Stay with Me (28 page)

‘Is Miss Clancy at home?'

‘She is, sir,' the girl replied, knowing she had no need to enquire if her mistress was receiving visitors when it was Mr Peter Hustwick who was calling. ‘I'll tell her you are here.'

The girl stood to one side to allow them to enter, bobbing a quick curtsey to Lena. The maid hurried to the drawing-room and in a matter of moments Greta came out into the hall, her arms outstretched in greeting. Her broad smile took on a slight air of surprise when she saw Lena, but that did not mar the warmth of her welcome. After her talk with Peter at Weaver Hall, Greta's sharp mind was already pinpointing the probable reason for Lena's presence. She hugged her cousin. ‘I'm delighted to see you.' Then she turned to Lena. ‘Welcome to my home, Miss Carnforth.'

‘Thank you,' replied Lena, accepting Greta's embrace, then added quickly, to establish the closer friendship she was hoping for, ‘It was Lena at Weaver Hall.'

Greta seized on this offer gladly. ‘And so it shall be at Clancy House.'

‘That makes it sound as though you are really settled in,' said Peter, remembering the house had had no name as yet when he'd left for Whitby.

‘I truly am. I'm very glad I decided to come back to Hull.'

‘So am I, because I want to ask you a great favour.'

‘Ah, so that is the only reason you are glad to see me here.' Greta feigned hurt but there was a teasing twinkle in her eyes.

‘No, not at all,' Peter rushed to defend himself.

‘Should I believe him, Lena?' Greta laughed.

She pursed her lips thoughtfully. ‘Mmm, maybe you should. I certainly hope you will.'

‘That sounds as if you both have something to ask me, so come into the drawing-room.' Greta gestured to the maid who had been hovering to one side of the hall. Seeing the signal, the girl hurried away to bring tea for three.

As they proceeded to the drawing-room, Lena and Peter shed their outdoor clothes which Greta laid in a closet near the front door.

‘Now,' she said as they settled. ‘What is it you want of me?'

Peter licked his lips nervously. ‘Can Lena stay here with you?'

‘What do I detect behind that request?'

‘I did what you told me to when we were at Weaver Hall.'

Greta smiled and raised her eyebrows.

Lena looked askance at Peter, ‘What was that?'

‘I sought my cousin's advice about my feelings for you.'

‘And I told him he should not hesitate to disclose to you how he felt about you.'

‘The chance never arose at Weaver Hall,' added Peter, ‘So I had to wait until we came face to face in Whitby.'

‘And I presume you put the question then?' asked Greta.

‘Yes.'

‘I also presume, because you are here, that things did not go smoothly in Whitby?'

The tea arrived, halting the explanation momentarily, then between them Lena and Peter explained what had happened.

Greta listened intently but did not immediately speak when they had finished. She remained deep in thought for a few moments. ‘I have made my assessment of the situation, ' she said finally. ‘You have not known each other very long so I must ask you - do you both truly love each other?' Then, before they could answer, she laughed. ‘Listen to me! You'd think I was your mother, and here am I, younger by two years than you, Peter.' She raised her hand. ‘There's no need to answer my question. I am sure I know the answer. I think I knew it at Weaver Hall and that is why I gave Peter such advice. I thought otherwise Alistair might win you, Lena.'

‘He might have done if I hadn't come to Hull with my brother when Mr Hustwick and Peter were negotiating the hire of the
John Carnforth.
'

‘That was my lucky day,' he said.

‘And mine,' said Lena. She turned to Greta. ‘You'll help us then?'

‘Of course! You can stay here as long as you like . . . well, I don't suppose you'll want to stay after the wedding!' She smiled at them. ‘Now, what about your father, Peter?'

‘We'll go and see him next. He'll be at our town house, I expect.'

‘He is.'

‘You know he didn't come to Whitby? He had been overindulging and said he couldn't face the journey.'

Greta gave a small smile that was more like a grimace and Peter realised she had news of William. ‘I thought it was more than that so I called in the doctor the day you left. He verified that your father is far from well. I got a nurse in for him . . .'

