CHAPTER XXIII
That night after dinner when the guests had left the house in BerkeleySquare, Mr. Strobridge asked his aunt if she would lend him Miss Bushfor Friday night to help him to entertain some bores. Beatrice would beaway, and he really felt he could not face them alone. Gwendoline orArabella would come, too. Katherine had dined at the Strobridges' housein Brook Street once or twice before, for similar reasons, and therequest therefore did not seem unusual. But Gerard knew his Seraphim toowell not to be aware that when she heard that Mordryn had dined also shemight suspect some plot, and would then very possibly be mildly annoyedwith him, and really angry with Katherine. Every scrap of his diplomaticgift would have to be employed over this. He was going to be at theluncheon next day which the Duke had announced his intention ofattending. He must so manage the conversation that miniatures werediscussed, and then in aunt's hearing Mordryn could be asked to come andinspect them as a mere afterthought. If this failed to allay allsuspicion of underlying intention in the affair, he would have boldly totell his aunt the truth, only taking the whole credit--or blame of theidea--upon his own shoulders--No reflection must fall upon Katherine.
Her Ladyship announced casually that, yes, he might take the secretaryand welcome if he returned her not too late at night; she had to be upearly in the morning as she was starting on a holiday of a few days'duration. The dutiful nephew thanked his aunt, and requested her to letMiss Bush know that she would be wanted on Friday if she would be kindenough to come.
But Lady Garribardine was preoccupied with a subject much nearer herheart, and turned to it at once.
"I am dying to see Mordryn, G. I wish I had known he was going to speakto-day and I would have gone to the House; he felt it his duty, Isuppose--this wretched Land Bill! How did he look? And did you get aword with him? I shall see him to-morrow, of course."
Mr. Strobridge gave the message that he had been asked to give, andvouchsafed the information that the Duke had appeared as usual and wasaltogether charming as ever.
"It is to be hoped he will get some good out of life now that he is freeat last from those mad women."
Her Ladyship's face assumed a strange expression. She sat down in herusual armchair with an air of fatigue.
"Your words strike home, G.--for you know I made his marriage--in thosefar back ignorant days when no one thought of heredity or such things. Iliterally married him off to Laura almost against his will, because hewas utterly devoted to me and I to him, and the situation was becomingimpossible, over ten years between our ages, his immense position andmine--and Garribardine jealous--There was nothing else for it. Laura wasa sweet, foolish creature then, beautiful and of no account. I felt shewould never replace me in his affection, and in those days, nearlythirty years ago, it would have been considered almost indecent to talkof what future children might turn out--They were supposed to come fromthe cabbage beds and to have nothing to do with their parents!"
"Of course, one had always heard he was devoted to you, Seraphim--He isstill."
"Dear Mordryn!--Laura gave him trouble on the honeymoon, and once madehim look ridiculous--He never pardoned that. By the time she was shutup, I was fifty, G., and had mercifully a strong sense of humour, soMordryn and I had no lapses and have remained firm friends as you know."
"One has often wondered what his inner life could have been during allthose years of horror at home. He was a model of circumspectionoutwardly, but the adoration of women must have affected him now andthen."
"Not greatly, I think--Naturally he has had some consolation, but whenone thinks of it, it is perfectly marvellous that no woman in Englandhas ever been able to flatter herself that she possessed an influenceover him--and, of course, in these last years he has not even seen any."
"I suppose he will marry again now, having no heir?"
There was a very interested note in Mr. Strobridge's voice.
"He must--And he must find a sane and strong woman--the family is on theverge of being overbred. I must look out a suitable bunch for him toselect from."
"I should leave it to fate this time, Seraphim."
"If I do that some totally unsuitable creature with a clever mother willgrab him."
Mr. Strobridge laughed.
"Has not the man a will of his own?"
"No man has a will of his own while the vanity of his sex is still inhim. He is as defenceless as a baby, and at the mercy of any cunningfemale. I could not bear to see Mordryn suffering a second time," andLady Garribardine sighed.
* * * * *
After luncheon next day, when the rest of the company had departed, theDuke stayed on and accompanied his friend up to her own sitting-roomwhere they could talk undisturbed.
They understood each other completely. They spoke for a long time of histravels and of his release at last from bondage and strain, and of howhe was going to open Valfreyne once more and see the world of hisfellows and take up the thread of his life.
"You must not keep a grain of mawkish sentiment, Mordryn," Her Ladyshipsaid at last. "You must banish all remembrance of Laura and Adeliza andbegin life afresh."
"At fifty-three?--It is a little late, I fear, for the game to have muchzest."
"Tut! tut! You have never found the youngest and most beautiful womanrecalcitrant, I'll wager. One had heard not so many years ago that acertain fine creature in Paris almost died of love for you!"
