“I amuse you?” I said coolly.
“You asked an opinion and I gave it.”
“It’s absolutely true, of course. I could imagine you subduing such unpleasant characteristics if only I could so far stretch my imagination as to picture you possessing them. You know how disastrously my marriage ended.”
I nodded.
“My experiences as a husband have convinced me that I should abandon that role for ever.”
“Perhaps you are wise to make such a decision.”
“I was sure you would agree.”
I knew what he meant. If what he suspected was true and I had allowed my feelings for him to become too deep, I should be warned.
I felt humiliated and wounded and I said briskly: “I am very interested in some of the wall surfaces I have noticed about the chateau. It has occurred to me that there might be some murals hidden beneath the lime wash.”
“Oh?” he said; and I thought he was not paying attention to what I said.
“I remember my father’s making a miraculous discovery on the walls of an ancient mansion in Northumberland. It was a wonderful painting which had been hidden for centuries. I feel certain that there must be similar discoveries here.”
“Discoveries?” he repeated.
“Yes?”
What was he thinking of? That stormy married life with Francoise? But had it been stormy? Deeply unhappy, entirely unsatisfactory since he had determined never to run the risk of such an experience again.
I was aware of an intense passion engulfing me. I thought: What could I do? How could I leave this and go back to England back to a new life where there was no chateau full of secrets, no Comte whom I longed to restore to happiness?
“I should like to have a closer look at those walls,” I went on.
He said almost fiercely, as though denying everything that had gone before: Dallas, my chateau and myself are at your disposal. “
Nine
A few days later Philippe and Claude returned.
“And where is Mademoiselle Lawson?”
“I have told them to take up her tray. She cannot expect to eat at table with us. After all, she is not a guest; she is employed to work here.”
I saw his face darken with contempt for her and . regard for me.
“What nonsense, Boulanger, another place please. And go at once to Mademoiselle Lawson’s room and tell her that I am looking forward to her presence at dinner.”
I waited. The food on the tray was getting cold.
It did not happen as I had hoped. There was no message. Now if ever I should see what a fool I was. This woman was his mistress. He had married her to Philippe so that she could be at the chateau without arousing scandal, because he was wise enough to see that he could afford no more scandal since even kings in their castles had to be a little careful.
As for me I was the odd Englishwoman, who was so intense about her work and to whom it was amusing to talk for a time when one was indisposed and confined to the chateau.
Naturally her presence was not needed when Claude was at hand.
Moreover Claude was the mistress of the chateau.
Startled out of my sleep, I awoke in terror, for someone was in my room, standing there at the bottom of my bed.
“Miss.” Genevieve glided towards me, a lighted candle in her hand.
“I heard the tapping, miss. Only a few minutes ago. You said to come and tell you.”
“Genevieve …” I sat up in bed, my teeth chattering. I must have had a nightmare in those seconds before waking.
“What’s the time?”
“One o’clock. It woke me up. Tap … tap … and I was frightened and you said we’d go and see … together.”
I put my feet into slippers and hastily put on my dressing-gown.
“I expect you imagined it, Genevieve.” She shook her head.
“It’s like it was before. Tap … tap … as though someone is trying to let you know where they are.”
“Where?”
“Come to my room. I can hear it there.” I followed her through the chateau to the nursery which was in the oldest part of the house. I said: “Have you awakened Nounou?” She shook her head.
“Nounou never wakes once she’s. She says once she gets off she sleeps the sleep of
I took the candle from her and led the way down the staircase to the lower floors.
Genevieve’s belief in my courage gave me that quality. I should have been very uneasy walking about the chateau alone like this at night.
We reached the door of the gun gallery and paused there listening.
Distinctly we heard a sound. I was not sure what it was, but I felt the goose pimples rising on my flesh. Genevieve gripped my arm and in the candle-light I saw her startled eyes. She was about to speak but I shook my head.
Then came the sound again.
It was from the dungeons below.
There was nothing I wanted so much as to turn and go back to my room; I was sure Genevieve felt the same; but because she did not expect such behaviour from me I could not tell her that I, too, was afraid, that it was all very well to be bold by daylight and quite another matter in the dungeons of an old chateau at dead of night.
She pointed down the stone spiral staircase and holding up my long skirts with the same hand as that which grasped the candle, for I needed the other to grip the rope banister, I led the way down the stairs.
Genevieve, behind me, suddenly lurched forward. It was fortunate that she fell against me, thus preventing herself from tripping down the stairs. She gave a little scream and immediately clapped her hands to her mouth.
“It’s all right,” she whispered.
“I tripped over my dressing-gown.”
“For heaven’s sake hold it up.”
She nodded and for a few seconds we stood there on that spiral staircase trying to steady ourselves; my heart was leaping about uncomfortably and I knew Genevieve’s was doing the same. I believed that in a moment she would be saying: “Let’s go back. There’s nothing here.” And I would be willing enough.
But some persistent faith in my invincibility prevented her from speaking.
Now there was absolute silence everywhere. I leaned against the stone wall and could feel the coldness through my clothes in contrast to Genevieve’s hot hand which was gripping my arm. She did not look at me.
This was absurd, I thought. What was I doing wandering about the chateau at night? Suppose the Comte should discover me? What a fool I should look! I should go straight back to my room now and in the morning report the sounds I had heard during the night. But Genevieve would think I was afraid if I did that. She would not be wrong either.
If I did not go on now she would lose that respect for me which I believe was what gave me some authority over her; and if I was to help her overcome the demons in her which forced her to strange acts, I must retain that authority.
I gathered my skirts higher, descended the staircase, and when I reached the bottom pushed open the iron-studded door to the dungeons.
The dark cavern yawned ahead of us, and the sight of it made me more reluctant than ever.
‘^f sound comes from,” I whispered.
for I could see one or two of the cages with great chains which had held men and women prisoners of the de la Talles.
I said: “Is anyone there?”
My voice echoed uncannily. Genevieve pressed her body against me, and I could feel her shaking.
I said: “There’s no one here, Genevieve.”
She was only too ready to admit it.
“Let’s go, miss.”
I said: “We’ll come and have a look in daylight.”
“Oh yes … yes….”
She had seized my hand and was pulling me. I wanted to turn and hurry from the place, but in those seconds I was conscious of a horrible fascination. I could easily believe that somewhere in the darkness, someone was watching me . luring me onwards . farther into the darkness to some sort of doom.