He was mocking me, and I had come to the conclusion that the best way to treat the affair was lightly. My own opinions would not change, but it was no use trying to force them on others.
He and his mother were persisting in the belief that I had experienced a particularly terrifying nightmare. I would not seek to change that opinion. But nevertheless I was going to find out who in this house had played such a cruel trick on me.
” Thank you,” I said, trying to speak as lightly as he had. ” I’ll remember that.”
” It’s a pleasant morning,” he said. ” A pity you can’t ride. There’s just that nip of autumn in the air to make riding a pleasure; However, perhaps before long …”
” I’ll manage without,” I told him; and as I passed him his smile was enigmatic and I had a feeling that he was picturing me as I had looked in my dishabille the night before. I remembered then that Hagar Redvers had said he was like his grandfather, and Sir Matthew had an eye for women.
I passed out into the open air. It was wonderful what fresh air could do. My fear evaporated and as I walked among the beds of chrysanthemums and Michaelmas daisies I felt capable of tackling any menace that might present itself.
If you believe that was a human being playing a trick, I told myself, all you have to do is search your room and the powder-room before retiring and lock doors and windows. Then if you are disturbed by apparitions you will know that they are of the supernatural class.
This was a test of my belief. It was, I reminded myself, all very well to be brave on a fresh bright morning like this, but how should I feel when darkness fell?
I was determined to test myself, to prove that I really did believe that some human being had played that trick on me.
I returned to the house for luncheon, which I took with Ruth and Luke.
Luke made a reference to my ” nightmare ” and I made no contradiction of the term. That lunch was very like others; I fancy Ruth seemed relieved. She said I looked better for my walk, and it was true that I did eat well for I found I was hungry after having had no breakfast.
When I rose from the luncheon table William came into the dining-room with a message from Sir Matthew. He would like to see me if I could spare the time to visit him.
I said I would go at once if he was ready.
” I will take you to his room, madam,” William told me.
He led me up the staircase to a room on the first floor which was not far from my own. I was beginning to learn where the family had their apartments. They lived mainly in the south wing: Sir Matthew on the first floor, where I now had my room, Ruth and Luke on the second; and the third, of course, was where I had lived with Gabriel during the short time we had been together in the house. Sarah was the only member of the family who occupied rooms other than in the south wing.
She clung to the east wing where the nurseries were. The rest of the house was not being used at this time, but I was told that in the past Sir Matthew had entertained lavishly and that the Revels had often been filled with guests.
The kitchens, bake houses and sculleries were on the ground floor and an extension of the south wing. The servants’ sleeping quarters were on the top floor of the west wing. I had not seen them but Mary-Jane had told me this. So few people in such a large house!
I found Sir Matthew sitting up in bed, a woollen bed- jacket buttoned up to his neck and a nightcap on his head. His eyes twinkled as I came towards him.
” Bring a chair for Mrs. Gabriel, William,” he said. | I thanked William and sat down. | “I hear you had a disturbed night, my dear,” he said “Nightmare, Ruth tells me.”
” It’s over now,” I said. j ” Frightening things, nightmares. And you ran out of your room on your bare feet.” He shook his head. i William was hovering in the next room which, I presumed, was a dressing-room.
The door was open and he would hear all that was said.
I had a vision of the servants discussing the night’s disturbance, and I wished to change the subject.
“And how are you today?”
“All the better for seeing you, my dear. But I’m a sad subject. I’m old and the body gets worn out in time. Now you are young, and we cannot have you upset….”
” I shall not be scared in future,” I said quickly. ” It was the first time anything like it had happened….”
” You have to take care now, Catherine, my dear.”
” Oh, yes, I’m taking care.”
” I heard nothing of all this.”
“I’m so pleased. I should hate to think I had disturbed you too.”
” I don’t sleep well but when I do it’s like the sleep of the dead.
You’d have to shout somewhat loudly to awaken me. I’m glad I’ve seen you, my dear. I wanted to satisfy myself that you were your bright and beautiful self again. ” He smiled jauntily. ” It was only for that reason that I asked you to come and see me in this state. What do you think of me. eh . poor old fellow in a nightcap! “
” It’s quite becoming.”
” Catherine, you are a flatterer. Well my dear, remember you are a very important member of the family now. “
” I do remember,” I said. ” I shall do nothing that would be harmful to the child.”
” I like your outspoken ways, my dear. God bless you; and thank you for coming and saying a few kind words to an old man.”
He took my hand and kissed it, and as I went out I was still aware of William in the dressing-room.
The whole house knows, I thought; and I wondered why Aunt Sarah had not been to see me. I should have thought she would have wanted to talk about the affair.
I went to my room but I could not settle there, and I thought of the servants’ talking together; and it occurred to me that the story would soon reach the ears of Hagar and Simon Redvers. I felt disturbed at the idea of their hearing a version other than my own. I cared very much for the good opinion of Hagar and I believed that she would be very scornful of anything fanciful.
I decided then that I would go and see her and tell her exactly what had happened, before her opinions were coloured by other people’s views.
I set out and walked over to Kelly Grange; it was three o’clock when I arrived.
Dawson took me into a small room on the ground floor and said she would tell Mrs. Rockwell-Redvers that I was there.
” If she is resting,” I said,” please do not disturb her. I can wait awhile.”
” I will inquire, madam,” Dawson replied.
In a few minutes she returned with the message that Mrs.
Rockwell-Redvers would see me at once.
She was sitting in her high-backed chair as she had been on the occasion when I had first seen her. I took her hand and kissed it as I had seen Simon do—that was a concession to our friendship. I was no longer afraid that she would treat me with haughtiness. We now accepted’ each other as equals, and that meant that we could be quite natural together.
“It is good of you to call,” she said.
“Did you walk?”
” It is such a short distance really.”
” You don’t look as well as you did when I last saw you.”
” I did not sleep very well.”
” That is bad. Have you seen Jessie Dankwait?”
“This has nothing to do with Jessie Dankwait. I wanted to tell you about it before you heard it from another quarter. I wanted you to hear my version.”
” You are over-excited,” she said coolly.
” Perhaps. But I am calmer than I have been since it happened.”
” I want very much to hear about it. Please tell me.”
So I told her what had occurred, omitting nothing.
She listened. Then she nodded almost judicially.
” It is quite clear,” she said, ” that someone in the house is trying to alarm you.”