i 024767349a4cae9a (13 page)

"I can't believe it." "Nor can I.

Worst of all, nor can she." He put the letter back on the table, then went and sat by Rosie again and gently turning her face to

bar bar The Obsession 129 disy1"1 De sal less-than 'a y0 y iig at all of bar have"...'iiJust ad eased but the dry sobs in her throat her speaking, and she brought out slowly, Doctor. None., none."

RW send her a note three or four days ago to he couldn't come to tea," said Robbie. 'He

'Just" this head of the house' comthere was a sneer now-

"for her hand, but instead he sent "disS say he had been called back to London and EtiBTO

now he has written."

i]? ot to look at Annie, who was stand)")"

Rosie now, saying, 'Come on lass, into disjb right-brace sam":: there's a fire on in there. I don't wny I put it on, it being only Saturday. Just to

JE" room y ppose, or I must have known , be needed. Come on. jmh almost like a child again, Rosie al' herself to be led from the room, which left the lif facing each other.

J" d'you make of it Doctor?"' ust don't know. I can't make it out, only that

- strange. It seems a fanny business."

said it there; a funny business. But I mean to

"less-than the bottom of it. That fellow was in love with

* much as..." Robbie stopped and walked to nre, and John said quietly, 'allyou were going as much as I am"."

indignant now, Robbie said I wasn't go

.; to say that." But then he asked softly,

'Does it

so much?"'

i I've been here nearly two years and I

.2 I would have been a blind man if I hadn't seen how things were with you. If you had had any bar sense you would have spoken before now." backslash Robbie swung round on him. 'She was a child.

I'm bar ten years older than she is. I've carried her around bar since she was a baby, when her grandfather used to bring her over here every day to talk with my dad, but leave her to me. She looks on me as a brother;

sometimes, I've even thought, as a father, but in no other way." bar "You've never given her a chance. The Scot in you j has put bristles on your tongue, like all your clan. bar Oh"

comhe flapped his hand- "don't get on your high horse." "I wasn't getting on any high horse Doctor,

but...b I didn't think it showed like that."

"Well, it doesn't to anyone else. You have very few visitors here. The Mackays, too, look upon her as a bar child. The Robsons..well, if I'm not mistaken and he dared risk it Harry would have showed his hand before now. But there was you to get over, and then the lord of the manor, next door. And now he's gone, j you feel the lady is worse. Her one aim in life is to j achieve prestige. And yet you know, I feel sorry for j her. She's got another side altogether. I've found that out of late, too. Quite a softer side, at least where be Rosie is concerned. She is fond of her and if it wasn t for her mania for the house and its surrounding grounds, she could be quite attractive and interesting 'Well, I've yet to find that out Doctor." "Yes, and so have other people. But we've all g01 two sides, you want to remember that.

One of you you've kept dark for too long." "And what d'you want me to do about it now -

'Just bar to 1) 'She'll never get over him, or if she t- insult will remain with her the rest of her Hi feel inferior. Women that are let down li inferior."

you'll have to bunk her up, as you call it, llpWill and stop making her feel inferior." The % tone changed now as he said, Give her time, li see how you feel in little ways."

l: if there's any chance of that Doctor.

She'll H as her brother, her big protective brother until

J, We've been an escape hole for her and we will be. I'll see to that. Anyway, what's you here today?"'

gSSS-IRT else that you're blind to. Your mother's

'Just Oh, yes, she says it's just a tickly cough, but Ji easily become bronchitis, I'm telling you, * in this dreadful climate of yours. Of course, I it's as bad as Scotland, but it's bad

"3 in the winter."

bar S153TS tone had changed to one of deep concern. s got something wrong with her chest?"' bar fel2* not something wrong, but she certainly will

- if she neglects it as she has been doing.

She's . a bad cough and she wheezes. Haven't you heard What's more, she goes out in all weathers.

Well, AS up to you, you'll have to see that she doesn't. s I'm leaving some medicine and stuff to rub in i" you've got to see that she takes that." bar . Robbie bowed his head before saying, 'Funny,

1 that are under your nose you never notice un-iy they smell."

