Stephen looked around the yard and Tamsyn went into the hay barn. She remembered they had sat on a hay bale chewing buttercream toffees the day before. She saw the little black eyepatch almost at once and ran to pick it up. She was about to put it over her head and rush out to show Stephen when she froze in fear. She could hear strange noises and thought the ghost of the big house had moved into the barn. She looked all about and realised the noises were coming from the hayloft. Trance-like, she moved to the foot of the ladder. There she got a second shock. She heard a voice moan but it was clear enough for her to recognise whose it was.
‘Ohh Joe.’
There it was again. Mrs Fiennes was with Uncle Joe and she recognised a grunt from him. Instinct told her that they were doing something wrong and Stephen must never know. She rushed out of the barn and collided with him.
‘Ouch, be careful.’
‘Sorry, Stephen. Look, I’ve found my eyepatch. Let’s get back to the creek.’
‘We might as well play in the yard now we’re here.’
‘NO! I want to play in the creek.’ And One-Eyed Pete ran pell-mell out of the stable yard disobeying his captain’s orders.
* * *
It was nearly two o’clock and Alex was on tenterhooks waiting for Susannah Bosanko to arrive. He peered out of the windows and looked at his wristwatch every few seconds. He paced up and down the hall, his shoes echoing on the wooden floor. There was a light step behind him and he swung round. ‘Oh, Becca, it’s you.’
‘I couldn’t find her, Alex.’
‘Who?’ he asked impatiently, wringing his hands.
‘Mrs Fiennes, of course. You sent me to find her, remember?’ Rebecca looked at him with a hint of amusement on her face. ‘Anyone would think you were expecting your lady love to arrive to introduce her to your parents for the first time.’
‘It isn’t funny, Becca.’ He thought he heard a car pull up and leapt to a window. ‘Damned woman,’ he said under his breath.
Rebecca stood beside him. ‘Who? Miss Bosanko?’
‘No, not her. Abigail! She should have been here by now. Stephen is, he’s been sitting quietly in the drawing room for fifteen minutes. I thought you might have had to drag her away from her make-up and mirror to meet Susannah but I didn’t expect her to disappear. You look lovely, by the way.’
‘Thank you.’ Rebecca could see the tension in his lean body and deep lines creased his forehead. She touched his arm and it twitched. She caught his hand and pulled down hard on it to attract his full attention. ‘Calm down, Alex. You’ve been like a taut spring ready to snap all morning You haven’t eaten a thing all day. You’ll make yourself ill. Miss Bosanko is only an old lady. Why are you in such a state over her?’
He looked at her and blinked and his battered nerves seem to relax in front of her eyes. He sighed deeply and managed a small smile. ‘I don’t know. Sometimes I think I’m going off my head, Becca.’ He took her other hand and squeezed it. ‘Thank God you’re here to calm me down. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
‘That’s better,’ she said, straightening his tie. ‘I’ll go to the kitchen and bring the tea in when you ring.’
‘No. Stay with me and greet Susannah.’
‘Not me. My place is in the kitchen.’
When Rebecca’s footsteps had died away, Alex asked himself why he was in such a nervous state over Susannah’s impending visit. There was no doubt that she fascinated him but there was something disturbing about her too.
The moment he had kissed her cheek the second time he had called on her, three days after Margaret Grubb’s wedding, she had held out a newspaper cutting to him.
‘So this is your Rebecca, Alexander?’
He took the piece of paper and saw it was a photograph of himself and Rebecca at the wedding. ‘Why on earth did they put this in the paper? It was the bride and groom’s day. I had very little to do with it.’
‘They are not newsworthy, darling. You are. She’s a very beautiful young woman, Rebecca Allen.’ Susannah watched Alex’s face closely. ‘Don’t you think?’
Alex took the newspaper cutting to the window to see it more clearly. In the picture he and Rebecca were standing outside the church, where he had taken her to question her about her bad mood. He had his hand on her arm. ‘Yes, she is lovely,’ he said, smiling down at her face in the picture.
‘You look as though you are a couple,’ Susannah observed in a dry voice.
‘Yes, I suppose we do. I hope you’ll get the chance to meet her soon.’
