Taken At The Flood Part 6

"You silly idiot," she thought. "Must you go on gaping at me like that?

You know what I mean! You must know what I mean. After all, you've been poor yourself..." been poor yourself..."

She hated Rosaleen at that moment. Hated her because she, Adela Marchmont, was sitting here whining for money. She thought, "I can't Marchmont, was sitting here whining for money. She thought, "I can't do it - I can't do it after all." do it - I can't do it after all."

In one brief instant all the long hours of thought and worry and vague planning flashed again across her brain. planning flashed again across her brain.

Sell the house - (But move where? There weren't any small houses on the market - certainly not any cheap houses). Take paying guests - the market - certainly not any cheap houses). Take paying guests - (But you couldn't get staff - and she simply couldn't - she just couldn't (But you couldn't get staff - and she simply couldn't - she just couldn't deal with all the cooking and housework involved. If Lynn helped - but deal with all the cooking and housework involved. If Lynn helped - but Lynn was going to marry Rowley). Live with Rowley and Lynn herself? Lynn was going to marry Rowley). Live with Rowley and Lynn herself?

(No, she'd never do that!) Get a job. What job? Who wanted an untrained elderly tired-out woman? untrained elderly tired-out woman?

She heard her voice, belligerent because she despised herself.

"I mean money," she said.

"Money?" said Rosaleen.

She sounded ingenuously surprised, as though money was the last thing she expected to be mentioned. thing she expected to be mentioned.

Adela went on doggedly, tumbling the words out: "I'm overdrawn at the bank, and I owe bills - repairs to the house - and the rates haven't been paid yet. You see, everything's halved - my the rates haven't been paid yet. You see, everything's halved - my income, I mean. I suppose it's taxation. Gordon, you see, used to help. income, I mean. I suppose it's taxation. Gordon, you see, used to help. With the house, I mean. He did all the repairs and the roof and painting With the house, I mean. He did all the repairs and the roof and painting and things like that. And an allowance as well. He paid it into the bank and things like that. And an allowance as well. He paid it into the bank every quarter. He always said not to worry and of course I never did. I every quarter. He always said not to worry and of course I never did. I mean, it was all right when he was alive, but now -" mean, it was all right when he was alive, but now -"

She stopped. She was ashamed - but at the same time relieved. After all, the worst was over. If the girl refused, she refused, and that was all, the worst was over. If the girl refused, she refused, and that was that. that.

Rosaleen was looking very uncomfortable.

"Oh, dear," she said. "I didn't know. I never thought... I - well, of course, I'll ask David..." course, I'll ask David..."

Grimly gripping the sides of her chair, Adela said, desperately: "Couldn't you give me a cheque - now..."

"Yes - yes, I suppose I could." Rosaleen, looking startled, got up, went to the desk. She hunted in various pigeonholes and finally produced a to the desk. She hunted in various pigeonholes and finally produced a cheque-book. "Shall I - how much?" cheque-book. "Shall I - how much?"

"Would - would five hundred pounds -"

Adela broke off.

"Five hundred pounds," Rosaleen wrote obediently.

A load slipped off Adela's back. After all, it had been easy! She was dismayed as it occurred to her that it was less grat.i.tude that she felt dismayed as it occurred to her that it was less grat.i.tude that she felt than a faint scorn for the easiness of her victory! Rosaleen was surely than a faint scorn for the easiness of her victory! Rosaleen was surely strangely simple. strangely simple.

The girl rose from the writing-desk and came across to her. She held out the cheque awkwardly. The embarra.s.sment seemed now entirely out the cheque awkwardly. The embarra.s.sment seemed now entirely on her side. on her side.

"I hope this is all right. I'm really so sorry -"

Adela took the cheque. The unformed childish hand straggled across the pink paper. Mrs Marchmont. Five hundred pounds. Rosaleen the pink paper. Mrs Marchmont. Five hundred pounds. Rosaleen Cloade. Cloade.