I "Well, there's something I smell, too and it's about

letter. I have a cousin in the administrative Civil

Service. It is just possible he could throw a little light on the matter about marrying and so on. Meantime, my advice to you, Robbie, is to forget about the brother and fatherhood and make yourself even more indispensable to her than you are already. You follow me?

If you don't you must be blind."

Robbie gave a "huh!" of a laugh and said,

"You're about as tactful as a charging rhino Doctor, but I'm partial to charging rhinos."

was doin it bt Ive go to le he ".... Di S'So equals

i5 equals equals 2

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* spent his time trimming trees.

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can do that, too, and put you in their place with a duster. You need to do something."

Rosie had been sitting on the couch in the drawingroom, but now she was on her feet, crying back at her sister and vehemently, 'allyou'll never get me working inside here. You and your house! That's all you think about, the house. And don't say to me what you're going to put me to. You'll put me to nothing more. For two pins, if it wasn't leaving you on your own I'd go to Helen's. I'd be welcome there."

"Oh, yes. Oh, I know you'd be welcome at Helen's. If Helen could do me a disservice, she would do it."

"Helen wouldn't do anybody a disservice.

You've been jealous of her all your life. You hate the idea of her being happy and living above the level you've always aimed at, lady of the manor.

She's a natural lady of the manor."

One of these days..." Beatrice looked to be on the point of choking; then she fiung round and hurried from the room.

Rosie sank back onto the couch again.

She couldn't stand much more of this. She asked herself why she was putting up with it; but she knew: being made as she was, she knew that if she left Beatrice here on her own she'd be worrying about her all the time, for she had noone in the world to care for her. She hadn't kept a personal friend over all these years. It seemed that, except for her father, she had never needed a friend. And now, since he had gone, she was adrift. Oh, what was she going to do about it? She was sick at heart; sometimes she felt she was of no consequence. Teddy... oh, don't let her think of Teddy, it would drive her mad. Months now and she y heard a word from him. That indeed had been i: of rejection. That was the word that bored into the time: rejection. What she would have done i; hadn't had Robbie and Mrs Annie, she didn't *".

And the doctor, too. Yes, he was nice. She had ii'i i a number of times when he visited next door. ,eacomy. calling Robbie's place

"next door", when it in all ways a thousand miles away from this I When she was there she had to force herself

,aijicom

oin here.

IIL that's whre she would go now. "ii thought brought her swiftly up from the couch she went fm the room into the hall. But as she to pass the ain door, which was wide open, . saw coming up the steps the man she had just nn about. And she went towards him, saying qui" "Have you come to the wrong house?"'

ytfc. I don't think so." His voice was as quiet as

1 almost a whisper. He was smiling at her.

'I've iiit in answer to the advert." bar bar

"What? You mean, for the annexe?"' H "Yes, for the annexe. I couldn't believe it. Is she letting it? It does mean here, doesn't it?"'

I? "Yes, it means here all right. And you are the first

3SL I think. Come in. Come in." If As he stepped over the threshold his eyes lifted to *i Beatrice was now descending the stairs, and ii was certainly no welcome in her expression, nor bar gi her voice as she said,

"Good-aftemoon, Doctor."

"Good-aftemoon." He did not add Miss Beatrice or

.i n'w:

She was now asking plainly, "Did someone call

'allyes. Yes." He moved his head twice, his maner now as stiff as hers. "A newspaper advert called e I understand you are letting part of your house?"'

He watched her expression slowly change, then resume its former stiffness as she said, "Not part of m house, Doctor, merely the annexe."

"Well, your annexe."

"Do you want to take it, the annexe?"'

"Well, it all depends."

"Yes, yes." She nodded at him now. "But I must tell you straightaway that I would not allow a surgery to be held there."

"I had no idea of setting up my surgery in there, Miss Steel" comhis tone now matched hers-

"or of living here myself. I've been looking for a house or private apartments for my mother for some time now."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry." Her words were apologetic. "I merely thought... well, you understand."

