Backwards and forwards she walked; from the window to the door, from the bed to the bureau, but the more she pondered on the problem the more incoherent were her thoughts, and at last she picked up the telephone beside her bed and dialled Anton's flat. He answered so quickly that she guessed he had been waiting for her call, and briefly she told him of her conversation with Gregory Ransome.
‘He's lying,' Anton said immediately she had finished. 'You must talk to your mother-in-law.’
'I can't. Not even for Verenskaya's sake.'
Then we're finished.'
Dramatic though the words were, they were none the less true, and she sank down on the bed. The ring on her finger caught in the coverlet and she twisted her hand to set it free. Although she had found the diamond too cumbersome to wear regularly, she had put it on for her visit to Mrs. Ransome and had been wearing it ever since. Now, as she looked at it, she suddenly had an idea.
'What about selling my engagement ring?' she said into the receiver. 'I'm sure it would fetch enough to keep us going for a few weeks, and it would give you time to try and raise more money.'
'It's better than nothing,' Anton replied. 'I've already hocked everything of my own that's movable. Have you got anything else?'
'A string of pearls Timothy gave me. But I don't know what they're worth.'
'Where are they?’
'At the flat. I'll be leaving here in the morning and I'll give them to you.'
'Fine. But how come the sudden decision to go?'
'I'm getting flabby from resting!' she retorted, and hung up on him.
During dinner that evening Melanie announced her intention of leaving in the morning and was unprepared for the hurt look on Mrs. Ransome's face.
'I thought you'd be staying much longer. The doctor said—'
‘What you wanted him to,' Melanie interrupted with a smile. 'But I'm perfectly fit and I must start rehearsing again.'
‘Why can't you continue living here? When you're with me, I feel Timothy is so close.'
Mention of Timothy made Melanie realize the unpracticality of the suggestion. The idea of living permanently in this beautiful house was a temping one, but if she did so she would have to maintain the pretence of a heartbroken widow, and that would be Impossible for her.
‘Verenskaya would be upset if I didn't go back,' she murmured. 'I've always lived with her.'
'But you're not a child any longer - and you are my daugh- ter-in-law.'
Melaine racked her brains to find another reason. It might be possible if I were doing any ordinary job with regular hours. But I never get back till midnight after a show and when we're rehearsing I have all sorts of odd horns.'
'What does that matter?'
'Quite a lot in a house like this. It all runs so smoothly that I'd disrupt everything.'
Mrs. Ransome carefully folded her napkin and set it beside her plate. 'I'm sure it would work if you wanted it to. But I understand your reasons for refusing. For me, Timothy will always be alive, but you're young and you want to try and make a new life for yourself. I don't blame you for that - it's the right thing to do - and if you lived here it would make that difficult.'
Wondering what Mrs. Ransome would say if she knew Timothy was already a memory that no longer held pain, Melanie said quickly: 'I'll come and see you as often as you wish.'
'I hope so. But don't ever wait for an invitation. I want you to think of my house as your home.'
CHAPTER FIVE
With mixed feelings Melanie returned to the Bayswater flat the next day. It was a far cry from the elegance of the house she had just left, and she was irritably aware of the shabby furniture and the clutter of photographs and knick-knacks covering the innumerable tables dotted around the living-room.
Anton was already waiting there for her and she hurried into her bedroom and returned with a small leather case.
He lifted the lid and stared at the pearls in surprise. 'I'll take a bet these aren't cultured.'
'They can't be real.'
'We'll soon find out' He slipped the box into his pocket. 'I've already fixed to show them to someone in Hatton Garden. I'll let you know what I can get for them.'
Alone in the flat Melanie wandered restlessly from room to room. Unbidden, Gregory Ransome came into her mind and her depression dissolved into anger. How disgracefully he had behaved yesterday, and how greatly he had misjudged her. If only she could tell him the truth and make him retract every one of the bitter accusations he had flung at her. She was so engrossed in recalling his biting criticisms that she was startled when the telephone rang, almost afraid that she might - by some strange mischance - have conjured up a call from him.
