The changeling

The Devil’s Crown

So much happened during the next few days. It was wonderful to see Celeste looking happy. She now knew that Benedict was fully aware of all that had happened and there were no reproaches. He accepted his own guilt and gave the impression that he wanted to take care of her. As for her, she seemed to be living in a blissful dream. The doctor was delighted with her progress and said it would be better not to mention the incident unless she did herself. Benedict dealt with the press and of course there were the expected headlines in the papers.

He was now represented as the joyous husband emerging from his terrible ordeal with courage and dignity. I was reminded of Uncle Peter who would have said this would be good for his image after all. There was nothing people liked better than a happy ending to a love story.

Of course, it was a pity it had come too late for the Cabinet reshuffle, but as Uncle Peter would have philosophically pointed out, there would be another time and with the enhanced presentation of a grieving husband now rejoicing in the return of his wife who had been suffering all the time from amnesia, he would give him a better chance than ever.

I talked to him when we were alone and said I should go back to Manorleigh before them. I wanted to have that room unlocked. I wanted to take out my mother’s things and to change it some way. Mrs. Emery would help me.

I was surprised and delighted when he agreed. He and Celeste would stay in London for a few more days. He was devoting himself to her as he never had before, talking of politics, drawing her into his life; and she responded like a flower opening to the sun and her happiness brought back her beauty and a certain gaiety of which until now I had been unaware.

Then I returned to Manorleigh.

There was great rejoicing there because of Celeste’s return. The children asked excited questions about her. I told them she had been lost because she could not remember where she was, and they listened round-eyed.

“Then she was in the street and saw the house and she remembered,” I told them.

“How could you forget who you were?” demanded Belinda.

“People do ... sometimes.”

“Does she remember it all now?” asked Lucie.

“She is beginning to ... and soon she will be here.”

Belinda was thoughtful; I wondered what was in her mind.

I was soon in Mrs. Emery’s room drinking a cup of tea.

“I think there will be a change, Mrs. Emery,” I said. “Mr. Lansdon was very upset, you know.”

“You can say that again,” said Mrs. Emery.

“It has made him realize that he didn’t know how much he cared for her.”

Mrs. Emery nodded.

“It took a lot to do it,” she said severely.

“Mrs. Emery, there is the locked room. It’s not going to be locked any more. I want you to help me deal with it. We’ll get to work on it right away. I am going to take out all my mother’s clothes ... everything that’s personal ... everything that was there when she was alive.”

Mrs. Emery sighed with relief. “Does he know?” she asked. “Yes. I suggested it to him. He sees the point. I said by the time they arrived there would be no locked room.”

“That’s good, that is. I never liked the idea myself.”

“I thought if we could turn the furniture round a little. Perhaps take some things away. The bureau there which contains his papers must stay for him to deal with. But let us take all the clothes away. Perhaps there is something in the attics with which we could replace one or two pieces of furniture. Not much ... just enough to make a difference ... to make it an impersonal sort of room.”

“I know just what you mean, Miss Rebecca. You just say when you’re ready to start.” By the next day we had changed the room considerably. I had packed up my mother’s clothes and they had been taken up to the attics. I took her initialled brush to my room; and by the time we had finished there was nothing there to remind people that it had once been her room.

Everything was now ready for the return.

There had been no reply from Pedrek. I told myself there had not been time but there was a niggling fear in my mind as to whether he would come back. Perhaps I had wounded him too deeply when I had doubted him.

I refused to allow myself to harbor such thoughts. It is too soon, I told myself. He will come back. He must. Benedict and Celeste had another chance and there must be one for Pedrek and me.

I noticed that Tom Marner was a little subdued. I wondered why and made a point of being alone with him while the children were with Miss Stringer at their lessons. I asked him if anything was wrong.

He paused for a moment. Then he said: “I’ve had such a wonderful time here and received such warm hospitality. I didn’t want to go when all that upset was on but now it’s over and everything’s all right... I’ll have to be thinking of making my way back.”

“I suppose you have managers to look after the mine.”