The Master of Liversedge by Ley Alice Chetwynd

Author:Ley, Alice Chetwynd [Ley, Alice Chetwynd]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Published: 2015-09-14T23:00:00+00:00

TWELVE: THE DARK RIDER

‘I’ve been questioning Caroline,’ began Arkwright abruptly, coming into the schoolroom where Mary was sitting alone. ‘It seems she’d heard some talk about the Hartleys, and was going there to take them money.’

Mary nodded. ‘I’d already guessed as much. It would be like her.’

He looked at her searchingly. ‘Have you any particular reason for coming to that conclusion?’

‘No,’ she said, slowly. ‘Except that she had been asking a good many questions about Sam Hartley during the last few days.’

‘What kind of questions?’

‘Oh, about his dismissal from the mill, and his family’s circumstances — that kind of thing, you know.’

He kept his eyes on her face, and she felt herself colouring under the keen scrutiny. ‘Knowing your own interest in that family, it did occur to me that you might have initiated these questions.’

‘How could you think that?’ she asked indignantly. ‘I knew very well that you did not wish Caroline to concern herself with such matters.’

‘Am I to suppose that my wishes would weigh with you?’ he countered, with a sneer.

‘Certainly. I am paid to regard them.’

‘I am relieved to hear you say so, for I thought it had slipped your memory.’

‘What makes you say that?’ She had started by feeling apprehensive, but now she was becoming indignant. She was prepared to be held responsible for Caroline’s escapade, but not blamed for initiating it. ‘I am not conscious of ever having disregarded them.’

‘It is a part of your duty to keep a strict watch on your charge. Had you done this, today’s incident would not have been possible. Can you suppose that you were acting in accordance with my wishes when you made a habit of leaving her entirely unsupervised for one hour in every day?’

‘I am not trying to evade my responsibility for what happened, sir. I could plead that it never occurred to me that Caroline might abuse — ’

‘It should have done,’ he interrupted. ‘What use is a guardian who does not foresee possible trouble?’

‘It never seemed possible to me that Caroline should deceive me — I had judged her incapable of it.’

‘You are too trusting,’ he sneered. ‘This is not your first experience of children, I understand?’

‘Mr. Arkwright,’ she said, with emphasis. ‘I know — we both know — that only something quite out of the ordinary would induce your sister to behave in this way. Her escapade was unpremeditated — she acted on the spur of the moment.’ She took a deep breath to fortify herself. ‘Am I then expected to regulate Caroline’s routine to allow for the extraordinary events? If so, it must be an extremely rigid one.’

‘Do you presume to argue with me?’

‘No,’ she replied, marvelling at her own temerity. ‘Merely to bring to your notice a point which may have escaped it.’

‘Upon my word, ma’am,’ he answered sharply, ‘I begin to wonder if you are fit to have charge of my sister at all! This defiance is not what I look for in one circumstanced as you are.’

The hint was unmistakable, but some unruly spark in Mary prompted her to try her luck further.

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