Family Gathering by Elizabeth Cadell

Author:Elizabeth Cadell [Cadell, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Friendly Air Publishing
Published: 2017-11-19T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

It was useless for Helen, who liked clear thinking, to hide from herself two facts—first, that after the first day her presence in the house seemed almost forgotten by the Romes; second, that her plans for organizing the household and getting its affairs on a more sound and businesslike basis, which had seemed feasible in London, now proved fantastic.

There was nothing, she admitted reluctantly, to work on. It was like—like trying to drill a lot of fish which were swimming round an enormous tank. The metaphor displeased her, for fish were restless and there was nothing in the least restless about the Romes. Helen knew at every moment of the day where they were and what they were doing, but in spite of this physical accessibility, they had a mental elusiveness which made them difficult subjects for an organizer.

Having acknowledged this setback, she found more difficulty in swallowing the distasteful realization that she could disappear completely from Romescourt without her absence being noticed by anybody except her mother. Certainly Sir Jason would not know she was gone—each time they met, she could see his momentary struggle to place her, and could almost hear his relieved mutter of “Ah—Natalie’s girl.”

Lady Rome met her with obvious pleasure, recited a list of diversions to be had at Hunnytor and Dummerton and turned her mind to other matters. Lucille, after a shy offer of a mount, which Helen refused, walked over the hills with Duncan. There was only Jeremy—

Here Helen paused. It was as well to think clearly about this, too. He disliked her. And though she returned the dislike, she found it, nevertheless, a rude jolt after her smooth progress over young men’s susceptibilities. He invited her to his Flying Club, to his farm and for drives round the countryside, and she gave polite refusals, conscious as she did so of Jeremy’s carefully concealed relief.

She was here, and nobody cared. Her mother fitted easily into this setting and had become part of it, while she remained outside, looking and feeling entirely out of her element.

That, however, would soon be over. In a week she would be back in familiar—and civilized—surroundings.

In the meantime, she sat with Natalie in the converted sewing room, wandered in and out of rooms taking books idly from dusty shelves, and walked with her mother, or by herself, through the apparently limitless extent of the park and gardens.

The visit to Mrs. Bellamy took place soon after her arrival. Lucille drove Helen and Natalie to the house, which stood at the foot of a low hill about two miles beyond the village of Dummerton.

The verandas and canopied chairs looked a little forlorn in the sunshine which, though now affording some spring warmth, scarcely justified such elaborate preparations for enjoying it.

Mrs. Bellamy met them at the door. She and Helen paid a mute but sincere tribute to one another’s clothes, and the hostess led the visitors into a pretty room with large windows on three sides.

“We’ll sit in here,” she said. “I’ve been working very hard all the morning, but I haven’t had time to do the drawing-room.

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