too—frightened to say so.”
There was an open door near to where they were standing and through it Lalitha could see an empty Sitting-Room. “Come in here,” she said gently, and taking the young man by the arm, his face still covered by his hands, she led him into the room.
“Tell me what has happened?” she asked.
He took his hands from his face and drawing a linen handkerchief from his pocket wiped his eyes.
“I am ashamed of myself, Ma’am,” he said. “Please forget that you have seen me.”
“There is no reason for me to do that,” Lalitha answered. “I wish to help you, if I can.”
“But I have already said,” he replied in a choked voice, “no-one can help.”
“What have you done?”
“His Lordship is incensed with me and no wonder.” Lalitha knew that she had been expecting this answer. “Why is His Lordship angry?”
There was a pause before the young man replied: “I have built one of the buttresses in the wrong position. I misread the plans. Whilst I felt it was not quite right I was afraid that His Lordship might be annoyed if I questioned him.”
“And now he has discovered what you have done?”
Lalitha asked.
“He has dismissed me.”
The tears came to his eyes again but he wiped them away fiercely.
“I was so proud, so overwhelmed with gratitude, at being given the chance to work for him and I wanted to please. I tried. God knows I tried, but I was afraid of failing—so I failed!”
“I can understand that,” Lalitha murmured.
She stood thinking for a moment and then she said:
“Will you wait here for me? Promise me you will not leave until I return.”
As if he suddenly realised the unconventional manner in which he was behaving, the young man rose to his feet. “Forgive me, Ma’am. I should not have worried you with all this, but now you have been kind I will leave, I hope with— more dignity!”
“No,” Lalitha answered, “I am asking you to wait here until I return. Have I your promise?”
“If it pleases you,” he replied, “although I do not understand.” “Just wait!” Lalitha said.
She turned and went from the room closing the door behind her. Then, drawing a deep breath, she crossed the corridor to open the door to the Study.
As she had expected, Lord Rothwyn was alone.
He was sitting at his big, leather-topped desk and there were a number of plans spread out in front of him.
With a sinking of her heart Lalitha saw that he was scowling and angry.
She had not seen that look on his face since the night they were married.
Then as she stood in the doorway, her grey eyes wide in her small face, Lord Rothwyn looked up.
“Oh, it is you, Lalitha!” he exclaimed.
The scowl on his face lightened and he rose slowly to his feet. Lalitha shut the door behind her and walked to the desk.
She stood in front of him without speaking. After a moment he realised that she was twisting her fingers together and said sharply: “What has upset you?”
“I have . . . something to say,” Lalitha answered, “but I do not... wish you to think it. . . impertinent.” There was a little tremor in her voice.
“Nothing you could say to me, Lalitha, would ever be impertinent,” Lord Rothwyn answered. “Will you not sit down?”
He noticed that Lalitha sat on the very edge of a chair and he seated himself at his desk.
“I am waiting,” he said, his tone gentle.
“As you...know,” Lalitha began, “I am a ... coward and frightened of so many things. When one is frightened one often does what is ... wrong simply because ... one is numb or stupefied by... fear.”
Lord Rothwyn was still and then he said:
“I imagine that you have been talking to young Jameson, whom I have just dismissed.”
“I know what he is . . . feeling.” Lalitha said, “because Your Lordship is very . . . intimidating.”
“Are you blaming me for this young man’s incompetence?” He seemed to be waiting for an answer, and after a moment Lalitha said in a very small
There was an open door near to where they were standing and through it Lalitha could see an empty Sitting-Room. “Come in here,” she said gently, and taking the young man by the arm, his face still covered by his hands, she led him into the room.
“Tell me what has happened?” she asked.
He took his hands from his face and drawing a linen handkerchief from his pocket wiped his eyes.
“I am ashamed of myself, Ma’am,” he said. “Please forget that you have seen me.”
“There is no reason for me to do that,” Lalitha answered. “I wish to help you, if I can.”
“But I have already said,” he replied in a choked voice, “no-one can help.”
“What have you done?”
“His Lordship is incensed with me and no wonder.” Lalitha knew that she had been expecting this answer. “Why is His Lordship angry?”
There was a pause before the young man replied: “I have built one of the buttresses in the wrong position. I misread the plans. Whilst I felt it was not quite right I was afraid that His Lordship might be annoyed if I questioned him.”
“And now he has discovered what you have done?”
Lalitha asked.
“He has dismissed me.”
The tears came to his eyes again but he wiped them away fiercely.
“I was so proud, so overwhelmed with gratitude, at being given the chance to work for him and I wanted to please. I tried. God knows I tried, but I was afraid of failing—so I failed!”
“I can understand that,” Lalitha murmured.
She stood thinking for a moment and then she said:
“Will you wait here for me? Promise me you will not leave until I return.”
As if he suddenly realised the unconventional manner in which he was behaving, the young man rose to his feet. “Forgive me, Ma’am. I should not have worried you with all this, but now you have been kind I will leave, I hope with— more dignity!”
“No,” Lalitha answered, “I am asking you to wait here until I return. Have I your promise?”
“If it pleases you,” he replied, “although I do not understand.” “Just wait!” Lalitha said.
She turned and went from the room closing the door behind her. Then, drawing a deep breath, she crossed the corridor to open the door to the Study.
As she had expected, Lord Rothwyn was alone.
He was sitting at his big, leather-topped desk and there were a number of plans spread out in front of him.
With a sinking of her heart Lalitha saw that he was scowling and angry.
She had not seen that look on his face since the night they were married.
Then as she stood in the doorway, her grey eyes wide in her small face, Lord Rothwyn looked up.
“Oh, it is you, Lalitha!” he exclaimed.
The scowl on his face lightened and he rose slowly to his feet. Lalitha shut the door behind her and walked to the desk.
She stood in front of him without speaking. After a moment he realised that she was twisting her fingers together and said sharply: “What has upset you?”
“I have . . . something to say,” Lalitha answered, “but I do not... wish you to think it. . . impertinent.” There was a little tremor in her voice.
“Nothing you could say to me, Lalitha, would ever be impertinent,” Lord Rothwyn answered. “Will you not sit down?”
He noticed that Lalitha sat on the very edge of a chair and he seated himself at his desk.
“I am waiting,” he said, his tone gentle.
“As you...know,” Lalitha began, “I am a ... coward and frightened of so many things. When one is frightened one often does what is ... wrong simply because ... one is numb or stupefied by... fear.”
Lord Rothwyn was still and then he said:
“I imagine that you have been talking to young Jameson, whom I have just dismissed.”
“I know what he is . . . feeling.” Lalitha said, “because Your Lordship is very . . . intimidating.”
“Are you blaming me for this young man’s incompetence?” He seemed to be waiting for an answer, and after a moment Lalitha said in a very small
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