Norton, Andre - Novel 23 Read Online Free PDF Page A

biscuits—" He did not look directly at
Saranna, rather enumerated the contents of the various serving dishes. Then,
again not waiting for any word of preference from Saranna, he carved a plate of
ham, spooned the potatoes he had recommended, together with a square of light
bread, and handed the plate to the hovering serving maid who placed it before
the girl.
                   "Time—" Jethro shook his head. He
had pulled his large watch from his waistcoat pocket, snapped open the case, to
frown at the dial. "Never enough time. I will
have to be going, a long, long day for me. Must make sure all is well before I
leave. My dear, Honora has an excellent plan which she suggested to me only
this morning, one which I think you will 'find most advantageous in every way.
She will explain it all to you—"
                   He was already on his feet, heading for the
door. As it had been the evening before, her half brother gave Saranna no
chance at all to answer or protest. She watched the door close with a finality
which definitely left her in Honora's dubious charge.
                   "Poor Father—before he sails it is always
this way." Honora shook her head, sending the long lace streamers of her
cap floating gently beside the most carefully arranged curls of massed hair.
"There are so many matters he must make sure of that he is quite fatigued
when he finally goes aboard. The voyage will give him the rest he needs. Now—
Saranna," she spoke more briskly. "As you are in deep mourning—"
her eyes flicked at that white chemisette as she spoke, "you will want
peace and quiet. Father has certain social obligations which I have agreed to
carry on during his absence. Thus, I do not think you would be comfortable here
where there will be a goodly amount of entertaining.
                   "But at Tiensin, it will be very
different. It is most quiet there, and Mrs. Parton is an excellent housekeeper
and will make you very comfortable. She is a quite genteel sort of female, and
one in whom I have placed a good amount of trust. You see—" Honora
hesitated, "I do not know what you may have heard of my own obligations,
Saranna, but I do have one which is enough to make anyone heavy-hearted.
                   "I was Richard Whaley's second wife. His
first wife, Laura, died when poor Damaris was born. Laura was a Hampton , and, unfortunately, there is a weak strain
in that family— an excitation of nerves which has affected several of the
women. In the past, it has been necessary that at least two of them live in
seclusion with suitable companions. Do you understand—?"
                   That she must be hinting delicately at some
type of mental derangement, Saranna guessed. And she nodded.
                   Honora apparently accepted that as
encouragement for greater confidences.
                   "Richard's father doted on Damaris—he would
not ever acknowledge that, young as she then was, she showed already some signs
of this nervous disorder. And after Richard's death, his own followed within a
year. It was then we discovered just how blindly foolish Captain Whaley had
been, how he had refused to accept those signs which were so plain to us. He
had left Tiensin and most of his other wealth to Damans. Luckily, he had
appointed a guardian, of course— my father. And I have the overseeing of her
upbringing and education. But, poor thing, that she has any future, we doubt
—nothing beyond a very quiet life, well supervised, at Tiensin. We must make
very sure that she is not taken advantage of as she grows older, and that she
is guarded from a world in which she would be utterly lost.
                   "Now you have planned to be a teacher—and
Damaris has no governess at present. The woman on which we have been depending proved to be a superstitious fool, listening to slaves'
gossip. It was necessary to get rid of her on very short notice.