All Else Confusion Page 7

  The way he said it, she actually believed him.

  They left the next morning in pouring rain and were back at the Rectory in plenty of time for lunch. Annis hadn’t telephoned her mother, and the look on that lady’s face as they went indoors told her at once that lunch was to have been a scrappy affair with no one there but her parents. Annis left the men in her father’s study and repaired to the kitchen. She had her final week’s salary in her pocket, and though she hadn’t earned nearly as much as she had hoped, there was enough to fill the larder at least. With their heads together, she and her mother concocted a decent meal and she left her parent peeling potatoes while she flew down to the village shop, coming back presently with a laden basket, and viewed with some interest by Jake from the study window.

  The Rector, joining him at the window, observed gently: ‘I see Annis has been down to the village.’ He added hopefully: ‘We ought to get a splendid lunch.’

  Jake turned to look at him. ‘I should like to marry your daughter, sir.’

  The Rector took off his glasses, polished them and put them on again—the better, presumably, to look at Jake.

  ‘She will make a splendid wife,’ he observed. ‘As long as that’s what she wishes to do, I’ve no objection and I’m sure her mother won’t have any.’ He chuckled. ‘We have four daughters, you know, and mothers like daughters to get married.’

  ‘Annis is concerned about the amount of work she’ll leave you with…’

  ‘True, very true, but difficulties are made to be overcome.’

  ‘And if you’ll allow me, this is one difficulty which can be overcome easily enough.’

  ‘You’re a clever young man, doubtless you know the answer. I really feel that we might have a glass of sherry…’

  ‘Annis hasn’t agreed to marry me yet.’ Jake’s voice held amusement.

  ‘No? She never was a girl to be hurried. Give her time.’

  ‘I intend to. I should like, if I may, to come and see her in a few days’ time.’

  ‘Of course, we shall be delighted to put you up. You intend to remain in England for the time being?’

  ‘Yes—I may have to go abroad for a few days from time to time, Annis would naturally go with me if she wanted to.’

  The Rector chuckled, ‘She’ll be a fool if she doesn’t. She’s hardly ever been out of the country, you know.’

  Annis, going along the short stone passage leading to her father’s study, heard them laughing together. She looked rather less than her usual neat self; there had been a lot to do in the kitchen, but now a nicely cooked meal was ready and she thanked heaven that the men had found each other’s company pleasant and not noticed the time. She opened the door. ‘Sorry we weren’t quite ready for you,’ she told them, ‘but everything’s on the table now.’

  No one mentioned getting married over their meal, although Mrs Fothergill, interpreting her husband’s speaking look more or less accurately, was bursting to ask questions. The conversation was strictly general, and it wasn’t until Annis was in the kitchen again with her mother that that lady was able to indulge her curiosity.

  ‘Tell me about Jake,’ she demanded. ‘There is something, isn’t there?’

  ‘Not yet, Mother. He’s asked me to marry him, but I haven’t said I will.’

  ‘You’re going to? You love him?’ And when Annis nodded, ‘That’s all that counts, my dear. I couldn’t wish for anyone better for you—only do remember you’ve got red hair,’ she added obscurely.

  Annis stacked the dishes tidily and turned on the taps. ‘I don’t know anything much about this man,’ she volunteered.

  Her mother wasn’t listening. ‘A quiet wedding,’ she murmured. ‘We can have the reception here. Phyllis Avery will be as mad as fire, she always wanted you for Matt.’

  Annis was washing up briskly. ‘Matt’s keen on Mary.’

  Mrs Fothergill brightened. ‘Oh, I wondered…that would do just as well, wouldn’t it?’

  ‘Much better,’ Annis assured her. ‘Do you suppose Jake will stay for tea?’

  He stayed for tea and for supper too, eating macaroni cheese and drinking cocoa as though they were his favourite diet, and when finally he went, his leavetaking was so friendly that Mrs Fothergill, watching the tail lights of his car disappearing down the lane, remarked: ‘What a dear boy he is. I’m sorry to see him go.’

