‘That’s right. You’ve worked hard, Sam. I’m grateful.’ Rosie smiled at him, her old infectious smile and he felt his heart leap. Neither of them heard footsteps approaching.
‘Samuel Caraford, you always give me every excuse under the sun about being too busy to see me but you’ve plenty of time for the little gardener, I see.’
‘Lidia?’ Sam turned at the sound of her voice. His heart sank. Rosie looked up in surprise from placing the last thin pole with the rest. He didn’t look all that pleased to see his girlfriend, she thought, and wished she didn’t feel glad about it. She was unaware their relationship had been more off than on for a long time now, at least as far as Sam was concerned.
‘Hello Lidia,’ he said, stifling a groan. ‘You don’t look as though you’ve come to help.’ He eyed her pink pleated skirt and the white three-quarter jacket, belted around her narrow waist. Rosie thought it was a wonder she had negotiated the rough ground through the stack yard in those high-heeled shoes with their fashionable square toes. Her spirits fell as she raised her eyes to Lidia’s made-up face. Surely the long dark eyelashes couldn’t be real? She blinked, wishing the other girl would disappear and let them get on.
‘We’re nearly finished,’ she said. ‘Four more to go.’ Lidia sniffed and ignored her.
‘How come you find time for her when you’re too busy to see me?’ she demanded, glaring at Sam as he moved to put another post across the saw bench, reaching for the tape from Rosie.
‘These posts are for Sam’s grandmother,’ Rosie said, ‘for her birthday. At least they will be when we’ve made them into an arbour and erected it in her garden.’
‘I wasn’t speaking to you,’ Lidia snapped. Sam raised his eyebrows and his green eyes sparked with annoyance.
‘We’d better get on with the job.’ He lifted the saw and sliced through the post. ‘I’ll lift these four, Rosie. They’re heavy. In fact Alex and I will take them down to Granny Caraford’s tomorrow and set them up ready for you to fix the panels.’
‘Oh Sam, would you? That would be a great help. I don’t like to give Paul too much lifting or hard digging and we are rather busy.’
‘Oh Sam, would you?’ Lidia mimicked in an exaggerated simper. It brought angry colour to Rosie’s cheeks but before she could speak Lidia snapped, ‘It’s all right for some folks.’
Sam ignored her and placed another pole in position and cut it to size. He set the chainsaw aside on a pile of logs while he carried the last two poles nearer to the saw bench. Lidia watched as he laid them down. She kicked the logs, scuffing the toe of her shoe. She swore. Afterwards Rosie was never quite sure what happened.
The log pile wobbled. The chainsaw slid sideways. Lidia grabbed for it. It was heavy, much heavier than she had expected. She grasped the other handle, unaware it was the throttle control.
The chain sprang into life. Sam lifted his arm instinctively. The moving blade sliced across it then sank to the ground. Blood spurted from his arm. Lidia jumped back in horror. Sam reeled, clutching his arm against his chest and sank to his knees. Rosie sprang to his side with a gasp.
‘I-I didn’t mean to….’ Lidia gasped. ‘I didn’t know it was so heavy.’
‘We must stop the bleeding. I th-think it must have severed an artery.’ Rosie looked up at Lidia. ‘Phone for an ambulance!’ she ordered. ‘Hurry!’
Sam felt faint, from shock and the sight of so much blood. ‘Lie down flat, Sam,’ Rosie urged and raised his arm. ‘I need something to make a pad.’ She looked around. ‘Don’t stand there gawping. Run!’ she shouted at Lidia. ‘Phone! Now! Bring a towel to staunch the blood! There’s no time to lose.’ She choked back a sob.’
‘B-but I didn’t mean—’
‘Go,’ Rosie yelled. ‘He’s b-bleeding to death.’ She jerked her blouse from her jeans with one hand and tore it open, sending the tiny pearl buttons popping everywhere. Her hand shook as she struggled to form a pad; she wished she’d asked Lidia for her belt to make a tourniquet. Sam was lying still, his face white, his eyes closed. Rosie tried to keep his arm raised, remembering the wound should be higher than his heart and his head. She bent over him. She couldn’t stop her tears.
‘Oh Sam, please don’t die,’ she whispered. ‘Oh dear God, help him.’ She looked down into his beloved face. Sam felt a tear fall on his cheek. He opened his eyes. He saw two small, firm breasts in a pink lacy bra – or at least he thought he did.
