The Black Swan Read Free Page A

Rebecca’s life.”
    I was silent.
    “I have to admit I was relieved when she went,” he said.
    “I know … but …”
    Silence again.
    I went on, “What will become of her? She will be out there … and if there isn’t any money and Tom is dead … and Leah is so ill …”
    “I suppose you think we should invite her to come back here?”
    “A lot of what happened was not her fault.”
    “Ask Rebecca if she feels that. That wicked story of hers … pretending that Pedrek had assaulted her … trying to break up everything between them just because she did not want them to marry …”
    “She thought it was best for Rebecca.”
    “She thought it was best for Belinda.”
    “Well,” I insisted, “she was only young then … only a child. She’s older now.”
    “And capable of greater mischief.”
    “Oh, I daresay she has settled down. From the letters we’ve had they all seem to be happy out there.”
    “Do you want her back?”
    I nodded.
    “Well, if she did come back we would not have any nonsense.”
    “You mean she may come?”
    “I expect Celeste feels she must have her, and you want it.” He shrugged his shoulders.
    “Oh, I’m glad. I’ll tell Celeste. I think she was afraid you might say no.”
    “Good Heavens! This is her home.”
    “She wouldn’t dream of asking anyone you didn’t want!”
    “No, I suppose she wouldn’t. Well, you have decided, have you, you and Celeste between you? So Belinda and Leah had better come here.”
    I felt excited. Belinda was coming home!
    He looked at me quizzically and said, “I believe she was not exactly charming toward you.”
    “Oh … she was Belinda.”
    “That is just it—Belinda!” he retorted. “Well, we shall see. But we shall have no nonsense. If she does not behave well here, she will go.”
    “She will be different. She’s grown up. She is my age.”
    “Ah. The age of great wisdom! By the way, I’ve asked the Greenhams for tomorrow night … dinner. That will please you, won’t it?”
    “Of course. I suppose there will be lots of speculation about the next election.”
    “That,” he replied, “is something you can be sure of.”
    Then he went on to talk of the recent debate, but I fancied he was still thinking about Belinda.
    I was always pleased when the Greenhams visited us or when we went to them—and the main reason was Joel Greenham. Joel and I were very great friends and always had been. He was about twenty-five, and although I was catching up on him now, I must have seemed like a child to him for some time, but he had always been attentive to me even before I entered my teens.
    He had all the qualities I admired most in a man. He was not exactly good-looking; his features were too irregular for that, but he had a most charming smile; he had a musical voice to which I loved to listen; he was tall and looked even taller because he was rather slender. He was a Member of Parliament—one of the youngest, I believe—and I heard that in the House he spoke forcibly, with an air of strength; yet there was a certain gentleness about him which was rare in a man and which I found particularly endearing. He had never treated me as anything but an intelligent person. My father was interested in him and often said he had the making of a good politician. He was popular with his constituents, who had elected him with a very good majority.
    In his turn he had a great admiration for my father. Perhaps that was why my father liked him. One has to be very self-critical not to like people who admire one—and my father was certainly not that. Joel had always been interested in me, and he was pleased when I contributed to the conversation and would take up the points I made as though they were well worth considering.
    I would sit listening to them as they talked over dinner—my father, Sir John and Joel. Lady Greenham would try to engage me and Celeste in conversation, and I would make a great effort not to be drawn in, so that I could hear