  Annis silently agreed with her. Jake had bidden her a pleasant, rather casual goodbye with the half promise that he would be back in three or four days. It was only as he was leaving that he mentioned that he would be flying to Brussels in the morning. Mrs Fothergill, to whom a day trip to Bath was a major event, was impressed.

  Annis, anxious not to be caught up in her mother’s cross-questioning, saw Audrey off to bed, made sure that Emma would follow her and came down again to help James with his maths. And by the time they had washed the supper things, she was able to go to bed herself.

  ‘We could have a little talk,’ said her mother hopefully.

  Annis kissed her fondly. ‘And so we will, darling—tomorrow. I’m a bit tired, and you must be too.’

  The next morning, as they made the beds together, Mrs Fothergill asked anxiously: ‘You’re going to marry Jake, aren’t you, dear?’

  Annis said slowly: ‘I think that perhaps I love him more than he does me.’ She sighed. ‘Does that matter?’

  Mrs Fothergill frowned. ‘Darling, I don’t see how you can be sure—I mean that Jake doesn’t love you as much as you love him, he’s not the kind of man to wear his heart on his sleeves, is he? I think in your shoes I’d take the risk.’ She added softly: ‘Love is very strong, darling.’

  Annis took herself off for a long walk that afternoon, the same walk she had taken with her brothers and sisters not so many weeks ago. There was spring in the air now and the going was easier. She paused when she reached the spot where she had first met Jake and tried to remember what she had thought then, but that was obscured by her love now. All she could think was that she loved him very much and life wouldn’t be the same ever again if she were to let him go out of her life.

  Jake came again three days later after telephoning from the airport, so that they had time to add soup to the supper menu and Mrs Fothergill was able to make one of her mouthwatering pies. And the Reverend Mr Fothergill, shaken from his habitual calm, fetched two bottles of claret from the cellar; the last two there, as it happened.

  But if Annis had expected a romantic reunion, she was doomed to disappointment. Jake took her hand briefly, dropped a kiss on her cheek and turned to her mother and father. ‘Not inconvenient, I hope?’ he wanted to know. ‘I have to go to Washington in a week’s time.’

  They had tea round the fire and James, Emma and little Audrey did most of the talking, but presently when the tea things had been cleared, Jake said: ‘Does anyone mind if Annis and I go somewhere and talk for a while?’ He glanced out of the window. ‘It’s nice enough to go for a walk.’

  She got to her feet. ‘I’ll fetch a coat,’ she said quietly, and when she got downstairs again, he was waiting in the hall for her.

  They walked in almost complete silence until they reached the spot where they had first met. ‘This seems an appropriate place,’ observed Jake cheerfully. ‘Are you going to marry me, Annis?’

  She looked away from him to hide the disappointment in her face. He was being so matter-of-fact, so businesslike—but then wasn’t their marriage going to be that too? At least for the first few months…

  She said in a clear voice: ‘Yes, Jake, I’ll marry you—on—on the conditions you mentioned. I don’t know much about you, I can’t even begin to—well, I have to get used to you…’

  ‘You’ll have every opportunity. I’m going to be rather busy for a month or so, but whenever I have to travel you shall come with me, and if you’re interested I shall tell you something of my work. I suggest that we get married quite soon. I have to go to Lisbon at the end of the month, we might get married in time to go there together. I hope you share Grandmother’s views about big weddings.’

  Annis had no doubt in her mind that his granny had had a wonderful and very grand wedding—white satin, orange blossom, bridesmaids, the lot. It seemed that she herself was going to have to make do with a two-piece and a hat…!

  ‘You’ll wear white, of course.’ Jake’s voice broke into her musings. ‘Girls like wedding veils and so on, don’t they, and I wouldn’t want to deprive you, but could we keep the numbers down—family and close friends?’

  ‘Yes. Father and Mother couldn’t afford a big reception anyway, and I’d like it to be at home.’

  ‘Good. Let me know as soon as you’ve laid your plans—about three weeks’ time? Don’t bother with clothes, you can get all you want later.’ He added: ‘I’m a rich man, Annis.’

  ‘Yes, I thought you might be, that’s why I’m not absolutely certain…’

  ‘That’s silly of you. Money makes no difference at all, not the way you’re looking at it, at any rate—besides, as I said before, you’ve got too much good sense.’ He bent and kissed her suddenly and she drew back quickly before she could fling her arms round his neck.

