Ocean Bus
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It was the first time since she had been in England that she had seen her uncle, and when he came into the room it was with a peculiarly uncomfortable feeling of being observed. He sat down on a chair beside the bed, which had not changed since she was a little girl, and looked at his niece, who stared back at him, quite bewildered.
The fact was she knew very well why he had come, but somehow she did not wish to speak about it. She had known this moment would come ever since the news arrived from America three months before, but she could find no words for what she wanted to say, and she felt a great difficulty in looking directly at Mr. Jerningham.
‘Well,’ said he. ‘I have come here to tell you—and I think it is best done now—that your father has gone away.’
The words were so unexpected that they took some seconds to sink in, and then she started up like an animal shot through with electricity.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked quickly, and there was something almost savage in the way she spoke.
Her uncle did not reply immediately. It was clear that he too was surprised by the vehemence of her reaction, though perhaps less than she herself. At any rate, he remained silent while she stood looking at him as if trying to read his thoughts, and after a minute or two he began again:
‘You know that your mother died five years ago? And that your brother John married my sister Mary?’
She nodded slowly, still without speaking. Her uncle continued:
‘And then last year your cousin George died, leaving no child behind him, and you are next in line to inherit the estate.’
At this point, Miss Jerningham’s voice rose slightly above its normal pitch.
‘But where is he? What has become of him?’
Mr. Jerningham hesitated a second or two longer.
‘Your father went off with a woman,’ he said quietly, a few weeks ago. No one knows where he is. You must understand that we can’t help him much more than we already have done.
We have sent out messages to all our friends in the States, but none of them can tell us anything except that he left New York with a lady called Mrs. Grant. If anyone does hear anything of them, they will let me know.’
Miss Jerningham shook her head violently.
‘No!’ she said, in a tone so strong that her uncle jumped up in alarm. ‘That isn’t possible! How can he do such a thing? Is there nothing to be done?’
There was a long silence during which the young lady turned her face away from her uncle, staring out of the window. Then she said in a low, cold voice:
‘Then I suppose there is nothing more to be said?’
Mr. Jerningham made an attempt to answer, but stopped suddenly, for Miss Jerningham had risen to her feet and walked across the room towards the door. He got up hastily to follow her, but she turned sharply round and said angrily:
‘Do not touch me!’
He tried to explain himself, but she interrupted him impatiently.
‘How dare you make excuses for my father!’ she exclaimed, and her manner became so threatening that he desisted. ‘If he is dead I shall take care of myself.’
She opened the door, and the next instant was outside in the passage. A maidservant hurried forward and followed her.
As soon as he heard the outer door close, Mr. Jerningham ran downstairs and into the hall, calling out as he passed the servants’ quarters:
‘Come here, Tom! Where is that woman? Bring her here!’
Tom came hurrying down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, Mr. Jerningham said to him in a low tone:
‘Go upstairs, and tell that woman to come here.’
Tom went upstairs and found Miss Jerningham in her own room. She was sitting alone, her hands clasped tightly together, her eyes fixed upon the floor, and Tom noticed how pale she was. There was a strange expression on her face, and as Tom entered the room he thought he saw tears in her eyes. He crossed over to her and held out his hand.
‘Madam,’ he said gravely, ‘your servant, ma’am. Can I be of service?’
She looked up at him for a moment, and then moved aside, letting him pass. He bent down and whispered in her ear.
‘Madam,’ he said, ‘the master wants to see you. Will you come downstairs, please?’
She nodded briefly, and he led her to the foot of the stairway, where Mr. Jerningham waited impatiently.
‘Here she is, sir,’ said Tom, indicating the girl. ‘I told her you wanted to see her.’
Miss Jerningham came forward, and Mr. Jerningham beckoned to her to sit down.
‘Sit down, please,’ he said, pointing to one of the chairs near the fire. ‘Now what is it?’
For a while, the girl stared straight before her, and then she drew herself upright in the chair and answered in a low voice:
‘My name is Jane Jerningham.’
Her uncle leaned forward and said:
‘Jane! Is it really you? It seems like another life, doesn’t it? How are you getting along now?’
She did not speak; but when he repeated the question in a different form, she replied, with a little hesitation:
‘Very well, thank you.’
Mr. Jerningham glanced quickly at Tom, who was standing by the sideboard.
‘Is everything ready for the journey, Tom?’ he asked. ‘Have you seen to all the arrangements?’
‘Yes, sir,’ replied Tom. ‘All things are arranged. The horses have been put in the stables, and all the luggage is being packed up, sir. Everything is in readiness, sir.’
Mr. Jerningham stood up abruptly and walked over to the window, gazing out through the blinds. As he watched, a carriage drove slowly past the house, drawn by four black horses.
‘Where is your brother?’ he asked, turning to look at the girl. ‘Has he gone with you?’
She shook her head.
‘Not yet, sir,’ she replied. ‘We haven’t quite decided about that yet.’
The sound of approaching footsteps in the passage caused them both to turn their heads.
It was Tom, accompanied by a man whom he introduced as Mr. Huntley, a solicitor, and who was evidently a person of consequence. They both bowed politely and took seats opposite Mr. Jerningham, who began to talk rapidly and excitedly to them.
