Northanger Abbey

10

The following morning, Cat walked up to the Book Festival grounds with the Allens. Mr Allen was intent on listening to some economist talking about first world problems, so the two women were free to drink coffee and eat shortbread till their friends joined them. They’d barely settled themselves with lattes and biscuits when the entire female division of the Thorpe family arrived, along with James. Cat was thrilled by the absence of John Thorpe, but she said nothing in case it was construed as taking an interest in his whereabouts. And then someone might text him and summon him and her morning would be ruined.

While James queued to fulfil everyone’s orders for hot and cold drinks, Bella slung an arm round Cat’s shoulders, complaining about the length of their separation. ‘At last!’ she said, drawing her chair closer. ‘How’s tricks? I mean, not that I need to ask because you look stunning. You’ve done something different with your hair, haven’t you? Man, you are trying to make yourself irresistible, nobody else in Edinburgh’s going to get a look in, you evil witch. My bro totally fancies you, and obviously Henry Tilney feels the same way since he came back to Edinburgh and made a bee-line for you. Like, wow. My ma says he’s practically edible. You have to introduce us, right? First chance? I’m buzzing to meet him. Is he around this morning?’

‘I haven’t seen him.’

‘Oh, poo. Am I never going to meet this stallion? Oh, but, do you like my new top? Ma has this woman who makes stuff for her and I got her to do this to my own design. Cool, right? I thought Edinburgh would be more interesting fashion-wise, didn’t you? But it’s really quite dull. Considering they’re all so creative, their clothes are like, totally similar. Jamie and I were just saying this morning how we’re really tired of the city, and how we were gagging for the countryside. Honestly, you wouldn’t believe how in tune we are. We think the same about everything. I’m really glad you weren’t with us because you’d have been ripping the piss out of us.’

‘Why would I do that?’

Bella poked her arm. ‘Because you would have wanted to see us squirm. You’d have been teasing us about being made for each other or some other sick story like that. You’d have had me blushing as red as your T-shirt.’

‘No way,’ Cat protested. ‘That’s not who I am. And besides, it wouldn’t have crossed my mind.’

‘Hah! I know you better than you know yourself, missy. But here’s Jamie, back with our lovely coffees.’ She cooed at him while he distributed drinks and scones and shortbread and had him sit beside her at the cramped table.

As soon as they’d cleared their plates and emptied their cups, Bella linked arms with James and stood up. ‘Time for us to go walkabout.’ Almost as an afterthought, she said, ‘Come on, Cat, let’s see who we can see. I swear I saw Stephen Fry earlier, over by the Author’s Yurt.’

Cat fell into step beside them but it soon became clear to her that she was only there as a sort of chaperone to stop the adult tongues wagging. James and Bella kept whispering in each other’s ears so even if they’d wanted to include Cat, she wouldn’t have been able to contribute to a subject whose identity was unknown to her. Besides, the duckboard walkways were too narrow for them to walk comfortably three abreast when there were other book lovers to be taken into consideration. Cat was on the point of making her excuses and heading into the bookshop when she caught sight of Ellie Tilney emerging from the Spiegeltent.

Cat cut across the corner of the grass and waved to Ellie, whose solemn face lit up in a smile. ‘Hi, Ellie,’ Cat said. ‘How are you doing?’

‘Good, thanks. And you?’

‘I’m sorry I missed you yesterday, I got dragged off for a run out to North Berwick for fish and chips, thanks to my brother’s friend who wanted to show off his new car.’

‘Tedious,’ Ellie said, falling into step beside Cat. ‘Men and cars is a recipe for boredom.’

‘Susie was telling me you managed to snag tickets for Macbeth, you lucky thing.’

Ellie nodded enthusiastically. ‘It was brilliant. Really dark and sinister. They played it like the Macbeths believed they were invincible, like they had special powers.’

‘What? Like vampires or something?’

‘Exactly that. So it was all the more shocking when everything started coming apart the way it would for mere mortals. Henry hasn’t stopped talking about it.’

Even the sound of his name made Cat tingle. ‘Henry’s such a good dancer.’ The non sequitur was out of her mouth before she could check it with her brain. The line clearly surprised and amused her companion.

‘I suppose,’ Ellie said with a smile.

‘I hope he didn’t take it the wrong way the other evening. When that idiot Johnny Thorpe pushed in and stopped us dancing together. OK, I did say I would have a dance with him, but he made out that he was my partner for the evening, which was total crap. So rude.’ She tried to stop herself babbling but without success. ‘It was really nice to see Henry again, I thought he’d gone for good.’

‘Oh no, when he met you at Fiona’s, he’d just come up to make sure the house was all prepared for us. My dad’s such a total perfectionist, Henry wanted to avoid any hassle with the rental company and the staff.’

