The Reluctant Widow Read online

  He and John drove to Highnoons, to take up Nicky, and discovered this young gentleman to be almost completely restored to health, his spirits only damped by the thought of what lay before him. He smiled gratefully at John, and said it was devilish good of him to have come down from London.

  ‘Well, of course I have come!’ John said severely. ‘If that is a sling you have hanging round your neck, put your arm in it, and see you keep it there!’

  ‘Oh, the wound scarcely troubles me at all! I don’t need the sling, and only wear it to please Becky!’ said Nicky, who had lost no time in getting upon terms with Miss Beccles.

  ‘Very likely, but it will present a good appearance. I know these Sussex juries!’

  ‘Yes, but I did not get hurt in that fight with Eustace!’ objected Nicky.

  ‘No need to say so unless you are asked, and then you will say you were wounded in repelling housebreakers,’ said his cynical brother. ‘Either way will serve as well.’

  He turned to shake Elinor warmly by the hand, and to make his bow to Miss Beccles. Carlyon addressed some observation to Elinor; she replied to it; and then, waiting in vain for any comment on her gray gown, with its black ribbons and lace, rallied him with: ‘Well! You perceive, I trust, that I am gone into half-mourning at least! I expect to be heartily commended!’

  ‘You look charmingly, ma’am,’ he replied.

  She was put out of countenance. ‘Oh, no, no, no! I was not asking to be complimented on my looks, but upon my docility!’

  There was an amused expression in his eyes; he answered, however, with perfect gravity: ‘You forget that I have three sisters. I trust I have learnt from them to avoid making such remarks as must be reckoned tactless in the extreme.’

  She laughed out at that. ‘Well! It is very hard if I am not to be praised for showing myself so biddable! I received my Lord Bedlington yesterday in the most sombre black imaginable. He has been with you, I think: has he told you of his intention to stay at Highnoons for the funeral?’

  ‘Yes, and I am aware that you have cause for complaint. Believe me, I did not intend you to undergo such hardship when I begged you to take up your residence here.’

  ‘No! It quite spoils the tranquillity of my sojourn here!’ she countered. ‘When all has been so agreeable until now!’

  He smiled, but only said: ‘I trust your rest was undisturbed last night?’

  ‘No such thing! Your brother’s odious dog scratched so vigorously at my door that I was obliged to get up out of my bed to let him in!’

  ‘He must have taken a marked fancy to you, ma’am,’ he said politely.

  ‘He had a marked fancy for the ham-bone he had laid under my bed!’ she retorted.

  He laughed. ‘Well, that is a great deal too bad, certainly, but never mind! I am relieving you of both him and my graceless brother.’

  ‘Oh, no!’ she exclaimed quickly. ‘No, pray, do not, sir! He is an excellent watch-dog, and gives me the greatest feeling of security! Only fancy! He would not allow the baker to come within fifty yards of the house!’

  ‘What’s that?’ Nicky demanded. ‘You will not make me go back to the Hall yet, Ned! I am set on searching for that precious document, whatever it may be. Besides, Cousin Elinor will not like to be left without Bouncer, and you know he will never stay if I go.’

  Both Elinor and Miss Beccles added their earnest entreaties to his, and it was finally agreed that Nicky should return to Highnoons after the inquest. He naïvely informed his brother that he had found an attic stuffed with old lumber, and meant to have a rare time poking about amongst the entrancing relics he had discovered there. ‘You can have no notion, Ned! There is an old pistol, I dare say as old as Queen Anne, and a couple of rapiers all rusted over, and I do not know what more besides!’

  ‘Famous!’ said John sardonically. ‘The very place where you would expect to find a state paper!’

  ‘Well, as to that, there’s no saying where it might be, after all,’ argued Nicky. ‘But only think, John! Do you remember that first-rate kite Eustace had, and would never let Harry fly? I found it there, under a heap of rubbish, and recognized it on the instant!’

  ‘No!’ John exclaimed, much struck. ‘Why, it must be years old! I wonder you should remember it!’

  ‘Oh, yes! It had red stripes! I could not forget!’

  ‘Yes, that’s true. And a long tail, which Harry snipped off when Eustace was so mean-spirited as to refuse to let him fly the thing! Well, upon my word!’

  It began to seem as though rummaging amongst half-forgotten playthings, instead of attending an inquest, was to be the order of the day, but the two brothers were recalled to a sense of the occasion by Carlyon, and rather regretfully followed him out to the carriage. Miss Beccles softened the rebuke by suggesting that they should fly the kite later.

  ‘By Jove, yes! Do let us, John!’ Nicky exclaimed.

  ‘Nonsense!’ said John. ‘Kites, indeed! I wonder if it is as good as ever?’

  The carriage drove away with them, and the two ladies returned to their interrupted task of dragging all the books from their shelves in the library, clapping them together, dusting the covers, and restoring them to their places. It was exhausting work, and the clouds of dust that thickened the air, and made the ladies sneeze, seemed to indicate that Eustace Cheviot had not been of a bookish turn of mind. Such extraneous matter as floated to the floor when the books were clapped plainly had been placed between the leaves by feminine hands. Several dried flowers were discovered, an old laundry-list, and a recipe for making eel broth, which Miss Beccles thought would be a sustaining diet for an invalid. But of state secrets there was no trace, and although Miss Beccles derived great satisfaction from knowing that no dust, cobwebs, or spiders any longer lurked on the shelves, Elinor could not but feel that she had been wasting her time.

  They were just sitting down to a nuncheon of cold meat, fruit, and tea, when the Carlyon carriage once more pulled up at the front door, and the three brothers alighted. Elinor ran out at once to enquire whether all were well, and was met by Nicky, who called cheerfully: ‘They have not put me in irons, Cousin Elinor! The Crowner was a great gun! I had not thought it had all been so simple! To tell you the truth, I did not above half like the notion of having to give my evidence, but no one could have been more civil! I was soon feeling at home to a peg. And Hitchin spoke in bang-up style! It was brought in Accidental Death, and only fancy! half of the people who had crowded in to listen to the case set up a cheer! I can tell you I was glad to be able to jump up into the carriage, and get away!’

  ‘Oh, I am so heartily thankful!’ Elinor cried. ‘It must have been so, of course, but one could not help being a little anxious.’

  She put out her hand impulsively to Carlyon, as she spoke, and he shook it, saying: ‘Thank you. It is happily over, and did indeed go without the least rub.’ He added, a smile in his eyes: ‘Judging from the demeanour of the spectators, it would have gone hard with the jury had they brought in another verdict! I was obliged to hustle Nicky away, for what must some of the villagers do but try to shake him by the hand, as though he had been a public benefactor!’

  ‘Well, it was improper, but one cannot wonder at it,’ said John. ‘Cheviot left no stone unturned to render himself odious in these parts.’

  She led them into the dining-parlour, and pressed them to partake of some cold meat. Nicky exclaimed: ‘What, mawdling your insides with tea again! No, I thank you!’

  ‘Yes, indeed, it is very wrong to be drinking tea at such an hour as this,’ confessed Miss Beccles. ‘But such an agreeable luxury!’

  Happily for Nicky, Barrow had seen the carriage drive up to the house, and now brought a large jug of ale into the room, and three tankards. The gentlemen were thus able to enjoy a very tolerable nuncheon, during which they discussed the inquest with the ladies, informed them what arrangements had been made for