“No.”
“M-hm!” said Mr. MacNair. The exclamation was one of slight surprise, and his voice rose on the second syllable.
Alec looked at the newcomer with more interest. He wondered why she had come to Cairn if she did not intend to paint pictures. She was nice to look at, Alec thought. She was slight, and rather tall, with short fair hair which curled softly about her ears. Her eyes were very large, they were a strange deep blue, shadowed with violet, and they had a wondering expression which is more often seen in the eyes of a child than of a grown-up person. In some ways (thought Alec) she was like the artist lady who had come to Cairn last year, but in other ways she was quite different . . . she had not painted her own face at all, Alec noticed. The suitcase, which she had put down on the floor when she came in, bore a green label, and by twisting his head to one side and using his extremely long-sighted eyes Alec was able to make out the name on the label—it was “Miss F. FIELD.”
“The lady will have come off the bus,” Alec said.
The lady agreed that she had done so. There was no other way in which she could have arrived unless she had walked.
“It will be the soldiers,” said Fergus thoughtfully.
Every one in the room understood what Fergus meant by this somewhat enigmatic statement—every one except Miss Field. She turned her eyes upon Fergus and inquired: “What soldiers?”
“The soldiers at the camp,” said Fergus.
“Are there soldiers here?” asked Miss Field in surprise.
“No, there are none at all,” replied Fergus, shaking his head.
Miss Field looked thoroughly bewildered.
“Not yet,” explained Alec kindly.
“But they will be coming soon, no doubt,” added Mr. MacNair.
“I don’t understand,” said Miss Field.
“You will be here on account of the soldiers,” suggested Fergus.
“No,” said Miss Field firmly. “No, I didn’t even know there were any soldiers here . . .”
“There are no soldiers here—not yet,” Fergus reminded her.
There was another silence—quite a peaceful sort of silence—the clock on the wall ticked away busily and Donald finished his drink.
“Perhaps you haven’t got a room for me,” said Miss Field at last.
“We have five rooms,” replied Mr. MacNair with some pride. “Five good bedrooms, we have. Two of them are a wee bit small, but they are not bad—”
“They’re grand rooms, so they are,” declared Donald in his squeaky voice.
“I spent good money on them,” Mr. MacNair admitted.
Miss Field looked relieved. One room was all she required, but it was pleasant to know that she had such a wide choice of accommodation.
“You could not have the east room,” said Mr. MacNair doubtfully. “It would not be nice for you at all. The paper has come off the wall in the corner, so it has. Alec has been too busy to paste it.”
“I have been busy with the boat,” explained Alec. “I did not think there would be anybody coming so soon—but I will get on to it to-morrow. It will not take long once I can get started to it.”
“There is the south room—” began Mr. MacNair.
“Och, you would not put her in there!” exclaimed Fergus. “A dark room, it is, with a wee window in the corner, and no view at all.”
“The west room has a view of the sea,” Alec pointed out.
“That would be lovely,” declared Miss Field.
“The north room is nice too,” said Mr. MacNair.
“It is the biggest one,” agreed Fergus, nodding his head.
“But you would need to move Sheila!” said Alec.
“Och, Sheila would not mind,” declared Mr. MacNair.
The other men had been listening to the discussion with interest. One of them now leaned forward and said: “There is the room over the kitchen where the old lady was—the old lady that had the operation—”
“Och, that wee hole!” exclaimed Fergus in disparaging tones.
Mr. MacNair said nothing. He drew another glass of beer for Donald, wiped it carefully and set it on the counter. Miss Field felt—and looked—exactly like Alice in Wonderland. She waited for a few moments and then she said: “I think the room with the view of the sea would suit me best.”
“But you have not seen it,” Mr. MacNair pointed out.
“It is a nice room,” Alec declared.
“It is not bad at all,” agreed its owner.
“I should like to see it,” said Miss Field in desperation.
“And why not?” inquired Mr. MacNair, taking a chamois duster out of a drawer and polishing the shining counter.
