The Adultress (24 page)

So after some argument with Jean-Louis, who was fearful of my traveling alone, it was agreed that I should take six grooms with me, as I had on the first occasion, with an extra one to look after the saddle horse.

It was spring again. The days were long and we made good progress and it was an early afternoon when we arrived at Eversleigh. Jessie was waiting for us. She greeted me with something like affection and relief, and she looked more discreetly dressed than I had ever seen her. Her gown was a pale gray, rather simple, and her complexion was only very lightly touched up.

“I am so glad that you have come. I have been so worried. I told him that we should let you know but when he was able to understand he was rather distressed. He didn’t want to upset you. I did not know what to do but when you sent your letter saying that you was coming I was so pleased. He couldn’t read it himself. He’s not fit. You’ll see. You must be tired after the journey. Would you like to rest first … ?”

“No,” I said. “First I want to hear about him and see him.”

“I am not sure when you can see him. It will depend on the doctor.”

“The doctor is here?”

“He wouldn’t have the local man. He sent for his own doctor. It’s lucky for us that Dr. Cabel, having retired from practice, was able to stay here. He’s here now.”

“What happened?”

“It was some sort of seizure. I thought it was the end. Fortunately Dr. Cabel was already here. You see, he’d been ailing before. I suppose he was working up for this and I had said we must call in the doctor. He wouldn’t have it, and at last he agreed to my sending for his old friend Dr. Cabel. They had been friends for years and Dr. Cabel had looked after him before. Well, he came, and he stayed, expecting trouble, so he was here when Lordy had his seizure. He’s been here ever since.”

“I’d better go and see my uncle.”

“He must not be disturbed while he’s sleeping. Well, he’s sleeping most of the time, but he mustn’t be excited. Do you mind waiting until the doctor comes in? He’s just taking a little exercise at the moment. As soon as he comes in I’ll tell him you’re here. Let me take you to your room so that you can wash and change if you want to. Then we can talk about it … and I daresay Dr. Cabel will allow you to go in for a few moments.”

“My uncle sounds very ill.”

“My dear.” She gave me a little push, a reminder of the old days. “I thought it was the end. I did really. But let me take you to your room. It’s the same one. That’s all right, is it? And when you’ve washed the journey off you and had a bite to eat you’ll feel rested.”

It sounded reasonable enough but Jethro’s message had been that something strange was going on. I decided to see him at the earliest possible moment.

I went to my room, washed and changed from my riding habit into a dark blue gown. Then I went down to the winter parlor, where some wine and cakes were on the table.

“I don’t know how hungry you are,” said Jessie, “but I thought you’d better have a stopgap between now and supper.”

“I’m not hungry at all. What I want is to hear about Lord Eversleigh.”

“You shall see him as soon as Dr. Cabel comes in. He can tell you more than I.”

“How long has Lord Eversleigh been ill?”

“It’s nigh on two months since the seizure.”

“All that time! I wish I’d known.”

“I wanted to tell you. …” She lowered her eyes and I wanted to shout at her:
Then why didn’t you?
but I said nothing and waited.

Her eyes were on one of the cakes. She picked it up almost absentmindedly and started to eat it.

I said: “It is a big responsibility for you.”

She stopped chewing and raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Lord bless you,” she said, “you’ve said a mouthful. Still, I’m fond of him and want to give him my best. He’s been good to me. It’s the least I can do.”

I felt nauseated and, as always in the company of this woman, a sense of something sinister which was all the more alarming because it was dressed up to look like normality.

I rose. I couldn’t sit there any longer and I had no appetite for the wine and cakes to which she had referred as a stopgap.

“I’ll walk round the garden,” I said. “I feel the need to stretch my legs. I’ll look forward to seeing Dr. Cabel as soon as he returns.”

“He’ll be wanting to see
you
.”

I went straight out to the garden. I walked round awhile and then slipped through the shrubbery.

Jethro knew that I was coming and I guessed he would be on the lookout for me. I was right. He was.

“Oh, you’ve come. Mistress Zipporah,” he said. “I’m right glad about that.”

“Thanks for sending your grandson. What’s going on at Eversleigh?”

“That’s what I’d like to know. It’s all a little odd … if you’ll forgive me saying so.”

