His arm was about her waist, her head was against his shoulder, when Senga walked through the open door.
As a shaft of light illuminated them for a moment she stared unbelievingly. Then her face stiffened with a mixture of rage and bewilderment. ‘I seem to be interrupting something,’ she said, her voice grating. ‘But don’t let it trouble you, Briony! I’ve no objection to Blane flirting with the hired help if he feels like it.’
Briony could feel her face flush crimson at the insult. But Blane regarded Senga steadily and as her glance flashed from one face to the other, she seemed to grasp from their expressions that this was no passing thing.
She gave a short bitter laugh. ‘Just as well I’m leaving Laureston! It’s very obvious now I’d be very much de trop if I stayed on.’
Briony, feeling awkward and for some reason or other slightly guilty, drew away from Blane and pushed her hair back.
‘Oh, don’t mind me,’ Senga said with a tight smile. ‘It’s quite obvious that you two have got it badly. Just as well, I suppose, that I’ve had a flaming row with Anderson, and we both decided the time had come to part. Still, I thought I could depend on you, Blane!’
‘And so you can,’ he returned quietly. ‘If there’s anything I can do to help you, let me know.’
‘How awfully sweet of you,’ Senga sneered. ‘I had thought of living near Laureston, but I think I’d better make a clean break and leave Abergour. I believe in cutting my losses, you know.’ And with that she turned and walked swiftly through the door.
When Briony returned to the cottage that evening Hettie had a cosy fire crackling in the sitting-room and, as usual, a delicious meal ready for her.
Afterwards, as she was sipping coffee by the fireside, she became aware that although Hettie, seated in her rocking chair on the other side of the fire, appeared absorbed in her sewing, now and then she would steal a covert glance in her direction.
Immediately she was defensive. She must not betray her happiness, because she was only too well aware of what Hettie’s reaction would be should she guess the truth.
‘You seem very pleased with yourself,’ Hettie said at last, unable to control her curiosity. ‘Your lord and master must have been in a particularly good mood today.’
Briony busied herself with pouring another cup of coffee before answering. Then she said with a great air of indifference, ‘Oh yes, I’m out of his black books at last and I’m to get the Shetlands back again.’
‘Now that’s very obliging of him, isn’t it!’ said Hettie dryly as she poked the fire belligerently.
‘Have you heard that Senga MacNeil is going to leave Laureston?’ Briony asked, hoping to divert Hettie’s attention from Blane.
Hettie laid down the poker and looked up in amazement. ‘Why on earth is she doing that? I heard it was all fixed she was to marry Blane Lennox. Everyone in the village was sure of it.’
‘It seems she had a row with Miss Anderson,’ Briony said carefully. ‘I don’t think they got on very well. The headmistress is so very prim and proper and Senga’s so independent.’
Hettie sniffed. ‘If she’d any sense she’d control that temper of hers. Miss Anderson may have her faults, but she’s not a bad sort, and Senga may travel far before she does any better.’
To Briony’s relief, she could see that Hettie’s mind had drifted off on the subject of Senga’s future.
After a thoughtful silence, Hettie said suddenly, ‘Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you that there’s a letter for you. It came by the morning post.’ She reached down an envelope from behind the clock on the mantelshelf.
Briony, her mind still on the events of the day, received it without particular interest. She glanced at it unseeingly for a moment until, with a sense of shock, she recognised Jeremy’s unmistakable handwriting. What on earth could Jeremy have to say to her? she wondered in alarm.
In spite of Hettie’s curiosity, there and then she tore open the envelope. Her eyes scanned the lines. He was going to drop in on her at Abergour, he told her. There was something very important he had to speak to her about.
‘Although I expect you’ve guessed,’ he continued, ‘that I want to propose again. The old Jeremy is quite dead—you’ll find me a different person. I simply must see you. Please don’t refuse. I can’t tell you how miserable I’ve been. I realise what a dreadful mistake I’ve made, but I simply can’t believe that it’s too late.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Briony read the lines with growing dismay.
