A Safe Harbour (42 page)

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Authors: Benita Brown

Tags: #Technology & Engineering, #Sagas, #Fisheries & Aquaculture, #Fiction

BOOK: A Safe Harbour
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‘What is it?’
 
‘Someone walked over my grave,’ she whispered.
 
The moment of stillness that followed was broken by the jangling of the bell above the shop door. Kate and Richard sprang apart as Howard Munro walked in.
 
‘I’ve come for my groceries,’ he said cheerfully, but his smile faded quickly as he recognized Richard. ‘Oh. Doing some shopping, are you?’
 
Richard shook his head. ‘I just called in to see how Miss Lawson was.’
 
‘Ah, well, I suppose having acted the hero, you feel somewhat responsible for her.’
 
‘Are you mocking me, Howard?’
 
‘No, of course not.’
 
Richard said no more but he looked vexed. The two of them are on the verge of quarrelling, Kate thought. And she was not so naïve that she could not guess why. Disturbed and flustered, she was glad to turn away from them while she sought the box of groceries and lifted them up on to the counter.
 
‘Here are your things,’ she said as cheerfully as she could. ‘It was kind of you to give Betsy a list. I’m sure you don’t really need all this.’ She gestured towards the box. ‘But it makes her feel useful. She would have delivered them, you know.’
 
Howard shrugged. ‘I wanted to see you. To ask if you have quite recovered.’
 
‘Thank you, I’m fine now. But I’m glad you came.’
 
‘Are you?’ Howard smiled brilliantly.
 
‘I wanted to apologize in person for not being able to pose for the picture any more.’
 
The smile faded slightly but he adopted a teasing tone. ‘Is that the only reason?’
 
‘Well, of course I’m always pleased to see you.’
 
Kate found herself responding to his flirtatious manner, although she knew very well what he was doing and was also aware that Richard was becoming irritated. He had moved away and his face was in shadow.
 
‘As I told the child, you needn’t worry about the portrait,’ Howard said. ‘I’ll be able to finish it without asking you to sit again. Although I hope very much that you’ll come and view it when it’s finished.’
 
‘Perhaps I will.’
 
‘
Perhaps
?’
 
‘Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t know what to expect. I might not like what I see.’
 
‘But you must view it. And you need have no fears that I haven’t done you justice. In fact I think it might be the best portrait I’ve ever painted. Please say you’ll come.’ Howard stepped forward and took hold of Kate’s hand. ‘I’ll tell you when.’
 
At that moment the shop door opened and closed; a strident female voice said, ‘What’s going on here?’
 
Kate tried to withdraw her hand but Howard hung on to it as he turned to face the newcomer. ‘And you are?’ he asked.
 
‘This is Susan Armstrong, Mrs Willis’s daughter,’ Kate told him. She pulled furiously and freed her hand. ‘Hello, Susan. This is Mr Munro, the artist. I’m sure you’ve heard of him,’ she added lamely.
 
Susan barely nodded. ‘And does my mother know about this?’
 
‘I beg your pardon?’ Howard said.
 
‘I’m talking to Kate,’ Susan said. ‘Does my mother know about this?’
 
‘About what, precisely?’ Kate said with as much composure as she could muster. She noticed that a raindrop was about to fall from the tip of Susan’s sharp nose.
 
‘About the way you’re carrying on while you’re supposed to be working?’
 
‘I’m not . . . I mean . . .’
 
As Kate stumbled over her words Richard Adamson stepped forward. ‘What happened was entirely Mr Munro’s fault,’ he said. ‘I can assure you that Miss Lawson is not to blame.’
 
‘Oh . . . Mr Adamson.’
 
It was clear that Susan had just become aware of who the other gentleman was. She bit her lip and looked discomfited. ‘Well, if you say so,’ she said.
 
‘I do say so. I was about to admonish my cousin for embarrassing Miss Lawson.’
 
‘Well, in that case . . .’
 
