Time of the Hunter's Moon

A Summer Interlude

WE had heard from the cousins and they were delighted with the arrangements and expressed assurance that as Miss Grant was so highly recommended by Miss Hetherington, she would take good care of Teresa.

"As if they cared," said Daisy. "You can read the relief oozing out of their words."

Aunt Patty wrote that she thought it was an admirable suggestion and Teresa could have the room next to mine. She had made curtains of sprigged muslin-delphinium blue in colour-and a bedspread to match. Very pretty but Violet said they wouldn't stand up to the wash. Trust Violet! She could not wait to meet us at the station.

I showed the letter to Teresa who from then on dreamed of a room with delphinium blue sprigged muslin curtains.

She had not mounted a horse since her accident. The general opinion was that she should, but I told Miss Hetherington that she had had a great shock and that she was seized with trembling every time the subject was broached, and we did not yet know the full effects of her fall. So we decided that we would let Teresa have her way.

Charlotte and her cronies did not taunt her as I feared they would. It might have been that my words had had some effect on them or perhaps they were too excited about the coming break.

I saw nothing of Sir Jason. I heard that he had gone to London and I began to realize that there had been nothing of any great significance in our encounter. He had been ready to turn it into what he would call an adventure-just a light-hearted passing affaire; and as I had not responded with enthusiasm, he, preferring easier conquests, had not thought it worth while to pursue the project. I was ashamed of myself for thinking so much about him. I must stop thinking of it. I must dismiss the incident in the courtyard as I had tried to in the case of my encounter with the stranger in the forest. One had to accept people's idiosyncrasies and try not to find a reason for them when it was quite impossible to know what was going on in other people's minds. As for allowing oneself to be disturbed-even faintly-by a man of Jason Verringer's reputation, that was the utmost folly. I would proceed to forget all about him.

The rest of the term slipped by and as soon as we were in July the girls talked of little else but the coming summer holidays-the longest of the year and the most looked forward to.

The day came when we steamed into the station and there was Aunt Patty in a biscuit-coloured creation covered with blue-and-yellow flowers perched on her head. I watched Teresa's eyes shine with excitement, and I knew that Aunt Patty was going to live up to my picture of her.

"Oh there you are." I was held in that lavender scented embrace which brought back memories. "And this is Teresa."

Teresa was caught up in Aunt Patty's arms.

"Well, here we are in Moldenbury. Violet's in the dog cart. She wouldn't leave the horse. Tom will take your bags. Here you are, Tom," she said to the railway porter. I couldn't help smiling. It was typical of Aunt Patty to be on friendly terms with everyone in record time and she seemed as at home here as she had at Grantley. "Here we are. Vi! Vi! You can leave the horse and come and greet our girls."

Violet looked just the same as ever, with her brown hair escaping from a brown hat which looked more sombre than it actually was in comparison with Aunt Patty's glory.

"The girls are here, Violet. This is Teresa."

"Hello, Teresa," said Violet as though she had known her all her life. "And Cordelia." We embraced rather emotionally. I was very fond of Violet and I knew she was of me.

Violet drove the dog cart and Teresa and I sat opposite Aunt Patty as we jolted along the lanes.

Aunt Patty talked all the time. "You'll love the house. Not Grantley, of course. We had a big house before we came here, Teresa. It seems such a change, but for the better. There's something about small houses ... they're warm and cosy. Do you remember how the wind used to whistle through those windows at Grantley, Cordelia? My goodness, you felt as if you were going to be blown sky-high. Nothing of that here at Moldenbury, even though the wind howls and it can do that sometimes ... we're as warm as toast. Do you like toast, Teresa? I'm rather a one for h. There's nothing like a round of toast with the butter well soaked in. We always stand it over a basin of water, don't we Cordelia? Just as my grandmother used to do. I'm a bit of a one for old customs, Teresa. Old ways are best, my grandmother used to say, and somehow I think she's right."

She chattered all the way and then we tumbled out of the trap and went into the house.

