HF - 05 - Sunset by Christopher Nicole Page B

that school any more,' Oriole pointed out with great patience.
    'Not going to Mother's school ?' Alan cried.
    'You may tell your mother that I will call ... no, that I would be very pleased if she would call on me, this afternoon,' Oriole said. 'When I will explain the situation to her. Now, if you will excuse us, young man.'
    Alan had already opened the gate. Oriole swept through, and Meg followed, pausing to give him an apologetic smile, then hurrying behind her mentor. Hannibal bounded out of the gate to follow them, barking and scattering the sheep. The Great House loomed at the top of the hill, bathed in the morning sunlight. Meg felt so excited she thought she was going to be sick. She wished she could invite Alan along; he wanted to see the inside as much as she did. But Oriole would never permit it.
    'You have been encouraging that young man,' Oriole said, and shot a sideways glance in time to catch Meg's blush. 'Don't trouble to deny it.'
    'Oh, but, he's my ...'
    Oriole sighed loudly. 'A friend, you were going to say?
    I thought I had explained that. That boy could not be your friend, even if you had a brother. You are a Hilton. You are heiress to the Hilton Plantations ...'
    'They're worth nothing now,' Meg said.
    'Kindly do not interrupt. They are going through a temporary depression. I have studied the matter deeply, and it would pay you to do the same. West Indian sugar is depressed because it receives no subsidies, not even duty free entry into England. Whereas beet sugar from the Continent is supported by government bounties which enable it to be placed on the market too cheaply. But there are moves afoot to correct this state of affairs. Oh, indeed. I see a great revival ahead, for West Indian sugar.'
    'Is that why you came out here?' Meg asked.
    Oriole paused at the foot of the front stairs. 'Of course not.'
    'Then why did you come?' Meg persisted. 'Papa says your father is still alive.'
    'Of course Father is still alive. But he is well cared for by my sister. And when James died, why, I knew I had a duty to perform. Hilltop is the fountainhead of everything Hilton. Without it, without its splendour, the family is as nothing. And the family, I can tell you, is utterly scandalized at the way your father has let it run to ruin. It must be our task, yours and mine, to restore the plantation, to restore everything Hilton to the greatness it once knew. The greatness it deserves. Don't you agree?'
    'Well ... that would be lovely, if it could be managed.'
    'Of course it can be managed,' Oriole insisted, and led the way up the steps. 'Get away, you brute, you can't come in here. Now. Let us inspect the House.'
    It took an effort to turn the key in the lock, and then another effort to pull the huge mahogany door, bound with strips of rusting iron, open. The two women peered at the gloom beyond, sniffed the mustiness. 'Quite eerie,' Oriole commented.
    'We should have brought a candle,' Meg suggested.
    'Not necessary, there is light enough. From the skylights. Didn't you know there were skylights? Four of them, in the roof.'
    And in fact it was growing lighter by the moment, as the sun rose.
    'But we must have some air,' Oriole said. 'I know. We'll open them as well.' She climbed the stairs. 'Careful now. We don't know how solid these boards are.'
    They creaked, and there was dust everywhere, gathering on Meg's hands as she touched the balustrade, seeming to clog her nostrils. But she was too fascinated by the row of pictures to care. 'Are they all Hiltons ?'
    'Of course they are.' Oriole's voice echoed. 'Our ancestors. People we have to live up to, Margaret.' She reached the gallery. 'Help me.'
    Meg hurried to her side and together they untied the rope from its cleat, and slowly tugged the skylight open. A breath of pure nectar seemed to slide in.
    'There we are,' Oriole said, retying the rope. 'Good heavens, what a lot of dust. We shall both need baths after this. We'll just open another light, then we can find the