The adulteress

"You understand, Zipporah."

"Yes, I understand."

"Well, we are a bit concerned about him ... what he'll do when he grows up. You see ... if you have Eversleigh ... Jean-Louis will go there with you. He can't manage Clavering as well. Clavering belonged to your father and you are the heir to that. You see you are rather a fortunate young woman, Zipporah. Two estates falling into your lap."

"Clavering belongs to my mother," I said quickly, "and she is young yet."

"Oh, I know ... but we talked of these things. They have to be arranged, you know, and it is unwise to put off talking of them because you're trying to delude yourself into thinking your loved ones are immortal."

"My mother discussed this, did she?"

"Yes. We thought that if and when Eversleigh is yours she might—if you were agreeable—make over Clavering to Dick-on.

"I see," I said slowly.

"You see," went on Sabrina eagerly, "he will have no inheritance really except what I have had from my father. He was not rich and times have been hard. Money has lost much of its value. Houses ... land ... they are the only assets which don't seem to deteriorate. It would only happen of course if Eversleigh became yours. You can't be in two places at once."

"No... . What of Jean-Louis?"

"We thought you could talk it over with him."

"He has put a great deal into Clavering."

"I know."

"He loves the place. He was brought up there, you know, as I was ... apart from the time I spent in London before, before ..."

Sabrina had turned sharply away. She could not bear any reference to my father's death.

I went on quickly: "I am sure he would realize that if I were to inherit Eversleigh we should have to come here. That is the idea, isn't it? The family continuing through the generations. Then of course he couldn't be in Clavering. I will talk to him about it."

"Thank you, Zipporah. You see, if Dickon develops this love of estate managing, it would be just what he needed ... and with an estate of his own ..."

"I do see," I said. "I think it would be the only solution ... if ... and when ... But I don't count on it, Sabrina. I know you see my uncle as an old man looked after in a well-run household by a housekeeper who takes a few liberties to which we have to turn a blind eye because she really is doing a necessary job and Uncle Carl is satisfied with the way she does it. When I came before it didn't seem quite like that."

"Well, it is all right now. Jessie sees which side her bread is buttered and she'll keep on enjoying it for as long as she can, which means while Uncle Carl lives on."

As we were getting up a woman walked by.

She was fresh-faced, middle-aged and gave us a pleasant smile.

"Good day," she said and hesitated.

We returned the greeting and she went on: "I have seen you around in the last few days. You're staying at the Court, aren't you?"

We told her we were and she said: "I live at Enderby."

I felt my heart begin to beat fast. Gerard's friends—the owners of Enderby who had lent him the house while they were away. Perhaps I could get news of him.

Sabrina was saying: "My parents lived at Enderby until they died."

"Oh, well, you would know the house well."

"We can't resist coming to have a look at it."

"Then you must come in and see what you think we have made of it."

Sabrina was as excited as I was.

"It's so kind of you," she said.

"Not at all. We're thinking of cutting down some of the trees to make the house lighter."

"That was done once," said Sabrina. "My mother did it when she went to live there."

"They seem to grow so quickly here. Sometimes I feel that one morning I'll wake up to find us completely shut in by them."

She feels it, I thought. She feels the supernatural power of the house.

On the other hand she looked happy and proud as she opened the door and let us in.

Memories came rushing back. I fancied I could hear the sounds of the fair in the nearby fields. I felt sick with longing to be with Gerard again ... to go back in time, to mount that staircase with him to the bedroom with the white and gold brocade curtains that had ... for an instant looked red in the afternoon sunlight.

Sabrina was looking up at the minstrels' gallery.

Our hostess laughed. "Oh, that's the part that is said to be haunted. When we bought the house we were warned. I said I was not afraid of the ghost and would leave out a glass of wine for him ... or her ... if she would deign to visit me."

"And you still feel the same now you live here?" asked Sabrina.

"I've never seen anything. Perhaps I'm not the type they like to visit."

"I think a great deal depends on your attitude towards them," I said. "When I was here last time I met someone who was staying here... ."

At that moment a man appeared on the staircase.

"We have visitors, Derek," said our hostess. "They know Enderby well. Isn't that interesting? Come down and meet these ladies. This is my husband, Derek Forster. I am Isabel."

He was as pleasantly welcoming as his wife.