It Began in Vauxhall Gardens - Plaidy Jean (бесплатная регистрация книга txt) 📗

Dear Lucie! thought Fenella hypocritically.

"Lucie, my dear," she said. "I want to have a little talk with you. It is about Melisande."

"Yes, Madam?"

"She is very like you, I always think. Her position is similar, and it would give me great pleasure if you took her under your wing. I should like to see her as happily settled as you will be. I want you to make a special friend of her, talk to her about your coming wedding. Polly shall take you both to look over your new house. You see, Lucie my dear, girls like Genevra and Clotilde could so easily put wrong ideas into the head of an impressionable girl."

"I will do all you say, Madam."

"Andrew Beddoes is a friend of your future husband's, I believe."

"They know each other because they are in the same profession."

"It would be rather pleasant if the friendship were cultivated. You and your charming Francis, Melisande and Andrew."

"Why yes, of course."

"I should like it all to come about naturally . . . romantically."

Lucie smiled. She was grateful to Fenella. Some might cavil at the darker side of the activities which went on in this house, but it was an establishment like no other, Fenella was a woman like no other. She helped girls who found themselves in unfortunate positions; naturally her methods must vary according to the girls. When she was securely married, Lucie would wish to sever all connection with Fenella Cardingly's establishment; until that happy day, she was ready to obey Madam Fenella.

"I shall do my best," said Lucie. "Melisande is quite unlike the other girls. Being convent bred she is very innocent. Marriage with Mr. Beddoes would be good for her."

When she had gone, Fenella said aloud: "Dear Lucie!"

Her conscience was salved. There was no need to worry about that

charming young man. Let him come to the house as his father had.

Melisande's future was about to be happily settled.

Polly, the chaperone, escorted the two girls out of the house. She knew that he would be waiting. He was always popping up, she told Madam. Madam only laughed when she was told. He was so charming, she said.

Lucie was saying to Melisande: "I am so glad you are coming with me. The others . . . they're not serious. And at times like this it is pleasant to have a friend."

"It is good of you to let me come," said Melisande. "I hope you will be happy, Lucie. Oh, I do hope that."

"Why not? I shall have everything I want. Mr. Grey will rise in his profession. I shall see to that." Lucie's face under the large bonnet was serene. Prim, Genevra called it. Not prim, thought Melisande, but contented. Melisande sighed. Lucie would never act in such a way as to bring disaster to herself.

"Gome along, my dears," said Polly. "It's a sharp step to our Lucie's new home, and Madam won't expect us to be too long away. My goodness gracious me, who's this ?"

He came forward bowing. "Three ladies . . . out alone! You must allow me to be your escort."

Lucie was shocked; she looked at him coldly. "We are well chaperoned, thank you, Mr. Holland."

"I'm here to look after the young ladies," said Polly. "I'm as good as any gentleman."

"Better!" he said, giving her one of his winning smiles. "I know it; you know it; the young ladies know it. But does the rest of the world know it? My dear Polly, your size belies your valiant heart, and I shall take it upon myself as a duty to accompany you."

Polly clicked her tongue and shook her head. Fermor took Lucie's hand and kissed it. Lucie softened. After all, she thought, what harm can come of it in the street ?

He then took Melisande's hand and kissed it. He kept it in his and said: "A guardian apiece. What could be better than that?"

Lucie could only walk beside Polly.

Melisande said to him as the other two stepped ahead: "You are not wanted. You know that. Have you no pride?"

"On the contrary, my pride swells to enormous proportions when I consider how much I am wanted. Polly dotes on me; so do you. As for the prim little Lucie, I have such belief in my powers that I think I can melt even her stony heart."

"I wish you would not come to the house so often."

"You would be hurt if I did not."

"I should be happier if you did not."

"But you think often of me, you must admit."

"I often think of Caroline. Is she very unhappy?"

"She is well and happy, thank you."

"Unaware of your conduct?"

"She can have nothing to complain of so far. Melisande, let us have done with this bantering. Let us be ourselves, say what is in our minds. I am in love with you . . . you with me."

"No!"

"I said, let us tell the truth. Promise me to answer one question truthfully. Will you, or are you afraid to do so?"

"I am not afraid to answer truthfully."

"If I were free to marry you and asked you, would you marry me ?"

She hesitated and he said: "You promised the truth."

"I am trying to tell the truth. I think I should, but I should be very uneasy."

He laughed contentedly. "That is all I wanted to know. The uneasiness would not worry me. We should not be too easy in our minds, should we? We should be anxious . . . anxious to preserve that which is so precious to us both. Melisande, for once let us not quarrel. Let us pretend that this is our home which we are going to see . . . our marriage which is about to take place. Can you imagine that?"

"Perhaps," she admitted.

Here in the street it was possible to throw caution away. The pleasure of such contemplation surprised her. Here, with him beside her, it was so easy to believe in.

He had slipped his arm through hers. It did not matter. Polly was going on ahead with Lucie. Besides, Polly would only have said: "The daring young man!" and she would have said it indulgently. Like her mistress she had a fondness for daring young men.

He looked down at her; she looked up at him; longing and love was in their eyes. They said nothing. It was wonderful to have such moments as these, thought Melisande; to step right out of the world of reality into the world of the imagination. There was no Caroline in this world; Fermor was himself, yet becomingly different. They were two lovers on their way to visit their new home.

He sang softly so that only she could hear, and the song he sang was wistful and tender, simple and moving:

"O, wert thou in the cauld blast, On yonder lea, on yonder lea, My plaidie to the angry airt,

I'd shelter thee, I'd shelter thee. Or did misfortune's bitter storms Around thee blaw, around thee blaw,

Thy bield should be my bosom, To share it a', to share it a'."

If they could have walked on through the streets of London for ever like that, how happy she would have been!

They turned into that street in which stood the charming little house which was to be Lucie's home, and as they did so suddenly the spell was broken.

It was a moment of horror for Melisande. She had turned, sensing that they were being followed, and so she saw the woman who was walking behind them and might have followed them since they left the house in the square. For one moment Melisande's eyes met a pair of bright malevolent ones. Wenna was in London with Caroline, and Wenna had come to spy on her and Fermor.

She shivered and looked quickly away.

"What is it?" said Fermor.