It was the beginning of the ideal holiday for Teresa and for me, because her obvious happiness made everything doubly enjoyable. I was so proud of Aunt Patty who had the secret of spreading happiness about her; and how we used to laugh to see Violet looking over her spectacles and raising her eyes to Heaven and continually asking us to look what your Aunt Patty is up to now.

Violet was the perfect foil for Aunt Patty, always looking on the black side, constantly questioning Aunt Patty's wisdom, always appalled by her impetuosity but loving her as fiercely and devotedly as any of us.

Teresa had never been in such a household before. She was changing. Her timidity dropped from her. For what was there to be afraid of here? There was always so much to do and strangely enough she was with Violet more than any of us.

Her love of flowers and plants had quickly been noticed and, as Violet did the gardening, Teresa was soon helping her. They talked constantly of the kitchen garden and the flower beds, while Aunt Patty and I silently looked on and, when Violet said the wasps would get most of the plums and a plague of greenfly was making short work of the finest roses, even Teresa laughed at Violet's pessimism with the rest of us.

Teresa would go with Violet to cut the vegetables we would have that day and she and Violet would talk of planting and pruning as though Teresa were going to be with us for ever.

Aunt Patty had very quickly become well-known throughout the village and was deeply involved in all its activities. It was what she had always wanted and had never had time for at Grantley. Her new role became her. She was a born organizer and was to have a big part in the summer fête which would take place during these holidays. Everyone was drawn in. Violet and Teresa were to have the flower stall. I had the white elephant with Aunt Patty and the preparations for that event went on for days.

I was amazed to see Teresa's enthusiasm.

There was in the village a retired Major who ran a riding-stable and I think that because she wanted to show her gratitude to me, I was able to prevail on Teresa to mount a horse again. I had explained to the Major what had happened and he produced a mare whom he called Snowdrop, explaining that she was rather long in the tooth and had a mouth like leather on account of being pulled on so hard. "I get all my beginners started on Snowdrop," he said. "She can be as stubborn as a mule but she is safe as houses."

So I took Teresa out on Snowdrop and, after the first morning, she was ready to ride again. I looked on that as a great achievement.

The weeks flew past - long days of sunshine for it was a good summer, and when it rained there was always something to do in the house. I had wondered how we were going to entertain Teresa at such times but I need have had no qualms about that. She was off with Violet to the potting shed and in the evenings they would pore over seed catalogues together.

"I always wanted a piece of garden of my own," said Teresa.

"That's easily arranged," said Aunt Patty. "Surely there's somewhere in this big garden."

Violet considered seriously and said: "What about that bit by the rockery. We've never got round to doing much with that. Yes, that's it. What could you plant there?"

She and Teresa went into a deep discussion before Teresa cried out in dismay: "But I'm only here for the holiday."

Violet looked disconsolate but Aunt Patty was ready for the occasion. "Why bless you, my dear, that'll be your bit of land for as long as you want it. I hope you're not going to tell us you don't want to come again."

Teresa was so moved she almost sobbed: "Oh, I do. I do. I can't bear it if I don't."

"Well, that's settled," said Aunt Patty. "What do call this garden? Teresa's Treat. Teresa's Treasure."

"Teresa's Tribulation by the look of that soil," said Violet. "There's a lot of alkali in it."

And we all laughed and started to plan Teresa's garden. I knew Teresa well and I guessed she was not so much thinking of her garden but that she was coming again.

Aunt Patty had naturally been interested in the school and during the first days of the holiday she talked a good deal about it. This was while Teresa was with Violet in the garden because there must be some things which I could not talk of before one of the pupils.

Aunt Patty listened avidly. She wanted to know how Daisy Hetherington ran her school. She had a great admiration for her and was in no way envious because Daisy had succeeded where she herself had failed. In fact Aunt Patty did not think she had failed.

"I like it here, Cordelia," she said. "This is what always wanted. I sold out at the right time. I've enough to be comfortable on ... without great luxury of course ... but what is luxury compared to comfort? We're very happy here, happier even than we were at Grantley. There were silly niggling cries there. Parents can be difficult, some of them, and my goodness, pupils can be too."