‘Rosie…?’ He wished he didn’t feel so groggy. The sky was going round and round. His eyelids were lead weights.
‘Oh Sam,’ Rosie whispered. ‘I love you so much. D-don’t die….’
It was Megan who came running from the house with two clean towels.
‘Oh my goodness!’ She paled with shock as she handed a towel to Rosie. ‘Lidia was gabbling hysterically. I phoned for an ambulance.’
‘I think the saw has cut an artery,’ Rosie whispered. She pressed the towel against the wound and held it hard against her chest with one hand while holding Sam’s arm up with the other. ‘I think we’re supposed to keep the wound higher than his heart to stop the blood pumping.’ It was half statement, half question.
‘I’ll do that.’ Megan said, but her voice was trembling as she knelt beside Sam and looked down into his white face.
‘Rosie….’ he whispered, forcing his eyes open with an effort, then wishing he hadn’t. ‘Don’t leave me….’
‘I’m still here, Sam. I won’t leave you. The ambulance will be here soon.’
‘What a mess. You’re covered in blood, Rosie.’ Megan’s voice was shaking.
It seemed an age to Rosie as they waited for the ambulance but in fact it was quick. The crew had been delivering a patient to his home in Darlonachie Village and the hospital had managed to make contact while they were settling the man into his bed. The crew were calm and efficient, assuring Rosie she had done a good job.
‘Rosie. Rosie….’ Sam protested as they lifted him onto a stretcher.
‘Hush, laddie. You’d best come with him, lassie,’ the man said, looking at Rosie. ‘We need to get a drip set up and get some fluid back into him. We don’t want him getting upset.’ Rosie looked at Megan, knowing it was his mother’s place to be with him.
‘You go,’ Megan said softly. She draped the spare towel round her shoulders and Rosie became aware that she was barely decent. Her cheeks burned, but the ambulance men had no time to notice such things. Their attention was one hundred per cent with their patient and she was thankful.
‘I’ll follow in the car, Rosie,’ Megan said. ‘It’s you Sam needs. I’ll bring some of Tania’s clothes for you to change at the hospital.’
‘That’s right, lassie. You keep holding his arm up. You may well have saved the laddie’s life. A good thing ye were there. Here’s a blanket to put around you,’ he added as Rosie began to shiver with reaction.
SEVEN
Later Megan and Rosie waited together at the hospital.
‘I thought Lidia would be here,’ Megan said. ‘Her car had gone when I got back to the house. Tell me what happened, Rosie?’
‘I-I didn’t see,’ Rosie said. ‘The saw fell off the pile of logs and Lidia grabbed it, I think.’ Megan looked at her but she didn’t pursue the matter. The main thing was that Sam was alive. The doctors said he was young and strong and they would do their best to save his arm.
It was evening by the time Megan and Rosie arrived back at Bengairney. Tania had returned home and she was cooking the evening meal for Alex and her father.
‘We saw the note you scribbled, Mum,’ she said. ‘Is Sam going to be all right? Dad is worried sick. We all are.’
‘Yes, he’s going to be all right but he’ll be in hospital for a while,’ Megan said. ‘Thank God Rosie was so sensible.’
‘I didn’t feel sensible,’ Rosie admitted with a quiver in her voice. ‘I’m sorry I needed to wear your clothes, Tania. I’ll wash them and send them back tomorrow.’
‘There’s no rush, Ro
sie,’ Tania said. ‘They’re too big on you. You must have shrunk.’
‘You look exhausted, lassie,’ Megan said, eying Rosie. ‘I expect it’s the shock and reaction. I think you should stay here tonight. We’ll phone the hospital for news first thing tomorrow. You’ll feel better for a hot meal and a good night’s sleep.’
‘Oh I couldn’t do—’
‘Of course you must stay, Rosie,’ Tania said. ‘I’ll lend you some pyjamas and I made plenty of food for all of us. What’s the point in you going home to brood alone. Struan will be here later. We’ll get out the Monopoly board. Alex will have a game with us too. It will be better than being alone.’
‘All right. Thank you,’ Rosie said, knowing Tania was right. ‘Can I just telephone and tell Daddy what’s happened? I didn’t see him this morning before I left and if he goes round to my cottage and finds it empty he might be worried.’
