‘I’m so sorry.’
‘What happened?’ she asked hoarsely.
‘He was knocked down by a runaway horse and trap some weeks ago.’
‘Weeks ago? I was never informed! Nor of his death, a week ago tomorrow.’
The captain knew of the scandal that had rocked Whitby society and caused the rift between brother and sister, but was not prepared to comment. ‘For some reason the family wanted to keep it quiet. Apparently his injuries were serious but were not made known at the time nor in the succeeding weeks. I heard they resulted in a coma from which he never regained consciousness. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, ma’am.’
She nodded. ‘Thank you, Captain Washbrook, I am grateful to you. Do you know when the funeral is?’
‘The day after tomorrow, ma’am.’
She nodded and appeared to sway. He was by her side in a flash, seeing she had lost colour. ‘Ma’am, are you all right?’
Lena stiffened and pulled herself together. ‘Yes, thank you.’
‘Would you like me to escort you home?’
She shook her head. ‘No. I’ll be all right.’ She started off slowly but with a more assured step.
He watched her for a few moments and then started up the gangway. From the deck he looked in her direction. She was walking a little more quickly now. Captain Washbrook turned to his crew and began to supervise the unloading of his cargo.
Lena’s thoughts were in a daze as she tried to take in the news. Why hadn’t anyone informed her that her brother had been badly hurt? Even as she posed the question she realised the answer and it made her feel even more of an outsider, not wanted anywhere near the circle in which she had once moved. The business? What would happen to it now? Olivia couldn’t run it; Alistair had no interest in it, selling it must be the only solution for them . . . and that would mean it would be lost to the only true Carnforth! Lena couldn’t let that happen; she couldn’t allow the family business to fall into the hands of strangers. She was determined that one day it would be hers, and had been building up Hustwick’s to a position from which she could challenge James and oust him from control of Carnforth’s. Now the chance to acquire it had come, in a way she had never visualised. She must seize it. But Hustwick’s capital had been stretched by acquiring the new ship. She knew Peter would not condone the idea of borrowing to buy Carnforth’s, a major decision on which, by the terms of the Articles of Association they had signed, they both must agree.
Thank goodness Captain Washbrook had arrived in Hull when he had, otherwise she would have heard the news too late for her to reach Whitby for the funeral. After that, Lena reckoned Olivia would dispose of her business asset. Lena must be there.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Reaching the offices, she went to find Peter. He realised from his wife’s pale and worried face that something was wrong and was instantly out from behind his desk and beside her as she sat down wearily.
‘What’s the matter?’ he asked her.
‘Captain Washbrook has just told me that James died last week.’
‘What?’ Peter felt a shiver of disbelief run through him, but he knew there was no reason to doubt the veracity of what she’d said. He sank to his knees and took her hands in his, wondering how she would be affected by this news. ‘What was wrong?’
Lena quickly told him what she knew.‘I must go to the funeral,’ she added.
‘Hasn’t it taken place yet?’
‘No. Captain Washbrook told me it’s the day after tomorrow.’
‘That’s a long while after . . .’
‘They’ll be following the old conventions. The timing has worked well for me, at least. I’ll be able to go.’
Peter was momentarily confused. James was her step-brother; he and others close to him had slighted her. Why should Lena walk into a situation where she might be shunned or ostracised further? ‘Do you think it wise to go?’ he asked gently.
‘Why not?’ Lena replied with a touch of defiance. ‘James and I shared much of our lives. And, apart from that, I think I should be there, for Mother’s and Father’s sakes.’
‘Then I’ll come with you.’
She pressed his hand and, with a wan smile, said, ‘I think that would be most unwise. You look after things here, but hire me a coach and coachman to drive me to Whitby. It will be the quickest and easiest way. I’ll stay at the Angel. Expect me back when you see me. Who knows what will happen when I’m there?’
