FullReads

‘There’s not much fear about my liking any beefsteak pudding you make, dear; I never knew anyone who could make one like you. But you should not tire yourself–and just as you are beginning to get better.’

Mrs Shepherd smiled and pressed her husband’s hand. The conversation fell. At the end of a long silence Mrs Shepherd said: ‘What has happened to trouble you, dear? I know something has, I can see it by your face.’

Then the Major told how unpleasantly his sisters had answered him when he had ventured to suggest that they saw far too much of their new neighbours, who were merely common sort of Londoners, and never would be received by the county. ‘I’m sure that someone must have told them of my visits here; I’m sure they suspect something … Girls are very sharp nowadays.’

‘I am sorry, but it is no fault of mine. I rarely leave the house, and I never walk in the principal streets if I can possibly help it.’

‘I know, dear, I know that no one can be more careful than you; but as people are beginning to smell a rat notwithstanding all our precautions, I suppose there’s nothing for it but to go back to London.’

‘Oh, you don’t think it will be necessary to go back to London, do you? The place suits the child so well, and it is so nice to see you almost every day; and it is such a comfort when you are not here to know you are only a few miles away; and from the top of the hill the trees of the park are visible, and whenever I feel well enough I walk there and think of the time our Nellie will be the mistress of all those broad acres.’

‘It is the fault of the busybodies,’ he said; ‘I cannot think what pleasure people find in meddling in other people’s affairs. I never care what anyone else does. I have quite enough to do thinking of my own.’

Mrs Shepherd did not answer. ‘I see,’ he said, ‘you don’t like moving, but if you remain here all the trouble we have taken not to get found out these last ten years will go for nothing. There will be more worry and vexations, and I really don’t think I could bear much more; I believe I should go off my head.’ The little man spoke in a calm, even voice, and stroked his silky moustache gravely.

‘Very well, then, my dear, I’ll return to town as soon as you like–as soon as it is convenient. I daresay you are right.’

‘I’m sure I am. You have never found me giving you wrong advice yet, have you, dear?’

Then they went down to the kitchen to eat the steak pudding; and when the Major had finished his second helping he lit his pipe, and the conversation turned on how they should get rid of their house, and how much the furniture would fetch. When he had decided to sell the furniture, and had fixed the day of their departure, Mrs Shepherd said–

‘There’s one thing I have to ask you, dear, and I hope you won’t refuse my request. I should like to see Appleton Park before I leave. I should like to go there with Nellie and see the house and the lands that will one day belong to her.’

‘I don’t know how it is to be managed. If you were to meet my mother and sisters they would be sure to suspect something at once.’

‘No one will know who I am. I should like to walk about the grounds for half an hour with the child. If I don’t see Appleton now I never shall see it.’

The Major stroked his long, silky moustache with his short, crabbed little hand. He remembered that he had heard the carriage ordered for two o’clock–they were all going to a tennis-party some miles distant. Under the circumstances she might walk about the grounds without being noticed. He did not think any of the gardeners would question her, and, if they did, he could trust her to give an evasive answer. And then he would like her to see the place–just to know what she thought of it.