In a polite, well-bred way, she was ruder to Elsa than one would believe possible - without a single actually offensive word.
Elsa herself was openly and flagrantly rude to Caroline.
She was top dog and she knew it, and no scruples of good breeding restrained her from overt bad manners.
The result was that Crale spent most of his time scrapping with the girl Angela when he wasn't painting.
They were usually on affectionate terms, though they teased and fought a good deal.
But on this occasion there was an edge in everything Amyas said or did, and the two of them really lost their tempers with each other.
The fourth member of the party was the governess. "A sour-faced hag," Amyas called her. "She hates me like poison.
Sits there with her lips set together, disapproving of me without stopping."
It was then that he said, "Damn all women!
If a man is to have any peace he must steer clear of women!" "You oughtn't to have married," I said. "You're the sort of man who ought to have kept clear of domestic ties."
He replied that it was too late to talk about that now.
He added that no doubt Caroline would be only too glad to get rid of him.
That was the first indication I had that something unusual was in the wind. I said: "What's all this?
Is this business with the lovely Elsa serious, then?" He said with a sort of groan: "She is lovely, isn't she?
Sometimes I wish I'd never seen her." I said: "Look here, old boy, you must take a hold on yourself. You don't want to get tied up with any more women."
He looked at me and laughed. He said: "It's all very well for you to talk. I can't let women alone - simply can't do it - and if I could they wouldn't let me alone!" Then he shrugged those great shoulders of his, grinned at me, and said:
"Oh, well, it will all pan out in the end, I expect. And you must admit the picture is good!"
He was referring to the portrait he was doing of Elsa, and, although I had very little technical knowledge of painting, even I could see that it was going to be a work of especial power.
While he was painting, Amyas was a different man.
Although he would growl, groan, frown, swear extravagantly and sometimes hurl his brushes away, he was really intensely happy.
It was only when he came back to the house for meals that the hostile atmosphere between the women got him down.
That hostility came to a head on September 17th.
We had had an embarrassing lunch.
Elsa had been particularly - really, I think insolent is the only word for it!
She had ignored Caroline pointedly, persistently addressing the conversation to Amyas as though he and she were alone in the room.
Caroline had talked lightly and gaily to the rest of us, cleverly contriving so that several perfectly innocent-sounding remarks should have a sting.
She hadn't Elsa Greer's scornful honesty - with Caroline everything was oblique, suggested rather than said.
Things came to a head after lunch in the drawing-room just as we were finishing coffee.
I had commented on a carved head in highly polished beechwood - a very curious thing - and Caroline said, "That is the work of a young Norwegian sculptor.
Amyas and I admire his work very much. We hope to go and see him next summer."
That calm assumption of possession was too much for Elsa. She was never one to let a challenge pass. She waited a minute or two and then she spoke in her clear, rather overemphasized voice. She said, "This would be a lovely room if it were properly fixed.
It's got far too much furniture in it.
When I'm living here I shall take all the rubbish out and just leave one or two good pieces.
And I shall have copper-colored curtains, I think - so that the setting sun will just catch them through that big western window." She turned to me and said, "Don't you think that would be rather lovely?"
I didn't have time to answer. Caroline spoke and her voice was soft and silky and what I can only describe as dangerous. She said, "Are you thinking of buying this place, Elsa?" Elsa said, "It won't be necessary for me to buy it." Caroline said, "What do you mean?" And there was no softness in her voice now. It was hard and metallic. Elsa laughed. She said, "Must we pretend?
Come, now, Caroline, you know very well what I mean!" Caroline said, "I've no idea." Elsa said to that, "Don't be such an ostrich. It's no good pretending you don't see and know all about it.
Amyas and I care for each other.
This isn't your home. It's his.
And after we're married I shall live here with him!" Caroline said, "I think you're crazy." Elsa said, "Oh, no, I'm not, my dear, and you know it.
It would be much simpler if we were honest with each other.
Amyas and I love each other; you've seen that clearly enough.
There's only one decent thing for you to do. You've got to give him his freedom." Caroline said, "I don't believe a word of what you are saying."
But her voice was unconvincing.
Elsa had got under her guard, all right.
And at that minute Amyas Crale came into the room, and Elsa said with a laugh, "If you don't believe me, ask him." And Caroline said, "I will."
She didn't pause at all. She said, "Amyas, Elsa says you want to marry her.
Is this true?" Poor old Amyas.
I felt sorry for him.
It makes a man feel a fool to have a scene of that kind forced upon him.
He went crimson and started blustering. He turned on Elsa and asked her why the devil she couldn't have held her tongue. Caroline said, "Then it is true?"