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this; that whatever you try to do to alter the
condition of the poorest people in society, you will
be running up against men - they are usually men,
in my experience - who believe that the poor are
poor because God wants them to be so, and that
doing anything to help them is exactly the same
thing as offering defiance to God. They'll oppose it
for their own reasons, but they'll pretend to be
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doing God's bidding. But this is a conversation that
can wait until you're feeling stronger." Elizabeth
stood up. "Would you like me to get you anything?
Some tea, perhaps, or a book?"
"Some tea would be nice," replied Harrison,
accepting her change of mood without comment.
"I'll get the book myself."
"You will stay precisely where you are," she
ordered, with a smile. "You are to save your energy
for more important things. Now, which one do you
want?"
"I thought I'd renew my acquaintance with Allan
Quartermain; he's always so soothing to read
about."
Elizabeth looked along the bookshelf. "Anything
in particular?" she asked.
"Oh yes; King Solomon's Mines, of course."
"Of course." She handed it over, and leaned
down to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll go and order the
tea," she said, turning towards the door.
Left alone, Harrison's fingers traced the pattern
embossed on the cover of the book. His mother
knew him so well - better than anyone else ever had
- and he thought she understood him, too, but
would he ever be able to tell her how he felt about
Daniel? It seemed unlikely. He gave a sigh. For that
matter, would he ever be able to tell Daniel himself
how he felt? It was very difficult to imagine even
knowing where to start.
The doorbell rang promptly at three o'clock that
afternoon and Grainger brought Daniel and Joseph
into the drawing-room. Elizabeth stood up as they
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came in. "Good afternoon, Daniel, Joseph."
"Good afternoon, Mrs Calderwood," replied
Daniel .
"You could take over looking after Harrison for
me, if you will," she suggested with a smile. "While
Joseph and I go off and do something much more
interesting until it's time for tea."
"Looking after?" protested Harrison. "How much
'looking after' do I need?"
"More than you can possibly imagine," quipped
his mother. "Now, I'm sure you two gentlemen have
important things to talk about, and Joseph and I
have important things to do." She took hold of the
boy's hand and he looked up at her as if she was the
Fairy Godmother and the Genie of the Lamp all
rolled up into one, clearly anticipating an
adventure. "If you need anything, just ring for Lily,"
Elizabeth instructed Daniel crisply, before leaving
them.
"My mother the whirlwind," said Harrison, as the
air in the room once more settled into stillness.
There were chattering voices elsewhere in the
house, however, and the sound of Joseph's laughter
to reassure them both.
Daniel glanced across to where the glasses and
decanters stood on a side table. "Would you mind if
I poured myself a drink?" he asked, nervously. It
was not the ideal solution, but what he had to say
might come to him more easily with a little Dutch
courage inside him.
"Not at all; please, help yourself."
"Will you have anything?" Daniel asked, pouring
himself a whisky.
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"No, thank you, it's a little early for me," he
explained.
Daniel returned, glass in hand, to sit opposite
Harrison. His searching gaze missed nothing in the
other man's appearance. Harrison looked tired, and
the darkness of his hair only served to accentuate
his pallor, but his smile was completely natural.
Daniel raised his glass in a toast. "You're looking
very well," he said, glad that he could mean it.
"If I am," replied Harrison, "we both know that
it's you I have to thank for it."
Daniel shook his head. "I didn't do anything
much," he replied, uncomfortably. "Crossley was the
real hero - he's a good man."
"I've written to thank him. Have the police
caught anyone yet, do you know?"
"That's one of the things I wanted to tell you,"
Daniel responded brightly, glad to be able to talk
about something solid, something real, rather than
the nebulous and insubstantial world of emotion.
"They caught one of the gang, and he was quite
happy to give Connors away; he's in jail now, along
with the rest of them They're charging them under
Section 18."
"'Grievous bodily harm'? That could mean penal
servitude for life."
"So it could. He should have thought of that
before he attacked us."
"He wasn't thinking much, if you ask me - and
he was too drunk to do any real damage, although I
don't suppose a judge will see that as a valid
defence, do you?"
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"No. And it could have been very much worse, of
course; if he'd cut a major vein or artery, we might
not have got you home in time to prevent it being a
charge of murder." Daniel gave an involuntary
shudder at these words. He did not want to think in
too much detail about just how close that had been.
"You're right, we were lucky; I kept thinking & if
he'd got hold of Rebecca, or even Joseph, they
wouldn't have been able to stand up to him."
"Well, it's all over now apart from the trial; you
should try to put it out of your mind, if you can."
Daniel had downed his whisky faster than was
strictly prudent, but being face to face with
Harrison like this made his decision to leave even
firmer - not to mention ten times more difficult to
accomplish.
"Daniel?" queried Harrison softly. "Is there
something the matter?"
Daniel took a deep breath. There was to be no
escaping this, and the sooner he got it over and
done with the better it would be. "What I have to
say, it isn't easy," he began, hoping that somehow it
would mitigate the blow.
Harrison's brow furrowed and he leaned forward
in his chair. "Go on," he encouraged, softly.
"You must realise how much I appreciate
everything you and your family have done for
Joseph and me," said Daniel, hearing with
disappointment the tremble in his own voice.
"But?" prompted Harrison, into the spreading
silence.
"Well, Joseph is settled, he gets on well with Mrs
Foxley, so there's no real reason he couldn't board
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there by himself for a while & " But he had started
at what should have been the end, he realised, and
halted again while he tried to gather his elusive
thoughts.
"On his own? But I don't understand, Daniel -
why would he need to?"
Daniel looked down at the empty glass in his
hand; it really hadn't made things easier after all,
only a hundred times more complicated; he ought
to have known better. "I've been in touch with my
wife's relatives," he said. "My brother-in-law in fact;
I have the chance of a position in Manchester, with
a very prestigious firm of solicitors."
Harrison was silent for a moment, obviously
digesting this information and finding it quite
unpalatable. "And you intend to leave Joseph
behind, do you?"
"Of course not. I'll come and fetch him, as soon
I'm properly settled into suitable lodgings, but he'll
be quite all right where he is for a while."
"Is it money? Are they offering to pay you more?
Because you know we could reconsider your
salary& " Harrison spoke calmly, but Daniel could
tell that it was forced. There were small patches of
heightened colour appearing on his cheeks, as if
the fever was returning, and an expression of
distress in his eyes.
"It isn't anything to do with money, Harry; you've
always been more than generous, and I have no
complaints about my salary."
"Then why go to Manchester at all, for Heaven's
sake?"
"I think it's time Joseph knew something about
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his mother's family." The lie came easily - too easily;
it sounded like an excuse. Finally daring to look up,
Daniel was shaken by the extent of the pain in
Harrison's eyes, but continued doggedly. "I wanted [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]