I was thinking of Crispin. I thought I ought to tell him that Tamarisk had confided in me to some extent.
When he came to the office I had the chance of telling him.
“Good,” he said.
“Can you meet me at the Little Vixen at one o’clock for lunch?” I said I would be there.
I told him what Tamarisk had said.
“What can you do about it?” I asked.
“The best thing would be to get rid of him. But that is impossible. He is not going to relieve us all by departing. The only other solution is divorce. It’s not entirely satisfactory, but I see no other way out.”
“On what grounds?”
“Adultery, I dare say. I feel sure from what we know of him we could find evidence somewhere.”
Not Rachel, I thought. That would be unbearable. Besides, that happened before his marriage. It would not count. But it would be revealed if there were probings, suggestions. Rachel’s happiness must not be sacrificed.
“Do you know for sure that he is promiscuous?” I asked.
“I’m fairly sure of it. As a matter of fact, I am having him watched.
It is highly secret. He has no idea, but if he suspected . well, he would be warned. “
“Do you think you will find something?”
“He’s reckless. Although he is sharp, with an eye on the main chance, he can be foolish in many ways. He married Tamarisk because he thought she would provide a comfortable life for him, which so far she has done; but the strain of keeping up the pretence of being a loving husband has been too much for him. He is a rogue, an impostor, a self-indulgent adventurer. He is clever, but not quite clever enough.
Frederica, I must get him out of the house. I am so glad that Tamarisk has started confiding in you. She talks to me very rarely and then with restraint. You can let me know exactly what she feels. We must meet often. “
He smiled at me very warmly and I felt a glow of pleasure, as I always did when he showed an interest in me. I “Are you still getting on well with Perrin?” he asked. “Oh yes, he is very kind and helpful.” ‘ “You know I have a special interest in you, Frederica?” “After Barrow Wood. Yes. I understand that.” I couldl not resist adding: “Though before that you were hardly! aware of me.” “Oh, I was aware of you when you first came tol St. Aubyn’s for lessons.”
“I shall never forget the first time I saw you,” I said.
“Yes?” he asked.
“It was on the stairs. I was with Tamarisk and Rachel. We came down and you were about to go up. You nodded briefly and when you were still in earshot you said in a voice which we all heard distinctly, ” Who is the plain’ child? “, meaning me.”
“No,” he said.
“Yes, it’s true.”
“It rankled?”
“Very much so. Aunt Sophie had to spend a long time soothing my wounded vanity.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t believe that. What I really meant was, ” Who is the interesting child? “” “When one is thirteen years old, it is rather hurtful to be called a child, and plain is the final insult.”
“You have never forgiven me.”
“Well, I believe I was plain.”
“I remember you had two plaits, very severe, and a penetrating look.”
“And you had a penetrating voice.”
“Believe me, I am very sorry. It was foolish … and obtuse. I should have recognized you as a very attractive young lady. The plainest people often turn out to be the real beauties, the ugly duckling, you know, turned into the ” There is no need to make excuses. I was plain. And, do you know, I began to take an interest in my appearance after that. So you see, it was all right in the end. You did me good.”
He put his hand across the table and held mine firmly in his.
That’s what I want to do,” he said.
“Always.”
I thought then that he was going to say something else, but he hesitated and appeared to change his mind.
“This is a pact, then,” he said.
“We are going to meet often. You will tell me what you discover and we shall see if we can find a way out of this.”
We chatted then about the estate, of which I was becoming quite knowledgeable. That pleased him and he became very animated.
When we parted, he said: “I am anxious about Tamarisk, but we’ll find some way out and at least we have had a very pleasant time together.”
I frequently called at Grindle’s Farm. Danielle was an enchanting child and I took a very special interest in her. Rachel was happy too.
I think she was succeeding in forgetting the past and one of the main reasons was her absorption in Danielle.
Alas, this contentment did not last.
Soon after Crispin and I had talked in the Little Vixen, I went to see Rachel and realized that all was not well.
“Freddie,” said Rachel, ‘he’s been here. Gaston has been here. “
“Whatever for?”
“He said he wanted to be friends again.”
“What impertinence!”
“Oh, Freddie, it was awful. I’m frightened.”
“What happened?”
“He said, ” You used to love me, remember? ” I told him to go away. I did not want to see him ever again. He was horrible. He tried to put his arm round me. I was frightened. ”
” How did he get in?
He just called. One of the maids brought him to the sitting-room where I happened to be at the time. I thought he would never go. “
“Did you tell Daniel?”
“Yes. He was very angry. I think he would kill him if he saw him. It is not often Daniel is angry, but then he was.:
Oh, I do hope Gaston never comes here again. If her does. “
“He can’t harm you.”
“I am thinking about Danielle.”
“Did he guess?”
“Yes. I told him when I was going to have a child and I could see then that he didn’t care … only that it shouldn’t go and spoil his plans for Tamarisk.”
“He can’t hurt you now, Rachel.”
“He could tell people Danielle was his child. He could make a terrible scandal. Think what that would mean to her. People would talk of it for years. Oh, Freddie, what a mess I have made of everything!”
“It will be all right. There’s nothing he can do.”
She clung to me.
“I’m so afraid. I’m terribly afraid.”
I did not tell her so, but I was too.
How I hated that man! He caused misery wherever he went. I had thought everything had been comfortably settled when Daniel accepted and cherished the child. I could clearly see what harm Gaston could do to them. I railed against him to myself. If only he would go away! As if he would! He liked the luxury he enjoyed at St. Aubyn’s too well. He had schemed to marry Tamarisk and establish himself there and he meant to stay. He would fight to stay and he would not care what happened to anyone else as long as he had what he wanted.
There was a new development which caused a stir in the neighbourhood.
Harry Gentry had discovered that Gaston Marchmont was paying attention to his daughter Sheila. The girl was barely sixteen. Harry Gentry had come upon them together in the woodshed in his garden.
It was clear to Harry what Gaston’s intentions were towards his daughter and Harry was enraged. He declared he would kill the man.
Gaston had tried to make excuses, but Harry had gone into the house and come out with a shotgun which he used for shooting rabbits.
Gaston escaped and Harry fired into the air to warn him what would happen if he came near Sheila again. The neighbours had heard the shots and had come out to witness the scene.
People were now talking of the trouble at St. Aubyn’s. It had been very romantic, running away to Gretna Green, but look at the result of such goings-on. Mr. Crispin must be wondering how they were going to get rid of the fellow.