Anna couldn’t help being amused in a wry kind of way as she went upstairs by the chance, which brought her and Francis together again to defend Caroline. But Colonel Beaton’s praise had given her such a glow of pleasure that the thought of Francis was not too painful.
Chapter XI
Mischief At Work
How often in the fortnight that followed Francis was to regret his offer of hospitality to James Danvers cannot be guessed. When he got back to his rooms after giving Caroline lunch, Hugh rang him up.
“You sound very cheerful,” said Hugh. “I am now going to do my best to depress you. Who do you think turned up at my office this morning?”
“James, I suppose.”
“He did. He began by asking for five pounds, so I took him out to lunch instead. He simply massacred the whisky but he didn’t seem any the worse for it. His plan was to go down Fleet Street and see the boys, and then go to tea with his people. I hardly thought a walk down Fleet Street would be a good preparation for having tea at Cadogan Square and anyway I was very busy, so I took him around to Beaton’s hotel. I explained the situation to him, and as he and Julia were going to tea with the Danvers’ he said they would take James with them.”
“Do you mean to say you let James loose on Julia?”
“Who talked about letting loose? James isn’t an outcast just because Caroline divorced him. And I may say he spoke of her with very nice feeling. He said he had never got over the shock of her divorcing him, poor chap.”
“I don’t suppose Caroline has got over the shock of having to divorce him so easily, either.”
“Sorry, Francis, I’d forgotten your feelings. But do you think I’d run the risk of Julia being frightened? Good lord, man, James was as sober as you or I. He oughtn’t to have been after all the whisky he drank, but he was.”
“Where is he staying?”
“That’s the trouble. He seems to have run through his money in Paris and doesn’t want to ask his father for any more, so he is trying to get a job. Newspaper work. He is living in some kind of cheap pub with temptation on the ground floor.”
Francis made no answer. He was thinking hard.
“Are you there?” continued Hugh’s voice. “Oh, I thought you were dead. Well, I would have James at the flat if I could, but what with being married in a fortnight and one thing and another, I can’t very well. Have you any suggestions? We must keep him respectable till after the wedding. He’s quite all right if someone keeps an eye on him, and excellent company.”
“I think,” said Francis with intense annoyance, “he had better come here, at any rate till you are married. Rose shall bully him and we may keep him straight for a bit. I suppose you are bound to be trailing after Julia to Cadogan Square. Bring James here when you leave and I’ll give Rose instructions about him and I’ll be back to dinner myself.”
He hung the receiver up in the middle of Hugh’s thanks and protestations and immediately began to repent his offer. But what else could he do? James in one of his moods of sodden devilry would be capable of breaking his parents’ hearts for good, of making himself an extremely undesirable addition to Hugh’s wedding and, worst of all, terrifying Caroline, who in spite of what she had said about feeling brave did not look equal to supporting much more anxiety. If he had James under his roof, he and Rose could at least exercise some authority.
On the other hand, there was the possibility that Caroline might think he was taking sides with James by sheltering him. Francis had no wish to lose the confidence he had so lately regained. What Caroline had meant by her last words, he could not guess. Her avowal that she cared for no man had relieved him of a great weight, though what she meant by saying “There is no man I care for as you mean it,” he did not understand. No longer need he harbor unkind feeling against Beaton, whom he liked so very much when he was not feeling it his duty to hate him. This was going to make his task easier, for he and Beaton could work together for Caroline. And then Caroline had made no sign of reconsidering her rejection of his suit. She had said that she was meant to be alone. The words pierced him. Caroline was the last woman on earth who should live unloved. He thought back over the years of youth and childhood. Caroline had always been the same, capable of deep hidden affections, very polite, often aloof, except when strongly moved, or on the rare occasions when her temper got beyond her control. He had seen her as a schoolgirl trying to kill Hugh with a cricket bat and nearly succeeding because he had teased her about trying to play boys’ games. He had seen her as a young girl transfigured with love for James. He had seen her as a married woman, polite again and aloof, rigidly controlled. Now that she was free to make her life again, Francis wanted to be with her. A solitary heart seemed to him a useless thing, better shared than kept to itself.
