Taken At The Flood Part 3

"I was devoted to Daddy! He was terribly attractive and the greatest fun to live with! But I always knew he was a bad hat. And if you think fun to live with! But I always knew he was a bad hat. And if you think that I'd sell myself to the family solicitor in order to save him from that I'd sell myself to the family solicitor in order to save him from getting what was always coming to him, then you've never understood getting what was always coming to him, then you've never understood the first thing about me. Never!" the first thing about me. Never!"

She stared at him. Extraordinary, she thought, to have been married to someone for over twenty years and not have known what was going on someone for over twenty years and not have known what was going on in their minds. But how could one know when it was a mind so different in their minds. But how could one know when it was a mind so different from one's own? A romantic mind, of course, well camouflaged, but from one's own? A romantic mind, of course, well camouflaged, but essentially romantic. She thought: "All those old Stanley Weymans in essentially romantic. She thought: "All those old Stanley Weymans in his bedroom. I might have known from them! The poor idiotic darling!" his bedroom. I might have known from them! The poor idiotic darling!"

Aloud she said: "I married you because I was in love with you, of course."

"In love with me? But what could you see in me?"

"If you ask me that, Jeremy, I really don't know. You were such a change so different from all Father's crowd. You never talked about change so different from all Father's crowd. You never talked about horses for one thing. You've no idea how sick I was of horses - and horses for one thing. You've no idea how sick I was of horses - and what the odds were likely to be for the Newmarket Cup! You came to what the odds were likely to be for the Newmarket Cup! You came to dinner one night - do you remember? - and I sat next to you and asked dinner one night - do you remember? - and I sat next to you and asked you what bimetallism was, and you told me - really told me! It took the you what bimetallism was, and you told me - really told me! It took the whole of dinner - six courses - we were in funds at the moment and had whole of dinner - six courses - we were in funds at the moment and had a French chef!" a French chef!"

"It must have been extremely boring," said Jeremy.

"It was fascinating! n.o.body had ever treated me seriously before. And you were so polite and yet never seemed to look at me or think I was you were so polite and yet never seemed to look at me or think I was nice or good looking or anything. It put me on my mettle. I swore I'd nice or good looking or anything. It put me on my mettle. I swore I'd make you notice me." make you notice me."

Jeremy Cloade said grimly: "I noticed you all right. I went home that evening and didn't sleep a wink. You had a blue dress with evening and didn't sleep a wink. You had a blue dress with cornflowers..." cornflowers..."

There was silence for a moment or two, then Jeremy cleared his throat. throat.

"Er - all that is a long time ago..."

She came quickly to the rescue of his embarra.s.sment.

"And we're now a middle-aged married couple in difficulties, looking for the best way out." for the best way out."

"After what you've just told me, Frances, it makes it a thousand times worse that this - this disgrace -" worse that this - this disgrace -"

She interrupted him.

"Let us please get things clear. You are being apologetic because you've fallen foul of the law. You may be prosecuted - go to prison." you've fallen foul of the law. You may be prosecuted - go to prison." (He winced.) "I don't want that to happen. I'll fight like anything to stop (He winced.) "I don't want that to happen. I'll fight like anything to stop it, but don't credit me with moral indignation. We're not a moral family, it, but don't credit me with moral indignation. We're not a moral family, remember. Father, in spite of his attractiveness, was a bit of a crook. remember. Father, in spite of his attractiveness, was a bit of a crook. And there was Charles - my cousin. They hushed it up and he wasn't And there was Charles - my cousin. They hushed it up and he wasn't prosecuted, and they hustled him off to the Colonies. And there was prosecuted, and they hustled him off to the Colonies. And there was my cousin Gerald - he forged a cheque at Oxford. But he went to fight my cousin Gerald - he forged a cheque at Oxford. But he went to fight and got a posthumous V.C. for complete bravery and devotion to his and got a posthumous V.C. for complete bravery and devotion to his men and superhuman endurance. What I'm trying to say is people are men and superhuman endurance. What I'm trying to say is people are like that - not quite bad or quite good. I don't suppose I'm particularly like that - not quite bad or quite good. I don't suppose I'm particularly straight myself - I have been because there hasn't been any temptation straight myself - I have been because there hasn't been any temptation to be otherwise. But what I have got is plenty of courage and -" (she to be otherwise. But what I have got is plenty of courage and -" (she smiled at him) "I'm loyal!" smiled at him) "I'm loyal!"