‘And how is your husband?’ Richard continued smoothly. ‘Seth, isn’t it? Is he enjoying his job in the warehouse?’
 
Susan struggled to adjust her expression to one of gratitude and Kate almost felt sorry for her. ‘Yes . . . thank you. It was very kind of you to find the position for him.’
 
‘Not at all. But now we must go. Come along, Howard, you have caused enough inconvenience for Miss Lawson.’
Throughout this exchange Howard Munro had kept silent. But now, and Kate could have cursed him for it, he decided to have the last word. ‘Mrs Armstrong, I apologize if I have offended your sense of propriety. But Miss Lawson and I are good friends.’
 
‘Friends? You and Kate?’ Susan frowned.
 
‘Certainly. We have become close while I have been painting her portrait.’
 
Susan’s astonishment was almost comical and unfortunately it spurred Howard on to further devilment. ‘I understand you have only just returned here so you may not know that it was my intention to paint both the village and its inhabitants.’
 
‘Oh, yes. I heard.’
 
‘And once I saw Kate I knew that if I never painted another portrait in my life I must paint hers. I can only hope that I have done justice to her beauty.’
 
Kate could have hit him. Susan was goggle-eyed and Richard was obviously furious. He took hold of Howard’s shoulder. ‘That’s enough, Howard. Mrs Armstrong does not understand that your artistic temperament gives you licence to speak this way – or at least you believe it does. Now apologize to Miss Lawson for embarrassing her and pick up your groceries.’
 
‘Have I embarrassed you, Kate?’
 
‘You know very well that you have,’ she said tersely.
 
‘Then I’m sorry.’
 
Without more fuss Howard paid for his groceries, picked up the box and allowed Richard to guide him – forcibly – out of the door. Through the shop window Kate saw Prince greet his master enthusiastically but Richard barely noticed the poor beast. The two men walked off together quarrelling furiously. Kate felt drained. She leaned forward to grip the counter and face Susan. But before the enraged young woman could speak her mother came through from the back shop.
 
‘Susan, pet,’ she said. ‘I thought I heard your voice. Hev you been talking to Kate?’ She hurried on without giving Susan time to answer, ‘Eeh, you’ll never know how grateful I am that Kate has agreed to help out. You know I was beginning to think I’d have to close the shop. But with Kate here I can look after your poor father. Come on, Susan, come through. Your da’s awake and I know he’ll be pleased to see you.’
 
Susan lifted the flap in the counter and walked through. She let the flap drop so carelessly that it would have banged forcefully if Kate had not caught it. Once she was alone again she turned her attention to tidying the shelves. If she was finding it difficult to make sense of what had just happened – the feelings aroused by Richard Adamson’s mere presence and the rivalry that had sprung up between him and his cousin – at least she could put the shop in order. Jane was right about finding peace in such tasks because they were easier than bringing order to life.
 
Poor Jane, she thought. She loves my brother so and yet her ambitions might be coming in the way of a happy ending to their problems. But at least it was still possible for them to marry if one or the other of them would give way.
 
But what about me? There can be no solution to my problem. I have fallen in love with Richard Adamson whilst I am carrying another man’s child. And the admission Kate had finally made to herself brought heartache instead of joy.
 
The shop door opened and the bell jangled, fraying Kate’s nerves. But she turned to face the next customer with a smile.
  
‘Were you deliberately trying to cause trouble for Kate?’
 
Richard Adamson and his cousin were still quarrelling when they reached the artist’s cottage.
 
‘Of course not.’
 
‘Then what were you doing talking like that?’
 
Howard opened the door and went in. Before Richard could follow, Prince, no doubt determined not to be left out in the rain, dodged round his legs and preceded him. Richard heard a cat yowl and take flight, but once he’d gained the centre of the room Prince stopped and looked back at his master with liquid eyes, the picture of innocence.
 
