The Stranger Next Door (9 page)

Chapter Twenty

Almost the first person Anna saw in the village shop was Daniel's sister.

'Hello, Elizabeth,' she said brightly. 'I haven't seen you for a while.'

'I've not been needed,' Elizabeth replied, equally brightly. 'I'm getting on with my own life.'

'Oh, yes. You have a private school, don't you? Daniel said.'

'Just a little one. But it keeps me busy.'

Her own school, Anna thought. What an extraordinary person she is.

'And how are you, my dear?'

Anna was almost stunned. The question was one she would never have thought Elizabeth capable of asking.

'Very well, thank you. And you?'

'Harassed – even more than usual. You don't have the children with you today?'

'Not right now, no. They're with my friend in the village.'

'Giving you time to shop. I know, I know!'

Perhaps she really does, Anna thought. No! She couldn't possibly know what I'm going through.

'Could you spare me a few minutes, dear? I would very much like to talk to you.'

Even more surprise.

'Yes, of course. I'm not in a hurry.'

'Good. May I offer you a cup of coffee, in the tea shop next door perhaps?'

Anna was too overwhelmed to think of an objection.

They settled themselves in at "Betty's Teashop". Elizabeth looked around, smiled and said, 'It may not be quite the same as its namesake in Harrogate, but it's certainly a lot less busy and very much quieter.'

'We'll probably be half their customers today. I don't think they do an awful lot of trade.'

'Really? That's a pity. It's a nice little place.'

While Anna was wondering about the significance of Harrogate, Elizabeth leaned forward and fixed her with a stern expression.

'Are you familiar with Betty's, in Harrogate?'

Anna shook her head.

'Ah! Well, it's a charming old traditional tea shop, much appreciated by people of a certain age, including myself. But I digress.'

Elizabeth paused, and for a moment seemed surprisingly unsure how to continue.

'I am, as you no doubt realise, very concerned for my brother. He's had a bad year, a very bad year. As I told you, he is here to convalesce. I found the house, Moorside, for him, and I believed it to be a safe and peaceful place for him to recover his health and strength.'

Oh, dear! Anna thought with a wince. I can see where this is heading.

'Seemingly, I was mistaken,' Elizabeth continued.

'I'm very sorry you feel that way,' Anna said quickly. 'I'm afraid we have disturbed his peace and quiet, it's true, but with the best of intentions. Small children ….' She added vaguely. 'And then there was the fire. I ….'

She broke off in a state of mounting anguish and despair. It was all becoming too much for her. She couldn't just sit here and be told off, not when she had so much on her mind.

'My dear,' Elizabeth said, 'please don't misunderstand me. I am not here to chastise you. On the contrary. I am here to thank you. I'm very grateful to you and your children.'

Anna stared blankly.

'You've lessened my load considerably, if I can put it like that. I've been able to get on with my own life at the school. More important, you've given my brother something to live for, with the result that his recovery has been very much quicker than we had dared to hope.'

'I don't understand. I ….'

'You like him, don't you?'

'Well, yes. Very much. But ….'

'And Daniel is very fond of you, my dear. I wanted to tell you that. It might make things easier. Smooth the way, as it were.'

'Ridiculous, isn't it?' Elizabeth added. 'I feel like a Victorian father, not a modern old maid!'

Anna smiled uncertainly. 'Daniel hasn't said anything to me,' she began tentatively. 'I mean, I like him a lot. The children do, as well. But that's as far as our … our relationship goes.'

'How could he say anything?' Elizabeth said brusquely. 'With his injuries, he assumed no-one would be interested in him ever again. Nonsense, of course. But there you are. He's had a bad time. And that fiancée of his didn't help either. What a wicked woman!'

For a moment the words failed to register. 'Fiancée? What do you mean, Elizabeth?'

'Hasn't he told you?' When Anna shook her head, Elizabeth tut-tutted and resumed. 'Daniel was engaged to be married. After he was wounded, that woman took one look at him and announced their engagement was over She couldn't bear to look at him, and told him so.'

'But that's terrible!'

Elizabeth nodded. 'I told him he was well out of it. A woman capable of thinking and feeling like that wasn't one to marry.'

'Poor man! How awful.'

'He pretended not to be bothered, of course, the way men like him do. He keeps his emotions well hidden, as a professional soldier must. But I know he felt it deeply. As if his injuries were not enough! He became more depressed than ever.'

Anna grimaced. Poor Daniel!

'It wasn't until he met you that he came out of it,' Elizabeth continued. 'He's been much more like his old self, his real self, lately. It's thanks to you, my dear. What is it?' she added, breaking off. 'You don't seem very happy about what I've told you.'

'Oh, I'm sorry. I'm very pleased for Daniel, I really am. But ….'

'But?'

There was no way round it, not now.

'The truth is, Elizabeth, that I was beginning to hope Daniel and I might in time become more than just good friends. Until today, that is.'

'Why? What's special about today?'

'A woman arrived this morning at Daniel's.' She shrugged and added, 'A young woman, with a suitcase.'