But it was Anton, his voice high and jubilant. 'You'll never believe it, Melanie, but for the first time in years we're solvent!'
'How much did you get?'
'Ten thousand pounds.'
'You're joking!'
'I was never more serious in my life. But I need a letter from you authorizing the sale. Can you do it right away?'
'Yes.'
'Then I'll come back for it'
In the living-room she searched for paper and pen, her thoughts racing as she tried to absorb what she had just heard. Ten thousand pounds! It was incredible. Remembering what Gregory had said about Timothy's financial position she wondered where he had found so much money. Here was one further instance of how little she had known the man she had married, and the knowledge increased the depression she had been fighting against all day.
She had just finished the letter for Anton when he returned to the flat, his sallow skin flushed with excitement.
'Isn't it wonderful?' he exclaimed, giving her a hug. 'Ten thousand pounds! It'll keep us going till the Season starts.'
'You'd better make sure we remain solvent after that,' she replied. 'I've nothing else to sell.'
He sobered instantly. 'You don't regret it, do you? I mean it's a lot of money for you to give up.' 'I don't care about the money. It's just that I never realized Timothy had spent so much on me.'
He could afford it. I told you that before, but you wouldn't believe me.'
'I still don't. I'm sure Gregory Ransome wasn't lying.'
Then where did Timothy get the cash? If we're getting ten thousand on a second-hand price, it must have cost him half as much again to buy it.'
Do you mind if we change the subject?’ she said wearily. Talking won't help me find the answer.'
It would if you spoke to his mother. I'm sure Ransome's trying to do you out of an inheritance.'
Tor heaven's sake, be quiet!' She walked over to the desk and picked up the letter she had written for him. He took it, glanced at it briefly and put it in his pocket.
You're an angel, Melanie. When Verenskaya finds out—'
'Must you tell her? Can't you pretend you got the money from someone else?’
‘What money?’ a guttural voice asked.
They both swung round to see Verenskaya in the doorway.
'What money?' she repeated. 'Are you trying to hide something from me?'
Anton glanced at Melanie, shrugged and then looked at Verenskaya. 'I've sold Melanie's engagement ring and necklace. The money will keep us going till the Season starts.'
'I won't accept it,' Verenskaya interrupted.
‘You can't turn down ten thousand pounds,' Anton said decisively. It's just what we need.'
Verenskaya stared at him incredulously. 'Did you say ten thousand pounds?’
‘Yes.'
She sank into a red-plush armchair, its vivid colour heightening the whiteness of her face. 'So much money… No… No, I can't take it. It's a wonderful gesture, Melanie, but it's your security.'
'The Company is my security. What does it matter about selling my jewellery so long as it keeps us going? You said yourself a career is the only thing worth having.'
'You don't need the Company for that. You're good enough to get a job with the Royal Ballet.'
'But I need you
.' Melanie kneeled by Verenskaya's side. 'And you are the Company. No matter how much I give you I could never repay you for the way you took care of me when I was a child.'
'I don't want repayment for that. Such a word is wrong between us. You're like my daughter.'
'Then give me a chance of behaving like one and take the money.'
'No,' Verenskaya said. 'If we can't maintain ourselves by work, I should close down.'
‘We'll be solvent once I'm financial director,' Anton intervened.
'Who says you're in charge?'
'You agreed to let me take control if I found the money to keep us going.'
'I said it because I never thought you'd succeed!'
Anton gave a wolfish smile. ‘Well, I have succeeded, and I intend to keep you to your word. I'll guarantee that within a year we'll be able to repay Melanie every penny.'
'If only I could believe that,' Verenskaya said slowly.
‘You can.' He moved to the door. I'll just finish this transaction and come back.'
‘We will dine out and celebrate.' Verenskaya sprang to her feet, once more full of confidence. 'There's a new Russian restaurant - you must both come there as my guests.'
Anton glanced at Melanie, started to say something and then, seeing the warning in her eyes, stopped. 'Very well, Madame,' he said gallantly. 'Melanie and I will be delighted to be your guests.'
