that she was too new a widow, her intention to say neither yes nor no, but keep Neville dangling.
No, he had seen straight through that and, during the night, changed his plans.
Astonishment, anger and laughter welled up in her at the same time. “Neville!”
“He is a good match for any woman,” Uncle Grappit said judiciously. “Handsome, a gentleman and your cousin. A sensible arrangement.”
“It is preposterous! What effrontery!”
“Mind your language, Niece!”
“Last night you were hot for him to wed China. She refused so now it’s me. No, thank you, Uncle! And you forget that I am married and—”
“I see that China told you. I might have known it. China is not to be trusted. I hope you’ll remember that, Niece.”
“She made you no promise.”
“That is quite beside the point now.” He was in a frozen rage, though, and she knew it. “I’ll put the situation clearly to you. Marriage to Neville would settle everything. He is a Loyalist, no problem there. If you should continue this—this stubborn opposition, then I have only one course—an onerous task indeed. One I should wish to avoid. But my duty.”
Suddenly, for no real reason, she wished she had not angered him. “What is that?”
“Why it is clear. I shall be appointed guardian and trustee for the boy, and China. Naturally then I shall take them both home—”
“Home—”
“To England, where else? It will be difficult for me, at my age, to bring up a small child. Especially one of Jamey’s willful nature. But”—his mouth twitched—“I daresay I can do so. It’s only a question of the stronger will. Of course, this means that you will be separated from him. It’s a pity,” he said, half smiling, “that China is such a silly mother. She has no great affection for her child. But then it will make it easier for me to control the child, bring him up with such severity as he unhappily requires.”
“You wouldn’t take him away —”
He rose. “You’ll need time to think this over, Niece. I am in no haste. Now I’ll show you the penn—”
“I’ll not let you take Jamey. And I’m married to Simon. But I wouldn’t wed Neville even if—This is a threat—”
“An ugly word, Niece. A cruel word. I’ll overlook that, too. When you’ve given this some thought you will understand that your father’s death has placed a very heavy responsibility upon me but I intend to discharge it. Ah—” he said with a quick-drawn breath.
She followed his pale eyes. Beyond the vine-draped fence a few rangy turkeys were straggling awkwardly along. One of them gave a startled squeak, stiffened and fell over in the dust. “A scorpion,” Grappit said. “Or a centipede or a tarantula.” He didn’t lick his lips; he only smiled a little. “You see, Niece, it is well to take care.”
9
H E STRODE ALONG AHEAD of her, his baggy white linen ghostly. Was it another threat?
No, he wouldn’t put a scorpion or a tarantula in her bed. It was a butterfly, Neville, he wished to put in her bed—or China’s, or wherever money made a third occupant, she thought with an inward catch of unsteady laughter. But her knees were shaking all the same.
She could imagine too clearly the kind of upbringing Jamey would get in Grappit’s hands. She knew, too, that the law would be on Grappit’s side. There was nothing she could quote, nothing she could show as proof that he was no fit person to bring up Jamey—with the severity Jamey’s “willful nature” required.
At the same time she knew instinctively that she must not show her terror; he would take it as a sign of weakness and strike the harder, as a bully does.
She forced herself to walk along steadily, look and listen as he told her of the penn, meet his own chilly politeness and, with as chilly politeness, ignore the words that had passed between them, as completely as he appeared to do.
In her heart she said, over and over, there’s a way out of this trap, there’s a way
No, he had seen straight through that and, during the night, changed his plans.
Astonishment, anger and laughter welled up in her at the same time. “Neville!”
“He is a good match for any woman,” Uncle Grappit said judiciously. “Handsome, a gentleman and your cousin. A sensible arrangement.”
“It is preposterous! What effrontery!”
“Mind your language, Niece!”
“Last night you were hot for him to wed China. She refused so now it’s me. No, thank you, Uncle! And you forget that I am married and—”
“I see that China told you. I might have known it. China is not to be trusted. I hope you’ll remember that, Niece.”
“She made you no promise.”
“That is quite beside the point now.” He was in a frozen rage, though, and she knew it. “I’ll put the situation clearly to you. Marriage to Neville would settle everything. He is a Loyalist, no problem there. If you should continue this—this stubborn opposition, then I have only one course—an onerous task indeed. One I should wish to avoid. But my duty.”
Suddenly, for no real reason, she wished she had not angered him. “What is that?”
“Why it is clear. I shall be appointed guardian and trustee for the boy, and China. Naturally then I shall take them both home—”
“Home—”
“To England, where else? It will be difficult for me, at my age, to bring up a small child. Especially one of Jamey’s willful nature. But”—his mouth twitched—“I daresay I can do so. It’s only a question of the stronger will. Of course, this means that you will be separated from him. It’s a pity,” he said, half smiling, “that China is such a silly mother. She has no great affection for her child. But then it will make it easier for me to control the child, bring him up with such severity as he unhappily requires.”
“You wouldn’t take him away —”
He rose. “You’ll need time to think this over, Niece. I am in no haste. Now I’ll show you the penn—”
“I’ll not let you take Jamey. And I’m married to Simon. But I wouldn’t wed Neville even if—This is a threat—”
“An ugly word, Niece. A cruel word. I’ll overlook that, too. When you’ve given this some thought you will understand that your father’s death has placed a very heavy responsibility upon me but I intend to discharge it. Ah—” he said with a quick-drawn breath.
She followed his pale eyes. Beyond the vine-draped fence a few rangy turkeys were straggling awkwardly along. One of them gave a startled squeak, stiffened and fell over in the dust. “A scorpion,” Grappit said. “Or a centipede or a tarantula.” He didn’t lick his lips; he only smiled a little. “You see, Niece, it is well to take care.”
9
H E STRODE ALONG AHEAD of her, his baggy white linen ghostly. Was it another threat?
No, he wouldn’t put a scorpion or a tarantula in her bed. It was a butterfly, Neville, he wished to put in her bed—or China’s, or wherever money made a third occupant, she thought with an inward catch of unsteady laughter. But her knees were shaking all the same.
She could imagine too clearly the kind of upbringing Jamey would get in Grappit’s hands. She knew, too, that the law would be on Grappit’s side. There was nothing she could quote, nothing she could show as proof that he was no fit person to bring up Jamey—with the severity Jamey’s “willful nature” required.
At the same time she knew instinctively that she must not show her terror; he would take it as a sign of weakness and strike the harder, as a bully does.
She forced herself to walk along steadily, look and listen as he told her of the penn, meet his own chilly politeness and, with as chilly politeness, ignore the words that had passed between them, as completely as he appeared to do.
In her heart she said, over and over, there’s a way out of this trap, there’s a way
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