I wouldn’t.”
“What do you expect me to do? Go and tear it off her? There’s a limit to the free entertainment the village can expect.”
“I wonder what Stephen will say,” said Catherine.
Deborah looked surprised. “I doubt whether he will even notice, except to think how well it suits her. It’s more her dress than mine. Are those cakes all right for you or would you rather forage for sandwiches?” Catherine, baulked of further discussion, went on with her tea.
2
The afternoon wore on. After the scene in the tea-tent the fun had gone out of the fête for Catherine and the rest of the jumble sale was little more than a laborious chore. They were sold out before five as Deborah had predicted, and Catherine was free to offer her help with the pony rides. She arrived in the home field to see Stephen lift Jimmy, screaming with delight, into the saddle in front of his mother. The sun, mellowing now at the ending of the day, shone through the child’s hair and turned it into fire. Sally’s shining hair swung forward as she leaned down to whisper to Stephen. Catherine heard his answering laugh. It was a moment of time she was never to forget.
She turned back to the lawns and tried to recapture some of the confidence and happiness with which she had started the day. But it was of no use. After wandering about in desultory search for something to occupy her mind, she decided to go up to her room and lie down before dinner. She did not see Mrs. Maxie or Martha on her way through the house. Presumably they were busy either with Simon Maxie or with preparations for the cold meal which was to end the day.Through her window she did see that Dr. Epps was still dozing beside his darts and treasure hunt, although the busiest part of the afternoon was over. The winners of the competitions would soon be announced, rewarded and acclaimed and a thin but steady stream of people was already passing out of the grounds to the bus terminus.
Apart from that moment in the home field Catherine had not seen Sally again, and when she had washed and changed and was on the way to the dining-room she met Martha on the stairs and heard from her that Sally and Jimmy were not yet in. The dining-room table had been set with cold meats, salads and bowls of fresh fruit, and all the party except Stephen were gathered there. Dr. Epps, voluble and cheerful as ever, was busying himself with the cider bottles. Felix Hearne was setting out the glasses. Miss Liddell was helping Deborah to finish laying the table. Her little squeals of dismay when she could not find what she wanted and her ineffectual jabberings at the table napkins were symptomatic of more than normal unease. Mrs. Maxie stood with her back to the others, looking into the glass above the chimneypiece. When she turned, Catherine was shocked by the lines and weariness of her face.
“Isn’t Stephen with you?” she asked.
“No. I haven’t seen him since he was with the horses. I’ve been in my room.”
“He probably walked home with Bocock to help with the stabling. Or perhaps he’s changing. I don’t think we’ll wait.”
“Where’s Sally?” asked Deborah.
“Not in apparently. Martha tells me that Jimmy is in his cot so she must have come in and gone out again.”
Mrs Maxie spoke calmly. If this was a domestic crisis she evidently regarded it as a comparatively minor one which warranted no further comment in front of her guests. FelixHearne glanced at her and felt a familiar tinge of anticipation and foreboding which startled him. It seemed so extravagant a reaction for so ordinary an occasion. Looking across to Catherine Bowers he had a feeling that she shared his unease. The whole party was a little jaded. Except for Miss Liddell’s inconsequential and maddening chatter they had little to say. There was the sense of anticlimax which follows most long-planned social functions. The affair was over, yet too much with them to permit relaxation. The bright sun of the day
“What do you expect me to do? Go and tear it off her? There’s a limit to the free entertainment the village can expect.”
“I wonder what Stephen will say,” said Catherine.
Deborah looked surprised. “I doubt whether he will even notice, except to think how well it suits her. It’s more her dress than mine. Are those cakes all right for you or would you rather forage for sandwiches?” Catherine, baulked of further discussion, went on with her tea.
2
The afternoon wore on. After the scene in the tea-tent the fun had gone out of the fête for Catherine and the rest of the jumble sale was little more than a laborious chore. They were sold out before five as Deborah had predicted, and Catherine was free to offer her help with the pony rides. She arrived in the home field to see Stephen lift Jimmy, screaming with delight, into the saddle in front of his mother. The sun, mellowing now at the ending of the day, shone through the child’s hair and turned it into fire. Sally’s shining hair swung forward as she leaned down to whisper to Stephen. Catherine heard his answering laugh. It was a moment of time she was never to forget.
She turned back to the lawns and tried to recapture some of the confidence and happiness with which she had started the day. But it was of no use. After wandering about in desultory search for something to occupy her mind, she decided to go up to her room and lie down before dinner. She did not see Mrs. Maxie or Martha on her way through the house. Presumably they were busy either with Simon Maxie or with preparations for the cold meal which was to end the day.Through her window she did see that Dr. Epps was still dozing beside his darts and treasure hunt, although the busiest part of the afternoon was over. The winners of the competitions would soon be announced, rewarded and acclaimed and a thin but steady stream of people was already passing out of the grounds to the bus terminus.
Apart from that moment in the home field Catherine had not seen Sally again, and when she had washed and changed and was on the way to the dining-room she met Martha on the stairs and heard from her that Sally and Jimmy were not yet in. The dining-room table had been set with cold meats, salads and bowls of fresh fruit, and all the party except Stephen were gathered there. Dr. Epps, voluble and cheerful as ever, was busying himself with the cider bottles. Felix Hearne was setting out the glasses. Miss Liddell was helping Deborah to finish laying the table. Her little squeals of dismay when she could not find what she wanted and her ineffectual jabberings at the table napkins were symptomatic of more than normal unease. Mrs. Maxie stood with her back to the others, looking into the glass above the chimneypiece. When she turned, Catherine was shocked by the lines and weariness of her face.
“Isn’t Stephen with you?” she asked.
“No. I haven’t seen him since he was with the horses. I’ve been in my room.”
“He probably walked home with Bocock to help with the stabling. Or perhaps he’s changing. I don’t think we’ll wait.”
“Where’s Sally?” asked Deborah.
“Not in apparently. Martha tells me that Jimmy is in his cot so she must have come in and gone out again.”
Mrs Maxie spoke calmly. If this was a domestic crisis she evidently regarded it as a comparatively minor one which warranted no further comment in front of her guests. FelixHearne glanced at her and felt a familiar tinge of anticipation and foreboding which startled him. It seemed so extravagant a reaction for so ordinary an occasion. Looking across to Catherine Bowers he had a feeling that she shared his unease. The whole party was a little jaded. Except for Miss Liddell’s inconsequential and maddening chatter they had little to say. There was the sense of anticlimax which follows most long-planned social functions. The affair was over, yet too much with them to permit relaxation. The bright sun of the day
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