The Unknown Mr. Brown (25 page)

“Draw up c-contracts?”

“Figuratively speaking, of course, since I trust that will be the vicar’s privilege. Still and all, it might be as well to have everything down in writing in case you’re thinking of ratting on the agreement.”

‘There hasn’t
been
an agreement!” she shouted at him, nearly in tears. “What are you trying to do to me, Robert? Get your own back because I turned you down? You know very well you have only yourself to thank for that. I could hardly be expected to take you seriously after your silly prank with the roses.”

His eyebrows went up in that familiar expression of fastidious enquiry.

“I thought I’d explained away that bone of contention,” he remarked. “Don’t you understand that I wasn’t ready then to confess to a dual personality, neither were you in a mood to take kindly to relinquishing those father-figure fantasies. I’m prepared to fill that role upon occasions, but not to the exclusion of the normal demands of the flesh. Did you really think I asked you to marry me as a kind of consolation prize?”

“It wouldn’t have been any c-consolation, so you needn’t f-flatter yourself,” she flung back at him, and quite suddenly found herself in tears.

He was round the desk and kneeling beside her chair before she even had time to turn away.

‘There, my poor bedevilled sweetheart ... stop fighting me ... it’s a losing battle, you know,” he murmured as he gathered her into his arms. “You try so hard to convince me you couldn’t care less, but you’re forgetting those revealing letters to Mr. Brown.”

“You did read my letters, then?”

“Every one. Such stiff, dutiful little effusions, Victoria Mary Hayes—until that last
cri de coeur
which certainly gave me encouragement.”

“Why did you never answer?”

“I don’t really know—unless it was a reluctance to shatter the paternal image which you seemed to set such store by. Now, will you please dry your eyes and attend to me seriously? I can’t offer better proof of sincerity than to propose once more on my bended knee, so please, dear, militant Victoria Mary, don’t send me away again with a flea in my ear.”

She began to smile at him, but tears and a cold in the head stifled responses and she snatched the handkerchief from his breast pocket and blew her nose with some violence.

“Do get up, Robert,” she said then, clutching at the remnants of her composure. “It doesn’t become you at all to kneel and be humble.”

“No? But then you’ve still a great deal to learn about me, haven’t you—between the traditional browbeatings, of course,” he said, but he obediently got to his feet, pulling her up with him. “You haven’t answered me, yet.”

“If you’re really sure—” she began a little shyly, and he gave her a shake.

“Of course I’m sure. I’ve been sure ever since that day in the orchard when you thought you’d fooled me and stood under an apple tree shaking down blossom and stealing my heart away.”

“Did I? Did I really, Robert—as long ago as that?”

“Yes, you did, and merely disliked me intensely in return, which was ungenerous of you.”

“You could hardly expect me to feel kindly towards you in the circumstances,” she pointed out, and he grinned.

“Well, no—perhaps you have a point there. You still haven’t answered me or, for the matter of that, given me any assurance of a return of affection.”

“I don’t need to—I told Mr. Brown,” she answered demurely, and he grinned again.

“So you did. Well, I suppose I must be content with that for the time being. At least you no longer labour under delusions concerning Kate!”

“Kate?” For the moment she had forgotten Kate and her eyes grew troubled.

“No,” she said. “She explained about that other man, only you couldn’t very well turn her and Timmy out of Farthings, could you, Robert?”

“Oh, I see. Without the bribe of Farthings, you’d think twice before committing yourself,” he countered so severely that she looked quite horrified, then he laughed and pinched her ear. “You don’t need to worry about Kate’s future, you prevaricating goose! I fancy it won’t be very long before the worthy doctor succeeds in persuading her to move down to the village.”

The last remaining scruple melted away and her face lit up.

“Oh, I’m so glad! John is so kind and dependable and he’ll make a far better stepfather than you ever would!” she exclaimed, and he gave her another shake.

“Very possibly,” he replied dryly. “For myself, I prefer to father and bring up my own brats than be a stand-in for someone else’s.”

“Yes,” she agreed a little smugly, “it wouldn’t suit you at all to play second fiddle.”

“No, it wouldn’t, so please remember that in the future, Miss Hayes. No followers, however respectable, or there’ll be trouble.”

“You see?” she said as he bent his head at last to kiss her. “I’ll never quite get away from Mr. Brown. He had very old-fashioned views about followers.”

“Oh, damn Mr. Brown and his old-fashioned views! I’ll have enough to contend with without that gentleman being thrust down my throat when it suits!” Robert exclaimed, and tilted up her face to his with some impatience.

“You’ll catch my cold,” she murmured, and he administered one last shake before imprisoning her firmly between his hands.

“Don’t change the subject,” he said severely, and proceeded to ensure her silence for quite some time.

“Isn’t it strange?” she said when finally she could speak, peering over his shoulder at the gloomy rows of deed-boxes which probably held secrets and even scandals long since forgotten. “It all began in this ugly musty room and now it all ends here ... do you suppose records of the Hayes Trust are buried in one of those boxes?”

“Most certainly, since this is a most reliable and trustworthy firm, but don’t let skeletons in cupboards rattle their bones at you, sweetheart. Remember that sinister Mr. Brown has already been written off as only a bogle to frighten the bairns with,” Robert said, ignoring a discreet tap on the door.

“He said to her: ‘How will you repay me for past favours?’ ” Victoria murmured.

“And kindly remember the lady’s reply,” he promptly retorted. “What a pity we never got as far as the consequence.”

“The immediate consequence will probably be an explosion from Mr. Chappie if you don’t tell him to come in,” Victoria retorted as a more peremptory knock sounded on the door and she straightened his tie with a proprietorial air before putting a decorous distance between them.

THE END