Chapter Forty-Six
Honor
‘Darling.’ Chips said the word with impatience. ‘I must have a word.’
He had tracked her to the small drawing room.
Honor had chosen it because it was out of the way and might, she hoped, be overlooked.
It was only half finished, Chips had said – meaning that there were only half the number of curios and objects and cushions that he would usually favour.
Through the windows she could see down to the pool, empty now, a flat rectangle of blue in the sea of green grass.
In any case, it wasn’t out of the way enough because here was Chips, sounding peevish.
‘Elizabeth was seen cycling to the village on one of the maid’s bicycles.
Wobbling dangerously all over the road,’ he said.
‘Yes, she said the front wheel wasn’t straight.’
‘Once in the village, she shoved the bicycle against a wall and made straight for the pub. Walked in and ordered a Tom Collins.’
‘Oh dear. How naughty she is. Were they very upset?’
‘Yes, very. She refused to sit in the ladies’ lounge—’
‘One can hardly blame her. I doubt any but sheepdogs have been in there in years.’
‘Maybe, but Thompson said some of the regulars were quite up in arms. Wanted her removed from the pub and, when Thompson said he could hardly do that, left themselves. Now I shall have to go down there and buy them all a drink, or they’ll tell everyone they meet that we are a group of London degenerates. ’
‘And then, come election time, no one will vote for you,’ Honor said wryly.
‘It’s not that. Well, a little, but really, she is too bad. Why can’t she stay put?’
‘She says she’s bored.’
‘Well, she shouldn’t have come.’
‘Certainly. But now she has, perhaps we could have a party? Invite the Blounts, their house party, a few of the neighbours.’
‘I’ll think about it. But you must talk to her.’
‘There she is now. I’ll tell her.’ Honor went and rapped on the window and, when Elizabeth turned towards the sound, beckoned her over, unlatching the door and holding it open for her. ‘Darling, you really mustn’t be upsetting the poor regulars in Mr Thompson’s pub,’ she said when Elizabeth was in.
‘They were sweet,’ Elizabeth said vaguely, perching on the edge of the sofa.
‘Kept insisting I’d be more comfortable in the ladies’ lounge.
Dreadful pokey place. I think the landlord keeps pigeons in there.
There seemed to be a great deal of birdseed.
In any case, I assured them I’d much rather the bar, and we all had a perfectly jolly chat. ’
‘No you didn’t, they didn’t want you there at all,’ said Chips.
‘Not want little me? The idea.’
‘Well, they didn’t,’ he insisted. ‘And really, you shouldn’t be skulking around the village like that.’
‘I never skulk. And I wasn’t the only Kelvedoner there.’
‘You’re not going to try and tell me anyone went with you?’
‘No, but I saw Albert. That fellow who goes about with Fritzi. If it’s skulking you want, he was definitely doing it.’
‘You must be mistaken. Why would he be in the village? There’s only one shop, and nothing at all Fritzi might need.
’ Chips sat forward, animated by the idea that Fritzi might require something, and that he might be the one to provide it.
‘Perhaps he’s out of pomade,’ he mused. ‘I shall offer him mine …’
‘I don’t know why,’ Elizabeth said. ‘I didn’t talk to him. Only saw him.’
‘You do talk nonsense, Elizabeth. And now I must go and reassure Andrews about the maid’s bicycle. I shall have to have the wheel straightened. It really is too bad.’
‘It was buckled when I got it,’ Elizabeth said.
‘That’s not the point, though, is it? Now that you’ve used it, I shall have to make good, no matter what condition it was in when you took it.’
‘How seriously you take everything,’ Elizabeth said idly. ‘Who cares about a buckled bicycle wheel?’
‘The maid will care, very much,’ Chips snapped. ‘And really, so should you. You are careless.’
He left, and Elizabeth stretched a hand out towards Pugsy, who lay curled up on the other side of the sofa. She touched the dog’s ears and Pugsy leapt up and yelped in alarm. He bared his teeth, tiny and white, and Elizabeth laughed. ‘His mistress’ dog alright.’