The following day Melanie returned to the theatre and from then on rehearsed daily for six or seven hours, returning to the flat in the evening too tired to do anything except have a light meal and fall into bed. It had been easier to become accustomed to being waited on than to become accustomed to waiting on herself, and time and again she thought back to the luxury of the Belgravia house, and wished that her conscience had allowed her to accept Mrs. Ransome's offer of a permanent home.
For the first few weeks she deliberately did not go to see her mother-in-law, determined to give herself a chance to settle back into her old life before laying herself open to temptation again, but on the third Sunday - her only free time during the whole week - she went to see Mrs. Ransome, experiencing a strange sense of homecoming as she crossed the marble hall and entered the warm, flower-filled drawing-room.
Mrs. Ransome seemed more tired and older than Melanie remembered, though she was not sure whether she was Imagining it or whether absence had made her more perceptive. Yet her mother-in-law made no reference to being ill, and fussed happily over the tea-tray, plying Melanie with scones and crumpets and muttering about her thinness.
'I can't wait for your season to start. I'm longing to see you dance.'
‘Why not come and watch a rehearsal?'
'Could I really? Do tell me when.'
‘Next Tuesday if you like. We'll be dancing at the theatre.'
Is it like an actual performance?'
'Sometimes it's even more exciting,' Melanie grinned. ‘We haven't had a rehearsal yet where Verenskaya hasn't threatened to murder someone!'
By the time Tuesday arrived Melanie had forgotten her invitation, and not until she walked off the stage at the end of one of her solos and saw Mrs. Ransome talking to Verenskaya did she remember it and hurry over to greet her.
‘Well, what did you think of It?’ she asked eagerly.
'It was very interesting… very exciting.' There was such a tremor In Mrs. Ransome's voice that Melanie looked at her anxiously.
‘Would you like to sit down? You sound tired.’
I'll arrange for some tea,' Verenskaya interrupted, and hurried away.
'I don't want any tea,' Mrs. Ransome murmured, and Melanie saw she was clasping her handbag so tightly that the knuckles were white. 'I'm going home.'
'But the rehearsal isn't finished.'
‘I can't stay - I'm too upset.'
‘Why?' Melanie asked. ‘What's wrong?’
Mrs. Ransome avoided her gaze. 'Do you need me to tell you? Don't you know?'
'About what?'
'The money. Madame Verenskaya told me about the money you gave her.' Mrs. Ransome's voice broke. 'How could you have sold anything my son gave you? Didn't the jewellery have any sentimental value - any meaning to you, or were you only concerned with what price you could get?'
Distressed at the woman's obvious hurt, and angry at Verenskaya's indiscretion, Melanie gave the first answer she could think of. 'Of course I cared about the ring - and the necklace too. But I had no choice. The Company was in trouble and I was the only one who could help.'
'You could have asked me.'
'I didn't like to. I thought you'd think I was…' embarrassed, Melanie could not go on.
'That I'd think you were behaving as Gregory had anticipated?' Mrs. Ransome broke the silence.
'Yes.'
'If you'd loved my son you would have come to me for help - gone to anyone so long as it would have stopped you from selling the things he'd bought you.'
'I can't feel sentimental about jewellery,' Melanie said desperately. Please try and understand.'
'I understand a lot of things.' Anger no longer gave strength to the weak voice and it was shaky and thin again, as though every word were an effort. 'I never believed the things Gregory said about you, but now…'
Tears filled Melanie's eyes. 'Because I sold Timothy's gifts doesn't mean I didn't care about him.'
'It wasn't only the fact that you sold them - it was accepting them in the first place - encouraging him to spend money he didn't have.'
The accusation was so like Gregory's that anger overwhelmed Melanie's normal reticence. 'You've no right to accuse me of being a gold-digger! I knew nothing about Timothy's affairs. I married him because I loved him, hot because of what he had or what he could give me.'
'Melanie!' Anton called directly behind her. 'You're due on next!'
