Books 13-16: Return to Jalna Renny's Daughter Variable Winds at Jalna Centenary at Jalna by Mazo de la Roche

Author:Mazo de la Roche [de la Roche, Mazo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC000000
ISBN: 9781459723474
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2010-10-26T04:00:00+00:00

XXV

RETURN TO JALNA

Renny Whiteoak and his son Archer were waiting at the airport for the plane from Montreal. It was late and, as their eyes continually sought the sky for a sign of it, they moved restlessly across the grassy verge beyond the waiting room, unable to settle down stoically as the others did. Physically there was no resemblance between them, but in common they wore grey suits and on the left sleeve of each was a black band of crape. So unusual had this sign of mourning become that people turned to look at them, sometimes in curiosity, sometimes with a little amusement, as they would look at people who had not moved with the times.

Archer asked, — “May I break the news to Adeline?”

“Don’t be silly,” returned his father. “If she doesn’t know, why is she coming?”

“I thought Uncle Finch was just bringing her.”

“He’d have to tell her.”

“If I were going to a university abroad and Uncle Nicholas died, would you send for me?”

“I suppose so.”

“And if Auntie Meg died and Uncle Piers died and Auntie Pheasant died, would you keep right on sending for me?”

“I should probably be dead too.”

Archer considered this and, as he turned over in his mind the enthralling possibilities of these flights, the gleaming plane appeared in the pale blue sky.

“There it is,” he cried and ran forward.

Down the plane sank and reached the runway. From being a fabulous bird it became rather an undignified piece of mechanism as it trundled along, hesitated, stopped and disgorged. The passengers, from being helpless, strapped-in creatures, suddenly became active as ants, clutching their belongings, on the march, defensive. They did not cast a look behind but hastened forward to whatever pleasures or miseries awaited them.

Adeline caught Renny’s arm. “Oh, Daddy, how glad I am to see you!”

“Uncle Ernest is dead,” said Archer.

Adeline gave him a hug but he disengaged himself. He fixed his eyes on Finch. “The funeral,” he said, “is tomorrow.”

“So soon!” exclaimed Finch.

“It’s not soon. He’s been dead for days.”

Renny drew Finch aside. “This has been a blow,” he said, “on top of all that went before. I’m sorry I had to send for you, but — you understand.”

“Yes. How is Uncle Nick?”

Renny’s face lighted in pride. “He’s bearing up wonderfully. Far better than I could have hoped.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” said Finch heavily. “Tell me how it happened.”

“Well — he was determined to see the ruin —”

“Ruin! What ruin?”

“Ruin of Vaughanlands. It was burned down.”

“Burned down!” almost shouted Finch.

“Yes. And Clapperton in it. Well, as I said, Uncle Ernest insisted —”

“But why didn’t you tell me in the cable?”

“I told you all that mattered.”

Finch looked about him, at the hurrying figures, at Archer stowing luggage in the car, as though at a picture too unreal for belief. He muttered, — “You were saying he was determined to go.”

“Yes. He insisted and it was too much for him. He died in his sleep.”

“That was merciful.”

As Archer stowed away the luggage with unnecessary precision, he was saying to Adeline in his high detached voice, “The roof is fallen in.

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