A Garland of Marigolds (2 page)

Gideon
’
s face darkened with annoyance.

“
Are the children in bed?
”
he asked abruptly.

“
Of course,
”
Camilla answered coolly.

“
Then go and find something to do!
”
he snapped at her. She rose in one easy movement and went toward the door, winking at me behind his back.

“
Susan is staying for supper,
”
she said from the doorway.

“
Susan?
”
he repeated testily.

“
Actually,
”
I said, feeling rather sorry about Camilla
’
s curt dismissal,
“
most people call me Suki. Susan is only for formal occasions.
”

“
Miss King,
”
he said icily,
“
I hope Camilla has not given you the wrong impression, but I shall need to know a great deal more about you before I decide whether you will be suitable for the job.
”

The feeling of warm security fell away from me.

“
Of course,
”
I said.

Gideon frowned over the list of my qualifications and the two letters of reference I had brought him. It was impossible to tell whether he was satisfied or not.

“
What made you think of India?
”
he asked abruptly.

I tried desperately to think of my reasons.

“
I have the knowledge,
”
I stammered.
“
I thought I could be useful.
”

He looked up at me and his eyes were a dark, dark blue.

“
You have the knowledge,
”
he agreed.
“
But there
’
s a great deal more to this job than that. Can you teach what you know?
”

“
I
’
ve never tried,
”
I admitted. I was beginning to see why none of his other assistants had lasted longer than six weeks. He obviously expected them to work miracles on absolutely nothing at all! Even the marked likeness between Gideon and his sister faded into insignificance, as I thought about how much I disliked him.

Gideon impatiently tossed my papers back on to my knees.

“
And then you
’
re a woman!
”
he said crossly.

I sat up straight, sure now that I was going to lose my temper.

“
Do I have to apologize for that, too?
”
I asked smoothly.

He swung around and surveyed my angry face, surprised that I should have declared battle. His eyes were suddenly amused.

“
No,
”
he said slowly,
“
I don
’
t think you have to apologize for that!
”
His appreciation was even more unwelcome than his criticism as he added,
“
No, no apologies needed, I think!
”

I was silent. Somehow he still had me at a disadvantage and I was resentful of the fact.

“
You have to admit,
”
he went on more gently,
“
that your sex presents certain administrative difficulties. The village is very much on the open-plan scheme of living!
”

I blushed.
“
I
’
ll try not to be too obtrusive, Mr. Wait,
”
I said primly.

“
I shall see that you aren
’
t!
”
he retorted. He grinned suddenly and I was aware that I had been accepted.
“
You
’
d better ask me what you want to know about the place.
”

I hardly knew where to begin.
“
I know very little about India,
”
I said.

He smiled, and I could see a very clear likeness to Camilla.

“
That might be a great deal better than knowing too much,
”
he said dryly.
“
All you
’
ll have to do is produce a bonanza crop of maize!
”

In spite of myself I laughed, remembering what Camilla had thought of his previous assistants.

“
Yes, sir,
”
I said.

There was a soft knock at the door, followed
almost immediately
by Camilla.

“
All fixed up? How very satisfactory!
”

Her brother grabbed her by the hair.
“
You
were listening at the
door!
”
he accused her.

Camilla managed to look dignified if slightly
resentful.

“
Of course. Now all we have to decide is when
we
’
re leaving
—
”
Gideon stopped her with a look.

“
You, young lady, are going back to school.
”

Camilla made a face at him.
“
That
’
s what you
think!
”
she
growled.
“
I
’
m not a child any longer!
”

“
Then don
’
t behave like a spoiled brat!
”

Outraged, Camilla turned to me for support.

“
Suki, isn
’
t he impossible! Tell him I
’
m going with you
to India.
Tell him you need me! You
’
ll need another woman about
the place,
won
’
t you?
”

“
I think,
”
I remarked loudly to no one in
particular,
“
that
Camilla behaves with great dignity and restraint.
”

Gideon Wait turned on me.
“
Are you backing her up,
by any
chance?
”

“
Well,
”
I temporized. I had just got the job and I didn
’
t
want to
lose it before I saw India.
“
She does seem a little
old
for
school.
”

“
She
’
s seventeen! She only just scraped through her
O
levels.
Why, she has hardly any education at all!
”

“
I don
’
t think she
’
ll need much,
”
I said firmly.
“
She isn
’
t
the
academic type. She put the children to bed very nicely, and
she
probably does lots of things very well indeed—
”

“
And I
’
m not in the least interested in the Queen
Anne period!
”
Camilla finished for
me.
“
She
’
s dead!
”

Gideon looked from one to the other and laughed.

“
Very well,
”
he said.
“
She can come to India! But she
’
ll be your responsibility!
”
He poked an accusing finger in my direction before hugging his sister to him. Helplessly
I
watched them, wondering what I had taken on. Camilla was
really very
young and sweet, and surely she couldn
’
t come to very much harm
in an
obscure village in India?

Camilla held out her hand to include me
in the little
group.
“
How nice that you
’
re staying for
supper,
”
she said.

Packing was a nightmare. The days were full
enough. Camilla
obligingly filled any gaps with her endless questions and
even
more endless lists of the things she considered
quite essential to
take with her. Daily, I drastically pruned the pile
of
things I
had
decided to take myself and tried to persuade
her to do
the
same.
But Camilla was already one of those women who
either travel
with nothing more than a pocket handkerchief
or ten bulging
trunks. Nothing in between appealed
to her, and only Gideon
’
s
threat of refusal to take her with him
at all produced a more
reasonable list of her requirements.

But at night I was alone and would
wander through
the
streets
of London, retracing the walks I had
taken with Timothy. Down
that cul-de-sac, beneath the third street
lamp on the right, he had
kissed me once, and I remembered and
I
wept.
It
seemed
strange
that he should now be in a different
country and I would soon be
going to India. During the day two
years seemed
a
very short
space of time, but in the evenings
it seemed an eternity.

I cried a great deal before we left
for
India
and seemed to grow
plainer every day. Gideon thought so,
too.

“
What
’
s the matter with you?
”
he
demanded curtly one day,
when he came across me lurking
in
the
hallway.

“
I
...
I
’
m sorry,
”
I apologized.

He put a hand on my shoulder and
propelled me toward the
light.

“
I thought so! Burning the candle
at both ends,
I suppose? Camilla has more sense. You
’
d
better
get
some color
in your cheeks before we go, or I shall be tempted to leave you behind!
”

“
It
’
s none of your business if I
’
m a bit
pale!
”
I retorted sharply. His fingers dug into my shoulder.

“
Oh, isn
’
t it? Well, I
’
m making it my business!
”
he said, his voice harsh with exasperation.
“
Are
you
ill,
or are
you letting your emotions get the better of you?
”

I swallowed.
“
Someone I know has gone to America,
”
I told him woodenly.
“
It
’
s left a bit of a gap, I suppose.
”

To my surprise he was quite kind.