He had given her back the cutting and felt alarmed when she had crumpled it in her hand and tossed it into a wastepaper bin.
On his next visit to Melvill Road, just one day ago, Susannah had chattered excitedly about her forthcoming visit to Trevallion. She had been animated, on her feet most of the time, whirling about the drawing room like a young girl and he had been surprised at her vitality.
She had wound up the gramophone and insisted that he dance with her. Alex had laughed at first and waltzed with her, expecting them to sit down afterwards. But she had put record after record on to play, making him dance with her until he was dizzy and out of breath. He had implored her to sit down, thinking that if he was worn out, she, at her age, could drop exhausted and he would be responsible for her sudden demise. But Susannah had insisted on dancing just one more tango. Her movements had been as lithe as someone years younger and she had gripped Alex so tightly he thought he’d choke. When the music finished he’d let her go but Susannah stayed close to him.
He was embarrassed. ‘I… think I need a drink.’
He’d poured himself a large Scotch with shaking hands. For one awful moment he thought she was going to follow him but she had sat down and behaved with perfect decorum for the rest of his visit.
I’m afraid, Alex admitted to himself. I’m afraid she might get familiar again and if it happened in front of somebody here…
A car’s horn sounded and he went outside to receive Susannah. She refused her chauffeur’s hand and allowed Alex to help her alight. She was dressed as usual in green, in a short sleeveless dress which showed her raddled flesh, emerald clips flashing on its low V neck. Tucking her clutch bag under her arm, she kissed both of Alex’s cheeks than his lips. He tried to escort her into the house but she held him back.
‘Let me look at you, Alexander. You are very pale and look agitated. Are you not pleased to see me?’
‘Of course I am. I’ve been looking forward to it for two weeks.’ He kissed her as she had him and she seemed to be satisfied.
Alex showed her into the drawing room and after apologising for Abigail’s unexplained absence introduced her to Stephen. Susannah shook Stephen’s hand and stared at him. Stephen had been stared out by Rebecca and that had taken several moments. With Susannah Bosanko he gulped and dropped his eyes immediately.
‘I don’t suppose you wanted to meet me for a minute,’ Susannah said coldly. ‘Having to get all spruced up when you’d rather be out doing what little boys like you do, no doubt causing some kind of trouble for someone else. I don’t like children. You’ve done your duty, Stephen Fiennes, so you can run along at once.’
Stephen intended to be on his best behaviour in the hope of getting another trip to Perranporth out of his uncle and he had wanted to impress this old lady with what he called his wit. But all he said meekly was, ‘Yes, Miss Bosanko.’
Alex gaped as Stephen obediently walked from the room without another word.
‘Close your mouth, Alexander. It’s most unbecoming in a gentleman. I’m glad to be rid of the tiresome child and have no wish to meet his mother either.’
‘Um… do sit down, Susannah. I’ll ring for tea.’
Susannah seated herself at the side of the fireplace, her head sinking down on her chest. ‘I’ve always liked this room. Miles had it decorated for Harriet. We were here only a week before she died.’
‘I forget sometimes that this house must hold poignant memories for yo
u.’
‘Yes,’ she said slowly, fixing him with her lizard eyes. ‘You only have memories of Miles away from the property. You weren’t here in the old days. I am glad to see that nothing has been changed.’
A few minutes later Rebecca entered the room with the tea tray. With narrowed eyes, Susannah watched her put the tray down on the table in front of her.
‘Let me introduce you to Becca,’ Alex said, and there was an element of pride in his face as he presented Rebecca to the old woman.
Rebecca came forward with her hand out. Susannah’s head shot up and as Rebecca saw her face more clearly, she gave a shiver and grasped Alex’s hand instead. ‘P-pleased to meet you, Miss Bosanko.’
Susannah motioned with a gnarled hand, the veins of which were purple and prominent. ‘Come here, girl. I can’t see you if you hide behind Major Fiennes.’
Alex smiled encouragement at Rebecca and she obeyed. Susannah looked her up and down very slowly.
