her.” Madame Albertin spoke still more petulantly. “And an out-of-work actress is not the sort of young woman I want here at the present time. She could spoil everything.”
“But ... if you don’t feel like entertaining her...”
“I don’t propose to ask you to do so, my child.” Madame Albertin lay looking at her very kindly, and with a softened expression in her eyes. “You’re too young, for one thing, and for another you’re the reason I must have her out of the house. I had meant to explain everything to you today, but most unfortunately I don’t feel up to it, and the matter will have to wait. But I can’t have you getting a wrong impression of Pierre, and that silly girl will have to go. Please see to it!”
She closed her eyes, as if the pain in her head was too much for her, and Mrs. McClay came forward and tut-tutted at her, and insisted on her taking some tablets she shook out of a bottle.
“Go and do what she’s asked you to do, Miss Meredith,” she said in an aside to Chloe. “And, whatever you do, don’t argue with her just now. I’m thinking I’ll get Dr. Paget out from Tregenna to dose her with something that’ll quieten her down a bit. She could do with a few days in bed. Yesterday she was far too keyed up, and she’s got this nonsense on her mind ... ”
“What nonsense?” Chloe wanted to know, in a whisper. But Bertha McClay waved her away, after darting a curious look at her.
“Keep Master Pierre away from her, and get that young woman of his settled at the King’s Arms. Mrs. Bewes’ ll take her. They’re not very full.”
When Chloe made her way downstairs she found Master Pierre’s “young woman” sitting on the arm of a chair and sampling a martini which Burton had just, mixed for her. She looked up, frowning a little sullenly, when she heard Chloe’s footsteps on the stairs. But she endeavoured to speak lightly.
“So I’m being thrown out,” she said. “The old woman doesn’t want me!”
Chloe felt as if her teeth were suddenly on edge. “Madame Albertin isn’t particularly well this morning, and she doesn’t feel like entertaining visitors,” she attempted to soften the ejection order.
“Except Pierre? Darling Pierre!”
Chloe said nothing, and Fern looked down thoughtfully into the remains of her martini. Chloe couldn’t help remarking the length and luxuriance of her sweeping, golden-tipped eyelashes.
“I rather gathered that he’s her favourite nephew, and has expectations from her one day?” The violet eyes looked probingly into Chloe’s green ones. “Is that true?”
“So far as I know he’s her only nephew, but I know nothing about expectations,” Madame Albertin’s companion answered a trifle crisply.
Pierre came striding into the hall at that moment, and for the first time his eyes looked quite expressionless to Chloe.
“I’ve managed to fix you up at the King’s Arms,” he said to Fern. “She’ll put you up for a few days, at any rate.”
Fern smiled at him sweetly.
“Thank you, darling. And who’ll foot the bill? You know I’m absolutely broke!”
He gazed at her with a kind of quiet gravity, but he didn’t answer the question. Instead he asked:
“Have you packed your case? I’ll come and have dinner with you tonight.”
He ignored Chloe. She had the feeling that he was doing so because of some turmoil that was bubbling up inside him.
CHAPTER TWO
Madame Albertin stayed in bed, and Dr. Paget said she was suffering from some form of repressed excitement that was bad for her. She had agitated herself before her nephew’s arrival, and now that he had arrived she must be kept as quiet as possible, and if possible the excitement must be persuaded to simmer down. She must learn to be calm and accept things as they were, otherwise her heart would not behave itself.
Pierre gazed broodingly at Chloe whenever she was near enough for him to do so, and the questioning look in his eyes puzzled her so much at
“But ... if you don’t feel like entertaining her...”
“I don’t propose to ask you to do so, my child.” Madame Albertin lay looking at her very kindly, and with a softened expression in her eyes. “You’re too young, for one thing, and for another you’re the reason I must have her out of the house. I had meant to explain everything to you today, but most unfortunately I don’t feel up to it, and the matter will have to wait. But I can’t have you getting a wrong impression of Pierre, and that silly girl will have to go. Please see to it!”
She closed her eyes, as if the pain in her head was too much for her, and Mrs. McClay came forward and tut-tutted at her, and insisted on her taking some tablets she shook out of a bottle.
“Go and do what she’s asked you to do, Miss Meredith,” she said in an aside to Chloe. “And, whatever you do, don’t argue with her just now. I’m thinking I’ll get Dr. Paget out from Tregenna to dose her with something that’ll quieten her down a bit. She could do with a few days in bed. Yesterday she was far too keyed up, and she’s got this nonsense on her mind ... ”
“What nonsense?” Chloe wanted to know, in a whisper. But Bertha McClay waved her away, after darting a curious look at her.
“Keep Master Pierre away from her, and get that young woman of his settled at the King’s Arms. Mrs. Bewes’ ll take her. They’re not very full.”
When Chloe made her way downstairs she found Master Pierre’s “young woman” sitting on the arm of a chair and sampling a martini which Burton had just, mixed for her. She looked up, frowning a little sullenly, when she heard Chloe’s footsteps on the stairs. But she endeavoured to speak lightly.
“So I’m being thrown out,” she said. “The old woman doesn’t want me!”
Chloe felt as if her teeth were suddenly on edge. “Madame Albertin isn’t particularly well this morning, and she doesn’t feel like entertaining visitors,” she attempted to soften the ejection order.
“Except Pierre? Darling Pierre!”
Chloe said nothing, and Fern looked down thoughtfully into the remains of her martini. Chloe couldn’t help remarking the length and luxuriance of her sweeping, golden-tipped eyelashes.
“I rather gathered that he’s her favourite nephew, and has expectations from her one day?” The violet eyes looked probingly into Chloe’s green ones. “Is that true?”
“So far as I know he’s her only nephew, but I know nothing about expectations,” Madame Albertin’s companion answered a trifle crisply.
Pierre came striding into the hall at that moment, and for the first time his eyes looked quite expressionless to Chloe.
“I’ve managed to fix you up at the King’s Arms,” he said to Fern. “She’ll put you up for a few days, at any rate.”
Fern smiled at him sweetly.
“Thank you, darling. And who’ll foot the bill? You know I’m absolutely broke!”
He gazed at her with a kind of quiet gravity, but he didn’t answer the question. Instead he asked:
“Have you packed your case? I’ll come and have dinner with you tonight.”
He ignored Chloe. She had the feeling that he was doing so because of some turmoil that was bubbling up inside him.
CHAPTER TWO
Madame Albertin stayed in bed, and Dr. Paget said she was suffering from some form of repressed excitement that was bad for her. She had agitated herself before her nephew’s arrival, and now that he had arrived she must be kept as quiet as possible, and if possible the excitement must be persuaded to simmer down. She must learn to be calm and accept things as they were, otherwise her heart would not behave itself.
Pierre gazed broodingly at Chloe whenever she was near enough for him to do so, and the questioning look in his eyes puzzled her so much at
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