But it was too late, she was thinking. Jeremy simply couldn’t come to Abergour. His presence would be known in every corner of the village within a few minutes of his arrival.
‘What’s wrong?’ Hettie asked. ‘Not bad news, I hope.’
‘It’s Jeremy Warne—he wants to call. He seems to think we can start off again where we left off.’ Briony glanced at her watch. ‘I’ll have to try to phone him before he leaves the office, and let him know it’s absolutely no go.’
‘But why not?’ Hettie put in quickly. ‘It’s nothing out of the usual for young people to have a tiff and then make up again—especially when they’re engaged. You’re too stiff-necked, Briony. You’ll never get a husband if you keep up this attitude, I can tell you.’
‘Then I’ll do without one!’ Briony retorted heatedly. ‘Anyway, it isn’t a tiff, as you call it. He flung me over, which is an entirely different matter. As far as I’m concerned it’s all completely finished. I want nothing more to do with him.’
‘That’s what you say now,’ Hettie retorted, ‘but sooner or later you’ll regret being so stubborn. After all, he has a good job at present and is going places, so it seems. You’ll not find anyone like him around these parts, I can tell you.’
In spite of herself, Briony found her lips curving in a smile. But Blane was in love with her, and the knowledge was balm to her heart. To her now Jeremy was simply a rather tiresome complication. She would phone him immediately and tell him in no uncertain terms that there could be no possibility of her meeting him again.
‘I’ll have to rush, Hettie,’ she said a little impatiently, ‘or I’ll miss Jeremy at the office.’
Hettie shrugged resignedly. ‘I can see your mind’s made up. I just hope you won’t regret it later, that’s all I say.’
‘Don’t worry, I shan’t,’ Briony called back confidently, as, slipping on her coat, she sped down the path. Sooner or later Hettie would have to know she loved Blane Lennox, but in the meanwhile Briony resolutely put the problem behind her and concentrated on what she would say to Jeremy.
To her relief the phone booth outside the little post office was unoccupied and she had very little trouble getting connected with Jeremy’s office. But the girl at the switchboard seemed doubtful if she could get in touch with him. There was a delay, then came the girl’s voice, ‘I’m afraid Mr. Warne has already gone.’
Briony felt her heart sink. She could leave a message, of course, telling him not to call, but, knowing how tenacious he could be when it came to getting his own way, she doubted if it would have the smallest effect on him. There was only one thing for it, she decided, and that was to call on him in Aberdeen on the following morning.
It was still dark when Briony got up on the following morning. Her trip to Aberdeen wouldn’t take much time, she thought. She’d simply tell Jeremy exactly where he stood and return immediately to Abergour.
She intended catching the first bus from the village and dressed as quickly as she could. But Hettie was exasperatingly slow in preparing breakfast: her mind on Briony’s forthcoming interview with Jeremy, she insisted that to fortify herself for the coming confrontation Briony should have a good Scottish breakfast, as she called it.
When this was over Briony had no time to go up to Birchfields and explain that although she would not be able to come in that morning, she would be back in good time for the treasure hunt. Instead, she decided to phone from the kiosk outside the post-office and leave a message with Mrs
. McPhee.
But when she got through it was Blane’s deep voice that answered. She plunged into her explanation before her courage could desert her. ‘This is Briony, and I’m calling to let you know I shan’t be able to come in this morning. But I definitely won’t fail this afternoon.’ There was a silence at the other end of the line, then he said, ‘Then it must be something pretty important, considering we’re holding the treasure hunt today.’
‘I know, and I wouldn’t have had it happen for the world, but you see, something completely unexpected has come up.’
‘If it’s completely unexpected, then you can tell yourself you have a prior engagement,’ came Blane’s voice. He spoke equably, but it was clear he was insisting she should put in an appearance. ‘There’s a lot to be done this morning and it’s important you should be here early,’ he went on. ‘After all, we’ve all put work into this—you especially.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she replied desperately. ‘I have to go into Aberdeen, but I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can.’ Again there was silence, but she could sense his burning anger.
