Free The India Fan by Victoria Holt

not?
    The door opened and Polly came in.
    eard you running up She stopped and stared at me. hy, what is it? What the matter?
    She came and sat on the bed beside me and put an arm round me.
    oue upset,she said. ou better tell old Polly about it.
    don know, Polly. I can believe it. I don know whether she saw me or not. It was awful.
    ome on. Tell me.
    think I ought not to tell anyone ever.
    ou can tell me, as it as good as if you kept it to yourself only better because I know what best to do. Don I always?
    es, you do. Only swear you won do anything without telling me.
    ross my heart.
    wear it, Polly.
    ere.She licked her finger and rubbed it dry. ee me finger wet, see me finger dry, Cross my heart and never tell a lie,she finished with a dramatic gesture.
    I had heard Polly swear that before and I knew she would keep her word.
    couldn find Lavinia,I said. went to look for her. You know that old summer house the haunted one someone killed herself in it years ago
    Polly nodded.
    he was in there with Jos. They were on the floor together and
    o!cried Polly, aghast.
    I nodded. saw them clearly.
    Polly rocked gently back and forth. his is a nice sort of how-di-do. I can believe anything of them two. A regular pair. I like to see her ladyship face when she hears of this.
    ou mustn tell her, Polly.
    hat! Let them go on till he leaves his signature on the family tree! That wouldn be one for the drawing over the fireplace, I can tell you.
    he know that I told. I can tell tales.
    Polly sat quietly thinking. or can you let this go on. And I wonder how far it has gone. She a little er madam that one. As for him, I reckon he his father all over again and no girl would be safe from him unless she had her head screwed on right, of course. I reckon it got to be stopped. There could be big trouble and I wouldn like even Lady Harriet to have that foisted on her.
    erhaps I should speak to Lavinia.
    ot you. You keep out of it. You make her worse. I know her kind. Wee got to do something, though. You leave it to me.
    olly, you won tell I saw them, will you?
    She shook her head. e given you my promise, haven I?
    es, but
    on you worry, my love. Il find some way and you can bet your life Il see that you are not mixed up in this.
    Polly was most inventive. She found the way.
    It was a few days later. I went over to the House as usual. Lavinia was not to be found, nor was Jos. I hurried back to the rectory and told Polly, who was waiting to hear.
    She told me to go to my room and read because she wanted me out of the way.
    I heard what happened later.
    Polly let Holly know that her lover was in the Framling haunted summer house with another woman. Holly wouldn believe her at first, but after a while she went to investigate. Polly assumption had been right. Holly came upon Jos and Lavinia, as Lavinia told me later, flagrante delicto. Poor Holly, she had been deceived by her lover, and finding him in such a position with another womanven though she was Miss Laviniaroused her unbridled fury.
    She shouted at him, cursing him and Miss Lavinia. He could not escape, because he was not fully dressed, and it was the same with Lavinia.
    Holly shouting was heard and several of the servants came hurrying, thinking a burglar had been caught.
    It was disastrous, for it became a matter that could not be hidden from Lady Harriet herself.
    Lavinia and Jos had been caught in the act.
    There was certain to be a big storm.
    I did not see Lavinia for some days. Polly told me what had happened and she had it from the horse mouth via Mrs. Janson, who had had it from Mrs. Bright. Lavinia was confined to her room and something big was about to take place.
    Jos could hardly be dismissed, as he was known as Reuben son although he wasno he would have to stay in the stables, because Reuben was too useful to be dispensed with and it was not fair that the sins of the children should be visited on their elders, even though it was the other way round in the Bible. If he had been caught