Nicholas? ’ she pressed.
Her husband ’ s face had gone grave. ‘ But I ’ m not where Wyatt is. What ’ s more I have no wish to be. But you don ’ t understand that, do you, Jane? ’ he said.
‘ I certainly do not !’
‘ In spite of all the times we ’ ve had it out? That for one thing, I ’ m pushing fifty—within ten years or so of retiring. That though I flatter myself I ’ ve made a “ happy ship ” of West while I ’ ve had it, I recognize that housemastering is my limit, and I ’ m content. Also, that even if I ’ d had the offer of it, I would never presume to follow someone like R. L. into the High Mastership of Clere —’
“ But you ’ ll stand by and see a comparative puppy step into it !’
‘ Yes. A young man who ’ s showing a good deal of drive already, someone with time before him and ambitions of his own for the place, I dare say. ’
Jane Dysart echoed, ‘ I dare say too! Using Clere as a stepping-stone for himself, that ’ s about all. And of course it doesn ’ t matter to you that I ’ m cramped here, that I might have expected something better for you after all these years, that —’
But there Verity thought it wise to slip away from a clash of conflict in which she had no right to take sides, much as she wanted to.
Everyone on the Clere staff suspected Jane Dysart considered her husband a drone. But Verity had never before heard her so blatant—as if her seething resentment at his being passed over had suddenly come to the boil and she didn ’ t care who knew it. Fortunately Nicholas ’ s lotus-eating temperament seemed a match for her; if it weren ’ t, she would surely have worn down his resistance long ago.
It was good, too, thought Verity, to find him so open-minded and tolerant of their new broom of a chief. Not, she judged, that it would concern Daniel Wyatt overmuch whether he found himself at first among allies or enemies. But a little surprised that it should matter as it did, she knew it was she who wanted Clere ’ s whole loyalty behind him ... wanted it badly enough to be prepared to stand up to any Jane Dysart, to any Lance, in order to get it for him.
Now she wanted him to succeed with Clere. For her mother ’ s sake, for her father ’ s, and to prove Lance ’ s prejudice wrong. No more than that, she thought. And they were good reasons enough ... weren ’ t they?
She did not see Daniel Wyatt again until the early evening when it emerged that Mrs. Lytton had plans for them both. She had asked him to join them for sherry before the evening meal and as she handed him his glass she asked, ‘ I ’ ve been wondering, Daniel—are you very, very busy tonight ?’
He looked up at her. ‘ Busy enough. Why? ’
‘ Oh dear. ’ She twisted the stem of her own glass between her fingers. ‘ And I ’ d been hoping you could help me out. But of course, if you can ’ t — At such short notice too —’
As Daniel ’ s mouth curved to a small smile Verity saw that already he had begun to take the measure of her mother ’ s gently hesitant manner. Morally impossible, as Verity knew only too well, to ignore the appeal she had left unspoken, and Daniel did not ignore it.
He said, ‘ What is it I can do for you? ’
‘ Well, if you could. It ’ s like this. Robert was the chief patron of the Lyre Group, a musical society in Norwich which gives concerts during the winter season and books St Andrew ’ s Hall when the big symphony orchestras come down. Tonight they ’ re opening with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra there and they ’ ve sent me two tickets as usual. But for one thing, you ’ ll understand that I don ’ t care to go anywhere in public yet, and for another, Lance will be home later and I can ’ t leave. But Verity takes after her father—she loves music. So I thought—though do say if it ’ s quite impossible for you—if you would use the tickets and take her, she ’ d be very grateful. ’
For answer Daniel looked
Her husband ’ s face had gone grave. ‘ But I ’ m not where Wyatt is. What ’ s more I have no wish to be. But you don ’ t understand that, do you, Jane? ’ he said.
‘ I certainly do not !’
‘ In spite of all the times we ’ ve had it out? That for one thing, I ’ m pushing fifty—within ten years or so of retiring. That though I flatter myself I ’ ve made a “ happy ship ” of West while I ’ ve had it, I recognize that housemastering is my limit, and I ’ m content. Also, that even if I ’ d had the offer of it, I would never presume to follow someone like R. L. into the High Mastership of Clere —’
“ But you ’ ll stand by and see a comparative puppy step into it !’
‘ Yes. A young man who ’ s showing a good deal of drive already, someone with time before him and ambitions of his own for the place, I dare say. ’
Jane Dysart echoed, ‘ I dare say too! Using Clere as a stepping-stone for himself, that ’ s about all. And of course it doesn ’ t matter to you that I ’ m cramped here, that I might have expected something better for you after all these years, that —’
But there Verity thought it wise to slip away from a clash of conflict in which she had no right to take sides, much as she wanted to.
Everyone on the Clere staff suspected Jane Dysart considered her husband a drone. But Verity had never before heard her so blatant—as if her seething resentment at his being passed over had suddenly come to the boil and she didn ’ t care who knew it. Fortunately Nicholas ’ s lotus-eating temperament seemed a match for her; if it weren ’ t, she would surely have worn down his resistance long ago.
It was good, too, thought Verity, to find him so open-minded and tolerant of their new broom of a chief. Not, she judged, that it would concern Daniel Wyatt overmuch whether he found himself at first among allies or enemies. But a little surprised that it should matter as it did, she knew it was she who wanted Clere ’ s whole loyalty behind him ... wanted it badly enough to be prepared to stand up to any Jane Dysart, to any Lance, in order to get it for him.
Now she wanted him to succeed with Clere. For her mother ’ s sake, for her father ’ s, and to prove Lance ’ s prejudice wrong. No more than that, she thought. And they were good reasons enough ... weren ’ t they?
She did not see Daniel Wyatt again until the early evening when it emerged that Mrs. Lytton had plans for them both. She had asked him to join them for sherry before the evening meal and as she handed him his glass she asked, ‘ I ’ ve been wondering, Daniel—are you very, very busy tonight ?’
He looked up at her. ‘ Busy enough. Why? ’
‘ Oh dear. ’ She twisted the stem of her own glass between her fingers. ‘ And I ’ d been hoping you could help me out. But of course, if you can ’ t — At such short notice too —’
As Daniel ’ s mouth curved to a small smile Verity saw that already he had begun to take the measure of her mother ’ s gently hesitant manner. Morally impossible, as Verity knew only too well, to ignore the appeal she had left unspoken, and Daniel did not ignore it.
He said, ‘ What is it I can do for you? ’
‘ Well, if you could. It ’ s like this. Robert was the chief patron of the Lyre Group, a musical society in Norwich which gives concerts during the winter season and books St Andrew ’ s Hall when the big symphony orchestras come down. Tonight they ’ re opening with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra there and they ’ ve sent me two tickets as usual. But for one thing, you ’ ll understand that I don ’ t care to go anywhere in public yet, and for another, Lance will be home later and I can ’ t leave. But Verity takes after her father—she loves music. So I thought—though do say if it ’ s quite impossible for you—if you would use the tickets and take her, she ’ d be very grateful. ’
For answer Daniel looked
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