Listening Valley by D. E. Stevenson

Author:D. E. Stevenson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2014-11-11T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Two Adventures

Melville House was a place of refuge to Tonia (the mouse had escaped from the trap), but she was aware that she would not be left in peace very long. She had told Janet that she was going to Ryddelton to see the house, and Janet had made no objections, for it seemed reasonable that Tonia should want to see that her house was in proper order. It had not occurred to Janet that her young sister-in-law intended to remain in Ryddelton, of course.

Tonia wrote to Janet. It was a difficult letter to compose, and she gave its composition a great deal of thought and care. She explained that she was comfortable and was enjoying the quiet country life and intended to remain here indefinitely. Janet and Nita were to consider the house in Belgrave Crescent as their home—it was theirs, rent free, for as long as they wanted it. She hoped they would be very happy there. She also wrote to her father and mother, to Frank and Lou and Mrs. Halley—all these people were interested in her and deserved to be told her plans. Having gotten this troublesome business over, Tonia gave a sigh of relief…but her relief was short-lived, for her correspondents, immediately on receipt of her letters, sat down and wrote back. Letters arrived from her father and mother, from Janet and Nita, and from Frank beseeching her to give up this mad idea of living alone, of burying herself in the country, and to take the writer’s advice on the ordering of her life. Tonia wrote again—briefly this time—saying she intended to stay where she was.

It was the middle of September now, and Janet and Nita had moved to Belgrave Crescent. Janet wrote again, saying that she was sure Tonia must be tired of the country, her room was ready, and they would expect her at the end of the week. Tonia smiled when she read this. She was not in the least flattered by Janet’s apparently overwhelming desire for her company, for she knew that the reason Janet wanted her was so that they could share expenses—and so that Tonia could pay the lion’s share. Robert had settled quite a reasonable income on Janet—he had said so—but Janet was extravagant. Money ran through her fingers like sand, and she was always hard up. Tonia did not know what would happen—whether the Garlands would remain at Belgrave Crescent or move somewhere else—and she did not greatly care.

The question of money puzzled Tonia a little. She had flouted the advice of her trustees and had had no further communication with them, and as she was completely ignorant of business matters she had no idea how she stood. Could they withhold Robert’s money unless she did what they told her?

I shall wait and see, thought Tonia. Fortunately she was able to wait, for (as she had told Mrs. Smilie) she had a little money in her own bank, which, with care, could be made to last some months.

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