

‘But how — where — when?’ stammered Conrad, almost as white as Ingram himself.

‘Blew his brains out. Up by Dozmary Pool,’ Ingram replied, still mopping his brow.

Conrad started forward. ‘Bart didn’t find him?’ he cried.

‘Bart? No! Some trippers — I don’t know who they were. They drove straight into Bodmin, and reported it at the police station there. I don’t know when it was. Really, I feel absolutely dazed! It was all I could do to take it in when that fellow — what’s-his-name? — the Inspector — rang me up just now. You could have knocked me down with a feather! Of course, it’s obvious why he did it, but somehow I never thought that Ray, of all people on this earth — But he did: no doubt about that!’

‘Look out!’ Charmian said warningly.

Faith stood in the doorway, her eyes wide and questioning. ‘Ray? What did you never think about Ray? Why are you all looking like that? What is it?’

No one answered her. She stared at Clara, at the tears coursing silently down her cheeks, and asked falteringly: ‘Clara, what is it? Why don’t you tell me, one of you? What has happened?’

‘Ray’s shot himself,’ Conrad said curtly.

She stood rock-still, her jaw sagging queerly, her eyes fixed uncomprehendingly on his face. Charmian went across the room towards her, saying: ‘Pull yourself together, Faith! It’s no worse for you than for the rest of us. We shan’t do any good by making fools of ourselves. Aubrey, go and fetch the brandy from the dining-room! She’s going to faint!’

Even as she spoke, Faith crumpled up where she stood, with no more than a sigh.

‘Go on, Aubrey, quick!’ Charmian commanded, dropping on her knees beside Faith, and pulling open the neck of her dress. ‘I knew this would happen! Do get out of the way, Ingram! I can manage perfectly well without your assistance. She’ll be all right in a moment. It was the shock of hearing that fool Con blurt it out like that.’

‘Oughtn’t we to get her on to the sofa?’ asked Vivian, hovering rather impotently beside Charmian.

‘No, she’ll come round quicker where she is. Anyone got any smelling-salts? Ammonia will do, if you haven’t.’

‘I’ve got some. I’ll get them!’ Vivian said, running out of the room.

By the time she had returned, Faith had come out of her faint, and was being forced to swallow a few sips of neat brandy. She was trembling from head to foot, icily cold, and a little dazed. She whispered: ‘Did I faint? Why — what — I can’t think what made me!’ She lifted one shaking hand to her head. ‘Oh, my hair! How stupid! I’m all right now. So silly of me! But what ‘ She broke off, as memory came creeping back, and turned her head sharply away. ‘Oh, no! Oh, no!’ she gasped.

‘Steady!’ Charmian said. ‘Help me get her on to the sofa, one of you!’

Ingram bent to lift Faith bodily from the ground.

‘Take it easy, now!’ he recommended. ‘Frightful shock, I know. Fairly turned me sick when I heard it, I can tell you. There! You’re better now, aren’t you?’

Clara, who had not ceased to rock herself to and fro, and had paid as little heed to Faith as to Clifford.

who was clumsily patting her shoulder, said in a broken voice: ‘He went up to see the Demon colt. He thought the world of that colt. I shan’t ever be able to bear seein’ it again. Poor boy, poor boy, goin’ like that, all alone!’

‘He killed Father, Aunt Clara,’ Ingram said grimly.

‘Shut up!’ Conrad flung at him.

‘No use blinking facts, Con old man.’

‘Shut up, I said! It’s too ghastly! Ray! Ray.’

Faith struggled up from the cushions on which they had laid her, pushing Charmian away in a distraught fashion. ‘Don’t touch me!’ she panted. ‘Let me go! Please let me go! I can’t — I can’t — Oh, no, no, no, no!’

Her voice rose so wildly that Charmian, fearing that she was going to fall into a fit of hysterics, took her by the shoulders, and shook her ruthlessly. ‘Faith, stop it! Stop it at once, do you hear me? Be quiet!’