I told her about the rebellious Hon. Charlotte and her frenchmaid Eugenie Verringer: "The niece of the man who owns the Hall, and the school too, and much of the neighbourhood. He has two nieces, Fiona and Eugenie, and they are both at the school. Eugenie is the difficult one."

She wanted to hear about Teresa's accident and I told her without mentioning the tête-à-tête dinner with Sir Jason. I did not want to talk about that any more than I did about that other adventure.

Aunt Patty said: "Did you ever hear from those girls who were with you at Schaffenbrucken. You used to talk about them so much at one time. The ones who were your particular cronies, I mean."

"No. We said we'd write but we didn't. You mean to .. and then something happens and you forget. The days pass and all that seems so remote now."

She had aroused memories. I was thinking of us all lying there on the grass of the forest, lying back supporting our heads on our arms … when he had appeared.

"Someone has to be the one to write," said Aunt Patty. "Do you have their addresses?"

"Yes, we all exchanged addresses."

"What were their names. I am trying to remember. There was a German girl, a French girl and an English one."

"That's right. Lydia Markham was the English one. Then there was Monique Delorme and Frieda Schmidt. I wonder what they are doing now."

"Write to them. Perhaps you'll find out."

"I will. I'll write today."

And I did.

The days passed with incredible speed. They were so full. We went for a picnic, taking the trap with us and rattling along the lanes. Violet packed a hamper and grumbled about the rattling of the trap which would turn the milk, she said, and when she was proved right, that was a great joke.

We sat in the middle of a field, boiled a kettle and drank milkless tea and were tormented by flies, alarmed by wasps and played guessing games.

"That's picnics for you," said Violet when we found ants swarming over the sponge cake.

And it was such a happy day.

Drowsy with sun we rattled home again and stretched ourselves in the garden and talked of picnics we had known. Aunt Patty had some hilarious stories to tell while Violet was characteristically lugubrious and I marvelled to watch Teresa, intent one moment, listening avidly and rolling about in uncontrollable mirth the next.

There were summer evenings when, if it was warm enough, we had supper in the gardens. They were lovely days. When I think of them I see Aunt Patty in a hat trimmed with poppies sitting in the garden supporting a basin on her knees while she shelled peas very deftly and dropped them into it. I see Teresa, lying on the grass, her eyes half closed; I can hear the buzzing of Violet's bees. I recall evenings redolent with the scent of night stock and perfect peace.

I was delighted to receive a letter from Frieda. It was to be expected that she would be the first to reply. Frieda had always been meticulous. She wrote that she was very pleased to hear from me. She herself had one more term before she would be leaving Schaffenbrucken. They missed me, particularly as Lydia had left rather sooner than she had expected to. To read Frieda's letter took me back, and the school had not changed apparently since I was there.

I had not known that Lydia was leaving so soon. I thought she was to have another year. There must have been some reason. I daresay I should hear from her.

"There you are," said Aunt Patty. "Each of you waiting for the other to write. Somebody has to make a move. That's life for you. I reckon you'll be hearing from the others. Lydia is not so far away, is she?"

"No, she is in Essex ... and London of course."

"Quite near us. She might be popping over to see you. That would be nice. I think you were rather specially fond of her."

"Well, we had more in common. I expect it was because she is English."

"That would be it. You'll hear, you see."

A week later there was a letter from Monique.

She was leaving at the end of next term also, at the same time as Frieda. "I'm so glad at least she is staying on with me. It saves my being all done. Fancy your teaching now. I was sorry about Grantley. It sounded so grand. I think I shall be marrying Henri soon after I leave Schaffenbrucken. After all, I'll be quite old by then. It was lovely to hear from you. Please do write again, Cordelia."

"There," said Aunt Patty. "What did I say?"

Strangely enough there was no reply from Lydia, but I didn't think about this until I was back at school, when I wrote to Aunt Patty asking her to send the letter on if Lydia should write. It seemed strange that she, who was nearer and with whom I had been on more friendly terms, should have been the one not to answer.

It was not surprising that I forgot about Lydia during the rest of that holiday, for something happened which drove all thought of my old friends from my mind.

I was reading in my room one afternoon when Violet came in a flutter of excitement.

"There's a gentleman. He's called to see you. He's with Patty in the garden."

