The pool of St Branok

My mother knew how I was feeling. I was sure that there were long consultations between her and my father. There were several dinner parties to which young men were invited—or rather they were not very young and most of them I had known since childhood. I knew what they were trying to do. They felt I should marry again and they were trying to find a suitable husband for me.

I did imply that I did not want a husband, and if I did I should prefer to find my own; they knew I saw through their little ruses. Their great desire was for my happiness, but I felt restricted, shut in, with too much loving care. I wished I could have told them about Ben and my feelings for him. But there seemed no one to whom I could talk of that.

One day Mrs. Pencarron came over to tea. She liked to visit us and did so fairly frequently. Then, of course, we were invited to dinner parties at Pencarron Manor and they came to us at Cador.

Morwenna and the Pencarrons were in the conspiracy which was to find a husband for Angelet. I was half amused, half impatient with them.

On this occasion Mrs. Pencarron had news.

Sitting in the drawing room, slowly stirring her tea, she said, "We've been talking ... Josiah and I ... It's about Justin."

"Oh?" said my mother.

I was alert. I thought: What has he been doing? I had visions of a card table in the Pencarron drawing room. They never played cards by the way. But I imagined Justin, red-faced and guilty with the ace of hearts up his sleeve.

"He's a very good young man ... very clever," said Mrs. Pencarron. "We're so grateful to him. He's made our Morwenna so happy."

"She is certainly that," agreed my mother.

"He truly loves her and he adores young Pedrek."

"Well, Pedrek is a charming little fellow. Our Rebecca dotes on him and she has very good taste."

Mrs. Pencarron smiled. "I was all against it at the first. So was Josiah really. But he said we mustn't be selfish and he's right really. For a long time ... before Morwenna's marriage ... he said we ought to have an office in London. From the point of view of business it would be a good thing ... marketing and export and things like that ... which Jos says is too much to be done down here. So he's thinking of opening up this office and putting Justin in charge of it. He's told Justin ... in a vague sort of way. You see, they could go to London ... after all, though it is a long way from here ... there's the railways and everything. And Justin says how they could come down here often and perhaps we could have little Pedrek here from time to time, for they'd be very busy in London and the country air would be good for him. It's going to be a bit of a wrench. But it'll be good for business ... and now there's someone in the family who could take on this office."

"I see," said my mother. "We shall miss Morwenna, shan't we, Angelet?"

She was looking at me intently; and after Mrs. Pencarron left she said: "I believe you are envying Morwenna ... going to London."

"Justin will be pleased," I said.

My mother made no other comment on that occasion, but I knew she and my father had many discussions, and I began to guess what was in their minds.

At length it came. "Angelet, I think you would like to go to London. You must find it a little dull here."

"Of course not. It's just that ..."

"I know." She was thinking of Gervaise. "It was a tragic thing that happened to you, darling. And you so newly married. It has been a great worry to us. But you know your father and I want the best for you and we have both come to the conclusion that if you felt you would like a little stay in London we wouldn't want you to think about leaving us. You have the house there. There are Uncle Peter and Aunt Amaryllis and Helen and Matthew ... Well, the family."

I felt my spirits lift a little. It would be a change and there was always an element of excitement in that.

My mother, who was quick to notice my moods, realized this.

"That's settled then," she said. "You could go up with Morwenna and Justin. I'll write to Amaryllis. I expect you could stay with them until you get settled into your own house. Would you like to take Annie with you for Rebecca? We shall miss you very much but we'll come and visit you and you'll come back here."

I put my arms round her and hugged her. "You are so good to me," I said.

She laughed and replied: "What else did you expect? There is nothing your father and I ... and Jack ... want so much as to see you happy again."

Morwenna came over. She was so pleased because I was going with them.

"I wasn't looking forward to it, Angelet," she told me. "I love it here. And I think the country air is so good for Pedrek."

"There are wonderful parks in London," I reminded her.

"Yes ... but it's not the same. On the other hand, Justin is so pleased. He's not really a country man. It's an excellent idea ... this office in London, you know."