‘You do that,’ Megan said. ‘Has Lidia phoned to inquire for Sam, Tania?’
‘Lidia? Was she here? I thought Sam had made the break this time.’
‘Well she was here this afternoon,’ Megan said, ‘but she didn’t wait for the ambulance. I thought she would want to know Sam is going to be all right.’
When Steven and Alex came in after milking they settled down to eat their meal.
‘I cut the two remaining posts the same length as the other two thicker ones,’ Alex said. ‘I’m assuming they are the four for the corners, Rosie?’
‘Yes they are. Thanks, Alex.’
‘They will need setting in well if they’re going to hold up the rest. I’ll dig the holes and set them up tomorrow. They’re for our grandma after all.’
‘You’ll not have much time,’ Steven said. ‘You’ll be driving back to college tomorrow and you said you were going in to see Sam in the afternoon, but I agree we shouldn’t leave them to Rosie.’
‘It would be a great help,’ Rosie admitted. ‘Sam said he would fix them but he was going to ask you to help him, Alex.’
‘I’ll drop off the thin poles at your place tomorrow, before I go to see Sam. Are you coming too, Rosie?’
‘Er no. G-give him my good wishes.’ Alex gave her a quizzical look, wondering why she seemed flustered. He didn’t know she was squirming with embarrassment. Why had she blurted out her love for Sam? She uttered a silent prayer that he would have no recollection or she’d never be able to look him in the eye again.
‘It’s a blessing you were there,’ Megan said. ‘Lidia kept sobbing, “I didn’t mean to do it.” I had to shake her before she told me to phone for an ambulance.’ Tania looked across at Rosie and raised her eyebrows. Rosie knew she would have some questions to answer when they were alone.
At Langton Tower Douglas Palmer-Farr was hoping to finish the translation before he went to bed. It had been an interesting manuscript relating to Ancient Greece but it had been more difficult and complicated than his usual work. Catherine knew he would work on until the early hours. He liked the peace and quiet at the end of the day and into night. She took him in a cup of tea and poured them both a tot of whisky.
‘Rosemary Lavender telephoned to say she is staying the night at Bengairney,’ she told him. ‘Samuel Caraford has had an accident. He’s in hospital.’
‘That’s not so good,’ Douglas said, looking up and pushing his work away from him for a short break. ‘Rosemary thinks a lot of Samuel I think. She could do worse; they’re a decent family. Maybe I should go down and lock the door to her cottage if she’s not coming home tonight. She never locks the cottage during the day.’
‘You drink up your tea and relax for a while,’ Catherine said. ‘I could do with a breath of fresh air. I’ll check the cottage is locked.’
‘Thank you, darling. I’d like to finish this before I turn in. You’ll need the key for the gates. Rosemary always locks them. My key is hanging up there beside the fireplace.’
‘I’ve always thought she’s a bit paranoid about hotel guests and staff wandering around her gardens,’ Catherine mused, ‘and yet she doesn’t mind Paul Keir or John Oliphant wandering in and out of her home, or even that fellow Rodney.’
She collected the key and took her jacket from the hall cupboard. It was almost dark but when her eyes became accustomed it was easy enough to find her way down the path to the cottage without her torch. Sure enough the door was not locked. She was groping for the light switch to find the key when she was seized. A soft, fleshy hand clamped over her mouth, and a strong arm pinioned her arms, holding her pressed against her captor. Surprise robbed Catherine of reaction, but only for a moment. She struggled.
‘No use fighting me, you stuck up little bitch. Miss Palmer-Farr will be no better than the lowest kitchen maid when I’ve had my way wi—’
‘You!’ Catherine mumbled, recognizing the voice of her chef, as well as the smell of onions and garlic, but his hand was clamped over her mouth. Indignation leant her strength. She kicked his shins. He swore. His grip loosened and she bit his hand, jerking her head free.
‘Lambert!’ Her voice was hard and cold as steel. He gasped. His arm fell away. Catherine reached for the light switch and turned to face him. ‘How dare you! What do you think you’re doing intruding in my daughter’s home?’
‘I have an assignation with her, Madam,’ he said, gathering his wits. ‘Your daughter is not the innocent child you and her father think. She’s a—’ Catherine slapped his face. Fury boiled up in her.
‘You’re a liar, Lambert. Rosemary Lavender never could stand the sight of you. Now I know why. Pack your things and get away from here. You’re sacked.’
