Free Brides of Aberdar by Christianna Brand Page B

blown itself out and she was able to recognise how unwise it had been to make reference to the possibility of marriage, to put such an idea into his head. Thank heaven, he had seemed hardly to take it all in; and, above all, thank heaven that Mees did not understand French!
    The little girls lay curled together in the big white-hung four-poster bed. ‘Did you feel the hands today, Lyn?’
    ‘When we went into Papa’s room. Weren’t they cold ?’
    ‘Papa’s whole room was cold. Tante Louise said it was because Tetty made Hannah open the window—’
    ‘Tetty’s always saying about fresh air!’
    ‘—but it wasn’t. Even standing close to the fire it was cold.’
    ‘If Papa’s ill, won’t he be able to take us away to another house, Christine?’
    ‘Do we want to go away from here?’
    ‘I think Papa believes that if we go to another house we won’t feel the cold hands.’
    ‘Papa doesn’t know about the hands.’
    ‘I think he might, but he doesn’t say he does. Hil knows. Would you like to go away from the house, Christine?’
    ‘I don’t think the house would let us,’ said Christine.
    Any struggle as to the over-all care of the patient must be fruitless. The governess was despatched back to her own duties and a strong young woman called Blodwen, used to nursing, brought in under the dominance of Tante Louise. But news filtered through from Blodwen to the servants’ hall and was retailed to Miss in due course. The Squire seemed not to rally, remaining very pale and weak and speaking hardly at all. As to the actual nature of the malady, the visiting doctors seemed curiously vague, prescribing only as much good, simple food as the patient could be induced to eat, rest in bed, and to the huge indignation of Madame Devalle, fresh air. And: ‘These windows already are small enough, Madam; have the hangings removed, throw open the casements during the day; have the bed moved to that side of the room. As soon as he is strong enough, we will arrange for short drives for him about the countryside. And as much mental stimulation as possible. Have the young lady bring in the children twice a day at least, to chatter to him; if he can’t read, arrange for her to read to him, something of interest to him, but light and agreeable…’ To his colleagues in the neighbouring town he confided: ‘Not that I have much hope of any of it. What with the shock of his wife’s death—’
    ‘And of her life, even more,’ said Dr Meredith, who had been Anne’s medical attendant in the last years.
    ‘A mental affliction. Poor man, I daresay it was difficult to live with.’
    ‘Very difficult indeed,’ said the other, whose lips on the subject had been sealed at the end by a ‘mourning gift’ so generous as to amount to a bribe.
    ‘—well, the shock either way; it has left him with little stamina to resist such an incident as a blow on the head from the swinging-back of a heavy oak door.’ He mused: ‘Very strange. I’ve been in and out of that door over many years, never known it to swing. At any angle, it would just stand open. You don’t think by any possible chance the servant—?’
    ‘What, Tomos? He’s a bit of a boyo, as they say in deepest Wales, but the Squire’s a good master, Meredith, what could the man gain by such an act? They do say that Sir Edward had thoughts of moving from the house?’
    ‘It would hardly avail Tomos to attack him on that account?’
    ‘Well, no—he would doubtless take his servants with him. In a way,’ said the doctor, musing, ‘one would rather wish a move for them. There is something very strange about the old house.’
    ‘I’ve noted it myself,’ said Dr Horder. He suggested: ‘Something almost—haunting.’
    ‘Oh, I wouldn’t use that word for it,’ said Dr Meredith, mindful of his undertakings.
    Madame’s interpretation of the doctor’s orders was much what one might have expected. The bed was duly moved, since he would be able to check up on it, so