‘Well, Huntley,’ he said, ‘you know that we are leaving England, don’t you? Do you understand that? We’ve got to go abroad, that’s clear enough. That means going away from England for good and all—not coming back any time in the future, or even sending people here again.
We’re giving up this house and everything else that goes with it. And the whole thing has come about very unexpectedly, hasn’t it? My dear fellow, if ever anything happened to me—if I were taken ill, or killed—there would be no one left here except you and Jane to carry on the business, wouldn’t there?
So that’s why we must leave England and make our permanent home elsewhere. I want us all to go. You, my boy, will have to take charge here until things settle down and can be handed over to somebody else. What do you say, Huntley? Do you agree with me?’
He turned to the other two men.
‘You’ll stay, won’t you?’ he enquired. ‘There’s something else, too. Have you heard the latest news? Well, it’s just come to my ears today. The French have invaded Holland, and they seem to have beaten off every attempt at resistance so far.
Now I’m thinking of taking an interest in that country, and I may perhaps buy some property there—some land, possibly, or maybe some shares in a company. I shall probably write to you, Huntley, asking you to draw up papers transferring the property into my own name.
I suppose you’d better attend to that, won’t you? In fact, it might be as well if you did the same sort of thing for yourself also. Then, when the time comes, you could send letters to the Bank and to the shipping agents saying that you had become the owners of the estate, the business, the ships, the warehouses, and everything else that belongs to us.
That ought to settle matters nicely, don’t you think?’
Huntley nodded his head gravely.
‘Yes, certainly,’ he agreed. ‘That would be most satisfactory, and much more convenient than having to deal with strangers. There are a few minor details which still need attending to, but they can be settled without any difficulty.’
‘Excellent!’ exclaimed Mr. Jerningham. ‘Then let us get to work at once. Come along, Huntley. Let’s see those documents.’
They went together into the study and sat down behind the desk, where Huntley produced several sheets of paper covered with writing. He laid these on the table and proceeded to explain them briefly. Mr. Jerningham listened attentively, frowning slightly as he read, but after a few minutes he looked up.
‘I don’t quite follow you,’ he said. ‘What does that mean?’
Huntley picked up the sheet and explained its contents. Mr. Jerningham continued to listen carefully, then he made a quick movement, reaching across the table to seize the pen which lay beside him. He wrote a few words, tore the page out of the book, and tossed it upon the floor.
‘Now that’s what I call a proper deed! It makes everything absolutely legal, doesn’t it? No one can complain because you didn’t sign it, or because it isn’t properly witnessed. Why should they complain?’
‘Because, my lord,’ replied Huntley calmly, ‘they might claim that you had done something improper. But you didn’t, did you? Because, remember, this document gives you absolute ownership of everything.’
Mr. Jerningham smiled faintly.
‘Of course not,’ he said. ‘I am merely disposing of my assets while I am alive. I don’t want anyone to inherit them. I wish to dispose of everything myself before I die so that the whole proceeds will pass automatically to the next generation. Yes, I see that now. You are quite right. That is exactly what I wanted.’
Huntley shook his head.
‘No, my lord,’ he insisted. ‘It is perfectly plain. Your son inherits everything—everything—when you are dead; and when your grandson, Lord Rokeby, becomes master of the estate he can sell the property and give the money to whoever he likes. Of course, there is nothing illegal about that.
As long as the deeds are properly drawn up and signed, no one can object. I told you that you could put anything you liked in the documents—and you’ve done just that.’
‘Very well,’ said Mr. Jerningham thoughtfully. ‘Let us proceed further. I presume you have prepared similar documents for Jane and me?’
Huntley nodded.
‘Certainly, my lord,’ he answered. ‘We can have copies ready by tomorrow morning.’
Mr. Jerningham was silent for a moment, then he took a fresh sheet of paper from the blotter and began to write rapidly. After a minute or so he handed it to Huntley.
‘Read this,’ he directed. ‘If it seems all right, I’ll sign it.’
Huntley read it slowly.
‘I think it looks very nice, my lord,’ he announced. ‘The only thing I don’t like about it is that it says here that you intend to leave your daughter Jane the house and lands, and that she has promised to pay her brother five thousand pounds, or ten percent of the value of the estate, whichever is greater, as soon as she receives the title deeds.’
Mr. Jerningham looked surprised.
‘How do you know about that?’ he asked.
‘You told me,’ replied Huntley. ‘When we were discussing the matter yesterday.’
‘Well, yes,’ admitted Mr. Jerningham. ‘But why shouldn’t I do that? She is my child, after all. And besides, you are quite right. The contract must be legally binding, and since she owns the property already, it wouldn’t be fair to deprive her of it. So I suppose I shall have to make her promise to pay me the money.’
‘Yes, indeed, you will,’ agreed Huntley. ‘And I suggest that you do it at once. If you wait until you receive the deeds, the law may compel you to hold back some of the estates. That would be an unpleasant complication. You must act now, while you have the opportunity.
