I said there was nothing I should like better; so she took me into a small room where the articles were set out and I selected a scarf pin, a snuff box and a Chinese vase. She was delighted with me not only as a bringer but as a buyer, and I felt that had put her in a good mood for confidences.
As soon as we were drinking coffee together in her drawing- room I turned the conversation to pageants. That was easy. It was a subject very near to her heart.
“And do you really propose to put on a pageant this summer?”
” I shall do my utmost.”
“It must be very interesting.”
“It is indeed, and you must have a prominent part. I always thought that members of our leading family should. Don’t you agree?”
“But yes,” I said.
“Have they always been amenable? I mean do they always take part in these affairs?”
“Oh yes, they have always been what I should call a dutiful family.”
“I’d like to hear about the pageant. I suppose Mrs. Grantley and Luke would take parts.”
” They did last time.”
” Yes, Mrs. Grantley was telling me. She was the wife of Charles I.”
“Yes, we did a big Civil War scene. That was because the Revels was actually occupied by the Parliamentarians. It’s wonderful luck that they didn’t destroy the place .. , the vandals! But then all the valuables had been hidden away.”
” That must have been exciting. Where were they hidden?”
“Now, my dear Mrs. Rockwell, that’s something your family might know more about than I do. It is a mystery though, I believe.”
” And you did that scene in the pageant?”
” Not exactly … we just had the advance of the Round heads, you know, and the occupation. Then we had the restoration of the family with the restoration of the king … linking up, you see, Rockwell history and England’s history.”
” And you showed the Abbey before the Dissolution. That must have been very interesting.”
” Indeed it was, and I propose to do that again. I mean it is essential. And of course it gives everyone an opportunity to play a small part.”
” It must have been most impressive to see all those black- robed figures about the place.”
” It was indeed.”
” Luke was only a boy then too young, I suppose, to play much of a part.”
” Oh no, not at all. He was most enthusiastic. He was one of our best monks. He was almost as tall as a man then. The Rockwells are a tall family, as you know.”
“You have an excellent memory, Mrs. Cartwright. I do believe you remember the parts which everyone played.”
She laughed.
“Amongst our immediate neighbourhood, of course. But this pageant was quite a big thing and we had people from all around playing parts; and of course that was good because it brought in spectators.”
” How many monks did you use?”
” A great number. Almost everyone had to be pressed into service. I even tried to get Dr. Smith.”
” Did you succeed?”
” No. It was his day for going to … that institution, and then of course he said he had to be on duty in case he was called somewhere,”
“And his daughter?”
“She had a part of course. She was the little Charles. She looked wonderful in velvet breeches with her long hair. She was too young for it to seem immodest, and the When did you last see your father?” scene was most affecting. “
” She couldn’t play a monk?”
” Indeed not. But I shall never forget her Prince Charles Everyone was splendid. Even Mr. Redvers and no one could say acting was his line.”
” Oh, what part did he play?”
” He was merely a monk, but he did join in.”
“How … interesting.”
” Will you have more coffee?”
“Thank you, no. That was delicious. But I should be going back now.”
” It was so good of you to come, and I do hope the purchases will be satisfactory.”
We parted with mutual thanks and as I walked home I felt bemused.
I was sure I had solved the mystery of the costume. Some person had used a pageant costume in which to frighten me. Luke had had one at some time. Did he still possess it? Simon had had one too. Yet he had not mentioned this when I bad told him of my experience.
At first I decided that I would discuss the matter of the costumes with Hagar and then I hesitated, because if I did so, Simon would hear of it; and I was not sure that I wanted Simon to know that I had discovered so much.
It seemed ridiculous to suspect Simon, for how could he possibly have been in the house at the time? And yet I had to remind myself that he was next in succession to Luke.
It was alarming to feel that I could trust no one, but that was exactly how I did feel.
So when I called to see Hagar the next day I said nothing of the cloak incident, although I longed to discuss it with someone. Instead I tried to keep the conversation on everyday matters and I asked Hagar if there was any Christmas shopping I could do for her. I told her that I hoped to go into one of the towns with Ruth and perhaps Luke, and if I did so I would be happy to execute any of her commissions.
She pondered this and eventually made a list of things which she would like me to get for her; and while we were discussing this, Simon came in.
” If you’d like to go to Knaresborough,” he said, ” I can take you. I have to drive in on business.”
I hesitated. I did not really believe he would have tried to frighten me, and yet I reminded myself he had not liked me in the beginning; it was only because of my friendship with his grandmother that we were brought together. I was unaccountably depressed because I felt it was only reasonable not to place him outside suspicion. If he could really be trying to harm someone in my position he must be the exact opposite of the man I had been sure he was. Still, I was determined not to trust him.
My hesitation amused him. It had not occurred to him that I suspected him of villainy, only that I feared to offend the proprieties.
He said with a grin: ” Ruth or Luke might like to come with us. If they’ll come, perhaps you would deign to.”
“That would be very pleasant,” I replied.
And it was eventually arranged that when Simon went to Knaresborough he should take Luke, Damaris and myself with him.
The day was warm for early December. We left soon after
SO nine in the morning and planned to be back by dark, which was of course soon after four.
As we sat together in the carriage, Luke and Simon appeared to be in high spirits; and I found myself catching them; Damaris was quiet, as usual.
It occurred to me that whenever I was away from the house I recaptured my old common sense. I ceased to believe that there was anything for me to fear. At least, I could assure myself, there was nothing with which I could not cope. I could believe, as I listened to Luke’s bright conversation, that he had played these tricks on me to tease me.
As for the first, he now probably realised he had gone too far, and that was why he was amusing himself with things like warming-pans.
He always regarded me in a slightly sardonic way. How foolish I had been to be afraid. I had merely been the victim of youthful high spirits.
That was my mood as we drove into Knaresborough.
I knew the town slightly from the past and it had always delighted me.
I thought it was one of the most interesting and charming old towns in the West Riding.
We drove to an inn where we had some light refreshment, and afterwards separated, Simon to do the business which had brought him here, Luke, Damaris and I to shop, having arranged to meet in two hours’ time at the inn.
Very soon I had lost Luke and Damaris, who, I presumed, had wandered off while I was in a shop because they wanted to be alone together.