The Man from Ceylon Page 3

  Oh well!… She gave herself a little mental shake as overhead she heard Gordon and Monty Hallam both talking and laughing uproariously together. Nice to be a man, she thought, men were so much more free and independent than women— women like herself, anyway!

  Dilly had to climb the stairs three times to announce that dinner was ready and wouldn’t be worth eating if they didn’t come down at once, before Gordon and the Man from Ceylon appeared in the dining-room, Monty looking a little guilty and apologetic but when he began to express his regret Mrs. Mansfield only smiled graciously.

  “I am sure Gordon is to blame,” she declared. “But of course you must have a great deal to talk about as it is so long since you met.”

  “Nearly three years,” Gordon agreed.“Do you remember, Monty——” and they continued to launch forth, recalling comical bygone events to which Jessica and her mother listened in amused silence.

  “And are the elephants really so intelligent? “Mrs. Mansfield enquired when at last she was able to get a word in edgeways.

  “They do everything but talk,” Monty assured her. “They even down tools at twelve o’clock and refuse to work until they have had a dip in the river and half an hour’s rest.”

  “I should love to see them,” Jessica said.

  Mrs. Mansfield nodded. “Jessica loves all animals. When we used to take her to the Zoo in her schooldays, it was as much as we could do to get her home again. So very different to Paddy—Paddy is my younger daughter, Mr. Hallam—you haven’t met her yet, of course.”

  “A treat in store,” Gordon remarked with brotherly sarcasm.

  “Is she away? “Monty asked.

  “No—playing tennis with some boy-friends,” Gordon told him.

  Monty nodded approvingly.

  “I’m keen on tennis myself—golf too! Do you play golf, Miss Mansfield?”

  Jessica shook her head.

  “No, I’m afraid not.”

  “Jessica is a home-lover,” Mrs. Mansfield told him. “And my right hand—I don’t know what I should have done without her during these past— terrible years. Paddy and she are utterly different— but you will see for yourself. And I have another son at Cambridge—Selby.”

  Monty nodded. “I heard so much of the family history from Gordon when we first met, that I seemed to know you all long before I arrived.”

  “Really! “Mrs. Mansfield looked most impressed. “And yet he never told us anything about you,” she said in surprise. “We had never heard your name until ——” She stopped with a sudden guilty recollection of the previous evening, when her husband had declared with angry finality, “He’s not coming here! and that’s my last word.”

  Gordon looked slightly abashed, though he said with apparent unconcern, “Never expected to see the old blighter again—met so many chaps during the war——”

  Mrs. Mansfield recovered her composure and smiled across the table at the Man from Ceylon.

  “But now, as I have said before, we are more than pleased to make your acquaintance,” she told him. “And I am sure we shall be the greatest of friends.”

  Monty rose to his feet and bowed with dramatic courtesy—though there was an amused twinkle in his very blue eyes.

  “For this relief, much thanks! “he said gravely. “And now I will admit that at the last moment my courage almost failed me as I realised how much it was asking of anyone—especially in these difficult times—to give such generous hospitality to a complete stranger——”

  Gordon looked across at his sister with a grin.

  “Your turn now, to make a speech,” he remarked, but Jessica only laughed and shook her head.

  “My turn to clear away—if you’ve all finished,” she answered gaily, and rising she began to pack the plates on to a tray which stood beside her on a small table.

  Monty pushed back his chair.

  “Don’t forget that the new butler has arrived, madame,” he reminded her with dignified courtesy. “So please allow me—— “and taking the tray firmly from her, he stalked majestically from the room.

  “Lordy!” Dilly ejaculated as he entered the kitchen, and her eyes, small brown eyes, rather like brandy-balls, almost started from her head. “You mustn’t do that, sir,” she reproached him. “It’s not the job of a gentleman like you.”

  Monty grinned. “Who’s going to stop me!“he demanded. “Where’s the washing-up bowl? “and he marched into the scullery.

