by Linda Sole
Alan looked up as she approached and smiled. Emily’s heart caught, because his smiles had seemed very intimate of late and she thought they were becoming good friends.
‘I thought I should remind you we have people coming this evening.’
‘I hadn’t forgotten,’ Alan said and drew his hand back, studying the picture. ‘I’m not sure whether this looks right. Tell me what you think, Emily. It is supposed to give an impression of the house from a distance rather than pick out every detail.’
Emily went to stand behind him. She caught her breath as she looked and saw something so beautiful that she felt tears in her eyes.
‘That is quite, quite lovely,’ she said in hushed tones. ‘I had no idea you could paint so well, Alan.’
‘I’ve always dabbled a bit but never had the time to get serious about it, but I think I may now. I’ve decided that I enjoy doing nothing but pleasing myself, Emily. I believe I shall spend the rest of my life doing it – and I shall travel.’
Emily couldn’t stop looking at the painting. It appealed to something inside her, and she knew that this was how she saw the house when she closed her eyes and thought about it – as if through a haze of sunlight that blended everything to a soft blur.
‘Those colours are so muted they just make you feel that you are looking through a veil and give the house a mystery that is intriguing. Vanbrough has been painted many times, but I like this better than all those formal landscapes Vane acquired.’
‘Then it will be my pleasure to give it to you when it is finished,’ Alan said. He wiped his hands and began to gather his bits and pieces. ‘Would you carry my box, Emily? I don’t want to smudge this and bits of it are still wet.’
‘Yes, of course. The weather has been so glorious for you, Alan. I am not sure how long it will last.’
‘Not much longer. I am sure I can feel a chill in the air. I shall leave when my picture is finished. I have plans to make, places to visit.’
‘So soon? I’ve got used to having you here – and I like it.’
‘I have loved every minute, dearest Emily, but I think I should make the most of what time I have left to me. If I am spared, I shall return for Christmas – if you will have me?’
‘You must know the answer,’ Emily said. She gave him a companionable look as they walked to the house together. ‘I am going to miss you very much.’
‘I shall miss you too. I would ask you to travel with me, but that would not be fair. You cannot leave Vanbrough.’
‘No, I can’t. At least, only for short periods. Are you sure you feel well enough to travel, Alan?’
‘I am feeling much better. It must be the peace and quiet I’ve had here,’ he said. ‘Don’t look so sad, Emily. Christmas is only just over three months away now – and I’ve been here more than a month already.’
‘Have you? It only seems like a few days,’ Emily told him. ‘Well, you must do as you please, of course, but I shall miss you.’
‘I’ll send you a postcard, probably several.’ Alan smiled. ‘And I shall come for Christmas if I can.’
‘Come whenever you wish. This is as much your home as ours,’ Emily told him.
‘You have certainly made it feel like home.’ His eyes met hers. ‘I probably shouldn’t say this, Emily, but I’ve fallen in love with you. No, don’t bother to answer, my dear. I am too old and too worn out to be of any use to a lovely woman like you. You still have many years ahead of you. What I wanted to say was that you mustn’t waste them. I know you love this place, and you are keeping a promise to Vane – but if the chance for happiness comes along, take it with both hands.’
‘Alan . . .’ Tears caught at her throat. She was filled with emotion and hardly knew what to say. He didn’t require an answer, but he deserved one. ‘I am very fond of you . . .’
‘Fond isn’t enough, Emily. I had no right to say anything, but I wanted you to know – just in case we don’t meet again.’
Emily blinked as the tears stung behind her eyes, but she didn’t cry. ‘Of course we shall meet again. You will come for Christmas. I shall not take no for an answer.’
Alan laughed. ‘I shall certainly try – and now let us forget this foolishness. I don’t want to spoil my last few days with you.’
Changing for dinner that evening, Emily thought about what Alan had told her. His natural affection had made her realize that she could not continue to deceive him. He ought to know the truth about Robert. Alan was Lord Vane and it was wrong that he shouldn’t know it. Emily had kept the secret for too many years, but circumstances demanded that she tell him the truth now.
