Authors: Katrina Britt
He came forward with loose-jointed ease and flung himself on to the settee. Nora looked apprehensively at the vacant place beside him and murmured almost to herself,
‘
Hadn
’
t you better telephone The Armitage to tell them that
Aimée
is spending the night here?
’
His presence without the reassuring presence of
Aimée
was having a disastrous effect on her composure, but Juan could not have looked less concerned.
‘
Plenty of time, and stop dithering. Relax. Shall I pour the coffee?
’
His tones were lazy as if he was thoroughly at home in his surroundings—which was more than could be said of Nora, whose heart was beating twenty to the dozen. To her surprise she poured out the coffee with a steady hand, gave him a cup and placed the low table between them as she took one of the chairs to sit in
.
‘
Well, did you enjoy your visit to the Wild Life Park?
’
Juan regarded her lazily over the rim of his coffee cup and Nora borrowed his coolness.
‘
Very much. I
’
m glad
Aimée
did. She doesn
’
t have too good a time at home by all accounts. Where is Tricia, by the way?
Aimée
didn
’
t expect her home early.
’
‘
Helping out at the Yacht Club. Tricia prefers masculine company. I...
’
He stopped talking to listen.
Nora had heard something too.
‘
I
’
ll go to see if
Aimée
is awake. I thought I heard her,
’
she said.
Aim
é
e was lying in crumpled bedclothes as if she had been tossing and turning. She was lying on her stomach and her shoulders were heaving with muffled sobs.
‘
Aimée
!’
Nora cried in concern as she sat on the bed to turn her face upwards.
‘
What is it, darling?
’
‘
I
’
ve got toothache and it
’
s terrible,
’
the child gulped on a dry sob, her face blotched with crying.
‘
It woke me up.
’
Nora pushed back the silky hair from her hot forehead and gathered her in her arms.
‘
Poor darling! What do you usually have for it? Is it a bad tooth?
’
‘
I don
’
t know. I
’
ve never had toothache before.
It
’
s horrible
!’
‘
What
’
s horrible?
’
Juan was leaning against the door frame and Nora looked at him in distress.
‘
Aimée
has toothache.
’
He came to the bed and bent over her as Nora let
Aimée
sit up out of her arms.
‘
Open your mouth, honey,
’
he said gently.
‘
Tell me where the pain is.
’
Aimée
put a forefinger in her mouth and indicated the tooth in question.
‘
It looks healthy enough,
’
said Juan, peering into her mouth.
‘
Probably caught cold in it, my sweet.
’
He straightened and consulted his watch thoughtfully.
‘
Too late to get the doctor, but it
’
s possible that Jony
’
s girl, Cissy, could be calling on her friend along the corridor here. Being a nurse she might be able to suggest something. I
’
ll see if I can find her.
’
Nora gathered the convulsive little form against her and whispered words of comfort. It seemed ages before Juan was back with a young woman whom he introduced as Cissy Melly. Nora smiled warmly at an attractive young woman in her late twenties with small neat features and pretty grey eyes.
Leaving Juan with
Aimée
, they went to the kitchen to heat some milk. Cissy watched Nora pour milk into a pan.
‘
The only thing I can suggest,
’
she said,
‘
is part of a sleeping pill I
’
ve borrowed from my friend here. She takes one most nights. Taken in warm milk it could send her to sleep. If
Aimée
has caught cold in the tooth then the warm bed should do the
r
est.
’
Aimée
settled down at last, clinging to Juan
’
s hand while Nora went to see Cissy out. Nora liked what she saw as a sweet and gentle person and decided that Jony was a fool not to marry her.
‘
We
’
re very grateful for your help,
’
she said.
‘
Thanks.
’
‘
Glad I could help,
’
Cissy smiled warmly.
‘
You
’
re the girl who shares Jed Kelly
’
s will with Jony, aren
’
t you? I
’
m glad I
’
ve been able to make your acquaintance.
’
Cissy hesitated as if wondering whether to go on, then she plunged.
‘
I hope you won
’
t think it cheek if I say that I hope you do marry someone in order to get your part of the money. You see, Jony will have enough as it is. I wouldn
’
t want him to have twice as much as he
’
ll have if he gets it all.
’
Nora laughed.
‘
That
’
s the last thing I expected you to say,
’
she admitted.
Cissy shrugged neatly clad shoulders.
‘
Too much money is not good for any one person. Jony has the farm, and the money he inherits will be more than enough, providing he has only his fair share. But don
’
t tell him I said so, will you?
’
‘
No, I won
’
t,
’
Nora promised.
‘
I
’
ll think about
it. Perhaps we can meet again some time soon.
