فصل 01

Chapter one

A Wedding

‘Edith,’ said Margaret gently, ‘Edith!’

But her cousin had fallen asleep. She lay curled up on the sofa in one of the sitting-rooms of the house in Harley Street, looking very lovely in her white dress. The two girls had grown up together, but Edith was getting married in a few days, and it was only now, when she was going to lose her, that Margaret realised how beautiful and sweet her cousin was. They had been talking about Edith’s future life on the Greek island of Corfu, where she would live with Captain Lennox after the wedding. But now she had fallen asleep, and Margaret, who had wanted to discuss her own future, had no one to talk to.

Despite the lack of a listener, Margaret’s thoughts were happy ones. For the last ten years, her Aunt Shaw’s house in London had been her home. But soon she was going to return to the country vicarage where her parents lived, and where she had spent her holidays. She was looking forward to the change, although she regretted the separation from her aunt and cousin.

She was thinking dreamily of the vicarage when Mrs Shaw called out from the room next door. She had invited some neighbours to dinner, and the ladies were talking in the sitting-room while their husbands remained in the dining-room.

‘Edith! Edith!’

Margaret rose and went next door.

‘Edith is asleep, Aunt Shaw. Can I help?’

All the ladies said, ‘Poor child!’ on receiving this news, and the little dog in Mrs Shaw’s arms began to bark excitedly.

‘Be quiet, Tiny, you naughty little girl! I wanted to ask Edith to bring down her Indian shawls. Would you mind fetching them, Margaret?’

Margaret went up to the room at the top of the house where the shawls were kept. Nine years ago, when she had first arrived in Harley Street, this room had been her bedroom. She remembered her first meal up there, away from her father and aunt, who were eating below. Margaret had always had her meals with her father and mother. The eighteen-year-old girl remembered how she had cried that first night, hiding her face under the bedclothes. Now she had learnt to love her bedroom, and she looked round regretfully, knowing that she was leaving it forever.

She carried the shawls downstairs, and as Edith was still asleep, her aunt asked her to put them on. The long, heavy shawls looked better on Margaret, who was tall and stately, than they would have looked on Edith, who was much shorter. Mrs Shaw was adjusting a shawl around Margaret’s shoulders when the door opened and Captain Lennox’s brother, Mr Henry Lennox, came in. Margaret looked at Mr Lennox with a laughing face, certain that he would be amused by her situation.

Almost immediately, Edith appeared, shaking her pretty curls. She had a hundred questions to ask Henry, but he soon came and sat next to Margaret, as she had known he would. Margaret’s face lit up with an honest, open smile. Henry Lennox liked and disliked almost the same things that she did, and now she was certain to have a pleasant evening.

‘Well, I suppose you are all very busy indeed - with ladies’ business, I mean. Very different to my business, the law.’

‘Indian shawls are very lovely.’

‘And their prices are good, too. But is this not your last dinner party before the wedding on Thursday? You have been very busy recently.’

‘Yes,’ replied Margaret. ‘I wonder if it is possible to have a quiet time before a wedding.’

‘What would your wedding be like?’

‘Oh, I have never thought much about it. I would like it to be a fine summer morning; and to walk to church through shady trees. It is natural for me to think of Helstone church, rather than a London one.’

‘Tell me about Helstone. Is it a village or a town?’

‘Oh, I don’t think you could call it a village. There is a church, with a few houses near it - cottages, really - with roses growing all over them.’

‘It sounds like a village in a children’s story.’

‘It is,’ replied Margaret eagerly. ‘It’s like a village in a poem.’

‘It sounds lovely. What is the vicarage like?’

‘Oh, please don’t ask me to describe my home. It’s much too difficult.’

‘Margaret, don’t be cross with me!’

‘I’m not cross with you,’ said Margaret, looking directly at him with her large, soft eyes.

‘Then tell me what you do there. How do you fill your day?’

‘I walk a lot. We have no horse, not even for Father.’

‘Do you go to dances?’

‘Oh, no, nothing like that. We don’t have the money.’

‘I can see you won’t tell me anything. Before the holiday ends, I think I will visit you, and see what you really do there.’

‘I hope you will. Then you will see how beautiful Helstone is.’

Tall, handsome Captain Lennox, who had just arrived, came over to greet his brother, with Edith smiling proudly by his side. The two men shook hands and Mrs Shaw welcomed the Captain in her gentle way. Her husband had died many years ago, but she lived a very comfortable life. Lately, she had been worrying about her health, and she started a conversation with the Captain about the possibility of spending the winter in Italy, where it was warmer.

Mr Henry Lennox leaned against the wall, amused by the family scene. Unlike his brother, he was not handsome, but he had a clever, interesting face and people liked him. He was enjoying watching the two cousins as they arranged the table for tea. Edith was doing her best to show the Captain what a good wife she would be, but he noticed that Margaret was much more efficient.