Arriving in Whitby next day, she took a room at the Angel and asked the landlord to arrange accommodation for her coachman. Recognising her, and approving of the black dress with its close-fitting bodice and jet ornamentation, he told his wife to show the lady to the best accommodation in the inn. Lena wore a simple bonnet but one item of her three-part luggage was a hat-box, which the landlord’s wife judged would contain a smarter veiled hat for the funeral.
She was right; Lena was wearing it at eleven o’clock the next morning when she left the Angel, having decided that she would join the family mourners at the house in New Buildings before the service and interment in the churchyard high on the East Cliff. That was to take place at twelve o’clock. The coachman had been told to hire a trap to take her to the house that had once been her home, and to wait there until she wanted to go to the church.
Lena stepped from the trap and paused to view the front of the house that still belonged to her. Memories of a happy childhood spent there flooded back, bringing a lump to her throat. She tightened her lips and drew her shoulders back. She did not know what reception she would receive but was determined to show no weakness. No one would know she was outside - the curtains and blinds were all drawn. She walked resolutely along the path and up the steps to the front door, where she tugged the iron bell-pull firmly.
A few moments later the door opened and a maid, dressed in sombre black, without any relief, gasped, ‘Miss Carnforth!’
‘Mrs Hustwick, Sarah,’ Lena corrected with a friendly half-smile as she swept past. ‘Are they in the drawing-room? ’ she queried over her shoulder.
‘Er . . . er . . . yes, miss . . . er . . . ma’am.’ Sarah scuttled in front of her. ‘Should I announce you?’
‘No need, I’ll announce myself.’
The maid bobbed a quick curtsey, and, now fully in control of her surprise, hurried away to impart the latest news to her fellow servants.
Lena did not hesitate; she flung open the door and swept in. She was immediately hit by the gloom, not only from the oil lamps that made a feeble attempt to emulate daylight but also in the atmosphere. People spoke in hushed voices as if afraid they might desecrate the sombre occasion.
‘Hello, everyone,’ she said, keeping her voice level and non-committal. Her eyes surveyed the room. Olivia, holding a handkerchief to her mouth, was sitting in the most comfortable arm-chair, her solemn-faced mother and father sitting to either side of her on straight-backed oak chairs. Alistair stood with Avril who dabbed her eyes with a delicate lace handkerchief. Dr and Mrs MacBride were sitting on the sofa, and standing behind them were Fiona and Robbie, trying to look more than serious while inwardly wishing they were safe at home in Scotland. Lena did not expect or wait for acknowledgement but went straight over to Olivia, carving her way to her former friend’s side.
‘Olivia, I only heard the news two days ago. Naturally I’m devastated.’ She bent down to kiss her on the cheek, felt Olivia recoil and saw her narrow astonished eyes fill with coldness. As Lena straightened she was aware of all other eyes on her before Alistair openly reacted.
He stepped towards her. ‘How dare you?’ The words were meant to cow her. He had not reckoned on Lena’s strength of will.
‘I have every right to be here.’ She defied his implication and added, ‘I see you informed my uncle and aunt? Quite right too. But you lacked the decency to inform me.’
‘Decency? You think you deserve that?’
Lena gave a little shrug of her shoulders. ‘Depends how you view it. You
obviously thought not, but I know James would have wanted me here.’
‘You assume too much.’ The words came coldly from Olivia. ‘You don’t realise, nor ever will, the hurt you caused him. I saw more closely than anyone what your actions did to him. Before most people he coped admirably, but there was an inner wound that never healed. You are not welcome here.’
Her father, sensing how much worse this exchange could get, intervened then. He had risen from his chair. ‘It is almost time we left for the church. I would ask you all to allow Lena to attend the funeral. After all, she spent many happy years here with James, and they were a support to each other during their tragic loss.’ He fixed his gaze on Lena. ‘There is sadness enough here today. We want no more. I respectfully ask you not to return here after the funeral.’
This was not what she wanted; there were other things to be settled. But she could do nothing else but agree.
