The Antique Love (9 page)

Kurt shook his head with mock exasperation. “You’re wasting a good sale.”

“I’m not selling them until it feels right.” She was walking away, when she stopped and said over her shoulder, “And one day the right man will come in. Someone who’s actually in love, for once.”

Tehmeena caught the exchange and later stopped at Kurt’s desk on her way to the cash till. “Penny will never sell those pearls to anyone, you know.” They both glanced over to the window, where Penny was demonstrating one of the mechanical toys. Tehmeena gave Kurt a conspiratorial smile. “She’s an incurable romantic.”

“Yeah, she sure gets passionate about things.” Kurt watched Penny lift out a set of three mechanical pigs and wind them up with a tiny key. When she set them down, the pig in front began playing the drums and the other pigs marched along behind, all three taking tiny, mechanical steps to the tinny beat. A little group had gathered to watch, and there was a burst of laughter. Kurt smiled to himself.

He was still gazing in Penny’s direction when Tehmeena broke in on his thoughts.

“Why don’t you ask her out?”

“What?” Tehmeena’s question hit him like a bull out of nowhere, and he straightened in his chair.

“Ask her out.” She gave him one of her mischievous smiles and put her head on one side, ignoring his stunned expression. “Ask her out for
lunch
.” She gestured to the clock on the wall. “It’s twelve o’clock. What did you think I meant?”

With a flutter of her eyelashes, she wandered off to the cash desk, giving Kurt an airy wave and leaving him considerably thrown. He’d guessed how much of a friend Tehmeena was to Penny. She had soon demonstrated her vivacity and her lively sense of humour, teasing Kurt in a bantering way which he enjoyed. As the boss at White River, none of his staff would have dared
take the mickey
out of him, as the British put it. Even his own sister didn’t really dare tease him all that much. The gap in their ages meant she treated him more like a father figure. So he liked the way Tehmeena bantered with him, making him feel at home, but then she had caught him totally off guard. Was she really hinting he should ask Penny out? He cast another glance in Penny’s direction. Ask her out as on a
date
out?

Kurt picked up the remaining papers on his desk and began shuffling them until he realised he had no idea what he was doing. He replaced them in a heap then looked over again to where Penny was now replacing the toys. The pencil skirt of the first time they met had gone. Today she was wearing a vintage cream dress in some floaty type of fabric, and as she bent over to lock the cabinet, she was presenting him with a view he felt he had no right to be enjoying. He looked away hastily. With every movement she made around the shop that morning, the dress had flowed with her, draping softly over her breasts and hips and drawing Kurt’s eyes far too frequently from the files in front of him.

Penny turned round to find his eyes had returned to her, and he stood up quickly, reddening a little under his tan. All of a sudden, he felt gauche.

“Finished?” she asked.

“Yeah.” He watched her approach, her dress clinging to her thighs with each step, and he lifted his hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it nervously. “That is, no,” he added.

For a couple of minutes, Penny stared at him whilst he busied himself with straightening the folders on the desk. Then he cleared his throat and turned to her, gesturing towards his papers.

“I’ve been through all the files for the past twelve months,” he said. “The good news is the figures basically look pretty healthy to me. Your cash flow should be picking up by the end of the month. That is, if you can hold your creditors off for that long and put off spending on new stock for now. If the worst comes to the worst, I can pay you up front for the job in Richmond. That should definitely tide you over.”

Penny nodded with relief. “That’s great. And the bad news?”

“Something doesn’t add up. Nothing to worry about for the moment,” he added, seeing the look of concern on her face, “but I’ll need to come back for at least another morning. And I’d like to check your bank records.”

“Oh?” Penny searched his face. “Well, okay,” she said, puzzled. “I’ll organise all the paperwork for next Saturday. Thanks so much.”

“No problem.” He bowed his head, and Penny smiled widely. “How about lunch?” she said. “On me this time.”

“Yeah, Tehmeena thought I should…” He broke off in confusion and shifted a couple of the papers on the desk. Penny gazed at him in astonishment. He cleared his throat for the second time. “Tehmeena said it was about time I took you for lunch.”

She continued to stare at him for a little longer, and Kurt knew he was behaving oddly. He tried to relax, to let go of his stiffness, and managed a small smile.

