That Man Next Door
Page 16
"George told me five days," Kim said, "and today is the fifth day."
"Is it really?" He looked slightly surprised and she suspected he was teasing her, though he seemed serious enough. "It doesn't seem that long." He arched a brow at her, inviting comment. "Not to me anyway."
Kim refused to be drawn. "As it's my last day here," she said, "we may as well get down to some work and do as much as possible."
"You'll be glad to get back to George?" He still stood in front of her, evidently not sharing her sense of urgency regarding the work, and Kim chanced another brief glance upwards.
"I'll be glad to get back to George," she agreed quietly, and wondered, as she said it, how true it was.
He did not answer for a moment, but merely stood looking down at her, with that disconcerting gaze playing havoc with her senses. "Of course," he said, as if he understood perfectly, "in the circumstances it's natural, I suppose."
"Circumstances?" Her puzzlement was genuine for the moment, for she was not, she realised, thinking very clearly at present.
He arched an expressive brow at her uncertainty. "You are going to marry him, aren't you?"
"Oh!" She blinked, wondering how much he knew of
the truth about her and George. He was pretty shrewd and he was also quite friendly with Fay, so it was quite feasible that he was less in the dark than he appeared. "I — I — yes, I suppose I am," she admitted.
"You suppose you are?" His expression was more like its normal self now, amused and slightly mocking, and Kim flushed when he laughed shortly. "You don't sound very sure about it — poor old George."
Her fingers curled into her palms as the familiar resentment reared its head. "I don't see why it concerns you what George and I do," she told him.
It was inevitable, of course, that her rising anger encouraged rather than deterred him, and he shook his head at her. "Oh, but it does," he reminded her. "You forget I'm to be George's best man on the big day, and that gives me a sort of vested interest in the affair." The light eyes held hers steadily, though she longed to look away. "You'll make a beautiful bride," he added softly, one finger gently tracing the faint darkness on her cheek. "Even with a bruised cheek."
Kim half-closed her eyes under the almost hypnotic touch, trying vainly to steady the pulse that hammered away at her temple. "I — I hope I shan't have a bruised face when — when that — happens." It was really very difficult to find words, she thought, and she should have been more honest. There was no point in keeping up the pretence, except that she did not see why he should be the one she confessed to, mien she did.
"Oh?" He looked surprised. "I rather thought George was in something of a hurry. Not," he added softly, "that I blame him, of course."
"You — you must have misunderstood," she told him, but felt horribly uncertain for, knowing how wildly impulsive George could be, it was just possible that he had made ar-
rangements he had not told her about, and that James was better informed than she was herself, and at the thought of it, she almost panicked.
"You frightened the life out of him last night," he told her, unaware of the turmoil in her mind as she thought madly of what possible plans George could have made and not seen fit to tell her about.
"There was no need for anyone to be that worried," she said, steadying her voice with difficulty, and remembering too that by George's account, it had been he and not George who had been frightened to death. George, of course, was prone to exaggerate.
The light eyes flicked over her curiously. "I've never heard the true whys and wherefores of it," he told her. "Suppose you enlighten me first hand. I only have Lee's rather garbled version, and according to that you were headed straight for Davy Jones' locker."
Reminded of Lee, Kim immediately thought of the threatened spanking and she looked at him steadily, her eyes dark with suspicion. "Where is Lee this morning?" she asked. "Is he all right? You didn't —"
Her automatic suspicion had its usual effect and she saw the gleam in his eyes of mingled exasperation and amusement. "He's fine," he told her, a hint of a drawl in his voice. "He's black and blue, of course, and he won't sit down for a week or so, but he'll recover."
"Oh, you didn't —" She realised, too late, that he was taunting her and bit her lip hastily on the abuse she had been ready to hurl at him.
"It's only what you expected, isn't it?" he asked matter-of-factly. "You know I believe in spare the rod and spoil the child, so you shouldn't be shocked if I come up to expectations."
"Don't — don't, please ! "
He looked at her steadily, the amusement giving way to resignation. "I'm only trying to live up to your picture of me," he told her. "That's what you want to believe, isn't it?"
"No — no, of course not." Kim shook her head, feeling, for no good reason, as if she would like to burst into tears. It was a ridiculous reaction of course, and probably stemmed from her experience last night. Perhaps Aunt Bess was right, she should have stayed home for today.
For a second longer he stood looking down at her, almost as if he suspected how she felt and regretted his part in it. "Kim —" He put out his one free hand to her and Kim felt herself holding her breath, but before he could move or speak again, a soft tap on the door broke the spell and Eve Mellors came into the room.
James' expression when he saw her could have been termed less than welcoming, but it was only fleeting and he managed to smile by the time Eve registered anything of his expression.
"James darling, good morning." She ignored Kim as she usually did, and tiptoed to kiss James on his chin. "You look very much better, darling, how do you feel?"
"Much better," he agreed, his eyes following Kim when she walked over and sat herself down at the table that did duty as a desk.
"I'm glad to hear it. Perhaps we can get back to normal before too long now, hmm?" Eve sank gracefully into one of the armchairs and crossed her slim legs, every movement studied as it always was with her. She pouted reproach at him. "I miss you, James, though I'm sure you won't tell me the same, will you?"
