Daughter of Deceit Read Online Free PDF Page A

does very little else. It’s perfect for her. It is dancing and singing mostly, which she does to perfection. I shall be glad when Maud gets going. She’s always in a state of tension beforehand, though she knows, and we all know, that she is going to be marvellous on the night. Afterwards, it settles down and in due course she will become a little bored. Then it comes off and the whole business starts again. I like the resting times. Then we are more together and have lots of fun until she gets restless and Dolly turns up with a new play.”
    “Dolly?”
    “Donald Dollington. You must have heard of him.”
    “The actor?”
    “Yes, actor-manager. I think he goes in for producing more than acting now.”
    The clock on the mantelpiece started to chime.
    I said: “I have been here nearly an hour. And I only came to deliver a letter.”
    “It’s been a most agreeable time.”
    “They will be wondering what has happened to me. I must go.”
    He took my hand and held it for a few moments.
    “I have enjoyed meeting you,” he said. “I’m glad you came to deliver that letter.”
    “I expect your father will bring you over to see us now that you are in London.”
    “I shall look forward to that.”
    “You must come to the first night of Countess Maud.”
    “I shall.”
    “I’ll see you later then.”
    “I’m going to take you home.”
    “Oh, it’s not very far.”
    “I shall certainly come.”
    He insisted and, as I was enjoying his company, I did not protest.
    When we reached the house I asked him to come in.
    “I look forward to meeting your mother,” he said. “She sounds delightful.”
    “She is,” I assured him.
    As we went into the hall, I heard voices coming from the drawing room.
    “She’s home,” I said. “Someone’s with her. But come up.”
    My mother had heard my arrival. She called out. “Is that you, darling? Come and see who’s here.”
    “Shall … ?” murmured Roderick Claverham.
    “Of course. There are always people here.”
    I opened the door.
    “Your journey wasn’t really necessary,” began my mother.
    Charlie was sitting beside her on the sofa. He stared at my companion and I could see at once that he was deeply embarrassed.
    “I was just telling Charlie that I had written him a note and you had gone to deliver it,” said my mother.
    She was smiling at Roderick, waiting for an introduction.
    Charlie said: “Desiree, this is my son, Roderick.”
    She was on her feet taking his hand, smiling at him, telling him how delighted she was to meet him.
    But I could see it was an awkward situation and I had made it so by bringing Charlie’s son face to face with him in my mother’s house.
    My mother was very good at gliding over awkward situations. I felt this was like a scene in a play. Conversation seemed rather stilted and for some time Charlie himself seemed unable to speak at all.
    My mother was saying, “How nice it is to meet you. Are you staying long in London? The weather is rather lovely now. I do enjoy the spring, don’t you?”
    I fancied she was rather enjoying the situation, slipping with natural ease into the part she was called upon to play.
    I said to Charlie: “I have been hearing about the wonderful discoveries on your land.”
    “Oh yes, yes,” said Charlie. “Very, very interesting.”
    My mother had to hear about them. She said how absolutely fantastic and how proud they must be and how wonderful to think of finding something that had been there all that time.
    Then she asked Roderick if he would like a glass of sherry or something. He declined and said he really had to leave and how much he had enjoyed meeting us both.
    “It makes me laugh,” said my mother. “There was I, sending a note to your father, when all the time he was on his way here.”
    Charlie left with his son soon after that.
    When they had gone, my mother lay back on the sofa and grimaced at me.
    “Oh dear, oh dear,” she said. “What have we done?”
    “What is this all