The Devil on Horseback by Victoria Holt

her.
    “My mother cares and your family ;
    care. “
    “They don’t. They won’t know the difference in any case.”
    “Your father has allowed you to stay here because he is pleased with your progress.” ;
    42 i
    “He has allowed me to stay because they want me out of the way.”
    “I do not believe such nonsense.”
    “Minelle, you are … what is it called … a hypocrite? You pretend to be so good. You learned all your verbs, I don’t doubt … and twice as quickly as anyone else. And now you go riding on your new horse .. in your elegant clothes … and who is waiting in the woods?
    Tell me that. “
    I asked you here that we might talk seriously, Margot. “
    “What is more serious than this, eh? Joel likes you, Minelle. He likes you very much. I am glad because … shall I tell you something?
    They meant him for me. Oh, that startles you, yes? My father and Sir John have talked of it. I know because I listened . at keyholes. Oh, very naughty! My father would like me to be settled in England. He thinks France is not very safe for a time. So if I married Joel . who will give me riches . and title . that should be considered. Of course he is not of such an ancient family as ours . but we are prepared to forget that. Now you come along with your new horse, your elegant riding clothes, and Joel does not seem to see me.
    He sees only you. “
    “I never heard anyone talk such nonsense as you do when you are in the mood.”
    “It all began, did it not, when you came to tea. You met him on the lawn by the sun-dial. You looked quite handsome standing there. The sun makes your hair look beautiful, I thought. So did he. Are you in love with him, Minelle?”
    “Margot, I do want you to pay more attention to your lessons.”
    “And I want you to pay attention to me. But you are doing so. You have grown quite pink thinking of Joel Derringham. You can confide in me because you know …”
    “There is nothing to confide. Now Margot, you must work harder at your English, otherwise there is no point in your being here. You might as well be in your father’s chateau.”
    “I am not like you, Minelle. I do not pretend.”
    “We are not discussing our respective characters but the need for work.”
    “Oh, Minelle, you are the most maddening creature! I wonder Joel likes you. I do really.”
    “Who said he does?”
    “I do. Marie does, so does Sybil. And I reckon everyone says so. You can’t ride out as often as you do with a young man without people’s noticing. And they draw their conclusions.”
    Then that is extremely impertinent of them. “
    “They won’t let him marry you, Minelle.”
    I felt cold with fear and it was not of Joel or myself that I was thinking, but of my mother.
    “It’s funny, really …”
    She began to laugh. It was one of those occasions when she alarmed me.
    Her laughter grew uncontrollable and when I took her by the shoulders she started to cry. She leaned against me and clung to me, her slender body shaking with sobs.
    “Margot, Margot,” I cried.
    “What’s wrong?”
    But I could get no sense out of her.
    We had snow in November. It was one of the coldest in memory. Maria and Sybil could not come down from the ^ Manor to the schoolhouse and we had very small classes. We were hard put to it to keep the house warm, and although we kept log fires burning in every room, the bitter east wind seemed to penetrate every crack. My mother caught what she called ‘one of her colds’. She suffered from them every winter so at first we took little notice of this one. But it persisted and I made her stay in bed while I kept the school going. So many pupils stayed away that it was not as difficult as it might have been.
    She started to cough in the night and as she grew worse I thought I should call a doctor, but she wouldn’t hear of it. It would cost too much, she said.
    “But it is necessary,” I said.
    “There’s the dower.”
    She shook her head. So I delayed for several days but