‘Charles, why can’t we move out of here to a hotel, or better still rent a house of our own, just a small house? I remember Mrs Wilkins saying such things were very cheap in the hot weather because so many people are in the hills—and it would be much better for all of us.’
‘Because, firstly, it would be impolite; secondly, it would not be good policy, and thirdly, it would still be expensive!’ her spouse replied firmly. ‘However, I believe I will hire a carriage of some sort. We have a real need of one, and I believe Mr Chalmers would be pleased that his own horses are spared extra effort in this heat.’
‘Well, that will be better than nothing. But I do think we should have a house of our own too. Oh, Charles! Do let’s take a house … please!’
‘No house,’ he replied.
Emily said nothing but set her lips and regarded Charles through narrowed eyes in a manner which I recognized as boding trouble. I had realized very soon after we set sail that the marriage of the young Floods was likely to be a tempestuous one. Emily was wilful and Charles strong-willed. There were many points on which they disagreed, and, though Charles did attempt to reason matters out with his wife, even to coerce her into agreement, he had soon shown that he had no intention of giving way to her poutings and temper, a fact which at first had surprised Emily and then enraged her. Later that day, at tiffin , it was obvious from their faces that they had had a quarrel, but it was not until the evening, as I sat on the verandah alone, the Chalmerses having gone out to dine—with many apologies to us, it was a long-standing engagement which they could not break—that Charles told me of my part in it. Emily, in time-honoured female fashion, had pleaded a headache and remained in her room, and I was sitting happily enough in the warm, scented darkness, watching the stars come out, when Charles joined me. His face was still set and angry, and as soon as he sat down he called to one of the eternally hovering servants to bring him a brandy and water.
‘Nothing I can do is right any more,’ he said after a short silence, taking a gulp of the liquor. ‘Nor you either, apparently!’
‘I’m becoming used to that,’ I returned with equanimity, ‘and she will very soon forgive you.’ I was curious to know in what way I had erred, but thought it better not to add fuel to the flames by enquiring.
‘She gets more difficult to deal with every day, Laura. I thought I knew her inside out when we married, but I swear I had no idea she could be so … so contrary, and stubborn and … well, foolish as she is being at the moment!’
I said nothing.
‘It’s this matter of the house she wants, if you please. We are only going to be here for a couple of months, but she’s furious because I won’t hear of it. Says I’m mean and parsimonious and threatens to write and tell her father I’m misusing her dowry! Now I ask you! How can I misuse it when I can’t even touch it? And she knows I can’t. The old man has tied everything up so carefully that I might as well have married a pauper. I probably would have been better off if I had,’ he added, attempting to joke.
‘Perhaps you have not really explained the matter to her,’ I suggested. ‘She has no way of knowing what such things really cost, after all. She has never had to deal with money, and even since she married she has had no opportunity to learn.’
‘But I have tried to explain to her as reasonably as I know how! I told her that, though things are cheaper out here than they would be at home, it was still foolish to throw away money just so that she can make a splash in Calcutta. She wants to give her own parties, dinners—balls too for all I know, and we have yet to meet a soul in the place. She thinks it her duty to entertain for me , she says. I owe it to my “position”! And the Chalmerses apparently aren’t half good enough in their style of living for my
‘Because, firstly, it would be impolite; secondly, it would not be good policy, and thirdly, it would still be expensive!’ her spouse replied firmly. ‘However, I believe I will hire a carriage of some sort. We have a real need of one, and I believe Mr Chalmers would be pleased that his own horses are spared extra effort in this heat.’
‘Well, that will be better than nothing. But I do think we should have a house of our own too. Oh, Charles! Do let’s take a house … please!’
‘No house,’ he replied.
Emily said nothing but set her lips and regarded Charles through narrowed eyes in a manner which I recognized as boding trouble. I had realized very soon after we set sail that the marriage of the young Floods was likely to be a tempestuous one. Emily was wilful and Charles strong-willed. There were many points on which they disagreed, and, though Charles did attempt to reason matters out with his wife, even to coerce her into agreement, he had soon shown that he had no intention of giving way to her poutings and temper, a fact which at first had surprised Emily and then enraged her. Later that day, at tiffin , it was obvious from their faces that they had had a quarrel, but it was not until the evening, as I sat on the verandah alone, the Chalmerses having gone out to dine—with many apologies to us, it was a long-standing engagement which they could not break—that Charles told me of my part in it. Emily, in time-honoured female fashion, had pleaded a headache and remained in her room, and I was sitting happily enough in the warm, scented darkness, watching the stars come out, when Charles joined me. His face was still set and angry, and as soon as he sat down he called to one of the eternally hovering servants to bring him a brandy and water.
‘Nothing I can do is right any more,’ he said after a short silence, taking a gulp of the liquor. ‘Nor you either, apparently!’
‘I’m becoming used to that,’ I returned with equanimity, ‘and she will very soon forgive you.’ I was curious to know in what way I had erred, but thought it better not to add fuel to the flames by enquiring.
‘She gets more difficult to deal with every day, Laura. I thought I knew her inside out when we married, but I swear I had no idea she could be so … so contrary, and stubborn and … well, foolish as she is being at the moment!’
I said nothing.
‘It’s this matter of the house she wants, if you please. We are only going to be here for a couple of months, but she’s furious because I won’t hear of it. Says I’m mean and parsimonious and threatens to write and tell her father I’m misusing her dowry! Now I ask you! How can I misuse it when I can’t even touch it? And she knows I can’t. The old man has tied everything up so carefully that I might as well have married a pauper. I probably would have been better off if I had,’ he added, attempting to joke.
‘Perhaps you have not really explained the matter to her,’ I suggested. ‘She has no way of knowing what such things really cost, after all. She has never had to deal with money, and even since she married she has had no opportunity to learn.’
‘But I have tried to explain to her as reasonably as I know how! I told her that, though things are cheaper out here than they would be at home, it was still foolish to throw away money just so that she can make a splash in Calcutta. She wants to give her own parties, dinners—balls too for all I know, and we have yet to meet a soul in the place. She thinks it her duty to entertain for me , she says. I owe it to my “position”! And the Chalmerses apparently aren’t half good enough in their style of living for my
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