Faith caught her breath on a strangled sob, and stared up into her face, terror in her dilated eyes. ‘Be quiet,’ she repeated. ‘Yes, I must be quiet. I mustn’t say anything. This isn’t real. None of it happened. It couldn’t have happened. I’m not very well. I want Loveday.’

‘All right.’ Charmian spoke over her shoulder to Conrad: ‘We’d better get her up to her room. Give her your arm, will you?’

Faith allowed herself to be lifted to her feet. She staggered, and clung to Conrad, but she was able to walk to the door. Charmian, arming herself with the smelling salts and the brandy, prepared to follow, commanding Vivian, before she left the room, to find Loveday, tell her what had happened, and send her up to her mistress’s room.

‘I could wish that Char hadn’t taken the brandy away,’ said Aubrey, when the little cortege had withdrawn. ‘Really, I feel too dreadfully shaken myself! Because, if you want the truth, I never actually believed that Ray was the guilty one. And now I’m utterly dumbfounded at Faith’s wholly unexpected reaction to the news. I don’t want to be lewd, or even flippant, but is it possible that there was more between her and Ray than any of us guessed?’

‘No, it isn’t!’ snapped Vivian. ‘Though it’s just like you to suggest it! I could very easily start screaming myself. I suppose you think it’s merely funny!’

‘Not in the least funny, sweet one. Definitely un-funny, in fact.’

‘Just keep quiet, will you, Aubrey?’ interposed Clifford. ‘Ingram, I think I’d better go down to the police-station at once. There will be various things — I take it you’d like me to act for you?’

‘Damned good of you if you would, old man,’ Ingram said. ‘You’ll know what ought to be done better than I should. Of course this puts the lid on the police investigation. Case is finished — and far better finished like this, than if — well, you know what I mean!’

‘Did the Inspector tell you what Jimmy said, if he said anything?’ asked Eugene.

‘No, I didn’t ask him. I was so bowled over at the time I never even thought of it. It was only afterwards, when I was on my way up here, that I realised that that was what must have made Ray shoot himself. Knowing that Jimmy had been caught, and was going to spill the truth about his quarrel with Father, I mean. Well, I always thought that there was more to that than we were told.’

‘Vivian, I wish you’d look after Mother while I’m gone,’ Clifford said. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can, Mother!’

‘You mustn’t worry about me, Cliff. I shall be all right,’ she replied. ‘I don’t want anyone to look after me. I think I’ll go up to my room for a bit. But somebody must find Bart, and break it to him gently. He’ll be very upset, for he was always the one who got on best with poor Ray. Oh, dear, oh, dear, that I should ever have lived to see such things happenin’ at Trevellin!’

Upstairs, meanwhile, Loveday Trewithian had taken charge of Faith, who had begun to cry, in a gasping, hysterical way that made Charmian try to induce her to swallow some more brandy. But as she would do nothing but push Charmian from her, imploring her to leave her alone, Loveday respectfully asked Charmian to go away, saying that she could manage her mistress better without her. As soon as Charmian had left the room, she took Faith in her arms, and held her comfortingly close, crooning endearments into her ear, and patting her soothingly. She could not understand much that Faith ,jerked out between her shattering sobs, so choked and incoherent were the words uttered, but she did not think that this mattered much, and went on saying Yes, yes, and Never mind, until Faith had exhausted herself. After that, she undressed her, and got her into bed, and obliged her to swallow a couple of aspirin tablets. Too worn out to resist, Faith merely whispered: ‘Don’t leave me! Don’t let anyone come in!’

‘No, my poor dear, I won’t,’ Loveday said, drawing up a chair, and sitting down by the bed. ‘There, let me stroke your hand, and send you to sleep! It’s been too much for you, and no wonder!’