"My dear!" He got up and came over to her. He stooped and put his lips to her hair. to her hair.

"And now," said Lord Edward Trenton's daughter, smiling up at him, "what are we going to do? Raise money somehow?"

Jeremy's face stiffened.

"I don't see how."

"A mortgage on this house. Oh, I see," she was quick, "that's been done. I'm stupid. Of course you've done all the obvious things. It's a done. I'm stupid. Of course you've done all the obvious things. It's a question then, of a touch? Who can we touch? I suppose there's only question then, of a touch? Who can we touch? I suppose there's only one possibility. Gordon's widow - the dark Rosaleen!" one possibility. Gordon's widow - the dark Rosaleen!"

Jeremy shook his head dubiously.

"It would have to be a large sum... And it can't come out of capital. The money's only in trust for her for her life." money's only in trust for her for her life."

"I hadn't realised that. I thought she had it absolutely. What happens when she dies?" when she dies?"

"It comes to Gordon's next of kin. That is to say it is divided between myself, Lionel, Adela, and Maurice's son, Rowley." myself, Lionel, Adela, and Maurice's son, Rowley."

"It comes to us..." said Frances slowly.

Something seemed to pa.s.s through the room - a cold air - the shadow of a thought. of a thought.

Frances said: "You didn't tell me that... I thought she got it for keeps - that she could leave it to any one she liked?" that she could leave it to any one she liked?"

"No. By the statute relating to intestacy of 1925..."

It is doubtful whether Frances listened to his explanation. She said when his voice stopped: when his voice stopped: "It hardly matters to us personally. We'll be dead and buried, long before she's middle-aged. How old is she? Twenty-five - twenty-six? before she's middle-aged. How old is she? Twenty-five - twenty-six?

She'll probably live to be seventy."

Jeremy Cloade said doubtfully: "We might ask her for a loan - putting it on family grounds? She may be a generous-minded girl - really we know so little of her -" a generous-minded girl - really we know so little of her -"

Frances said: "At any rate we have been reasonably nice to her - not catty like Adela. She might respond." catty like Adela. She might respond."

Her husband said warningly: "There must be no hint of - er - real urgency."

Frances said impatiently: "Of course not! The trouble is that it's not the girl herself we shall have to deal with. She's completely under the girl herself we shall have to deal with. She's completely under the thumb of that brother of hers." thumb of that brother of hers."

"A very unattractive young man," said Jeremy Cloade.

Frances sudden smile flashed out.

"Oh, no," she said. "He's attractive. Most attractive. Rather unscrupulous, too, I should imagine. But then as far as that goes, I'm unscrupulous, too, I should imagine. But then as far as that goes, I'm unscrupulous too!" unscrupulous too!"

Her smile hardened. She looked up at her husband.

"We're not going to be beaten, Jeremy," she said. "There's bound to be some way... if I have to rob a bank!" some way... if I have to rob a bank!"

Chapter 3.

"Money!" said Lynn.

Rowley Cloade nodded. He was a big square young man with a brick- red skin, thoughtful blue eyes and very fair hair. He had a slowness red skin, thoughtful blue eyes and very fair hair. He had a slowness that seemed more purposeful than ingrained. He used deliberation as that seemed more purposeful than ingrained. He used deliberation as others use quickness of repartee. others use quickness of repartee.

"Yes," he said, "everything seems to boil down to money these days."

"But I thought farmers had done so well during the war?"

"Oh, yes - but that doesn't do you any permanent good. In a year we'll be back where we were - with wages up, workers unwilling, everybody be back where we were - with wages up, workers unwilling, everybody dissatisfied and n.o.body knowing where they are. Unless, of course, dissatisfied and n.o.body knowing where they are. Unless, of course, you can farm in a really big way. Old Gordon knew. That was where he you can farm in a really big way. Old Gordon knew. That was where he was preparing to come in." was preparing to come in."

"And now -" Lynn asked.

Rowley grinned.

"And now Mrs Gordon goes to London and spends a couple of thousand on a nice mink coat." thousand on a nice mink coat."

"It's - it's wicked!"

"Oh, no -" He paused and said: "I'd rather like to give you a mink coat, Lynn -" Lynn -"

"What's she like, Rowley?" She wanted to get a contemporary judgment. judgment.