"Eve dear, I've seen you every day since I've been home, and most evenings too, so I can hardly think you've missed me that much." He sounded patient rather than teasing,
and patient only with an effort, so that Kim wondered if Eve would detect it too, but apparently she did not.
"It's not the same, darling, is it?" she complained, still pouting. "There's always someone around." A swift resentful look encompassed Kim, which Kim feigned not to notice.
James sighed, whether in regret or impatience it was difficult to decide, though there was little doubt which interpretation Eve would put on it. "Actually, Eve, we have quite a lot of work to get through this morning, so if you could — I'm sorry," he added when she got up from her chair, her expression cross but resigned.
"Oh, it's all right," she allowed. "I know you have your wretched work to get on with, though why you can't delegate some of it to some of your employees, I don't know. I frequently do, and I'm still holding my own."
"Maybe," James agreed wryly, "but running a business isn't exactly like being a name at the top of a fashion column, Eve dear, and anyway, I enjoy work."
As if she suspected the reason for his enjoyment Eve glanced over at Kim, acknowledging her existence at last, though obviously reluctantly. "I hear you made quite a drama for yourself last night, Miss Anders," she said.
Kim looked dismayed at being made the centre of attention, especially as James Fleming seemed to be watching her with more than a little curiosity. "It was — it was far less serious than it could have been," she told her, wondering how much George had dramatised the incident for his cousin's benefit. "I went to Linwood because — because it was nearest and I felt rather — rather dizzy."
"So I 'gather," Eve declared wryly. "You were dripping wet and throwing a faint, so I was told."
It was doubtful, Kim thought, if George had worded it like that, but she saw James' brows rise at the information.
"You just never learn, do you?" Kim looked puzzled and Eve curled her lip derisively. "You should have remembered about that tide," she told her. "You've been caught there before, only this time there was no one to rescue you, was there?"
"Kim went after Lee," James told her, before Kim could reply, "it wasn't her fault this time."
His defence, Kim realised, only made Eve more angry and she wished he had not done it. She could defend herself against Eve Mellors' spiteful tongue without his help. "I was silly enough to go back for Lee's boat," she admitted. "It was my own fault, I admit it."
James looked at her curiously and only half believing. "You did what?" he asked, and shook his head without waiting for an answer. "So that's what happened — you went back for a toy boat ! Of all the — you crazy little idiot, didn't you realise what a chance you were taking?"
Kim flushed. His support had been bad enough, his condemnation was even more unacceptable, especially in front of Eve Mellors. "All right, I should have known better," she told him, her argument with him alone now, "but I thought I had time to go back, at least before the water got too deep. A few inches wouldn't have hurt me, it just took me longer than I anticipated to find the boat, that's all. Then I stepped on a slippery rock or a stone or something, and fell."
"And you lost the boat anyway," he said wryly, "so you took a chance for nothing."
Kim clenched her hands tightly, getting up from the
desk, her eyes sparkling and brilliantly dark blue as she faced him. She refused to be made to look small in front of Eve Mellors and, what was worse, she felt annoyingly tearful again. The latter decided her. "I'm sorry about the boat," she told him, her voice trembling despite her efforts to steady it, "but I'll replace it with another as soon as I can find one. In the meantime, Mr. Fleming, I think it might be best if I left. I'll explain to Mr. Daley," she added, stiffly formal.
She was aware, as she walked across the room to the door, that two pairs of eyes followed her progress, and she wondered which held most surprise. There was no doubt which was most pleased to see her go and, at the moment, her biggest regret was having conceded victory to Eve Mellors — that and the tears that rolled warmly down her cheeks as if they would never stop.
Kim had to admit to being puzzled by George's attitude. He was obviously not pleased because she had walked out on James, in fact it seemed to upset him almost, as if it was the last thing he either expected or wanted.
"I promised he should have you for at least a week," he told her, "and it's barely five days."
"It is five days, and it's five days too long," Kim declared, not only puzzled but annoyed by his attitude. "You had no right to lend me to him like an — an eskimo ! "
"Eskimo ?" It was George's turn to look puzzled.
"Wives," Kim explained vaguely. "They used to lend their — oh, never mind." She could see herself getting into even deeper water there and she thought she detected a wicked gleam in his eyes. "You should have asked me first and let me say whether I was willing to go or not."
George looked contrite, but still ready to argue. "And you'd have said no," he declared, "wouldn't you?"
"Quite possibly," Kim agreed, "but you should still have asked me."
He sighed, deeply and exaggeratedly, running disrupting fingers through his long hair so that it fell, very attractively, over one brow. "I thought I was being very noble and self-sacrificing," he told her plaintively.
"But why?" Kim asked. "You don't owe James a — a favour, do you? Why did you have to send me to work for him?"
"And why do you and James have to quarrel all the time?" he asked. "I didn't realise I was causing such a lot of trouble by sending you to James for a few days, but you're such a couple of hotheads I — I despair of you."
