Catherine Howard was all indignation. Eline would be a lovely sister-in-law, she maintained, and launched into such high praise of Eline that Madame van Erlevoort’s face was soon wreathed in smiles once more.
‘No, really, Truus, I don’t understand your reservations. I admire Eline, especially for the way she has made herself at home with us all. I can assure you that when I first arrived in London with Howard to meet his family I felt very awkward, even though they extended me the most cordial welcome you can imagine. As for Eline — good heavens! I feel as if I have known her all my life, she is such agreeable company, so accommodating, I can’t imagine anyone easier to get along with. Truly, I can’t understand what makes you think she might not fit in. It’s not very charitable of you to think it, either.’
Truus gave a light laugh and excused herself as best she could, and as the maid had come in to clear the table, her mother-in-law, Mathilda and Catherine went out to the veranda to sit in the shade, while she herself remained invisible for the rest of the morning, absorbed in her domestic duties.
. .
The covered wagon had long since departed. Theodore, Howard, Etienne and Cor walked in front, followed by Otto and Eline, who had opened her large lace parasol.
The men conversed in a mixture of English and Dutch; Howard claimed to understand the latter and was able to speak two or three words, while Theodore kept wavering in his English discourse on the subject of tenants and farming. Some farmhands in their Sunday suits passed by with a respectful greeting. The sun-baked road ran between russet-gold fields of rye and oats; there was not a breath of wind. Beyond, white on pink, gleamed the flowering buckwheat. On the horizon stood a farmhouse near some trees, with a faint plume of grey smoke rising up into the bright blue sky.
‘I expect you feel yourself quite the king of the castle here,’ said Howard.
‘Oh, no,’ replied Theodore. ‘I feel more like a farmer than a king, to be honest. But if you turn round a moment you’ll have a fine view of my castle.’
They all paused to look. Through a break in the trees De Horze could be seen in the distance, white as chalk, with its dainty shutters, its white, pointed turrets jutting into the blue and the wide verandas festooned with Virginia creeper. The pond glittered like an oval mirror in the midst of the fresh greensward, which was speckled with white doves.
‘What a delightful view,’ enthused Eline. ‘Oh look, there are people waving at us!’
‘Grandma and the aunts, I suppose,’ said Cor.
In the shade of one of the verandas they could make out the flutter of several white handkerchiefs, and they waved back, while Etienne shouted Hurrah at the top of his voice.
‘Well, so much for the fine view,’ said Theodore. ‘Time to move on, or we’ll never get to the Big Tree.’
Eline spoke English quite fluently, and Howard enjoyed talking with her. He drew her into an animated conversation while she strolled arm in arm with Otto, who was holding her parasol. She was struck by how easy it was for her to engage the sympathy of men, while women only seemed to like her if she made a conscious effort to make herself agreeable to them.
While she was conversing it flashed through her mind that Madame van Erlevoort only liked her because of Otto, and Catherine only because she was friendly by nature. Their feelings did not run deep, she could tell, but on the other hand, how different it was with old Madame van Raat, with dear Cateau, and now with little Tina as well. She smiled and leant closer to Otto; what did she care about the others? She had him now, and his love was all she needed.
It was close to an hour’s walk to the Big Tree. Leaving the golden cornfields behind, they took the lane along a stretch of heath flushed pink with Erica, then entered the deep shade of a grove of densely columned pine trees, redolent with the pungent odour of resin.
The lane curved, and a huddle of houses came into view. It was the village likewise known as De Horze, which boasted a bakery, a vicarage, an inn with stables and a modest church in the centre. Eline looked about her with bemusement, declaring that she did not see any village.
‘But that’s it — right there!’ said Otto.
‘What? Those cottages?’ gasped Eline.
They all laughed, including Howard, and Etienne asked Eline if she had been expecting to see something along the lines of Nice or Biarritz.
‘Or were you were thinking of somewhere like Scheveningen, with the Kurhaus?’ he quipped. ‘I say, Elly, can you tell the difference between rye and oats yet?’
‘No, not quite. I know what buckwheat looks like, and I know flax when I see it — very pale yellow, dotted with wild flowers — and I know potatoes,’ said Eline, counting the crops on her graceful fingers. ‘But I don’t know anything about rye or oats or barley. So you can stop quizzing me, Etienne! But Theodore, are you telling me you are lord and master of all this?’
She laughed beneath her wide-brimmed straw hat. There were chuckles all round at Eline’s ignorance, although a look of dismay flitted across Theodore’s features. Eline immediately regretted having laughed, for she did not wish to give offence, and quickly added that De Horze was a truly delightful place with the most picturesque views.
‘And the Big Tree?’ she asked. ‘Where is the Big Tree?’
They crossed the village, scattering chickens as they went. The blacksmith and some farmers doffed their caps to the landlord as they stood by the wayside, grinning and ogling the strangers in his company. Then they had to walk across a meadow and Theodore called to a young farmhand to keep the cow tethered, as Eline was clearly afraid of the massive beast with its bulging eyes and chewing, drooling maw.
When Etienne and Cor began to make mournful mooing noises at the cow, Eline became nervous and begged them to stop.
‘Serves you right for making fun of De Horze, Eline!’ boomed Theodore, but the veiled look she gave him so beguiled him that he hastened to add that Etienne and Cor should stop teasing. At the far end of the meadow stood the Big Tree, an oak with a colossal trunk and a mighty crown. Frédérique, Marianne, Henrietta and the children had already settled themselves between the spreading roots at the base, and raised a cheer when the walking party arrived. They clamoured for Howard and Eline to say what they thought of the Big Tree. Eline, looking very serious, complied by pronouncing it immense and prodigious, but Theodore noticed the twinkle in her eye as she said this, and wagged his finger at her accusingly until she pealed with laughter, especially when Howard solemnly concluded:
‘A big tree, indeed! I never saw one quite so big. How interesting!’
‘You wait! I’ll catch you!’ cried Theodore, and ran after Eline, who fled shrieking until she collapsed on the grass with her arms outstretched.
‘Theodore, stop it! I shall call Otto!’
‘I’ll teach you, you wicked girl! Call Otto if you like! I’ll teach you!’ and he seized her wrists and shook her arms with mock force, while she pretended to be in abominable pain. Finally he helped her to her feet, and she, still giggling, promised to better her ways and show more respect for nature.