Unknown (6 page)

She ought to have known. Who else would arrive in such style? Immediately she opened the door the deep tones of his voice reached her ears. ‘Ah, Taryn. I hoped you wouldn’t be long.’

He was alone in the room. ‘Hello, Luke. This is a surprise. Gammy said you weren’t coming until the weekend. Where is she?'

‘Making tea—as usual. This is only a flying visit, I’m afraid. I was in Bristol, so thought I’d call in and see how things were going.’

‘But that’s miles away,’ exclaimed Taryn.

‘Not the way I drive.’

‘That reminds me, thank you for hiring the Mini. You really shouldn’t have bothered.’

‘And how would you have got about?’ he scoffed. ‘I can’t imagine Dainty taking kindly to the towns.’

‘I’d have managed,’ she said, ‘but I must admit it’s a big help. Have you been here long?’

‘A few minutes—but I can’t stay. You’ve met Andy?’

‘Oh, yes. We had a good session yesterday.’ Her eyes lit up. ‘I’m really looking forward to the transformation of Dale End. I’ve started ordering the furniture already. By the way, do you think Mrs Major would like a four-poster bed? I’ve seen a gorgeous one in Exeter which would fit into the tower room perfectly.’

He smiled at her enthusiasm. ‘I’m sure she would. I don’t think you need worry about her not liking anything you choose. She’s very adaptable.’

What a peculiar way of describing his wife, mused Taryn, before continuing, ‘One other thing, is there any limit on money? I’m having everything charged to you at Dale End.’

‘Spend what you like,’ he said agreeably. 'I can afford it.’

How nice not to have to count the cost, thought Taryn drily. Mark had been the same; money had meant nothing to him—easily gained and easily lost.

‘Now what are you thinking?’ he asked. ‘You really must learn to guard your feelings, Taryn. You were looking at me then as though you positively loathed me.’

‘I was?’ Taryn sounded surprised. ‘I didn’t mean to.’

‘It was Mark again, wasn’t it? Aren’t you ever going to stop relating the two of us?’

Taryn sighed. ‘If only I could! You can’t imagine how difficult it is.’

‘Indeed I can, but I think it’s a matter of being strong-minded. You’re not trying hard enough. Every time you look at me you think of the other man, whether consciously or not I don’t know. Take the other day ’

‘Yes,’ cut in Taryn, ‘I must apologise for my behaviour. I’m sorry, I’ll try not to let it happen again.’

‘Your aunt says you almost changed your mind about the job?’

‘I
did
change my mind. If you hadn’t gone I should have told you. I can’t help how I feel, Luke. I do try, believe me, but Mark has scarred me for life whether I like it or not.’

‘He sounds a bit of a cad. I hope you don’t really compare me with him?’

Taryn smiled. ‘Not character-wise. I’m beginning to find that out. It would be interesting to see you both together. Have you been to Italy?’

His thick brows rose. ‘Is that where you met him?’ and as Taryn nodded, ‘I was there last year, as a matter of fact. In Naples. I was ’

He stopped and Taryn urged him on, her heart beating a sudden tattoo within her breast. ‘You were what?’

‘I thought of opening a hotel there,’ he said casually, ‘but I changed my mind. Ah, here’s tea, and then I must go.’

Was this sufficient proof of his identity? Taryn still was not sure. As he drank his tea and chatted to Gammy she studied him even more closely, trying to find some difference in his appearance that would confirm once and for all that he was not Mark. His thick, dark hair swept across his brow at exactly the same angle, fine lines were etched at the corners of his eyes, his cheeks dimpled when he smiled. It was impossible to find any distinguishing mark. She shook her head. The more she pondered the more bewildering the whole affair became.

He left shortly afterwards, and judging by her aunt’s face she was highly satisfied by his visit. Not wishing to talk about him now, Taryn decided to go up to Dale End and see how the work was progressing.

Gammy expressed surprise. ‘I don’t think Luke would want you to put in so much time,’ she said. ‘You’ve been out all day.’

‘That was pleasure,' remarked Taryn. ‘I enjoyed it tremendously. Anyway, I’ll only be about an hour.' Already she was beginning to wear a path up the slope and the journey was much easier than on that first day. The westering sun depicted the house in sharp relief against a golden haze of sky. It still looked gaunt and forbidding, but Taryn was no longer apprehensive. She was beginning to love this old building and looked forward to the day when its conversion was complete.