"It's very good of you, Rosaleen. Thank you."

"Oh please - I mean - I ought to have thought -"

"Very good of you, my dear."

With the cheque in her handbag Adela Marchmont felt a different woman. The girl had really been very sweet about it. It would be woman. The girl had really been very sweet about it. It would be embarra.s.sing to prolong the interview. She said good-bye and embarra.s.sing to prolong the interview. She said good-bye and departed. departed.

She pa.s.sed David in the drive, said "Good morning" pleasantly, and hurried on. hurried on.

Chapter 6.

"What was the Marchmont woman doing here?" demanded David as soon as he got in. soon as he got in.

"Oh, David. She wanted money dreadfully badly. I'd never thought -"

"And you gave it her, I suppose."

He looked at her in half-humorous despair.

"You're not to be trusted alone, Rosaleen."

"Oh David, I couldn't refuse. After all -"

"After all - what? How much?"

In a small voice Rosaleen murmured, "Five hundred pounds."

To her relief David laughed.

"A mere flea-bite!"

"Oh, David, it's a lot of money."

"Not to us nowadays, Rosaleen. You never really seem to grasp that you're a very rich woman. All the same if she asked five hundred she'd you're a very rich woman. All the same if she asked five hundred she'd have gone away perfectly satisfied with two-fifty. You must learn the have gone away perfectly satisfied with two-fifty. You must learn the language of borrowing!" language of borrowing!"

She murmured, "I'm sorry, David."

"My dear girl! After all, it's your money."

"It isn't. Not really."

"Now don't begin that all over again. Gordon Cloade died before he had time to make a will. That's what's called the luck of the game. We had time to make a will. That's what's called the luck of the game. We win, you and I. The others - lose." win, you and I. The others - lose."

"It doesn't seem - right."

"Come now, my lovely sister Rosaleen, aren't you enjoying all this? A big house, servants - jewellery? Isn't it a dream come true? Isn't it? big house, servants - jewellery? Isn't it a dream come true? Isn't it?

Glory be to G.o.d, sometimes I think I'll wake up and find it is a dream."

She laughed with him, and watching her narrowly, he was satisfied. He knew how to deal with his Rosaleen. It was inconvenient, he thought, knew how to deal with his Rosaleen. It was inconvenient, he thought, that she should have a conscience, but there it was. that she should have a conscience, but there it was.

"It's quite true, David, it is like a dream - or like something on the Pictures. I do enjoy it all. I do really." Pictures. I do enjoy it all. I do really."

"But what we have we hold," he warned her. "No more gifts to the Cloades, Rosaleen. Every one of them has got far more money than Cloades, Rosaleen. Every one of them has got far more money than either you or I ever had." either you or I ever had."

"Yes, I suppose that's true."

"Where was Lynn this morning?" he asked.

"I think she'd gone to Long Willows."

To Long Willows - to see Rowley - the oaf - the clodhopper! His good humour vanished. Set on marrying the fellow, was she? humour vanished. Set on marrying the fellow, was she?

Moodily he strolled out of the house, up through ma.s.sed azaleas and out through the small gate on the top of the hill. From there the out through the small gate on the top of the hill. From there the footpath dipped down the hill and past Rowley's farm. footpath dipped down the hill and past Rowley's farm.

As David stood there, he saw Lynn Marchmont coming up from the farm. He hesitated for a minute, then set his jaw pugnaciously and farm. He hesitated for a minute, then set his jaw pugnaciously and strolled down the hill to meet her. They met by a stile just half-way up strolled down the hill to meet her. They met by a stile just half-way up the hill. the hill.

"Good morning," said David. "When's the wedding?"

"You've asked that before," she retorted. "You know well enough. It's in June." in June."

"You're going through with it?"

"I don't know what you mean, David."

"Oh, yes, you do." He gave a contemptuous laugh. "Rowley. What's Rowley?" Rowley?"

