Chapter 009

I felt a certain pleasure at the prospect.

I was not really sure. I had been living in circumstances alien to everything I had known before. It was understandable that I should be affected by them, and to such an extent as not to be able to make a sound judgement, I had known Bertrand for such a short time, yet I should feel desolate if I should have to say goodbye to him and never see him again.

And yet. . . I was so uncertain. l was rather glad that the Baron had decided to return early, and so had put off the moment of decision even for a little while.

It must have been an hour later when Bertrand came to my room, He seemed like a different man from the one I had known. His face was blotched, and his eyes were slightly bloodshot. His mouth twitched with uncontrollable rage.

"Bertrand," I cried. "What on earth has happened?"

He stepped into the room and shut the door. "I am leaving the castle. … At once."

"When? Why?"

"Now. Immediately. I just came to tell you. I will not stay here a minute longer than I need."

"You have quarreled with the Baron?"

"Quarrelled?" he cried. "I will never speak to him again. He's a devil. … He's worse than I believed him to be…and God knows that was bad enough. He's a demon. I hate him, And he hates me too. Can you guess what he wants me to do?"

"No!" I cried, bewildered.

He spat out: "Marry! Marry Nicole."

"What?"

"He wants her settled comfortably. … And he has ordered me to make an honest woman of her."

"No!"

"But yes. That is what he has just told me."

"How could he suggest such a thing!"

"He just did."

"And Nicole?"

"I doubt she knows anything about the transaction. That's how it is with him, He makes the laws, and other people carry them out."

"But how could he suggest such a thing? What did he say?"

"He said that now he was marrying he wanted to find a husband for Nicole, and he thought that I would fit the book very well. He would make her an allowance and one for me, and I should be considerably richer than l am now. I just let him run on, and then I shouted at him. I told him I would never marry his cast-off mistress."

"He must accept that."

"He didn't. He said I was a young fool. I turned down a good offer. He wanted me to marry Nicole, and that was the best reason in the world for my doing so. He was going to put all sorts of opportunities in my way. He would be my generous patron. …I kept shouting at him That I would not marry a mistress he no longer wanted. I said I had my plans for marriage."

"You…said that?"

"I did. He didn't believe me. Then I said: I'm fond of

Kate, and I think she is of me"

"What did he say to that?"

"He was stunned for a few seconds. Then he laughed at me, He said: Nonsense. She'd never have you. In any case, I should consider such a match most unsuitable." "I lost my temper. I remembered all those times when my family had had to do what he wanted. This was the last straw, I went on shouting about his throwing his cast-off mistresses and that I would never marry any of them. Then I went to my room and started getting my things together. . ."

"won't you to wait until tomorrow?"

"Stay under this roof! Never! There is an inn not far from here. I will go there for the night and then tomorrow morning I'll be waiting for you and we'll travel to Paris together.

"Oh Bertrand," I said. "I am so sorry."

"I had to make a stand sometime. There comes a time when it is simply not possible to take anymore. You gave me courage. He can do me no harm. He might endeavour to make us poorer… never mind that now. I can get by without him. Oh Kate, in a way I feel wonderfully relieved… I feel free. Do you think I was right to act As I did?"

"Absolutely right."

"And don't you think it was a horrible thing to suggest?"

"Despicable."

He took my hands and kissed them.

"Kate," he said, "will you marry me… when we've had time to work things out?"

"Yes," I replied. "I will."

Finally, he released me. "I shall be out of this castle in a quarter of an hour," he said. I will see you on the train to Paris."

Then he had gone.

I was appalled by what Bertrand had told me, and I reproached myself for having felt I liked the Baron a little because of what he had done for me. He was ruthless, cynical and a man of no principles.

~~~~

At dinner one or two people asked where Bertrand was, and the Baron said that he had been called unexpectedly to Paris.

The next day, my father and I left Centeville in the

company of one of the Baron's upper servants.

I felt completely bewildered by everything that had happened. In a short time, I had not only been accepted as an artist of repute but had become engaged to be married. I wished that I did not feel so uneasy. Had I perhaps been hurried into accepting Bertrand's proposal because of the

Baron's despicable conduct? Poor Bertrand had been so distressed. I had felt I had to comfort him as best I could. It seemed to me that the Baron was changing the course of my life, even if unwittingly, merely by being there — a malignant

presence.

I was fond of Bertrand. Of course, I was. I liked what I knew of him, but how well did I know him?

I wished I had not been so impulsive. I was, of course, pleased that our relationship had not ended, but was I rushing ahead too fast?

I wished I could stop thinking about the Baron. It seemed so strange that a man who had done so much for me could have behaved as he had towards Bertrand.

It was fortunate that I was leaving the castle. When I had driven the Baron from my mind, I would begin to see that life was offering me a wonderful future.

~~~

I loved Paris from the moment I entered the city, and I promised myself that I would see as much of it I possibly could during my stay there.

First we saw…