The Marriage of Celia

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20280, 14 April 1934, Page 19 (Supplement)

The Marriage of Celia

Author of“Joan Falrlies Cross-roads** ‘■The Black Bretrayal,” “Love’s Tangle,” etc.

By

MADGE BARLOW.

CHAPTER IX. A police oflicer appeared timorously on the scone, and the arrest of the brawler ended an unpleasant episode. The service proceeded. The marriage of Celia became an accomplished fact, and Sanna's thwarted passions so consumed her that she could scarcely contain herself sufficiently to wish the wedded pair happiness. She signed the register with palsied hand, and they learnt, to their surprise, that her name was Susanna, shortened to Sarnia. She had recognised the thickened, coarsened voice in the porch, and raged inwardly. “Fool! If that was all you could do to stop the marriage—get drunk and make a noise—l hope your folly will land you into a hotbed of trouble f” McHaffie lingered behind the others to tip the verger and ask a couple of pertinent questions. “It was an intoxicated gent, sir, full as he could hold,” said the verger. “He refused to go quietly, and when a constable hove in sight I gave him in charge. Here is his card which he flung at me,” handing Mac the strip of pasted boa rd. Avery’s card! Mac bent a scowling gaze on it. “What was the fellow shouting?” he inquired. “That the bride belonged to him and he’d stop the ceremony—had every right to stop it. He was silly with drink, Windy nothings are the frothings of a man drink has bemused—yet Mac took jus seat in the waiting motor heavy of Hid you find out who the disturber was?” inquired Sanna. “Only a tipsy hooligan,” he replied. “Only that?” her tone derisive. \es, of course. What else did you expect?” “A horde of Apaches, at the least, from the awful row.” Their glances met and clashed like swords. “Mv mind ran on a gang of infuriated Irish suitors of Celia’s thirsting for my blood,” laughed Robert, toying with her bunch of white heather and looking adoringly at her. ® A vivid flush had dyed her pallor while Mac and Sanna were talking, for she, too, had recognised the 'voice. Excitedly she began to discuss the heather. How pretty it was! Where had Robert got it? Did it grow profusely .on the Scottish moors ? “It is quite a scarce commodity.” he told her. “Yours is the genuine thinobecause Nurse Effie Ram age sent Tt specially for the occasion, but 1 fear some of the London variety is merelv the pale purple put through' a bleaching process.” ° “Isn’t it supposed to bring luck?” she asked. “We are the authors of our own luck, 8 or bad, Mrs. Lennox,” said McHaffie, and though he spoke casually something in his expression seemed gravely to warn her. Her lips quivered. She plucked at her bouquet nervously. “I don’t agree,” said Robert. “More frequently we ar© victims of circumstances beyond our control, and must travel the road along which we are driven.” His words stuck in Celia’s memory, afterwards to be invested with a meaning he did not intend. The wedding luncheon was laid in Satina's dining room, and, to the dismay of three of them, they entered to find Major Joicev sitting at ease, contemplating the flowers and bride’s cake. He skipped forward, hand extended, gushing delighted exclamations, and saying he had newly returned to town and had hastened to pav Miss Pereivale a call, not dreaming that he should barge m upon a marriage feast. Haying barged in, it was plain he meant to stay unless forcibly ejected. His breezy friendliness was not to be frozen by a chilly reception, nor his selfassurance weakened by frowns. Robert saw the prospect of a few hours in Lena s company marred through the intrusiveness of an uninvited guest, and whispered to Sanna. “Can’t you get rid of him?” -W Can’t without being actually rude.” she murmured. Robert’s annoyance afforded fe her malicious satisfaction. * v The maid brought extra china, cutlery glassware, and a napkin. G . rim silence had no terror for the . He dre " r in bis chair to tile able, chaffed Robert airily, quizzed Celia till she felt uncomfortably warm was inquisitive regarding the honeymoon plans, and amused at curtly evasive answers. He proposed the bride’s health m a would-be witty speech better suited to the messroom, and retailed gossip of Hie Beverley- at tedious length. Waxing mellow with wine, he told “risque” stories over which he chuckled in lonely ojee. Mac s fingers closed round the neck intent < * ecan^er once with murderous i Robert watched the clock. As time =»+ S tTa h - C , ccased to watch, and his face settled into stubborn lines. If relief didn’t come soon, then the boat train for Holyhead would leave Euston minus a couple of passengers. He was not going to bid Celia good-bye in front of Joieey. An intelligent student of faces, Sanna read the determination sliapen in those lines, and when they had partaken of coffee and sampled the cake she conveyed to the major a hint that proved effective because of its suggestion of mysterious urgency. Still his departure was protracted. . lc .® or thrice he was on the point ot sitting down again, but eventually she manoeuvred him to the front door and breathed in his ear: ‘Lennox is on thorns. I simply had to evict you. Call back later, and I’ll toll you a funny story.” “Any news of Avery?” he queried huskily. “Avery is the funny story.” He winked portentously. W ouldn t miss a funny story for worlds. I’ll be back.” Hearing the door slam, McHaffie went to the hall and said Mr. and Mrs. Lennox must have much to say to each other and the least Miss Pereivale and lie might do was to efface themselves till train time. Sanna sweetly concurred lamenting Joieey *s push fulness, and excusing her toleration of him on the grounds that it would be impolitic to snub him, since he was “persona grata” with the Hazlitts, her best patrons. Would Mr. McHaffie rare to smoke and chat in her studio, and have a little Scotch whisky? The recent clash of steely glances, as of swords smitten blade to blade, cautioned her not to make an cncniv of McHaffie. In tlie dining room Robert was sf ii/Tiim a fistful of fresh, crisp banknotes into Celias handbag, and Celia, who had never owned a pound to spend as she chose, was awed at the sight of all that money gifted to lier unconditionally. He

