The Black Moth Read online

  ‘He does not now!’ said Warburton sharply. ‘But, Master Dick, if all this is true, why do you not even now clear him? Surely –’

  Richard turned his head slowly.

  ‘Now I may not drag my wife’s name through the mud. By clearing him – I ruin her.’

  Warburton could find nothing to say. Only after some time did he clear his throat and say that he was honoured by Carstares’ confidence.

  ‘You – ah – you dwell on the part played by his Grace on that evening. Surely your – shall we say – overwrought imagination magnified that?’

  Richard was disinterested.

  ‘I suppose so. Mayhap ’twas his extraordinary personality dominating me. He cannot have pulled the wires as I thought he did. Not even Belmanoir could make me act as I did. But – but at the time I felt that he was pushing – pushing – compelling me to accuse Jack. Oh, doubtless I was mad!’

  Warburton eyed the dejected figure compassionately. Then he seemed to harden himself and to regain some of his lost primness of manner.

  ‘You – ah – you are determined not to accept the revenues, sir?’

  ‘I have not yet sunk so low, Mr Warburton.’

  ‘His lordship leaves Wyncham and all appertaining to it at your disposal. He would be grieved at your refusal.’

  ‘I will not touch it.’

  The lawyer nodded.

  ‘I confess, Mr Carstares, I am relieved to hear you say that. It will not be necessary again to communicate with his lordship. I think he does not desire any intercourse with – his family. He finds it too painful. But he wished to be remembered to you, sir. Also to her ladyship.’

  ‘Thank you… You could – ascertain nothing of his situation? He did not confide in you?’

  ‘He was very reticent, sir. I think he is not unhappy.’

  ‘And not – embittered?’

  ‘Certainly not that, sir.’

  Mr Warburton rose, plainly anxious to be gone.

  Reluctantly Richard followed his example.

  ‘You – have nothing further to tell me of him?’

  ‘I regret, sir – nothing.’

  Richard went slowly to the door, and opened it.

  ‘You must allow me to thank you, sir, for your goodness in undertaking what I know must have been a painful task. I am very grateful.’

  Mr Warburton bowed low.

  ‘I beg you will not mention it, sir. Nothing I might do for the Carstares could be aught but a pleasure.’

  Again he bowed, and the next instant was gone.

  Four

  Introducing the Lady Lavinia Carstares

  Richard went slowly back to his chair. After a moment he sat down, staring blankly out of the window, his hands loosely clasped on the desk before him. So he remained for a long while, immobile. At last, with the faintest of sighs, he moved and picked up a quill. He dipped it in the ink, and, with his other hand, drew towards him a sheaf of papers. Presently he was writing steadily.

  For perhaps twenty minutes the quill travelled to and fro across the pages; then it paused, and Richard looked up towards the door.

  It opened to admit Lady Lavinia. She came rustling into the room with her embroidery in her hand. She dropped her husband a mock curtsey and went over to a high-backed armchair, stretching out a dimpled hand to draw it forward. But even as her fingers touched it she had changed her mind, and fluttered over to the couch, there to seat herself with much swirling of brocades and arrangement of skirts. She then proceeded to occupy herself with her work, plying her needle hurriedly and jerkily.

  Richard watched her in silence, following each turn of the pretty hand and each movement of her fair head.

  The silence was evidently not to my lady’s taste, for she presently began to beat an impatient tattoo on the floor with one slender foot. Still, he said nothing, and she raised her pure china-blue eyes to his face.

  ‘Why so glum, Dick? Why do you not talk to me?’ Her voice was rather high-pitched and childish, and she had a curious way of ending each sentence with an upward lilt and a long-drawn-out accent, very fascinating to listen to.

  Richard smiled with an obvious effort.

  ‘Am I, my dear? I crave your pardon. Warburton has just been.’

  Her face clouded over instantly, and the full-lipped mouth drooped petulantly.

  ‘He has seen him.’

  ‘Oh?’ She made the word twice its length, and filled it with disinterest.

  ‘Yes. Jack will have none of it. He asks me to be his steward and to use Wyncham as I will. He is very generous.’

  ‘Yes, oh yes. And you will, Richard?’

  He ignored the question.

  ‘He – Warburton – says he is not much changed.’

  ‘Oh?’ Again the long-drawn monosyllable, accompanied by a tiny yawn.

  ‘He says he does not think – Jack – bears me ill-will –’ He paused, as if expecting her to speak, but she was absorbed in arranging two flowers – culled from a bowl at her side – at her breast, and took no notice. Carstares turned his head away wearily.

  ‘If it were not for you, my dear, I would tell the truth. I believe I shall go crazed an I do not.’

  ‘Dick!’… She dropped the flowers on the floor and thought no more about them. ‘Dick!’

  ‘Oh, you need have no fear! I do not suppose,’ bitterly, ‘that I have the courage to face them all now – after six years.’

  Lavinia moved restlessly, brushing her hand along the couch.

  ‘You will not do it, Richard? Promise? You will not? I could not bear the disgrace of it; promise me you will never do it?’

  ‘No,’ he said slowly, not looking at her. ‘No, I cannot promise that.’

  She sprang to her feet, flinging her broidery from her carelessly, and waved fierce, agitated little hands.

  ‘That means you will do it. You want to disgrace me! You do not care how you hurt me by holding this threat over my head so cruelly! You –’

  ‘Lavinia, for heaven’s sake!’ he implored, pushing back his chair. ‘Calm yourself!’ He knew she was about to fly into one of her sudden passions, and frowned with acute vexation.

  ‘I will not! Oh yes, yes! You think me a shrew! I know! I know! But you need not frown on me, sir, for you are worse! No, I will not hush. I am a horrid woman, but you are a cheat – a cheat – a cheat!’

  Carstares strode over to her.

  ‘Lavinia!’

  ‘No – no! Leave me alone! You make me miserable! You refuse me everything that I want most, and then you threaten to disgrace me –’

  ‘That is untrue!’ cried Richard, goaded into replying. ‘I will not promise, that is all. What have I refused you that was within my means to give you? God knows you try your best to ruin me –’

  ‘There! There! ’Tis I who am to blame! Pray, did you not induce my lord to leave his money to John when you knew he would have willed it all to you an you had kept silence? You took no thought to me –’

  ‘For heaven’s sake, Lavinia, be still! You do not know what you are saying!’

  She pressed her hands to her hot cheeks.

  ‘No – I am unreasonable! I know it, but don’t tell me so, for I cannot bear it! And don’t look reproach at me, Richard! You drive me mad, I tell you!’ She was sweeping up and down the room like some caged animal, lashing herself to a worse fury.

  ‘Say something, Richard! Do something! Don’t stand there so quietly! Oh, you should never have married me! I displease you, and you make me worse; and you do not see how ’tis that I cannot live without pleasure, and money! I am despicable? Yes, yes, but what are you? Oh, why did you tell me you cheated after you had wedded me?’ Angry sobs escaped her; her handkerchief was in shreds upon the floor.

  Carstares turned his back to her, that she might not see how she had contrived to hu