Loving - Henry Green [28]
poor Mother's old friend, has asked me to stay with her at Belchester on my way over.' 'Yes dear.' 'I thought I might. It would be a change.' 'Yes dear.' 'When did you say Jack was definitely getting his leave? The twenty-first isn't it? Well if I crossed over on the eighteenth that would give me three days with Hermione at Belchester before coming up to London. You wouldn't mind just forty-eight hours down here alone?' Every part of the young woman's body except her Adam's apple was crying out the one word Dermot. She could not trust herself to speak. 'Because if you did,' Mrs Tennant went on in a doubtful voice, 'I could visit Hermione after Jack had gone back to his unit. Because I expect you will be staying on in London for a few days.' 'Don't you bother about little me,' Mrs Jack brought out at last. 'I shall be all right.' 'Are you sure? Really I feel I would rather get away from this place for a bit. The servants are being so truly beastly. And then there was my lovely cluster ring Jack's Aunt Emily gave me. D'you know I haven't had a word of sympathy yet from one of them about it.' 'Darling it is a shame,' Mrs Jack said. 'Badger come here. Come here when I tell you.' 'I know it's an absurd thing to expect,' Mrs Tennant went on looking up into the sky, 'but Eldon with all his faults always had a word of comfort when there was a disaster. Oh isn't it really too dreadful? Violet dear what d'you think?' 'I think it'll turn up. I know they haven't found anything in your bedroom but it can't simply have disappeared.' 'That's why I think if I went away somehow the luck might change,' Mrs Tennant said. 'I know there's a voice tells me the minute I turn my back they'll find my ring.' 'But Raunce is a bit of a wet rag isn't he?' her daughter-in-law remarked. 'Wet blanket you mean,' Mrs Tennant said. 'Oh well what can you expect with servants nowadays.' She spoke much more cheerfully. Then that's settled,' she went on, 'I'll go over a day or two ahead and we'll all meet in London to try and give the dear boy a good time. But talking of Raunce,' she went on and Mrs Jack could have had no suspicion of what was coming, 'he brought me his book this morning. You know I hardly ever look at it but well this was the first time he'd presented the thing himself and I don't know why, I suppose it's the war, but four pounds seven and six for a new arm to the map in the study why I could hardly believe my eyes. Why darling whatever's the matter?' Because Mrs Jack was leaning helpless against a tree with her face averted. 'Nothing,' she murmured weak voiced. Mrs Tennant asked herself under her breath if the child was going to have another baby, and counted up the months from when the darling had seen her husband last. 'Sit down. No it's damp. Lean on my arm,' she said, and then her lips shaped March April May. 'I shall be all right in a minute.' 'I should never have dragged you out like this you poor child,' Mrs Tennant said. 'You should have said you didn't feel quite the thing.' 'What did he say?' Mrs Jack enquired as though in spite of herself. 'What did who say? Here sit here. At least it's dry.' 'That man Raunce,' the younger woman answered. 'My dear really I shall always repeat what you've just asked as the most wonderful example of self possession that's ever come my way. I must say your generation's too extraordinary. Here you are you poor child nearly in a faint and yet you remember I was talking about the compass arm over the map in the study. Lean back against me now. And keep your head down.' Her daughter-in-law made a great effort. 'Well you wouldn't want me to go on about my silly old tummy, would you?' she asked in stronger tones. 'Why my darling,' Mrs Tennant exclaimed in what was almost a fruity voice, obviously visualizing a third grandchild. 'Why darling...' 'No, it isn't that,' Mrs Jack said and the searing rage, which that very moment swept over her as she realized, showed in how loudly she spoke. 'I expect it's something I had for lunch,' she added subsiding, guilty. 'I'll speak to Mrs Welch.' 'Oh no don't, please don't,'