“I’ll take her in,” she said quietly.

“I’ll soothe her down. She has these turns.”

She went into the house with Flora, leaving Gaston, with me, looking after them as they went.

I said: “Come on, we must go.”

We went through the gate and out to the road.

“What do you make of that?” he said.

“I suppose she has flashes of reality.”

“Sister Lucy didn’t seem very pleased about that one.”

“She is very anxious about Flora. What a terrible responsibility it must be.”

“She had just had a visitor,” said Gaston.

“I think there must have been some revelation. I wonder what our pioneering colonist had to say to her.”

I could not stop thinking about Flora and a few days later I called on her. Lucy was at home on this occasion.

“It was good of you to call,” she said.

Flora was in the garden, the pram containing the doll with her.

“She’s well now, aren’t you, dear?” said Lucy to her.

Flora nodded. She was pushing the pram backwards and forwards.

“This rocking gets him off to sleep sooner than anything,” she said.

It seemed that everything was back to normal.

Lucy came with me to the gate.

“She’s recovered,” she said. I thought ‘re covered’ was hardly the right way to describe it. For a moment Flora had been in the present time. Could that not have been a good thing?

“She’s been like this before,” Lucy told me.

“It’s not good for her.

She’s not well after. She gets over-excited. Gets nightmares. I have some soothing medicine for her from the doctor. “

“She seemed for a moment as though she were seeing things as they really are.”

“No, it isn’t quite like that. She’s better as she is now. She’s quiet and contented, really.”

“Something must have provoked it,” I suggested.

Lucy lifted her shoulders.

I went on: “I wondered if it had anything to do with Gerry Westlake?”

Lucy looked startled.

“Why ever should it?”

“I just wondered because he had been to see her. We saw him leaving.”

“Oh no. He’s been away, it must be twenty-seven years or more.”

“I do hope she will be all right.”

“Thank you. I shall see to that.”

I walked soberly home.

I was dismayed when I saw Tamarisk. I had guessed that all was not well after my conversation with Crispin, and I had tried to win her confidence. My dislike of Gaston Marchmont was increasing. Moreover, there was something about his interest in Flora which made me uneasy.

He seemed to be amused by her affliction; and the fact that he was visiting her disturbed me.

On this occasion Tamarisk was not so guarded as she had been. I could see that she had been crying. She must have realized that it would be futile to continue the pretence that all was well.

“Tamarisk,” I said, ‘why don’t you tell me? It helps sometimes. “

“Nothing will help.”

“Is it Gaston?”

She nodded.

“You’ve quarrelled?”

She laughed.

“We’re always quarrelling. He really doesn’t make any effort now.”

“What went wrong?”

“Everything. He said I was a fool and he preferred Rachel. He said she was a simpleton and knew it. I was one too, and didn’t. That was the only difference between us. Crispin hates him and he hates Crispin. I think he hates me, too. He has a violent temper and I thought he was so charming…”

“Poor Tamarisk!”

“I don’t know what to do. I think Crispin would like there to be a divorce.”

“On what grounds? You can’t divorce people just because you suddenly find that you don’t like them as much as you thought you would.”

“Adultery, I expect.”

“On what evidence?”

“I’m sure we can find some. He said he was Rachel’s lover before we were married. He said he would have preferred her. I know why he married me. It’s because of all this. He thinks I’m rich. Well, I do have something, of course. He’d like to own all this. He’s envious of Crispin. He says my brother doesn’t know how to live.”

“And I suppose he does … making people unhappy … cheating, lying.”

I could not stop thinking of what she had said about Rachel. What if this were known? It would be an end to the happy life at Grindle’s. And what of little Danielle, who was such a joy to them? I could not bear it if he spoilt! that.

But he must not, he would not. He would be puttings himself in such a bad light the man who seduced and deserted a young trusting girl!

“Crispin is trying to think of some way to get rid of him. He has been cheating all the way. Even his name. He hasn’t any estates either.

He’s a penniless adventurer. Oh, Fred, I’m so ashamed. “

“Well, I don’t suppose you’re the only one who has been taken in by him. He was very plausible.”