She paused to rest for a moment on an old lichen-covered bench in the garden. Closing her eyes, she listened to the warbling of a thrush, the raucous cry of a rook and the more homely chirping of the sparrows. Up here on the hill, in splendid isolation, an all-pervading peace stole over her. She could almost forget her troubles. Luke had certainly made a wise choice.

She suddenly realised it was too quiet. Surely there should be sounds of activity from within the house? She ran to the front door, but it resisted her touch. Then she looked at her watch. Of course, work would be finished for the day; what a fool she was—and she had no key.

Perhaps Andy had left a window open? She wandered round the house, without success. The back door too was securely fastened. Then she saw it, a tiny window open—high in the wall. It probably belonged to the pantry, but it looked just big enough for her to wriggle through.

It was stupid to want to climb into Dale End, she knew, but now she was here she did not want to go back without seeing what work had been done; but first of all she must find something to stand on.

A search of the nearby outhouses revealed a water butt almost hidden by creeping ivy. It was empty apart from the myriads of insects who had made it their home. It was heavy too, but she managed to drag it across the cobbled yard and turn it upside down beneath the window. From then on it was a simple matter to climb up and ease herself through the window. Or so she thought. Her head and one shoulder went through, but the opening was smaller than she had anticipated. Still determined to get inside, she wriggled and struggled, tearing the thin material of her blouse in the process, but eventually both shoulders were through.

Suddenly her ankles were held in a vice-like grip.

‘Caught you, my lad! What do you think you’re playing at?’

Luke! His voice was unmistakable. And he thought she was a boy trying to break into the house! It was easy to understand why when he could only see her faded blue jeans.

‘It—it’s me,’ she faltered.

Silence.

Then,
‘Taryn!
What the blazes are you doing?'

‘I—I ’ She tried to twist round to look at him, but in her undignified position found it impossible. ‘I wanted to see how the work was going.’

‘Didn’t you think of using the door?’ his voice heavy with sarcasm.

‘I have no key.’

‘So—you thought it important enough to break in. I don’t expect you to work night and day, but if you still insist on having a look we’ll use the proper entrance. Come on down.’

He sounded dreadfully annoyed and Taryn took a deep breath before saying, ‘I—I can’t. I had an awful job getting through this far. And—and, Luke, there’s nothing to hold on to. I can’t get down this way either.’ She had been wrong in assuming it was the pantry. The window was high in the wall of a passage with a drop of about nine feet.

She heard his snort of impatience. ‘Trust a woman! Hold on, I’ll come and help from inside.’

In the few minutes before he reached her Taryn realised what a ridiculous position she had got herself into. She could get neither in nor out. She hated to think what would have happened had Luke not turned up. Perhaps she would have eventually managed to get down the other side, but even so she would never have got out again. It would have meant spending the night in the house. The haunted house! A prickle of fear ran down her spine. It was easy to convince herself she didn’t believe in old Henry’s ghost in the sane light of day, but in the still of the night—she would be scared half out of her wits.

Luke appeared now, a tall, shadowy figure in the gloom of the house. He carried a pair of step ladders. ‘Hurrah for Andy,' he said drily, putting them down beneath Taryn’s protruding body. In two seconds he was pulling her the rest of the way through the window frame. Her feet found the steps, and then she was down. Reaction set in and her legs felt so weak that she unconsciously clung to Luke for support. She made no demur when his arms tightened about her shoulders. ‘You silly little goose,’ he murmured. ‘I thought you had more sense.’

She looked up, saw the tender smile on his face and stiffened. How many times had Mark looked at her in just that way? She shook her head and struggled to free herself. She must get away. This was madness.

Luke released her the instant he saw her reaction. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said, misinterpreting her reason, ‘I won’t molest you, though if anyone saw us now I’d have a hard job convincing them otherwise.’

He looked at the front of her blouse. Taryn had forgotten it was tom and to her humiliation saw that it revealed most of her very brief underwear. Colour flooded her cheeks. Desperately she clutched together with one hand the remainder of her shirt. ‘Don’t flatter yourself,’ she said tightly, ‘that thought was farthest from my mind.’

