Chapter 8 #2
Miss Pallant shrugged with superb indifference.
‘I don’t think they were. I have no great knowledge of such dull military matters, I confess, but I seem to recall my elder brother saying that the Major was unlucky to be there at all; that he was sent with important dispatches to Marshal Tettenborn – if that’s the name; how silly it is – and then caught up in the battle by pure chance.
If you are really interested, Miss Bianca, you must ask my brother Oliver to tell you more, which I am sure he will be delighted to do.
I certainly would not recommend enquiring of the Major himself, or you shall get your head bitten off for your pains. ’
‘Do you live with your brother and his wife, Miss Pallant?’ Bea asked. ‘Forgive us our vulgar curiosity, but we have a great deal to do to set all the people in the district straight in our heads.’
The visitor laughed; it was like little silver bells tinkling, and had a mesmerising effect.
‘No, ma’am, my brother Lord Pallant is not married either – though nobody would accuse him of disliking women, I assure you – nor is my younger sibling, Sebastian, though he is little more than a boy, of course.
We live together, just the three of us, since my mother died five years ago.
You must come over to dine, once you are settled.
I don’t think you have ever visited the region before? ’
‘Thank you, that would be delightful,’ said Bea.
‘No, we have not. Our father had an estate in Surrey, but we have spent most of our time in London, especially of late years. You must understand that we did not even know Mrs Albery existed until we heard of her death. She was our great-great-great-aunt, we believe, or something of that nature, on our father’s side.
Not a close relationship, in any event.’
Something flickered darkly in Miss Pallant’s limpid blue eyes, though Cecilia could not have said what it was.
Disbelief, perhaps, derision, or plain jealousy.
‘Well, I should have condoled with you on your sad loss before now, should I not, Miss Constantine? Disgraceful of me to forget such a courtesy. But perhaps it is not so very bad that I neglected to do so, since one cannot really be expected to mourn a person of whom one had never heard when she was alive, and who has left one all her fortune besides.’
‘It is an interesting point,’ Miss Macintyre said calmly.
She obviously feared that her former charges might be frozen in shock at this very blunt comment.
‘I have never been a great promoter of convention for convention’s sake, only of good manners, which should be universal.
The Misses Constantine are wearing mourning, as you will have observed, Miss Pallant, purely as an act of respect.
Mrs Albery is deceased, after all, even though they did not have the opportunity to know her, and apparently, she had no closer connections to regret her passing. Were you well acquainted with her?’
Lucy returned with the teapot and fresh crockery, making a welcome distraction; Bea poured out for Miss Pallant, added milk at a nod from her, and handed her the cup.
Lucy had not brought sugar, but as a family, they did not take it as a matter of principle, given its origins; if Miss Pallant did, she would have to manage without it on this occasion.
The maid had also not fetched a clean plate, though there was still cake left.
Nobody commented on this, not even their visitor.
‘Not very well,’ she said. ‘My mother used to call on her years ago, and I upheld the custom when I was old enough, but she never seemed particularly glad to see me, nor could I easily find – without any particular help from her, you must understand – a topic of discussion that would interest us both, so I must confess, I rather let the acquaintance lapse. Oliver came to see her occasionally; she was long past the age, of course, where either of them needed to heed propriety, and I think she was the sort of woman who preferred masculine company, and perhaps a salty tale. Some women are queer that way, are they not? But recently, she had kept to her room, being unwell, and I’m not sure she saw anyone.
Mrs Drinkwater, perhaps, the vicar’s wife, and the vicar himself.
And Major Bartrum and his mother, naturally – I believe she was his godmother, so he may have felt a duty to see her regularly, despite his general unsociability. ’
Cecilia instantly fell to wondering if Mrs Albery had acknowledged this important relationship in her last testament, since Mr Cotwin had not thought to mention it, and how Major Bartrum – about whom at present they knew nothing more than that he was a wounded military man and (allegedly) unfriendly – felt about this.
Might he have expected to inherit more – to inherit all, rather than three strangers? It was an uncomfortable notion.
‘Forgive me,’ their visitor said confidingly, ‘but you do make such a charming picture, the three of you. It makes me wish I had been blessed with a sister, or at least a female cousin of my own age – anything but dreary brothers. Are you the only members of your immediate family living?’
‘No, far from it,’ Bianca responded. ‘Our mother is still alive and in excellent health, but she does not care for the country, so Miss Macintyre was good enough to accompany us. We also have three married sisters, older than us, but they are occupied with their families, naturally. They have a great number of children between them.’ There were many people, Cecilia knew from her Seasons, who would have found it quite natural and even imperative to insert the fact that Viola was a duchess – twice a duchess – and Allegra married to a distinguished Member of Parliament, but Bianca was fortunately not one of them.
‘Well, if the rest of your family come to stay and bring all their no doubt delightful children, the countryside will be in uproar. Your own arrival is quite exciting enough.’ Miss Pallant finished her tea and set down her cup.
She must be a woman of strong self-control; she did not so much as glance at the cake, moist and tempting as it was.
‘I must go,’ she told them, dimpling charmingly.
‘I am not quite so lost to all sense of decorum that I would prolong a first visit beyond what is permissible. I am sure you must have a thousand things to do to set the house to rights that will keep you busy for weeks ahead. Perhaps I may call again another day, though, when you have had a chance to establish yourself? I expect I might be useful if you have any questions about where to shop, and so on. It is a tedious sort of place to live, as I have said, but it is all I know, and I do know it well.’
The ladies rose with her, murmuring assent and thanks, and a moment later, she was gone, trilling gaily that there was not the least need to summon poor Lucy to show her out.
‘Goodness me,’ said Miss Macintyre when the door was safely closed behind her and the heavy front door had been heard to slam in turn a moment later. ‘I must confess, I took an instant dislike to that extraordinary young woman.’
‘Did you, ma’am?’ asked Bianca innocently. ‘I am sure I would never have guessed.’
And the sisters looked at each other, then burst into gales of laughter, which soon left them helpless and gasping on the worn old sofas.