On one or two occasions Grand’mere had gone with her. The Countess was adept at choosing styles which she wished to incorporate with changes—improvements, she called them; Grand’mere was concerned with the practical side; and she would say if what was suggested was possible.
I was unable to go because I did not want to leave Katie. After these trips Grand’mere always seemed to have been rejuvenated. I suppose a visit to her native land did that for her; moreover, she was passionately interested in fashion.
On this occasion the Countess astounded us with an announcement. “We should open a place in Paris,” she said.
We stared at her. Open in Paris! We were doing very well in London, expanding every year, growing generally, becoming well known in Court circles.
“Well,” went on the Countess, “most of the best houses have something over there. I’d be there most of the time till we’d built it up. I know how to manage that. We’d have the French touch for our clothes over here. ‘This, Madam, has just been brought over from our Paris establishment’ … and so on.”
“And the cost of setting up a place over there?”
“It’s not going to be cheap.”
“And where would we get the money?” asked Grand’mere.
“We’d borrow.”
I flinched and Grand’mere turned pale. “Never!” we said simultaneously.
“Why not?”
“Who’d lend the money?”
“Any bank. We have the security of this place … a prosperous concern.”
“And the interest on the loan?”
”We’d have to work hard to pay it.”
“I was always against borrowing,” said Grand’mere; and I nodded in agreement.
“Do you want to stay as we are forever?”
“It is a very pleasant niche we have found for ourselves,” I reminded her.
“But expansion is the very breath of successful business.”
“I believe there have been occasions when it has been their ruin.”
“Life is a matter of taking risks.”
“I want none of that,” said Grand’mere.
I backed her up in this. The thought of borrowing terrified me.
“How long would it take before a Paris place was profitable?” I asked.
“Three years … four …”
“And all that time we should have the interest on the loan to pay off.”
“We’d manage,” said the Countess.
“What if we didn’t?”
“You are prophesying defeat before we begin.”
“We have to look facts in the face. I could see us ruined and I have a child to think of.”
“When the time comes I want to launch her into society.”
“In the meantime I have to feed and clothe her, educate her too—and that is of the utmost importance to me.”
“You are really rather unadventurous,” said the Countess.
“I call it cautious,” I replied.
“So you are both against me?”
We nodded.
“Well, we shall have to shelve the matter.”
“We’ll do that,” I said.
“Meanwhile,” went on the Countess, “when I am in Paris I will scout round and see what’s to be had.”
“Whatever it is we can’t afford it.”
“You never know,” insisted the Countess.
We went on to discuss other matters.
Grand’mere and I talked about her scheme together when we were alone.
“She’s right, of course,” said Grand’mere. “The important houses do have branches in Paris. It is the centre of fashion and therefore carries a certain prestige. It would be wonderful if we could sell our clothes over there. That would be triumph indeed … and so good for business here. We could do so much better. …”
I said: “Grand’mere, are you getting caught up in this idea?”
“I realize its merits, but I am against borrowing as I always have been. I’d rather remain as we are than have to worry about loans. Remember how it was when we started and how we thought we were not coming through? “
“I shall never forget.”
“We are cosy. We are comfortable. Let’s leave it at that.”
But we both continued to think of the matter and every now and then it would crop up. It was clearly on our minds. The Countess was silent, brooding. I began to think that in time we might come round to her way of thinking.
A week or so later the Countess and Grand’mere went on one of their periodic trips to Paris.
Meetings in the Park
One of the greatest blessings of our prosperity was that I could devote more time to Katie. I had engaged a governess for her— a Miss Price—a very worthy lady, who took her duties seriously; but I often took Katie off her hands, for the child loved to be with me as much as I did with her.
We used to walk together each afternoon after her lessons. Sometimes we went to St. James’s Park where we fed the ducks; sometimes we visited the Serpentine. Katie was a very gregarious person and made friends with the other children very quickly. I liked to see her enjoying the companionship of people of her own age.
It was two days after the departure of Grand’mere and the Countess and we were sitting on a bench engaged in the sort of conversation Katie and I often had together which consisted of a number of “whys” and “whats” when a man stopped, lifted his hat and said: “So I have found you.”
It was Drake Aldringham.
“I called at your place,” he said, “and Miss Cassandra told me that you would either be in St. James’s Park or here. Unfortunately I went to the wrong one first, but at least I am now rewarded.”
I felt a great pleasure to see him.
I said: “This is Katie. Katie, this is Mr. Drake Aldringham.”
She gave him a direct look. “You’re not a duck,” she said. “You’re only a man.”
“I can see I have disappointed you,” he replied.
“Well… I’ve heard them talking about a drake.”
I was embarrassed but he looked pleased to learn that he had been the subject of our conversation.
Katie gave him one of her dazzling smiles. “Never mind,” she said.
“I’ll try not to take it to heart.”
I could see that he thought her charming and I was happy about that.
“We like it here, don’t we, Katie,” I said. “We come often.”
“Yes,” said Katie. “It’s like the country … but you can hear the horses’ hoofs and that makes it nicer.
“Grand’mere is in France,” she told Drake.
“Yes,” I added. “She and the Countess have gone to Paris.”
“Some day,” Katie said, “I shall go. With Mama, of course.”
“Of course,” he said. “Are you looking forward to that?”
She nodded. “Have you been?”
He told her he had. He talked to her about Paris and she listened avidly. A small boy came up. He was often in the park with his nanny and he and Katie played together. I could see that she wanted to go now and play with him for she looked at me expectantly.
“Yes,” I said, “but not too far. Keep where I can see you, or I shall be after you.”
She turned, smiled at Drake and was off.
” What a delightful child!” he said.
“I am so lucky to have her.”
“I can understand how you feel.”
My eyes had filled with tears and I was ashamed of myself for showing my emotions.
“She must have been a great consolation.”
I nodded. “She always has been that. I can’t imagine what I should have done without her.”
“I am so sorry it happened. It must have been devastating.”