Page 126 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

‘What’s wrong with Lepida?’ Nina asked anxiously. They were treading upstairs now.

‘It’s another of those turns she’s been having. It starts with a fever, and pains in the joints, but then she becomes exhausted and can’t do more than lie on the sofa. It goes away after a few days, but it worries me terribly. The doctors can’t decide what’s wrong. Gillespie thought it was a kind of influenza because of the fever, but Conroy is now inclined to think it must be a disorder of the liver. But Mawes says people with livers turn yellow, and poor Lepida is just as pale as milk.’

‘I’m so sorry. I ought not to disturb her, perhaps.’

‘No, do come and see her and talk to her. It’s all she can bear, poor child, a little conversation. And I know she’s been longing to see you.’

They picked their way down the passage, where the workmen had chipped the plaster away in places and now seemed to be trying to thread electric wires through the gas brackets. ‘We’ve not long had the incandescent mantles put in,’ Isabel mourned, ‘and they gave such a lovely bright, clean light. A neighbour of ours has had electric light for a couple of years, and really, you know, it’s more like electric dark – not nearly as good! I notice every time we visit them. And she says the electric globes are so fragile, the servants are always breaking them. And sometimes they simply blow themselves out for no reason.’

‘Why have it, then?’ Nina couldn’t help asking.

‘Oh, Mawes is all for novelty. And he says it will be convenient simply to turn a switch. It is the future, he says, and gas is the past. That’s reason enough for him,’ she added, ‘but it’s never the man of the house who has to cope with the inconvenience. Here we are. Lepida, darling, do you feel well enough for a visitor?’

‘Oh, Nina – the lecture! I’m so sorry. I ought to have put you off but it slipped my mind.’

‘I’m not surprised it did. Shall I go away, or would you like to chat for a little while?’

‘Please come and talk to me. This wretched thing has me completely flattened, but I’m bored to tears as well. You must go to the lecture for both of us, and come and tell me about it tomorrow. Sit, and tell me what you’ve been up to.’

Even so much talk seemed to have exhausted her. She lay back against the pillows, looking pale and thin, her cheeks hollow and her eyes blue-shadowed. Her hands rested limply on the shawl that covered her from the waist down.

‘Oh, Lepida,’ Nina said softly, in distress. ‘I didn’t know about this.’

Lepida moved her fingers, as if pushing the subject away. ‘I don’t like to talk of sickness. I get these attacks now and then, and they go away. I haven’t seen you for two months. Tell me everything.’

So Nina obliged, telling her about the Isle of Wight, sea-bathing, family fun with the Wharfedales, picnics and boat trips, games, and lots of quiet reading under the shade of the trees in the garden. ‘The weather was perfect,’ she said. ‘They tell me the Island, as they call it, has better weather than anywhere else – some geographical quirk or other. And Mr Cowling was able to be there quite a lot of the time. It was good to see him rest and relax a little. He works so hard.’

‘Yes, I know,’ Lepida said.

‘Of course, Decius will have told you,’ Nina said. ‘Did you see anything of him while Mr Cowling was with us?’

‘He went north to visit his family for the first break, but he came to London the second time, and we saw quite a bit of him,’ said Lepida.

Nina wanted to ask whether he had declared himself, but Lepida looked so weary she didn’t like to make her talk too much.

She went on. ‘Then after the Isle of Wight we went to stay with Lord and Lady Latham for a Saturday-to-Monday. They wanted us to come with them to Drumcorbie – they hold Mr Cowling in high esteem, since he helped them with a financial problem – but it turned out he had other plans.’

‘Decius told me. You went to Paris.’

‘Yes, Paris,’ Nina said. ‘We never did have a honeymoon, and Mr Cowling has always been promising me one. He had to see to some business over there, so it was an opportunity for me to go with him.’

‘Was it wonderful?’

Nina hesitated. ‘It was interesting,’ she said judiciously. ‘He’s exporting his shoes now, so he had to see the distributor and then visit the shops. After that, we did see some of the sights. But I’d like to go back when there is more time.’

She told Lepida about the things they had seen, and did not mention the oddness of being on ‘honeymoon’ with a man who seemed more like her father than her husband. He took her to restaurants, but did not want to go on anywhere afterwards. He did not like late nights. He was always tired and preoccupied. He did not care for dancing, there seemed no point in going to the theatre when neither of them spoke good enough French, and when she suggested that the ballet did not require a knowledge of the language, he looked so dismayed that she didn’t press it. The thing he liked best was a boat trip along the Seine, and he held her hand and said it was very romantic. But their suite at the Meurice had two bedrooms, and he didn’t visit hers at all while they were there.

‘Is Mr Cowling in London now?’ Lepida asked, when she had finished. ‘Papa would love to see him.’

‘No, he’s had to go to Leicester,’ Nina said. ‘I shall be going back on Saturday – I only waited for this lecture. I’m so sorry you can’t come to it. But when you’re better, you must come and stay. I’d like to show you the countryside. I’ll borrow a horse for you – it’s fine riding country. And you’ll be able to see something of Decius while you’re there.’

Lepida gave a faint smile. ‘You don’t need to tempt me with Mr Blake. Your company is enough. I would love to come – if I’m well enough.’

She looked suddenly so exhausted that Nina was alarmed. ‘I’ve worn you out – I’m so sorry. I’ll go now and leave you in peace.’ Lepida did not beg her to stay. She leaned over and kissed the thin cheek. ‘Please get better soon,’ she whispered.

Lepida laid a cold hand over hers. ‘I must rest now. But come again before you go north and tell me about the lecture.’

Mawes came in at that moment. ‘Nina! I didn’t know you were here. You look radiant! Are you staying to dinner? I’ve come to move Lepida into another room so that the electrical men can come in. I would really like to photograph you, my dear – I have a wonderful new camera. It’s a Rietzschel. It has a superb lens. If I can get you into my studio later— Yes, yes, my dear,’ he broke off, as Isabel appeared in the doorway, ‘I’m just taking her now. What, not staying, Nina? What a pity. But come again soon. Our poor girl is bored to sobs, being confined to the sofa. All this mess and noise will be done with today, and then you shall see a sort of miracle – instant illumination at the turning of a switch! I don’t know why we didn’t have it long ago.’