Miss Field was so exasperated by this time that she felt inclined to pick up her suitcase and depart—she would have done so, but she was aware that there was no other hotel in the place and the bus had gone—and then suddenly, just as she had reached the limit of her patience and had opened her mouth to inquire whether or not she could be given a room in the Bordale Arms Hotel, Alec straightened himself and came across the room. He lifted her case as if it were packed with feathers and led her through a side door which communicated with the residential part of the house. Miss Field found herself following Alec across a stone-flagged hall and up a flight of steep, narrow stairs.
The house was old, the walls were very thick and were panelled in oak, darkened with the smoke of bygone fires, but Miss Field was glad to see that the place was clean and well kept. At the top of the stairs there was a square landing lighted by a skylight. The floor was covered with flowered linoleum and with several deerskin rugs.
“This is the west room,” said Alec, opening a door and standing aside to allow Miss Field to precede him. “It is the nicest room too. It is the one I would choose for myself.”
The room was a good size and well proportioned, it was full of late afternoon sunshine.
“Oh, how lovely!” cried Miss Field, running to the window and gazing out at the wide expanse of sea. “Oh, how magnificent! I’ve never seen such a heavenly view before.”
The view was certainly very beautiful, it was wide and varied and colourful. There was the harbour with its little boats bobbing up and down in the gentle swell, there were rocks and cliffs and stretches of green grass. Southward was the lovely sweep of Cairn Bay glistening in the late afternoon sunshine. The sea was a deep blue and, far away, floating in a haze of mist, Miss Field saw the faint outline of an island with jagged mountains. “Oh, how lovely!” she cried again.
“The room is comfortable,” said Alec. “The carpet is new and the bed is not bad at all. It has a real hair mattress.”
She realised that he wanted her to admire the room, so she turned away from the window. She felt that she owed Alec a good deal for the way in which he had rescued her from her plight. It was a little difficult to place Alec, she found. He was dressed in a fisherman’s jersey and an old pair of blue trousers, but he seemed different from the other men she had seen. He was tall and dark and very good-looking in a weather-beaten sort of way, and his voice was pleasant and musical.
“It is a nice room,” said Miss Field, smiling in a friendly manner. “It’s so nice to have a comfortable chair. I shall be able to sit here and read and enjoy the view. Why didn’t the other man want me to have this room?”
“The other man!” echoed Alec in surprise. “Is it my uncle you mean?”
“The hotel-keeper . . . is he your uncle? He didn’t want me to have this room, did he? It was so nice of you to—to persuade him.” She hesitated, wondering whether she could possibly tip him . . . but, no, it was out of the question.
“Och, that is just his way,” Alec declared.
“Just his way?”
“This is the only room that is ready for visitors,” he added.
“Then why—then I suppose he didn’t want me to stay?”
“What would be the use of a hotel if people did not stay in it?” asked Alec in surprise.
“I me
an,” began Miss Field, struggling to find her way through the fog of misunderstanding. “I mean . . . well . . . why didn’t he give me a room when I asked for it?”
“There was no hurry,” replied Alec comfortably.
“No, but still—”
“Och, it is not every day that a visitor comes to Cairn.”
He went away after that, and Miss Field sat down on the edge of her bed and laughed to herself. She laughed because it had been so funny, but also because she felt happy. She was going to enjoy her holiday; it was quiet and peaceful, the air was clear and sparkling, and for the first time in her life she was free. She could do exactly as she liked all the time. She could do silly things if she wanted to do them—there was nobody to worry her with questions as to where she had been and what she had done and why she had done it—she could go out when she liked and stay out as long as she liked; she could go to bed early or stay up late.
Miss Field began to unpack and to hang up her clothes in the big old-fashioned wardrobe. Her fingers were busy loosening the band of her skirt when the sound of a gong, beaten in a peremptory manner, boomed through the house. Miss Field hesitated and looked at her watch; it was half-past six (which seemed a strange hour for a meal), but as she had had no tea the idea of something to eat was distinctly pleasant. She washed her hands and tidied her hair and went downstairs.