‘All right, boy, you can stay,’ Richard said. ‘But go and lie down. And leave the cat alone.’ He pointed to the hearthrug where another, older cat was sleeping. It raised its head, opened one slanted eye and hissed. Prince backed away to the very edge of the rug and lay down, his head between his paws as he watched the cat warily.
 
Richard looked up to find that Howard was equally wary. ‘Are you angry with me?’ his cousin asked.
 
‘Yes.’
 
‘You think I’ve caused trouble for Kate?’
 
‘Yes. And I can’t think why.’
 
‘I didn’t mean to. It was that woman I took exception to. Mrs Armstrong . . . Susan. She was so determined to put Kate in her place. Or rather what she thought was Kate’s place.’
 
‘Susan Armstrong is Mrs Willis’s daughter,’ Richard reminded him. ‘I imagine she thought she had the right to reprimand someone who works for her mother.’
 
‘Reprimand? Reprimand her for what, for goodness’ sake?’
 
‘Do I really have to explain it to you?’
 
‘Yes you do.’
 
‘It’s not hard to see that in Mrs Armstrong’s view Kate was behaving totally inappropriately while she was supposed to be working.’
 
‘Well, she wasn’t.’
 
‘That’s right. She wasn’t. You were. But Mrs Armstrong was not to know that Kate had not encouraged you, was she?’
 
‘I suppose not.’
 
‘And then you went on to anger the woman further.’
 
‘I couldn’t help myself. There she was, that squat, sharp-faced scold trying to make out that she was better than Kate. I wanted her to know that Kate is my friend – and furthermore that she is beautiful. Something Mrs Susan Armstrong must know she will never be.’
 
Howard was pacing the room. Richard had never seen his normally easy-going American cousin so agitated. ‘Are you in love with Kate?’ he asked.
 
Howard stopped pacing and smiled disarmingly. ‘I suppose I must be.’
 
‘And Kate? Is she . . . does she . . .’
 
‘Return my feelings?’ Howard shrugged. ‘I think she may. But she doesn’t know it yet.’
 
‘That’s nonsense.’
 
‘No it’s not. We became friends while she was sitting for me. We got along so well . . . she’s easy to talk to. She’s intelligent, has a sense of humour, is curious, hungry to know things.’
 
‘Have you spoken to her?’
 
‘Spoken to her? Oh, you mean asked her to marry me? Yes, I have. I told her I wanted to take her home to America with me.’
 
‘And her answer?’
 
‘She . . . she promised me she would think about it.’
 
Was that true? Richard wondered. And if so why couldn’t Howard meet his eyes?
 
‘And what about you, Richard?’ his cousin said suddenly. ‘Why are you so interested in the girl?’
 
‘I found her in the cave. Naturally I was concerned – am still concerned – for her welfare.’
 
‘Ah, her welfare. And what does Caroline think?’
 
‘I beg your pardon?’
 
‘I said what does Miss Travers think of your “concern” for Kate’s welfare?’
 
‘Caroline? I haven’t asked her. Why should I?’
 
‘Because you are courting her, aren’t you?’
 
‘What makes you think that?’
 
‘For God’s sake, Richard, what do you think you have been doing if not courting her? She comes to your house—’
 
‘She is a friend of my mother.’
 
Howard raised his eyebrows. ‘You go out together—’
 
‘In family parties.’
 
‘And what do you suppose your mother and Caroline’s parents make of these family excursions? Why have there been so many if you do not intend to propose to her?’
 
‘I . . . don’t . . . know.’
 
‘In other words you can’t make your mind up. What is it you want, Richard? Caroline is beautiful, accomplished, rich. She obviously adores you.’
 
‘Stop this!’
 
‘You’re not being fair to her, you know. Don’t frown. You must know what I mean. So long as other possible suitors think that the rich and successful businessman, Richard Adamson, is courting her, they’ll stand back. And if this sad state of affairs goes on much longer and then you decide that Caroline isn’t for you, you will have made things impossible for her.’
 

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