Saraband for Two Sisters

She told me of her rescue by Richard; she spoke of his courtship and their marriage and how she had come to Far Flamstead to be mistress of it. But although she talked incessantly and described in detail, she told me nothing of her relationship with her husband. In fact I noticed a certain reluctance in her to do so.

She took me into a charming bedchamber which she called the Lavender Room and which was to be mine. The curtains about the bed were embroidered with sprigs of lavender, as were the curtains, and the rugs were of a delicate shade of mauve. Next to it was the Blue Room, which she often used as a bedroom.

“Not always?”

“No.” She was faintly embarrassed. “I have slept in it ... since... . Not always of course. But after my miscarriage I had to rest a good deal, and it was decided that I ought to have a bedroom of my own.”

“Apart,” I said, “from the connubial chamber.”

“Well... yes. It’s a very restful room.”

There was that about my sister which was still virginal. It was hard to believe that she had been married and but for an accident might have been about to become a mother.

The Blue Room was charming, very much like the Lavender Room. I wondered whether it had been Richard Tolworthy’s idea that she should have this retreat. She talked about the events which led up to her miscarriage and how she had heard it said that the castle was haunted and one night, seeing a light there, she had gone up to the Castle Room to look. She had seen ... something ... she was not quite sure what. A face, she had thought, and oddly enough she believed she had seen the face before. The servants were convinced that she had had a nightmare, but she didn’t really think that was so. In any case she had had a fright and they said that had brought on her miscarriage.

I remembered the strange look in Richard Tolworthy’s face when he had talked of the castle and I longed to know more about it, because I felt that in learning that I would know more about him.

Those first days were full of vivid impressions. I rode out with my sister and she showed me the Longridge Farmhouse.

Richard had ridden over, she told me, to thank them for what they had done for her, although relations were strained between them. She told me how Richard had once challenged Luke Longridge to a duel.

“A duel!” I cried, because this seemed to shed a new light on his character. I could not imagine his being romantically rash. “What? Was it over a woman?” Angelet laughed. “Certainly not. Luke Longridge was disloyal to the King.”

“I see your husband is an ardent Royalist,” I commented.

She was thoughtful. “He is a soldier, and his duty is to be loyal to the King.»

“Yes.” I thought, “He is a man who would always act conventionally. He might not admire the King, but he served him and therefore would defend him to the death if need be.”

He was the sort of man who would adhere strictly to the conventions.

So I rode and walked and talked with Angelet. Sometimes, when the evenings were drawing in, I would see a certain apprehension in her eyes. Sometimes I would go quietly

 to the door of her room and peep inside. If she were not there I would know that she was in what I called the connubial bed with him.

Once he spent a night away, and I was struck with her relief. Yet when she talked of him her eyes glowed with such admiration that anyone would have said that she was deeply in love with him.

I tried to sound her about that side of her relationship with him.

“Soon,” I said, “we shall be hearing you are with child again.”

I saw the shiver pass through her.

“What’s the matter, Angelet? You want children, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“And he ... your husband?”

“Yes, naturally he wants children.”

“Well then since you both do ...”

She turned away from me, but I caught her arm. “Are you happy, Angel?”

«/~\ c » Ur course.

“Marriage is everything you want... everything. . , .”

I made her look at me, for she had never been able to lie to me. Now I could see that blankness in her eyes which showed me she was trying to hide something. “There are things about marriage,” she said, “of which you would be ignorant.”

I felt laughter bubbling up inside me.

“Such as?” I asked.

“I can’t explain. You will have to wait until you have a husband yourself.” From that moment the situation became clear to me. I knew that my sister had endured with stoicism those occasions which her contract had forced her to spend in the marriage bed. I wondered what effect her attitude had on him. He must be aware of it and it would give little comfort to him.

I looked forward to the evenings when he was with us. I played chess with him and now and then beat him. That surprised him a little, but at the same time he was pleased. Bringing out his miniature soldiers and placing them on a mock battlefield, he would show us how he had fought and won battles.