Then he angrily rang for his head clerk and set about his business, trying to drive Caroline and her affairs out of his head. So fiercely did he work that it was eight o’clock before he got home. As he opened the door, Rose emerged from the downstair regions and advanced towards him.
“Mr. Danvers is come,” she announced. “Mr. Hugh left him here about an hour ago.”
“All right, Rose. Did you get his room ready? I told my secretary to telephone to you.”
“Yes, Mr. Francis, and I locked up the cupboard in the dining room where the wine and the whisky is. Ill keep the key. As for the wine cellar you can do as you like, but no bottles come out while Mr. Danvers is here.”
“Don’t bully me, Rose.”
“I say it’s not respectable for you to have Mr. Danvers here, Mr. Francis. I remember his goings on when poor Miss Caroline was married to him. Any of his ways and off I go.”
“Be sensible, Rose. Don’t you see we are helping Mrs. Danvers? If you and I keep an eye on Mr. Danvers, he won’t give so much trouble. And we must think of Miss Beaton too. We don’t want Mr. Danvers to upset the wedding. Is he in to dinner?”
Rose assumed a reserved expression.
“Mr. Danvers arrived about seven o’clock, sir. He asked me for some whisky, so I said the cupboard was locked and you had the key.”
“So what did he do?” said Francis, interested.
“Sat down on the stairs and began to cry, and told me what a good wife Mrs. Danvers had been and how he worshipped the ground she trod on till she run away and left him.”
“Did you—”
“Did I believe him, Mr. Francis? Of course not. I’ve seen gentlemen drunk before now. Mrs. Danvers is a perfect lady, and it’s a pity some people don’t notice it. So I took him upstairs and laid out his evening clothes.”
“Thank you, Rose. If he comes down before I’m dressed, tell him I’m looking for the keys.”
*
Quite early next morning, Anna appeared on Francis’ front doorstep.
“How is everything going?” she asked Rose who opened the door.
“Mr. Francis is gone to work, and Mr. Danvers has just gone off to sleep, miss.”
“To sleep?”
“Yes, miss. He was quite put out by the amount of whisky Mr. Francis gave him, the small amount you’ll understand, miss, and spoke quite unpleasant about it. So about ten o’clock he used some strong language and off he went. I heard a noise in the street about six o’clock this morning, so down I come in my dressing gown and come into the hall just as he was opening the door with the key Mr. Francis lent him. He skreeked like as if—”
“What did he do, Rose?”
“Gave one skreek, miss, like as if he saw a ghost. So I got him upstairs and helped him into bed and gave him a nice cup of tea and left him nice and comfortable. He said he was going to pray for Miss Caroline, but that doesn’t mean nothing.”
“Shall I go and see him?” asked Anna.
“No, miss. He’s not a nice sight for a young lady. I’ll manage him all right. He mayn’t wake till lord knows when.”
“Well, when he does wake, Rose, will you give him my love and say I’ve gone to help Miss Beaton with her shopping.
And my father and mother are expecting him to lunch.”
“I’ll tell him, miss, and I’ll see he goes out to lunch nicely, if it means Epsom salts.”
Anna with a sinking heart then turned her steps to the Beatons’ hotel. Here, she found Colonel Beaton and Julia in their sitting room and poured out to them the story of James’ misdeeds the night before.
“What Francis can do short of locking him up, I don’t see,” said Colonel Beaton. “I don’t like the idea of his lunching alone with your people today, but we can’t interfere. I must say he was perfectly well behaved yesterday or I wouldn’t have allowed him to come with Julia and me, but I could see the state he was in. If he could have chosen any other time to turn up.”
“William,” said Anna, “did he say anything about if he had married again? Because when he left Caroline he said he had found someone that really understood him.”
“As far as I can make out the lady’s understanding was not all that he expected. No, he hasn’t married unless he is lying more freely than usual. In fact he makes this another grievance against Caroline, saying that the thought of her makes it impossible for him to look at another woman. I’m sorry, Anna, I am always forgetting that he is your brother. How is Caroline?”
