Maxwell's Ghost by Richard Frere

Author:Richard Frere [Richard Frere]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780270111
Publisher: Birlinn

10

CATHERINE

GAVIN MAXWELL CAME back to Sandaig in late August of that year, and shared the house with Catherine Baxter and her daughter for four months. Considering the idea of women which arose out of his perversity, and the difference in their personalities, coupled with the lonely and claustrophobic situation—they seldom left the house and I was practically the only visitor—they got on remarkably well. Any disruptive moments were predictable, and did not last long. Gavin, who generally preferred the company of boys and men, could be at ease with women, but certain conditions had to be met. He was no spartan, and he liked his comforts, when they were available. I hasten to add he could also live as rough as any explorer: but that is not the present point. Catherine was the most domesticated of women, and no one could be more attentive. Gavin appreciated her ministrations, but recoiled from cosy intimacies. He often demanded solitude in which to write and she granted him this with scrupulous understanding, but at other times when he wanted only to be alone with his thoughts she would start a cheerful conversation. This upset him, he was too polite generally to deny her this outlet, but it rankled with him so much that he would introduce an acid theme into the conversation which soon upset her. This made her unhappy, and she did not know in what way she had offended.

Still, on the whole, all went well; but there was one issue right from the start. Catherine had only one child, the little girl Catriona, but she made up for her small family with a distraction of animals. She loved animals in the mass (which must be even less rewarding than loving your fellow men) and collected them. Gavin denied that he knew of her intention to bring her many pets to Sandaig, and made me promise that I would speak seriously to her about culling the numbers before he took up residence at his house. The dogs were numerous, and there were also cats, donkeys, a horse and a formidable gander. Added to Gavin's own deerhounds and the otters they made a large and distracting company, and the author envisaged a state of confusion in the midst of which any attempt to write a book would be so much wasted time.

I duly mentioned his feelings to Catherine. Usually the most reasonable of women, she was evasive and finally obdurate. If I remarked that the animal population was in a state of explosion she would give me a bright smile and promise to dismiss some of her pets before my next visit. On my return she would take pride in showing me that there were gaps in the ranks and that (say) Towser, Bonzo, Tray, Spot, Penelope, Glen, Lassie and Sausage were no longer obvious. Her subdued air suggested to me that some violent action had been taken to effect their removal and out of deference to her feelings I did not ask where they had gone.

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