A Pearl for Love (17 page)

‘
Yes, thanks.
’

‘
That
’
s good. I
...
want you to be happy, Catherine.
’

‘
Don
’
t start feeling responsible for me,
’
she said, rather tartly, and he glanced at her, then concentrated on driving through traffic till he turned off at Balgower.

‘
Give me the basket,
’
he told her.
‘
I
’
ll take it along to the kitchen, and you can have first bath.
’

‘
Thanks,
’
she said huskily.

But in spite of her warm bath, and a change into one of the lovely plain dresses which Elizabeth had
helped her to choose, she still felt rather young and insignificant beside Rosalie, who looked beautiful in palest lavender.

Elizabeth looked much better, and sparkled with laughter quite a lot, though Catherine felt that there was a brittle quality behind it all which was just as disturbing as her quiet listlessness.

She had invited another two men to make up numbers round the large dining table, and one of them, Simon Hamilton, was paying her lots of attention. The other one sat beside Catherine, and although he talked a great deal, his conversation seemed to go over her head. She couldn
’
t even remember his name.

Instead she could only see the beautiful laughing face of Rosalie Craven, as she looked up at John whose dark head was bent towards her attentively. Again a wave of jealousy swept over her, and she felt sickened with herself. It was an emotion which was foreign to her, and which frightened and disgusted her. If John wanted Rosalie, then she should be happy for them both.

But over all the happy party, one face seemed to hover like a spectre. Michael Rodgers was not there, but Catherine could feel his presence, and knew that he was still in the minds of all four Sheridans. And especially Elizabeth.

On Wednesdays Catherine now went to evening classes to get practical experience for her F.G.A.
She now knew the properties of most gem stones, but she had to learn how to use a refractometer when testing for refractive index, and how to test in a practical way for specific gravity.

As she left the classes the following Wednesday and turned into the street, a figure stepped forward and called her name.

‘
Catherine!
’

She jumped, startled.

‘
Michael! What are you doing here?
’

‘
Waiting for you
,’
he told her quietly.
‘
You
’
ve been ages
.’

‘
I had some tidying up to do.
’

He had taken her arm and was walking along beside her.

‘
I want to talk to you, Kate. Can we go to that hotel where we had a meal together once upon a time?
’

She hesitated.

‘
They
’
ll wonder where I
’
ve got to.
’

‘
Oh, for heaven
’
s sake
,’
he cried impatiently,
‘
must you always be kow-towing to the Sheridans? Can
’
t you even spare me an hour of your time? What
’
s an hour out of a lifetime?
’

She felt his need to talk to her, and her reluctance melted. She would telephone from the hotel in case Aunt Lucille was arranging a meal for her which would spoil.

‘
All right, Michael, I
’
ll be glad to have a meal with you. I
’
ve been wondering what you were doing
... if you
’
d gone in with another firm or something.
’

‘
Don
’
t worry about me,
’
he laughed shortly.
‘
I
’
m all right, as they say. I knew it would come to this sooner or later, so I prepared for it. No, it
’
s you I want to protect, Catherine. And I think there are a few things you ought to know about our friends the Sheridans.
’

Her footsteps slowed.

‘I
... I don
’
t think I want to listen to a lot of gossip and grumbles, Michael. I can make up my own mind about Uncle James and Aunt Lucille
...
John and Elizabeth, too. They
’
ve all been wonderful to me. In fact, they
’
ve given me back my life. I know you have a private quarrel with them, but it
’
s got nothing to do with me
.’

His fingers bit into her arm.

‘
That
’
s what you think. But I still want you to listen to what I have to say, make up your mind, my dear. Believe me, I
...
I
’
m not doing it for fun.
’

She walked beside him silently, then he asked, his voice ragged,

‘
How
’
s Elizabeth?
’

She considered before replying.

‘
She
would say she
’
s splendid, but I think she
’
s very unhappy, Michael. She
’
s so thin, and her appetite is poor. Aunt Lucille worries about her.
’

‘
It
’
s her own fault!
’
he said harshly.
‘I
couldn
’
t even
begin
to talk to her
!’

He escorted her into the hotel, and Catherine excused herself so that she could have a wash, and telephone. Aunt Lucille did not ask questions, and Catherine was glad of that as she put back the receiver and went to join Michael in the dining room.

‘
Please, not a lot this evening,
’
she pleaded.
‘
I
—
I don
’
t feel very hungry.
’

‘
Trying to be even thinner than Elizabeth?
’
he asked, and she would have been annoyed but for the fact that, now she had a good look at him, Michael looked rather gaunt and unhappy himself. If he had made a new life for himself, then it did not seem to be bringing him much pleasure.

