Chapter thirteen: More About Jack Favell

Maxim rang up the next morning. I heard the phone ring while I was having breakfast and Frith answered it. I hoped that Maxim would ask for me but he did not.

‘Mr de Winter will be back at about six this evening,’ Frith told me.

‘All right, Frith. Thank you,’ I said.

I went on eating breakfast as slowly as I could. Jasper was sitting at my feet. I wondered what I should do all day. I had slept badly. I could not forget my visit to the west wing. I knew now how much Mrs Danvers hated me.

About ten o’clock, the telephone rang again. This time it was Beatrice.

‘Well, my dear, how are you?’ she said. ‘Shall I come and have lunch with you today?’

‘I’d like you to come very much, Beatrice,’ I said.

‘All right, my dear. See you later.’

I put the phone down. I was glad that Beatrice was coming. It gave me something to look forward to. I wandered out on to the lawn. I felt different from yesterday. I wanted Maxim to come home.

I tried not to remember my visit to the west wing. But I could not stop thinking about Favell and his friendship with Mrs Danvers. I began to feel that Mrs Danvers was watching me. There were so many rooms that Maxim and I never used. It was easy for Mrs Danvers to watch me from one of their windows.

Beatrice arrived by car at about half past twelve. This time I went out to the drive to meet her.

‘Well, my dear, here I am,’ she said. ‘It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?’

She gave me a kiss and then looked at me carefully.

‘You don’t look well,’ Beatrice said. ‘You are much too thin. Your face is pale, too. What’s wrong with you?’

‘Nothing,’ I said. ‘My face is always pale.’

‘You looked quite different when I saw you before,’ Beatrice told me. ‘You are not going to have a baby, are you?’

‘No, I don’t think so,’ I said.

‘Well, I hope you will sometime. Maxim would be so happy to have a son. What have you been doing with yourself? Have you done much sketching? Did you like the books I sent you? Have you had anyone to stay?’

I had forgotten that Beatrice asked so many questions.

‘No, we’ve had no one to stay. People come to tea sometimes, of course.’

I wondered whether to tell Beatrice about Mrs Danvers’ visitor, Favell. I did not want Beatrice to tell Maxim about the visit. But I did want to find out more about the man.

‘Have you ever heard of a man called Jack Favell, Beatrice?’ I asked her.

‘Jack Favell?’ said Beatrice slowly. ‘Yes, I do know the name. Wait a minute – Jack Favell. Yes, of course. I remember him now. He’s an awful man. I met him once, years ago.’

‘He was here yesterday,’ I told her. ‘He came to see Mrs Danvers.’

Beatrice did not look at me.

‘Oh well,’ she said, ‘I suppose he knows Mrs Danvers quite well.’

‘But why?’ I asked.

‘Jack Favell is Rebecca’s cousin,’ Beatrice said. ‘I think he came to Manderley quite a lot when Rebecca was alive. I’m not sure.’

‘I did not like him,’ I said.

‘No, I don’t suppose that you did,’ Beatrice answered.

I hoped that she would tell me more about Favell, but she did not. For the rest of the time we talked about other things.

Beatrice stayed for tea and left soon afterwards. She had promised to meet her husband, Giles, at the station.

‘I hope you won’t be so thin next time I see you,’ Beatrice said as she got into her car. ‘Give Maxim my love. Look after him, and look after yourself, too.’

I watched Beatrice’s car go down the drive. Maxim would not be back for another hour. I did not feel like sitting in the house by myself. I called Jasper and we went for a walk through the woods. But I did not go near the sea. I missed Maxim now and felt lonely without him. Beatrice’s questions had made me feel tired too.

When I came back from my walk, I saw Maxim’s car standing in front of the house. At once, I felt much happier. I ran quickly up the steps and into the hall. As I walked towards the library, I heard the sound of voices. One voice was Maxim’s, very loud and angry. The door was shut, but I could hear what he said.

‘You can tell Favell to keep away from Manderley. Tell him I said so,’ Maxim was saying.

‘I know he was here. Never mind who told me. His car was seen here yesterday. If you want to meet him, meet him somewhere else. I don’t want that man at Manderley. I won’t even have him in the gardens. I’m telling you for the last time.’

I heard footsteps. I ran quickly up the stairs and hid myself.

Mrs Danvers came out of the library. She shut the door and walked up the stairs. Her face was grey with anger and the look in her eyes frightened me. Thank God she did not know I was watching her. Mrs Danvers went through the door to the west wing.

I waited a moment and then went downstairs and into the library. Maxim was standing by the window. When he heard the door open, he turned round quickly.

I smiled and held out my hand to him.

‘Oh, it’s you,’ Maxim said.

I could tell that he was very angry. His face was white and his mouth hard. I took his hand in mine.

‘I missed you so much,’ I said. ‘I hate being here without you.’

‘Do you?’ Maxim said. He did not say anything about Mrs Danvers or Favell.

‘Are you worried about something?’ I asked.

‘I’ve had a long day,’ Maxim answered. ‘And London was very hot and noisy. I always hate going there.’

Maxim lit a cigarette and moved away from me. I knew then that he was not going to tell me about his anger with Mrs Danvers. Maxim still thought of me as a child – someone who must not hear unpleasant things. But he was wrong. I felt I was growing up a little more every day. My life at Manderley was turning me into a woman.