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“You… have what…?”
He might well be surprised. Margery almost burst out of the shed. You spoke to Mr. Masterman… you! And who are you to speak to him Didn’t he put me in charge of the kitchen? Isn’t it my place… Carolan had folded her arms across her breast, and she stood there, rocking on her heels, laughing to herself, hating him in a way that was really loving him; and yet stubborn as a mule with the fierceness of a tigress.
“You have spoken to Mr. Masterman… you, Carolan?”
“Oh, yes. Marcus!” Her voice was edged with light laughter, bubbling laughter that was somehow sharp and meant to cut into his pride, murder any hopes he might have had.
“Mr. Masterman and I are friendly… very friendly indeed.
Margery let loose an expletive. She clapped her hands over her mouth; her face was purple with fury; her hands itched. Had she been neat the whip that hung over the mantelpiece she would have reached for it and she would have laid it about those insolent shoulders. She was speaking in that way of the master!
“I am sure,” she said, haughty now, verily the mistress of the house and the yard and of the kitchen and of him and of herself, ‘that I can arrange it satisfactorily.”
Marcus was taken off his guard.
He said: “I see.” Then he burst out: “You… you slut! So that is it. I see. I might have seen before. How long?” And those two words betrayed his defeat, his love for her.
“What is that to you?”
“It makes me laugh!”
“I am glad you are amused; though why you should be I quite fail to see.”
“You, my haughty Carolan … and that… puritan! His name stands for virtue in the town. Tell me, Carolan, how did you manage to seduce the fellow?”
She flashed out angrily: “How dare you talk in this way I He is a better man than you will ever be. I am happy now. Why should we not? He is in love with me.”
“I do not doubt it, Carolan. Masterman. The prude! The puritan! I shall split my sides with laughing.”
“It would be the best thing that could happen to you if you. killed yourself with laughing. For Esther too, I am thinking!”
“Carolan__forgive me I It is so fu
“Do not dare to breathe a word of this to anyone!”
“Oh, Carolan, Carolan!”
“If you do, I will have it known that you are a cheat and a liar. I will see to it that you are punished. I will see…”
“Ah! I see Masterman’s mistress will rule the town!”
“You heard what I said. I mean it. Breathe a word of what…”
“… of what you have so indiscreetly told me …”
“Breathe a word of it, and I will… I will have you beaten to death. I will…”
“It is blackmail! I keep quiet then about you, and you keep quiet about me. What a pretty pair we are, are we not? So admirably suited!”
Margery thought the girl was going to cry, for all she held her head so high. And as for him, he was heartbroken, for all the cruel lashings of his tongue. Oh yes, they were crying out for each other, and in spite of everything Margery could have wept for them.
“Enough of this,” said Carolan, and turned from him. Through the crack in the cornet of the shed, Margery saw her, face, saw her lips quiver.
“You and Esther can be married soon.”
“Carolan!” He was beside her, his hands on her shoulders, forcing her round to look at him.
Now! thought Margery. Now! She’s yours now for the taking … the wanton. The waster! I don’t believe that. I wasn’t born yesterday. That’s just to aggravate him, that is!
“Well?” her voice rapped out at him.
“What is it? Please take your hands off me.”
“And if I will not? Doubtless you will call your lover to horsewhip me!”
“You have no right to be here! You behave as though you are a free man instead of a felon.”
“Would your mistress think you had a right to be what you are did she know?”
“Please go at once. You are insolent.”
“I am mourning, Carolan. I am mourning for a sweet and beautiful girl whom I loved … Carolan, whose handkerchief I still carry close to my heart.”
“Were you carrying it when you seduced Esther?”
There was a confession, if he could but read the meaning behind her words. She was jealous as fury, that girl; and her daring to let the master make love to her!
I carry it always. I shall burn it when I get back. It means nothing now.”
“A pity to waste good linen. Give it to Esther, or, whoever occupies your affections at this moment.”
“I would not keep it now. Every time I looked at it it would remind me of you and your puritan together. But, Carolan, I can see you are a wise woman. Play your cards cleverly, my dear, and you may do very well for yourself.”
Thank you, Marcus. But I happen to be in love, and playing cards well or otherwise does not come into this.”
She walked towards the shed, so abruptly that Margery thought she had seen her and was coming in to denounce her. Margery’s knees began to shake. Suppose she told’ Mr. Masterman that Margery was a very unsatisfactory person to leave in charge of the kitchen! Suppose she told of laxness, of James’s coming into the basement at night! She was a power in the house. No wonder she gave herself airs and graces! She was mistress of the house.
She looked over her shoulder.
She said: “We will make the arrangements for the wedding. And we shall make them promptly. It will be well for Esther’s sake to get done with the business as soon as possible.”
She flounced into the house, and he stood looking at her, like a man who has lost everything he most wanted.in life. Queer, Margery wanted to go out and comfort him, but she dared not. She was bewildered. She did not understand life in this place as she had thought she did. Things went on under her nose, and she did not see them. She had to be careful. The house had a new mistress.
She waited until he had walked away; then she went into the kitchen. She could hear Carolan in the communal bedroom talking to Esther.
“What I want is a good strong cup of tea,” said Margery aloud. She made it, and all the time she was doing so she thought of her red hair and green eyes and the master, noticing her, trying not to let her get him at first, and then… and then… Margery laughed. Perhaps he wasn’t only half a man after all. Well she liked him for it, so there!
As for her, the arrogant piece, fancy making the master fall in love with her, and him always such a good man and always doing the right thing! But come to think of it the good ones were as bad as the others. Look at Miss Mealy Mouth saying Yes please, to the first man that asked her!
But the master and that Carolan. Well, could you blame him?
“I don’t!” said Margery, stirring her tea.
“And come to think of it, I don’t blame her either!”
When Lucille Masterman came out of a drugged sleep she talked to Carolan.
There is a change in him. Do you not see it?”
“A change? I see no change.”
“Ah. but you do not know him as I do. There is a change, I assure you. He rarely comes in here now. He is very absent-minded. He was never that before. Carolan. there are times when I have a feeling that he does not mind how ill I am, that he does not care whether I recover or not.”
“You are talking nonsense.” said Carolan.
“Am I? I do talk nonsense, do I not! I have been so tired; I am waking now. I feel as if I am struggling out of darkness, and that words are a sort of rope I cling to. Oh, you smile, Carolan; you are so strong and practical. You are very like him, Carolan, in a way … in a way. Once he wanted me to get well; he was very eager that I should. But that was not because he cared about me. Oh, no! He wanted me strong and well because he wanted us to have children. Sons he wanted. Big, strong men to go on living when we are dead; to build up this country into a great place, independent of England. I am sure that is how he feels. He is such a strange man. Carolan. You would not know, because you always see him as the master, so careful, so right in .everything he does.”