The dining-room was a long-shaped room with a low ceiling and panelled walls. There were two large tables in the middle of the room and two small ones in the window, and they were all empty. Miss Field was the only visitor at the Bordale Arms. She had guessed as much from the conversation in the bar . . . five bedrooms and all empty except one which was occupied by Sheila. Perhaps Sheila was the daughter of the innkeeper, thought Miss Field. She was hesitating at the door when a plump, rosy-cheeked maid came forward and conducted her to her place.
“I thought you’d like the table in the window,” said the maid in a friendly manner. “Most of the people like it best. You can see the wee boats going in and out of the harbour while you’re taking your meals. Mistress MacNair said would you sign the papers. They’re awful particular about it since the war started.”
Miss Field took the pen and began to fill in the forms, and the rosy-cheeked maid watched the process with unconcealed interest. “Frances Field!” she exclaimed. “It’s a nice name, so it is. My name’s Annie Fraser . . . and you’re British, so there’s no need for you to fill in the other questions. . . . Och, your home’s in London, is it?”
Frances Field laughed. She could not take exception to Annie’s curiosity, for it was so friendly and natural. It was like the curiosity of a child.
“Fancy your home being in London!” said Annie, looking at her with wide eyes. “My, weren’t you frightened of the raids?”
Miss Field admitted that she was very frightened indeed, but added that one soon got used to it.
“I wouldn’t, then,” declared Annie. “I’d be scared all the time. It’s a wonder to me that people can stand it. Are you an evacuee?”
“I suppose I am in a way,” replied Miss Field doubtfully.
“Was your house bombed?”
“No, it wasn’t. A bomb fell in the square and some of our windows were broken, but—”
“Och, I wouldn’t like it at all!” cried Annie in horror-stricken tones.
Miss Field settled down to her meal. She had wondered what sort of meal would be provided for her at this hour—whether it would be tea or supper—and now she decided that it was a mixture of both. There was a dish of herrings fried in oatmeal and a couple of large potatoes roasted in their jackets. There were scones and oatcakes and butter and jam and a square of heather honey. The beverage was tea.
“Would that be enough?” asked Annie, hovering round and rearranging the plates. “Would you take an egg, Miss Field?”
“I shan’t want anything else, thank you,” Miss Field replied.
If she had hoped to get rid of Annie and to have her meal in peace she was disappointed. Annie was far too interested in the newcomer to leave her in peace. There were all sorts of things that Annie wanted to know—things that every one in Cairn would want to know—and the longer she talked to Miss Field the more she would find out. You couldn’t ask people too much all at once, but you could talk to them and tell them things and then most likely they would tell you what you wanted to know. She was a nice lady, Annie thought. She wasn’t stuck-up like some of the people that came.
“It’s quiet here,” said Annie. “There’s a picture house at Rithie—that’s the place you got the bus. Rithie’s a nice place, and the picture house isn’t bad at all. Do you like the pictures?”
Miss Field nodded. She was eating a mouthful of herring, so she could not speak.
“I do,” said Annie with a sigh. “I like Clark Gable. Do you like him?”
“I don’t know,” said Miss Field. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him.”
“Not in London?” inquired Annie in surprise.
“I didn’t go to many films,” explained Miss Field. “I lived with my aunt and she—she wasn’t very strong. She didn’t like me to leave her.”
“Is she dead?” asked Annie sympathetically.
“No,” replied Miss Field.
Annie waited for more information, but none came. She said: “Weston is a nice place. It’s much bigger than Rithie and the shops are fine. I go there when I get a whole day off. It’s a nice place to go. Maybe you’ll go over one day.”
Miss Field nodded.
“Are you staying here long?” asked Annie.
“It depends how I like it.”
“There’s not much to do here.”