‘Mmmm, a pretty dress but serviceable for a girl such as you. Sensible shoes, trim calves and shapely ankles but your stockings are not put on properly. Firm breasts, although a trifle too big to be ladylike, and well-set shoulders. Your best features are your beautiful eyes and, yes, your magnificent black hair. Alex told me you had beautiful hair.’
Rebecca almost expected this hideous old woman to order her to open her mouth so she could inspect her teeth. She found her voice from somewhere low in her chest. ‘Thank you, Miss Bosanko. Shall I pour the tea or would you care to do it?’
‘I shall entertain Major Fiennes, Rebecca. Return to the kitchens at once.’
Rebecca couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. Whatever did Alex find so fascinating about Susannah Bosanko? She was barely human! As she reached the door, Susannah’s voice halted her.
‘And Rebecca, we do not wish to be disturbed.’
Rebecca turned and nodded and threw Alex an astonished look before hurrying out and closing the door.
‘The child is afraid of me,’ Susannah said, leaning towards the tea tray.
‘Rebecca isn’t afraid of anyone.’ It was an automatic reply because it was how Alex had always seen Rebecca. But now he saw Susannah Bosanko as Rebecca had, what she was really like. The fascination she’d held for him evaporated and instead he felt distinctly uneasy.
He took his tea over to the french windows.
‘Do you have plans to live here, Alexander?’
‘None as yet.’
‘That’s a pity. This house should be lived in.’
‘Well, it has a resident ghost.’ He forced a laugh. He was finding conversation difficult.
‘A ghost?’ Susannah raised an eyebrow. ‘And of whom is that supposed to be?’
Alex turned and faced her. This could be interesting. He hadn’t been able to draw her out on her lover who had lived and died here. ‘Roland Trevallion. He died violently in the cellar, as I’m sure you know.’
Susannah’s face turned purple and he thought she was going to have a seizure. ‘He was the most vile of men! I would prefer it if you did not mention him to me again.’
Alex felt his skin crawl. So she had not forgiven the man who had spurned her. She was probably pleased he had met a tragic and untimely end if the vindictive look on her wrinkled face was anything to go by. He put his teacup down and went to the drinks cabinet. He needed something to take the taste of decay out of his mouth. He kept his eyes rooted to the old lady’s face, watching her every move and praying she would not come anywhere near him. He had a great rapport with Rebecca and now he shared something else with her. He was suddenly very much afraid of Susannah Bosanko, and of what she might be planning inside that gnarled old head.
Chapter 24
Rebecca was walking back from Verrian Farm. A car roared round a bend and she had to throw herself in the ditch.
‘You mad fool!’ she screamed, shaking her fist.
Neville Faull brought his vehicle to a swift halt, throwing up dust and grit. He got out of the car, laughing as he held out his hands to her.
‘Sorry about that, darling. I took the bend a little too tightly.’
‘It’s a good job the front wheel of my bicycle is buckled and I left it on the farm for Clifford Kellow to mend or I would have been tossed sixty feet up in the air! And if I wasn’t wearing my riding breeches my legs would be cut to ribbons on the brambles in this ditch. If you had met Farmer Bocock on that bend you’d have two dead horses on your conscience by now. And if—’
‘Are you going to stay there all day shouting at me or are you going to let me help you out? By heavens, Rebecca, you look beautiful when you’re angry.’
She took his hands and leapt out of the ditch then shook dust and bits of dead twig off her breeches. ‘Beautiful when I’m angry indeed. Who do you think you are? Rudolph Valentino?’
Neville took off his cap and placed it on her head. ‘No, my dear, just an ordinary man who’s besotted with you. I wouldn’t make much of a film star but,’ he lowered his voice huskily, ‘I’d love to kidnap you and take you to my desert tent.’
‘Fool,’ she said, playfully hitting him with his cap and putting it in his hand. ‘And there’s nothing ordinary about you, Neville Faull.’
‘Glad you think so, my dear.’ He was looking at her admiringly. ‘Let me tidy your hair for you. It’s—’
Rebecca pushed his hands away. ‘I’ll do it myself. What would people think if they saw us?’
‘They’d probably think I was trying to seduce you,’ and he winked saucily.
