Time for Silence

“She hasn’t got long to live. It’s her chest. I knew it was coming. She’s had this weakness for some years, and there are the little ones. Oh, I know they’ll be all right. But it’s just that she wants to see him before she goes-like.”

“I’ll do what I can to help. I don’t know where the major is living, but I can find out. But as there was all this secrecy I wondered how to act and whether I ought to see you first.”

“I don’t know. The young lady he is going to marry…you see, I don’t know whether it would be right. I don’t want to upset the major. He’s been so good. It would finish Janet off if she thought she’d made trouble for him. She loves him, you see. Otherwise it would never have been. And he’s always been so good to us all.”

“I am just wondering how I can help. If you told me…”

She hesitated and then seemed to come to a decision.

“Well,” she said. “There was never any deceiving or that sort of thing. Janet went as parlormaid in some grand house in the country. He was a guest. He saw her and that was that. He made it quite clear in the beginning, and Janet, who knew how these things worked out, understood right away. It was her decision, and she’s never regretted it. He bought this place for her, and when Martin came along, I moved in with her. It suited us all. And then there was Eva. It was a happy little family. We had some good times. And there was never any trouble about how we were to live. There was always the money coming, regular as clockwork. Oh, he was good to us. Special presents and all that sort of thing. Janet was a very happy woman. She’d always known there couldn’t be a marriage and she got along very well without it.”

“I understand,” I said.

“The last thing Janet would want would be to make trouble for him when he’s been so good to her. But you see, she hasn’t got long and if he knew, he’d want to see her as much as she wants to see him. She knows the children will be all right…but she wants to make sure.”

“Yes, of course.”

“And if anyone got to know…if it came out, I mean…she’d never forgive me for bringing it out like this. There was that bit in the paper about him being engaged…so I thought…well, I had to do something.”

“An idea has just struck me,” I said. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. My uncle is in the same regiment. It is very likely that he would know the major’s address in London. He is in London just now, briefly, but I could get in touch with him. And if you would like me to deliver the letter to the major, I would do so.”

“Oh, yes…yes, I’d trust you.”

“Then that is what I will do.”

“Thank you. Poor Janet. She doesn’t complain, but it is her dearest wish to see him. She just wants to thank him for all the happiness he has given her, and tell him she doesn’t regret it. She wants to make sure for the children, too. I have an idea that, now he will soon be married, he doesn’t regret anything from the past any more than she does….”

The door opened and a boy looked in. He must have been about eight or nine years old.

“It’s all right, Martin,” said Miss Emma Johns. “Where’s Eva?”

A very pretty little girl put her head around the door.

“Well, both of you, run along. There’s good children. I’ll be with you soon.”

They both eyed me with a certain curiosity, as I did them. I fancied there was a look of Marcus about them.

The door shut behind them and I rose to go.

I said, “If I am successful in getting the address from my uncle, I will take the letter and let you know I have done so. But I expect the major will come to see you then.”

“It is a long time since we have seen him. Since the war started, he has been away fighting and then in the hospital. There was no holding up of the money. That’s paid into a bank. There is some solicitor doing it. I’ve never seen any letters from them. It was all arranged like that. I didn’t know which way to turn. You’ve been a great help, Miss Greenham.”

“Well, if I couldn’t get in touch with my uncle, I could ask the…the fiancée. But perhaps you wouldn’t want that?”

“Oh, no, Miss Greenham. I wouldn’t want it to get to her ears. You never know…you understand?”

I did understand perfectly. “Well, I will let you know what happens,” I said. “And if I can get the address, I will deliver the letter personally into the hands of Major Merrivale.”

I left her then and made my way home.

I thought it was an ironical twist of fate that both the prospective bride and groom should have children whose identity must remain secret from the other.

I went immediately to Uncle Gerald’s London house. As I had expected, he was not at home, but Aunt Hester was very helpful.