‘You can’t do that!’ The chef’s ruddy face paled. Then he rallied. ‘We have four couples for breakfast in the morning. Your blue-eyed young chef is on holiday in case you’ve forgotten. You can’t manage without me.’
‘How wrong you are, Lambert. Breakfast for eight is a simple task to me. Remember I started this hotel. Now go.’ He turned to leave, opened his mouth to speak then changed his mind, but his eyes narrowed and he muttered as he went. Catherine trembled with reaction. She was surprised when he headed towards the orchard. Then she realized he’d driven round about and hidden his car. She shuddered. What if Rosemary had returned alone…?
Catherine hurried back to the hotel. She never disturbed Douglas when he was concentrating on his work, just as he never interfered with her management of the hotel. Tonight, though, she didn’t even wait to remove her jacket before she burst into his office. Her hair was dishevelled and her eyes were huge in her pale face.
‘What’s wrong?’ Douglas asked, looking up in surprise. Catherine told him.
‘Supposing he had caught Rosemary Lavender on her own? Oh Douglas, I knew she didn’t like him. I should have guessed he was part of the reason she wanted her own place.’
‘You’ve told him to go? Without notice?’
‘Yes. He doesn’t deserve notice.’
‘We must pay him for whatever time he’s worked. I’ll come with you to see him off.’ Douglas’s tone was grim, his mouth tight. The very thought of the man laying a finger on his beloved daughter made him boil with anger. He rubbed his throbbing temple.
‘Catherine? You said a young maid left, without reason. Do you think Lambert could have been the cause? I remember you liked the girl. You couldn’t understand her behaviour.’
‘Trudy Fellows? Something like this may have occurred. She was young and innocent. She wouldn’t know how to deal with a man like Lambert. There was Anne Winkworth too. She worked a week’s notice while Lambert was on holiday. She was young and pretty. I remember Mrs Dixon’s tone at the time, “I don’t blame the lassie for leaving. I wouldn’t want my daughter in that kitchen.” I didn’t understand. She worked between the kitchen and the dining room herself.’
‘I’ll speak to Lambert myself,’ Douglas said. ‘Get his cheque ready and tell him we shall send on his P45. Perhaps you should ask Mrs Dixon what she knows about Lambert. She is staying in the staff quarter
s at present, isn’t she? I’ll wait for Lambert in the kitchen. He will want to gather up his own tools.’
‘He will. I’ll not be long. I don’t want to give him the opportunity to take what doesn’t belong to him, or to sabotage anything.’ She yawned. ‘I’m for bed as soon as he has gone. I shall need to cook the breakfasts in the morning, but that’s not a big deal. Mrs Dixon will help.’
‘When we have dealt with Lambert I’d like to finish this translation before I come up to bed. I’ll try not to disturb you.’
‘You never do disturb me, Douglas. You must sleep as long as you need in the morning.’
‘I will, sweetheart.’ He drew her closer and kissed her on her mouth. ‘Try not to worry about Lambert. I’ll deal with him. Now, see if you can get any ammunition from Mrs Dixon. We don’t want him claiming unfair dismissal.’ He gave her a squeeze but his smile was strained as he watched her disappear in the direction of the staff quarters.
Catherine returned to find Douglas still pacing about the kitchen, waiting for Lambert.
‘He’ll not be long,’ she said in a low voice. ‘I’ve just seen him humping a huge holdall into his car. Mrs Dixon says he was responsible for the two maids leaving and she suspects Lucy Shaw left on account of him last year. He can’t keep his hands or his eyes to himself where young women are concerned, she says. Peter, the young trainee chef I employed, has had words with him about pestering the girls. Lambert threatened to get him dismissed if he didn’t mind his own business. I wish to God they had come to me. Mrs Dixon says Lambert gave the impression he was on very favourable terms with me.’
‘We have no proof of anything but Lambert is not to know that. Let me deal with him over this, Catherine.’
‘Thank you, darling. I’ll lay out his tools. It will save time.’
Lambert was disconcerted to find Douglas Palmer-Farr in the kitchen and he soon realized he had better go quietly instead of demanding compensation for dismissal, as he had intended. He paled when he discovered the Palmer-Farrs knew about his penchant for young maids. Douglas threatened to report him to the police if he sought employment within a hundred miles of Langton Tower.
Another Home, Another Love Page 12