“There’s a great sandwich bar round the corner. It’s a little walk from here if you fancy a change?”

“Great. I’ll just go tell Tehmeena.”

Five minutes later they were outside.

“Sunshine,” cried Penny. “Who’d have thought it?”

Kurt looked down at her and smiled. Now he was outside in his preferred element, he felt more able to relax.

“Yeah, sunshine. It’s
fabulous
,” he said. “See, I’m talking British already.”

“Spoken like a native.” Penny looked up at him with a happy smile, as pleased as he was to be outdoors.

They walked along companionably for a while, crossing the busy streets and threading their way past other pedestrians. Occasionally, Penny would point out a landmark, and prompted by Kurt, she began to fill him in on a little of the area’s history. He let her speak, saying little himself except to throw in the odd remark. His eyes were warm when they rested on her, and there was a quiet smile on his lips as she made the ordinary buildings come to life. She told him a pub on the corner had once been a police-station. They peered in through the window and saw the desk-sergeant’s counter, now a busy bar thronged with lunchtime drinkers. An old blue police lamp still hung outside.

The next building they passed was a drab department store. Kurt had thought it nothing remarkable until Penny drew to a halt.

“This was the first shop in the whole of London ever to have electric light. Can you believe it?” She stared at the massive array of electrical goods in the window. “Can you imagine how exciting it must have been? Oh.” She looked up at him, her quick mind jumping to another subject. “That reminds me. I need to get more batteries for my camera. I’d like to take some photos of your house tomorrow. Do you mind if we go inside?”

“Sure.”

* * * *

Kurt stayed on the ground floor to examine the endless ranks of television sets whilst Penny made her purchase as quickly as she could. She returned from the camera department to find him gazing in deep abstraction at one of the larger screens. She stood still. His arms were folded. Even from a distance his large, muscular body made a striking figure. He had the uncanny ability to remain absolutely still and, at the same time, give the impression of a vital physical presence. Penny stood for a while, unnoticed, wondering what on earth was on the screen that could cause such intense absorption. Then she smiled and shook herself. Sports was her guess. Probably American football. But when she rounded the aisle to stand beside him, she took one look at the screen and felt her heart come a stop with an almighty lurch and the smile vanish from her face. This was no football match. It was an old romance, and the scene in front of her was playing out with sickening familiarity.

She looked up at Kurt. “I’m back,” she said loudly. “Shall we go?”

He didn’t move. His eyes were still fixed on the screen, where a young girl stood outside a theatre, watching the crowds make their way up the steps. She was wearing a cream dress in some floaty material. She was slimmer than Penny, but the dress clung to her in much the same way. When she lifted her arm to wave to a man in the crowd, the similarity in the graceful movement was uncanny.

“Did you ever watch this movie?” Kurt asked without turning.

There was a short silence before Penny replied. “Yes. It’s
Queen’s Act
with Megan Rose.” Her mouth was dry. “It’s the first film she ever made.”

Penny’s mother was in her early twenties when the film was shot. Penny’s father had been her agent. In the film, she played the part of a struggling actress in one of London’s theatres. Megan Rose’s fans knew it as the film that launched her career and catapulted her to Hollywood fame. For Penny, the film had a far different meaning. It was the film that brought separation from her parents, eventually forever.

“My mom saw all Megan Rose’s movies.” Kurt’s eyes were still on the screen. “She loved her. Thought she was so glamorous. She once bought a navy jacket because she’d seen Megan Rose wear one.” Kurt smiled softly at the stirred up memory. Then he turned to look at Penny. “Funny, though, I don’t remember ever seeing this movie.” He looked back to the screen, where Megan Rose was now tripping lightly up an empty staircase, and then turned his eyes once more to Penny, searching her face for a moment. An expression almost of surprise crossed his features. “I never thought of it till now, but has anyone ever said you look like Megan Rose?”

Penny felt herself stiffen. She could see Kurt’s expression change from mild surprise to one of astonishment at her reaction. She thought briefly about turning on her heel and leaving without answering but knew that to run away was out of the question. In any case, it would only raise more questions. She turned to examine the screen, which was suddenly filled with her mother’s face lit from beneath so that her lips were dark as rowan berries and her beautiful eyes glittered in the neon light from the theatre.