“What do you mean by odd?”

“I haven’t seen his lordship since it happened. That must be well nigh on two months ago.”

“Couldn’t you slip in during those afternoons?”

“Well, I couldn’t be sure of them. Amos Carew, he’s more often at the house now.”

“What. You mean he’s moved in?”

“Not … not exactly. He’s still got his house … the agent’s house, you know. Oh yes, he’s still there, but more often at the Court.”

“You mean he sleeps there.”

“’Twould seem so, Mistress Zipporah. I’ve seen him coming out in the morning.”

“And that is since Lord Eversleighs seizure?”

“That’s right. They never called in Dr. Forster.”

“Dr. Forster?” I repeated. The name seemed vaguely familiar.

“He’s the new doctor here,” went on Jethro. “Been here a year or two now. People like him. He’s good, they say. But he wasn’t called in to the Court. His lordship sent for his own man.”

“Dr. Cabel,” I said. “Had he ever visited Lord Eversleigh before?”

“No. Seemingways—so I heard from some of the girls up at the Court—Dr. Cabel was an old friend of his lordship and he sent for him and he being retired from his doctoring like, he stays. They say his lordship won’t trust anyone else.”

“That is what Jessie Stirling told me. Well, Jethro, what is strange about all this? It seems Lord Eversleigh has had a stroke, as many people do at his age, and he has called in his own doctor.”

“I don’t know what it be, Mistress Zipporah, but there’s something strange about it. I’ve never been allowed to see his lordship since.”

“He has to be kept quiet, I’m told.”

“Still, I’m not that noisy. I reckon he’d like to see me. He always did. He’d sleep in the afternoons sometimes and never minded being wakened. He used to say ‘Come when you can, Jethro, and if I’m dozing wake me.’ I tried to see him … I crept up there. I know Jessie was out … and where, and Dr. Cabel he was out too. … But I couldn’t get in to see his lordship though I tried.”

“You mean you went up to his room?”

Jethro nodded. “The door was locked. It was almost as though they were expecting someone to call. I thought it was odd, Mistress Zipporah. And one of the maids who’s rather friendly with my grandson told him that Jessie cleans the room herself and none of them is allowed to go in.”

“Well, mightn’t that be that he is so ill she doesn’t want him disturbed?”

“That’s as might be but Jessie was one who never liked to sully her hands and I doubt they’d made contact with a broom for many a long day,” Jethro frowned. “Now I talk of it to you, Mistress Zipporah, it sounds all natural like. It was when I was brooding on it to myself that there seemed something wrong. I hope I haven’t upset you like … bringing you here. …”

“You did absolutely right, Jethro. It is as well that I’m here and can find out from Dr. Cabel how my uncle really is.”

He looked relieved. I said to him: “What else has been happening here? It seems to be just the same at the Court, except that Lord Eversleigh is so ill they have had to call in a resident doctor, and Amos Carew visits the house more often.”

“Oh, there’s Evalina.”

“What happened to her? Isn’t she there now?”

“She married.”

“Oh … and she’s gone away?”

“Not far. You remember Grasslands.”

“Yes, of course, it’s the rather big house … close to Enderby.”

“That’s right. Well, she went as housekeeper to old Andrew Mather. In a few months she’d married him.”

“Oh,” I said, “so Evalina is mistress of Grasslands.”

“A regular little madam she is now. Rides round in her carriage. They say that she fooled the old man good and proper; warmed his bed for him and wormed her way in till she’d got him where she wanted him. She’s learned a trick or two from her mother.”

“What about Enderby?”

“The Forsters are there.”

“Oh yes, I remember. I did meet them when I was here once.”

“Dr. Forster, whose got his practice in the town, is related to them. He’s at Enderby quite a bit, though he has a house in the town.”

“Things have really happened since I was last here. I shall keep in touch with you and if you discover anything that you think I should know do tell me. I’ll call on you again. First I have to see Dr. Cabel. There’s a lot I want to know about my uncle.”

I left Jethro and went back to the house. I went to my room and had not been there very long when there was a knock on the door.

It was Jessie.

“Dr. Cabel is here now. He’s so pleased you’ve come. Will you come down now and see him?”

“With pleasure.”