The church on the wind-swept cliff was packed as the people of Whitby paid their last respects to the leading member of a well-respected mercantile firm that had brought money and employment to this Yorkshire port. There were more people outside to witness the interment, conducted in a dignified fashion to match the short but poignant eulogy in the church. It brought so many memories flooding back for Lena. At one stage her conscience was pricked by the momentous decision she had made on the day of the launching of her brother’s new ship. But she quickly assured herself she had made a wise decision and set her course accordingly. She must see things through. Carnforth’s was in danger of being lost. She could not let that happen!
Lena moved away from the graveside before the rest of the mourners. As she walked to her carriage she felt many eyes fixed on her and saw heads draw close to whisper about her, as they had done when she first entered the church. She directed the coachman to the Angel where she was to stay until the following day when she would return to Hull as planned. But before that she had a call to make.
Lena breakfasted early and was driven to the family house in New Buildings where she judged that everyone would be gathered again, to ease the loneliness for Olivia. Her judgement proved to be correct. When the maid opened the door she was able to answer Lena’s question, ‘They are all in the dining-room, ma’am.’
Lena pushed the door open slowly and took in the low buzz of conversation as she stepped into the room. No one noticed her until the door clicked shut behind her, then conversation stopped abruptly and all eyes were on her.
Albert Nash jumped to his feet. ‘I thought I told you . . .’ he started angrily.
‘You did, but I need to speak to Olivia.’
‘I certainly don’t want to speak to you,’ came the sharp retort.
‘It will be to your advantage.’
‘Nothing you could ever say would be to my advantage! You destroyed our friendship, destroyed all that James felt for you, and almost broke my brother’s heart. You have already said quite enough!’
Lena retained an apperarance of calm, though her heart was pounding in her chest.
‘What I have to say now will I hope, go some way to repairing the estrangment between us. All I ask is that you listen to me, just for a short while.’
For a moment Olivia did not speak. Valuing her brother’s opinion, as always, she glanced at Alistair and saw his almost imperceptible nod.
‘Very well, we shall indulge you.’
‘I’d like to talk to you in private.’
Olivia frowned. What was Lena up to? Surely she wasn’t going to play on a friendship that once had been deep and sincere? Best not to give her the opportunity. She shook her head as she said. ‘No, I’ll only speak to you if Alistair is present as my witness.’
Lena knew it would be unwise to agree immediately or with any enthusiasm, but in fact Olivia’s demand suited her admirably. Far better to have a witness! ‘I agree,’ she said after a pause.
‘Let us use the drawing-room then.’ Olivia rose from her chair and headed for the door. ‘Come, Alistair,’ she called to him over her shoulder.
As Lena followed her from the room she realised that marriage had strengthened her former friend’s character. Olivia the widowed mother was not the malleable girl of yesterday. She was now a formidable woman.
Alistair closed the door of the drawing-room. Olivia took a stance in the middle of the floor and faced Lena, halting her in her steps with, ‘I don’t think there is any need for us to sit. This won’t take long.’ Her dismissive tone was not lost on Lena.
‘You are right, it won’t.’ She fixed her gaze firmly on her sister-in-law. ‘You will no doubt be in a quandary about the future of the firm my father and James built up. You have no interest in affairs mercantile and nor has Alistair. The only thing that may have crossed your mind is to sell to your father, but with no family member interested in following in his footsteps, I don’t think he will want to expand his present operation. Therefore I am offering to buy the firm from you.’
Lena’s mind was racing. She had spoken quickly, wanting to pre-empt any possible interruption. Now the enormity of what she had just done hit her, but she kept any visible reaction from showing. At that moment she did not even know where the purchase price would come from, but ‘Sufficient unto the day’ . . . She devoutly hoped she would have an ally once she told Peter what she had done and convinced him that the combined businesses would make them unbeatable in the North East. Her motivation, of course, was altogether simpler. She believed Carnforth’s should belong to its righful heir.
