The Piper's Tune by Jessica Stirling Page B

father doesn’t approve. No doubt he’ll be won over in due course.’
    â€˜If not Miss Perrino, Miss Douglas perhaps?’
    â€˜Rosemary? No, no. Rosemary’s a kind friend but not…’ He got up suddenly and to Eleanor’s surprise, laughed. ‘What’s all this about, Eleanor Runciman? Are you trying to marry me off?’
    â€˜May I remind you, sir, that you raised the subject.’
    â€˜Yes, I suppose I did. I don’t know what I’m blathering about half the time. I’ve no intention of getting married again. It’s all this blessed shifting about that’s put me at sixes and sevens. Pappy pretending he’s a country gentleman. Irish nephews descending upon us. Lindsay – well, Lindsay already planning what she’ll do when I’m dead.’
    â€˜I beg your pardon?’
    Amused by his own pessimism, Arthur said, ‘It’s true; well, half true. My dear daughter is beginning to show signs of ambition. She sits in on our management meetings and, when she remembers, makes notes. I wonder what she makes note of, for heaven’s sake.’
    â€˜Do you wish me to have a word with her, Mr Arthur?’
    â€˜If you would, Eleanor. Try to find out what’s going on in her head.’
    â€˜Could it be the young man, perhaps?’
    â€˜Young man? What young man?’
    â€˜The Irish cousin.’
    â€˜Forbes? Good God! I hope not.’
    â€˜He seems very personable.’
    â€˜Not to me he doesn’t,’ Arthur said. ‘He’s sly and self-serving, like his mother. Has he been here again?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Is she seeing much of him elsewhere, I wonder?’
    â€˜I expect she encounters him at Harper’s Hill. She could hardly avoid it.’
    â€˜Well, I’m glad he isn’t lodging with us,’ Arthur said. ‘I wouldn’t be happy having that particular nephew as a resident in my house.’
    â€˜If I might ask…’ Eleanor hesitated. ‘What do you have against your sister and her son?’
    Arthur tugged his earlobe. ‘I don’t know.’
    â€˜Oh!’
    â€˜I’ve never liked Kay; Kay has never liked me. When we were children she was resentful of the fact that I got more attention than she did. That, at least, is Donald’s theory. Doesn’t really hold water, does it?’
    â€˜I do not think it does, no.’
    â€˜Kay and Helen were so damned outspoken. They gave Pappy and Mama a very hard time of it. Finally they gathered a little money from somewhere and struck out on their own.’
    â€˜Set up house together, you mean?’ said Eleanor. ‘I believe I did hear something of the sort.’
    â€˜They wanted to be independent, to have a life of their own. Wanted to behave like men, I suppose, but without responsibility.’
    â€˜Why did your father allow it?’
    â€˜Oh, they could wheedle the birds off the trees, that pair. Besides, Helen was practically an invalid and Pappy refused her nothing.’
    â€˜Much good it did her, poor thing,’ said Eleanor.
    Arthur was silent for a moment, then said, ‘You know, I’ve never known if Helen realised she was dying when she set up with Kay in Shalimar Street. If Kay knew it too, or if…’ He was silent again then, in a little rush, said, ‘She had a lover. Helen, I mean. She had a lover that none of us knew about. They rented the apartment in Shalimar Street so that Helen could be with him.’
    â€˜Would he not marry her?’
    â€˜He was, I believe, already married.’
    â€˜Ah!’ Eleanor said softly.
    â€˜Do you think that is a romantic thing to do? Do you approve?’
    â€˜I certainly do not,’ Eleanor Runciman lied.
    â€˜Oh, dear,’ Arthur said. ‘I’m not so sure.’
    â€˜Really?’
    â€˜Well, she was never strong, our Helen. I vividly remember winter nights with the doctor coming and going, the