Voices in a Haunted Room

“I had never before considered how magnanimous it was of your father to agree to the marriage of one of his sons to a penniless girl.”

“The circumstances were unusual. There was your mother’s influence and you were no ordinary penniless girl. As long as one of us took Millicent, the other could have you.”

“I cannot believe it was worked out like that.”

“Not so plainly. These matters are arranged by gentle suggestions. But they are nonetheless firm for all that. But why waste this evening on such sordid matters? Do you like it here, Claudine? The stars will be coming out soon. I know of a very pleasant inn near the Richmond towpath.”

“How knowledgeable you are about the inns of the country!”

“It is quite an art to know where to eat well.”

“More friends of yours?”

“All innkeepers are friends of mine. Yes, I am right. There is the first star. Venus, I think. See how bright she is. The star of love.”

“It could well be Mars,” I told him.

“Oh Claudine, why did you do this? What fun we could have had, you and I together.

Your miserable conscience could have gone slumbering on.”

“You promised not to talk of it,” I said.

“So I did ... and I think the inn is just along here. There. You can see the lights.

I’ll pull in at the privy steps and tie up the boat.”

He lifted me out and held me for a few seconds, smiling up at me. Then he took my hand and we went into the riverside inn. There were several people there and ale was being served which the people were drinking while they ate the whitebait, which was a speciality of the inn.

I was amazed to see how easily Jonathan fitted in with this kind of company. We sat at one of the tables, drank mild ale, and ate the fish which was brought to us.

“There,” he said. “You have never done this before.”

“Never,” I agreed.

“Enjoying it?”

“Very much.”

“Is it the venue or the company? Come, Claudine, you can be honest.”

I said: “I think perhaps it is both.”

He speared a whitebait on the prong of his fork.

“Delicious,” he said. “Small but none the worse for that, eh? No wonder whitebait is becoming more and more popular.”

Someone started to sing. The singer had a good tenor voice but his song was one which could be called controversial on a day such as this. I knew it well, as most people did. It had been written by a Yorkshire man, William Upton, about his lady love; but it fitted another couple so well that this was the very reason why it had become so popular.

The Richmond Hill in the song might be that Richmond in Yorkshire, but there was also a Richmond near London and Mrs. Fitzherbert had lived at Marble Hill close by; moreover there was a rumour that she and the Prince had met on the towpath at Richmond.

So that song had become popular throughout the country-made so by the Prince’s romance, without which Mr. Upton’s song would have gone unnoticed.

On Richmond Hill there lives a lass More bright than May day mom, Whose charms all other maids’ surpass A rose without a thorn.

This lass so neat, with smiles so sweet Has won my right good will.

I’d crowns resign to call thee mine Sweet lass of Richmond Hill.

I The last lines were particularly apt because there had been a time when the Prince of Wales had considered, some said, resigning his crown for the sake of Maria Fitzherbert. However, all that was past now; he had repudiated Maria, and if his new wife was Caroline of Brunswick, his mistress was Lady Jersey.

Some joined in the chorus, but there were some who refrained from doing so and showed more than a little repugnance.

Then one man rose, and taking the singer by the lapel of his coat with one hand, shouted: “It is an insult to the monarchy.” At which he threw the wine from his half-filled tankard into the face of the singer. ‘ There was a scuffle and it seemed that the company was taking sides.

Jonathan seized my arm and hustled me through the crowd. When we were outside he said: “We’ll leave the royalists and the e republicans to settle their score.”

“Do you think it was really serious?” I asked. “I should like to have stayed to see what happened.”

“They’ve drunk too much.”

“The singer had a pleasant voice and I am sure he meant no harm.”

“He chose the wrong song at a time like this. People are looking for t trouble. They are seizing opportunities to declaim against the monarchy. To sing of the Prince’s amours on his wedding day was lese-majesty , hi the eyes of some ...

or it may be that the gentleman made his graceful gesture of aiming his drink into the other’s face merely to start trouble. I’m sorry for the innkeeper; he’s a good man and keeps a respectable house.”

We could hear the shouts coming through the night air.

“Here’s the boat,” said Jonathan.

“You got out very quickly.”

“I recognized the signs and I have a precious charge. I assured your mother that I would look after you, and I would not let you run the , slightest risk.”

He had taken the oars and we slid away from the bank. I looked back at the inn. Some of the people had come outside and were shouting at each other.