"A gentleman ...? Who ...?"

"Sir Something Something," said Violet. "I didn't quite catch his name."

"Sir Jason Verringer?"

"Yes, that sounds like it. Your Aunt Patty said to me, Violet, this is Sir Something Something. He's come to see Cordelia. Do go to her room and tell her he's here."

"He's in the garden, you say?"

I looked at my reflection in the barbola mirror which I had admired when it was in Aunt Patty's room and which had been transferred to mine. Colour had deepened in my cheeks.

"What on earth is he doing here?"

I looked askance at Violet. How foolish of me. As if she would know.

I said: "I'll come down at once."

When I appeared, Aunt Patty in the enormous sun hat she wore in the garden and which made her look like a large mushroom, sprang up from the chair in which she had been sitting.

"Ah," she cried. "Here is my niece."

"Miss Grant ... Cordelia," he said and came towards me, his hands outstretched.

"You ... you came to see us," I stammered in a bemused state.

"Yes, I have come from London and as I was passing ..."

Passing? What did he mean? He did not pass Moldenbury on his way from London to Devon.

Aunt Patty was watching us with her head on one side which indicated particular absorption.

"Would you like tea?" she asked. "I'll go and see to it. You can sit in my chair, Cordelia, you and er ..."

"Jason Verringer," he said.

"Can have a little chat," finished Aunt Patty and disappeared.

"I am surprised that you called here," I began.

"Shall we sit down as your Aunt suggested. I called to say goodbye. I am going abroad and shall not be in Colby for some months. I felt I should explain this to you."

"Oh?"

"You look surprised. I didn't want to go off without telling you."

I stared straight ahead at the lavender, considerably depleted as Violet had gathered most of it to make little sachets which scented Aunt Patty's clothes and cupboards.

"I am surprised that you should have thought it necessary to come here."

"Well, we are rather special friends I thought and, in view of everything that has happened, I wanted to let you know. I have so recently become a widower and the death of someone with whom one has lived closely for many years is shattering ... even when death is expected. I feel the need to get right away. I have several good friends on the Continent whom I shall visit. I shall do a sort of Grand Tour ... France, Italy, Spain ... so I thought I should like to say au revoir to you."

"I can only say that I am surprised you should have come so far to do that. I should have heard the news in due course when I return to the school, I daresay."

"But of course I wanted you to know I was going, and particularly how much I shall look forward to seeing you when I come back."

"I am unexpectedly flattered. They will be bringing out the tea soon. You will stay for that?"

"I shall be delighted to. It is such a great pleasure to talk to you."

"When do you leave?" I asked.

"Next week."

"I hope you will have an interesting journey. The Grand Tour used to be the high spot of a young man's life."

"I am not so young, nor am I looking for high spots."

"You just feel the need to travel after your bereavement. I understand."

"One has certain misgivings when people die."

"You mean ... conscience?"

"H'm. One has to come to terms with that, I suppose."

"I hope it is not proving too formidable an opponent."

He laughed and I couldn't help laughing with him. "It is so good to be with you," he said. "You do mock me, don't you?"

"I am sorry. I should not ... on such a subject."

"I know of the rumours which are circulated about me. But I want you to remember that rumour is a lying jade ... very often."

"Oh, I don't take notice of rumours."

"Nonsense. Everybody takes notice of rumours."

"But you are the last person surely to be concerned about them."

"Only on the effect they may have on someone whom one is trying to impress."

"You mean you are trying to impress me?"

"I am ... most fervently. I want you to consider that I might not be as black as I am painted, though the last thing I should want you to do is consider me a saint."

"Rest assured I should find that very difficult to do."

We were laughing again.

"It was a wonderful evening we had together," he said wistfully.

"It was kind of you to allow Teresa and me to stay at the Hall. Teresa is with us now."

"Yes. I heard that you brought her with you."

"They will all be coming out to tea very soon."

"I should like to go on talking to you. There is so much I want to say."

"Here is Teresa now." I went on: "Teresa, we have a visitor. You know Sir Jason Verringer."

"Of course," said Teresa. "He's Fiona's and Eugenie's uncle."