She went downstairs when she was ready, finding Alan alone in the library. He was looking at the books in the poetry section and he turned with a book in his hand as she entered.
‘Are you aware that this is a first-edition Byron? I’ve noticed several rare volumes, Emily. If you are ever in need of more money, you might find the answer on these shelves.’
‘I would hate to sell any of Vane’s precious books,’ Emily said with a rueful look. ‘I didn’t know he had some first editions, but I knew that some of them could be valuable. I’ve had some pictures valued – just things from the attic – and I think they will keep us going for a while.’
‘This place is far too expensive to be viable these days,’ Alan told her. ‘It must be a constant headache for you.’
‘Yes, it is . . .’ She hesitated. ‘Alan, there is something I must tell you, but first I want to ask what you would have done with Vanbrough if Vane had left it to you.’
‘I should have sold it,’ Alan replied frankly. ‘Vane knew it. We argued more than once because I told him it was a liability. My advice was to pull the wings down and refurbish the main wing – make it into a sensible house that would be comfortable to live in. He told me once that he would rather leave it to the nation than see me get my hands on it . . .’ Alan lifted his brows. ‘Does that set your mind at rest, my dear? I would not have cared for the place as you do – even though I enjoy visiting.’
‘Thank you. But there is something you ought to be told . . .’
‘Only if you wish it.’ Alan smiled oddly. ‘You should know that Amelia came to me with a garbled tale of Robert not being Simon’s son. I told her that I simply wasn’t interested.’
‘If what she told you was true, it would mean that you are Lord Vane and not Robert.’
Alan gave a soft, mocking laugh. ‘Do you imagine that interests me, Emily? I suppose Vane knew what he was doing. The wording of his will was quite specific – the estate and money was left to your son. He did not use the word grandson, which was perhaps a little odd.’
‘Amelia threatened to tell you, but you’ve never said anything and I thought she had just forgotten about it.’
‘Why should I say anything? Vane had the right to leave his estate where he chose. If he had left it to me, I should have found it too much of a burden. I think you were the perfect choice of custodian, Emily – and when Robert is older he may choose whether to continue or to sell. He will need to earn a great deal of money elsewhere if he wishes to keep this place going.’
‘It is his home. He loves it, as I do. I think he will try to keep going if he can.’
‘Agriculture won’t sustain the estate. Times have changed, my dear. You will find it increasingly difficult to manage as the years go by.’
‘I promised Vane to keep it intact for as long as I could, but once Robert is old enough he can decide for himself.’ Emily looked at him curiously. ‘Aren’t you the tiniest bit angry that you were cheated of the title?’
‘Not in the slightest. It would not have suited me,’ Alan said. He turned his head as he heard voices in the hall, and then offered his arm. ‘I believe our guests have arrived, Emily. Shall we join them?’
‘Yes, of course.’ She took his arm, looking at him with affection. ‘You really are the nicest man I know, Alan. I do hope you will come to visit me often.’
‘If I had mor
e time, I should ask you to marry me,’ Alan told her. ‘It wouldn’t be fair or right, but it is what I should like – to spend my last years with you.’
‘Oh, Alan, I am so fond of you . . .’ Emily sighed. ‘I know you want to travel, and I cannot spare the time at the moment, but there is nothing to stop us being the best of friends.’
‘I think I should like a little more than that,’ Alan said. ‘But I shall not press you for an answer. ‘Perhaps at Christmas . . .’
Emily nodded but said nothing as they went into the hall to greet their guests.
‘So you’re a member of the Bad Boys now,’ Sarah said and giggled as Connor grinned. He was so good-looking and so exciting! They had just left the Rex cinema in Market Street and were walking back to her house hand in hand. This was the third time Connor had taken her to the pictures, and she’d seen him twice at the club. She really felt as if she were his girlfriend now. ‘Is it as much fun as it sounds?’
