A Pearl for Love (16 page)

‘
Yes, Miss Pryce?
’
he asked quietly.

‘
Nothing. I didn
’
t speak ... er ...
Mr.
John.
’

He continued to gaze at her for a moment, and Catherine felt that a change had been made indeed, and that John
’
s presence was now going to be felt very much more. She looked at him, trying to remember the evening he had kissed her and asked her to marry him. But he seemed an entirely different person.

Soon, however, they were all kept busy with Michael being away, and a new routine was established. But although he was no longer in the shop, it was as though his disturbing presence hung over all of them.

Elizabeth still loved him, thought Catherine, looking at the other girl
’
s pale face and shadowed eyes, and it had cost Uncle James a big effort of will to break things off with Michael. Had it also cost him money he could ill afford at the moment? wondered Catherine.

Nor did John look any happier for having Michael removed. Most of the extra work was falling on his shoulders, and later he remarked to his father that reorganisation might help a little. Perhaps he had really liked Michael, thought Catherine, looking at his rather harassed face. Certainly he was far from elated now that the other man had gone, even though he had often taken all the blame for mistakes which ought to have been shared.

And Catherine? She, too, felt a gap had been made, and kept remembering how he had helped her
w
ith her studies in gemmology. She had not thanked him enough, she thought, rather forlornly.

Now it was unlikely that she would ever see him again.

CHAPTER VIII

The following Sunday John came down to breakfast, looking a little brighter and happier. It was another beautiful day, with more warmth in the sun. Already the hedgerows were budding, with tiny green leaves, and everywhere fresh daffodils and crocuses swayed gently in the breeze.

‘
I love this time of year,
’
said Catherine, looking out at the garden.
‘
It always brings one a little bit of hope for the future. I mean, everything seems to burst with life, after the dullness of winter.
’

‘
I know exactly what you mean,
’
said John, coming to stand beside her,
‘
though life really is going on all the time, even if it does seem dormant now and again. The jasmine on the side wall flowered all winter, and didn
’
t you see the aconites and all those snowdrops up in the shrubbery?
’

‘
Of course I did,
’
she smiled,
‘
but the trees were still rather dead-looking, and now they
’
re alive again. Lambs are being bo
rn
and the birds are nesting. Everything surges with life. Don
’
t you feel it, John?
’

He looked at her strangely.

‘
Yes, I feel it.
’

‘
Feel what?
’
asked Elizabeth, appearing at the door. She was very thin, thought Catherine, suddenly seeing Elizabeth in a beam of sunlight, and feeling a pang of anxiety for her. She knew that Lucille was also concerned for her daughter, and had wanted Elizabeth to take an early holiday.

‘
Somewhere warm and relaxing, darling,
’
she had coaxed.

‘
Sounds like bed,
’
said Elizabeth, with a small laugh.
‘
No, dear, you know I can
’
t go helping myself to time off now that
...
while we
’
re short
-
staffed. I
’
ll have my holiday in July, as I
’
ve arranged.
’

‘
You don
’
t eat enough.
’

‘
Of course I do. I
’
m naturally skinny. I
’
d have no clothes if I put on any weight.
’

Now Catherine could see why Lucille was concerned. Elizabeth was normally very thin and willowy, but now she looked frail, her slender hands almost transparent.

‘
What do you feel?
’
she was asking.

‘
That it
’
s a gorgeous day,
’
said John,
‘
and I think we ought to go somewhere and enjoy it. How about it, Catherine? Like to go to the seaside? Or in-country?
’

She hesitated.
‘
If Elizabeth comes, too.
’

‘
Oh, no, my love, you don
’
t get Elizabeth to go joy-riding today,
’
the other girl told her.
‘
The
garden and our old hammock is good enough for me.
’

Catherine
’
s eyes met John
’
s, and she could sense the concern in him.

‘
A good run in the fresh air and a hamper of goodies might be just the thing you need, Liz,
’
he told her seriously.
‘
You
’
re a bit nervy these days.
’

She flushed.

‘
If you mean I
’
m still trying to get over Michael,
’
she said deliberately,
‘
then you
’
re right. I am. But I have to fight my battles in my own way, and you two would just get on my nerves with your sympathy, and your efforts at stuffing food down my throat. If you want to be kind, then leave
me alone. I shan
’
t mope, don
’
t worry.
’

‘
All right, hinny,
’
said John gently, and Catherine saw a sudden flash of tears in Elizabeth
’
s eyes.

‘
Go on, both of you,
’
she insisted.

‘
All right, give us time,
’
laughed John.
‘
We haven
’
t got our coffee and sandwiches made
yet
...
or should we chance it, and plump for somewhere we can be sure of getting lunch?
’

‘
No, I
’
d like a picnic,
’
Catherine decided.
‘
I
’
ll make it.
’

‘
Good girl,
’
John approved.
‘
I
’
ll change my shoes and get the car out.
’

‘
Don
’
t forget that Rosalie is coming to dinner this evening,
’
said Elizabeth sweetly, and John
’
s face darkened.

