Free Celia's House by D. E. Stevenson Page B

what she was like, of course, but he did not know how to describe her.
    â€œDid she know you?” Daddy asked.
    â€œYes,” said Mark. “Yes, of course. She knew I was Mark. She was pleased to see me.”
    â€œBut she didn’t speak to you?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œShe’s a mystery,” Daddy said, laughing.
    â€œIs that her name?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œMiss Terry,” said Mark.
    â€œI think it must be,” Daddy said.

Chapter Ten
Settling In
    The parish church in Ryddelton was always very well attended, but for a long time the Dunnian pew had stood empty save for the slim figure of Becky in her neat black coat and hat. On the Sunday morning following the arrival of the Humphrey Dunnes, Becky was early on the scene and instead of sitting in her usual place she moved up the pew to the far end, leaving vacant a large expanse of red-cushioned seat. This unusual circumstance was noticed by a good many people with a good deal of interest.
    After a bit there was a rustle of silk and Mrs. Humphrey Dunne swept up the aisle. She was followed by a little lady in black and, behind the little lady, came a tall man with a clean-shaven face and a very small boy in a sailor suit.
    A small stir, like wind in a field of corn, passed through the church. Heads were turned and necks were craned eagerly. Some of the Ryddelton people knew the Maurice Dunnes and thought they had been badly treated; others held the opinion that Miss Dunne was entitled to do as she pleased with her own property, but one and all were anxious to see the newcomers, for, in a small community such as Ryddelton, it mattered a good deal what sort of people one had as neighbors. The Dunnes appeared unconscious of the interest they had aroused. They filed into the Dunnian pew and sat down.
    On the other side of the aisle was the Raeworths’ pew. Mr. Raeworth was tall and gray-haired; Mrs. Raeworth was small and plump. They sat one at each end of the seat and between them sat two of their children, Andrew and Angela. Andrew had heard about the “Dunne boy” and was so anxious to see what he looked like that he stood on a hassock and leaned right over the book rest. He was pulled back to his proper place by his mother. Mrs. Raeworth had not turned her head, but somehow or other she had accomplished the seemingly impossible and had caught a glimpse of “the new Mrs. Dunne.” Gray silk and black furs and a large black hat—all very nice and proper.
    I shall call , thought Mrs. Raeworth as she rose for the first psalm. I shall call at once. Dear old Miss Dunne would like me to call. It will be nice to have neighbors with children .
    Lady Skene was even less conveniently placed for seeing her new neighbors, for the Skenes always sat in the front pew. She heard the stir and was aware what had occasioned it, but she would have to wait until after the service to make up her mind about the newcomers. (Lady Skene’s daughter-in-law was a friend of Nina Dunne and had written to Lady Skene saying that the Humphreys were quite impossible, but Lady Skene was not prepared to accept this statement as gospel truth. She would judge for herself.) Unfortunately she was delayed after the service and reached the church door just as the Dunnian carriage was driving away. She stood there, peering after it with her shortsighted eyes. It was nothing but a blur.
    â€œ Quite nice,” Eveleyn Raeworth’s voice said at her elbow. “Gray silk and black furs—just right, don’t you think?”
    â€œYou mean black might have been just a little—”
    â€œYes, I think so,” Mrs. Raeworth said, nodding.
    â€œI shall call, anyway,” said Lady Skene. “I mean, there are so few people now, and Celia would have liked me to call.”
    â€œI’m sure you’re right.”
    The Skene carriage had driven up to the door, but Lady Skene hesitated. She said in a low voice, “Did Celia