A Question of Love

by Gwen Kirkwood

  Robinia travelled down to the hospital the following morning, without telling Roseanne of her plans. She would have lunch in the town and arrive early for the afternoon visiting in case Euan’s mother visited too. She was wearing the navy trouser suit she had worn to fly home and she had pleated her long auburn hair and coiled it around her neatly shaped head in the same style which Roseanne wore when she was working. She had not done it with the conscious intention of playing their old tricks on Euan Kennedy. When they had pretended to take each other’s identity in the past they had both been teenagers and they had swapped clothes and agreed on a plot together, usually to give a persistent or arrogant young man his come-uppance, but as she caught a glimpse of herself in the long windows Rob almost believed it was Roseanne looking back at her.

  Euan was sitting in a chair looking out of the window with a pair of crutches beside him and a pile of books and his computer on a table. When Robinia walked into the room she saw his eyes light up in welcome.

  `This is a lovely surprise, Roseanne,’ he said holding out his hand in eager greeting, beckoning her close. He held up his face for a kiss. Robinia hesitated for a fraction of a second, realising he thought she was Roseanne, then she bent and kissed him fully on the mouth. Robinia never did things by half. Euan blinked. His spirits rose.

  `How did you wangle an extra day? Is Uncle Simon taking over for once?’

  `Something like that,’ Robinia murmured, only now beginning to realise this might not be such a good idea. It was one thing to play tricks with Roseanne’s cooperation when they filled each other in on what to say and do, or not, but it was quite another to act in secret. Roseanne and Euan had spent a lot of time together in recent weeks. What did they discuss? How intimate had they become? She began to talk about the flat. Euan listened, puzzled. Had she forgotten he’d seen the flat several times when he helped her to move? There was something wrong, something different. A vague memory teased at his mind.

  `I’ve been in touch with two of my business colleagues,’ he said. `They’re going to discuss my proposition to sell each of them a quarter of my company. As soon as I’m well enough to travel to London we’ll have a meeting. Will you come with me, Roseanne?’

  `If you want me to?’ Robinia smiled uncertainly but she was sure her sister would be willing to go with him. He was certainly a good looking man and he had a most attractive smile. She wondered why he was selling off his company, or at least a large part of it. Was he short of money? She frowned and scrutinized his face. Surely he couldn’t be after Roseanne’s share in Kershaw’s. Euan wondered why she was studying him so intently.

  `Who else would I ask to accompany me? You have the business skills and training to advise me.’

  `Oh, so it’s only my knowledge you want?’ Robinia asked, but she fluttered her thick lashes at him. Was she flirting with him? Euan’s eyes widened. Roseanne didn’t flirt and she never wore so much mascara or that green eye shadow. He looked more closely. He clasped her hand, stroking her palm with his thumb. Roseanne always reacted to that particular touch. Today he could have been stroking the bedpost. He turned her hand over and studied her nails, carefully manicured, painted with purple nail varnish. His eyes narrowed. Roseanne never painted her nails when she was working in case she was called to one of the food processing plants and he had never seen her with such bright coloured nails. Could this be her sister? How alike they were. They could have been twins. He had a brief recollection of Jock McIntyre telling him how the sisters had often swapped places to play tricks on at least one young man. Had Roseanne agreed to play a trick on him? If so why?

  `You know I admire your business expertise,’ he said smoothly, although his brain was racing. Something didn’t add up. `I need you to help me work out a fair deal for all of us.’ His voice deepened deliberately. `You must know I want what will be best for us? For the future, Roseanne?’ He slid her a sideways glance.

  `I – er yes, of course,’ Robinia said but she had no idea what Euan was talking about or how far she was committing her sister. Euan looked down at her hand as it lay in his. He looked up and saw her gaze was fixed on the view. He studied her intently. His brain was whirring.

  `Your hair seems shorter. It doesn’t quite meet.’ He frowned. It had more blond streaks now that he looked closely.

  `I er I often get the ends cut off. It makes it look thicker.’ Robinia saw his intent stare. She knew he was beginning to suspect she was not Roseanne. Should she come clean? `I – er, I think I’d better be going now’ His grip on her hand tightened.

