Chapter XXVII: Rachel's Garden Party

Rachel noticed a marked difference in her mother-in-law's behaviour to her after finding her talking with Luke in his study. She was perplexed as to its cause and it worried her. Moreover, she found that her efforts to keep her out of the study during Luke's busy time there were unavailing, and she came to the conclusion that it would hurt her feelings less if Luke mentioned the subject to her himself. Her pride would not be wounded. She told Luke so. But, manlike, he felt that to burn Pussy's paws was by far the better plan. But Rachel, unwilling to give him a hint as to his mother's strained feelings in respect to herself, determined to do nothing in the matter unless she found a particularly favourable moment in which to speak. Having suffered herself in the past from jealousy she began to suspect that the same wretched enemy to all happiness was attacking her mother-in-law; and instead of despising her for giving way, she felt the situation to be particularly pathetic.

Since the day on which Luke heard of his wife's delicacy, he had been filled with anxiety about her and was continually thinking of her comfort and good. In fact, Rachel's health was now his first concern, and plans which would in any way give her too much to do or think about were put on one side at once, even though they might be suggested by his mother. His wife and his book were at present the absorbing interests in his life and everything else fell into the background.

Rachel had long ago come to the conclusion that Luke found it difficult to concentrate his mind on many things at the same time. When he was at Trowsby, his parish and Church took up all his thoughts to the exclusion of almost everything else. In fact, he suffered from a want of seeing things in their right proportion. And now that his mind was full of anxiety for his wife, his mother was somewhat put on one side. It distressed Rachel, for she knew the signs of the terrible pain caused by jealousy and felt sure she saw them written on her mother-in-law's face. They had in fact changed places since leaving Trowsby. Luke now consulted his wife about matters of interest instead of his mother; and though Rachel loved that it should be so, she felt Mrs. Greville's position to be very difficult.

Some women would have been triumphant over the reversed positions but Rachel was above all such unworthy feelings; she could only see the pathetic side and it distressed her. Remembering too her own fight with the sin that brings such misery on those who give way to it, she longed to give Luke a hint as to how matters stood, and to ask him to be very careful; but she knew Luke would no more understand his mother's feelings than he would have understood those of his wife in the old days; and she felt it would not be fair to his mother to enlighten him. It would inevitably make her fall in his eyes; and up till now, he thought her perfection.

So Rachel came to the conclusion that the only course to take was to behave to Mrs. Greville as if nothing was the matter, and to ignore the severity of her expression of face and voice when she spoke to her. But the anxiety and constant effort not to say anything that might offend or hurt was not good for her and was tiring.

As the time drew near for the parish garden party, Mrs. Greville's thoughts became engaged with preparations for the event, and at times she seemed to forget that she was not pleased with her daughter-in-law.

She had taken the whole affair off Rachel's hands and was thoroughly enjoying the responsibility of it. Luke was thankful that it meant no effort for his wife.

"If it hadn't been for my mother being here," he said, "we could not have had it. The doctor said you were to have perfect rest."

But Rachel was disappointed, though at the same time she was thankful that her mother-in-law had something to interest her and to fill up her time.

That it was Mrs. Greville's party was quite evident when the day dawned. Rachel was amused when her mother-in-law told her that she had better stand at the gate and welcome the people, as she herself would be engaged seating them at the tables. Rachel had quite intended to be at the gate.

"But," she said, "I think it would be better not to have tea the moment they arrive. They might walk about the garden and have games first."

But Mrs. Greville had arranged in her own mind that tea was to be the first item of the programme and she did not wish it altered.

"It's far better to get the business of tea well over first," she said, "then we shall be free to think of games," and Rachel gave way. She felt it was not worth while discussing the matter.

About sixty people with their children arrived and were shown at once to their seats by Mrs. Greville. Rachel saw them looking at the plates before them with a smile, and heard them making jokes with one another. But after Luke had appeared and had said a word of welcome and tea began in earnest, they were silent. The business of eating did not seem in their estimation to need the effort of talking. Suddenly Rachel heard Mrs. Greville say:

"Mind you all make a good tea, and what you don't want you can put in your pockets and take home with you. I won't look!" There was a laugh and the sound of it sent the colour into Rachel's face. The talking too began in real earnest and did not cease till tea was over; but the words that Rachel occasionally heard convinced her that Mrs. Greville's tactless remark was not liked by the men; and she noticed that no-one save the woman with the puny baby took advantage of the invitation to take the food home.

Rachel did what she could to take away the impression made by her mother-in-law's mistake, by noticing the many babies that the mothers had brought with them. And the subject of babies was so absorbing that when Luke took the men off for a game of bowls, the women were quite contented to sit and tell Rachel of the various complaints their children had suffered from.

They were not allowed however to sit still for long. Mrs. Greville bustled them about from one part of the garden to the other dividing them into groups and setting them to games. The mother with the puny baby alone refused to budge. She was too tired, she explained, and Rachel, looking at her as she talked, came to the conclusion, that probably the reason why the baby was so thin and weird looking was because the money went in drink. She tried to gain the mother's confidence and to help her, but the woman simply sat and cried and complained of her hard life. One of the women who had been playing games and was a little jealous at seeing Mrs. Grot having such a long talk with the Rector's wife, informed her spitefully, that she was a "bad lot," and left the baby alone in the house while she went to spend her evenings at the public house. Rachel came to the conclusion that the village was not such a little heaven below as she had imagined; but that the great enemy of souls was as busy there as elsewhere.