‘
I hadn
’
t forgotten,
’
he said briefly.

‘
You
’
ll be back in time?
’

‘
Of course.
’

Catherine felt that the sun shone less brightly. Rosalie was becoming a regular visitor to the house,
and it was difficult to know whether John welcomed her, or not. Sometimes she caught his eyes lingering on the girl with intensity, and she didn
’
t blame him. Rosalie had more than mere beauty. She was a very dominant personality, and Catherine could guess that it would be hard to resist her when she was being charming.

As far as she was concerned, Rosalie had learned to acknowledge her presence, though they weren
’
t exactly the best of friends. In fact, Catherine often felt that the other girl really disliked her.

‘
Well, where shall we go?
’
asked John, when she was ready, having changed into dark blue slacks and a colourful tunic, with her anorak over her arm in case the weather became mischievous and swapped the warm sunshine for biting winds.

‘
Would you prefer the coast
...
Whitley Bay, South Shields, Seahouses, Bamburgh ... or would you prefer to go the other way to the North Tyne Valley?
’

‘
Bamburgh,
’
said Catherine, after a pause.
‘
I want to look at Bamburgh Castle. It
’
s supposed to be
...’
She paused. She had been going to say very romantic, but changed her mind.
‘...
be very historic, isn
’
t
it?’

‘
Very,
’
agreed John, with a sideways grin,
‘
but I expect you
’
ve also heard that it
’
s supposed to be to where Sir Lancelot eloped with Queen Guinevere, so it
’
s very romantic, too.
’

The ready colour stole into her cheeks.

‘
I rather think King Arthur
’
s court spread itself all over the country,
’
she said dryly.
‘
He lived in Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Bath, and now Northumberland
!
’

‘
Romance gets around,
’
John told her gravely.
‘
It
’
s got a habit of popping up all over the country.
’

‘
Like
spring,
’
agreed Catherine, changing the subject.
‘
Oh, look, John, just look at those tiny lambs! Oh, there are two black ones!
’

‘
You get black sheep everywhere, too.
’

‘
Yes,
’
agreed Catherine, suddenly sobered.

She sat quietly beside him till they reached the
pretty town of Alnwick, where a break for coffee soon had her in good spirits again, and working up an appetite for lunch as soon as they reached Bamburgh.

They sat on the grass above the lashing sea, with a breeze now blowing up. Catherine found the small place utterly charming, and got her fill of the old coastal stronghold which was Bamburgh Castle.

John became his old companionable self, and the time seemed to fly past as they walked through the small town hand in hand, and the sea air blew Catherine
’
s dark hair into her eyes, while John laughingly pulled it back so that he could see her face.

‘
You
’
re happier now, aren
’
t you, Kate?
’
he asked, gazing into her face.
‘
The shadows are all going.
’

She nodded.
‘
All the old shadows are going. But I often think we always get new ones to take their place.
’

He was silent, taking his hand from her cheek, and walking beside her with both hands thrust into his pockets.

‘
Have you felt the shadows
...
since Michael went?
’
he asked bluntly, and she thought again of Elizabeth
’
s pale face and slender white hands.

‘
Yes,
’
she agreed.
‘
Things haven
’
t been
...
quite the same.
’

He said nothing, but kicked at a stone, then looked at his watch.

‘
Oh, lord, look at the time! We
’
d better be getting back, Kate. The Cravens are coming, and we
’
ve got to get changed before dinner or Mother will be all in a flap. Want to see anything more before we leave?
’

‘No.’

She shook her head. The lovely day was over. Just for a moment, as they drove down the charming narrow country roads, there had been no shadows, only sunshine, but now she was going back to sit at the dinner table and watch another girl laughing up into John
’
s face, and reminding him of the happy days they had spent in each other
’
s company, days no doubt even brighter and happier for John than today.

Often she had imagined a younger John happily designing the pretty little flowered ring set in diamonds and emeralds, now no doubt being worn by some other girl. Had John regretted the sudden anger which had made him put it into his showcase and sell it again? Had he been hurt that Rosalie did not want it, not even as a keepsake, when their engagement was at an end?

Perhaps she regretted that now, and would be glad to wear the little ring all over again. But it had been wrong for her, decided Catherine, agreeing with Miss Pryce. Rosalie would only want diamonds, and the bigger, the better.

‘
You
’
re very quiet,
’
said John at her side, as he drove carefully back home, the fine weather having tempted many cars out on to the roads.

‘
I find it difficult to talk for the sake of talking,
’
she said clearly.

‘
That
’
s supposed to be admirable in a woman.
’

‘
And in a man, I would have thought.
’

‘
Have you had a happy day?
’