Jason laughed. "I have achieved fame in Teresa's eyes." he said. "The uncle of Fiona and Eugenie! It is only reflected glory of course."

"It is gratifying to be recognized no matter what the reason," I said.

Aunt Patty and Violet appeared and tea was served.

There was talk about the village life and Aunt Patty's descriptions were apt and amusing. Teresa handed round the food like a daughter of the house and I was amazed afresh at the change in her. It was a conventionally pleasant scene. Tea on the lawn and a visitor who happened to be passing and who had called in.

But I could not get over the strangeness of his being here and wondering what was the real motive for his call. To see me, of course. But why? I was a little annoyed with myself that I should find the question so stimulating. Violet asked if he had come in on the three forty-five and he said that he had.

"Then you'll be catching the six o'clock."

"Unless," put in Aunt Patty, "you are spending some time here. When we were at Grantley we could have put you up. Here alas, we are short of rooms. There is, of course, the King's Arms in Moldenbury itself."

"The food's poor so I've heard," said Violet. "But they do excellent roast beef," added Aunt Patty. "They're noted for it."

"I did ask the fly to call for me at a quarter to six," he said.

"Well then you haven't much time left, have you," said Aunt Patty. "Cordelia, why don't you show Sir Jason the garden."

"What an excellent idea," he said.

"It's not at its best now," put in Violet. "Early spring's the best time. The flowers are beginning to get that tired look. The sun's been particularly fierce this year."

"I am sure Cordelia will find something pleasant to show our guest," said Aunt Patty. "Come, Teresa, help me with the tray. Violet will see to the rest."

"You must allow me to carry the tray," said Jason.

"Get away with you," said Aunt Patty. "If you knew the number of trays I've carried in my life ..."

"Astronomical, I expect," said Jason, picking up the tray. "Now show me the way without more argument."

Aunt Patty waddled in front of him. I watched them disappear into the house, smiling to myself. In a few moments he was at my side.

"What a charming lady your aunt is! So merry .. . and so tactful."

"Come then. I'll show you the garden."

He walked in silence for a few seconds. I said: "Teresa is developing this patch. There is a great change in her. Poor child, she felt unwanted."

"I shall miss you," he said.

"Miss me? You talk as though you see me every day. We have only met a few times ... and how long is it since the last time I saw you?"

"I felt that you were displeased with me in some way."

"Displeased? I have thanked you several times for your hospitality to Teresa and me."

"Our happy evening was rather suddenly interrupted."

"Oh yes ... when your friend arrived. I quite understood that."

"I don't think you did."

"Well, it wasn't important. The meal was over and I was thinking that it was time I returned to Teresa."

He sighed. "There are many things I would like to explain to you."

"There is no reason why you should."

"There are reasons. When I return we must meet. I am desperately anxious for us to be good friends. There is much I want to tell you."

"Well, I hope you will have a pleasant trip. The fly will be here very soon. You mustn't miss your train."

He laid a hand on my arm. "When I return, I want to talk to you ... seriously. You see it is so soon ... after ... and there are certain difficulties which have to be settled. Cordelia, I shall return and then ..."

I avoided his eyes. "Oh, there's Violet," I said. "She must be looking for you. That means the station fly is here." I called: "We're coming, Violet. The fly's here, is h?"

I walked with him across the lawn. He held my hand firmly in his and was trying to tell me something. He was asking me to wait until his return when he would be in a position to continue our relationship. It was the way in which he would behave to any young woman. But it seemed strange that he had come out of his way to tell me he was going away.

We stood waving until the fly disappeared. Aunt Patty was thoughtful.

When we were alone together she said: "What an interesting man! It was nice of him to call and tell you he was going away." She looked at me intently. "He must have felt that you were a very special friend ... to come all that way."

"Oh, he was in the neighbourhood, I expect. I have only met him a few times. He is a sort of lord of the manor and probably feels he ought to take an interest in all the vassals."

"Do you know, I quite liked him."

I laughed. "I gather from that remark that you are rather surprised that you do."

She was looking into the distance.

"It was courteous of him to call," she said. "I have no doubt he had his reasons."