  `This is a very short visit. You can’t go yet.’

  `Er... I wanted to pop in to make sure you’re all right. I must be getting back.’

  `Why shouldn’t I be all right? Except I can’t wait to get out of this place, but you know that already.’

  `When do they plan to discharge you?’

  `Wednesday.’ He gave the wrong day deliberately. It was the first thing Roseanne had asked on Friday evening. She never forgot details like that, especially when she knew how important it was to him. She bent to kiss him good bye. Her perfume was different too, stronger, not Roseanne’s light flowery scent. As soon as she was out of sight he reached for his crutches and swung himself along to where the windows overlooked the visitors’ car park. There she was with her long legs and the graceful walk he so admired. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her but she was not getting into her little blue car. He stared as she climbed into the driver’s seat of a sporty yellow model. He knew for sure then he’d just had a visit from Roseanne’s sister. He couldn’t believe how alike they looked. Why hadn’t Roseanne warned him she would be coming? Or had she agreed to the deception?

  Robinia heaved a huge sigh of relief. She should have told him who she was as soon as he kissed her and she realised he had mistaken her for Roseanne. She was still not sure whether Euan Kennedy would make Roseanne happy. He was certainly a good looking guy but her sister needed more than looks to satisfy her. She was not the type to go travelling the world with him either, especially if they had children. Roseanne would want stability. She felt uneasy at visiting him without her Ros’s permission.

  Euan muttered under his breath. There was something phoney going on. He remembered that first email at Kershaw & Co, and his encounter with Roseanne. Even then the sparks had flown between them like ice and fire, attracted and repelled; attracted again with an almighty fizz when they had spent the weekend at Ashburn, then the icy anger over the blasted entries in the company bank statement. But what was it she had written in the email?

  `…he seems a fine looking beast with a nicely developed rump on him. I’d say he’s been around a bit so he could be ripe for a roasting if you’re agreeable? Perhaps it’s time we played our old tricks again and had a bit of fun.’ He had assumed that email had been to a man called Rob. He’d assumed he was Roseanne’s boyfriend. She had not contradicted him, then or later. He recalled the pangs of envy he had felt, and still felt, at the mere thought of them together.

  Had Roseanne arranged for her sister to visit him today? Was she a party to the trick? She had to be. He was more hurt by her subterfuge than he cared to admit. They were having fun at his expense. He frowned. He had believed he and Roseanne had moved on rapidly during the last few weeks. They had explored each other’s minds and he had believed Roseanne enjoyed his company and their discussions as much as he had enjoyed hers. Had she simply spent so much time with him because she still felt responsible for his accident?

  When his mother and Uncle Simon came to visit that evening they found him unusually morose.

  `You told me Roseanne has a sister. What’s her name?’ he asked abruptly.

  `Her name?’ Uncle Simon looked surprised. `Why Binny of course.’

  `I don’t know why you always called her that,’ his mother interrupted. `Robinia is such a pretty name.’

  `Robinia?’ Euan asked sharply.

  `Och, she gets all sorts of names. She uses her full name for h
er modelling I believe but Roseanne calls her Rob.’ Uncle Simon said. `They were christened Robinia and Roseanne after some flowers or shrubs or something. Their mother was into gardening at the time. There’s only eleven months between them. They were like two peas in a pod when they were wee girls,’ he went on reminiscently. `Always up to tricks.’

  `Are they still alike?’ Euan asked.

  `I suppose so, in looks anyway, but not when you get to know them. Robinia is a model. She hardly ever comes down to Ashburn so I have not seen her for a while. She never liked the farm and smelly animals.’

  `I see.’

  `Why d’ye ask, Euan?’

  `It was just something Jock McIntyre mentioned,` he prevaricated, `about Roseanne playing a trick on some local fellow, a manager on one of the estates.`

  `Ah, he’d be talking about Lord Gallaby’s manager.’ He chuckled. `He was getting more serious than Roseanne wanted and he wouldn’t believe her when she tried to break it off. Robinia took her place one evening and led him on quite a bit I believe. He asked her to marry him before he realised he’d got the wrong sister. She led him a merry dance. He was a conceited young pup though or they wouldn’t have played a trick like that on him. He’s never had much sense of humour either. If you ask me he still has a fancy for Roseanne, but she needs more of a man than he’ll ever be.’