He ordered omelettes for both of them, then leaned his elbows on the table, saying nothing.

‘
Have you got another partnership, then?
’
she asked at last.

‘
Another
partnership? I was never a partner of any kind at Sheridan and Rodgers. James Sheridan bought my father out years ago, after he had worked like a slave to get that business on to its feet. He bought him out cheaply just before it all started to pay off. My father died soon afterwards, and James Sheridan offered to train me when I left school
...
as an employee, of course. My position has never been privileged.
’

‘
I see,
’
said Catherine, watching his face.

‘
Do you? I wonder! He
’
s demanded everything from my family. I saw my father
...
old, tired, in his grave years before his time, and I knew
I was going to get my own back on James Sheridan. So I founded my own company
...
Newclox
...
and I saw that it was on its feet before I left Sheridans. They used us, so I used them
...’

‘
So you really were to blame over
...
over some of the mistakes and the loss of sales!
’
cried Catherine.

‘
Do you blame
me?’

She was silent, trying to take it all in.

‘
I had my mother to fight for. She never speaks about it, but she
’
s better off now than she
’
s ever been. She married again, of course. I
’
ll take you to see her one day, Catherine.
’

‘
Do you live with her?
’

‘
No, I told you
...
she married again. Happily he
’
s a good type, my stepfather. She
’
s all right with him.
’

‘
But Elizabeth,
’
she said, after they had again sat in silence.
‘
Why did you propose to Elizabeth, if you wanted nothing to do with them
?’

This time it was Michael
’
s turn to flush.

‘
I thought she was different. I thought that she could leave them, come with me
...
only I left it too late to explain to her, and when I tried she wouldn
’
t listen. She thought I was a traitor, trying to ruin their business, while it appeared to be in my interest to build it up. I even tried to make her jealous sometimes by
...
well, never mind that. I only know that she hates me now.
’

‘
I don
’
t think she hates you,
’
said Catherine quietly,
‘
but I don
’
t think you could blame her either. It must look very different from her point of view.
’

Michael gazed at her intently.

‘
And yours, Catherine?
’

She drew a deep breath. Michael obviously believed that James Sheridan had used Frederick Rodgers ... his health and energy
...
then discarded him before he could reap any benefits, and by doing so had also robbed his son of those benefits. He had kept Michael in the firm, but again he had used his natural skill and competence, and had only offered a normal salary as a reward.

Yet it was difficult to see Uncle James in this role. He was kindly and thoughtful, and he had given her a home and a job. He would probably have given Michael a partnership of some kind when he married Elizabeth, and he had also had no objection, obviously, to accepting Michael into his family.

Catherine was shaking her head. She couldn
’
t accept Uncle James as a villain. Nor had John ever uttered a word of criticism regarding Michael, except to see that Elizabeth
’
s interests were protected.

‘I
think there
’
s misunderstanding somewhere,
’
she said slowly.
‘I
don
’
t think Uncle James realises you feel this way, Michael. Perhaps he could give you his point of view
...’

‘
And very plausible it would be,
’
said Michael bitterly.
‘I
knew you would say that. You
’
re
sitting there all ripe for plucking yourself, and I
’
ve done you a favour by telling you. There was a time when I even thought I would
like
to take you out of it all. Especially when Elizabeth was going all superior on me. I could feel your attraction, and I thought I could make you interested
...
He paused and looked at her.
‘
Was I wrong
?’
he asked softly, and she shook her head.

‘
No, I was attracted,
’
she said honestly,
‘
but it was a fleeting thing which didn
’
t last. Instead I
...’

‘
I know,
’
he said harshly.
‘
You fell for John. Good old John, who
’
s got it made for practically everything in his life. All he wants he can have. It would do him good to rough it for a while.
’

‘
Don
’
t be so bitter,
’
she said sharply.
‘
John
’
s path isn
’
t as smooth as you imagine. He does work for what he has, and he always will.
’

‘
I won
’
t argue with you,
’
he told her, sighing a little.
‘
Anyway, I know how you feel. It
...
it takes a while to get them out of the blood.
’

He ordered coffee in the lounge and escorted Catherine to a quiet
corner
where it was warm and comfortable, though she hardly saw her surroundings. None of this seemed to be real.

She thought of Elizabeth and knew that she still loved Michael. Yet what hope would there be for either of them if, all the time, he had been hating her family for years? There must have been times when he had softened towards them, when he had fallen in love with Elizabeth. Because he love her, and
still
did, thought Catherine, looking at him. How ironic for him that this should have happened.