That would never have occurred to Cat, it being so far from her own experience of the world. ‘Right. So who was it I saw him dancing with after I got dragged off by Johnny?’

‘Miranda Tait-Brown. Her mother and my mother were at school together. We’ve known the Tait-Browns all our lives.’

‘She must have been well pleased to have such a good dancer for a partner.’ And before she could stop herself – ‘Do you think she’s pretty?’

Ellie raised one eyebrow. ‘Never have.’

‘Is Henry coming to the Book Festival today, then?’

‘No, he’s gone on a ride-out with my father.’

‘What’s a ride-out? I’ve never heard of that.’

‘Most of the Borders towns have a traditional ceremony where they sort of beat the bounds or mark something about the town’s history. It’s an excuse for a bunch of men to mount up their horses and ride over the fields then get horribly drunk. There might have been a good reason for it once but now it’s just silly business.’ Ellie glanced over at the book tent. ‘Look, have you got a minute?’

Regardless of her commitments, Cat would have said yes. She followed Ellie into the temporary bookshop, where her new friend selected a large coffee-table book from one of the displays and beckoned Cat to one of the sofas arranged around the room. She checked the contents page and opened the book about halfway through, so it sat across both their thighs. ‘This is the Langholm Common Riding,’ she said, pointing to a striking photograph of a quartet of plump bowler-hatted men on horseback riding through a narrow street. ‘These guys are called the cornets. You see, they’re carrying the standard.’

She turned the page to reveal an imposing fortified house against a dawn sky. Cat had learned enough in Edinburgh to understand it was a hybrid of Gothic and Scots Baronial. In the foreground, a string of riders in scarlet coats and bowler hats cut a dramatic diagonal swathe across the photograph. ‘That’s Northanger Abbey and this is our ride-out.’

‘OMG,’ Cat breathed. The abbey was vampire heaven. It was the perfect setting for an adventure in the Hebridean Harpies series. She said as much, and Ellie raised her eyebrows, a wry smile quirking one corner of her mouth.

‘You’re not the first one to say that. It’s not nearly as grand as it looks, though. Some parts of it are almost modern.’ She pointed to the figure at the head of the ride-out. His face was unreadable in the limited light of the dawn, but his carriage was erect and his lean figure a sharp contrast to the Langholm cornets. ‘That’s my dad.’ Neither her voice nor her face gave anything away about her feelings towards her father. She glanced at her watch. ‘Oh God, is that the time? I’m supposed to meet my cousin for lunch out in Cramond. I have to run.’ She dumped the book on Cat’s lap and jumped to her feet. ‘Lovely to see you again – are you going to the Highland Ball tomorrow night?’

‘Yes, will I see you there?’

‘For sure.’ Ellie bent down and gave Cat a quick hug. Cat watched her leave, holding tight to the book, thinking that it would be hard to imagine how the day could have been improved upon.

Although Annie Morland had worked hard to convince her daughters that fretting over clothes was a waste of time and energy, she might as well have saved her energy. From the moment Ellie Tilney left her side until Cat arrived at the Highland Ball, nothing occupied her thoughts but how she could look good enough to captivate Henry Tilney. Had she paid more attention to her mother, she would have understood how little store men set by the cut of a woman’s dress; at least, the sort of men it would be worth her while trying to attract. No man would notice her outfit except when it revealed too much; no woman would be happy unless they could find something to criticise. Cat had yet to learn that she would be best served by dressing to please herself rather than ceding control to another’s taste, real or imagined. Instead, she was convinced that the wrong choice would destroy her chances of impressing Henry, so her entire day was spent in consideration of her wardrobe.

Having finally settled on a simple dark blue dress in a silky fabric that caught the light and made it dance, Cat walked into the Highland Ball in a ferment of expectation. Her eyes darted everywhere, eager to catch a glimpse of Henry Tilney, but equally eager to spot John Thorpe so she might more easily avoid him. She knew she’d be lucky if Henry Tilney came near her after the way John Thorpe had behaved, but she couldn’t help hoping Ellie might have put in a good word for her. But that good word would be wasted if she was being monopolised by the man she devoutly wished not to see.

This sort of anxiety was entirely new to Cat. She’d only ever been pursued in a half-hearted way by village boys who were going through the motions of courtship, experimenting in a safe zone where it didn’t really matter. Both sides understood these were flirtations with training wheels firmly attached; and besides, Cat had never found any of the local boys even momentarily worthy of her fantasies. This heart-quickening, breath-stopping feeling that hit her whenever she thought of Henry was something she’d only read about, never mind the stomach-clenching dread of being pursued by someone she was growing heartily to dislike. She had no idea how to defend herself against his attentions and she was far too kind simply to tell him to get lost. And she did know enough to understand that being blunt with John could have awkward repercussions for her beloved brother and Bella, neither of whom she wanted to inconvenience.

