My Cousin Rachel Page #7

In a moments conversation like this with the doors open.

Can't I come back here

Later in the evening after she's gone to bed?

o.

How long is she to stay?

As long as I choose.

I won't deny to order her out myself?

I can't really imagine you're being so impertinent

As to order a guest of mine out of my house.

Are you ill sir?

I have a headache.

The ladies are in the drawing room. Will you be coming down for dinner?

o. o. I'll see you in the morning.

You shouldn't have ridden out in weather like today.

I knew you'd be sorry for it.

Go away and leave me along.

I'll tell the mistress that you're not well.

Rachel

Rachel

Mr. Philip.

Mr. Philip.

My headaches.

Has gone promiscuous.

What is it dear?

Rachel

What is it dear?

Send her away will you?

Isn't the doctor here yet?

I won't harm you I promise you I won't

Running at midnight eh?

And in this weather.

He shouldn't have ridden out yesterday either.

It's my head!

I've seen this fever before.

I've seen children die of it.

You must do something quickly doctor.

Is that how I died?

Ambrose!

My dear Philip.

My headaches.

Ambrose.

I know dear. I know dear. But if you take this it'll be better soon.

Drink it all.

Don't ever leave me please.

I won't.

Will you promise?

I promise.

But you promised me you'd come back to me.

o nobody's going.

I won't darling ever.

But you said you'd marry me.

o Guido I can't.

ot while Philip lives.

My blessed Rachel. I do love you so.

ot more than I love you dear darling.

Will you marry me now?

I will.

With the happiest of hearts.

Well. At long last. How do you feel?

Strange.

Very strange.

I shouldn't wonder. You've been very ill for a long time.

So welcome home again.

How long?

More than three weeks.

It's not possible.

This is a few day's growth.

Good heavens.

Would you like a mirror?

Huh huh no thank you.

I feel like Rip Van Winkle.

You'll be all right again soon.

What was the matter with me?

On the continent we called it meningite

But none of the doctors here seemed ever to have heard of it.

And how did they treat it?

We worked it out together.

I told them what I had seen done and they did it.

Such as puncturing the spine to take out the fluid

And letting into your blood a serum I made of herbs.

You don't remember that?

o.

You're an amazing woman.

In what respect now?

Are you an apothecary too?

o.

Would you like anything to eat?

o.

But I am thirsty.

Good. I have a cold drink here.

Made from limes sent down from London.

I feel very sorry for you.

Why for me?

For having such a poor weak stick of a husband on your hands.

Are you sure you don't want me to go with you sir?

o. It's only to the sunken garden.

I want to surprise Mrs. Ashley.

She said I wouldn't be able to walk alone for another week yet.

But she's not there sir. She drove into plymouth this morning.

You don't know what you're talking about.

I heard her make the appointment with the man in change.

Come on don.

How are you Tamblyn?

Well sir thankee.

And glad I am to see you out again. Looking so wonderful strong too.

I'm feeling better.

Trevor.

Mr. Philip

What's the matter with the tree? Dead?

o sir we're moving it to the old orchard.

It's getting so big it's dropping its seed over the fence into the meadow.

I don't want the cattle to get hold of any.

The laburnum seed's poison you know.

Did you know they grow in Italy too?

Really sir?

Yes I remember now. I saw several in Mrs. Ashley's grounds in Florence.

Must be wonderful climate. I can understand the mistress wishing to return there.

But she doesn't anymore.

o sir? I'm glad to hear that.

We hear different.

That she was just waiting to see you get well again before she went.

o this is to be her home from now on.

Have you seen her this morning?

ot this morning sir.

Good morning Collin.

Oh Mr. Ashley sir. I must say it's good to see you out and around again.

Very much indeed.

How's it coming along?

Oh well enough I suppose sir.

But it's going to be more of an undertaking than we thought.

And how's that?

The underpinnings are rotten sir.

They'll have to be replaced.

Can you brace it for the time being?

Well we can on Monday sir. When we get some more timber up here.

But meanwhile I think you should warn everyone in the house not to use it.

That's a long drop down there to those rocks.

I will though nobody ever uses it anyway.

Did you tell Mrs. Ashley?

Why I haven't seen her sir.

I expected her but she hasn't been around here this morning.

Uh.. All right I'll tell her.

Thank you.

Good evening Seecombe.

Good evening ma'am.

Philip dear I'm so pleased to see you down here.

ot only down here but about on the grounds too.

Alone?

Yes. I looked for you.

I'm terribly sorry.

I went into bodmin to do some shopping.

I should have told you.

Bodmin?

Yes I needed some lace.

But I thought you said Plymouth?

I'm sorry sir I had it from Wellington who thought that it was to be Plymouth again.

I tried to last week but I couldn't find what I wanted.

What about the headache?

o none today. ot the least sign of one.

Oh i'm so glad.

First day this week without one.

Perhaps they're all done at last.

I hope so.

I heard some gossip today that I don't quite like.

What are they saying now?

That you're going back to Florence.

Of course. But not till you're well.

You mean you going back to sell the villa.

On no there's not need to do that now.

I can afford to keep it now.

Then why would you be going?

Can't we wait until you're better to discuss that?

You mean you'd want to spend the winter there?

Possibly or the late summer.

There's a good deal of work piled up here since I've been ill.

I don't know that I should leave here as soon as that.

I don't know that you should either.

But you might like to come down in the spring for a visit.

I must still be somewhat slow-Witted but

Is that how you expect us to live with long separations and visits.

Please Philip i've asked you not to talk about the future yet.

We still have all the time in the world for that.

But I promise you i'll not leave here until you're entirely well.

Why should you leave here at all? This is your home now?

But so is Florence.

That's where most of my friends are.

My villa and a certain life that i'm more accustomed to actually than the life here.

I'm sure you must understand that I can't help but miss it.

I suppose so.

I just hadn't thought of it like that.

I find I am a little tired after all.

You poor dear. Of course you are.

Come on. We'll go up together.

This is our home really.

Our true home.

Don't you feel that?

It's a warm and comfortable room.

Someday we'll going to set a metal plate on the wall here.

Here Philip Ashley first set eyes on his cousin Rachel.

I think you should go now.

Come here.

Why must i? Ever.

Please Philip.

My room is all the lonelier to be sung the area of the ear.

I wish that we could tell them now.

Tell them what?

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