“He drinks too much. That’s when lots of things are revealed. He talks a lot about Rachel. He said he could get her to leave everything and go away with him if he wanted! to.” “That’s nonsense!” :

“I know. But I think it’s true about them. I know she was very keen on him.”

I said: “Rachel is happily married. She has a child. I am sure she would despise him if he made advances to her.”

“She’d be the good little wife, of course. And there is the baby. She must have been very friendly with Daniel at the time, too.”

I had to stop this. I said quickly: “What are you going to do. Tamarisk? “

“I don’t know. I think Crispin will find some way. He’s very clever and he’s working on it. I don’t think he’ll tolerate having Gaston in the house. Gaston still gets round my mother with that flowery talk about her being as beautiful as a young girl. She’s on his side, but that won’t help him. I am sure Crispin will do something soon.”

I was thinking of Crispin. I thought I ought to tell him that Tamarisk had confided in me to some extent.

When he came to the office I had the chance of telling him.

“Good,” he said.

“Can you meet me at the Little Vixen at one o’clock for lunch?” I said I would be there.

I told him what Tamarisk had said.

“What can you do about it?” I asked.

“The best thing would be to get rid of him. But that is impossible. He is not going to relieve us all by departing. The only other solution is divorce. It’s not entirely satisfactory, but I see no other way out.”

“On what grounds?”

“Adultery, I dare say. I feel sure from what we know of him we could find evidence somewhere.”

Not Rachel, I thought. That would be unbearable. Besides, that happened before his marriage. It would not count. But it would be revealed if there were probings, suggestions. Rachel’s happiness must not be sacrificed.

“Do you know for sure that he is promiscuous?” I asked.

“I’m fairly sure of it. As a matter of fact, I am having him watched.

It is highly secret. He has no idea, but if he suspected . well, he would be warned. “

“Do you think you will find something?”

“He’s reckless. Although he is sharp, with an eye on the main chance, he can be foolish in many ways. He married Tamarisk because he thought she would provide a comfortable life for him, which so far she has done; but the strain of keeping up the pretence of being a loving husband has been too much for him. He is a rogue, an impostor, a self-indulgent adventurer. He is clever, but not quite clever enough.

Frederica, I must get him out of the house. I am so glad that Tamarisk has started confiding in you. She talks to me very rarely and then with restraint. You can let me know exactly what she feels. We must meet often. “

He smiled at me very warmly and I felt a glow of pleasure, as I always did when he showed an interest in me. I “Are you still getting on well with Perrin?” he asked. “Oh yes, he is very kind and helpful.” ‘ “You know I have a special interest in you, Frederica?” “After Barrow Wood. Yes. I understand that.” I couldl not resist adding: “Though before that you were hardly! aware of me.” “Oh, I was aware of you when you first came tol St. Aubyn’s for lessons.”

“I shall never forget the first time I saw you,” I said.

“Yes?” he asked.

“It was on the stairs. I was with Tamarisk and Rachel. We came down and you were about to go up. You nodded briefly and when you were still in earshot you said in a voice which we all heard distinctly, ” Who is the plain’ child? “, meaning me.”

“No,” he said.

“Yes, it’s true.”

“It rankled?”

“Very much so. Aunt Sophie had to spend a long time soothing my wounded vanity.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t believe that. What I really meant was, ” Who is the interesting child? “” “When one is thirteen years old, it is rather hurtful to be called a child, and plain is the final insult.”

“You have never forgiven me.”

“Well, I believe I was plain.”

“I remember you had two plaits, very severe, and a penetrating look.”

“And you had a penetrating voice.”

“Believe me, I am very sorry. It was foolish … and obtuse. I should have recognized you as a very attractive young lady. The plainest people often turn out to be the real beauties, the ugly duckling, you know, turned into the ” There is no need to make excuses. I was plain. And, do you know, I began to take an interest in my appearance after that. So you see, it was all right in the end. You did me good.”

He put his hand across the table and held mine firmly in his.

That’s what I want to do,” he said.

“Always.”

I thought then that he was going to say something else, but he hesitated and appeared to change his mind.