The Lady and the Lake (14 page)

‘If
that
is
so,
then
I
had
better
come
with
you
now,’
I
said,
pleased
that
I
hadn’t
yet
changed
after
all.

As
I
entered
Mrs
Kershaw’s
sitting-room
I
was
more
than
surprised
to
see
Thomas
standing
there,
his
hands
behind
his
back,
he
was
just
as
surprised
to
see
me.

‘Miss
Sinclair!’
he
exclaimed
smiling
at
me
and
then
looking
at
his
aunt
who
sat
upright
in
her
armchair,
the
cat,
Charles,
on
her
lap.

‘So
Aunt
Henry,
why
have
you
summoned
the
both
of
us?’
he
asked
with
his
devil
may
care
manner.

‘I
have
brought
the
two
of
you
here
as
it
had
been
brought
to
my
attention
that
the
pair
of
you
have
been
seen walking
together
to
the
Abbey
and
indeed
sharing
a
picnic
on
the
grass.
What
have
you
to
say
for
yourselves?’
Henrietta
Kershaw’s
harsh
voice
boomed
out.

‘There
is
no
harm
done,
Aunt
Henry,’
replied
Thomas,
somewhat
irritated
I
could
tell.

‘I
will
not
have
you
associating
with
my
paid
help.
For
one
thing
it
is
unseemly
and
secondly
it
displeases
me,’
his
aunt
shouted
back
at
him.

‘And
just
what
does
please
you,
Aunt
Henry?’
I
felt
Thomas
had
gone
too
far
at
these
words.

‘I’ll
thank
you
not
to
speak
to
me
like
that
and
don’t
call
me
by
that
name,
you
know
it
irks
me,’
Mrs
Kershaw
retaliated.

‘Well
I
have
every
intention
of
taking
Abbey
to
Tidwell
on
Saturday,
whether
you
like
it
or
not!’
Thomas’s
voice
was
rising
and
he
tapped
his
foot
slowly
on
the
floor
as
he
spoke.

‘But
she’s
as
poor
as
a
church
mouse!’
At
these
words
I
interrupted
her.

‘And
how
do
you
know
this,
pray?’
I’d
found
my
tongue
in
the
old
lady’s
presence
at
last.
‘I’ll
have
you
know
I’m
not
completely
destitute,
for
I
have
a
wealthy
aunt.’

‘Enough!’
the
old
lady
shouted,
banging
her
fist
on
the
table
and
shoving
the
sleeping
cat
off
her
lap.
‘I
forbid
you
to
see
each
other
outside
the
confines
of
this
house
and
if
you
do
I
shall
dismiss
you,
Miss
Sinclair.’

At
this
she
pointed
a
bony
finger
towards
me.
I
looked
at
Mrs
Kershaw
and
Thomas
then,
picking
up
my
skirts,
I
fled
from
the
room,
tears
threatening
to
fall.
Thomas
was
intent
on
following
me,
but
I
heard
the
old
lady
shout,
‘Stay!’

I
would
seek
him
out
later.
It
was
because
of
him
I
stayed
and
I
admitted
to
myself
that
I
could
not
bear
not
to
see
him
and
spend
time
with
him
as
we
had
on
the
day
we
walked
to
the
abbey.
As
I
ran
I
bumped
straight
into
Mrs
Grafton,
almost
knocking
her
over.

She
took
one
look
at
my
tear-stained face
and
smiled.
I
realised
then
that
it
was
her
who
had
told
Mrs
Kershaw
of
my
outing
with
Thomas.
I
ran
straight
past
her
and
out
of
the
main
door.

Mrs
Grafton’s
voice
ringing
in
my
ears,
‘Miss
Sinclair,
use
the
servants’
entrance.’
But
I
didn’t
give
a
fig
for
servants’
entrances,
Mrs
Henrietta
Kershaw
or
Kerslake
Hall,
all
I
cared
about
was
Thomas;
and
then
I
thought
of
Emily
who
had
invited
me
to
her
party.
I
stopped
running
and
found
myself
on
the
dirt
track
leading
to
the
abbey.

***

It
was
late
afternoon,
the
sky
was
blue
and
the
sun
shining,
a
sun
which
didn’t
reach
my
heart.
I
stopped
at
the
top
of
the
track
and
looked
down
at
the
ruined
abbey.
The
scene
before
me
hadn’t
changed,
but
in
the
last
hour
all
my
hopes
had
been
dashed
by
a
bitter
old
lady
who
obviously
loathed
seeing people
happy;
but
was
it
really
so
bad
I
asked
myself.

What
was
the
worst
that
could
happen?
I
could
be
dismissed,
if
I
were
that
would
mean
I
could
be
with
Thomas,
but
where
would
I
go
and
how
would
I
support
myself?

I
was
amazed
at
my
thoughts,
was
I
really
in
love?
And
I
felt
sure
I
was,
our
meeting
had
been
love
at
first
sight.
I
could
tell
myself
this,
but
alas
not
the
recipient
of
my
affections,
but
I
felt
better
at
the
thought.