The Lady and the Lake (19 page)

‘That
lovely
child
will
be
ten
years
old,
I
can
hardly
believe
it.
It
is
so
sad
about
her
poor
mother.
Now,
you
select
your
flowers
while
I
go
down
and
keep
Thomas
company.
You
will
know
your
way?’
she
asked
me.

‘Yes,
and
thank
you,
Mrs
Craddock.’
I
said
politely,
for
it
was
indeed
fortuitous.

I
looked
through
the
many
silk
flowers
thinking
of
Alice’s
words
that
cream
would
be
nice,
but
I’d
spotted
some
small
pale-pink-coloured
ones
which
I
felt
sure
would
enhance
the
blue
of
the
dress.

I
picked
out
a
dozen
of
them
and
then
selected
a
large
one
identical
in
colour
for
my
hair.
I
was
about
to
turn
away
when
on
impulse
I
selected
a
large
white
one
for
Clara’s
dark
hair,
which
brought
to
mind
that
I
needed
to
speak
urgently
to
Antony
Kershaw.

Placing
the
flowers
in
my
reticule
I
made
my
way
back
down
the
stairs,
peeping
into
the
open
door
of
what
was
obviously
the
living
room.
It
was
very
homely
with
matching
floral
curtains
and
chair
covers.

Making
my
way
back
outside
and
through
the
garden,
I
marvelled
at
the
beautiful
colours
of
the
flowers
and
how
tall
the
mauve
lupins
were
in
all
their
splendour.

As
I
neared
the
table
I
could
hear
Mary
Craddock’s
voice,
‘Why
do
you
have
to
associate
with
these
young
girls
and
women
who
have
no
direction
in
life
and
very
little
if
not
no
means
to
support
themselves?
It
really
is
beyond
me,
Thomas.
She’s
a
nice
enough
young
woman
and
very
nice
looking, but
then
so
is
Barbara
Middleton
and
she
would
marry
you
tomorrow!
Her
parents
are
wealthy
and
it
would
be
more
in
keeping.
I
really
don’t
understand
you.’
Here
she
stopped
and
I
listened
with
baited
breath
for
her
son’s
reply.

‘They
are
a
challenge,
Mother,
that
is
all,
I
have
no
intention
of
marrying
any
of
them.
So
let
that
reassure
you.’
As
he
spoke
I
saw
him
reach
across
and
lay
his
hand
across
his
mother’s.

I
was
incensed.
So,
I
was
just
a
challenge
was
I?
And
who
else
had
been
such
to
him?
Annie
and
Gladys
were
brought
to
mind.
Oh
no!
How
could
I
have
been
so
naïve
as
to
have
fallen
for
this
young
man’s
charms?
So
far
as
to
think
that
I
was
in
love
with
him
when
all
I
appeared
to
be
was
a
dalliance.
I
pulled
myself
together
and
made
my
way
across
to
where
they
were
sat.

‘Here
is
Abigail,’
declared
Mrs
Craddock,
‘did
you
find
what
you
needed
dear?’

‘Yes,
thank
you
so
much,’
I
said sweetly,
smiling
at
the
both
of
them
and
in
my
heart
wishing
that
Thomas
were
anywhere
but
in
my
presence.
What
a
charmer
he
was,
he’d
certainly
deceived
me
and
I
could
never
forgive
him
for
making
me
look
so
foolish.

‘Are
you
ready
to
go
into
Whitby?’
Thomas
asked
me.

‘Why
yes,
I
think
I
am,’
I
answered,
for
a
while
here
I
thought
I
may
as
well
see
the
town
and
I
knew
that
I
would
not
return
in
time
to
Kerslake
Hall
to
read
to
my
employer.
What
consequence
this
would
have
I
had
no
idea
but
would
soon
find
out.

The
road
to
Whitby
was
not
long
and
I
could
very
soon
see
the
ruined
abbey
high
on
the
hill
and
smell
the
salt
water
and
seaweed
in
the
delightful
harbour.

I
managed
to
purchase
myself
a
pretty
turquoise
sunshade
with
a
few
coppers
I
had
in
my
reticule.
All
in
all
it
was
a
pleasant
afternoon
and
I
endeavoured
successfully
to
keep
Mr
Thomas
Craddock
at
a
distance
much
to
his
annoyance.

On
our
way
back
to
the
Hall
I
looked
at
the
ruins
of
Whitby
Abbey
and
thought
that
the
abbey
near
Kerslake
Hall
would
never
hold
such
a
joy
for
me
after
what
I’d
discovered
today.
We
were
silent
all
the
way
back
and
I
was
sure
that
Thomas
was
aware
that
something
was
amiss.

As
we
pulled
up
at
the
gates
of
the
Hall
Thomas
bent
across
to
me,
his
intention
was
to
kiss
me
but
I
moved
away
from
him.