Candida said,

‘Where is it?’

She got one of his most charming smiles.

‘Darling, I don’t know, and I don’t want to.’

Chapter Fourteen

When Candida reached her room she was surprised to find Nellie there. It was no more than half past ten, but that was late for her to be turning down the bed and putting in a hot water-bottle, and when she looked round it was plain to see that she had been crying. Candida shut the door and came towards her.

‘Why, Nellie, is anything the matter?’

Tears started again from between the reddened lips. The girl said angrily,

‘No, there isn’t, nor yet there isn’t going to be! I’m clearing out!’

‘Clearing out?’

Nellie stamped her foot.

‘Yes, I am, and nobody’s going to persuade me different! The money is good, and I won’t say it isn’t, but what’s the good of that if you’ve been scared out of your life or had something happen to you that you’re never going to forget?’

Candida said in a half-hearted voice,

‘Nellie, what do you mean?’

‘I mean I’m catching the 9.25 back to London in the morning, and I don’t care what Aunt Anna says, or whether she ever speaks to me again or not!’

Candida came a step nearer.

‘Has anything happened?’

‘I’m not talking about it!’

‘But, Nellie – ’

‘What you don’t say nobody can’t bring up against you, and that’s flat! I’m not talking and I’m not staying! But I’ll go as far as this – what’s sauce for one of us is just as well sauce for the other!’

Candida said slowly, ‘What – do – you – mean?’

Nellie tapped with her foot.

‘Can’t you take a hint?’ Her voice had remained angry. ‘Here, let me by!’

Candida went back against the door and stood there.

‘Not just yet,’ she said. ‘There isn’t any hurry, and I think you have said too much not to say a little more.’

The girl was shaking.

‘Let me by!’

‘In a minute. Look here, Nellie, don’t be silly. Come and sit down and tell me what has upset you. You say you are getting out, and you’ve as good as told me that I’d better get out too. You can’t say things like that and leave them floating in the air.’

Nellie tossed her head.

‘Well then, I can, and what’s more I’m going to! Least said, soonest mended!’

Candida was silent for a minute. Then she said,

‘Someone has upset you. Who was it? Was it Derek?’

Nellie laughed.

‘Go on! You don’t suppose I couldn’t look after myself with his kind! Anyhow he’s all right is Mr. Derek. I mean he might want to lark about a bit, but – he’s all right. ’Smatter of fact he’s got a girl in Retley – been going with her steady for quite a long time. Only don’t you give him away – there wouldn’t half be a row if it came out. He’s told me all about her. Showed me her photo, too. Not pretty, you know, but ever so nice. And you could tell he was fond of her, the way he looked. A girl can always tell.’

The atmosphere had changed. They were two girls talking about a love affair. Candida laughed and said,

‘Oh, I won’t give him away.’ And then, ‘So it wasn’t Derek who upset you. Was it Anna?’

Nellie said in a scornful voice,

‘She fusses, and I won’t say I haven’t cheeked her, but that’s all in the family. Up in the air one minute and all right again the next – that’s Aunt Anna. Always been like that, she has. I wouldn’t take any notice of Aunt Anna.’

‘Is it Joseph then – your uncle?’

Nellie blazed.

‘He’s no uncle of mine, thank God! What Aunt Anna wanted to marry him for, I can’t think! Twenty years younger than her, and all he thinks about is money! Disgusting I call it! And how Aunt Anna could!’

Candida had a fleeting thought that thumbed its nose and suggested with a giggle that Anna’s savings must be considerable and her family would naturally prefer them to come their way. It was the kind of guttersnipe thought which you repress and dismiss. But Nellie appeared to have caught a glimpse of it, for she said on a defiant note,

‘And you needn’t think we’d have minded if it had been what you could call suitable, and not someone that was young enough to be her son and just to please the Miss Benevents. We all know she’s fond of them – do anything for Miss Cara she would. But you’re not called on to marry a chap that’s after your money just because it suits the people you work for!’

Candida laughed.

‘I suppose not, but I expect it’s been done before now. Well, you don’t like Joseph. Is that why you are going?’

‘It’s reason enough!’

‘But is it the reason?’

Nellie looked her straight in the face and said, ‘No!’

‘Then – ’

Nellie flushed.

‘Why can’t you leave it alone? I don’t like it here, and I’m clearing out! And if you’ve got any sense you’ll clear out too! Let me go!’

Candida shook her head.

All at once Nellie Brown’s resistance broke. She had a temper and it got away with her. She had always hated the place, and now it scared her. It was going to do her quite a lot of good to get some of these feelings off her chest. Her eyes sparkled as she said,

‘All right then, here it is – and don’t blame me if you don’t like it!’ She laughed angrily. ‘How would you like to wake up in the night and hear someone in your room?’

‘Nellie!’

‘Oh, it wasn’t Joseph or Mr. Derek – I’d have known what to do about that! It was something that went crying in the dark, and by the time I’d got a light on it was gone. So I started locking my door, but last night it came again. There was a cold hand that touched my face – it wasn’t half horrible. I wasn’t properly awake for a minute, and by the time I was, there was the crying thing half across the room. My curtains were back, but all I could see was something white, and it walked right into the wall and wasn’t there any more. Well, I put on the light, and the door was locked all right the way I’d left it. It was past two o’clock, and I kept my light on till the morning, and every minute of the time I was making up my mind I wouldn’t stay another day. Only when I was up and dressed and the sun was shining it seemed stupid to go away without my money. There’ll be a month owing me tomorrow, and I thought I’d get it first.’ She stopped abruptly and said with a complete change of voice and manner, ‘Well, I must go.’

Candida said,

‘Don’t you – mind?’

Nellie laughed with an effect of bravado. ‘Mind? What about?’ Then, as Candida only looked at her, she went into a rush of words, ‘If you’re thinking about my sleeping in that room again, I’m not doing it, and that’s flat! I told Aunt Anna I wouldn’t, and I won’t! I’m going in with her, and she’ll be wondering what’s keeping me!’

‘But – Joseph – ’

Nellie tossed her head.

‘She’s got her own room and always has had! And there’s a bolt on the door, what’s more! I’ll be all right in with Aunt Anna!’