see.’
‘Perhaps you should sit down for a bit?’
‘No, no, my dear. I’d rather stand. It induces in me the feeling of being in control. It’s completely illusory. Could we pretend we have known each other for years and this is a social call?’
‘I don’t see why not,’ Payne said.
‘Perhaps we could talk about the weather first? It will make things easier, I think. I find talking about the weather relaxing, don’t you?’
She was a thin, birdlike woman in her sixties, wearing a silk dress in what Antonia thought were strong dead colours: dark red and old gold and purple. Her face was pale pink and gently wrinkled, her silver hair parted in the middle, and she wore round horn-rimmed spectacles which seemed to accentuate her oddly pious expression and made her look rather like a nun.
‘Isn’t it cold today?’ Antonia said.
‘There was a chill drizzle from the north-east as we set out.’ Payne glanced towards the window.
‘It feels more like autumn than spring,’ said Hortense.
‘Spring is late this year,’ Antonia said.
‘It is, isn’t it, my dear? Terribly late. I keep shivering, even with the central heating on. Well, that’s England for you. One shouldn’t wear silk. There! It’s done the trick. I already feel better.’ Hortense nodded. ‘ Thank you.’
‘I imagine you are feeling the cold more acutely than us,’ Major Payne said. ‘Having returned from the Caribbean not so long ago? Did the Caribbean agree with you?’
‘It did, to start with.’ She clasped her hands before her. ‘Have you been to the Caribbean? No? Cobalt blue skies – cicadas – dragonflies with diamond wings. Fizzing hot days, as my father used to say. The endless susurrus of the sea. An easy life. La dolce vita . Used to be my idea of paradise. But then – then it all changed.’
‘Because of Lord Remnant’s death?’
‘Well, yes. The morning after he died, I took a walk round the island and I was struck by the amazing absence of meaningful ambulation . The idea depressed me. Oh how it depressed me. I’d never thought in those terms before, you see. Suddenly I felt faint—’
‘Was it very hot?’
‘Well, yes, but up till then I hadn’t minded the heat. It was the kind of heat that’s been described as “swooning” … Everybody on the beach was in a horizontal position, limp and languorous, fanning themselves. I had the odd sense people were horizontal in their very souls . What a silly thing to say! Do forgive me. Why am I standing here? I was going to do something, wasn’t I?’
‘You were going to make us tea,’ Antonia said brightly.
‘Tea, yes! Let’s have tea! The cup that cheereth!’
She disappeared into the kitchen.
The sofa was large and the colour of whipped cream. They sat among a proliferation of ancient tasselled cushionsof petit-point. The wall above the sofa was covered with framed photographs, some of which had faded to so pale a brown that it was simply the pattern of the black rectangles of their frames on the pale cream walls that seemed to serve the purpose of decoration. But there were some good, clear ones …
It was the photograph of a stunningly beautiful dark-haired girl that drew their attention. The girl’s hair was done in the style of the early sixties, her shoulders bare, one hand held clasped under her chin. Round her wrist she wore a striking bracelet in the shape of a coiled snake, most probably a cobra, made from what looked like black pearls.
Payne raised a quizzical eyebrow at Antonia. ‘That our hostess? Can’t be.’
‘I think it’s her … many summers ago. She’s still got the same smile.’
‘Golly, yes.’
‘Isn’t time cruel?’
‘Merciless.’ Payne’s eyes had strayed towards the bookcase. ‘Books on adoption … Cuckoo in the Nest . I can’t help noticing people’s books, can you?’
‘I find myself instinctively disapproving of people who have no books in their houses. In a funny kind of way it puts me on
‘Perhaps you should sit down for a bit?’
‘No, no, my dear. I’d rather stand. It induces in me the feeling of being in control. It’s completely illusory. Could we pretend we have known each other for years and this is a social call?’
‘I don’t see why not,’ Payne said.
‘Perhaps we could talk about the weather first? It will make things easier, I think. I find talking about the weather relaxing, don’t you?’
She was a thin, birdlike woman in her sixties, wearing a silk dress in what Antonia thought were strong dead colours: dark red and old gold and purple. Her face was pale pink and gently wrinkled, her silver hair parted in the middle, and she wore round horn-rimmed spectacles which seemed to accentuate her oddly pious expression and made her look rather like a nun.
‘Isn’t it cold today?’ Antonia said.
‘There was a chill drizzle from the north-east as we set out.’ Payne glanced towards the window.
‘It feels more like autumn than spring,’ said Hortense.
‘Spring is late this year,’ Antonia said.
‘It is, isn’t it, my dear? Terribly late. I keep shivering, even with the central heating on. Well, that’s England for you. One shouldn’t wear silk. There! It’s done the trick. I already feel better.’ Hortense nodded. ‘ Thank you.’
‘I imagine you are feeling the cold more acutely than us,’ Major Payne said. ‘Having returned from the Caribbean not so long ago? Did the Caribbean agree with you?’
‘It did, to start with.’ She clasped her hands before her. ‘Have you been to the Caribbean? No? Cobalt blue skies – cicadas – dragonflies with diamond wings. Fizzing hot days, as my father used to say. The endless susurrus of the sea. An easy life. La dolce vita . Used to be my idea of paradise. But then – then it all changed.’
‘Because of Lord Remnant’s death?’
‘Well, yes. The morning after he died, I took a walk round the island and I was struck by the amazing absence of meaningful ambulation . The idea depressed me. Oh how it depressed me. I’d never thought in those terms before, you see. Suddenly I felt faint—’
‘Was it very hot?’
‘Well, yes, but up till then I hadn’t minded the heat. It was the kind of heat that’s been described as “swooning” … Everybody on the beach was in a horizontal position, limp and languorous, fanning themselves. I had the odd sense people were horizontal in their very souls . What a silly thing to say! Do forgive me. Why am I standing here? I was going to do something, wasn’t I?’
‘You were going to make us tea,’ Antonia said brightly.
‘Tea, yes! Let’s have tea! The cup that cheereth!’
She disappeared into the kitchen.
The sofa was large and the colour of whipped cream. They sat among a proliferation of ancient tasselled cushionsof petit-point. The wall above the sofa was covered with framed photographs, some of which had faded to so pale a brown that it was simply the pattern of the black rectangles of their frames on the pale cream walls that seemed to serve the purpose of decoration. But there were some good, clear ones …
It was the photograph of a stunningly beautiful dark-haired girl that drew their attention. The girl’s hair was done in the style of the early sixties, her shoulders bare, one hand held clasped under her chin. Round her wrist she wore a striking bracelet in the shape of a coiled snake, most probably a cobra, made from what looked like black pearls.
Payne raised a quizzical eyebrow at Antonia. ‘That our hostess? Can’t be.’
‘I think it’s her … many summers ago. She’s still got the same smile.’
‘Golly, yes.’
‘Isn’t time cruel?’
‘Merciless.’ Payne’s eyes had strayed towards the bookcase. ‘Books on adoption … Cuckoo in the Nest . I can’t help noticing people’s books, can you?’
‘I find myself instinctively disapproving of people who have no books in their houses. In a funny kind of way it puts me on
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