Eagerly I followed her to one of the small sitting rooms, where Dr. Cabel was waiting for us. He rose and bowed as I entered. He was of tall and commanding appearance and looked every inch the medical man. He was by no means young but he gave the appearance of carrying his years lightly. I guessed he must be some five or ten years younger than my uncle.

“Mistress Ransome,” he said taking my hand, “how glad I am that you have come. I have been saying for some time that you should be sent for.”

“How is my uncle? Is he very seriously ill?”

Dr. Cabel lifted his hands and let them sway from one side to another. “He is,” he said, “and he isn’t. If you mean could he pass away at any moment, the answer is yes … but then so could we all. If you say will he live another six months, a year … two years … even three … well, that could be possible. He has, as I think you know, had a seizure. He is not a young man. But he has survived … and there are indications that he may go on surviving.”

“There seems to be very little certainty.”

Dr. Cabel shook his head. “Mind you,” he said, “you will see a great change in him. I hope you are prepared for that, dear lady. He is paralyzed down one side … as often happens in seizures of this nature. His left hand is useless … he cannot walk even a few steps … his speech has been impaired … and you will find certain changes in his appearance. I’m afraid you will be a little shocked at the sight of him. Don’t let him see it. It would upset him. At times he is lucid … at others naturally he wanders a bit. He needs very careful nursing. He is fortunate in having Mistress Stirling on the spot.”

“I do my best,” said Jessie casting down her eyes. “There’s such a change. …” Her voice faltered. “He used to be so …”

“He has a great determination to hold on to life,” said the doctor quickly. “The fact that he has come through as he has shows this. We must be careful not to overexcite him. If you will excuse me a moment I will go to his room and if all is well I should like you to come up.”

He rose and left us.

“He’s a good man,” said Jessie. “Mind you, he likes to give the orders. Sometimes he’ll keep me out of the room. But there you are, he’s the doctor. I suppose we have to do as he says.”

I was silent. Dr. Cabel had made me feel that my uncle was in good hands.

He returned shaking his head.

“He’s sleeping,” he said. “He usually does at this hour. I’ll go up again in ten minutes. I want him to wake naturally.”

Dusk had crept into the room. We were silent for a few moments. Then the doctor said: “Do you intend to stay long, Mistress Ransome?”

“I am not sure. My husband is not really well and we have recently had a change of managers. Then there is my young daughter. …”

“Of course … of course. I see you have your responsibilities. I would keep you informed of Lord Eversleigh’s condition. He could go on like this for a very long time.”

“And it seems as if I can be of little help here.”

“Oh, I’m sure it do him good go see you,” said Jessie smiling at me.

“If he knows you … yes,” said Dr. Cabel.

“You think he might not … ?”

The doctor lifted his hands and swayed them from side to side again. “Well, we know how he is, don’t we, Mistress Stirling? There are times I think when he doesn’t know even you.”

“It’s true,” said Jessie, “and I’m silly enough to let that hurt a bit. … He was always …”

Dr. Cabel put his head on one side and looked at me quizzically.

He was a man of many gestures; immersed as I was in the state of my uncle’s health I could not help noticing this. But he did exude an air of comfort and efficiency.

After a while he said he would look in again. It was dark now and he took a candle to light himself up the stairs.

“He keeps us all in order,” said Jessie when he’d gone. “Sometimes you’d think he owned the place. But I turn a blind eye for I reckon he’s done a lot for Lordy.”

Dr. Cabel came down and nodded to me.

“Come now,” he said.

I followed him up the stairs, Jessie keeping up the rear.

Outside my uncle’s door Dr. Cabel turned to me. “You can’t stay long. I’ll give you a sign when I think he has had enough. Then I shall want you to slip away.”

Quietly he opened the door and we tiptoed in. Two candles were burning on the shelf over the carved fireplace.

The curtains were half drawn about the four-poster bed, shutting out much of the little light there was.

Dr. Cabel gently drew back one of the curtains and beckoned to me. I approached the bed. He was lying there with his eyes closed. He wore a nightcap which was pulled forward over his forehead. I had been warned but I was deeply shocked. I thought of him as I had last seen him; I remembered particularly those lively dark eyes. Now they were shut and he seemed only half alive. The skin was the same parchment color as I remembered—dry and wrinkled.