A Marriage of Convenience by Tim Jeal Read Free Book Online Page B

career survived as her only link with what she thought of as the ordinary world.
    At four o’clock, Louise finished with her governess, and Theresa usually spent the rest of the afternoon, until Esmond’s homecoming , with her daughter. After sitting for hours in the formal elegance of the main reception rooms, Theresa liked coming to Louise’s small room with its wallpaper of red flamingoes on dark green and its tables and shelves cluttered with pottery animals and pert-faced china dolls. Less pleasing was a brightly painted plaster statue of the Virgin surrounded by unlit candles; for though Theresa had herself been brought up a Catholic, her daughter’s religiosity sometimes struck her as excessive. When Theresa entered, Louise was sittingcross-legged on the bed reading a book. Theresa sat down next to her and asked what she would like to do. Ignoring the question, Louise looked at her intently.
    ‘Do soldiers go to hell for killing people?’
    ‘I don’t think everything your nuns told you should be ….’
    ‘Never mind,’ the child went on impatiently, ‘they must be cruel to kill people; you can’t deny that.’
    Theresa looked at her in bewilderment. Used to extremes of gaiety or moroseness, she still could not always judge which to expect.
    ‘Why are you so interested?’ she asked.
    Louise swung her legs round and jumped off the bed. She laughed and began to pirouette about the room, her short white dress and petticoats whirling out around her and her red hair flying.
    ‘When you don’t tell me things, I feel ill. Will you feel ill if I don’t tell you?’
    Louise’s eyes looked even larger than usual in her pointed elfish face.
    ‘I doubt it,’ Theresa replied with a smile. Louise tiptoed closer and whispered melodramatically:
    ‘He’s coming. That’s why I’m interested.’
    ‘Who’s coming?’ The child executed another derisive piroutte.
    ‘ Him of course. The lord … the viscount, silly.’ Theresa remained silent. ‘Didn’t you know?’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘When, when?’
    ‘Tomorrow evening. How did you hear?’
    ‘With these,’ said Louise pointing to her ears. ‘The servants tell me everything … except whether we’re going to see him.’
    ‘I’m afraid you’ll be in bed.’
    ‘I’ll watch from the window.’
    ‘I don’t think Esmond would be very pleased if …’
    ‘Esmond’s never cross with me. You said he’d refuse to let me ride in the brougham with Miss Lane when it’s not being used, but he didn’t.’ She ran over to the window. ‘I’ll hear his carriage and I’ll look out.’ She lifted the net curtain and pressed her face to the glass for a moment before turning quickly. ‘Will he wear his uniform?’
    Theresa squeezed her hand affectionately.
    ‘Yes, and his sword will be dripping with blood.’
    ‘Nonsense, it’ll be in a scabbard.’ She looked thoughtful. ‘I wonder how many people he’s killed.’
    ‘Darling, he’ll be dressed just like anybody else.’
    ‘How could he be? Lords have special tailors.’
    ‘Better than Esmond’s?’
    The child looked suddenly depressed.
    ‘How will I know who he is? And from high up too.’
    ‘Perhaps he’ll wear his coronet.’
    Louise made a face and turned her back. Even when treating a subject humorously, she disliked being made fun of. The way she mixed insight with naiveté made it difficult to joke with her.
    ‘Will you see him, mama?’ she asked after a silence.
    ‘Esmond wants both of us to wait. He’s coming to talk business.’
    Louise considered this and frowned.
    ‘Farraway says his squadron cleared the road to Peking for the whole army.’
    ‘Perhaps he exaggerated a little?’ Theresa suggested quietly. She wished that Louise did not take everything she heard from the servants so seriously.
    ‘Farraway says that he was captured trying to save the journalists and the diplomats … the ones they hung up by their arms and feet. They hung him up too and nearly cut off his