Alarm gripped Peter. He jumped to his feet. ‘I must go to him at once. You should have told me as soon we arrived.'

‘It was hardly necessary and I saw you had other important things on your mind. But go now, and take Lena with you. The news will do my uncle good. He has talked a great deal of the young lady who came to Hull with James Carnforth.'

 

When they returned they were able to tell Greta that Peter's father had become positively jaunty on seeing them, though they were still concerned for his health.

‘It pleased him to know I will be staying in the town house for the time being,' said Peter, ‘and that you were going to look after Lena.'

‘I thought you might be staying close,' said Greta, ‘so I have arranged for you to dine with us this evening. It will help Lena settle in and give you a chance to plan for tomorrow when we receive visitors from Whitby, as I am sure we will after what you told me. They'll soon trace you here.'

 

When Peter arrived at Clancy House the following morning he sensed a nervous atmosphere on entering the dining-room where Lena and Greta were having breakfast. At the look that Greta flashed at him, he knew he would have to tread carefully. As he pulled out a chair to sit next to Lena he noted that her breakfast had hardly been touched.

‘Peter, what are we going to do?' she asked, her tone edgy. Several times during the night she had woken, assailed by doubts. Each time she had quelled her anxieties, but by morning they had left their mark and were now filling her mind again. Her strength seemed to be deserting her.

‘We face what is coming, together,' said Peter firmly. ‘No doubt we will soon have visitors. I think they will come to my office first because that is really the only place they can start to try and trace you.'

‘Where would you like the meeting to take place, Lena? In Peter's office or here?' asked Greta.

‘Here,' she replied, and added, ‘If that is all right with you?'

‘Of course!'

‘Thank you.'

‘I'll go to the office now, see if there is anything I should attend to due to Father's illness, and leave word where I can be found,' said Peter.

‘Come back soon,' Lena pleaded.

‘I will.'

 

During the afternoon an uneasy atmosphere settled over the house in Anlaby Road. It was disturbed by a loud knocking on the front door which, although expected, still startled the three occupants of the drawing-room.

They glanced at each other, did not move but tensed as they listened to the maid crossing the hall. A few moments later there was a knock on the door and she entered to inform them, ‘Two gentlemen are asking to see you, miss.'

‘Show them in, Tess,' ordered Greta.

A few moments later James entered the room followed by Alistair. Peter was instantly on his feet.

James's eyes fixed on Lena without any warmth. He came straight to the point. ‘We've come to take you home.'

The challenge in his tone riled her so that her reply was charged with new resolve. ‘I'm not coming!'

‘What? I don't know what has happened to you - your letters did not make sense.'

‘They make a lot of sense, if you read them carefully.'

‘You can't mean what you wrote,' put in Alistair.

‘I did.'

His eyes filled with disbelief. ‘But you and I . . .'

‘At one time, maybe,' Lena interrupted. ‘No longer.'

‘All because of this blackguard?' he snapped, inclining his head in the direction of Peter.

‘I love him,' Lena said quietly, but with an emphasis that was meant to leave no doubt in their minds.

Alistair looked disgusted. ‘How can you?'

‘Easily.'

‘You hardly know him.'

‘Enough!'

‘Only since the day I brought you to Hull,' James pointed out. ‘How I wish I hadn't.'

‘And I'm very glad you did.'

‘Rubbish! Get your things; you're coming home.'

‘I'm not.'

James's eyes were dark with fury. Anger mounting, he asked her, ‘Do you realise what you are doing? The scandal you are precipitating? You'll be ostracised in Whitby. Will never be able to go back there. Your family and friends are outraged at your lack of propriety and callous disregard for them.'

Lena's chest tightened. ‘Indeed?' she said with disdain. ‘Then I shall have to live with that.'

‘Yes,' put in Alistair forcefully, ‘but is it what you really want?' He softened his tone as he added, ‘Lena, please come home. Stay with me.'

She shook her head. ‘I'm sorry, Alistair, truly I am.'