“Isn’t there?”
“Not unless you paint pictures.”
“But I can’t paint,” said Miss Field, laughing. “My governess did her best to teach me, but I never got beyond the tulip stage.”
“That’s a pity,” said Annie regretfully. “Maybe you’ve come for the fishing—”
“I don’t know how to fish either,” declared Miss Field.
“There’s a lot of people come here in the Summer. It’s the bathing they like. There was one man swam out to the Black Rock. But it’s too cold for the bathing yet—I’m thinking you’ll maybe find it a wee bit dull.”
Miss Field shook her head.
“After London!” said Annie with a surprised inflection. “My, I should think Cairn would seem awful dull to a person who was used to London!”
“It depends on the person,” Miss Field replied.
Annie considered the matter. “There was a lady came here last year. She’d had an operation, and the doctor sent her here. It’s a grand place for people when they’ve been ill.”
“I haven’t been ill,” said Miss Field, smiling. “I came here because I wanted to think.”
Annie looked at her in amazement.
“I saw a picture of Cairn,” continued Miss Field, helping herself to another herring and dismembering it carefully. “I saw a picture of it in the Academy—it’s a place in London where pictures are hung and people can go and look at them—and I made up my mind that some day I would go to Cairn and see it with my own eyes—and here I am.”
“In the name of fortune!” exclaimed Annie in heartfelt tones.
CHAPTER II
Miss Field was very much amused at Annie’s interest in her affairs; she realised that it was friendly interest and not mere idle curiosity. She would have been quite willing to tell Annie the whole story of her life, but it was not the sort of thing one could do. Annie would have to make the most of the small titbits which she had succeeded in obtaining from Miss Field—though no doubt she would elaborate them.
Frances Field had lost her parents before she was four years old. Her father had been killed in the last war, and her mother, losing all interest in life, had followed him shortly after. Frances went to live with her uncle and his wife in London. They were old-fashioned people with no children of their own, and the
ir house was like a little bit of Queen Victoria’s time set down in the bustle and hum of modern London. They did not want a child in the house, but there was nobody else to take her and, although she was not actually penniless, it was out of the question to send her to strangers.
“After all, she’s your own flesh and blood,” said Mrs. Wheeler with a sigh. “She’s your own sister’s child—”
Mr. Wheeler agreed that she was—he always agreed with his wife, for it was the easiest thing to do. “But I hope she won’t disturb you, Zoë,” he said anxiously.
Frances did not disturb her aunt. She was a quiet, gentle child and soon developed a taste for reading, which was a good thing for every one concerned. At ten years old she discovered Dickens, and, as there was a whole set of Dickens in the bookcase in the dining-room, the discovery kept her quieter than before . . . after that came Thackeray and Jane Austen, but Dickens was her first love.
Frances was not sent to school—she might have learnt to be rough and noisy—she was educated at home by a governess, and when she had learnt all that the governess could teach her it was decided that her education was complete. Mrs. Wheeler had always talked of “sending Frances abroad to finish,” but when the time came she discovered that Frances was useful and could not be spared, Mrs. Wheeler had always been extremely lazy, and now she decided that she was “not very strong.” Dr. Digby—the old Scottish doctor who had attended the Wheelers for years and had seen Frances through the usual childish ailments—could find nothing the matter with Mrs. Wheeler, or at least nothing that a little exercise and dieting would not cure, but Mrs. Wheeler disliked exercise in any form and was incapable of self-discipline. She relapsed into a state of semi-invalidism, and Frances took over the housekeeping. She did the shopping, ran messages, exercised the dog in Wintringham Square Gardens, did the flowers, filled hot-water bottles, and made Bengers Food. “I don’t know what I should do without her,” Mrs. Wheeler would say, as she lay on the drawing-room sofa and devoured chocolate creams and novels from the library, and Mrs. Wheeler’s friends would nod and reply: “But it’s so nice for Frances to have such a comfortable home.”
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