He did not come back politely to say that he did understand, but tued to look at Rosie where she had been standing the while, and she said, "It really is nice, a house on its own," and Beatrice's glance towards her sister was almost soft as she said, "Yes, as Rosie says, it's a house on its own: it has a private entrance and a conservatory, rather small, but leading to its own garden."

He was looking at Rosie now and he seemed to see the appeal in her eyes, as there surely was, for she was thinking, If his mother comes there and she's anything like him, it will be someone else to talk to. And he'll be popping in. I hope he'll take it.

She looked at Beatrice now, saying, "Will you go through the house or shall I get the key for the front door?"'

bewe can go through the house." Beatrice was galing now. And as she walked ahead, saying, I you like to come this way?"' John and Rosie teed glances and followed her. d never been in this part of the house and he azed at the size of it. They were in a broad y now with doors going off one side and tall ws the other, facing out onto the garden. e they entered the small hall with a flight of going off it, Beatrice pointed to them, saying, leads to the servants'

quarters, but this is the or to the annexe. Of course, it can be locked nently from the other side." iy had now turned down a short passage at the f which was a grey panelled door, and as she d it open she stood aside to allow him to enter. e put his arm out for her and Rosie to precede now found himself in a quite large, square, tiled md Beatrice was saying, 'It's a very compact house. There are only eight rooms altogether; are bedrooms upstairs." s put in here,

"I'm afraid my mother would have iep downstairs as she suffers rather badly from

natism." "h, that could be easily arranged, because this was

used for children and there is a small bathroom astairs." ie led the way to a room across the hall, saying,

s is the sitting-room."

e stood in the middle of the room looking about He was really amazed at the furnishing and the fort it expressed.

"It's a lovely room," he said. bar Beatrice made no reply but said, "Come and see te dining-room."

The dining-room was much smaller but the table was large enough to seat six. Again he was amazed at the quality of the furniture and the curtains.

Next, as she thrust open another door, she said, his would make a lovely bedroom for you mother. You see the long windows open out to the conservatory and there's the garden beyond. And the three bedrooms above, which I will show you, needn't be wasted, because she could have her friends to stay." Beatrice's smile was broad as she turned to Rosie, saying, hat's what Grandpapa built it for...well, I ean to house a family."

It was Rosie who put in now, and se was smiling, too, the sad paintive smile he had come to know.

"Mother's cousin used to love to come and stay. But they had four children and they were four too much for Grandpapa, because there was no controlling them." Se turned now and looked at Beatrice, saying, Remember? they used to slide down the bannisters and into the hall.

We were all younger than they were but we emulated them as much as we possibly could And Marion nearly broke her neck. Remember the day?

Pandemonium."

'allyes. Yes, I remember." The sisters were nodding pleasantly at each other. "I remember distinctly Grandpapa laying down the law to Grandmama." Be atrice turned to John now, saying, "You see they were here for nearly two months in the year. And Grandmamas brother-in-law was an architect, and it ws he who set the ball rolling. And Grandpapa took t P

a new toy." Now she added on a laugh, he only behe had that wasn't of the Army." Then, her tone aging, she said, 'It cost quite a bit to build, but besad thing about it, at least the annoying thing t it to Grandpapa was that it was used ony for years after it was built, for my great-uncle, I un tilde tand, got another bee in his bonnet: it was called gration and he whipped the whole family off to lada of all places."

hn was laughing now, as he said, "And it's been sed ever since?"'

Oh no. No." That tone of dignity was back in Be's voice. 'At one time when we were young-"

glanced towards Rosie; then on a forced smile said

"well, children, there were lots of parties. ndmama seemed to have friends and distant, very ant relations in all parts of the country. You find when you've got a big house and there is free pitality. Some of them, I recall, stayed for weeks end. And that's why the kitchen was added. ne."

ihe turned about and Rosie and John followed her greater-than the hall and to the far end where a door led into it was quite a small kitchen, but one that was adately fittd.

s you can see," Beatrice began, 'x isn't very se. My cook would turn her nose up at it.

But it's quate."

ohn noted that Rosie had turned her head away. ether it was the words "my cook" or not he didn't will. Beatrice had gone to the small range and was ing, "It's very cosy in here when the fire's on. n when the fire isn't on, it's a nice little room