The Red Cliffs (17 page)

“
That
’
s very kind of you,
”
said Alison, and because she was embarrassed, it sounded stiff and ungrateful.

“
I
’
ll see at least that your telephone is put in,
”
he said.
“
Well, goodnight—Alison.
”
It was the second time that evening that he had called her Alison, but she could not bring herself to call him Neil. Mr. Edgerton, however, would sound like a rebuff after his use of her Christian name, so she said:
“
Goodnight—and thank you again,
”
and he went out at once to his waiting car.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Corinne Duval arrived at Combe Russet Cottage during the week following. Several days had elapsed since the disturbance with Roger, and Alison had seen neither Neil nor Roger since, but men had arrived on the Tuesday after the incident to install her telephone, and she guessed that Neil had exerted all his authority to get the job done. A little like Tom in that she was inclined to procrastination herself, she had a great admiration for people who did things promptly.

She met Corinne at the station, drove her home and showed her round the house. They had met briefly at a couple of London parties and had a number of mutual friends, but Corinne
’
s natural friendliness soon overcame this slight acquaintance. She had brought a good deal of luggage with her.
“
You see,
”
she exclaimed to Alison,
“
I
’
ve come prepared for a long stay. I felt so sure I was going to like everything. I
’
ve heard so much from Lucy, about the house and the place and about you too. Now all that remains is for you to like me, and we have to wait to see how that goes.
”

“
You don
’
t think the place will be too isolated for you?
”

“
I like almost any place,
”
said Corinne placidly.
“
I can make a home round me anywhere. I like some interesting people to talk to, but I
’
m really easily pleased. I
’
m very domesticated, you know.
”

“
You don
’
t look it. You look most exotic.
”

“
Perhaps the two can go together? I don
’
t know. I was brought up in France, you know—my father French and my mother English. But she married him when she was very young and now she is more French than the French. They both think a girl should know how to manage a home, even if she is a ballet dancer or an actress or a business woman. So I
’
m quite a good cook and I like to do it.
”

“
That
’
s welcome news,
”
said Alison,
“
because I
’
m not very domesticated.
”

“
Then you leave it to me,
”
said Corinne.

From the beginning, everything went so well that Alison was afraid it was too good to be true. Life suddenly became easier for h.er. She could leave for the office without so much as a backward glance at the dishes, and when she returned the house was in apple pie order and Corinne had made the preparations for dinner. Corinne herself was a tonic. In the morning, preparing breakfast, she wore a dressing gown that was masculine in its severity, and her long blonde hair was tied back with a ribbon. In the evening, Alison never knew what to expect, for Corinne had an amazing wardrobe of out-of-the
-
ordinary clothes which she wore with a superb French unconcern and chic. She had so many hairstyles that Alison lost count of them, she had fun with false eyelashes, and her make-up varied from the almost-nothing, scrubbed child look to one so macabre that Alison referred to it as her death
’
s-door make-up.

Her admission that she
‘
was a good cook was a considerable understatement. Alison enjoyed excellent meals without having to cook them first, and Corinne insisted she should feel free to go into her workshop while dinner was being prepared.

“
But I can
’
t leave you to do it all,
”
protested Alison.

“
I am lazy all day,
chérie
,
”
said Corinne.
“
Yes, really. We don
’
t make much untidiness, and
I
have a very light lunch. In fact, I loll about all afternoon
in the sun room, and as soon as the sun comes out, I dash into the garden and sunbathe. Look what a tan I
’
m getting already!
”

She was interested in all the details of Alison
’
s day. She could talk well herself, telling Alison about her life in the ballet, the travels it occasioned, and the people she met: but she also listened, liking to hear about Harvey Deeprose and the people in the office, and such neighbours as Alison
h
ad already met.

“
We will have a cocktail party for them,
”
said Corinne, already full of plans.

She met Neil when she had been only a few days at Combe Russet. She had walked across a field and emerged on to Smuggler
’
s Lane, but the rough going had caused her ankle to ache, so she sat by the roadside to rest. Neil, rounding the bend, saw a blonde-haired girl with feet stretched out before her and one of them conspicuously in plaster. He slowed up.
“
Do you want a lift?
”
he called.

“
Yes,
”
please,
”
she answered at once; not because she did need a lift but because the face that looked out at her was youngish and handsome.

He opened the door, and she exaggerated her limp to the car.

“
Where do you want to go?
”
he asked,

“
I
’
m staying at Combe Russet Cottage. Do you know it?
”

“
Yes, I know it,
”
said Neil.
“
It
’
s only a minute or two from here. So you are staying with Alison?
”

“
Yes. You know her too?
”

“
Yes, I
’
m glad she has somebody living in. the house with her. How long are you staying?
”

“
As long as she will have me. I
’
m having a rest cure and waiting for my ankle to get well
.
It was badly broken, and I
’
m a ballet dancer—so you see what that means.
”

“
No more dancing?
”
he asked sympathetically.

