The adulteress

Evalina was grateful to me. She looked upon me as a very clever woman. But in everything she said I felt there was a reference to my love affair with Gerard. Even now the implication was: How clever you are. Look how well you managed your own affairs. Jean-Louis has not a suspicion. She had done very well herself in deluding Andrew but she had to admit she had gone to pieces when that sly old nephew had arisen.

However, all was well. He was sent packing by that wily Mr. Rosen and now we were safe ... both of us.

So although I felt relieved I was still a little uneasy, and I often wondered how far I could trust Evalina.

She settled down without Andrew and quite clearly loved her baby. There were rumors of a somewhat torrid relationship between her and Jack Trent, who looked after the Grasslands farms, but I think everyone felt that something of the sort was to be expected. She was a young woman without a husband and clearly she had a fancy for men and they for her.

I saw her frequently, which was inevitable, our being such close neighbors. She would be at church gatherings; it was quite clear that she wished to be an accepted member of the community and wanted me to help her. I did so—half because I was sorry for her, half because I felt it would be expedient to do so, and we began to succeed. People could not go on remembering that she was her mother's daughter forever.

Letters came from Clavering. They were well and they were thinking it was a long time since they had seen us. They missed us very much. The estate was being perfectly run. Dickon had a flair for the work. He was so enthusiastic, and it was such fun to see him thinking up new schemes which would be so very advantageous to everyone.

I said to Jean-Louis: "They behave towards him one moment as though he is some blessed infant and the next some towering genius."

"He'll be in his element," said Jean-Louis. "He was always longing to get his hands onto everything."

"Yes," I agreed. "He's a very acquisitive young man."

"We must meet at Christmas," my mother continued. "Dear Zipporah, we can't be separated much longer, can we? I long to see darling Lottie. Perhaps we will come to you for Christmas or you must come to us. We must be together then. ... By the way, a letter came for you and Jean-Louis. I am enclosing it herewith... ."

I looked at the letter and recognized the handwriting. We had once been ve*y familiar with it.

"It's James ..." I cried. "James Fenton."

We opened it at once and read it together. James would be staying at the Black Swan in London for a week. He wondered if we could come up and see him. He had given us good warning because he would so much like to see us. He would make the journey to Clavering but we would understand that he had no great wish to come there for fear of unpleasant encounters.

I looked at Jean-Louis. "We must go," I said. "Look, there is time. His week doesn't end until next Thursday."

Jean-Louis looked dismayed. He did not see how he could get away on so little notice. If he had a manager it would be so different, but as it was so much depended on him. I looked at him sadly. It was not only that, I knew. The journey to London would be exhausting for him.

"I will write to him and tell him we are here. There could be no reason why he shouldn't come to Eversleigh."

I said nothing but I was going to do my best to go to London and see James Fenton.

I went to Enderby later that day because my friendship with Isabel Forster had grown even more firmly and I made a habit of talking over my problems with her.

She said: "To catch him you would have to go by the end of the week. It need only take two days to get to London. You could make reservations at the Black Swan."

"Yes," I said, "but I can't very well go alone."

Isabel said: "I don't see why Derek and I shouldn't come. We were going to London later on. As a matter of fact we have stayed at the Black Swan. We could bring forward our visit and make the arrangements now."

"Oh, Isabel," I cried, "that would be wonderful. Jean-Louis would have no fears if I traveled with you."

As soon as Derek came in she put the plan to him.

I said earnestly: "I have an idea that it is rather important for me to see James. I think he might be able to recommend someone who can help Jean-Louis. After Amos Carew he is reluctant to engage anyone."

"Who wouldn't be? I daresay Amos had some good recommendations."

"It just occurred to me that James might know someone ... well, let me tell you what is exactly in my mind. I was wondering whether I could persuade him to come to Eversleigh."

Jean-Louis was delighted when he heard that the Forsters were going to London for he hated to disappoint me and he knew how much I wanted to go. This seemed an admirable solution.

The day before we were to set out I went over to Enderby to discuss last-minute preparations and found that Charles Forster was there.

"Here's news," said Isabel. "You tell her, Charles."

"It's about London," he said.