“That’s it,” she said. “That’s what we have to do. We must do that.”
“You’ve forgotten, of course, that you would have to get Henry Farrel’s agreement.” Her face darkened. “He ... he won’t let me go. He said he won’t. He said he loves me. He wants me back.”
“But he did let you go. He was ready to part with you before.”
“I know. We quarreled terribly, you see. I soon realized what a mistake I’d made.”
“And you let him know it!”
“He used to get really angry. Sometimes I thought he’d kill me. I got really frightened. And it was all so secret because I didn’t want my mother to know. We never set up house together. It wasn’t really like a true marriage.”
“Oh, Belinda, how could you be so feckless?”
“Because I’m a fool. You know how I always took some action before I’d thought very much about it.”
“Well, what am I going to do?”
“Do you really love Bobby?”
“More every day. I like being with him, and he thinks I’m wonderful.”
“And it is rather nice being Lady Denver?”
“Well, yes, it is,” she said defiantly.
“Better than being Mrs. Farrell, which I suppose you really are?”
“It’s not only that. If you saw Henry Farrell you would know why I want to be with Bobby.”
“Didn’t you realize... oh, but it’s no use going over all that. The point is, what are you going to do? And how do you think I can help?”
“Henry is in London. If someone could talk to him ...”
“You, for instance?” I suggested.
She shook her head. “No. When I’m there he’s just mad. I think he hates me at the same time as he loves me. He knows what I’m like. He wouldn’t trust me ... and in a way I think he hates himself for wanting me. You’ve always been so calm and logical. You wouldn’t understand that....”
“Oh, but I do. I know how exasperating you can be and yet I quite like you myself. You’ve done some dreadful things in your life, Belinda. Think of Pedrek and Rebecca... and yet they forgive you. I don’t know why. But yes, I think I do understand how Henry Farrell feels.”
She came to me and hugged me in her impulsive way.
“You will help me, won’t you, Lucie? You can ... I think.”
“How?”
“He might listen to you.”
“Why? Why should he? He doesn’t know me. We’ve never met.”
“He knows of you. I used to talk about you. He said, ‘Your Lucie sounds a very nice person. From your description I think I’d like her.’ “
“I’m surprised that your description of me engendered such respect.”
“Stop talking like a governess. This is too serious for that. I thought if you could see him and talk calmly to him... explain to him that I will never go back to him... that I’m happy with Bobby now. I’ve found just what I want. If he’d only go back to Australia and forget about me ...”
“You’d still be married to him.”
“No one need ever know.”
“What of the child? It would be illegitimate.”
“I said, nobody need know.”
“It would be better to get it settled clearly and cleanly. Suppose Henry Farrell agreed to go away and withdrew his claim to you, you’d have this hanging over you for the rest of your life. You would never know when it might be discovered. And you have the child to think of.”
“What else can I do?”
“Well, you could confess to Bobby what you have done. I think you owe that to him.
He is good and kind and he loves you dearly. He isn’t going to let you go.”
She nodded slowly. “Yes,” she said, “and then?”
“You might persuade Henry Farrell to agree to this annulment. It could be arranged discreetly perhaps. Then you and Bobby could be married quietly. And you’d go on from there.”
She clasped her hands and looked at me with admiration. “That’s it, Lucie. You’ve got it.” Her eyes were shining and it amazed me how quickly she could change.
“You’ll have to get Henry Farrell’s agreement,” I went on. “That might not be easy.
You’ve always thought everyone ought to do what you want.”
“He could be persuaded, I’m sure.”
It was typical of Belinda. I wanted to tell her that others had their lives to lead and they were just as important to them as hers was to her. She seemed to think that, now we had found a possible solution, all we had to do was manipulate the actors in the drama, as a playwright might-writing their lines for them so that they could meekly act out the play according to direction.
She was excited now. She sparkled. Her beautiful face was alight with purpose. I found myself smiling with her. I could understand her power to attract. She could be irresistible.
“I know what we have to do now,” she said.
I looked at her questioningly, and she went on, “You will go and see Henry Farrell.
You will tell him exactly what he must do.”
“Belinda! He isn’t going to listen to me.”
“You can tell him how happy I am ... that I am going to have Bobby’s baby... how necessary it is for him to agree to a divorce... quietly ... so that I can marry Bobby... because there is to be a child... and children must always be considered.”
“I think you should see him and explain all this.”
She shook her head dolefully. “He wouldn’t listen to me, Lucie. He gets mad with rage at me. Lucie, please, do this for me. Please go to see him. Explain in your lovely calm way... make him see it. You can. You explain so well... and you’re so logical. You would make him see reason, I’m sure.”
“It sounds ridiculous to me. I don’t know the man.”
“You know what I’ve told you.” She pleaded, “Will you do it ... for me, Lucie? Please... please ... so much depends on it.”
“I ... I’d have to think about it.”
A slow smile crossed her face. “All right then... think about it ... but please... oh, please... think quickly.”
She was almost complacent, having a firm belief in her powers to persuade. During the rest of that day I thought about Belinda and her problem. I could picture it all so clearly: the mining town, the dullness of the days, the failing mine, the desire for excitement. And there was Henry Farrell. I imagined him, tall, masterful, and completely fascinated by the wayward Belinda. Then the suggestion of marriage, a secret marriage. She had been only sixteen; but Belinda had matured early. She would have been physically a young woman, though sadly lacking in a woman’s judgement.
I could imagine her dashing into marriage without a thought beyond the excitement of the moment. The passionate Henry Farrell, the meetings which had to be held in secret, would appeal to her sense of adventure; and then the death of Tom Marner, the illness of Leah; the talk then of what Leah wanted for her cherished daughter; the rich life in the wealthy Old Country which she remembered from her childhood; the dinner parties in the London house, the charm of Manor Grange, the grandeur of Cador... and then, the sudden realization of what she had done-in fact, ruined her chances of a cozy life in rich surroundings. She had married a man who had acquired a mine which was no longer prosperous. I could imagine her dismay and her plans to extricate herself from what had become distasteful and an impediment to those plans.
She and her husband had quarreled violently. She might well have provoked those quarrels; they had no doubt declared their regrets and vowed they never wanted to see each other again.
So ... she had come to England and-Belinda-fashion had dismissed the past as though it had never happened. Bobby came along... admiring her and so suitable, with his wealth, adoration and title. So, without a qualm-or perhaps just a few-Belinda saw no reason why she could not write off the disagreeable past and start afresh. It was all typical Belinda.