‘Then what—oh, lord, don’t say we’re back to that again? Listen here, young Taryn, it’s about time we had a serious talk about Mark Vandyke.’

‘Don’t young Taryn me,’ she retorted hotly.

‘Is twenty so old?’ he mocked. ‘As I can give you all of thirteen years you seem very young to me. Of course, I could be mistaken, but I would have thought that a
mature
twenty-year-old would consider it beneath her dignity to scramble through windows.’ Taryn turned her back on him and took refuge in silence. There was nothing she could say. He was determined to get the upper hand.

‘Shall we talk outside?’ he asked pleasantly, almost as though nothing had happened. ‘It’s quite cool in here.’

‘If you like.’ Taryn followed him along the corridor, resentful of his apparent indifference.

Once outside he carefully locked the door and handed her the key. ‘Andy should have given you one, but you’d better have this in case you decide to make any more evening calls.’

‘I doubt it,’ came her brief reply as she walked with him to his car.

‘Now,’ he said, after they were settled, ‘suppose you tell me all about your ill-fated love affair? Once you get it out of your system perhaps our relationship will stand a better chance.’

‘As I’m only your employee,’ said Taryn, studying a tiny fly as it walked across the windscreen, ‘I can’t see that it really matters.’

‘But it does,’ he insisted. ‘How can you expect to put your best into your work when you resent me?’

She looked at him then. ‘It’s not you personally. It’s ’

‘I know—but it amounts to the same thing.’ His voice deepened. ‘Wouldn't you like to tell me?’

‘If you insist—though I don’t think it will help.’

‘Let me be the judge of that.’ He touched her hand briefly. ‘Start when you’re ready.’

It took a full two minutes for Taryn to summon up the courage to talk about Mark. She had once vowed to herself never to bring up the past again. It still had the power to hurt. .

‘It all began when I went to work as a fabric designer for Vandyke Fashions in Naples. It was my first job after leaving college and I didn’t care that it was in a strange country or that I wouldn’t know anyone. It was the culmination of all my dreams. I was so excited that it was only after a few weeks I realised the job was not all I had imagined it to be. I worked long hours and I was treated as a junior most of the time, which I suppose is what I was, although I was too full of my own importance to realise it.’

Luke smiled as though agreeing, but he said nothing and waited for her to continue.

‘One night when I’d been working later than usual I felt so sorry for myself that I began to cry. I couldn’t help it, and once I’d started I couldn’t stop. Then I became aware of someone watching me, and through my tears I saw Mark Vandyke. I was so ashamed. It was the first time I’d met the great man himself, and that he should see me like that—I blabbered an apology, expecting him to demand to know what was going on. Instead he passed me a handkerchief and came down on his knees beside me. The next thing I knew I was telling him how lonely I was and he had invited me out to dinner.’ She paused, pulling the corners of her lips down wryly as she recalled the occasion. That was the first of many invitations. Things snowballed quickly from there. I was no longer a nobody, I was the envy of everyone, and a few weeks later we were engaged.’

‘Quite an achievement,’ remarked Luke. ‘So what happened to spoil your rhapsody?’

‘He began to make excuses not to see me, and innocent fool that I was, I believed him, though I must admit that sometimes when he said he was meeting a buyer or someone like that I wondered why he couldn’t take me along too. My job was quite important by then. My work was gaining recognition and I was earning a name in my own right. When once or twice my friends—I had some by then—tried to warn me what was happening I wouldn't listen. Mark would never two-time me, I thought. He loves me. I would look at my ring and imagine a gold band at its side. I was quite sure that one day we would be married.’ Her voice broke. ‘I shall never forget the day he told me about Maria. He asked me to release him from our engagement. I couldn’t believe him at first, and then I was so angry. I’ve never been so mad in my whole life. Goodness knows what I called him—but I vowed that I’d never speak to him again as long as I live. I’d rather die first.’

Luke was silent for a few moments. ‘Thank you,' he said at last. ‘I think I understand a little more clearly now why you feel as you do about me. I’ve no idea why we should look alike, but I can assure you that I am not Mark.’ He paused and leaned closer towards her, his eyes searching her face. ‘You’re still not convinced? There’s one way we could find out.’ His shoulder brushed hers. She could feel his breath warm against her cheek.