The Case of William Smith

Chapter Nine

The lunch went off well. In his relief at having come more than creditably through a much dreaded interview, Cyril Eversley relaxed to play the courteous, gentle-mannered host. In doing so he was not so much playing a part as throwing one off. It was the role of man of business which he found perennially jading and ungrateful. As the scholarly dilettante he was at his ease. Admiral Holden, who had never thought much of him, was surprised to find him such an agreeable host.

The Admiral was feeling pleased with himself – pleased to be up and about again; pleased to be asserting himself with the Eversleys who had certainly considered him as good as dead and buried (he’d show them!); pleased to be visiting his old haunts and saying what a damned filthy place London was, and very much pleased to see Katharine. When she came into the hall of the club in her blue dress and fur coat, and put her hands in his and kissed him, his weatherbeaten face turned quite scarlet with pleasure and he thought to himself, ‘She’s a lovely woman – and be damned to all the rest of them – they can’t hold a candle to her.’ He squeezed her hands very tight, and she said,

‘Darling Bunny, you look as if you’d just come back from a voyage round the world.’

‘Bed on the verandah,’ he said gruffly – ‘fair or foul – wet, wind, or snow – or I shouldn’t be here today.’

After that everything went with a bang. She had called him Bunny ever since she was three years old. It gave him extraordinary pleasure. She had a loving heart, God bless her, and she looked young and happy, and he had gone into her affairs for her. If he had come out of his verandah bed in the nick of time to dance at her wedding, nobody would be better pleased than he. Only he wasn’t sure that he would have chosen that fellow Brett – no, he wasn’t sure about that. Cyril Eversley seemed to think they had made it up between them, or that they were going to, but that it was all very hush-hush at the moment. He couldn’t see why it should be. He thought he would have a word or two with Katharine and find out. Hang it all, she liked the fellow, or she didn’t like him. She was old enough to know her own mind. He could find out tactfully. He hoped he could be tactful when he chose. Thoughts like these came and went as he partook vigorously of lobster and partridge and finished up with a couple of ices and some Stilton cheese.

Brett Eversley, making himself charming to Katharine, was aware of scrutiny. Admiral Holden’s small bright blue eyes appeared to be sizing him up. He laid himself out to entertain, and succeeded. But when Katharine rose to go the Admiral rose too.

‘We’ll have a taxi, my dear,’ he said easily. ‘I’m going your way.’

‘Darling Bunny, how do you know which way I’m going?’

‘Well, which way are you going?’

‘Back to my job.’

Brett laughed and said, ‘He crashes in where we’ve been afraid to tread! Go on, sir – ask her what she’s doing, and where she’s been hiding herself away!’

Katharine was smiling.

‘Oh, I’m not telling anyone. It’s fun for me, because I can keep you all guessing – and it’s even more fun for you, because you can invent all sorts of scandalous explanations. They won’t any of them be true, but that only makes them more intriguing.’

Brett took her hand and held it just a little longer than he need have done.

‘You won’t tell me where you’re living?’

‘It would spoil the stories. It’s all too, too respectable.’

Cyril said, ‘Have you really got a job? There surely isn’t any need?’

She laughed.

‘I have an urge to work. Doesn’t that prove my respectability? I must rush! Thank you for a lovely lunch.’

At the taxi door she said,

‘I’ll be dropped at the Marble Arch tube.’

Admiral Holden spoke to the driver, and got in after her. Except that he did not move quite as lightly as he had done, he seemed to be perfectly restored. As they drove away, he beamed at her and said,

‘Well, I’ve got everything settled up, and you won’t have any more trouble. If those dividends of yours don’t come in on the nail, you’ve got to let me know. Not much of a hand at business, Cyril Eversley. Struck me that secretary of his knew more about everything than he did. Good-looking woman. They had her in, and she had it all at her fingers’ ends. It seems the old clerk – what’s his name, Davies – was a bit past his work at the end and things got muddled up. I shouldn’t have heard anything about it from Cyril – it was Brett let the cat out of the bag. Cyril was all for hushing it up and saying how long Davies had worked for them, but reading between the lines, I should say he’d left everything at sixes and sevens, and for all we know he may have been feathering his nest for years – ’

Katharine interrupted him with distress in voice and manner.

‘Oh, no – he wouldn’t!’

‘That’s what Cyril Eversley said. But it happens, you know. Old trusted servant of the firm – everything left to him – too much left to him. Then he dies suddenly, and the whole thing comes out.’

She caught him by the arm.