He was in what Kim privately termed his poetic mood, when he looked as if he had been abandoned by the whole world, and Kim thought he knew exactly how Victorian and romantic he looked as he sat, shoulders drooped despondently, on the arm of a chair. The velvet jacket he wore, high-collared and slightly flared, and the flowing cravat, combined with the slightly dishevelled long hair, was not only effective but well-nigh irresistible, and Kim, almost instinctively, put out a hand to touch the bowed head.
"George!" He did not speak or move, only sighed again. "I wouldn't have walked out on him," she explained, "only — well, first Eve arrived and then James started being sarcastic at my expense and I was feeling a bit weepy anyway. It's reaction, I suppose."
He looked up, momentarily puzzled, forgetful as only George could be, then he remembered. "Oh, my darling Kim !" He stood up, running his fingers through his hair again. "I never even asked how you were and you were half drowned last night. I am so sorry, my sweet, please forgive me."
The threatening tears still glistened in her eyes, but his profuse and dramatic apology made her smile. "Of course I forgive you," she told him. "I'm perfectly all right, George, just a bit weepy, that's all."
"And I forgot." He hugged her close and kissed her bruised cheek gently. "I'm sorry, my love."
"Don't be. I only reminded you to explain why I walked out on James. I'm sorry to have upset your arrangements. I should have finished out my time as you promised I would. Mind you," she added thoughtfully, "I don't think he bothered too much, so you don't have to worry. I wouldn't have worked for him after today anyway. Miss Norton's due back next week and he'd far rather have her, she's much more efficient than I am." She smiled ruefully when he looked down at her. "Also Eve will be much happier when he's under Miss Norton's eye again."
"Eve," George stated firmly, "is a menace."
Menace or not, Eve Mellors was conspicuous by her absence the following week, and Kim wondered if she had taken James' remarks about delegating work to heart. With George settling down to work once more, things were more or less back to normal, and Kim thanked heaven for it.
There had been nothing more said about weddings and she had pushed that to the back of her mind too, hoping George had done the same.
She had seen the Fleming children most days, although with the days shortening and the colder weather, she saw them mostly at lunch time when they seemed to lie in wait for her to come home. She had seen very little of James, although once he had been in the garden at lunch time when she spoke to the children, and she had asked how his leg was.
His progress had been so satisfactory, he informed her with thanks that Doctor Morgan had said he could return
to the office next week, provided he took things easily at first. A fact, he declared, for which Miss Norton was profoundly thankful, as she found the unfamiliar surroundings distracting.
Kim had never seen Miss Norton, but she had often pictured her as blonde and glamorous, but very reserved, devoting her entire life to her career while her male colleagues admired her physical attributes from afar, never daring to take liberties. It was a picture, Kim admitted, based freely on several such women she had encountered during her own career and of whom she had always stood slightly in awe.
"Now you don't have to bother about James any more," Kim informed George on the following Monday morning. "He's gone off to the office this morning, driven by a rather hatchet-faced lady in black."
"Miss Norton," George guessed with a grin for her description, and Kim pulled a face to see yet another of her mental pictures proved wrong. At least it was understandable now why Eve Mellors had been so anxious to see James return to Miss Norton's capable care.
For another whole week Miss Norton fetched James and brought him back at night and then, on the following Monday, Kim noticed he was home again. Unable to contain her curiosity when she saw him in the garden at lunchtime, Kim went out, ostensibly to speak to the children, and she felt her cheeks go warmly pink when his expression t
old her that he had guessed her real reason.
"I've had the plaster off this morning," he told her, in response to her studiously casual enquiry. "I feel about two stones lighter now."
"I'm glad."
His eyes crinkled at their corners, betraying the inevitable amusement. "Miss Norton'll be glad not to have to drive
me to and from," he told her. "I'll be able to drive myself soon."
"I noticed it wasn't Miss Mellors who drove you," Kim said, unable to resist the jibe, and he looked puzzled.
"Eve?"
Kim tugged at some dead leaves and scattered them on the garden, anything rather than look at him. "I seem to remember Miss Mellors offered to drive you to and from the office," she said, and he grinned.
"Oh yes, so she did. Well, I'd still decline the offer. I feel safer with Norton's driving than Eve's."
Kim looked across to where Lee played with his sister by the house and was reminded of a promise she had made, rather rashly, the day she had refused to work for him any longer. "I really must replace Lee's boat," she said. "I meant to have done it before now, but — I don't know, somehow I just forgot it."
"It's not necessary," he told her firmly., "I'd have been annoyed if you had got him one. For one thing it was his own fault that he lost it, and for another you did quite enough with rescuing him, without bothering about his wretched toy as well."
"You — you didn't spank him, did you?" Her eyes were wide and appealing as a child's and she had no idea what had prompted her to ask him that, but it did seem important that he should give the right answer.
For a moment he looked at her steadily over the top of the wooden fence and the dying hydrangeas that bordered her aunt's garden. "Would it worry you very much if I did?" he asked quietly, and she blinked uncertainly, a small line drawing her brows together.
"I — I hope you didn't," she said at last, and he smiled. "Then I didn't." She was still uncertain if he told the truth or was merely trying to say the right thing.