lifted her on his knee. “Now what arc! you going to giv© me?” he askedl smilingly. His generosity stirred her .gratitude! She raised her lips and gave him the! deferred kiss, and if it lacked spoil-; taneity and fire. Robert was unversed in subtle shades of difference where kisses were concerned, and knew no loss. “You’ll be sure to buy everything you need, and to take care of yourself he said cheerfully, trying not to let her see that in hurrying him avav on a paltry errand which could well have waited she was causing him pain—the pain of wondering whether her love was the big thing he had believed it to be. She appeared to have recovered from the effects of nerve strain, and with that bright pink colour looked her old self—not the worn Celia whose hollow cheeks and sad eyes could have won his consent to any proposition, however absurd. Perhaps even yet she would hid him take her with him or not go till she was ready to go too. Her reply disappointed him sorely. “I want to be happy for the few days you are away. Do you think I can ought to be, in mourning for my mother?” touching her black frock ‘‘Would it be wrong anti unfeeling?” “Neither wrong nor unfeeling,” he said, gulping his disappointment. “Your mother would wish you to be happy.” “Had she lived,” wistfully, “wc shouldn’t have been married to-day—not for months.” “Yes,” he murmured, thoughtfully, “had Mrs. Conor lived much might have been different.” He pondered with gladness and great content the change in the ordering of his life brought about by Mrs. Conor’s sudden demise; and Celia leant against his shoulder, sniffing the faint nice odour which clung to his clothes, compounded of tobacco and another elusive fragrance that smelt like dried sweet briar and was only the aroma of his favourite toilet soap. Leaning there, a strange peace crept over her. The agitation Hicks drunken noisiness evoked had vanished in the tight embrace of Robert’s arms. She felt calmed, safe—safe for all the years to come—girt about with strength to do her duty. He had preferred her, insignificant Celia Conor, to the whole galaxy of society beauties he must have met before he met her, when London feted him in acknowledgment of his services to the Empire. His preference was an honour, she reminded herself, nothing less than an honour; therefore she must remember sh© was now a sober married woman, no more an irresponsible girl, that the gold band on her finger was a talisman to keep her feet in right paths. She nestled closer to Robert to deepen the impression of the safe feeling, and til© voluntary movement, so seeminglv affectionate, charmed him out of his vague dissatisfaction. He talked to her tenderly as to a timid young creature afraid of the big issues of life, forgetting that one who had experienced life’s seamy side and had practical Mrs. Conor for a mother couldn’t possibly be a simpleton. All too soon the taxi arrived to take Jilin to Euston- The good-byes were said, protracted on his part, and Celia ran to a window to wave her hand to him, he standing bareheaded on tlie pavement looking up at her as if he could not hear to remove his eyes. She and Salma prepared the souvenir ~ Cake for the P° 3t > and, that done, tdie rest of the evening fell dismally flat. Miss Pereivale took up her sketching, tight-lipped. Celia feigned interest in a novel, and ia shelter of the open book secretly admired her wedding ring, and was conscious of the dignity it conferred upon her. Dick’s “faux pas” of tlie early afternoon was not alluded to. Each waited for the other to speak of it. r Major Joicey’s ring at the