The Dark Stranger (11 page)

“
Dinner
’
s waiting,
”
Brownie said as soon as they got in and cast a disapproving look at Tina
’
s dew-drenched shoes.
“
Go and change those shoes, Tina, and be quick about it
.
We won
’
t wait for you.
”

II
I

T
he Easter holidays passed very quickly and Tina saw little of Craig after that first evening. He seemed to be working longer hours now and seldom got home in time for the five o
’
clock tea, and at week-ends he spent much time in his yacht. She was a Bermudian sloop of the
Teal
class with sleeping accommodation for two, and sometimes he would take Zachary and sometimes sail alone. Tina could picture him at the tiller with his pirate
’
s face and his black hair blowing in the wind, and often wished that she, too, might go, but he never suggested it.

Belle, she thought, had changed. She was no longer a guest in the house and she came and went as she pleased, hiring a car from Merrynporth to take her shopping when Zachary could not drive her, and giving small bridge parties of her own when Craig was safely out of the house. Indolence had grown on her and she was putting on weight.

She had come in late that first night and made more fuss than usual over Tina
’
s arrival, only laughing when Brownie said sourly:

“
I should have thought you could have put off your card-playing for one afternoon, Belle Linden, and been here to welcome your stepchild.
”

“
Nonsense! Tina wouldn
’
t expect it, would you, darling? That dress suits you. I must remember that blue is your color. I
’
ll come in and see you on my way to bed and you can regale me with the horrors of school.
”

Tina felt the old warmth of spirit reach out to her stepmother, but it became plain that Belle was not in the least interested in Tina
’
s affairs. She only wanted to talk about herself and the possibility of a closer relationship with Craig who, she affirmed, should be thinking of getting married. How would Tina like him for a stepfather?

Tina blinked. Belle was given to making extravagant suggestions but she did not think that Craig was the type of man to make a marriage of convenience in order to give them both a permanent home, though Belle said stranger reasons than that had inspired a marriage.

“
After all,
”
she said,
“
we
’
re very well suited. If Craig had been going to fall in love he
’
d have done it by now. He
’
s nearly thirty-five—but they
’
re a hard-headed lot the Pentreaths and marry for sensible and not sentimental reasons.
”

“
Belle
—”
Tina began but broke off. What was the
use of trying to argue with someone like Belle who would simply finish up by telling you you were a silly schoolgirl who knew nothing about such things?
”

It was a wet spring so Tina spent a good deal of time in the house, browsing among the shelves in the book-room and helping Brownie with small chores about the place. She was allowed in the kitchen if Brownie herself was preparing a dish, and she enjoyed those rare occasions more than any others. It was pleasant watching the yellow crust form on the great pans of new milk which stood over a slow fire to provide the scalded cream which was served with every meal, and she came to appreciate the unfamiliar Cornish dishes which Brownie still insisted were the best. Starry-gazy pie, cooked with pilchards
’
heads protruding from the crust, and the once famous squab pie, made with pigeons and sometimes conger and all manner of vegetables and apples and raisins, the whole being eaten with helpings of scalded cream.

“
When you come home for good, Tina,
”
Brownie told her,
“
you can try your hand at Cornish cooking. There
’
s a mort of goodness in some of these old recipes.
”

When you come home for good
...
For Tina there could be no promise in the phrase. Tremawvan was not yet home and her future was unsure.

“
How should I know?
”
Belle replied when Tina asked her what plans she had.
“
There
’
s no telling how far the Pentreath generosity will stretch but I can
’
t see that Craig shouldn
’
t have us here indefinitely. Tremawvan
’
s a big house.
”

“
But he can
’
t be expected—I mean, it
’
s different for you, Belle.
”

“
You
’
d better ask him,
”
said Belle lazily.
“
He seems to regard you as a
responsibil
i
ty, insisting on another year at school, though that, of course, had
advantages from his point of view. Incidentally it was stupid and rather tactless
of you to imply to h
i
m and Brownie that you weren
’
t wanted here for the
Christmas holidays.
”

Tina looked wary. It was disconcerting how her most guarded remarks came to be repeated.

“
But, Belle, you
did
say—I mean, you gave me the impression that Cousin Craig didn
’
t want to be bothered with me, and then I found he was annoyed, and Brownie says he was disappointed that I stayed away.
”

Belle gave her a swift look under her lashes.

