propose to turn over to this— ”
“ Young lady, ” he intervened grimly as she paused for a word. “ And—our child, Arabella. ”
“ Yes. Our only— ” For a moment it seemed that she would say more, then she moved away to pull the scarlet bell rope, merely throwing back over her shoulder: “ Well, Jonathan, don ’ t say I didn ’ t warn you. ” And then, when Job appeared: “ I ’ ll need the carriage first thing in the morning, Job. I ’ m going back to Boston. ” Her defiant tone was belied by a quick sideways glance for Jonathan. Goodness, thought Kate, is this what she has been aiming at all the time?
Jonathan took it coolly enough. “ Maybe you ’ re right, my dear. It will give Mrs. Croston time to find her feet. And that reminds me. There is one other thing, Mrs. Croston. This question of giving in to the child. I don ’ t like that. She must learn, poor lamb, that she cannot always have her own way. ”
“ Of course she must—when she ’ s well enough. At the moment she ’ s thin as a rail and nervous as a scared colt. I want some weight on her, and some color in her cheeks before I so much as think about discipline. I tell you, Mr. Penrose, if I ’ m to do anything for Sarah, I must have a free hand. If not— ” She stopped, appalled at what she seemed to be saying.
He was looking at her with the amazement of a lion ferociously attacked by a mouse. “ Well, I ’ ll be— ” It was the first rumbling of an explosion and she nerved herself to face it. Then, surprisingly, he laughed. “ You might be right at that, Mrs. Croston. I wouldn ’ t call in an expert at the works, and then tell him how to go about his business. Why should I do it to you? Very well. You ’ re the expert. Yours shall be the decision and, mind you, yours the responsibility. ”
“ Thank you. ” She was breathing like an exhausted runner.
But it was Arabella who had the last word. “ Responsibility? ” she said. “ After what happened today? My poor Jonathan. ”
Her taunts echoed, that night, through Kate ’ s recurring nightmare. They had opened up the old wound. Once again, in the mounting terror of her dream, her father fell dead across the table, once again Charges Manningham—she woke there, sweating, and lay for a long time, eyes open to stare blankly into the darkness, trying to convince herself that it was all over, all past, to be forgotten. What had happened, had happened. The present, and Sarah, were what mattered now. Because she was almost sure that there was something she could do for Sarah. This was more important, surely, than the old disaster? And, thinking of Sarah, she smiled and slept quietly at last.
SIX
Agreeing to give Kate a trial, Jonathan had not specified how long it should be. At first, inevitably, he was full of doubts, which Arabella ’ s harping on the mystery of Kate ’ s past had exacerbated. It was true that he knew nothing about women. His own disastrous marriage was proof enough of that. Memories thronged to mock him: of how he had adored Arabella, of sleepless nights, pacing the deck of the ship he had named after her, dreaming of her, aching for her. Well, he thought bitterly, at least he would never make such a fool of himself again.
And yet—he had taken Kate on trust. He ought, he knew, to have looked at her papers that first night when she had offered them. He ought still to ask her about her background, but always when it came to the point, when he saw her flinch away from the first hint of a question, he could not bring himself to do it. And, besides, there had been something oddly convincing about the way she had turned on him, that first evening: “ If I ’ m to do anything for Sarah, I must have a free hand. ” It had shaken him—he was not used to being crossed—but it had also given him hope—a hope that time was to strengthen. Kate ’ s instinctive understanding of the child was worth any amount of doctors theory. The two of
“ Young lady, ” he intervened grimly as she paused for a word. “ And—our child, Arabella. ”
“ Yes. Our only— ” For a moment it seemed that she would say more, then she moved away to pull the scarlet bell rope, merely throwing back over her shoulder: “ Well, Jonathan, don ’ t say I didn ’ t warn you. ” And then, when Job appeared: “ I ’ ll need the carriage first thing in the morning, Job. I ’ m going back to Boston. ” Her defiant tone was belied by a quick sideways glance for Jonathan. Goodness, thought Kate, is this what she has been aiming at all the time?
Jonathan took it coolly enough. “ Maybe you ’ re right, my dear. It will give Mrs. Croston time to find her feet. And that reminds me. There is one other thing, Mrs. Croston. This question of giving in to the child. I don ’ t like that. She must learn, poor lamb, that she cannot always have her own way. ”
“ Of course she must—when she ’ s well enough. At the moment she ’ s thin as a rail and nervous as a scared colt. I want some weight on her, and some color in her cheeks before I so much as think about discipline. I tell you, Mr. Penrose, if I ’ m to do anything for Sarah, I must have a free hand. If not— ” She stopped, appalled at what she seemed to be saying.
He was looking at her with the amazement of a lion ferociously attacked by a mouse. “ Well, I ’ ll be— ” It was the first rumbling of an explosion and she nerved herself to face it. Then, surprisingly, he laughed. “ You might be right at that, Mrs. Croston. I wouldn ’ t call in an expert at the works, and then tell him how to go about his business. Why should I do it to you? Very well. You ’ re the expert. Yours shall be the decision and, mind you, yours the responsibility. ”
“ Thank you. ” She was breathing like an exhausted runner.
But it was Arabella who had the last word. “ Responsibility? ” she said. “ After what happened today? My poor Jonathan. ”
Her taunts echoed, that night, through Kate ’ s recurring nightmare. They had opened up the old wound. Once again, in the mounting terror of her dream, her father fell dead across the table, once again Charges Manningham—she woke there, sweating, and lay for a long time, eyes open to stare blankly into the darkness, trying to convince herself that it was all over, all past, to be forgotten. What had happened, had happened. The present, and Sarah, were what mattered now. Because she was almost sure that there was something she could do for Sarah. This was more important, surely, than the old disaster? And, thinking of Sarah, she smiled and slept quietly at last.
SIX
Agreeing to give Kate a trial, Jonathan had not specified how long it should be. At first, inevitably, he was full of doubts, which Arabella ’ s harping on the mystery of Kate ’ s past had exacerbated. It was true that he knew nothing about women. His own disastrous marriage was proof enough of that. Memories thronged to mock him: of how he had adored Arabella, of sleepless nights, pacing the deck of the ship he had named after her, dreaming of her, aching for her. Well, he thought bitterly, at least he would never make such a fool of himself again.
And yet—he had taken Kate on trust. He ought, he knew, to have looked at her papers that first night when she had offered them. He ought still to ask her about her background, but always when it came to the point, when he saw her flinch away from the first hint of a question, he could not bring himself to do it. And, besides, there had been something oddly convincing about the way she had turned on him, that first evening: “ If I ’ m to do anything for Sarah, I must have a free hand. ” It had shaken him—he was not used to being crossed—but it had also given him hope—a hope that time was to strengthen. Kate ’ s instinctive understanding of the child was worth any amount of doctors theory. The two of
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