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Maisie Detached Herself from Hugh and Sat Down Again. "And If You Had Only Waited a Little Longer You Could Have Married Me Instead of Nora," She Said

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Maisie Detached Herself from Hugh and Sat Down Again. 501 Maisie detached herself from Hugh and sat down again. "And if you had only waited a little longer you could have married me instead of Nora," she said. Hugh was startled by her frankness. The same thought had occurred to him within seconds of hearing the news--but he was ashamed of it. It was typical of Maisie to come right out and say what they were both thinking. He was not sure what to say, so he made a joke. "If a Pilaster married a Greenbourne, it would be not so much a wedding as a merger." She shook her head. "I'm not a Greenbourne. Solly's family never really accepted me." "You must have inherited a big chunk of the bank, though." "I've inherited nothing, Hugh." "But that's impossible!" "It's true. Solly had no money of his own. His father gave him a huge monthly allowance, but he never settled any capital on him, because of me. Even this house is rented. I own my clothes, furniture and jewellery, so I'll never starve. But I'm not the heir to the bank--and nor is little Bertie." Hugh was astonished. "The old man won't even provide for your son?" "Not a penny. I saw my father-in-law this morning." It was a shabby way to treat her, and Hugh as her friend felt personally wounded. "It's disgraceful," he said angrily. "Not really," Maisie said. "I gave Solly five years of happiness, and in 502 return I had five years of the high life. I can go back to normal. I'll sell my jewellery, invest the money and live quietly on the income." It was hard to take in. "Will you go and live with your parents?" "In Manchester? No, I don't think I can go quite that far back. I'll stay in London. Rachel Bodwin is opening a hospital for unmarried mothers: I might work with her." "There's a lot of fuss about Rachel's hospital. People think it's scandalous." "Then it should suit me very well!" Hugh was thinking that he would have a word with Ben Greenbourne and try to change the man's mind. He decided not to mention it to Maisie beforehand, though. He did not want to raise her hopes and then disappoint them. "Don't make any sudden decisions, will you?" he counselled. "Such as?" "Don't move out of the house, for example. Greenbourne might try to confiscate your furniture." "I won't." "And you need a lawyer of your own, to represent your interests." She shook her head. "I no longer belong to the class of people who call in a lawyer the way they summon a footman. I have to count the cost. I shan't see a lawyer unless I feel sure I'm being cheated. And I don't think that will happen. Ben Greenbourne isn't dishonest. He's just hard: as hard as iron, 503 and as cold. It's amazing that he fathered someone as warm-hearted as Solly." "You're very philosophical," Hugh said. Maisie shrugged. "I've had an amazing life, Hugh. I was destitute at eleven and fabulously wealthy at nineteen." She touched a ring on her finger. "This diamond is probably worth more money than my mother has ever seen. I gave the best parties in London; I met everyone who was anyone; I danced with the Prince of Wales. I've no regrets. Except that you married Nora." "I'm very fond of her," he said unconvincingly. "You were angry because I wouldn't have an affair with you," Maisie said brutally. "You were desperate for sexual release. And you picked Nora because she reminded you of me. But she's not me. and now you're unhappy." Hugh winced as if he had been stabbed. All this was painfully near to the truth. "You never liked her," he said. "And you may say I'm jealous, and you may be right, but I still say she never loved you and she married you for your money. I'll bet you've found that to be true since the wedding, haven't you?" Hugh thought of how Nora refused to make love more than once a week, and how she changed her tune if he bought her gifts; and he felt miserable and looked away. "She's always been deprived," he said. "It's not surprising that she became materialistic." "She was not as deprived as I was." Maisie said scornfully. "Even you were taken out of school for want of money, Hugh. It's no excuse for false 504 values. The world is full of poor people who understand that love and friendship are more important than riches." Her scorn made Hugh defensive. "She's not as bad as you make out." "All the same you're not happy." Feeling confused, Hugh fell back on what he knew to be right. "Well, I've married her now, and I won't leave her," he said. "That's what the vows mean." Maisie smiled tearfully. "I knew you would say that." Hugh had a sudden picture of her naked, her round freckled breasts and the bush of red-gold hair at her groin, and he wished he could take back his high-principled words. Instead he stood up to go. Maisie stood up too. "Thank you for coming, dear Hugh," she said. He intended to shake her hand but instead he bent to kiss her cheek; and then somehow he found himself kissing her lips. It was a soft, tender kiss that lingered for a long moment and almost destroyed Hugh's resolve; but then at last he tore himself away and left the room without another word . • Ben Greenbourne's house was another palace a few yards along Piccadilly. Hugh went straight there after seeing Maisie. He was glad to have something to do, some way of taking his mind off the turmoil in his heart. He asked for the old man. "Say it's a matter of great urgency," he told the butler. While he waited he noticed that the mirrors in the hall were covered, and he guessed this was part of the Jewish mourning ritual. 505 Maisie had thrown him off balance. He had thought they would just talk about Solly; but instead they had talked about Hugh. He still loved Maisie: sometimes he could convince himself otherwise but most of the time he knew the truth. But Nora was his wife. She had brought warmth and affection into his life after Maisie rejected him, and that was why he had married her. What was the point of making promises in a wedding ceremony if you were going to change your mind later? The butler showed Hugh into the library. Ben Greenbourne had no shoes on and sat on a plain wooden stool. Greenbourne was past sixty--Solly had been a late child--and he looked old and worn. but he showed no sign of tears. He stood up, straight-backed and formal as ever, and shook hands, then waved Hugh to another stool. Greenbourne had an old letter in his hand. "Listen to this," he said, and he began to read. "Dear Papa, We have a new Latin teacher, Reverend Green, and I am getting on much better. ten out of ten every day last week. Waterford caught a rat in the broom cupboard and he is trying to train it to eat out of his hand. The food here is too little can you send me a cake? Your loving son, Solomon." He folded the letter. "He was fourteen when he wrote that. 11 Hugh realised that Greenbourne was suffering despite his rigid self­ control. "I remember that rat," he said. "It bit Waterford1s forefinger off. " "How I wish I could turn back the years," the old man said, and Hugh saw that his control was weakening. 506 "I must be one of Solly's oldest friends," Hugh said. "Indeed. He always admired you, although you were younger." "I can't think why. But he was always ready to think the best of people." "He was too soft." Hugh did not want the conversation to go that way. "I've come here, not just as Solly's friend, but as Maisie's too." Greenbourne stiffened immediately. The sad look went from his face and he became the caricature of the upright Prussian again. Hugh wondered how anyone could so hate a woman as beautiful and full of fun as Maisie. Hugh went on: "I met her soon after Solly did. I fell in love with her myself. but Solly won her." "He was richer." "Mr Greenbourne, I hope you will allow me to be frank. Maisie was a penniless girl looking for a rich husband. But after she married Solly she kept her part of the bargain. She was a good wife to him." "And she has had her reward," Greenbourne said. "She has enjoyed the life of a lady for five years." "Funnily enough, that's what she said. But I don't think it's good enough. What about little Bertie? Surely you don't want to leave your grandson destitute?" "Grandson?" said Greenbourne. "Hubert is no relation to me." Hugh had an odd premonition that something momentous was about to 507 happen. It was a like a nightmare in which a frightening but nameless horror was about to strike. 11 I don't understand, 11 he said to Greenbourne.
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