  ***

  Euan was thankful to get out of hospital but he couldn’t forget Robinia’s visit. It nagged at him. Had Roseanne agreed to it? Had she arranged it? Why would she play a trick on him? Did she want rid of him, as she had Lord Gallaby’s manager?

  His heart went cold. Did she think he was getting too serious? Was he going too fast for her? It was true they had not known each other very long. He still didn’t know the meaning of the entries in the firm’s bank reconciliation but now that he was getting to know his Uncle he realised he had the greatest respect for Roseanne and Simon Kershaw was not a man who would be easily duped. More than that Roseanne was not the type of woman who would resort to cheating, or who would ever need to cheat. He had been frustrated and tired and he had been a complete fool to blurt out such stupid accusations. For the first time in his life he had met a woman whose character and mind matched his own. She stimulated him both mentally and physically. He missed her terribly when they were apart. That had never happened to him before. Most women he knew were only too eager to grant his every wish and spend time with him, usually more time than he wanted to spare. Maybe he and Roseanne hadn’t grown as close as he’d thought?

  Roseanne was used to Euan emailing her every day, and sometimes two or three times a day, if he considered her reply allowed a discussion. This was Thursday and she had heard nothing from him since Monday. He would be leaving hospital and going to stay at Ashburn today, but there was no last message to confirm this as she’d expected. Maybe he felt so happy to be getting out of hospital that he no longer needed contact with her? She ought to be pleased for him but she felt bereft and down in spirits. The truth was she missed their lively conversations. Even the emails they exchanged held hidden messages, teasing, flirting, provoking – bringing him closer in mind, if not in body. Even when they disagreed on a subject they enjoyed a stimulating debate. She had still not heard from Euan when Mr K came into her office late on Thursday afternoon.

  `You will be going down to Ashburn this weekend, won’t you, Roseanne?’ he asked.

  `I don’t know.’ She looked up at him. `How is Euan. Is he home from the hospital?’

  `Yes, I telephoned at midday. He’s fine. Haven’t you heard from him?’

  `No, not a thing. I suppose he has plenty to occupy his time now without contacting me.’

  `Well I’m sure he’ll be pleased to be home, but he was asking plenty of questions about you on Monday evening when we visited him at the hospital.’

  `Monday? I haven’t heard from him since then. What did he want to know?’

  `He was asking about the tricks you and young Binny used to play when you were younger. He wanted to know your sister’s proper name. When are you going to introduce the two of them? He’ll get a surprise when he sees how alike you are, at least in looks.’

  `Ye-es. I suppose he will,’ Roseanne answered frowning thoughtfully.

  `Anyway I was hoping you’ll be coming down to Ashburn because I want to go to a sale of Aberdeen Angus cattle on Friday down in the Lake District and I thought Aileen might like to go with me and see a different part of the country. She’ll not leave Euan alone in the house though in case he has a fall while his leg is still in plaster. I’m going down to Ashburn this evening. I need to leave early tomorrow morning. Can you arrange to get down to Ashburn by lunchtime tomorrow?`’

  `Yes, I suppose I could if you’re sure that’s what Euan and your sister would like me to do?’

  `Of course I’m sure. I imagine they’ll be delighted. Aileen wants to see the Lake District but she would worry in case Euan does anything silly when there’s nobody there. He’s pretty good on his crutches but he’s insisting on hauling himself upstairs to go to bed. I told him I’d ask Jock to help me get a bed down to the sitting room ready for him coming home but he wouldna hear of it.’

  `Something must be keeping him busy when he’s never been in contact. I suppose he’ll be picking up the threads of his business with his staff? He emailed me every day when he was in hospital.’ Roseanne didn’t realise how despondent she sounded and Simon Kershaw looked at her shrewdly. Aileen insisted young Euan was more interested in Roseanne than she had ever known him be with any other girl. A match between them would please him greatly, so long as his nephew didn’t want to take Roseanne off to Australia or America. He had meant it when he told Euan he couldn’t manage without her. He pulled at his lower lip and eyed her thoughtfully.