‘I see you’re determined to have your own way. Very well, I’ve nothing more to say!’ And he put down the receiver with a click of finality—as though, she thought uneasily, he was dismissing her completely from his plans.
When she came out of the phone booth, the bus was already drawn up and she had to rush to the bus stop! There was quite a queue, mostly women, all eagerly chatting in anticipation of their day’s shopping in Aberdeen, and clutching large baskets and shopping bags. Quickly the front seats in the bus were filled and Briony found herself relegated to the very back row.
As they passed the gates of Birchfields she saw that the lights were on outside the stables and for an instant she caught a glimpse of Andy and Johnny moving about. Then, as she glanced through the back window, she saw Blane’s big grey car coming along the drive. She knew he was coaching a rider who had entered for a competition to be held very shortly. He lived in a large estate beyond the village, so she was a little surprised to see that, instead of turning off, the big grey car appeared to be following the bus. Then it gained speed and swept past. It was unlikely that Blane would be going into Aberdeen today of all days, she thought vaguely, leaving Andy and Johnny to deal with the details in connection with the treasure hunt. Then she dismissed the incident from her mind, concentrating on the unpleasant interview that lay ahead.
As the bus approached Aberdeen she was struck again by the way the town had grown: buildings which at one time had been quite outside the city were now swallowed up in the growth of this boom town.
She arrived in Aberdeen too early for her interview with Jeremy, so she went into the terminus restaurant and ordered a cup of coffee, lingering over it as long as possible in an effort to kill time. Surrounding her, she could hear accents from all parts of the world—especially American: there was the slow soft speech of the Texan and the more rapid, crisper speech of the north. Aberdeen had become a great international centre that drew in all who came near it. No wonder Jeremy was so elated to be part of this busy and exciting city that could hold such opportunities for someone as ambitious as himself. It was so completely different from Abergour that for a moment it was hard to believe that only a few miles separated them.
She went along in good time to his office to catch him as he came in and took her seat in one of the comfortable chairs facing the switchboard. She glanced around, remembering with disbelief the misery of that last meeting. How strange that this time she would be able to meet him without the smallest heartbreak! No doubt it would be a very unpleasant encounter, yet her heart would not be involved. He had no place now in her life.
She caught sight of him immediately he came in and saw him exercising his usual charm on the girls at the switchboard, waving to them as he approached with that half-smile that used to make her heart beat faster. Now she regarded him with the eyes of a stranger and realised that he used his charm as a weapon, a means of promoting his overwhelming ambition.
‘Briony!’ His voice held a flattering warmth, and once again that brilliant smile seemed to encompass her.
‘You got my letter?’ he said eagerly.
‘Yes, that’s why I’m here,’ she told him quietly.
He glanced at his watch. ‘Let’s go out for a cup of coffee. I’m pretty well my own boss now, you know. No one holds a stopwatch over Jeremy Warne, I can assure you of that!’
‘I can stay only a few minutes,’ she told him. ‘It’s just to tell you that you mustn’t call at Abergour. There’s no point in it any more.’
He took a seat beside her, his hand covering hers. ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ he said, puzzled.
‘Simply that I don’t want you to come to Abergour. You’d be going to all that trouble for nothing. You must know there’s nothing between us now.’
She saw the look of astonishment creep into his eyes. “But Briony, you don’t understand! If you only knew what a different person I am! I’ve thought so hard about you. I made a terrible mistake, and I’m ready to admit it. Give me a chance to prove you’re the only one in the world for me—and always have been. Oh, I know I was a bit carried away by that Texan girl, but that’s all in the past. I’ve not met anyone since who can hold a candle to you. I’ll make it all up to you, just you see!’
She could hear the confidence return to his voice. ‘Jeremy,’ she said quietly, ‘you simply don’t understand. Things are different for me now. I’ve fallen in love.’
