A Harp in Lowndes Square by Ferguson Rachel

Author:Ferguson, Rachel [Ferguson, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Dean Street Press
Published: 2016-10-03T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XXI

I

WE took her home in a taxi, and mother, paper-white herself at sight of Lalage, was told by Claude that the heat of the restaurant – Lalage seemed not quite herself all the evening – rather silent – and was silently disbelieved, and presently he went.

James and I had been able to prepare no story, thanks to the presence of a third party, and I don’t know of how much knowledge or curiosity mother suspected us. We three stood there unable to start any sentence at all, and it was I who rescued us temporarily by the bluff-and-hearty method. They were both badly run-down – must go to Vallant at once. And I really think that if mother had hesitated or deprecated her own popularity with the uncles, or been obstructionist in her own Vallant manner, I should have screamed. My own nerves evidently needed watching. …

Two things prevented that: one, that the statement of her health and Lalage’s was self-evident, the other that next morning a daylight raid took place, and when the anti-aircraft gun began roaring on Campden Hill, Lalage became worse and fell into fits of trembling which nothing seemed to stop. And I was grateful even for this as happening to be a fairly commonplace contemporary symptom.

James would accompany them to Hampshire and send the telegram to the uncles; I wrote to Hugh Lyne telling him where Lalage had gone and praying that a non-fatal wound might bring him back to England, and then began the business of overcoming mother’s reluctance of leaving me alone. The fact that we had two servants in the house made no difference to her, she seemed to believe that her ‘desertion’ of myself would immediately loose the entire German army into our road; she even stated that ‘the uncles would love to have you’, which reduced me to just looking her in the eye. I had an answer, actual as well as merely plausible, to everything. My work, James and Claude who must be seen off at Victoria, three Buchans too much for Vallant hospitality. …

‘But, what will you do with yourself in the evenings, darling?’

I tried not to look grim. ‘Oh, I’m going to Vallant House.’ It occurred to me, a split second too late, that I had made my announcement with a shade too much of cheerfulness and decision. Even in my own ears the words rang with a preconcerted effect, also, the state visits to our grandmother were not hallowed by any precedent of lightheartedness. Luckily, again, I had long ago told her of Lady Vallant’s wish that I should be at hand if the air-raids became worse. The antick notion gave one scope for facetiousness.

‘One can’t live with her but one can die together.’ And James, later, had said, ‘Always die from a good address if you can’.

‘I only pray you’ll get enough to eat,’ said mother, a little unguardedly, forgetting these perverse feasts with which the old lady plied us. She meant that, once sure of me, Lady Vallant might revert to type and return to the old regime.

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