The Duke smiled, and when he did this it was an illumination, his facein repose was so stern.
"Not of love--of chagrin, because the ruby in the bangle she receivedwas reported to her--by her masseuse--to be of less pure pigeon's bloodthan the duplicate--which I gave to the Spaniard. It is impossible togauge the love of a mistress; it is equally kindled by rubies and thecharms of a youthful Apollo."
"But you need not now confine your attentions to _ces dames_ anylonger, Mordryn; there are numbers of our world who would console you."
The Duke smiled again.
"None of them ever mattered to me very much, as you know, dear friend,from the days when my whole soul was yours. Since then women have beenrare relaxations, ephemeral diversions leaving no mark."
"We are going to change all that!"
Then their talk drifted to other things, and before His Grace left hehad promised to spend Easter at Blissington.
While luncheon had yet been in full swing and a propitious moment hadcome, Gerard had carried out his plan. The subject of miniatures wasintroduced, and a heated argument ensued about the likelihood of the newacquisitions being by Cosway, and then the suggestion that the Dukeshould come in and dine the next night and decide the matter came outquite naturally.
Lady Garribardine made no remark at the time, and indeed hardly thoughtabout it, but that night when she sat by her bedroom fire, she suddenlyremembered that her secretary would meet the Duke, and for a long timeshe stared into the glowing embers in deep thought.
No, it was not possible that the girl had known that he would speak;that was not her reason for wishing to go to the House of Lords; but shehad seen him there, and now she would meet him at dinner!
A number of expressions chased themselves over Her Ladyship'scountenance, while her eyes never left the one point in the coals. Thefrown of cogitation deepened on her forehead and then cleared away. Shehad come to a decision.
* * * * *
When Mordryn had retired with his hostess after luncheon, GerardStrobridge had sought Miss Bush in the secretary's room.
"The deed is done, Katherine," he announced, with an attempt at gaietywhile his heart was heavy within him. "The Duke is coming to dinner onFriday night, and Gwendoline not Arabella, and a couple of bores fromthe country, so all my duties and sacrifices are completed. Now are yougoing to give me a reward?"
"It depends upon its nature."
"Yes, I know that. It is quite a reasonable one. It is to come down inmy motor with me this afternoon and see the spring borders at HamptonCourt?"
Katherine hesitated. She would love to go, but she had work to do beforeto-morrow, and unless she sat up late at night it could not beaccomplished.
He came over and spoke earnestly.
"I feel that this will be the last time that we can be pupil andteacher, Katherine. Fate is going to change for us both. I want to keepa memory of you, dearest, when you were my friend alone, without theshadow of any other interest between--Won't you try to give me this onelast great pleasure?"
Katherine was touched.
"Yes, I will," she agreed. "I cannot go up and ask Her Ladyship now, butI believe she would let me go. I have no business with her untilto-morrow morning. Do you want me to come at once?"
"Yes, I will walk on round to the garage and get the motor, and you canmeet me at Stanhope Gate."
It turned out to be an afternoon which neither of them would everforget, and Katherine Bush had never been so near to emotion for herfriend as when at last they sat down upon a bench and looked away tothe broad green avenue between the giant trees.
Gerard Strobridge had exerted every power he possessed to please her. Hehad enchanted her fancy, and had drawn out all that was finest inherself. They had studied the flowers, and talked of their favouritebooks; and Katherine was conscious that she herself was being brilliant,and that now his flights were not beyond her, but that she could fullyhold her own.
"If I had been unwed, Katherine, would you have married me?" he askedher at last. "Divine as to-day has been, think what it would have meantwith love between us--and further joys to come. Katherine, I would havedone my utmost to make you happy. Will you answer me this question? Ithink it may be the last one I shall ever ask you."
She let her hands fall into her lap and she looked at him critically fora while before she spoke. And her voice was reflective when she didreply.
"I think if you had been free at that first Christmas, yes--I would havemarried you, I would have let you take me away and teach me all that Inow know--And then I would have made you use all your gifts and rise,rise to the top of your tree. I would never have rested until you hadreached the summit, and I with you."
He gave a little groan and covered his face with his hands.
"I forged all the barriers to joy by weakness long ago, Katherine. Idrifted idly down life's stream, and now am caught in the rushes andcannot get free. The thought is bitter sweet, dear love--this picture ofwhat might have been. And I would have taught you to love me at last.Ah! God! the pain! But now I do not want to finish this day withsorrowful repinings. I will keep this memory of your words and go myway, and when you come into your kingdom remember me, and let us renewour friendship on calmer shores."
He took her hand, and pulling her glove off backwards kissed each whitefinger, and then his eyes grew misty and he said farewell. And inKatherine's heart there was a strange sadness, and they hardly spoke atall as they sped homewards.