"You'll see her tonight. At Uncle Lionel's and Aunt Kathie's party."

"Yes, I know. But I want you to tell me. Mums says she's half-witted?"

Rowley considered.

"Well - I shouldn't say intellect was her strong point. But I think really she only seems half-witted because she's being so frightfully careful." she only seems half-witted because she's being so frightfully careful."

"Careful? Careful about what?"

"Oh, just careful. Mainly, I imagine, about her accent - she's got quite a brogue, you know, or else about the right fork, and any literary brogue, you know, or else about the right fork, and any literary allusions that might be flying around." allusions that might be flying around."

"Then she really is - quite - well, uneducated?"

Rowley grinned.

"Oh, she's not a lady, if that's what you mean. She's got lovely eyes, and a very good complexion - and I suppose old Gordon fell for that, and a very good complexion - and I suppose old Gordon fell for that, with her extraordinary air of being quite unsophisticated. I don't think with her extraordinary air of being quite unsophisticated. I don't think it's put on - though of course you never know. She just stands around it's put on - though of course you never know. She just stands around looking dumb and letting David run her." looking dumb and letting David run her."

"David?"

"That's the brother. I should say there's nothing much about sharp practice he doesn't know!" Rowley added: "He doesn't like any of us practice he doesn't know!" Rowley added: "He doesn't like any of us much." much."

"Why should he?" said Lynn sharply, and added as he looked at her, slightly surprised, "I mean you don't like him." slightly surprised, "I mean you don't like him."

"I certainly don't. You won't either. He's not our sort."

"You don't know who I like, Rowley, or who I don't! I've seen a lot of the world in the last three years. I - I think my outlook has broadened." world in the last three years. I - I think my outlook has broadened."

"You've seen more of the world than I have, that's true."

He said it quietly - but Lynn looked up sharply.

There had been something - behind those even tones.

He returned her glance squarely, his face unemotional. It had never, Lynn remembered, been easy to know exactly what Rowley was Lynn remembered, been easy to know exactly what Rowley was thinking. thinking.

What a queer topsy-turvy world it was, thought Lynn. It used to be the man who went to the wars, the woman who stayed at home. But here man who went to the wars, the woman who stayed at home. But here the positions were reversed. the positions were reversed.

Of the two young men, Rowley and Johnnie, one had had perforce to stay on the farm. They had tossed for it and Johnnie Vavasour had stay on the farm. They had tossed for it and Johnnie Vavasour had been the one to go. been the one to go.

He had been killed almost at once - in Norway. All through the years of war Rowley had never been more than a mile or two from home. war Rowley had never been more than a mile or two from home.

And she, Lynn, had been to Egypt, to North Africa, to Sicily. She had been under fire more than once. been under fire more than once.

Here was Lynn Home-from-the-wars, and here was Rowley Stay-at- home. home.

She wondered, suddenly, if he minded...

She gave a nervous little half laugh.

"Things seem sometimes a bit upside down, don't they?"

"Oh, I don't know." Rowley stared vacantly out over the countryside.

"Depends."

"Rowley," she hesitated, "did you mind - I mean - Johnnie -"

His cold level gaze threw her back on herself.

"Let's leave Johnnie out of it! The war's over - and I've been lucky."

"Lucky, you mean -" she paused doubtfully - "not to have had to - to go?" go?"

"Wonderful luck, don't you think so?"

She didn't know quite how to take that.

His voice was smooth with hard edges.

He added with a smile, "But, of course, you service girls will find it hard to settle down at home." hard to settle down at home."

She said irritably, "Oh, don't be stupid, Rowley."

(But why be irritable? Why - unless because his words touched a raw nerve of truth somewhere.) nerve of truth somewhere.) "Oh well," said Rowley. "I suppose we might as well consider getting married. Unless you've changed your mind?" married. Unless you've changed your mind?"

"Of course I haven't changed my mind. Why should I?"

He said vaguely: "One never knows."

"You mean you think I'm -" Lynn paused - "different?"

"Not particularly."

"Perhaps you've changed your mind?"

"Oh, no, I've not changed. Very little changes down on the farm, you know." know."

"All right, then," said Lynn - conscious, somehow, of anti-climax, "let's get married. Whenever you like?" get married. Whenever you like?"

"June or thereabouts?"