“No,” she said, the dryness catching in her throat. “Of course no-one’s ever said that to me. Like your mum said, Megan Rose was glamorous, and she was beautiful.”

Kurt lifted his head in amazement. Penny turned to go, but he caught her arm. “Please don’t take offence,” he said quickly. “I know your faces are different, but believe me, you look like her.” He dropped her arm, suddenly embarrassed. “I just mean, you have a beautiful way of moving and speaking. She reminds me of you.”

The screen went blank before cutting away to a strident commercial. Penny stared at Kurt. She opened her mouth and took in a breath as though about to say something then changed her mind.

“I think I should be going.” She turned away. “Tehmeena will be waiting.”

Their walk through the streets was a silent one. Penny was lost in thought, and Kurt kept looking at her in puzzlement. When they reached the sandwich bar, her footsteps slowed.

“I think I’ll just get something to take away,” she said. “It’s getting late.”

“Okay.” He shrugged uncertainly.

The queue inside was short. Penny bought the sandwiches then they stood outside on the pavement, Kurt preparing to make his way in the opposite direction, back to the company flat he was occupying. He cleared his throat.

“So, what time you headed to my house tomorrow?” he asked.

“In the afternoon. I gave your team of decorators some instructions, and they’ve already made a good start. I just want to check on what they’ve done this week.”

“Okay. Will I be in the way if I come over?”

Penny had to smile. “Of course not. It’s your house. I’d love you to see what they’ve done so far. But I thought you told Cass you were going riding tomorrow?” There was a tentative lilt to her question as she searched his face.

“Yeah, I planned on going to the stables but only to talk with Cass and the head guy. There’s something I want to discuss with them.”

“Oh.” Penny gave him half a smile. “Cass will be disappointed if you don’t ride with her.”

Kurt caught her look and grinned back. “Yeah, she’s always bugging me to ride. Trouble is she wants me to talk as well.”

Penny laughed with him at that, the image of the taciturn Kurt being forced to chat causing her eyes to light up briefly. Then the shuttered look came down again. She looked down at her feet for a moment before lifting her head to give him her clear blue gaze.

“Thanks for all your help this morning,” she said. “I’d better get back.” He was about to say something, but she rushed on. “I’m sorry about just now when you were watching the film. I’ve thought about Megan Rose a lot and why we’re not alike. In fact, I’ve thought about it pretty much all my life.” Her eyes widened, glistening suddenly. “You see, I don’t tell many people this, but Megan Rose was my mother.”

She registered the widening of his eyes and stood still for a moment, uncertain. Then she swivelled on one swift heel, not wanting to witness the rest of his reaction, and made a craven escape through the crowds. She didn’t stop until Kurt was out of sight. When she had rounded a corner, she leaned back against a wall and breathed out deeply, ignoring the curious looks of the passersby. She found the fingers clutching her sandwich were trembling.

“This is ridiculous,” she told herself. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her forehead. “There, I’ve told him.” Yes, she’d told him, but she’d been too chicken to hang around to see his reaction. Too scared to watch him make the comparisons and for the inevitable look of incredulity to cross his face. Kurt had noted the similarity between herself and her mother. Fine, there was bound to be
something
there. But he had told Penny that their features were not at all alike, and that was the truth. Ever since Penny was a schoolgirl, she had known her mother had been beautiful, and she was dull and ordinary. Her fellow pupils had pointed it out often enough, and Penny, already feeling the burden of not being able to replace her mother in her grieving grandmother’s eyes, had been at too low an ebb to take her school-friends’ taunts for the jealous barbs they were. It had been hard being made to feel second-best to a mother who was no longer there to make her feel good about herself.

She thought of her mother’s face as she’d just seen it on the television screen: wide, luminous green eyes, and perfect creamy skin over her fine bone structure. On screen her mother’s image had a romantic, ethereal quality far removed from Penny’s solid presence. Penny was only too aware of the difference and knew only too well how much she had secretly disappointed her grandmother by not being Megan Rose, the fairy-tale film star who had died and left them.