‘Loveday, Ray shot himself. Ray shot himself, Loveday! Because he thought the police were going to arrest him. Loveday, I never knew Ray had had a dreadful quarrel with Adam! Loveday, how could I have known that? No one told me! But what could it have been? There wasn’t any need! If he’d only told me! Only he never told me anything. Loveday, I meant to be a good stepmother to Adam’s children, but how could I be when they wouldn’t let me? What shall I do? It’s too late, too late, too late!’

‘Hush, now!’ Loveday said. ‘There was nothing you could do to prevent it, my dear. You’ve nothing to blame yourself for. Shut your eyes, and try to get a little rest! You’ll be better presently.’

The hand she was holding shuddered perceptibly; to her dismay, Faith began to laugh wildly, while tears streamed down her face. A knock on the door fortunately penetrated to Faith’s ears, and startled her into silence. She said again: ‘Don’t let anyone come in!’

Clay opened the door, and showed a scared, white countenance. He checked, in obedience to a signal from Loveday, but said in a breathless tome: ‘Has Mother heard? Does she know ‘

‘Yes, of course she knows, you silly creature!’ Loveday replied. ‘Go away, do! She doesn’t want to be bothered with you now.’

Of course, it’s a frightful business, but at the same time, one can’t help seeing that if Ray did it ‘

‘Will you go away, Mr Clay, before you drive your mother out of her mind with your chatter?’ said Loveday, with considerable asperity.

He looked a good deal offended, but since his mother paid no heed to him he withdrew, after a moment’s hesitation. Faith lay quite still, her eyes fixed and haunted, her hand tightly grasping Loveday’s. Loveday remained beside her until the sound of hasty strides on the gravel drive outside made her lift her head, and listen intently. She disengaged her hand gently, and went over to the window, and looked down. ‘It’s Bart,’ she said. ‘I must go down. He’ll be needing me.’

‘Oh, don’t leave me!’ Faith begged.

‘It’s Bart,’ Loveday repeated. ‘I must go. I’ll come back in a little while.’

She crossed to the door, and went out, softly closing it behind her.

Bart had entered the house, and flung his riding-whip on to the table. Conrad came quickly out of the Yellow drawing-room, and started towards him, catching him by the arms in a hard grip. ‘Twin! Twin, don’t!’ he said rather thickly. ‘For God’s sake, Bart!’

Bart threw him off violently. ‘Leave me alone, can’t you?’ he said, with suppressed passion. ‘Keep off, damn you! I’ve got nothing to say to you!’

Ingram, who had followed Conrad out of the drawing room, tried to intervene. ‘Come, old chap, you mustn’t give way! I know it’s been a shock, and all that, but—’

‘Get to hell out of my way!’ Bart shot out, white as a sheet. ‘A fat lot you care! A fat lot any of you care!’

‘Bart-love!’

He looked up quickly to the stairs, where Loveday stood, one hand on the broad balustrade. His face twisted; he gave a dry sob, and went to the stairs, and stumbled blindly up them. She held out her arms to him, and folded him in them when he reached her, murmuring to him, stroking his black head.

‘There, my love, there! Come along, then, my dear one, with Loveday!’

‘O God, Loveday! 0 God, Loveday!’

‘I know,’ she said. ‘Do you come with me, my love!’

He flung his arm round her, and went with her up the remaining stairs. Below, in the hall, Conrad stared after them, his face as white as Bart’s, an expression of stark hatred in his eyes. Ingram said, in a maladroit attempt to console him: ‘He’s a bit upset, Con, that’s all. He’ll come round soon enough. I wouldn’t worry about it, if I were you.’

Conrad looked at him with bitter contempt, turned on his heel, and strode out of the house.

Ingram went back into the drawing-room, shaking his head over it. ‘Seems to be no end to our troubles,’ he said heavily. ‘Now it’s the twins! Bart must have heard the news down at the stables. I can see I’m going to have my work cut out, keeping the peace between the pair of them.’