Their party was barely inside the ballroom when they were waved over to join the Thorpes. Cat hung back, trying to keep at least one person between her and John. When he greeted her loudly, she pretended she couldn’t hear him over the music. Luckily, she was soon drawn aside by Bella. ‘I know what you’re going to say, but honestly, I am so going to dance with Jamie tonight. I don’t care what people say, he’s such a sweetie. But you have to cover for us. You need to dance with Johnny, so it just looks like the four of us having fun.’ She looked around for her brother. ‘Damn, he’s walking off. But he’ll be back in a minute.’

There was nothing Cat wanted to say that wouldn’t have hurt her friend’s feelings, so she said nothing, staying put as Bella and James moved off towards the dance floor, resigning herself with heavy heart to being the focus of John Thorpe’s bulldozer bluster. In a bid to avoid his eye, she fished out her phone and pretended to be absorbed in her Facebook page. When a shadow fell over her screen, she was almost too dismayed to look up. But if she had failed to do so, she’d have missed the welcome sight of Henry Tilney leaning towards her, a friendly smile lighting up his dark eyes. ‘Can you drag yourself away from Facebook long enough to dance with me?’ he asked mischievously.

Although the fantasy of this very moment had enlivened every waking moment of the day, it had not prepared Cat for the warm rush of delight that followed his request. ‘I’d love to,’ she said, thrusting her phone back in her evening bag and taking his proffered arm. She could scarcely credit her luck – not only had she avoided John Thorpe but she’d also won a fresh chance to charm Henry Tilney.

But no sooner had they made it to the fringe of the dance floor when a familiar voice boomed in her ear. There, right behind them, was her nemesis. ‘Hey, Cat, what are you playing at? I thought we were supposed to be dancing together?’

‘I don’t know where you got that idea, since you never asked me.’ Fifteen, love, she thought.

‘I did,’ he harrumphed. ‘I asked you as soon as you came in.’

‘You did no such thing,’ she said. ‘I haven’t spoken to you all night.’

‘Damn it, I only came tonight because you were supposed to be my partner. It’s been fixed since the other night.’

Henry, smiling, said smoothly, ‘Which is it? This evening or the other evening? You’re really not very convincing.’

John glared at him. ‘I remember now. It was when you were waiting by the cloakroom for Andy Allen to fetch your coat.’

‘It’s a wrap,’ Cat said.

‘And here I’ve been telling everybody I’m booked to dance with the prettiest girl in the room. And when they see you dancing with him, I’m going to look a complete twat.’

‘Don’t worry, they’ll never think of me after a description like that,’ Cat said, taking pity on him and patting his arm.

‘Whereas that description of you ...’ Henry spoke so softly only Cat could hear and she had to stifle a giggle.

‘So who is this tosser you prefer to me?’ John demanded, glowering.

‘My name is Henry Tilney,’ Henry said. ‘And I suggest you take some lessons in manners before you speak to Cat again.’

‘Tilney? Don’t tell me you’re Freddie Tilney’s baby brother?’ John sneered.

‘How do you know my brother? I can’t imagine him having anything to do with someone so ill-mannered.’

‘We’re old friends, me and Freddie. I was his potboy at Fenners.’

‘That was a long time ago. Now if you’ll excuse us?’ Henry stepped neatly between Cat and John. There was a moment when she thought John would take matters further, but when he turned away, pretending one of his sisters was calling him, she understood that he was the kind of bully who backed down whenever he was confronted. ‘Thank you,’ Cat said, turning back to Henry.

‘Just as well he decided to retreat,’ Henry said. ‘Only an idiot takes on a lawyer in a matter of contract.’

‘Contract?’

‘You and I contracted to dance and he tried to pretend there was a pre-existing contract between you and him. But when his claim was tested, he had to withdraw, exposed as a liar and a cheat.’ His response, which could have been dry and legalistic, was delivered with wit and a sardonic grin.

‘I wasn’t aware that agreeing to dance was a legally binding contract.’ She matched his smile.

‘Absolutely. Very similar to marriage, in fact.’

Cat laughed out loud. ‘You’re being silly now.’

‘Not at all. Fidelity and mutual consideration are at the heart both of dancing and marriage.’

‘And fancy footwork too, obviously. But people that marry are supposed to stay together forever. People that dance only whirl around the room for an hour or two then part.’

‘Have you never heard of divorce, woman?’

‘I’ve heard of it but we’re not keen on it in my family. My father’s a vicar, you see.’

‘My father’s a general, but we’re not keen on it in my family either.’ A momentary shadow fell across his face. ‘Once you’re a Tilney, there’s no escape.’

‘Does that go for dancing too, or just marriage?’

He laughed. ‘Now you’ve got me. But please, can you allow me the luxury of fidelity on the dance floor at least? No more flirting and batting your eyelashes at other men?’ His eyelids lowered as if he were not entirely joking.

