The adulteress

"You know very well he takes in a lot. I would pack my bag tomorrow ... if I thought I could safely leave him."

"Oh, Dr. Cabel ... please ... please ... don't. I was just talking it over with Mistress Ransome. It just seemed like an idea."

"The great idea is to keep his mind at rest. I understand him. I've known him for years. I thought he was going to be so good tonight. I did want Mistress Ransome to be able to talk to him a little. For heaven's sake, Mistress Stirling, be careful what you say in his presence."

"I will ... oh, I will."

I went into my room and shut the door.

I felt guilty but my uneasiness outweighed my guilt.

Next morning I walked into the town and called on Rosen, Stead and Rosen. I was immediately shown into the office of Mr. Rosen senior. He greeted me with as much warmth as I was sure he was capable of showing and begged me be seated.

"It is very pleasant to see you here again, Mistress Ransome," he said. "Tell me, how is Lord Eversleigh?"

"I see very little of him. He is very ill, you know."

"I do know that, but there is a doctor in residence, which is very comforting."

"Yes, he was an old friend of Lord Eversleigh ... now retired and so it is possible for him to give up all his time to look after my uncle."

"Splendid! Of course, I doubt very much whether this state of affairs will last. A man in Lord Eversleigh's condition ... Ah well, he is not a young man."

"I wondered about one or two things. Have you visited Eversleigh?"

"My nephew went some time ago ... soon after Lord Eversleigh had his seizure. He saw the doctor. Lord Eversleigh was scarcely in a state to see anyone, and it was agreed that we go on as we had been doing for some time. Lord Eversleigh had given us power of attorney, so the bills came to us and we pay the salaries of the staff ... as we had been doing for some time."

"I see. I did wonder about certain things."

"For the time being everything seems to be in order."

"You are satisfied with the way in which the house is being run? I mean ... expenses are not excessive."

"Indeed no. The ... er ... housekeeper seems to be a woman of good sense who manages the household quite skillfully. The doctor takes no remuneration at all. I gather he is a man of means. He told my nephew that he had known Lord Eversleigh for many years."

"Yes, that is so. I just wanted to make sure that you were satisfied that there was nothing ... unusual about what was happening."

"It is not an ideal situation, but I think in the circumstances the arrangements couldn't be improved on. The accounts are more or less what they have always been. I have no reason to believe that the housekeeper is not running the house in just the same manner as when Lord Eversleigh was ... er ... compos mentis, in a manner of speaking." I see.

"I am relieved that you have come to see Lord Eversleigh. There is no secret of the fact that you are his heiress and I am delighted to have your assurance that you are satisfied with the manner in which the affairs of Eversleigh are being conducted."

"It is a little bewildering. I have not been able to exchange a word with Lord Eversleigh."

"The seizure, I gather, has taken the form of paralysis and partially robbed him of speech. That's not uncommon."

"I wanted to assure myself that you were satisfied with the manner in which Lord Eversleigh's affairs were conducted at the Court."

"I should be more satisfied if some member of the family were in control. But this doctor inspired great confidence in my nephew and we feel that as long as he is there he will see that everything is in order. The ... er ... housekeeper does seem to be a woman of good sense and she appears to honor her obligations. If you could reside at the Court until everything resolves itself that would be ideal, but I understand you have your other family commitments which make that impossible."

I agreed that this was so and we talked awhile and then I rose to go.

He took my hand and held it firmly.

"Rest assured, my dear lady, that should anything happen you will be notified without delay."

I thanked him and left feeling considerably relieved.

I was rather late for the midday meal. Jessie sat with us as she sometimes did and there was the doctor, Dickon and myself.

I explained that I had walked a little farther than I had meant to and didn't realize it until I began to make my return journey.

"It's such a lovely day," I finished lamely.

"Roast pork should be eaten hot," said Jessie, a little severely, I thought. She was so devoted to food that she considered a lack of enthusiasm to get to it a kind of lese majesty.

Dickon was in a talkative mood. He was very affable to everyone and seemed almost in a state of excitement. I wondered whether this had anything to do with his reunion with Evalina, or perhaps he had found a new light o' love. In any case he seemed to be suppressing excitement.