“
Hardly disappointed, my dear,
”
she drawled with a brittle little laugh.
“
You
’
re scarcely as important as that to my high-handed cousin. If you play your cards right, Tina, you
’
ll end by sitting pretty, but don
’
t go telling tales at my expense. I don
’
t like it.
”

It was difficult to know where you were with Belle, Tina thought dispiritedly, and for perhaps the first time she came to realize that her stepmother was not too scrupulous about the truth where her own interests were concerned. It was clearly she and not Craig who had wanted her to stop away for Christmas.

“
I
’
m afraid it
’
s been a dull holiday for you,
”
Craig said a few evenings before she was to leave again.
“
In the summer we must think of some amusements.
”

He did not speak as if the summer was to be the end of their visit, but before she could answer him Brownie remarked dryly:

“
In the summer she
’
ll be a young lady and will, doubtless, make her own amusements.
”

Craig raised his eyebrows then contemplated Tina
’
s doubtful face with amusement.

“
Will you like being a young lady, Tina?
”
he asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.
“
It has a frightening sound to me.
”

Her mobile mouth turned up in a smile.

“
And to me, too,
”
she said,
“
I don
’
t think I
’
ll be a young lady, Cousin Craig. I
’
ll just earn my living.
”

His eyebrows rose again.

“
How?
”
he asked and she looked nonplussed.

“
I don
’
t know. But I
’
ll have to work. Belle always said
—”

“
She
’
s right, you know,
”
observed Belle, regarding him with speculative eyes.
“
Girls don
’
t stay at home doing nothing these days.
”

“
We
’
ll talk about it later on,
”
he replied.
“
Are you sorry or glad this is your last term, Tina?
”

“
A little of both, I think,
”
she answered, relieved that the talk had turned to school.
“
Belle, you will come to our Speech Day, won
’
t you? The term you leave is always special, and I
’
ll have to have a long white frock, too.
”

“
For heaven
’
s sake!
”
exclaimed Belle.
“
Won
’
t the one you
’
ve got do? It cost a lot of money.
”

Tina
’
s eyes were fixed on her stepmother with childlike intensity. For a moment she was all school girl, hating to be different. She had forgotten the others.

“
But it
’
s traditional,
”
she cried.
“
The leaving girls all wear long dresses. I can
’
t be different.
”

“
Oh, well
...
”
Belle sounded bored.
“
Perhaps Brownie can run you up something.
”

“
And you will come, Belle?
”

Belle lighted a cigarette impatiently.

“
Oh, darling, don
’
t be tiresome. Of course I
’
m not going to trek all that way for a lot of silly speeches.
”

“
I think you will Belle,
”
said Craig quietly and unexpectedly.
“
Parents are expected to attend these functions.
”

“
Well, I am not a parent,
”
she retorted, eyeing him a little provocatively.

“
You might try and behave like one sometimes,
”
he returned quite mildly, then his jaw suddenly tightened.
“
You
’
ll go to Tina
’
s speech-giving whether you want to or not. Is that quite understood
?
”

Tina, embarrassed, made a swift movement towards her stepmother.

“
I don
’
t think you should give Belle orders, even in your own house,
”
she said quickly, the color suddenly staining her cheek-bones.

Belle looked amused.

“
Thank you, darling,
”
she said.
“
It
’
s nice to know you
’
ll stand up for me.
”

Craig
’
s arrogant blue gaze rested on Tina
’
s flushed face, then he smiled slightly.

“
I stand corrected,
”
he said gravely.
“
I
’
ll make it a request and not an order, and if I add that it would be a good opportunity to spend a few days in London and fit you out with an appropriate wardrobe and perhaps add something to her own, I
’
ve no doubt Belle may change her mind.
”

“
That,
”
said Belle, regarding her cousin with tolerant humor,
“
is different.
”

“
It
’
s a pity you
’
ll miss the Furry Day at Helston, Tina,
”
said Brownie, deliberately changing the conversation,
“
Merrynporth has its own spring festival but it
’
s not the same. Still and all, they
’
ll bring the Hobby Horse up here and that
’
ll be something for you to see.
”

Tina woke very early on the morning of May Day, glad that it was tomorrow and not today that she was to return to school. Even so, she was not quite early enough, and she had time only to scramble into an old frock before she heard voices singing in the drive. Not waiting even to find a pair of shoes, she ran down the stairs and across the hall to fling open the front door.