If he had noticed that Prudence had been at least twice as long as he had expected, he gave no sign, and presently Aunt Beatrix joined them and they crossed the hall to the dining-room, a forbidding apartment with a massive sideboard weighed down with quantities of silver and a table large enough to seat a dozen people. The meal was simple but elegantly served, and her companions carried on a conversation about nothing much, taking care to include her in it. They must be longing to lapse into their own tongue, she reflected, but neither of them gave a hint of wanting to do so, and when they had had their coffee the doctor invited her into a small room leading off the dining-room and asked her to sit down.
The next half-hour was spent in a résumé of Mevrouw ter Brons Huizinga’s state of health, with a polite request for Prudence to keep an eye on her and call him if she was worried, and a somewhat detailed discussion about Aunt Beatrix. At the end of it he thanked her with cool politeness, begged her to say immediately if she found her responsibilities too heavy for her, observed that he would be in on the following day and wished her goodbye.
Prudence sat where she was for a little while, contemplating the next week or so. It was obvious to her that this was to be no ordinary visit; Aunt Beatrix, much as she loved her, had behaved quite ruthlessly, no doubt pleased with herself for having found someone to look after both herself and her sister. On the other hand, in all fairness, she was going to live in the lap of luxury, and possibly when she had found her feet there would be the chance to do some sightseeing. She allowed her thoughts to dwell on the delicious cheese soufflé which had been served at lunch, and decided that the pros more than outweighed the cons.
Both ladies snoozed in the afternoons; Prudence took herself into the gardens and explored. They were too formal for her liking, but since it was a warm afternoon she found them pleasant enough, and presently found a nice sheltered corner in the sun and curled up on the grass and went off to sleep.
“Sleeping Beauty?” asked a gently mocking voice which brought her wide awake, just for the moment quite scattered in her wits so that she blinked up at the doctor leaning over her.
“Oh, it’s you again!” she declared crossly. “I might have known!”
“Not Sleeping Beauty,” he observed blandly, “just a cross girl. I came in on my way back from hospital to tell you that I shall be in Amsterdam tomorrow and probably for the next few days as well. I’ve left a telephone number on the hall table; my partner will come at once if you need anyone. He speaks English.” He turned on his heel. “Your hair’s coming down,” he told her, and walked away towards the house.
She watched him go; never in her whole life had she met a man she disliked so much!
She went back to the house presently, but only when she had heard a car driving away. Aunt Beatrix was in the drawing-room, the tea-tray in front of her. “Go and tidy yourself, my dear, and we’ll have tea together. My sister is still sleeping. Haso has been here again—I expect you saw him.”
Prudence said that yes, she had, and she would only be two ticks tidying herself for tea, and sped away to her room. She got back to the drawing-room just in time to remove a large chocolate cake from Aunt Beatrix’s vicinity.
“You’re on a diet,” she reminded her. “You must keep fit so that you can help Mevrouw ter Brons Huizinga…”
“You’re quite right, dear. I think you might address my sister as Aunt Emma. We’re to be together for some time, and I have always thought of you as my niece.”
Prudence thanked her nicely and eyed the chocolate cake; it seemed mean to have some when her companion was nibbling at a dry-looking biscuit. She would probably lose a lot of weight, she reflected gloomily, and gave herself another cup of tea with plenty of milk and sugar.
She spent an hour or so with Aunt Beatrix after tea, then went to see Aunt Emma. Aunt Emma’s maid, Sieke, seemed pleased enough to have help in getting her mistress settled for the night, a by no means simple task, since Aunt Emma was a law unto herself, knowing better than anyone else and determined to have her own way at all costs. Sieke cast her a grateful look when at last they had the lady with her incongruous wishes nicely settled against her pillows with the promise of a light supper to buoy her up. They had not, of course, been able to talk together—Sieke had no English and Prudence had no Dutch—but they had had no need of words; it was apparent that Sieke was quite willing for Prudence to take over any nursing care necessary and felt no animosity about it.
Prudence went along to her own room, showered and changed into one of the pretty dresses Aunt Maud had advised her to pack. “And a good thing, too,” she muttered as she poked at her hair, “if I’m to live up to the splendour of the dining-room.”
It was indeed splendid—white damask, shining silver and polished glass and a massive centrepiece which effectively blocked her view of Aunt Beatrix, resplendent in black velvet. Conversation, carried on in raised voice over the length of the table, was concerned wholly with Aunt Beatrix’s diet and her sister’s health. Prudence managed to make a splendid meal before joining her godmother in the drawing-room for coffee, and then she sat listening to a somewhat rambling history of the family. “Of course, your Aunt Emma married very well: her husband was a younger brother of Haso’s father and they’re a wealthy family. One wonders why the dear boy works so hard at being a doctor when he might be living quietly at his home.”
“Perhaps he likes being a doctor?” suggested Prudence mildly.
“Possibly. But his mother would like to see him married—there are several suitable young women…”
Not very interested, Prudence observed, “Perhaps he’s a confirmed bachelor. He’s not young.”
Her godmother sighed and said reprovingly, “A mere three and thirty, a splendid age at which to marry.”
Prudence longed to ask why, but decided not to.
Her godmother proceeded, “There’s no lack of young women who would be only too glad to marry him.”
“Oh, really?” said Prudence politely. “Then why doesn’t he? Marry, I mean?”
“You don’t like him,” observed her godmother suddenly.
“I don’t know him, Aunt Beatrix. How could I possibly dislike or like him after only a few minutes’ conversation with him?”
“That is, of course, true,” conceded her godmother. “You’ll naturally get to know each other during the next week or so.”
An unnecessary exercise as far as Prudence was concerned.
The following day gave her a very good idea of what was to come. She awoke refreshed from a sound night’s sleep to find her aunt’s maid standing by her bed with early morning tea.
Her “Good morning, Pretty” was answered a little sourly.
“Well, good morning it may be for some,” declared Pretty, “but I’m sure I don’t know.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Prudence; it couldn’t be too dire, the house’s inmates were barely awake.
“There’s Madam, wanting rolls and butter and croissants with more butter and marmalade, with scrambled eggs and bacon, and sugar in her coffee…”
Prudence scrambled up higher against her pillows. “That won’t do. I’ll come and see my aunt, Pretty—it’s no good her having a diet if she’s not going to keep to it. Don’t you worry now, go and have your breakfast, if you like. I’ll let you know what’s happening.”
She got out of bed and flung on her gown, a gossamer affair of crêpe-de-Chine and lace which matched her nightie.
“That cost a pretty penny,” declared Pretty severely.
Prudence agreed readily. “I like pretty things.” She smiled at Pretty and stuck her feet into satin slippers trimmed extravagantly with satin bows, then took herself out of the room to visit her aunt.
Mrs Wesley was sitting