"A better man than you - touch him if you dare," she said lightly.

"I've no doubt he's a better man than me - but I do dare. I'd dare anything for you, Lynn." anything for you, Lynn."

She was silent for a moment or two. She said at last: "What you don't understand is that I love Rowley."

"I wonder."

She said vehemently: "I do, I tell you. I do."

David looked at her searchingly.

"We all see pictures of ourselves - of ourselves as we want to be. You see yourself in love with Rowley, settling down with Rowley, living here see yourself in love with Rowley, settling down with Rowley, living here contented with Rowley, never wanting to get away. But that's not the contented with Rowley, never wanting to get away. But that's not the real you, is it, Lynn?" real you, is it, Lynn?"

"Oh, what is the real me? What's the real you, if it comes to that? What do you want?" do you want?"

"I'd have said I wanted safety, peace after storm, ease after troubled seas. But I don't know. Sometimes I suspect, Lynn, that both you and I seas. But I don't know. Sometimes I suspect, Lynn, that both you and I want - trouble." He added moodily, "I wish you'd never turned up here. want - trouble." He added moodily, "I wish you'd never turned up here. I was remarkably happy until you came." I was remarkably happy until you came."

"Aren't you happy now?"

He looked at her. She felt excitement rising in her. Her breath became faster. Never had she felt so strongly David's queer moody attraction. faster. Never had she felt so strongly David's queer moody attraction. He shot out a hand, grasped her shoulder, swung her round... He shot out a hand, grasped her shoulder, swung her round...

Then as suddenly she felt his grasp slacken. He was staring over her shoulder up the hill. She twisted her head to see what it was that had shoulder up the hill. She twisted her head to see what it was that had caught his attention. caught his attention.

A woman was just going through the small gate above Furrowback. David said sharply: "Who's that?" David said sharply: "Who's that?"

Lynn said: "It looks like Frances."

"Frances?" He frowned.

"What does Frances want?"

"My dear Lynn! Only those who want something drop in to see Rosaleen. Your mother has already dropped in this morning." Rosaleen. Your mother has already dropped in this morning."

"Mother?" Lynn drew back. She frowned. "What did she want?"

"Don't you know? Money!"

"Money?" Lynn stiffened.

"She got it all right," said David. He was smiling now the cool cruel smile that flitted his face so well. smile that flitted his face so well.

They had been near a moment or two ago, now they were miles apart, divided by a sharp antagonism. divided by a sharp antagonism.

Lynn cried out, "Oh, no, no, no!"

He mimicked her.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"I don't believe it! How much?"

"Five hundred pounds."

She drew her breath in sharply.

David said musingly: "I wonder how much Frances is going to ask for? Really it's hardly safe to leave Rosaleen alone for five minutes! The poor girl doesn't know to leave Rosaleen alone for five minutes! The poor girl doesn't know how to say no." how to say no."

"Have there been - who else?"

David smiled mockingly.

"Aunt Kathie had incurred certain debts - oh, nothing much, a mere two hundred and fifty covered them - but she was afraid it might get to two hundred and fifty covered them - but she was afraid it might get to the doctor's ears! Since they had been occasioned by payments to the doctor's ears! Since they had been occasioned by payments to mediums, he might not have been sympathetic. She didn't know, of mediums, he might not have been sympathetic. She didn't know, of course," added David, "that the doctor himself had applied for a loan." course," added David, "that the doctor himself had applied for a loan."

Lynn said in a low voice, "What you must think of us - what you must think of us!" think of us!"

Then, taking him by surprise, she turned and ran helter-skelter down the hill to the farm. the hill to the farm.

He frowned as he watched her go. She had gone to Rowley, flown there as a homing pigeon flies, and the fact disturbed him more than there as a homing pigeon flies, and the fact disturbed him more than he cared to acknowledge. he cared to acknowledge.