‘Neville!’
They laughed, and he kissed her cheek then gestured towards his car. ‘Can I give you a lift to the gatehouse? It’s where I’m going. I’ve written to the Major requesting that he stays in to receive me but I also hoped it would give me the opportunity of seeing you again.’
‘Only if you promise not to drive like a madman.’
In the car he reached over to the back seat and dropped a small box wrapped in floral patterned paper in her lap.
Rebecca picked it up and gently shook it. ‘What is it?’
‘Just a little gift, a box of chocolates. I was hoping I’d see you alone to give it to you.’
She lifted the tiny red silk bow on the box with a fingertip and stared down at it.
‘Aren’t you going to say something?’
‘I’ve never been given anything like this before. Thank you, Neville.’
‘My pleasure, Rebecca.’ He leaned across and put his arm round her. Rebecca glanced along the lane. There was no one in sight and she accepted the long full kiss from him.
‘How about coming into town and dining with my Aunt Mildred? She’s dying to meet you properly and she thinks it will give her an opening to meet the Major,’ he said, placing tiny soft kisses around her ear. ‘Or would you prefer to go to the pictures again?’
Rebecca rested her head against his shoulder and said nothing. She was turning things over in her mind. Neville brought his hand under her chin and lifted her face to his.
‘You do want to see me again?’ He looked quite worried.
‘Yes, but it’ll be difficult to get away so soon. I don’t want you bringing me back here. Mrs Fiennes wouldn’t approve and she might tell my father. I don’t want a quarrel about it. I’ll have more of an idea when I can get away in a few days’ time.’
‘The Regatta Fortnight has begun. Are you going to the St Mawes Regatta? I hear that the Major is attending and Kennick Creek will be involved. Mr Drayton wants to go, for some obscure reason, and I was thinking of popping along myself. I don’t want the old boy pulling a fast one over me with the Major.’
‘Why should Mr Drayton do that?’ she frowned. ‘What are you up to?’
Neville tightened his mouth but the humour was still in his eyes. ‘Talk about instant distrust.’
‘I’d forgotten for a moment that you’re a man not to be trusted.’
‘Oh, I see,’ he said softly, running a finger delicately along her c
hin. ‘Does this mean I’m wasting my time?’
She looked into his eyes. They gazed steadily back at her. What could she read in those blue depths? She looked at his lips and recalled his wonderful kisses. ‘I’ll be at the regatta. I’ll tell you then when I’ve next got time off. And I would like to meet your Aunt Mildred again.’
He smiled and she felt warm and lighthearted. This was just what she needed, a romance with a handsome man, and what young woman could blame her?’
‘Aunt Mildred’s it is then. We can get to know each other better,’ Neville said. He added, looking straight into her eyes, ‘We could have done that last week if you’d invited me into your uncle’s house.’
‘It wouldn’t have been wise for many reasons.’
‘Why?’ He kissed her forehead. ‘Wouldn’t I have been safe alone with you?’
Rebecca raised her eyes to the sky and shook her head at him. They kissed again then she looked at his wristwatch. ‘I’d better get back or I’ll have Mrs Fiennes after me.’ Neville drove at speed along the narrow lanes and Rebecca’s hair flowed out behind her like a length of black satin. Her face was flushed from the wind when they pulled up.
When they entered the gatehouse Abigail came running down the stairs. She had seen the car pull up and was furious to see Rebecca getting out. Their friendliness was obvious and to Abigail that amounted to nothing less than mutiny on Rebecca’s part. ‘So there you are at last! I gave you permission to take your bicycle to the farm to be repaired. I did not expect you to stay there all day. You may think you can do what you like where the Major is concerned but don’t forget you’re only an employee. Go and change this instant, Rebecca! And if you can’t keep your hair tidy, I’ll make you have it cut short.’
Rebecca was about to open her mouth and explode when Neville, who had been standing behind her, pushed her aside to speak up angrily on her behalf He was beaten to it however.
‘Abigail!’
Abigail jumped out of her skin as Alex stormed out of the sitting room. ‘What on earth do you think you’re doing? Shouting at Rebecca as though she was a worthless menial.’
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