  `We expected Euan would be in high spirits now he’s home but Aileen says he seems a bit out of sorts. I reckon he’ll be missing all the pretty nurses running after him,’ he said with a chuckle. `He’s been in touch with his colleagues. He says business is going well so that can’t be troubling him. Aileen told me on the phone she’d never known him so grumpy and short tempered, but as I reminded her, he’s never been incapacitated before and it was a nasty break he had to his leg. I expect he’s missing the globetrotting. Better him than me. I’m glad to be home. Maybe you’ll be able to cheer him up a bit.’

  `I’ll do my best,’ Roseanne said, `but Robinia hasn’t been the brightest spirit around either this week and I haven’t managed to cheer her up.’

  `Aye well it’s time the lassie settled down in one place and got a proper job.’ Roseanne laughed. Uncle K had never considered modelling clothes a proper job and Roseanne suspected he would be shocked if he knew how much she earned while she was at the top of her career. Her thoughts returned to Euan. She wondered why he hadn’t replied to her last email. Would he welcome her at Ashburn as much as his uncle expected? Every instinct told her there was something not quite right. She went back over their last meeting but she couldn’t think what she had said or done to upset him.

  Twelve

  Euan was alone at Ashburn when Roseanne arrived. She greeted him with her usual light kiss and asked how he was doing, but he caught her hand and pulled her closer, looking at her neat, well-kept nails as he did so.

  `Don’t I get a better kiss than that? One like you gave me on Tuesday?’ he asked, unable to resist testing her straight away. She blinked at him.

  `Tuesday? I didn’t see you on Tuesday. I haven’t seen you since Sunday evening. Perhaps you’ve been flirting with that pretty nurse? Pamela isn’t it?’

  `Nope. I didn’t flirt with any of the nurses.’ He eyed her quizzically. `Would you be a teeny bit jealous if I had?’

  `Of course not.’ She answered too quickly. `How could I be? I’ve no claims on you.’ She knew her voice sounded brittle but she was still wondering why he had been too busy to send her any emails. If she was honest she would admit to being jealous, but only to herself, and that was bad en
ough. His attitude seemed odd. Why was he watching her so closely? She tried to pull her hand away but he gave a tug pulling her onto his knee.

  `Your leg!’ she gasped.

  `There’s nothing wrong with this leg. And we’re all alone for the weekend remember? Now give me a Tuesday kiss.’

  `A Tue…’ He silenced her by fastening his mouth firmly on hers and giving her a very thorough kiss, awakening a desire she was struggling to control so that she was flushed and confused by the time he released her.

  `That’s what I mean – except this is even better than the one you gave me.’

  `I-I don’t know what’s come over you,’ she stammered, trying to rise from his knee, but his arm had lost none of its strength and he held her firmly. `Euan, you’re muddled. Are you still on medication? I never saw you on Tuesday and it was not me who kissed you like that anyway, not while you were in the hospital. You know by now I don’t do that sort of thing in public places. Anyway I’ve been at work all week. I left here very early Monday morning. Did you think I was somewhere else?’ she asked with a frown. `Is that why you didn’t email me all week?’ Euan was watching her closely and he thought he detected a little hurt in her green eyes.

  `Did you miss my emails?’ he asked softly.

  `Yes. No. Who else have you been kissing?’ She tried to pull away and stand up but he held her firmly.

  `You are the only girl I have kissed since I arrived in Scotland. You, or your double,’ he added, his eyes fixed on her face.

  `My double?’ She laughed incredulously. Then her smile died. `My double did you say?’ she repeated sharply. He could almost see her mind working. Her green eyes widened as she stared back at him.

  `You’re not muddled, are you? You do think you saw me on Tuesday? B-but I don’t understand.’

  Euan believed her. His spirits rose. She hadn’t been trying to deceive him or play any tricks to get rid of him then. But her sister had and he wanted to know why.