  “Lordy! “Dilly murmured again in profound admiration…

  And in the dining-room—” He really is extremely nice,” Mrs. Mansfield was saying to Jessica. “When one realises how utterly spoilt most men are—especially bachelors, it is really amazing, and——” She broke off as there was the sound of a car stopping at the gate, and glancing towards the window she said quickly, “It’s Paddy! Already!… She told me not to expect her until after tea—and she’s brought Gerard with her!… Run out and tell them what has happened, Jessica—and hurry, or they’ll be in the house and it will be too late—you know how quick Paddy always is——”

  But when Jessica reached the gate Paddy had still made no move to leave the car, and it was Gerard who hurriedly explained.

  “Paddy has hurt her ankle—that’s why we’re back so soon— I’m afraid it’s a bad sprain. Can you help me to carry her indoors? I’m afraid I can’t manage alone——”

  Gerard was a slim, slightly-built man—“Effeminate,” so Mr. Mansfield who did not particularly like him, always said.

  “Oh dear! “For a moment Jessica forgot her mission in her anxiety for her sister. “Does it hurt very much? “she asked in concern.

  “Look at it! “answered Paddy grimly. “It looks like an elephant’s ankle, doesn’t it? “

  Elephant!… Jessica came back with a start to her mother’s instructions. “Listen—” she said impressively, lowering her voice. “He’s here— Gordon’s friend—Mr. Hallam. They missed each other at the docks and so he arrived without knowing we had decided we couldn’t put him up. We haven’t told him, how could we?—so he’s going to stay, but of course he mustn’t know that he wasn’t expected.”

  Paddy’s beautiful eyes opened wide with interest.

  “The Man from Ceylon! “she ejaculated.

  Jessica nodded, “Yes, but be careful,” she glanced quickly over her shoulder. “Here he comes——” she whispered as Monty suddenly appeared with a suitcase in either hand.

  “I’m going to put them in the garage out of the way,” he announced, and then stopped, realising that Jessica was not alone. “This is Mr. Hallam,” she told Paddy. “This is my sister, Mr. Hallam—and Mr. Winter——”

  “So you’re the Man from Ceylon,” Paddy submitted with a smile. She held out her hand. “I’ve sprained my ankle playing tennis, so I can’t get out of the car unless someone helps me—sickening, isn’t it?”

  “I’ll fetch Gordon,” Jessica said quickly, but Monty dropped his suitcases and barred the way.

  “Let me come to the rescue—I’ve carried far heavier burdens in my time,” he announced with a smile, and before anyone could interfere he had lifted Paddy from the car and was carrying her towards the house. “Light as a feather! “he declared. “Bad luck, hurting your ankle—I was looking forward to beating you at tennis.”

  Jessica glanced at Gerard with a dubious smile and when Monty and his burden had disappeared into the house, Gerard said in rather a disgruntled tone, “Odd looking chap, isn’t he? Seems quite at home already. Bit cool, I call it, considering he’s a complete stranger——”

  Jessica flushed. “My brother has known him for some time,” she said firmly. “And please be careful not to let him know he was not expected.”

  So that was that!

  Mrs. Mansfield was greatly distressed when Jessica ran upstairs to tell her of Paddy’s mishap.

  “How true it is that troubles never come singly,” she sighed. “First Mr. Hallam arriving as he did— not that I mind,” she hastened to admit. “An
d now this!… There is sure to be a third thing. What will your father say?… Poor Paddy!…How she will hate being unable to get about!… Ring Dr. Barker, Jessica, and ask him to come at once! Oh dear, oh dear! “

  “There’s nothing to worry about,” Jessica soothed her. “I can hear Paddy laughing, so she can’t be in much pain—but I’ll ring Dr. Barker,” and she ran down to the phone.

  But Dr. Barker was out. “We expect him in at any moment,” she was told. “And he shall have your message at once.”

  “Out, is he! “Monty said, when Jessica hurried to the sitting-room to tell her sister. “Well, we can’t leave the patient as she is. A cold water bandage is the thing! Where’s that Dilly girl!”

  He knelt down at Paddy’s feet and gently removed the shoe from her injured foot.

  Paddy laughed though she winced with pain.

