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'I'm not being coy, Mrs. Booth.'
'And Clive didn't even kiss you good night, eh?'
'I didn't say that-
Caroline was suddenly aware that they were no longer alone. She had not
heard the car, but when she swung round, James was standing in the
doorway, his face taut with contempt.
Caroline swung round again, staring at Deborah with instinctive distaste.
She had known James was there when she had asked her questions. But how
long had he been standing there?
Caroline felt physically sick. 'I'm very tired, Mrs. Booth,' she managed to
say jerkily, and turning, she walked deliberately towards the door. She did
not look at James again, and he stepped aside at her approach. Without
another word, she left them.
CHAPTER NINE
SHE had been determined that she was leaving when she went to bed, but in
the morning, after a surprisingly good night's sleep, Caroline's determination
had- ebbed away. There was still Laura to consider, and the effect her abrupt
departure might have on her. Maybe it was a foolish conceit, but she felt that
Laura needed her perhaps more now than before.
Laura herself seemed in good spirits when they set to work in the library the
next morning. She was still bemused by her reunion with Trevor Frobisher,
and only when the telephone rang in the hall did a fleeting regret shadow her
features.
'I haven't forgotten,' she said, looking suddenly depressed. T will write to
Johnny - about Friday.'
Caroline gave a slight smile. 'You haven't forgotten about him, then.'
Laura's eyes widened indignantly. 'Because of Trevor? Of course not.' She
hunched her shoulders. 'Oh, I know that's what Mummy hopes will happen,
but she's wrong. Trevor and I - well, we're like brother and sister.'
'Are you?' Caroline shook her head. 'Well, don't let's get involved in an
emotional argument. I'm not in the mood.'
'Did you have a good time last night? You made quite a hit with Clive, didn't
you?' Laura persisted. You'd do well to cultivate him. He's an only son, and
his mother positively dotes upon him. They live in this gorgeous Georgian
house '
'I know.' Caroline cut her short. 'Leave it, Laura. Now - can we discuss the
lessons to be learned from the politics of the French revolution?'
It was a surprisingly uneventful week after the pressures of the week-end.
Caroline, to her relief, saw nothing of James and next to nothing of his wife.
One morning Deborah did join them for their break, but on that occasion she
was not inclined to be talkative, and Caroline was grateful.
On Thursday morning, however, Clive telephoned. Caroline had put off
telephoning him, but his reproachful disappointment made her make the
effort to see Deborah and gain her permission to join him and his mother for
dinner on Saturday evening. As she had expected, Deborah offered no
objections, and Caroline stifled any sense of conscience she might have felt
about James. She owed him no allegiance, and maybe her friendship with
Clive would help to bring that home to him, too. As Clive had said, James
would never divorce Deborah, she should know that better than anyone, and
anything else was unthinkable.
Then on Friday afternoon, while Caroline was endeavouring to dry her hair
in her bedroom, Jenny came to inform her that there was a telephone call for
her.
'For me? Are you sure?'
Caroline frowned, winding a towel turban-wise round her head, wondering
whether it was Clive ringing to cancel their arrangements. As she descended
the stairs, hoping to encounter nobody in this state, it crossed her mind that it
might be John Mooney. But she dismissed the idea without too much
anxiety. Laura had assured " her two days ago that the letter cancelling their
arrangements was on its way, and therefore she was totally unprepared for
the Irish brogue which sounded so much more pronounced over the phone.
'Is that you, Caroline?' he asked, with evident satisfaction. 'Now, aren't I the
lucky one to have caught you?'
Caroline glanced uneasily round the hall, and finding she was alone,
demanded angrily: 'What do you mean by telephoning here again?'
'Ah, is that any way to treat a friend?' " 'You're not my friend, Mr. Mooney.'
'Sure and I thought I was.'
'Why are you phoning me, Mr. Mooney?'
'You're not giving me a chance to explain,' he protested.
'Laura promised me she'd written to you,' Caroline went on. 'Hasn't she?'
'Now why would Laura be penning a letter to me?'
'To tell you she can't see you .tonight. You mean she hasn't written?'
'Ah, I didn't say that exactly.'
Caroline controlled her temper. 'Mr. Mooney, unless you have some very
good reason for telephoning here, will you please get off the line!'
He tut-tutted irritatingly. 'Aren't you the impatient one? And here was I
thinking we were having a nice chat.'
'Oh, please ...' Caroline sighed. 'What do you want? Did Laura write to you
or didn't she? She can't see you tonight. Apart from anything else, she's not
dining at home.'
'Sure, and didn't the girl's letter arrive yesterday?' he assured her
unhurriedly. 'It was you I wanted to speak to, Miss Douglas. I wondered if
you'd spend the evening with me.'
'What?' Caroline's voice had risen, and she glanced apprehensively round
the hall again to assure herself that her sudden exclamation had not attracted
attention. 'Don't be absurd!'
'What's absurd? I'm here in Fenbourne already. It's my day off, you see. Why
shouldn't I ask you to take pity on me and share my lonely dinner?'
'If you're lonely, Mr. Mooney, it's no concern of mine. And you had no right
in coming here on the offchance that I might agree!'
'Why not? It's a free country, isn't it? I enjoyed the outing.'
Caroline shifted impatiently, feeling the ends of the towel coming down
about her ears. 'Well - well, thank you for the invitation, but I'm afraid I'm
otherwise engaged.'
'You're going out with someone else?'
Caroline raised her eyes heavenward. 'I have - other things to do.'
There was silence for so long that she half thought he had hung up on her.
But presently he said: 'Is Laura there?'
So far as Caroline was aware, Laura was down at the pool. Trevor was
spending the afternoon at the house, and later this evening the whole family
were going to dine at the Frobishers'. How could she call her up to the house
to speak to John Mooney? It did not bear thinking about. It would ruin
Laura's evening, and her parents would be furious if they found out what
was going on.
'I - you can't speak to her now,' she protested.
'Okay.' He was unperturbed. 'I'll ring later '
'No! No, you can't.' Caroline was frustrated. 'Laura won't be here. I've told [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]