“She is behaving like an angel. But you will see her at lunch. She talked over the subject of James with Father and Mother last night perfectly calmly. She said she didn’t feel she could see him, but she didn’t want to interfere with their happiness. Julia, she sent you a special message. She says will you think it hateful of her if she perhaps doesn’t come to your wedding. If things get too uncomfortable at Cadogan Square she will go down to Beechwood. We keep a kind of skeleton staff there. It will leave Father and Mother more free to see James. And we count on you to ship poor James off to South America, William.”
“As I said, I will do my best. Provided he will go.”
“Oh, oh,” cried Julia, “how hateful your brother James is, Anna. To spoil my wedding by making Caroline go to Beechwood. But tell her I absolutely understand. She mustn’t see that horrid man. Hugh keeps on saying he isn’t a bad chap, but all men are such idiots except Father. Hugh is divine, but he is a frightful idiot. Why on earth does Hugh like James, Father?”
“Because James is a charming fellow, my dear, and it isn’t all men that are wise enough to see through a charming fellow, as your old father is. Francis can see through it and so can Wilfred. George can’t, nor your mother, Anna. I am not sure about your dear father. He is so good that he doesn’t see much evil.”
“I think Father sees everything, though he says very little. How I wish you were with him, William.”
“If you’ll promise not to count your chickens, I’ll tell you that I think I will be, and quite soon. But this is deadly secret till you hear it from someone else.”
“Cross my heart and wish I die,” said Anna piously. “Julia, darling, what a shame it is that we aren’t talking about your wedding the whole time. I am quite ready for shopping.”
“Bring Anna back to lunch,” said Colonel Beaton to his daughter, “and remember Caroline is coming.”
The two ladies shopped happily and violently for two and a half hours and then returned to the hotel. Here, they found Caroline and they all had a pleasant lunch, talking mostly of Julia’s plans and what she would buy in Paris. While they were having coffee, Hugh came in.
“Oh, Hugh, have you heard the awful news?” cried his affianced. “Caroline isn’t coming to my wedding.”
Hugh looked astonished. Anna and Colonel Beaton tried to turn the conservation to a more general topic.
“But why?” asked Hugh rather loudly. “You can’t desert us, Caroline.”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to,” said Caroline with surprising coolness. “We’ll discuss it afterwards if you like, not now.”
Hugh, almost alarmed at his gentle cousin’s self-assertion, moved his chair around next to her.
“Caroline,” he said in a lower voice, “what’s this fancy? You must come. Julia and I can’t be married without you.”
A few months ago, Hugh’s pleading voice would have made Caroline do whatever he liked. Now she said: “It is not comfortable for Mr. and Mrs. Danvers when James and I are under one roof, even for a few hours, so I am going to Beechwood. And Hugh, please don’t tell James. When you and Julia are back in London I shall probably be in town again and we’ll have heaps of fun.”
“But Caroline, we can’t do without you.”
“I am so sorry, Hugh dear, I really am. But I can’t. And I have your word about not telling James?”
“Oh yes, if you like, I promise. I never thought you could be so selfish, Caroline. James is only too ready to make it up and forget the past. You’ve no idea how he speaks of you.”
“I have every idea, Hugh,” said Caroline quietly, “because I have heard it often before. It usually ended in some kind of assault.”
She got up and went over to Anna, leaving Hugh indignant both on James’ behalf and his own. She and Anna then went to a cinema and walked home together. By silent consent, they entered the house very quietly, but James’ hat and coat had gone, so they went upstairs where tea was still waiting.
“I hope you had a happy lunch,” said Anna to Mr. and Mrs. Danvers.
“James isn’t well,” said Mrs. Danvers. “He had very little appetite and seemed feverish.”
“Poor James,” said Anna, catching a wholly disbelieving glance in her sister-in-law’s eye. Both she and Caroline were conscious of the reproof implied in Mrs. Danvers’ remark. If Caroline were not so unreasonable, James might be tucked up in bed in the house instead of depending on bachelor hospitality.