Cat groaned. ‘Johnny Thorpe is my brother’s friend and my friend’s brother. Ignoring him is too awkward. But apart from him, I don’t think I know anyone else in the room who would even want to talk to me.’

‘And that’s the only reason? That you don’t know anyone?’

Cat looked away. ‘I don’t actually want to talk to anybody else.’

‘That makes me feel much happier.’ He steered her towards the dance floor with an arm round her shoulder.

‘What was all that about Johnny Thorpe knowing your brother? His potboy? What’s that?’ Cat asked.

‘Freddie went to Fenwick House School. It’s one of those places that has ideas above itself and has stupid invented names for everything. A potboy is like a fag. A first-year oik who has to run around after the senior men. Like a little servant. Freddie will have bullied the living daylights out of Thorpe, and he’ll have loved every minute of it.’ Henry’s contempt was obvious. ‘But let’s not waste our breath on that idiot. Are you still enjoying Edinburgh? Not tired of it yet?’

‘No way. This is the most exciting place I’ve ever been. There’s so much going on, so much to do and see. I was afraid it would all be over my head, the theatre and the art and the comedy. But I’ve loved it all.’

‘And yet all this lot will disappear like Scotch mist as soon as the festival is over. They’ll flee back to London. Because London is where it’s at, according to them. I’ve even heard them say there’s no politics outside London.’ He gave a bark of laughter. ‘What in the name of God do they think is going on at Holyrood? A debating society? They’re all so bloody smug and narrow. They come here to show how very adventurous they are, turn it into London-on-the-Forth for a month then bugger off again.’ His disdain shone through his every word.

‘If they think Edinburgh’s a backwater, they should try a Dorset village. They’d die of boredom.’

‘You don’t like the country?’

‘I love it. But you have to admit one day is pretty much like another. It’s not like Edinburgh. Or London, I suppose. The only thing I wish is that I knew more people like the ones I’ve met here. Sitting in Susie’s kitchen is mostly the closest I get to intellectual company.’

‘Poor you! At least now you’ll be able to entertain them with stories of your cultural adventures in Edinburgh.’

Cat groaned. ‘Don’t. I’m going to be the world’s biggest bore on the subject. My sisters are already threatening to superglue my mouth shut.’

‘Mmm. Lovely girls, by the sound of it.’

‘They’re good fun. I just wish they could both be with me to enjoy it here. They’d love it.’

And on that wistful note, the band struck up a Strip the Willow and all possibility of speech was postponed. At one point, when they were in the middle of the set and Cat was struggling to get her breath back, she noticed a tall, pale-faced man come forward and lean in to whisper something to Henry, who responded at once. The man wore a scarlet tunic with medal ribbons over tartan trews and he was strikingly handsome in spite of his silver temples and somewhat gaunt features. His hair flowed back from the same widow’s peak Cat had noticed on Ellie earlier. He nodded to Henry and melted back into the crowd lining the dance floor. Cat tried to catch his image in the long mirrors that lined one wall of the ballroom, but she was too late and could see no trace of him. Just as if he were a vampire, she thought with a frisson of amusement.

When next the couple came together, Henry said, ‘That was my father. The man who spoke to me.’

But the dance separated them again before she could respond. They remained on the floor for a Canadian Barn Dance and an eightsome reel, but finally conceded temporary defeat when a Virginia Reel was announced. Cat and Henry found Ellie in the refreshment room and collapsed on the chairs next to her. ‘I’m puggled,’ Henry said. ‘Cat has worn me out.’

‘Wimp,’ his sister said. ‘I’ve just been up for the last three dances with Sandy Baird and I’m fresh as a daisy.’

‘Really? I bet you’ll feel it in the morning.’

Ellie laughed. ‘Is that a challenge? Tell you what, let’s all take a hike up Arthur’s Seat tomorrow. That’ll sort out the sheep from the goats. What do you say, Cat?’

Cat couldn’t imagine how she would feel in the morning but she didn’t want to miss any possibility of spending time with Henry. ‘Sounds like a plan.’

‘OK. We’ll pick you up at noon. Deal?’

Henry agreed. ‘Deal.’

Cat nodded, but before she could speak, Mr Allen appeared at her side. ‘Cat, Susie’s not feeling very well, so I’m going to take her home. Will you be OK coming back on your own?’

Cat jumped to her feet. ‘I’ll come with you.’ She turned to her friends. ‘I’d better go in case there’s anything I can do for Susie. She’s taken such good care of me while I’ve been here. And I’ll see you tomorrow at noon?’

‘Unless it’s chucking it down,’ Ellie said.

As she followed Mr Allen from the room, Cat cared not for her aching feet or her tired legs. Inside, her spirit was skipping. It was, she thought, only the start of the dance.