Rachel agreed, a trifle drily.
“Well, as I said, it’s a stupid business.” Her aunt frowned. “It isn’t even as though I cared about the boy. He’s just young and adoring and rather amusing. But of course Everard has old-fashioned ideas about things, and I suppose there might have been difficulties, especially with emotions running high. All the same, I think Nigel was absurdly quixotic to take the thing on himself. But he always thinks he knows best—and anyway, I don’t suppose he cares much what Everard thinks of him”
“I can’t imagine he liked being considered criminally careless and irresponsible,” said Rachel indignantly. “But once he’d taken the initiative, there was nothing for any ofus to do but back him up.”
“Including the puritanical Oliver Mayforth.” Hester smiled a trifle maliciously. "He didn’t do it for my blue eyes, I’m sure. He doesn’t like me
any more than I like him. ”
Rachel did not attempt to argue that. She merely said, “He wanted to save Uncle Everard any further anxiety, I imagine.”
“In fact, everyone behaved from the very, very best of motives,” Hester laughed. ‘Well, that’s fine. And now what’s this I hear about Nigel and Fiona McGrath?” Rachel’s mouth went dry, at this sudden change of subject. But she managed to say that she didn’t know what her aunt had heard about Nigel and Fiona McGrath.
“He’s made a great hit with her, I understand.”
Rachel longed to ask from whom she raaderstood this. But, before she could frame the enquiry, her aunt went on.
“Well, it would be a wonderful thing for him, of course, if they made a match of it. Nigel never has a penny—putting everything into that laboratory of his as he does. I suppose if he married the McGrath woman he would never have to worry again, and could finance all the experiments he fancied.”
Rachel supposed so too. But she found herself saying, “Would you think, though, that Nigel is a man who would care to marry for money?”
“My dear, they all would! ” declared Hester, and laughed. “Just as most women would too. Unless one is an impossible idealist, or a born artist, or a moron”— she sounded as though there were little to choose between the three—“most of the things one wants depend upon money. It’s unrealistic to pretend anything else, even to oneself. Perhaps particularly to oneself,” she added reflectively.
Rachel was silent, and her aunt gave her an amused glance.
“You don’t really suppose Nigel would bypass the chance of marrying a fortune, do you?” she asked scornfully. “The kind of fortune that would put him and his work beyond any further anxiety, that is.”
“I don’t—know,” Rachd said slowly. “Suppose he didn’t really lo—like her?”
“It’s almost impossible not to like a good-looking woman with three-quarters of a million pounds attached to her,” retorted Hester simply.
“Is it—is it really as much as that?”
“I have no idea. It could well be more, I suppose. I just suggested that as a nice round sum She has a fortune, anyway. And she’s not unattractive.” “She’s really very beautiful,” Rachel stated justly. And then, because she had to know—“Was it Nigel himselfwho told you that she—she liked him?’’
‘Not really—no. I heard most about it from a friend of the McGraths— Dulcie Cullenthorpe. She says Fiona has fallen for him quite badly. If Nigel plays his cards well, I don't see how he can fail.”
Rachel winced. Not so much for the pain that assurance gave her— though that was sharp enough. But because she was not used to such brutal candour. At home, they were frank enough to each other and as in all families, very sharp words sometimes passed. But this calculation was something quite outside her experience, and she found herself wondering if, in the final event, Hester’s brother also thought along these lines.
It was not a welcome idea, and she was almost relieved when
“Well, as I said, it’s a stupid business.” Her aunt frowned. “It isn’t even as though I cared about the boy. He’s just young and adoring and rather amusing. But of course Everard has old-fashioned ideas about things, and I suppose there might have been difficulties, especially with emotions running high. All the same, I think Nigel was absurdly quixotic to take the thing on himself. But he always thinks he knows best—and anyway, I don’t suppose he cares much what Everard thinks of him”
“I can’t imagine he liked being considered criminally careless and irresponsible,” said Rachel indignantly. “But once he’d taken the initiative, there was nothing for any ofus to do but back him up.”
“Including the puritanical Oliver Mayforth.” Hester smiled a trifle maliciously. "He didn’t do it for my blue eyes, I’m sure. He doesn’t like me
any more than I like him. ”
Rachel did not attempt to argue that. She merely said, “He wanted to save Uncle Everard any further anxiety, I imagine.”
“In fact, everyone behaved from the very, very best of motives,” Hester laughed. ‘Well, that’s fine. And now what’s this I hear about Nigel and Fiona McGrath?” Rachel’s mouth went dry, at this sudden change of subject. But she managed to say that she didn’t know what her aunt had heard about Nigel and Fiona McGrath.
“He’s made a great hit with her, I understand.”
Rachel longed to ask from whom she raaderstood this. But, before she could frame the enquiry, her aunt went on.
“Well, it would be a wonderful thing for him, of course, if they made a match of it. Nigel never has a penny—putting everything into that laboratory of his as he does. I suppose if he married the McGrath woman he would never have to worry again, and could finance all the experiments he fancied.”
Rachel supposed so too. But she found herself saying, “Would you think, though, that Nigel is a man who would care to marry for money?”
“My dear, they all would! ” declared Hester, and laughed. “Just as most women would too. Unless one is an impossible idealist, or a born artist, or a moron”— she sounded as though there were little to choose between the three—“most of the things one wants depend upon money. It’s unrealistic to pretend anything else, even to oneself. Perhaps particularly to oneself,” she added reflectively.
Rachel was silent, and her aunt gave her an amused glance.
“You don’t really suppose Nigel would bypass the chance of marrying a fortune, do you?” she asked scornfully. “The kind of fortune that would put him and his work beyond any further anxiety, that is.”
“I don’t—know,” Rachd said slowly. “Suppose he didn’t really lo—like her?”
“It’s almost impossible not to like a good-looking woman with three-quarters of a million pounds attached to her,” retorted Hester simply.
“Is it—is it really as much as that?”
“I have no idea. It could well be more, I suppose. I just suggested that as a nice round sum She has a fortune, anyway. And she’s not unattractive.” “She’s really very beautiful,” Rachel stated justly. And then, because she had to know—“Was it Nigel himselfwho told you that she—she liked him?’’
‘Not really—no. I heard most about it from a friend of the McGraths— Dulcie Cullenthorpe. She says Fiona has fallen for him quite badly. If Nigel plays his cards well, I don't see how he can fail.”
Rachel winced. Not so much for the pain that assurance gave her— though that was sharp enough. But because she was not used to such brutal candour. At home, they were frank enough to each other and as in all families, very sharp words sometimes passed. But this calculation was something quite outside her experience, and she found herself wondering if, in the final event, Hester’s brother also thought along these lines.
It was not a welcome idea, and she was almost relieved when
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