The Frost Fair

    'You would be elegant in whatever you wore.'

    'Do not tell that to Brilliana. She thinks my wardrobe is dowdy.'

    He was tactful. 'Your sister has somewhat different tastes.'

    'Are you sure that you do not mind my joining you in London?' she asked. 'I'd hate to feel that I was intruding in any way.'

    'Dear lady, you could never intrude on anyone.'

    'What about the friends with whom you intend to stay?'

    'Lord and Lady Eames will be as delighted to have you there as we are to take you,' said Cardinal. 'My only fear is that Mother will take up all of your time in the city.'

    'I enjoy her company.'

    'Do not let her lean too heavily on you.'

    'Mrs Cardinal is a most interesting lady. I long to know her better.'

    'Mother said exactly the same of you.'

    He gave a nervous laugh. In spite of the shortness of their acquaintance, Susan had come to admire Jack Cardinal. He was affable, sincere and self-deprecating. He loved his mother enough to tolerate her many eccentricities. Cardinal also had a keen interest in poetry and his knowledge of it was wide. Susan and he had spent the whole breakfast in a discussion of the merits of Ben Jonson's poems. Subdued for the most part, Cardinal had later spoken with such passion about Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler that he made Susan want to read it so that she could judge for herself. Lancelot Serle had been the only person able to contribute to their debate and his involvement was short-lived. His wife had dragged him unceremoniously off so that her sister was left alone with Cardinal.

    The two of them were still standing beside the coach when Mrs Cardinal came out of the house on Serle's arm. Her massive bulk was draped in voluminous clothing and her face reduced to a third of its size by a vast, green, feathered, undulating hat that was secured under her three chins by a thick white ribbon.

    'Have I kept you waiting?' she asked. 'I do beg your pardons, my dears.'

    'There's nothing to pardon, Mother,' said her son, helping her into the coach. It wobbled under her weight. He offered his hand to Susan. 'Miss Cheever?'

    'Thank you,' she said, taking it and climbing into the coach.

    Mrs Cardinal patted the seat. 'Come here,' she invited. 'Jack will have to travel with his back to the road. He does not mind that but it would give me one of my turns and that would never do. It's such an odd sensation to be driven backwards. I detest it.'

    Susan settled in beside her and Cardinal sat opposite. After wishing them well on their journey, Brilliana and her husband closed the coach door after them. Amid a battery of farewells, the vehicle rumbled off. It was a fine day and the bright sunshine was already bringing out the stark lines of the landscape. Susan surveyed the estate through the window. She had been so eager to escape the clutches of her sister that she had not really understood what was expected of her. She sensed that there could be drawbacks to the new arrangement. Mrs Cardinal was very demanding and her own son had warned Susan not to let the old lady monopolise her. As they rattled along, she could feel his gaze upon the side of his face. What sort of man was he and would they be able to spend so much time together without irritating each other? Who were the friends with whom they were going to stay? How would they react to the arrival of a complete stranger? What would the visitors do all day? Susan began to have qualms about the visit.

    Mrs Cardinal put a hand on her arm. 'Your sister is a charming lady,' she said. 'She and dear Lancelot make an ideal couple, I always think.'

    'They do,' agreed Susan.

    'I had the good fortune to enjoy a happy marriage as well. Did I not, Jack?'

    'Yes, Mother,' he said obediently.

    'Your father was a devoted husband.'

    'I know, Mother.'

    Her eyes moistened. 'It was so unfair of God to take him away from me like that. It was a tragedy. My dear husband went before his time and it broke my heart.'

    'Do not distress yourself about it now, Mother.'

    'I just wanted Susan to understand my situation. It was such a surprise,' she said, her cheeks trembling with emotion. 'I was the one with the delicate constitution and my husband was in the rudest of health. Yet he was snatched away first.'

    'Father was thrown from a horse,' explained Cardinal, looking at Susan. 'It was a terrible accident. We've still not recovered from the shock.'

    'I doubt that I ever shall,' said his mother.

    'When was this?' asked Susan.

    'Five years ago, Miss Cheever. Five long, lonely, empty years without him.'

    'Come now, Mother,' said Cardinal softly. 'We must not dwell on such things, least of all now when we are setting off on a little adventure. It's months since you went to London and there will be so much to do.' He flicked his eyes to Susan again. 'Where would you like to go, Miss Cheever'

    'Wherever you wish.'

    'You must have friends of your own whom you'd like to see.'

    'I do, Mr Cardinal.'

    'Then you must feel free to get in touch with them.'

    'Thank you.'

    'We shall very much enjoy meeting them,' said Mrs Cardinal, squeezing her arm. 'Our friends are all rather old and a trifle dull. I've told Jack a hundred times that we need the company of younger people or we shall dwindle into dullness ourselves.'

    'I cannot imagine that happening, Mrs Cardinal,' said Susan.

    'Then help to prevent it.'

    'How?'

    'By introducing us to friends of your own age.'

    'Miss Cheever might prefer to see them alone, Mother,' suggested Cardinal.

    'There's no question of that.'

    'Why not?' asked Susan, suddenly worried.

    'Because I refuse to be left out,' said the old woman with a touch of belligerence. 'We are not simply giving you a lift to London. That would be to make a convenience of us and what we've offered you is true companionship.' She beamed at Susan. 'I'm sure that you appreciate that.'

    'Yes, Mrs Cardinal.'

    'I'm glad that we agree on that point.'

    'We do,' confirmed Susan. 'I'd be hurt if you thought I was taking advantage of your good nature to make use of your coach. That would be ungracious. At the same time, however, I'm determined that I'll not get under your feet. I daresay that there will be moments when my absence will come as a relief.'

    'That's too fanciful a suggestion even to consider,' said Cardinal.

    His mother nodded. 'I side with Jack on that.'

    'There'd be no benefit at all in your absence, Miss Cheever.'

    'And so many from your presence,' said Mrs Cardinal as if laying down a law. 'Besides, I made a promise and I've sworn to keep it.'

    'A promise?' said Susan.

    'To your sister, Brilliana. She told me that you had a habit of going astray and we cannot have that in a city as large and dangerous as London. It would irresponsible of me. I promised her that I'd keep a motherly eye on you at all times, Miss Cheever.' She gave Susan a playful nudge. 'I hope that you've no objection to that?'

    'Do you?' asked Cardinal.

    'No,' said Susan, forcing a smile. 'I've no objection at all.'

    She concealed her dejection well but her heart was pounding. Susan feared that the private meeting with Christopher Redmayne might not even take place. Her escape was illusory. Instead of breaking free from Brilliana, she was taking her sister with her in the bloated shape of Mrs Cardinal. She felt as if she had been betrayed.