’
‘
I
’
d like that,
’
said Cissy.
When Cissy had gone Nora washed the dishes. She was taking the coffee cups from the lounge into the kitchen when Juan came in quietly.
‘
Let me take them. I
’
ll help you wash up.
Aimée
is asleep, but I think I
’
ll stay with her in case she wakes again during the night,
’
he said, following her into the kitchen.
‘
Do you think she will?
’
‘
She might.
’
He reached up over her head for the tea-towel and kissed her hair. Unconsciously, Nora stiffened.
‘
What was that in aid of?
’
she asked, moving away from him on the pretext of making room for more dishes on the drainer.
‘
An apology, if you like, for not taking
Aim
é
e
home. She would have been better there. Finn
’
s housekeeper would have taken it all in her stride.
’
‘
But
Aimée
would have been just as upset if Tricia hadn
’
t been there, surely?
’
Nora argued.
‘
I
’
m assuming that you wouldn
’
t have been there either?
’
‘
True,
’
he conceded.
‘
You like children, don
’
t you?
’
‘
Of course I do. I hope to have some of my own some day. The trouble with
Aimée
is that she needs a masculine shoulder to cry on—her father
’
s.
’
The dishes finished, Nora dried her hands and Juan, his task completed, watched her put cream on her hands.
‘
You aren
’
t upset about me staying the night, are you?
’
he asked.
A wave of colour swept over her face. He was standing too close. Minus his jacket, his shoulders had a military squareness in the
well-tailored
shirt. He looked big and uncaring.
Nora massaged her hands and tried to borrow some of his coolness.
‘
No, I
’
m grateful in a way. I only hope
Aimée
has a good night.
’
Nora kept her head lowered against his probing gaze.
‘
I
’
ll be grateful if you stay.
’
Juan took her arm lightly and led her to a chair in the lounge. Then he drew the curtains, shutting them into a world of their own.
‘
What did you think of Cissy?
’
he asked, taking the other chair not far away.
‘
I liked her. She
’
s quite nice really.
’
He thrust out long legs as if settling down for the night.
‘
Yes, she is,
’
he confirmed.
‘
Tell you anything, did she?
’
She nodded.
‘
Enough to know that she
’
s a sensible person.
’
The corner of his well-cut mouth quirked a little.
‘
Define sensible. I fail to see much sense in hanging around someone for ten years without a hint of matrimony.
’
‘
Perhaps Cissy knows what she wants and is prepared to wait until she gets it,
’
she retorted with a hint of antagonism.
‘
She has sense enough to know that too much money can spoil a person.
’
‘
Depends upon the person, doesn
’
t it?
’
he replied coolly.
‘
I know plenty of people that wealth hasn
’
t spoiled. Does that mean she
’
s in favour of you marrying and so carrying out the terms of the will in order to get your share of the estate?
’
Nora said philosophically,
‘
That
’
s the general idea.
’
‘
Set you thinking, has it?
’
mockingly.
‘
I
’
ve never stopped thinking about it. It isn
’
t anything one can decide in a hurry.
’
He grinned.
‘
You could put an ad in the local
paper saying “Bridegroom needed for a short space of time”.
’
Nora felt her nerves tighten at his careless attitude. She moistened dry lips.
‘
It
’
s an idea. Why didn
’
t I think of that?
’
‘
You probably would eventually. Very dicey, though. You
’
d have to make it all legal by drawing up a document for him to sign in order to keep him within bounds. After all, there
’
d be two glittering prizes, your charming self and the money.
’
By now Nora
’
s feelings, already bruised by his mockery, were bordering on acute indignation.
‘
Are you in the legal profession?
’
she demanded.
‘
No, I
’
m not.
’
He was amused by her sudden wary expression.
‘
But two heads are always better than one in solving problems.
’
Nora stifled a yawn. Night time, especially with a disturbing presence in the room, was no time for discussing problems, however urgent.
Juan heaved himself out of the comfortable chair.
‘
I
’
ll look in to see if
Aimée
is still asleep,
’
he said in a low voice.
Somehow Nora had the impression that he was of the same opinion regarding problems at night. It was vexing, though, that the one friend she felt she could trust happened to be so uncaring about her predicament. She did hope, though, that poor
Aimée
would have a good night.
Juan came back with a smile of satisfaction.
‘
Fast asleep,
’
he said.
‘
I
’
ll sit up with her in case I fall asleep in the lounge and don
’
t hear her. She won
’
t make a fuss.
Aimée
’
s a good little trouper. She probably won
’
t waken until morning. It might be a punctured tooth, but it could be a shortage of calcium.
’