  ‘That’s by way of being a betrothal kiss,’ he said, and his voice was dry. ‘I won’t make a habit of it’.

  They began to walk on. ‘I’d like you to come up to town tomorrow and see my flat—your people won’t mind if we get back late?’

  ‘No, of course not. I—we’d better tell them; Mother will want to invite people and plan the food…’

  ‘I’ll come over for you all one day next week, and your parents can meet mine. In the meantime they can send the invitations out and so on. Not more than fifty on each side, would you say?’

  Annis nodded, outwardly as cool and casu
al as he, while her insides quivered with excitement and her mind raced. A Vogue pattern for her dress—she would have to make it herself with her mother’s help—and they could manage food for the reception between them. Audrey and Emma would be bridesmaids—Laura Ashley print wasn’t too expensive, and she could make their dresses too… She was quite absorbed, and Jake, looking down at her, smiled a little. She looked quite beautiful in her old coat, her vivid hair blowing in all directions. She would pay for dressing, he could see her in his mind’s eye at the foot of his table, entertaining his guests, running his house without fuss, listening intelligently to what he had to say. He had had his fair share of girl-friends, but he had never until now felt the urge to marry, and he wasn’t quite sure why he wanted to do so now. Perhaps he was tired of a bachelor existence, certainly he had wished during the last few months that there had been someone to welcome him at the end of a day’s work. But he hadn’t wanted a romantic attachment; it was a long while ago since he had come to grief there. He said thoughtfully: ‘Grandmother will be delighted,’ and Annis thought sadly that it would have been nice if he had said just once that he was delighted too, but he didn’t add anything, and presently she said: ‘She’s a very nice old lady, and I like your parents.’

  They walked a long way making a few vague plans, but she sensed that Jake wasn’t really interested in those. She began to ask him questions about the work he did and for the rest of the walk he talked about that. A busy life, she gathered, but in between whiles, a social one too; she rather dreaded that part of it.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THEY LEFT after breakfast the next morning, and since Jake had little to say for himself, Annis contented herself with mulling over the previous evening. There had been no doubt at all that her parents were delighted at their news, and the children had been beside themselves with excitement. The wedding plans had been discussed until late, and although she had peeped at Jake once or twice to see if he were bored, he had shown no sign of that, but had joined in with everyone else, suggesting some scheme quietly, agreeing with almost everything. He had been firm about the date, though, when Mrs Fothergill wanted to postpone the wedding for another week, declaring that three weeks wasn’t long enough. He had persuaded her with a silkiness which Annis could not but admire; no wonder he was chairman of so many boards! By the end of the evening he had everyone doing exactly as he suggested and nothing but admiring eyes turned in his direction, and that included Hairy and Sapphro. It occurred to her that she knew very little about him, in fact, the more she saw of him the more remote he seemed—about himself, that was. She would have to remedy that smartly.

  ‘You said you lived near Grosvenor Square…’

  Jake slid past a slow moving Austin using the crown of the road. ‘Between it and Green Street, you know where that is?’

  She shook her head. ‘We always go to Oxford Street and Regent Street if we go to London—shopping, you know.’

  ‘It’s quite near Oxford Street. The flat is in a converted house in a narrow side street, nearer the square than Oxford Street. It’s remarkably quiet too. I hope you won’t find it too different from Millbury. There’s no garden, but there’s a wide balcony at the back and Green Park and Hyde Park aren’t far away.’

  ‘Is it big, the flat?’

  ‘Oh, there’s ample room for the two of us. There’s a daily housekeeper—Mrs Turner; she sleeps in whenever I want her and when ever I’m away.’

  He slowed the car as they approached Egham. ‘Shall we stop for coffee? There’s quite a good place here.’

  It seemed that he didn’t want to talk any more about the flat, indeed he brushed aside the one or two tentative questions Annis put and instead told her a little of the places he had been to, and presently, as they neared London he lapsed into silence.

