Free Kingdom Lost by Patricia Wentworth Page B

looked at him reproachfully again and ignored the proffered chair.
    â€œI’m Timothy Brand—I’m Helena’s brother.”
    He was unprepared for the sudden movement which brought her quite close to him.
    â€œOh—are you my uncle?”
    Timothy simply did not feel able to live up to being an uncle.
    He said, “Oh, good Lord, no!” and then was afraid that he had been rude because he saw her face change. She looked, yes, she looked rebuffed, and she said “Oh” again in a soft, disappointed way.
    â€œWhy aren’t you my uncle? If you’re Aunt Helena’s brother, and she’s my aunt—”
    â€œI say, do come and sit down by the fire!”
    â€œNo—I don’t want to. I want to know why you’re not my uncle.”
    â€œWell—” said Timothy. “I say, we’re a most awfully complicated family—and I’m most frightfully bad at explaining things—”
    â€œWhat do I call you?” Valentine interrupted him. Her eyes were fixed reproachfully upon him. He felt he wasn’t behaving quite nicely in not being her uncle.
    â€œOh, you call me Timothy.”
    Valentine sighed.
    â€œIt’s a very ugly name.”
    â€œYou’ll get used to it. I say, do sit down—because I don’t think I can explain about the family with us just standing in the middle of the room looking at each other.”
    She sat down then on the edge of a chair.
    â€œIt’s this way.” He sat himself down beside her. “My name’s Brand—and Helena’s name was Brand before she married Edmund Ryven—and Edmund Ryven was your father’s younger brother.”
    â€œAre you married?”
    Timothy laughed.
    â€œDo I look married?”
    â€œI don’t know. Are you?”
    â€œRather not!” He ran a hand through his hair. “Look here, I’m making an awful mess of this—I told you I should. My father—his name was James Brand—my father was married twice. Helena and Ida are the first family—they’re a good bit older than I am.”
    â€œWho is Ida?”
    â€œIda is Mrs. Cobb. And her husband is in business. And she’s got a son called Reggie and a daughter called Marjory. You’ll see Ida in a minute, because she’s come down to assist in the family powwow. She’s a good sort—you’ll like her. I say, I have got frightfully mixed! I hope you’re keeping your head. Well, I’m the second family. And then my father died, and my mother married a man called Egerton, and Lil—”
    â€œWho is Lil?”
    â€œI’m explaining rottenly—I’m no earthly good at it. Lil’s my half-sister—like Helena and Ida, only on the other side, you know. She’s five years younger than I am and she lives with me.”
    â€œHere, do you mean?”
    â€œNo—at Waterlow, about three miles away. I’m one of the poor wretches who are trying to make agriculture pay.”
    Valentine did not know anything at all about agriculture. She held up one brown hand and touched the fingers in turn.
    â€œHelena—Ida—you—and Lil. Is that right? And Helena is Aunt Helena, but you’re not my uncle?”
    â€œYou’ve got it.”
    A pleased look crossed her face.
    â€œEdward said I was very quick at getting things.” Then, with a complete change of manner, “They’re talking for such a long time. Why doesn’t Aunt Helena come?” She leant forward as she spoke. “Timothy—”
    Timothy had stopped feeling shy a long time ago. He had never felt shy with children; and this was a child.
    â€œWhat is it?” he said with a friendly look.
    â€œTimothy—I feel all frightened.”
    â€œWhy?”
    He found her hand in his, and found it cold.
    â€œI don’t know—I feel all frightened. I thought she would come at once. Isn’t she—isn’t she pleased