“I don’t think he enjoys being with Francis,” continued Mrs. Danvers pouring out tea. “You see, Rose is rather spoilt, and she has been terribly rude to him.”
“Couldn’t you have him here?” said Caroline. “I would rather like to go to Beechwood.”
“He does not want to come,” said Mr. Danvers, who had been sitting apart with his face turned from the light.
“Darling Father,” said Anna going over to him and stroking his hair. “I don’t expect he does. Young men do like to be free, don’t they?”
“And another thing that made James very unhappy was your attitude, Caroline,” continued Mrs. Danvers.
Caroline stiffened but made no answer.
“After all, it’s all so long ago now. Wouldn’t you like to see him just once and tell him it is all forgotten?”
“It isn’t,” said Caroline softly. “My baby isn’t forgotten.”
Mr. Danvers got wearily out of his chair and walked slowly to the tea table.
“Caroline must do as she feels, Evelyn,” he said. “Whenever you want to go to Beechwood it is open to you, dear Caroline.”
Mrs. Danvers made a choking sound and went quickly from the drawing room, following by Anna who cast a whimsical glance of despair at her father and Caroline as she went.
“Poor Evelyn, she can’t understand, and perhaps all the better,” said Mr. Danvers. “Sit down my dear. I am an older man than I was a few days ago. I hoped so much from James’ return and now – Caroline, what would you feel if you had a child whom you loved and thought for, whom you tried to bring up with justice and love, and then you saw your life’s work and love wasted and despised?”
“I never saw my child,” said Caroline.
“You may have been lucky. Who could have guessed that James, our first baby, was to become what he is. We have so little power over our children, Caroline, little for right or wrong. When I saw James at lunch today and we were alone together afterwards, I saw a lost creature. God’s mercy may save him, but man can do little. I love my eldest son, Caroline, more than my own soul, but I would be glad never to see his face again. He knows he has only to ask me for money, but he pretended he thought I was hard and has been borrowing right and left. I shall shield him as much as I can. Thank God his mother can’t see what I see; lies, dece
it, degradation. Forgive him, Caroline, and forgive me.”
Caroline knelt by him, tears running down her face for his grief.
“Father, Father,” was all she could say, bowing her head upon the arm of his chair.
Mr. Danvers laid his hand upon her head like a blessing and so they remained till Caroline, kissing him, got up and went away.
Upstairs, she found Anna in their sitting room and asked after Mrs. Danvers. Anna assured her that her mother had nearly recovered from her nerves and was at the moment worrying about the clean sheets if Caroline would go to Beechwood. The two sat quietly together, tired with the day’s emotions. Presently, Wilfred and George returned from the office and came up to the girls’ sitting room.
“You both look full of news,” said Anna. “What is it?”
“What do you think?” said Wilfred, trying quite unsuccessfully to hide his exaltation. “I have got an offer from a French firm through that friend of Hugh’s, the one that had the ripping sister you know. It means Paris and a bigger salary.”
“How lovely, Wilfred,” said Caroline. “And your father?”
“I haven’t spoken to him yet. I looked into the drawing room but he seemed a bit tired, so I thought I’d wait. But I know he wants Beaton to come in, so I went to see Beaton before lunch and it seems he was only hanging back because he didn’t want to get in my way. He is a decent chap. So now he comes in with Old Intellect and I go to Paris. Isn’t it perfect?”
“What a dear William is,” said Anna. “Dear Wilfred I’m terribly pleased. Of course we’ll miss you dreadfully.”
“But you and Caroline will come over for weekends and we’ll have no end of a good time. I want to introduce you both to Susie.”
“Who is Susie?”
“The sister of Hugh’s friend that I told you about. She’s a remarkable girl and she’s longing to meet you both.”
“Is she the forty-ninth or the fiftieth?” asked George.
Anna, scenting brotherly disturbance, threw herself into the breach as usual.
“Don’t say you are going to Russia, George,” she said.
O, These Men, These Men! Page 16