bell and the sound of his jovial voice relieved the peculiar tension of the atmosphere. Sanna tossed her sketching materials aside and relaxed hard lips. Celia flew to her room to escape him. CHAPTER X. “Are they gone?” murmured the major, arch-faced. “Hush!” murmured Sanna. “Celia “Vv, bhe * a grass widow, for Lennox and Mac aie en route to Ireland to settle Mrs Conor’s debts, I shrewdly suspect. We 11 adjourn to the studio, where we’ll have strict privacy, and I’ll tell you tie tunny story.” J “Do you mean to say Mrs. Lennox is here and Lennox is off to Castle Conor Wl *“ td f doctor chap ?” gasped Joieey. Castle my hat!” mocked Sanna, edging her chair nearer his. “A pack of lies rammed down our throats. These Conors were pretentious upstarts: at any rate the mother was. Be quiet, will you? Applaud any modest efforts to amuse m dumb show, please. Yes and his Fidus Achates have "-one’ and Celia is here, and Dick is—heaven "'here at the moment, if he isn’t still in custody.” She harked br.ck to Beverley days and detailed for her avid listener the love romance of Avery from its commencement and fate’s intervention in the nerson of Mrs Conor, who from her tomb controlled three destinies No confidences of Dick and Celia were withheld, and she magnified and embellished the church porch incident with a view to incensing Josh Hazlitt against Dick, aware that the busybody would carry the tale to Josh, heedless of how he injured Avery. Dick’s failure to implement his threats of the office rendered her indifferent to the harm slis "as doing him. “Such a. scandal is bound to reach .Tosh, and he’ll be wild enough to cart Avery adrift,” declared Joieey, shaking his head as though the reflection "rieved him. “Drink and a woman are tl7e very worst excuses to offer a Hazlitt. I trust misguided Dick lias qualified for the dole, otherwise he’ll find he’s in Queer Street. A nod from Hazlitt can ruin his chances of further employment.” “In any sphere where printers’ ink is predominant., for that’s where Josh’s nod is powerful as the nod of Olympian Jove,” Sauna agreed, complacently. “I shan’t, cry over Dick’s ruination.' 7Ti* childish handling of the situation has spoiled his future and Celia’s.” “And yours,” thought the major, highly diverted. “Doe* Lennox know Miss Conor married him under compulsion?” he interrogated aloud. “Robert is ignorant of it. and McHaffie; but Mae guesses there is something bet ween Dirk and ( elia—guesses a lot. more than the innocent truth, I think.” Hie re’ll be trouble in the sweet bvc“Quite a peek, unless I’m greatly mis taken.”

“Lennox is a dour sort, as tliev say Up North.” “Celia will brew the trouble, not he. He loves her dearly,” said Sanna gloomy-cyed. “Love or not. I shouldn’t like to be tbo person wlio’d deceive him wilfully. Lord, no! The minute I twigged he was on the brink of discovery I’d go while the going was good. Our fair Celia has an enemy at court in McHaffie.” “Well, Mac could have split on Dick tO;day, and he passed off tile church aflair as a tipsy hooligan’s freak, but I’d "ager the hooligan’s identity is no riddle to him.” “He’s biding his time—just biding liis In an ecstasy of thankfulness to the purveyor of spicy tit bits, he invited her and Celia to a theatrical performance, ind partook of tea, to which Celia was brought in. slirinkingly dreading another broad chaffing. Obeying a furtive pressure of Sauna’s foot, the major curbed himself, and confined his jests to a criticism of the play lie wished them 1o see. and which he pronounced “sloppy mush,’ certain to make Mrs. Lennox weep. 4To be Continued Daily).