Chapter 4: The honeymoon
Chapter 4: The honeymoon
Mr Heddegan did not worry about his new wife’s coldness towards him during and after the wedding. ‘I know she was reluctant to marry me,’ he thought, ‘but that will pass. Things’ll be different in a few months’ time!’
During the wedding dinner, someone asked Heddegan about the honeymoon. To Baptista’s horror, he answered, ‘Oh, we’re going to spend a few days in Pen-zephyr.’
‘What!’ cried Baptista. ‘I know nothing of this!’ Because of her late arrival, Heddegan had not been able to ask where she would like to spend the honeymoon, so he had arranged a trip to the mainland. It was difficult to change these plans at the last minute, so she had to agree, and that evening she and her new husband arrived in Pen-zephyr.
Their first problem was finding a hotel, because the fine weather had filled the town with tourists. They walked from place to place, Heddegan polite and friendly, Baptista cold and silent. Finally they found an excellent hotel, which to their surprise was empty. Kindly Mr Heddegan, who wanted to please his young wife, asked for the best room on the first floor, with a good view of the sea.
‘I’m sorry,’ said the landlady, ‘there’s a gentleman in that room.’ Then, seeing Heddegan’s disappointed face, and not wishing to lose a customer, she added quickly, ‘But perhaps the gentleman will agree to move to another room, and then you can have the one that you want.’
‘Well, if he doesn’t want a view…’ said Mr Heddegan.
‘Oh no, I’m sure he doesn’t. And if you don’t mind going for a little walk, I’ll have the room ready when you return.
During their walk, Baptista was careful to choose different streets from those that she had walked down with Charles, and her white face showed how difficult this visit was for her. At last they returned to the hotel, and were shown into the best bedroom. They sat at the window, drinking tea. Although Heddegan had arranged for a sea view, to please Baptista, she did not look out of the window once, but kept her eyes on the floor and walls of the room.
Suddenly she noticed a hat on the back of the door. It was just like the hat that Charles had worn. She stared harder; yes, it was the actual hat! She fell back in her chair.
Her husband jumped up, saying worriedly, ‘You’re not well! What can I get ye?’
‘Smelling salts!’ she said quickly, her voice shaking a little. ‘From the shop near the station!’
He ran out of the room. Baptista rang the bell, and when a young girl came, whispered to her, ‘That hat! Whose is it?’
‘Oh, I’m sorry, I’ll take it away,’ said the girl hurriedly. She took the hat off the door. ‘It belongs to the other gentleman.
‘Where is - the other gentleman?’ asked Baptista.
‘He’s in the next room, madam. He was in here.’
‘But I can’t hear him! I don’t think he’s there.’
‘He makes no noise, but he’s there,’ replied the girl.
Suddenly Baptista understood what the girl meant, and a cold hand lay on her heart.
‘Why is he so silent?’ she whispered.
‘If I tell you, please don’t say anything to the landlady,’ begged the girl, ‘or I’ll lose my job! It’s because he’s dead. He’s the young teacher who drowned yesterday. They brought his body here, and that’s why there’s nobody staying in the hotel. People don’t like a dead body in the house. But we’ve changed the sheets and cleaned the room, madam!’
Just then Heddegan arrived with the smelling salts, and the girl left the room. ‘Any better?’ he asked Baptista.
‘I don’t like the hotel!’ she cried. ‘We’ll have to leave!’
For the first time Heddegan spoke crossly to his wife.
‘Now that’s enough, Baptists! First you want one thing, then another! It’s cost me enough, in money and words, to get this fine room, and it’s too much to expect me to find another hotel at this time of the evening. We’ll stay quietly here tonight, do ye hear? And find another place tomorrow.’
The young woman said no more. Her mind was cold with horror. That night she lay between the two men who she had married, David Heddegan on one side, and, on the other side through the bedroom wall, Charles Stow.