‘Fallen in love!’ he repeated incredulously. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for a crofter in Abergour!’
‘No, not a crofter,’ she told him, trying to keep her temper in check. ‘But if he was, and I loved him, I’d marry him.’
For the first time, she realised that he had not for one moment suspected that there would be another man in her life.
‘He happens to keep a riding school,’ she told him evenly, ‘and it’s doing very well too,’ she added, a note of pride creeping into her voice.
‘No doubt, by Abergour standards, he’s a wealthy man,’ Jeremy said acidly.
‘He’s not wealthy. But then that doesn’t make much difference to me.’
‘Obviously! But then you were always a romantic little fool, weren’t you, Briony?’ Then, with a rush, he added, ‘You’re not really going to marry this man, are you?’
‘Yes, if he asks me.’
‘I see, so he hasn’t popped the question yet! Suppose he doesn’t, is there any chance you and I could get together again? I’ve made contacts here and now I have the chance to go to Houston, Texas. There are strong connections between the two cities. There are plenty of Scots living there. You wouldn’t be lonely. You could have every luxury you set your heart on, and a really good time. What’s more, don’t tell me you wouldn’t be thrilled to be married to a man who was on the way up. That’s important to any wife. And I’m not just building castles in the air—I’ve got a solid job lined up.’
‘You don’t understand,’ she told him, almost wearily. ‘That’s not the sort of life I want. Don’t you realise, I’m in love and, as far as I’m concerned, that comes before everything.’
Jeremy’s eyes narrowed. ‘Very well!’ He got to his feet. ‘As I said, you were always a romantic little fool. You deserve what you get. It would serve you right if this hero of yours left you in the lurch. Mark my words, my girl, you’ll live to regret turning me down!’
Briony looked after him as he walked towards the lifts, like a petulant schoolboy. How immature he seemed, compared to Blane! She hadn’t noticed that before. But then she hadn’t really been in love; infatuated, perhaps, and dazzled by her first love, as most girls were.
For a moment she sat still, feeling emotionally drained. The meeting she had so dreaded was a thing of the past. She must look to the future now and, first of all, she must get back to Abergour as soon as possible. She would take a taxi, she decided. It was the quickest way of getting there and she
owed it to Blane to give him as much assistance as possible.
She began to walk along Union Street, her eyes searching out a taxi, and as she did so a car drew level with her, keeping pace with her for a few steps. Startled, she turned her head, and found herself looking into Blane’s eyes.
He pushed open the door. ‘Get in,’ he said laconically.
Startled by his unexpected appearance, she obeyed automatically.
‘You seem surprised to see me in Aberdeen today,’ he said dryly as he set off once more.
‘I—I didn’t expect to see you,’ she stammered. ‘I thought you’d be busy. I mean—with the treasure hunt, and—and—’ She stopped in confusion. She glanced at his profile and saw that it was tight with anger.
He didn’t speak again until they had pulled free of the city. Then, as though he could no longer contain his rage, he gritted, ‘So this was the important engagement! This was what you had to let me down for—Jeremy Warne!’
‘You must have followed me,’ she gasped. ‘I saw the car come along the drive this morning as the bus was leaving Abergour, but I didn’t dream you’d—’
‘You didn’t dream I’d follow you, is that it? You don’t seem to understand that when you love someone you learn to interpret every expression on their face and every tone of their voice, and this morning there was something about your story that rang a warning bell for me!’
‘But—but it wasn’t fair! You had no right to follow me!’ she said in a feeble attempt to assert herself.
‘Oh yes, I had!’ he said harshly. ‘I thought you were in love with me, I had to know exactly how I stood.’
‘If you love a person, you trust them!’ she cried. ‘You should have trusted—’
But he broke in, ‘When you love someone you’re afraid that somewhere there’s someone who’s going to try to steal what’s closest to your heart. Perhaps, even in spite of yourself, this Jeremy Warne has influenced you. I’ve seen him, I know the type.’
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