When you come back tonight, I will have the papers ready. Then you can take them away and sign them yourself. In fact, if you go home now, it won’t be too late.’
‘In that case, I’m afraid I must go,’ said Mr. Jerningham. ‘Goodbye, Huntley.’
Huntley stood up.
‘Will you need any more help today?’ he inquired. ‘I could stay on, if necessary, but I’d rather not. My wife is expecting me.’
‘Thank you,’ replied Mr. Jerningham. ‘There is no need to trouble yourself. I have enough business for one day.’
He rose and went over to the window, looking out into the garden with a frown on his face.
‘Why do these things always happen when I am busy?’ he murmured.
‘What did he say?’ asked Jane eagerly. ‘Did he agree?’
She was standing close behind him, her hands clasped together tightly. For the past hour, she had been watching her father closely through the glass panes, waiting for his decision. Now, as he turned around, she saw how white his face was, and the lines of strain showed clearly across his brows.
‘Oh, Papa!’ she cried. ‘What’s happened to you? What did Huntley say?’
Her voice was filled with anxiety.
‘Nothing serious,’ replied Mr. Jerningham. ‘Just some last details. He’s preparing the documents now.’
Jane drew a deep breath.
‘Then it really is true?’ she exclaimed. ‘Papa, we’re going to own the whole place! Oh, Papa, I knew you couldn’t possibly let anybody stop us.’
She flung herself into her father’s arms and kissed him passionately on the lips.
For a moment he held her tight against him, then suddenly he pushed her gently away.
‘Jane!’ he exclaimed sharply. ‘I forbid you ever to speak of this again! It’s absolutely forbidden.’
‘All right,’ said Jane quietly. ‘But what is it? Why are you acting so strangely?’
‘Because I must,’ replied her father. ‘I can’t tell you. Not yet—not yet.’
As they left the room, she watched her father walk swiftly along the corridor toward the staircase. Her eyes were shining; she was excited beyond measure. But she also felt guilty, as though she were betraying something important. As she hurried after her father down the stairs, she glanced anxiously up the corridor, hoping to catch sight of Mr. Huntley.
They found him in the library, sitting alone by himself. He rose quickly as they came in.
‘I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,’ he remarked. ‘Are you still anxious to buy the property?’
‘Quite anxious,’ answered her father. ‘It should be possible to complete everything within a few days. Are you prepared to sell?’
‘Certainly,’ replied Huntley. ‘However, I don’t want to rush matters unnecessarily. Let me give you time to consider the offer, and I’ll call on you tomorrow evening with the draft. We might even manage to finish everything before the end of the week. Is that satisfactory?’
‘Perfectly,’ assented Mr. Jerningham. ‘But I have another small matter I wish to discuss with you.’
He led the way over to the table where the papers lay open upon the blotter. He picked up a pen from beside the inkstand and wrote two figures on each sheet of paper, signing his name underneath them. Then he handed both sheets across to Mr. Huntley.
The solicitor took the papers carefully between thumb and forefinger, staring at them thoughtfully for a moment.
‘This looks like a good deal of money,’ he said finally.
‘It is a very large sum,’ admitted Mr. Jerningham. ‘You’ve given me your word, Huntley, never to disclose my identity or to mention the fact that I made a substantial contribution towards the purchase price. Do you mean to break that promise?’
‘No, sir, certainly not,’ replied Mr. Huntley. ‘I’m sorry to hear you feel obliged to ask such a question. However, I’m bound to remind you that the matter concerns public funds. You cannot possibly expect me to violate an oath that has been taken by the government.
I shall take care never to reveal anything about the transaction, but there is no doubt in my mind that the government would regard your action as highly irregular. If you will allow me to make use of an old legal phrase, “a man who pays a bribe cannot complain when he is suspected of taking a bribe.”‘
Mr. Jerningham nodded slowly.
‘Of course, you’re quite right, Huntley,’ he agreed. ‘In view of that, I think you may rest assured that I will keep this matter entirely secret. My daughter Jane will remain ignorant of all our plans until the final transfer of title takes place.’
Huntley bowed slightly.
‘Very well, sir. I hope I can rely on your discretion.’
‘I trust you can,’ returned Mr. Jerningham. ‘Now I believe I understand why you wanted to see me. Could you spare me a few moments more, please?’
He beckoned to his daughter, and they moved across the room to the sideboard. There, standing together, he explained briefly how he had come by his unexpected windfall.
‘It was rather strange, wasn’t it?’ he concluded. ‘There seems to be nothing at all unusual about it. In fact, it makes sense, somehow. The only difficulty I have is in explaining it to Jane.’
‘That won’t be difficult,’ declared Mrs. Jerningham. ‘I’ll talk to her myself later tonight.’
She poured out the wine, while her husband turned back to his desk.
‘Well, if we do succeed in buying this estate,’ he asked, ‘will we still be able to pay off all our debts?’
‘I’m sure we will,’ answered Huntley. ‘At least, I’m confident enough to say that we’ll find ourselves in better financial condition than any of us could have imagined.’
Mrs. Jerningham looked inquiringly at her husband. She was not satisfied with Huntley’s answer, but she did not know what else to suggest.
The End