A Pearl for Love (22 page)

‘
You
’
re the one who has been brainwashed, dear,
’
said his mother sadly.
‘
You
’
ve brainwashed yourself, helped by me. I
’
ve let you think for years that your father was
...
well, some sort of saint. But if it hadn
’
t been for James Sheridan, he would probably have ended up in jail.
’

‘
I
’
ll go,
’
said Catherine hurriedly, after a quick glance at Michael
’
s face. It was better to leave
Mrs.
Duncan and Michael to work this out for themselves.

‘
Oh no, you don
’
t,
’
said Michael, gripping her arm.
‘
You
’
re involved in this, and I want to know what
’
s been going on behind my back, and why you came at all.
’

‘
I came because of Elizabeth,
’
she told him flatly.
‘
She
’
s been very ill. She had an accident and fell downstairs, but she
’
s getting better now,
’
she assured him.
‘
I came for her sake. I ... I think she needs you, Michael.
’

‘
She has nothing but contempt for me.
’

‘
As you had for her ... or her family. It
’
s all wrong, Michael. I want your mother to tell you why it
’
s wrong, then I want you to tell Elizabeth.
’

‘
You certainly don
’
t believe in interfering!
’

Again she flushed.

‘
I suppose I deserve that, but
...’

‘
But you ought to be thanking her,
’
broke in
Mrs.
Duncan,
‘
and so should I. It
’
s time you knew the real truth, Michael, so sit down and listen.
’

It was quite late when Catherine insisted that she really must go home. It had been an upsetting evening, and when
Mr.
Duncan had arrived home, and poked his head round the door to find his wife talking earnestly to her son, he looked vaguely surprised, and withdrew a little.

‘
Wait a moment, George dear
,’
she called.
‘
This is Catherine Lyall, who used to work with Michael. Catherine, I wonder if I could ask you to do something for me? Could you help George to make some tea? I really must finish telling Michael.
’

‘
Of course,
’
said Catherine, rising quickly.

In the kitchen she had glanced at George Duncan, feeling rather embarrassed, but he gave her a quick shy smile.

‘
I apologise that our guest should be asked to make her own tea,
’
he said wryly, and she grinned.

‘
I
’
m flattered. It makes me feel welcome, even if
...’
she bit her lip,
‘
I don
’
t yet know whether or not it was the right thing to do.
’

‘
If you mean that Michael is now learning rather more about his father, whom I knew very well, then I
’
m sure he
...
and I
...
will have cause to thank you.
’

It shook Michael rather badly. At first he argued furiously with his mother, then it was obvious that
his own memory was stirring, of days when there wasn
’
t enough to eat, and his shoes had to wait before being mended.

‘
It wasn
’
t his fault,
’
Joan insisted.
‘
There was nothing which could help him. Nowadays people understand these social problems much better, and can do something, but not then.
’

‘
But it
’
s been a
li
e,
’
said Michael.
‘
All this time I
’
ve been living a lie! I
’
ve sweated and stewed, and I
’
ve hated the Sheridans because I thought it was their fault.
’

‘
Elizabeth, too?
’
asked Catherine softly.

‘
I told you before,
’
he said roughly,
‘
she hates me. She hates me for extending things to John. I was rotten to them
...
even if it had been all true. I can see now that it was all wrong. It
’
s something I
’
ll have to live with.
’

‘
Don
’
t blame yourself too much, darling. You didn
’
t know.
’

He laughed shortly.
‘
No, I didn
’
t, did I
?’
Then he turned to Catherine.
‘
I
’
ll take you home in my car. It
’
s lucky I was out on deliveries tonight. Quite often I walk. It saves money.
’

She wanted to ask if his new business was prospering, but felt that she had interfered enough. Already she was very conscious of the anger in him, and meekly accepted
the
lift home.

‘
Then
...
aren
’
t you going to see Elizabeth?
’
she asked, as they s
topped outside the gates of Bal
gower. That, after all, was why she had gone to see
Mrs.
Duncan in the first place.