James snorted with contempt.

Alistair addressed Peter. ‘Do you want Lena to live as an outcast?' he said in desperation.

‘She won't be, not in Hull,' he retorted. ‘We shall marry as soon as may be, and meanwhile she is living here with my cousin Greta. There is nothing to outrage public opinion in that.'

Alistair turned back to Lena. ‘What have I done? Let me put it right.'

‘You can't because you aren't to blame. Things were always too easy between us. Everyone took our marriage as inevitable, but when Peter entered my life I saw that everyone was wrong. I realised there was another world out there.'

‘But why didn't you say so?' demanded James fiercely.

‘Because I knew what opposition there would be, and not only from you two. I can imagine how Uncle Martin has reacted for instance, because he would dearly have loved me to marry a doctor! But my choice of husband is my decision, no one else's. Alistair, I respect your calling and your devotion to it, but being a doctor's wife was never for me. I knew a great deal of pressure would be brought to bear on me to do what everyone would regard as right. So I took the only course of action I could - I left without saying a word, to secure the life I want for myself with Peter.'

Before anyone else could speak Greta intervened. This encounter had to end. ‘And that, gentlemen, is the final word. Lena has made her decision clear and I think it should be respected.'

James's lips tightened. What right had this woman to dictate to him? As Peter's cousin she would obviously be sympathetic to his cause. Heated words sprang to his lips but he held them back. He would not sully his reputation as a gentleman by getting into low altercation.

He addressed his sister. ‘I am sorry if the terms of Father's Will have led to this. I could do nothing but follow them.'

‘Couldn't you?' she said quietly. ‘Or wouldn't?'

His eyes narrowed at the inference that he'd wanted total control of the firm. ‘Think what you will. After what you have done, I would alter, if I could, the provisions granting you an income from the firm. Sadly I can't, though I'm sorry for that. I will pay you a fair rent for the house as you needn't think you will ever be able to live in Whitby again, not after this.' He turned to Peter. ‘Be wary of her. She has only one objective in mind: by marrying you, she believes she will get to control your business.'

‘Enough of your insinuations!' Peter's voice was like a knife. ‘I must ask you to leave - now!'

Feeling ran high; anger boiled over. Alistair lashed out and caught Peter high on his right cheek sending him staggering. He would have fallen to the ground but for Greta who managed to support him. She grabbed his arm, preventing any retaliation.

‘Don't sink that low,' she whispered, close to his ear.

‘I'll leave now,
with
Lena.' Alistair grabbed her arm and glowered at her. ‘We'll not bother with your things!' He started for the door but she resisted fiercely.

‘I'm not coming,' she stormed, eyes wide with fury. ‘Get it into your head:
I'm not coming!
'

‘You heard her!' shouted Peter, still struggling to free himself from his cousin.

Alistair stiffened.

James stepped over to him and gripped his arm. ‘Leave it, Alistair, we'll do no good here.' A gaze devoid of sympathy was directed at his sister. ‘Have it as you will. You have besmirched the name of Carnforth. Never set foot in Whitby again. Do so and you'll pay the price.' He started for the door.

Alistair stared at Lena, one last look of contempt. There was no need for further words.

Halfway across the room James stopped. He ignored his sister but let his eyes bore into Peter's. ‘The contract for hiring the
John Carnforth
on her maiden voyage is signed and sealed and will have to be honoured, but you will never hire a ship of mine again.'

‘We won't need to. We'll find them elsewhere,' came Lena's sharp retort.

‘
We?
' sneered James. ‘I didn't know you had any say in Hustwick's?' He eyed Peter again. ‘As I said, be very wary of her.' He swung on his heel and was gone.

After their unwelcome visitors had departed Peter came to her and took her by the shoulders. He looked deep into Lena's eyes. ‘I love you, Pauline Carnforth, and all I want is your happiness. So I will ask you one more time - are you sure about what you are doing? James and Alistair are probably right in what they said - you will be ostracised in Whitby, and scandal will taint your name.'