‘Yes – and no,’ Connor told her. ‘I enjoy the gigs but the practising is difficult to fit in sometimes, because we’re into the potato harvesting now and I have to work longer hours. Terry and the others are annoyed if I can’t get there at the start.’
‘Can’t you explain to your brother that you need more time off?’
‘It isn’t just my brother,’ Connor said. ‘Some of the men from the village help out with our harvesting, so I have to return the favour. Besides, Dan works even longer hours than I do. After he brings the load back to the yard he starts work on his job as a mechanic.’
‘I remember, you told me he restores cars.’
‘Yes, but he also does repairs for other people. He has two tractors in the yard at the moment that he is working on – and a van. Dan is really good with engines. If he had his own garage, he would be at it full-time. He might earn some decent money then.’
‘My father was complaining about his car the other day,’ Sarah said thoughtfully. ‘He said the man he usually goes to is thinking of giving up soon, and he was complaining because the other garage charges twice as much.’
‘Dan charges too little,’ Connor said. ‘I’ve told him that he should ask more now he’s doing it as a business, but he doesn’t like to charge a lot when he’s dealing with friends. If he had the garage, it would be different, because he would bill them, as other people do.’
‘Well, he will have to be more professional when it comes to charging,’ Sarah said. ‘My father doesn’t do favours for friends. If they want a building job done, they get a proper estimate same as everyone else.’
‘Makes sense to me. Dan will never make a proper living until he starts doing the same. I’ll have a word with him, see if I can talk some sense into him.’
Sarah hugged his arm. They were nearly at her house and he hadn’t said anything about their next date. ‘Will you be at the club next week?’
‘No, we have a gig that night. Terry says it is important, but he says that every week. I’ll meet you at the cinema if you like on Friday.’
‘We should go to the Public Room next week,’ Sarah said. ‘They’ve got Calamity Jane on. I think it will be good. I like musicals – especially Doris Day.’
‘Yeah, right,’ Connor said. It wasn’t a film he really wanted to see, but it was a chance to sit in the back row with his arm around Sarah. She had let him kiss her a couple of times that evening. She seemed to enjoy their dates, and he knew that he wanted to be with her, even though it was too soon to think of anything more just yet. They came to a halt outside her door. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Sarah kissed him back and he took her in his arms, holding her close. The smell of her hair was so good! ‘Sarah, I—’
‘Sarah!’ The front door opened and they moved hastily apart as Mrs Jenkins looked at them. ‘Your father is home. You had better come in at once!’
‘Sorry, Mum. This is Connor Searles. We went to the pictures and he walked me home.’
‘Good evening, Mr Searles,’ Mrs Jenkins said. ‘Sarah must bring you to tea one Sunday. She has to come in now, because her father has been asking where she is.’
‘I’ll see you next week,’ Sarah told him. ‘Bye, Connor.’
‘Bye, Sarah.’
Connor turned away as she disappeared into the house and the door shut behind her. Obviously, Sarah had told her mother who she was seeing but not her father. Connor wasn’t sure how Mr Jenkins would feel about it when he knew. He was a successful builder and well respected; Connor was a labourer and his wages were too low for him to be thought of as a prospective husband for Sarah.
The extra money Connor had been earning had been put back into things he needed to keep up with the other members of the band – and to buy cinema tickets and chocolates for Emily. He would try to save something next time he got paid, but he knew that it was going to be a long time before he could afford to look for his own house.
‘Who were you with?’ Sarah’s father asked as she walked into the kitchen. ‘I didn’t know you were courting. Why haven’t you said anything?’
‘We’ve only been out a few times, but . . .’
Her father’s gaze narrowed. ‘Who is he? Does he have prospects?’
‘His brother has land and he works for him – but he sings in a band too. We don’t go out much, because he is always working.’
‘I want to meet him. I want to see what kind of a man he is – and if he has any chance of giving you the sort of life you’ve been used to.’