‘Is Mr. Davies dead?’

‘That’s what they were telling me.’

‘When?’

‘They didn’t say. Not so long ago, I should think.’

She said, ‘The last time I went to the office he was there. That was about two months ago. I’ve known him ever since I could remember. He was good – I’m sure he never did anything wrong in his life.’

He patted her knee.

‘Well, my dear, we all have to go some time. And I haven’t got very long with you – I want to talk. First of all, I want to now where you are and what you are doing, and why there’s any mystery about it.’ He looked at her reproachfully – square shoulders, grey hair cut close to his head, water-blue eyes in a ruddy face. ‘What’s all this about? I don’t like it.’

‘Darling Bunny – ’

‘Hiding yourself away, taking some hole-and-corner kind of a job – what’s it all about? Girl does that sort of thing, it means she’s got something up her sleeve. What have you got up yours?’

‘What do we generally have?’

‘A young man,’ said the Admiral bluntly. ‘You’d better tell me who he is, and I’ll size him up for you.’

‘I have sized him up.’

‘Pack of rubbish! A girl can’t size up a man any more than a man can size up a girl. Set a thief to catch a thief, my dear! I’ll size him up for you!’

He saw her eyes widen with that little smile in them, but she didn’t answer. With quick suspicion he came out with,

‘Is it that fellow Brett?’

‘Oh, no, darling.’

‘Well, I’m glad about that. Something I don’t cotton to there. Very agreeable fellow – very good company. What the women call charming – always been a favourite. A bit too much stuff in the shop window to my way of thinking. I like them a bit plainer.’

‘So do I, darling.’

He patted her hand.

‘Very glad to hear it.’ His voice suddenly took on a definitely quarter-deck note. ‘Then what the blazes did that fellow Cyril mean by telling me you were engaged?’

‘Cyril said I was engaged to Brett?’

‘Or as near as makes no difference. Said it was all very hush-hush. Couldn’t make out why. Because if you’re engaged you’re engaged, and if you’re going to be engaged you’re going to be engaged. Can’t see any reason to go mincing round like a cat on hot bricks, which is what that fellow Cyril was doing. So I thought I’d have a word with you and find out what was going on. Tactfully of course – ’

‘Darling, I do love you when you’re being tactful!’

‘Meaning I’m no good at it. Well, I daresay I’m not. And I daresay you think you can manage your own affairs without my putting my oar in. Women always think so until they go on the rocks. Now you listen to me! If you’ve got a man up that sleeve of yours I’d like to meet him. If he’s any good he’ll want to meet me. I’m not your guardian any longer, but your father was the best shipmate and the best friend I ever had, and if you don’t know by now that I’m a good deal fonder of you than most men are of their daughters, you’re not so intelligent as I’ve always given you credit for being. Now, what about it?’

She looked at him sweetly.

‘Bunny, you’re an angel, and I love you.’

He said gruffly, ‘Fine words butter no parsnips. I said, “What about it?” ’

She took one of his hands and held it tightly in both of hers.

‘This,’ she said. ‘There is someone. I love him – very much. And he loves me – very much too. I can’t tell you any more than that – I can’t really. It’s the most wonderful time of my life, and I don’t want it to be spoiled. I want to have it. I want a little time before I tell people – just a little, you know. And you shall be the very first – I promise you that. And I promise you something else – you’ll be terribly, terribly pleased.’

‘Oh, I will, will I?’

‘Yes, Bunny – and here’s my tube station.’

‘All right, all right.’

He followed her out of the taxi, pulled a handful of money out of his pocket, and added a generous tip to the fare. Then he turned back to Katharine.

‘A deuce of a hurry you’re in.’

‘I’ve got to change and get back to my job.’

‘Can’t see what you want with a job myself. Look here, who’s in the Cedar House?’

‘No one at the moment. I let Aunt Agnes have it because she thought she was going to be at a loose end until March when her tenants go out, but her daughter hasn’t been well and she’s gone over to stay with her in Eire.’

‘So there isn’t anyone there. Then why don’t you go down for a bit? Take one of the old cousins or a friend. Get the place aired and lived in.’

‘Mrs. Perkins airs it regularly, darling. She lives next door, you know, over the corn-chandler’s. She is his wife’s aunt, and she used to be Granny Eversley’s cook, which makes her fairly antique, but she still cooks like a dream.’

‘Then go down and let her cook for you.’

‘Later on perhaps. Darling, I must rush. Write to me care of the bank and they’ll send it on. Blessings! It’s been marvellous seeing you!’