  “A good thing I’m not wearing stockings,” she said comically.

  “Don’t you ever wear them? “Monty enquired.

  Paddy nodded. “Yes, but not to play tennis. The few pairs I possess are too precious to risk laddering them——”

  “I’ve brought some with me from Ceylon— nylons, or whatever they’re called—I’ll dig them out presently.”

  “Nylons! “Paddy gasped. “Goodness, you must be a Fairy Godmother.”

  “Lordy! “… Dilly ejaculated once again, when having arrived with a bowl of water she stood watching in admiration while Monty carefully bathed and bound up Paddy’s swollen ankle.

  “That’s better, isn’t it? “he asked.

  “Much better. You’re not a doctor as well as a tea-planter by any chance, are you?”

  “Jack of all trades and master of none,” Monty informed her. “But I did a bit of Red Cross during the war. Now, put your foot up on the couch. Nasty things, sprains, I had a bad one myself some years ago.”

  “Playing tennis? “

  “No—I fell off an elephant—at least, the brute chucked me off, but that was before I knew how to manage him.”

  “An elephant! “Paddy shuddered. “Such horrid things, aren’t they? They simply terrify me.”

  “I like them.”

  She looked at him with renewed interest. “And are you going to stay in England? “she asked.

  “Only for the present. I shall go abroad somewhere later on.”

  “That’s what I want to do, only”— Paddy glanced round to make sure they were alone—” the family won’t hear of it. So silly, isn’t it? Have you a family?”

  Monty shook his head.

  “No—I’m a lone orphan, except for a half-brother somewhere in England, but we haven’t met for years, though I used to hear from him occasionally, before the war, haven’t heard a word since.”

  “And is his name Hallam too? “Paddy enquired; she always wanted to know everything about people who interested her, and already she considered the Man from Ceylon to be decidedly attractive.

  “No—Phillips—he’s much younger than I am, of course. My mother married a second time when I was quite a kid.”

  “Phillips! “Paddy repeated the name eagerly. “I know someone of that name—though it’s a long time since we met—Peter Phillips! “

  Monty raised his brows incredulously.

  “Peter!… that’s my brother’s name too! What a coincidence if it should be the same fellow! Chap with sandy hair—went all through the war in the Air Force—you haven’t got his photograph, I suppose? “

  Paddy pointed across the room. “Yes—over there—on the mantelpiece. It’s a snapshot Gordon took of us in the garden here together, but it’s—oh— a long time ago,” she added with a note of unconscious wistfulness.

  She watched with concentrated excitement as Monty crossed the room and picked up the snapshot.

  “That’s the chap,” he announced immediately. “Well, I’ll be damned!… I beg your pardon,” he apologised quickly.

  Paddy laughed. “No need to apologise! I often say ‘damn’ myself… So—Peter is your brother! But you don’t know where he is? “

  “Haven’t the faintest idea. How long since you saw him? “

  Paddy shook her head.

  “I—can’t remember,” she said slowly.

  Couldn’t remember!… when it was the one thing in her happy-go-lucky life which try as she would she was utterly unable to forget.

  Chapter III

  There Was an Unpleasant Look on Gerard Winter’s face when, after hesitating for some time at the gate, he slammed up the door of his car and entered the house, just in time to see Monty putting the final touches to the cold bandage on Paddy’s injured ankle.

  In his own, rather selfish way, Gerard was devoted to Paddy, probably because he realised that she was quite indifferent to him, and he was conscious of a very real stab of jealousy as he saw the friendly manner in which she smiled down at this complete stranger who, as he had already remarked, seemed absolutely at home and at his ease.

  His first impulse was to say something unpleasantly sarcastic but after a glance at Monty’s powerful shoulders and muscular arms, he thought better of it, and turning abruptly on bis heel he left the house before his presence was realised.

  “Damned impudence,” he muttered as he drove away. “I’ll make him pay for this.”

  Planting himself on the family merely because he had once met Gordon somewhere in the back of beyond! and already behaving as if he had bought the place! Serve him right if the old man Mansfield chucked him out as Paddy laughingly told him her father had threatened to do. Not that the old man ever carried out his violent threats; as the family repeatedly said his bark was a thousand times worse than his bite. Still, perhaps in this case… .