'Oh, she's here already, is she?' Elizabeth's face assumed a grim expression. 'I knew she was coming, of course. That's why I'm here.'

Anna stared.

'It's Shona. His ex-fiancée. Come on! Drink up. I must get up there.'

'What is it, Elizabeth? I don't understand.'

'That woman announced that she was coming to see him. She wasn't invited, mark you! She simply wrote and told Daniel she was coming. Presumably to see if his appearance had improved, and he might be worth marrying, after all.'

'You can't be serious?'

'Oh, I am! Daniel has money, you see. Inherited family money. And Shona is well aware of it. She wouldn't want to give that up if she could possibly help it. Now I must go and make my thoughts and feelings known to her.'

Chapter Twenty-One

Daniel's visitor was emerging from the house as Anna neared the top of the hill with the children. She marched to her car, flung open a door and hurled the suitcase inside.

Oh, dear! Anna thought. It doesn't look as though the visit's gone very well. Good!

'Keep up, Tom!' she called. 'We're nearly there.'

Anna's arm was nearly dead from hauling him up the hill. She ignored it and concentrated on the scene ahead.

The visiting car came hurtling backwards out of the driveway. Anna stopped and held tight on to the children's hands.

'Wow!' Lisa gasped, clearly impressed.

Tom's head jerked up.

The shuddering noise of wheels spinning on loose gravel was hard to ignore. Anna did her best.

But the woman called to her through the open window. 'Are you the person who lives next door?'

'Yes.'

'Well, he's all yours. And the very best of luck – you're going to need it!'

With that, she floored the accelerator and took off, her rear wheels showering them all with gravel. Anna could only stare, aghast.

When she looked round again, she saw Daniel coming down the steps at the front of his house. She gave Lisa the front door key. 'You and Tom go on, Lisa. I just want to have a quick word with Daniel.'

He took forever to reach the front gate. She wasn't sure. She knew she wanted to say something, but she didn't know what. So she stood still and waited.

'Are you all right?' Daniel called as he approached.

She nodded. 'And you?'

'Crazy woman!' he muttered, shaking his head. 'Driving like that. She's going to kill someone.'

'You, perhaps?'

He shrugged. 'Probably.'

'I would guess she's in a bad mood.'

'That's about right.'

He seemed distracted. It wasn't surprising. Things had obviously been said.

'Have you got a minute?' he asked. 'To come in?'

'Is Elizabeth there?'

'No. She's gone. I fight my own battles. They've both gone now.'

She gave him a rueful smile and let him lead her into the house, and into the kitchen.'

'That was my ex-fiancée,' he said bluntly.

'Elizabeth told me.'

'I daresay she did. The interfering so- and-so! Probably a lot of other things, too. Elizabeth means well but she should be more careful with other people's private business.'

They were both stood up. Daniel turned to look out of the window, and then back to look at Anna again. He smiled suddenly.

'I was in a poor state when I came here,' he said quietly. 'You know that. Some of it was due to Shona, there, who has just departed in such a great hurry. She took one look at me in hospital and announced that she couldn't marry me. She was brave, too. She told me to my face – what was left of it!'

While you were no doubt covered in bandages and strapped to a bed, Anna thought. Very brave.

'That was good of her.'

He shrugged. 'Turned out it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Can you imagine how it might have been in five years' time had I married her? In ten years' time – twenty?'

'Not easily,' Anna admitted with a reluctant smile of her own.

'Hell on earth, probably!'

Daniel grinned and seemed to relax at last.

'She changed her mind when she heard I was getting well again. And this,' he added, fingering his scarred face, 'wasn't as bad as it might have been.'

'Oh, Daniel! It's so sad.'

'She announced that she was coming. I couldn't stop her. Mistakenly, I confided in Elizabeth. Told her the problem. Elizabeth decided she would come, too. Women!' he added, shaking his head.

'We're not all a nuisance, you know.'

'No, of course you're not.' He smiled and touched her hand. 'Anyway, I've sent her packing, with a few home truths of my own. She wasn't best pleased.'

'So I gathered.'

'Cup of coffee? Tea?'

She shook her head. 'I must get back to the children.'

'Something else I wanted to tell you, Anna, is that one of the best things to have happened to me was ….'

'Apart from Shona telling you she no longer wanted to marry you?'

'Apart from that.' He paused, and gave a little shrug. 'Was meeting you, Anna. You saved my life. I truly believe that.'

It was a shock, hearing that bald statement. She blinked hard.

'I care for you very much, Anna. And for the children. I told Shona that, as well.'

She stood still.

'It's not easy for me to talk about such things,' he added.

'You don't really need to,' she said softly.

'I don't have the right words.'

'Doesn't matter.'

'I always assumed you couldn't possibly feel the same way about me. I just assumed …. Anyway, Elizabeth suggested I might be wrong.'

'You were. You are wrong.'

'Really?' He looked at her slowly, head slightly to one side, beginning to smile again.

She nodded happily and moved towards him. He wrapped his arms around her.

'Really!' she confirmed.

She looked up, and at last he kissed her.

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The Stranger Next Door
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