Sarah stared at him, feeling sick. ‘Is everything a question of money?’ she asked. ‘Supposing I said I was in love with him?’
‘You said you hardly knew him,’ her father said. ‘How can you be in love if you don’t know him?’
‘Connor is nice,’ Sarah said, a hint of defiance in her face. ‘He is polite and he treats me right. I do know him, Dad, even if we haven’t gone out much.’
‘I’ve always thought you a sensible girl,’ her mother said. ‘I knew you were seeing someone, but I thought it might be that young man you told me about at the youth club.’
‘Phil isn’t as nice as you think. His father may be rich, but he . . . I don’t like him. I want to see Connor – and if he asks me, I’ll get engaged to him.’
‘Not unless he asks me, you won’t,’ her father said and frowned. ‘I’m not against him, Sarah – and I wouldn’t be against your getting married next year sometime. However, I want to know what prospects he has. If he doesn’t earn much, he might like to come and work for me. If he is prepared to work hard, he could be a big help to me.’
‘Do you mean it, Dad?’ Sarah flew to hug him. She glanced at her mother and saw that she was frowning. ‘I know it seems sudden, but Connor is the first man I’ve ever really liked.’
‘Well, be a good, sensible girl and we’ll see how things go.’
‘I don’t want Sarah to get married too soon,’ Mrs Jenkins said. ‘She will only be twenty next year; there is plenty of time for her to meet the right sort of man . . .’
‘Connor is right for me,’ Sarah said. ‘You don’t know him – but I know he is the only one I want.’
Five
‘I’ve got a rush on with this tractor,’ Daniel said to Connor the following Wednesday morning. ‘You’ll have to milk the cows when you get back from riddling.’
‘I can’t do it, Dan. I told you I had a gig on this evening. It is important. If I do the milking, I shall be late.’
‘You’re always rushing off somewhere these days. It’s all very well, Connor, but I can’t run this place on my own. You will have to cancel this time.’
‘I can’t do that – it would let them down. Sorry, Dan. You’ll have to manage for yourself.’
‘Is that your last word?’
‘Yes it is. I don’t mind putting in an hour or two extra when I’m not going out, but the gig comes first. I earn good money from the band.’
‘And I don’t pay you enough, I suppose?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
> ‘No, but it was implied.’ Daniel glared at him. ‘All right, clear off to your damned gig and leave me with the chores. I scarcely see Alice these days as it is.’
‘That isn’t my fault. You took on the extra work, Dan. I’ll help where I can but I’m not always going to be around . . .’
Daniel stared after his brother as he strode off, got into his car and set off down the drove. He was angry as he slammed into the van and followed, though a part of his annoyance was due to the fact that his brother was right. Connor earned far more singing with the band than he did on the land. It wasn’t right to expect him to give up all his free time, but that was exactly what Daniel had to do if he was ever going to make enough to pay back the money he had borrowed from Frances.
Daniel had spent three hundred pounds on tools and machinery he needed for repairing cars and the tractors that stood in the yard. Another four hundred had gone on five cars he intended to restore when he had the chance. He had paid the bank five hundred pounds to settle his overdraft, and after a few bills were paid that left him less than two hundred pounds.
He tried not to think about Maura or the fact that he had a son he had never seen. If she came asking for more money, he would have to fob her off with something, but he couldn’t afford to pay what she wanted. Alice was already curious about the money he had been spending. She had thrown one or two hints about Frances at him, and if she got curious enough to ask, she would tell him he ought to give the money back. There was no way he could do it, and that meant he had to make a success out of the car repairs. He needed Connor to do his share and more but it looked as if his brother had ideas of his own. Daniel didn’t blame him, but if Connor was dashing off all the time, it was going to make things even harder for him.
Connor felt guilty as he left that evening. Daniel was still hard at work on one of the tractors he’d promised for the next day. If it wasn’t for the gig, Connor would have finished the chores for him, but he’d promised his friends he would be on time. Terry had said that this gig was very important and he’d told them that there might be a bonus for them all if they were lucky.