Fear

‘People say the house wouldn’t be the same without Commandant Shotcroft.’

‘I see.’

‘What’s that bell?’ asked Gerald. Apart from anything else, it really was much too near.

Mrs Pascoe looked away. He thought she looked shifty under her entrenched make-up. But she only said, ‘Practice.’

‘Do you mean there will be more of them later?’

She nodded. ‘But never mind,’ she said encouragingly. ‘Let me show you to your room. Sorry there’s no porter.’

Before they had reached the bedroom, the whole peal had commenced.

‘Is this the quietest room you have?’ inquired Gerald. ‘What about the other side of the house?’

‘This is the other side of the house. Saint Guthlac’s is over there.’ She pointed out through the bedroom door.

‘Darling,’ said Phrynne, her hand on Gerald’s arm, ‘they’ll soon stop. They’re only practising.’

Mrs Pascoe said nothing. Her expression indicated that she was one of those people whose friendliness has a precise and seldom exceeded limit.

‘If you don’t mind,’ said Gerald to Phrynne, hesitating.

‘They have ways of their own in Holihaven,’ said Mrs Pascoe. Her undertone of militancy implied, among other things, that if Gerald and Phrynne chose to leave, they were at liberty to do so. Gerald did not care for that either: her attitude would have been different, he felt, had there been anywhere else for them to go. The bells were making him touchy and irritable.

‘It’s a very pretty room,’ said Phrynne. ‘I adore four-posters.’

‘Thank you,’ said Gerald to Mrs Pascoe. ‘What time’s dinner?’

‘Seven-thirty. You’ve time for a drink in the Bar first.’

She went.

‘We certainly have,’ said Gerald when the door was shut. ‘It’s only just six.’

‘Actually,’ said Phrynne, who was standing by the window looking down into the street, ‘I like church bells.’

‘All very well,’ said Gerald, ‘but on one’s honeymoon they distract the attention.’

‘Not mine,’ said Phrynne simply. Then she added, ‘There’s still no one about.’

‘I expect they’re all in the Bar.’

‘I don’t want a drink. I want to explore the town.’

‘As you wish. But hadn’t you better unpack?’

‘I ought to, but I’m not going to. Not until after I’ve seen the sea.’ Such small shows of independence in her enchanted Gerald.

Mrs Pascoe was not about when they passed through the Lounge, nor was there any sound of activity in the establishment.

Outside, the bells seemed to be booming and bounding immediately over their heads.

‘It’s like warriors fighting in the sky,’ shouted Phrynne. ‘Do you think the sea’s down there?’ She indicated the direction from which they had previously retraced their steps.

‘I imagine so. The street seems to end in nothing. That would be the sea.’

‘Come on. Let’s run.’ She was off, before he could even think about it. Then there was nothing to do but run after her. He hoped there were not eyes behind blinds.