‘Did you really see Albert?’ Honor asked.
‘Oh yes. Talking to a chap in a small navy car. I know it was him because when he saw me, he looked shocked and pretended he hadn’t.
I can always tell.’ Yes, Honor thought, probably that was true.
‘And then he shuffled around so his back was to me and his head almost inside the window of the car, so no one could have known it was him.’
‘Did you speak to him?’
‘No. Too busy trying to stop that maddening bicycle from wobbling me off. It was like being on a jolly naughty pony.’
‘Well, maybe don’t say you saw him to anyone else? Fritzi mightn’t like it.’
‘You have my word,’ Elizabeth said. ‘And now, if we are finished, I’m going to change. I don’t suppose you have any more clothes I can borrow.’ She looked beadily at Honor. ‘I’ve worn everything I brought.’
‘Everything of mine you brought,’ Honor corrected her mechanically.
‘Yes,’ Elizabeth said impatiently. ‘Obviously.’
Honor sat for a while, mulling over what Elizabeth had said, then went looking for Doris. She found her at last in the stables, scratching the nose of the heavy piebald. ‘Isn’t he a darling?’ she said, putting her arms around the horse’s neck and leaning her face into its cheek.
‘You’ll be covered in hair,’ Honor said.
‘Who cares for that.’ Doris closed her eyes and breathed deeply. ‘Don’t horses smell heavenly?’
‘They do,’ Honor agreed. ‘They smell … I don’t know, kind?’
‘That’s it exactly,’ Doris said, standing up straight. ‘Clever you, Honor.’
‘Can we go somewhere else? I need to talk to you.’ Honor looked around the empty stable yard. ‘Poor fellow, must be very lonely here.’
‘Who, the horse, or Albert?’ Doris asked.
‘Sshh! He’ll hear you,’ Honor said. She tugged at Doris’ sleeve. When they were a distance from the stables, deep in the laurel bushes that had their own smell, clean and medicinal, she twitched at Doris’ sleeve and made her stand even closer.
‘Are you going to kiss me?’ Doris asked with a laugh.
‘Don’t be silly. It’s about Albert. Elizabeth saw him in the village today.’
‘So she did go? She didn’t walk there in those silver shoes?’
‘No. Took the maid’s bicycle.’
‘Goodness, how naughty.’
‘Yes, but that’s not the point. She saw Albert.’
‘Perhaps it’s his day off.’
‘Doris, it’s a Friday. It certainly is not his day off. Anyway, Elizabeth said that he was talking to a chap in a navy car, and when he saw her, he was shocked and moved himself around to avoid being seen by her, only it was too late.’
‘Is she certain it was him?’
‘Yes, she says; positive. She says it was the way he pretended he hadn’t seen her. She says she can always tell.’
‘Yes, I imagine she can. Poor Elizabeth. Well, there may be an entirely innocent explanation.’
‘There may indeed. But also there may not. And I thought you should know.’
‘Yes, I see. I mean, it still doesn’t answer any of my questions, only confirms that I’m right to ask them. I’d better make a telephone call. May I? From somewhere rather quieter than the library?’
‘I’ll ask Andrews to bring the telephone to my room.’
Back in Honor’s room, once the telephone had been brought, Doris said, ‘I’ll have to ask you to leave me alone. I’m sorry. It’s frightfully rude.’
‘That’s perfectly alright, darling.’ Then, when she reached the door, ‘Doris, you will be careful, won’t you? Remember, if you know and suspect things about Albert, he may know and suspect things about you.’
‘How clever you always are, dearest Honor. But please, do not by even a whisper suggest such a thing. Will you wait outside the door, in case your husband tries to come in?’
‘It is highly unlikely that he will,’ Honor said.
‘Yes, but wouldn’t it be just like him to come now?’ Doris laughed. ‘When he is least wanted.’
‘I’ll stand guard.’