She swung round. 'I'll be with you in a moment.' She turned back to speak to her mother-in-law, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. With an exclamation Melanie pushed through the group of dancers and ran down the corridor. But this too was deserted and she returned to the stage.
As she took up her position with Anton she puzzled over Mrs. Ransome's remarks. When Gregory had called her a gold- digger she had believed his accusation to be based on a dislike due to snobbery; but her mother-in-law's statement could not be dismissed for the same reason, and she was reluctantly forced to admit that something - though she could not even guess what it was - had given the two people closest to Timothy an erroneous impression of her.
Another meeting with Mrs. Ransome was the only way to find out what this was, and she determined to go and see her immediately after dinner; if she delayed it, she might not pluck up the courage to go at all.
It was only as she stood outside the door of the Belgravia House at nine o'clock that evening that her courage ebbed, and with her hand raised to the bell she hesitated, wondering if it would not be wiser in the long run to cut her losses and never see Mrs. Ransome again. Yet to do that would be the coward's way out She had not married Timothy for his money and she had come here to try and prove it
With fast-beating heart she rang the bell, then waited as the door opened and the butler, with a welcoming smile, bade her come in.
The family are in the drawing-room,' he explained as he took her coat.
'The family?’
'Mr. Gregory.'
With an effort Melanie controlled herdismay.lt had been hard enough deciding to face her mother-in-law again without having to meet Gregory tool But it was too late to do anything about it now, and momentarily she held on to the door knob, summing up her courage before she turned it and entered the room.
'Melanie - thank goodness you came!’
The warmth of Mrs. Ransome's greeting was so unexpected that Melanie stopped abruptly, not sure what to say. 'I had to come,' she stammered. 'I wanted to - to explain - to try and make you understand that—’
You've nothing to explain, my dear. Nothing at all. I'm the one who should do the explaining.' Trembling hands drew Mel
anie close. 'I don't know how to apologize for what I said this afternoon. It was a terrible mistake.'
Still bemused, Melanie glanced at Gregory, but Mrs. Ransome intercepted the look.
'I suppose you're wondering why I'm not upset any more? Well, you can thank Gregory. Though you can blame him too. If he'd told me the truth in the first place, none of this would have happened.'
Once again Melanie looked at the man by the fireplace, and this time he gave an imperceptible shake of his head, as though warning her to be careful of what she said.
'I've just told my aunt that I was the one who gave Timothy the money to buy your engagement ring and necklace.'
The remark was so obviously untrue - in view of his previous conversations with her - that die knew he had said it only to set Mrs. Ransome's mind at rest. But rest from what? The answer came from the woman herself.
'It was silly of me to have jumped to the conclusion I did. But when someone's been a gambler then you're always afraid they'll start again - even though they've promised they won't.'
With an effort Melanie gathered that Mrs. Ransome was referring to Timothy. 'He never gambled with me,' she said quickly. 'I didn't even know he liked it.'
'Thank goodness for that.' There was unutterable relief in the reply. 'When Madame Verenskaya told me how much your jewellery had fetched I immediately thought that Timothy had got the money from gambling. I mean he couldn't have got it from his allowance because we deliberately gave him a small one to make sure he didn't have anything to gamble with. I'd no idea he'd borrowed the money from Gregory. So when I learned the value of the ring and the necklace…'
Timothy never discussed money with me,' Melanie said firmly, determined once and for all to clear her name. 'When I met him he was just another man who wanted to take me out. We didn't talk about his work and I didn't even know what he did beyond the fact that he said he was in the family business.'
'You've nothing to apologize for,' Mrs. Ransome said. If I'd been in England when you'd met, Timothy wouldn't have had to borrow anything from Gregory. I would gladly have given him what he wanted. After all, it was his own inheritance. If he - if he were alive today…' Unable to go on, she caught Melanie's hand, clutching it in a tight grip as though by doing so she could force back her self-control. You must give me the name of the jeweller who bought your ring,' she continued huskily. 'That's the first thing we must get back.'
Roberta Leigh - My Hearts a Dancer Page 7