‘
What for? Do you really think Elizabeth will want anything to do with me
now?
’

‘
Yes, I do. I think she still loves you, Michael.
’

‘
How young you are, Catherin
e!
’

She flushed and opened the car door.

‘
I can see I
’
ve wasted my time.
’

He caught her hand as she started to get out.

‘
No. I had to know. I
’
m glad to know. Later
...
well, I might stop being bitter, but it
’
s better for the truth to come out. I ... I shall write and apologise to James Sheridan, and to John, and perhaps to Elizabeth, though I shan
’
t expect a reply. Goodnight, Catherine. Perhaps you ought to try for John, after all!
’

He drove away as a tall figure walked towards the gate, and Catherine
’
s heart leapt as she recognised John. He stared after Michael
’
s car, and she stood where she was, waiting for him to walk up to her.

‘
I trust you
’
ve had a pleasant evening,
’
he said icily.

‘
Not exactly,
’
she said,
‘
but I don
’
t regret it. I think a lot of misunderstanding has been cleared up.
’

‘
Congratulations
!’

She wanted to explain to him about Michael, but hardly knew where to start. In any case, John was in a rage, as she could see when they entered the hall, and was obviously in no mood to listen.

‘
It was a misunderstanding, John,
’
she insisted quietly.

‘
Well, spare me the details tonight,
’
he told her.
‘
I
’
m going to bed. Goodnight, Catherine.
’

‘
Goodnight,
’
she whispered.

It seemed as though she would never get a goodnight
kiss.

John
’
s black mood was only kept under control by firm discipline the following day, and towards
six o
’
clock he came over and told Catherine that he would be ready, shortly, to drive her home, after he had helped his father to lock up.
Mr.
Sheridan was going to a meeting, and wouldn
’
t be coming with them.

It was only after John had turned left, when he normally turned right, that Catherine realised they weren
’
t, in fact, going home.

‘
Where are you taking
me?
’
she asked.

‘
Where we can talk,
’
he told her briefly,
‘
sensibly, I hope. Then we
’
d better have some food. I
’
m starving, if you aren
’
t.
’

She had been, but now her appetite was slipping away as nerves gripped her stomach, but she got out of the car obediently as John led her into a small, quiet restaurant. He took Catherine
’
s coat as well as his own, and hung them near the door, then he came back to sit down opposite her, and stare at her across the table.

‘
I
’
ve had a hell of a day,
’
he acknowledged.
‘
I don
’
t want another like it. I
’
ve been angry, and jealous, and I
’
ve wanted to come over and shake you
at times. I thought I knew you, Catherine, but sometimes I don
’
t know you at all. Do you really love Mike Rodgers?
’

‘
No,
’
she said firmly.
‘
He still loves Elizabeth.
’

‘
He
’
s got a funny way of showing it.
’

‘
It wasn
’
t his fault. He ... he didn
’
t really know the true facts. He does now.
’

‘
You went to a lot of trouble to tell him, for someone who doesn
’
t love him.
’

‘
For someone who loves Elizabeth,
’
she corrected quietly,
‘
though I don
’
t expect that occurred to you, John. Yon only see what you want to see.
’

‘
I
’
ve scarcely seen anything, except you, since you came,
’
he told her, his eyes holding hers.
‘
When you first came I was so afraid you would fall for Michael, and we would all be unhappy. Then I asked you to marry me, but you didn
’
t leap at the chance. I love you, Catherine. It seems to me a straightforward thing to have happened. Only you
’
ve got to go peering round comers, looking for ulterior motives, when it seems simple to me. I love you. I want to marry you. For yourself, Kate. Just you and me.
’

She felt as though waves of sunshine were breaking over her head.

‘
What
...
what about Rosalie Craven?
’
she asked at last.

‘
There you go again! If I didn
’
t see that smile on your face, I
’
d just about give up. Just about! Rosalie and I knew exactly where we stood with one
another when she gave me back my ring. I wasn
’
t grateful at the time. I was later ... as soon as you walked in with Dad. I prayed then that you would never go away, Catherine. Please answer me properly this time. Yes or
no?
’

‘
Yes.
’

‘
Then hurry up and eat the rest of this food, then we can go home and start living again.
’