  Annis didn’t know London well; after a while she became hopelessly lost and she let out a small sigh of relief as Jake stopped the car half way down a short, quiet street lined with terraces of Regency houses, their doors opening on to a short flight of steps to the pavement.

  He opened the outside door with his key and ushered her into a small vestibule which in turn opened into a roomy hall. There was a lift there as well as a broad staircase and a porter sitting behind a small desk. Jake nodded to him and made for the stairs, his arm on Annis’s.

  ‘A little exercise won’t hurt us after the car,’ he commented, ‘it’s not far.’ His own front door was the only one on the second floor and he unlocked it briskly. ‘Your future home, Annis—our future home, and welcome.’

  She strained her ears for a small hint of feeling in his voice, but it sounded disappointingly casual and matter-of-fact. As she was led into the sitting-room she wondered if she was making a dreadful mistake in marrying him, and then, seeing him standing there, large and assured and smiling gently, she knew that she hadn’t. She might have bitten off something more than she could chew, but she had strong teeth!

  ‘Why do you look like that?’ Jake wanted to know, and looked amused. ‘As though you were arming yourself for battle.’

  She smiled at him then. ‘I didn’t imagine it would be like this,’ she said the first thing that came into her head. ‘It’s lovely!’

  As indeed it was. The room was a fair size, furnished in pale colours which made a perfect background for the pictures on its walls, landscapes mostly. Annis, who knew very little about such things, thought they were good. She went closer to inspect them. ‘That looks like a Turner,’ she said thoughtfully.

  ‘It is. Come and see the dining-room.’

  This was a smaller room, furnished with an oval Sheraton table and chairs and a delicate sideboard, no pictures on the walls here, but a charming silk wallpaper, a far cry from the faded greens and brown of the Rectory.

  They went through another door to the kitchen and Jake said: ‘Mrs Turner will be out shopping. I told her not to bother with lunch, we can go out for that, but she’ll have tea for us before we go back.’

  They went out of the kitchen into the hall again and he turned a corner into a short passage with several doors. ‘Bedrooms,’ he said briefly. ‘I daresay you’ll like to have the end one with the balcony. Mine’s at this end and there are a couple of bathrooms. Have a look round if you like, there are one or two phone calls I must make.’ He nodded over one shoulder. ‘I’ve a small study.’

  Left alone, Annis opened a door and looked in. This would be Jake’s room—no flowers, dark masculine colours, an austere bedspread but more lovely pictures on the walls. The next door led to a bathroom and the next to a smaller room, very prettily furnished but having an air of not being used very much, there was a bathroom there too, and she admired its comfort before opening the last door. Her room, Jake had said.

  It was larger than the others, and lighter, because the french windows opened on to a balcony, wrought iron and roofed with glass. The room was charming, its cream walls toning with the cream and rose brocade curtains and bedspread, its furniture a pale wood she thought might be apple, inlaid with yew. The bedhead was beautifully carved with flowers and wreaths as was the mirror standing on a long table serving as a dressing table. The pictures here were flower paintings and small delicate water-colours of little animals and beside the burnished steel fireplace were two comfortable chairs. A delightful room and one in which she knew she would feel instantly at home. She peered into the adjoining bathroom and wondered who had matched the towels and soaps and jars with such care. Jake hadn’t struck her as being the kind of man to bother overmuch about such things, but perhaps it was a side of him she hadn’t encountered yet.

  She sat down at the dressing table and tidied her hair and powdered her nose, then went slowly out of the room. She could hear Jake’s voice from behind a closed door as she went down the passage, back to the sitting-room, to sit quietly until he joined her presently.

  ‘Had a good look round?’ he wanted to know. ‘If you don’t like anything, say so and we’ll have it altered.’

  ‘It’s all perfect,’ she told him seriously. ‘Did you plan it all yourself?’

  The little mocking smile she hated curled his mouth. ‘Fishing, darling? Am I to feel flattered, though I can hardly expect jealousy—that’s for those in love, isn’t it? Just female curiosity? I did most of it myself, but the odd feminine touch was added by whichever girl-friend happened to be here taking an interest.’ He added in quite a different voice: ‘You needn’t mind, Annis, none of them mattered.’