A Garland of Marigolds by Isobel Chace Page B

but now she feels strong enough to see you two girls before you go home. She ’ s in the drawing room. Shall I show you where? ”
    Camilla looked suddenly defeated.
    “ It ’ s all right, ” she muttered, “ I can find it. ” She stood up with a quick, coltish movement. “ Come on, Suki, we ’ d better get it over with. ”
    Mrs. Burnett was lying on the sofa, with a handwoven rug cast loosely over her knees. She was very like Julie with soft gray hair, and an innocent expression. But the years had written lines of discontent and disappointment beside the eyes and in the wrinkles of the mouth.
    “ Come over here, my dears. Camilla, you can sit on the stool and Miss King in the chair. ”
    We obediently settled ourselves, while she looked at us with bland amusement.
    “ And what do you think of our remnant of the British Raj? ” she asked slyly.
    Camilla managed to show her distaste by being far too enthusiastic.
    “ It ’ s lovely! Were you really here before independence? ” Mrs. Burnett winced. Independence didn ’ t seem so very long ago to her and she didn ’ t like the fleeting years being pushed on her so ruthlessly. She sighed in a way that was very reminiscent of her daughter.
    “ Oh yes, indeed. The wasted years, I often call them. I longed to go home to England, if only because of Julie. She should have friends among her own kind and meet the right young men, but my husband is in love with India and nothing would make him leave. I think he would have died in England—can you understand that? He has lived here for so long that he would be quite out of place in an English provincial town, and London would have completely stifled him. Besides which, living in the sun, you know, does queer things to a man—but we won ’ t think about that, will we? ” She hesitated, obviously unsure as to how to continue. “ It ’ s so difficult for me to ask you this, ” she said at last. “ But I should be so grateful if you would encourage Gideon to stay here for a few days. It ’ s not for my sake, but Julie so seldom sees anyone of her own age. ” Camilla stared at her with unblinking eyes.
    “ I don ’ t think either of us could persuade Gideon one way or the other, ” I said as gently as I could. “ Why don ’ t you talk to him? ” Mrs. Burnett looked more upset than ever.
    “ I don ’ t want him to think that we are trying to trap him into anything! Oh dear, how awkward everything is! ”
    I smiled sympathetically, trying to ignore the expression of outrage on Camilla ’ s face.
    “ We ’ re not so very far away and Julie comes over quite often, ” I put in comfortingly.
    “ It ’ s not the same. She has no opportunities here, the poor dear. ”
    Camilla could keep silent no longer.
    “ And so you deliberately trip up Gideon ’ s horse! ” she exclaimed. Mrs. Burnett raised her delicately trimmed eyebrows.
    “ I? No, dear. How could I? I wasn ’ t even playing. And anyway, it ’ s a pony, not a horse. ”
    Camilla cast her outraged glance on me.
    “ But he tripped Gideon up! ”
    “ It doesn ’ t matter, dear, ” I said hastily. “ Not now! ”
    “ But— ” she began.
    “ But really there ’ s nothing to say, ” I said firmly. “ No one can make up Gideon ’ s mind for him. Not even you! ”
    Mrs. Burnett looked sad and worried.
    “ I ’ m sure my husband meant it for the best, ” she said humbly. “ He gets so worried about Julie, too. You do understand, don ’ t you? ”
    I felt rather sickened by the whole affair.
    “ It doesn ’ t matter, ” I assured her in stifled tones. “ Perhaps you will excuse us if we go back to Gideon now? ”
    Her eyes narrowed and she gave me a look of hatred that was so like her daughter that I gasped.
    “ I suppose you ’ re after him yourself! ” she snapped.
    I eyed her helplessly. But Camilla had none of my reservations. “ Suki wouldn ’ t be so vulgar, ” she remarked with touching dignity. “ Would you, Suki? ”
    I