  In his angry irritation Gerard was driving at such speed that he had almost passed a tired-looking figure coming towards him on the path before his attention was attracted by a raucous shout—” Hi I You! “and it was none other than Kirby Mansfield himself.

  “Care to give me a lift home? “he enquired, as Gerard brought the car to an abrupt standstill. “London’s as hot as blazes today, which is why I’ve left early. Not a taxi at the station, of course—never is when you want one!—and Gordon took the car to Tilbury this morning so I don’t suppose he’s back yet—probably spending the evening in Town with the Tea Planter.”

  The grim sarcasm of his voice was decidedly welcome to Gerard, and he laughed as he opened the car door.

  “By all means, sir, as you say, it’s a scorcher today. Paddy and I have been playing tennis—oh, that reminds me—she had the misfortune to sprain her ankle—but I got her home all right,” he added a little uncertainly as he recalled the manner in which Monty Hallam had carried her into the house, coolly remarking that he had borne far heavier burdens in his time!

  “Sprained her ankle, has she? “Kirby repeated. “Can’t say I’m surprised. She’ll break her neck one of these days, the way she rushes about.”

  Gerard turned the car in the direction of Kirlou. “Gordon’s not back yet, I suppose? “Mr. Mansfield remarked drily.

  Gerard hesitated remembering Jessica’s firm instruction that on no account must the Man from Ceylon be allowed to know he had not been expected.

  “Well—yes, he is,” he admitted. “He was at the house when I left—though I didn’t see him.”

  Kirby Mansfield said,” Humph! so he’s managed to dispose of the Tea Planter all right! If he hadn’t——” He broke off as the house came into view with its wide open shed and garage doors, and stacks of luggage and packing cases still piled helter-skelter outside. “What the devil,” he ejaculated, and then as his son and Monty appeared and started to haul one of the cases towards the shed, “don’t tell me that in spite of my orders he’s had the damned cheek to come,” he almost roared.

  There was a little complacent smile in Gerard’s eyes.

  “Looks like it, I’m afraid,” he admitted, and then half-heartedly, “Gordon missed him at the docks, I’m told, so he arrived alone thinking he was expected —a
nd Jessica says they haven’t liked’ to undeceive him!”

  “Not undeceive him! “Mr. Mansfield fumbled with angry fingers at the door-handle. “I’ll damn soon undeceive him,” he threatened. “What does he think this house is? An hotel for non-paying guests? Open this confounded door.” And when Gerard obeyed, in his angry haste Kirby almost fell head-first into the road dropping both his hat and the despatch-case which he invariably carried (though Paddy declared it was only full of emptiness) into the gutter.

  And then once again, to Gerard’s chagrin, it was the Man from Ceylon who rushed to the rescue, quickly collecting the few scattered papers which had fallen from the despatch case, and retrieving the hat which had rolled a few yards away down the road.

  “All right, sir? “he asked cheerfully, and then, as with a reluctantly muttered word of thanks, Kirby took the things from him, “I’m Monty Hallam, the Man from Ceylon,” he announced.

  There was an almost imperceptible pause, during which Gerard waited hopefully for the bursting of the storm, but he received the shock of his life when Kirby held out his hand and said, a little glumly it is true, “Pleased to meet you! Had a good trip? “and then as they were joined by a guilty-looking Gordon, “So you missed the boat, did you?”

  “Not his fault,” Monty explained. “We docked earlier than expected—tides, or something I Suppose. Anyway, here I am!”

  “You’re home early, aren’t you, Guv’nor?” Gordon said with a touch of anxiety. His father looked at him challengingly.

  “London’s as hot as Hell—that’s why,” he explained. “And when you’re my age——”

  “We should consider this cool out where I come from,” Monty interrupted, but fortunately—as Kirby was considering whether or not it would be permissible for him to say, “And I consider this cool— meaning your arrival, young man—” the doctor’s car came up the road and stopped beside them.