Why did I get these fanciful ideas? It was due to living in a house in which it was said there was a ghost whose story some resemblance to my mother’s. Benedict and I were the two whom she had loved dearly and I could not get out of my mind that there must be ties which even death could not break. It had been one of her dearest wishes that Benedict and I should be friends. I thought a good deal about Celeste and Oliver Gerson. I had heard him attempt blackmail and I was aware that he was an unscrupulous adventurer. Would Celeste know this or would she be only aware of that overwhelming charm, which I imagined would bring some balm to a woman who thought herself to be unwanted? I decided to talk to her.
I asked her if she would come to my room because I wanted to show her something, but when she arrived, unsuspectingly, I thought it best to come straight to the point. “Celeste,” I said. “I know it is none of my business, but I was passing The Hanging Judge the other day ...”
She was startled. She turned pale and then the color rushed into her face.
“You saw ...”
“Yes. I saw you come out with Oliver Gerson.”
She did not answer.
“You know of course that Benedict has forbidden him to come to the house?”
She nodded.
I said: “Celeste, please forgive me ... but ...”
“I know what you are thinking. You are quite wrong. I went to see him because ... well, you know he left the house in a hurry.”
I nodded.
“He had found some lace mats in his luggage ... only small things. He said he had swept them up at some time when he was getting his things together. He thought they might be valuable ... special lace and so on ... and he wanted to return them.”
“And he did? And are they valuable?”
“I don’t know. I’d never seen them before. I did not know they were missing. I just put them back in the room which had been his. Surely you didn’t think ...”
“Not really. But, you see, Benedict having quarrelled with him …”
“Benedict never talks to me of that sort of thing. Mr. Gerson said there had been some misunderstanding. He didn’t want Benedict to know that he had seen me ... and he thought our meeting like that was the best way of returning the mats.”
“He could be rather dangerous, you know,” I said.
“Dangerous?”
“Well, there was this quarrel. I thought he would not be coming to the house again.”
“He did tell me that he had been badly treated.”
“And you believed his side of the story.”
She shrugged her shoulders.
I did not know how far I could go and it occurred to me that I was getting into dangerous waters. Benedict had spoken to me on the spur of the moment, in the heat of his anger against Oliver Gerson and because he knew that I had overheard enough to piece some story together. He would trust my discretion. Perhaps I was going too far now. “I don’t think it is wise to see him,” I finished lamely.
“It is good of you to worry about me, Rebecca. I’m all right. I would never take a lover ... if that is what you are thinking. I love Benedict. I always have. I wish I didn’t. I’m a fool, I know, but I do. He is the only one I want. It’s not easy ... being here with him when he shows so clearly that he does not love me.”
“Dear Celeste, forgive me.”
“There isn’t anything to forgive. I’m so glad you are here. You’ve helped me a lot.
Sometimes I am so wretched, Rebecca.”
“You can always talk to me.”
“Talking helps,” she admitted. “You understand how it is.”
“Yes, I understand. I meant forgive me for thinking ...”
“You mean about Oliver Gerson?”
“I think he could be a dangerous man,” I said.
It was always interesting to drink a cup of tea in Mrs. Emery’s room. Her all-seeing eyes missed little. I knew at once that something excited her. She poured out the tea in her special cups.
“My goodness, Miss Rebecca, that Mr. Marner is a one, isn’t he? You can’t help noticing that he’s around ... singing that one about kangaroos and things. You’d think you was in the wilds of Australia. But you can’t help liking him. He’s got a smile for everyone ... no matter who. Mind you, he’s not exactly what I’d call a true gentleman.”
“It depends on your definition of a gentleman, Mrs. Emery.”
“Oh, I know one when I see one. I’ve always worked for them. But he’s a bit of a caution. That Miss Belinda thinks the sun shines out of his eyes.”
“She is apt to get these feelings for people ... and mostly men.”
“She’ll be a little Madam when she grows up, I shouldn’t wonder.”
“Some children are like that. They are attracted by people and put them on a pedestal.” I was rejoicing that her adoration for Oliver Gerson had waned and that Tom Marner had clearly stepped into his shoes.
“It does you good to hear them all laughing away,” she said. “Another cup?”
“Thank you, Mrs. Emery. It’s delicious.”
She nodded, gratified.
“Have you noticed the change in that Leah?”
“Leah?” I queried.