No one spoke for a moment. Olivia and Alistair just stared at her aghast. Lena started again: ‘I’ll get my lawyers to examine your accounts, make an assessment of the firm’s market worth. If you get your lawyers to work with them, we should be able to reach a speedy conclusion. ’ She felt she had gained ground, but she had interpreted their silence wrongly.
Olivia and Alistair exchanged knowing glances and then Alistair started to laugh. ‘You thought you could push your way in here and buy Olivia out? So that’s why you came to the funeral! Not out of any respect for James, you came to seize an opportunity to further your own ends.’
‘I did not!’ Lena replied indignantly, annoyed that her purpose was so transparent.
‘Don’t make matters worse by lying,’ Olivia spat contemptuously. ‘I cannot believe the change in you, Lena - a change very much for the worse. Ambition is everything to you. Is that why you rejected Alistair and chose Peter Hustwick?’
‘Your father cut you out, James kept you out . . . so you saw Peter as your means of creating a rival firm with which to challenge James,’ Alistair put in astutely.
‘What does any of that matter now?’ cried Lena passionately. ‘Neither of you can run the firm, and even if you could it’s not rightfully yours. A Carnforth should have it, and I’m the only true Carnforth left. I don’t want it to fall into the hands of strangers, whereas I . . .’
‘I? That’s all you think about . . . yourself,’ Alistair blazed. ‘Let me tell you, the firm has not come to a standstill because of James’s death. It will continue to thrive. With Olivia’s approval, I immediately gave Ralph Bell full authority to run Carnforth’s. Your father himself saw great potential in him as a boy. He became close to James, as you know, and worked closely with him. He was only too delighted to carry on managing it for Olivia, fulfilling James’s plans for the future and expanding upon them. We will have a solid thriving firm for Olivia’s son to inherit one day.’
Lena saw her plans crumbling around her. She had been outwitted by Olivia and Alistair, and she didn’t like it.
‘You have no say in this,’ put in Olivia coldly. ‘It will be my son’s inheritance and you can do nothing about that.’
Seething with frustration, Lena said, ‘We shall see! James was never a true Carnforth. He only bore the name through my father’s good grace. And if he wasn’t a true Carnforth, then neither is your son who carries no Carnforth blood. But I do, and don’t you forget it! One day the family firm will be mine.’
She left them then, straight-backed and resolute. She would not cry, not in front of these former friends who were now her enemies.
The journey back to Hull was torment for Lena. Moments of high resolve and determination were replaced by despair and dejection, but gradually she calmed herself and concentrated on the task ahead. She was angry with herself for ever thinking that obtaining the family firm would be easy and not foreseeing the change in Olivia and Alistair. But, no matter for that. They had never been her equal in business, and never would be. She would prevail.
She drove straight to Raby and was surprised to see Peter hurrying out to greet her.
‘This is unexpected,’ she said as they embraced. ‘I thought you’d be at the office.’
‘I thought you would be coming home today and anticipated you would come straight here,’ he said as they strolled into the house together. ‘I missed you, Lena.’
She smiled at him sweetly. ‘And I you.’
‘Did things pass off without undue hostility?’
‘I shocked them when I walked in shortly before they were to leave for church. They would have run me out there and then, but Albert Nash prevailed. The others remained antagonistic, except for Uncle Martin and Aunt Mary who managed to have a quick word with me as we left the service.’ They had entered the hall by now and she added, ‘Come, I’ll tell you all about it as I change.’ She headed for the stairs and Peter followed.
As the door closed behind him she said in a tone full of suggestion, ‘Lock it and unbutton me.’
He said nothing but his fingers deftly released the buttons down the back of her dress before returning to slip it from her shoulders. Lena let it slip to the floor and stepped out of it before turning to him and saying with a longing that was reflected in her eyes, ‘Love me.’
Later, as she lay in his arms, she felt all the frustration and disappointment she had experienced in Whitby had been purged, and the determination forged on the ride home had been tempered by what she had just shared with Peter.
Stay with Me Page 27