“
We don
’
t know yet. When the plaster comes off, there will be weeks of remedial exercise, and I expect months of getting back into proper form. However, let
’
s introduce ourselves. I
’
m Corinne
Duval.
”

“
Delighted to meet you, Miss Duval. I
’
m Neil
Edgerton.
”

“
Oh,
b
ut I know a lot about you,
”
she said at
once.

“
From Alison?
”
he asked in surprise.

“‘
No, from Lucy. She is your great admirer. You have a beautiful house at the end of the drive, haven
’
t you?
”

“
You must come and see it
some time,
”
he said politely.

“
I should like that very much. And you must come and see us. Alison is rather slow at getting to know people. You see she works in an office all day, and in the evening she is dying to get into her workshop. You know she sculpts in wood? I
’
m not sure if that
’
s how one puts it, but she does, and that doesn
’
t leave her much time for a social life.
”

“
But you have time for a social life?
”

“
Indeed, yes. I like people; and I think that Alison, too, ought to get out sometimes. Outside is good for her.
”

“
I must get a few of the local people together to meet you,
”
said Neil.
“
Would you like that?
”

“
Very much.
”

“
I
’
ll fix an evening for drinks and see if I can rustle up some of our more interesting personalities. I think they will be very pleased to meet you.
”

“
This is extraordinarily kind of you—to go out of your way like this to welcome a stranger.
”

“
I
’
m very glad you
’
re here. Partly because we don
’
t have many new neighbours so dazzling, and partly because I don
’
t think Alison should live in that house alone.
”

They had arrived at the Cottage and Corinne opened the door of the car.

“
Any good asking you to come and have tea?
”
she asked.

“
I
’
m afraid I
’
m too busy. I have a man waiting for me in my office. Ask me another day. Can you manage?
”
He was out of the car, preparing to offer her a helping arm.

“
Oh yes, I hobble about quite adequately if not very gracefully,
”
she said, giving him her most dazzling smile.
“
Thank you for the lift, Mr. Edgerton.
À
bient
ô
t.
”

He smiled back at her and went on his way. Corinne waited at the gate until the car was out of sight and then went into the house. When Alison returned that evening, Corinne said to her;

“
My dear Alison, how you do let the grass grow under your feet!
”

“
I?
”
Alison looked at her in surprise.
“
In what way?
”

“
You
’
ve met Neil Edgerton.
”

“
Indeed
I have.”

“
And you haven
’
t got your tentacles in him yet?
”

“
I don
’
t want him, Corinne. In fact,
w
e avoid each other.
”

“
Is that so? It doesn
’
t sound to me as if he were anxious to avoid you. Why don
’
t you like him?
”

“
Oh, it
’
s very, complicated, and a lot of it ancient history. He
’
s tough and cold and unfeeling
...”
She hesitated, remembering that he had not been cold and unfeeling at their last meeting.
“
And terribly interfering,
”
she added, thinking that that, at least, was true.

“
Well, it
’
s a good thing we don
’
t all like the same people,
”
said Corinne,
“
because I think I like him very much. And he
’
s going to fix a cocktail party for me to meet some of the local worthies; and I shall have a party and ask some of them here. And you mustn
’
t be anti-social, Alison.
”

Their social life was indeed stepped up after Corinne
’
s arrival Neil gave his promised cocktail party, and Corinne swept Alison along with her, and not only wore her own most stunning cocktail dress, but insisted upon Alison dressing up too. Alison saw with interest that there were no signs of the doctor, the vi
car, the General or the solicito
r. Clive Rolands was there with his wife, and a number of
young married couples, a few naval officers and the
girl called Bonnie. It was a lively party indeed, and
when most of the people had gone home Neil invited
the naval officers, Bonnie, Alison and Corinne to
stay on to supper. As one of the naval men attached himself to Alison and would not be shaken off (indeed Alison had shown no sign of shaking him off and seemed, to welcome his attention) Neil had no chance of a private word with her. It was, in fact, Corinne
w
ho engaged most of his attention, Corinne who sat
next to him at supper and Corinne whose liveliness
kept him constantly amused, so that Alison was surprised at the number of times his laugh rang out.

Corinne, she reflected, was certainly not one to let the grass grow under her feet.

In a short time, Corinne decided to give a party in return, for about a dozen people. She spent most of the afternoon making cocktail savouries, and telephoned Alison to bring her one or two things she needed from town. Alison spared a few minutes from her work to go along to the shops, and ran into Roger on the pavement. They both stopped, both momentarily embarrassed, and before Roger recovered himself, Alison said: