The Man in Possession (21 page)

‘
How soon can I have it
?’
she asked Jack Parker, the young proprietor.

‘
Oh, it shouldn
’
t take more than a few days to get the log book changed over. It
’
s taxed to the end of the month. In fact, if you
’
re wanting to use it, I can run it along for you in the morning.

She was able to pay cash, so there was no problem about hire purchase, and though she did not know a great deal about engines, she could detect no faults or hear any peculiar noises when she had been on the trial run. Jack assured her that it had been well overhauled
and had passed the Ministry of Transport test.

‘Anyway,
’
was his final word,
‘
use it for a little while and if you do find anything wrong, bring it along and I
’
ll put it right. Okay?
’

She agreed, knowing she could trust him to keep his word and he said he would deliver it the following morning. He couldn
’
t leave the garage that day, as he was on his own.

She returned to the boatyard, and for the rest of the day time dragged. A couple of day boats had been taken out on hire, but that was all, and when those had been brought in again, there was nothing for her to do except potter around the houseboat until bedtime.

Roger returned about four o
’
clock on Monday afternoon.
‘
Hello, what
’
s this?
’
he enquired, seeing her new car standing outside the houseboat.

‘
It
’
s mine. I bought it yesterday,
’
she told him.

‘
Have you got the log book
?’
he asked, giving a keen look at the bodywork and tyres.

‘
Not yet. But it
’
s taxed up to the end of the month.
’

‘
You
’
ve given it a trial run, I suppose?
’

‘
Oh yes.
’

‘
Mm. Looks all right. As a matter of interest, how much did you pay for it?
’
She told
him
and he said she had a good bargain.
‘
Provided you don
’
t have any troubles when you
’
ve run it for a bit.
’

The short week-end seemed to have done
him
good, she thought. He was certainly more cheerful. Perhaps he had decided to forget about the business of the yacht design after all. That had certainly cast a blight over everything and everyone. Or was his changed mood due to the fact that Celia had promised to marry him?

Some days passed and she waited for him to tell her of his plans, that he was going back to work for his father, but he didn
’
t. She longed to ask him. Not that she wanted confirmation of his engagement, but the suspense was becoming more than she could bear. She avoided contact with him, and at every opportunity took out the new car so that she could familiarize herself with the gear changes, which were different both from her last car and the firm
’
s van, as well as to make sure that it was in good running order. Now and again Roger would eye her keenly, then one evening he said, as she was putting the cover on her typewriter:

‘How
’
s the car running?
’

‘Fine,
’
she answered.

‘Are you going out tonight?
’

‘
I—don
’
t know. I hadn
’
t thought about it.
’

There was a slight pause, then he said: ‘I was wondering if you
’
d care to come over to the house, maybe play the piano, and we could have a coffee or something.
’

S
he shook her head swiftly. It would be more than she could take, to be alone with him for any length of time in such an intimate atmosphere. Whether he told her soon of his plans or not, she must get away.

‘I won
’
t, if you don
’
t mind,
’
she answered.
‘
But I
’
d like to have a word with you in the morning, if I may.
’

His jaw tightened. He was annoyed at her refusal, of course.
‘
I shall be here,
’
he said coolly, and walked out.

She felt miserable for the rest of the evening, and wished once or twice that she had not been so much of a coward. Possibly he was missing Celia. She should have been willing to spend the evening with him for his sake. The house, it seemed, was all finished now. He would undoubtedly have shown her the upstairs rooms, and she decided once again that it would have been more than she could bear.

She slept little that night, not looking forward to her interview with him. But towards the middle of the morning she tapped at his office door and went in.

‘Is it convenient to speak to you now
?’
she asked.

He glanced up from a letter he was reading and from across the desk she recognized Celia
’
s writing.

He indicated a chair.
‘
Now, what
’
s it all about?
’
he asked.

Now that it came to the point she hardly knew how to begin.
‘
Well, I—it
’
s—it
’
s like this
,’
she began, then hesitated.

He picked up a pencil and began to doodle. She watched, fascinated as a head began to take shape. Then he glanced up swiftly and she shifted her gaze uncomfortably.

He screwed up the sheet of paper just as he had on that other morning. It was Celia
’
s head he was drawing, of course.

‘
What
’
s the trouble?
’
he prompted.

‘
Well, I—
’
she began again. Then in a rush:
‘
I
’
m sorry, Roger, but I
’
ve come to tell you that I
’
m leaving.
’

His eyes widened and he stared at her for a moment or two, then his expression became cold. He began drawing again.

‘
What made you change your mind?
’
he asked without looking up.

‘
Change my mind?
’
she queried.

He glanced up then.
‘
Yes. When I first bought Wingcraft you had been all set to buy the business yourself—couldn
’
t bear to tear yourself away. Maybe it would make a difference to you if I told you I was
thinking
of getting out.
’

Her heart leapt uncomfortably.
‘
Are you
?’
she asked jerkily.

‘
You
’
d be happier if I wasn
’
t here, wouldn
’
t you?
’

She felt herself colouring. Had he guessed how she felt about him?

He bent to his doodle again and she tried to keep her eyes from following the lines of his pencil.

‘
Yes,
’
he continued.
‘
You want Wingcraft but
without having me around. As a matter of fact, I
’
ve been th
inking
of offering you a partnership.
’

‘
A—a partnership
?’
she echoed.

‘
That
’
s right.
’
He stopped doodling and sat back in his chair and gave her a long look.
‘
A soil of working
partner. It
’
s fair enough. I go back to the family business—or I might do something else—you stay here and manage the place, and we share the profits. How would that suit you?
’

She stared at him. ‘It—sounds extremely generous,
but I
’
m not sure that it would work. You
’
d—still
come back from time to time, wouldn
’
t you?
’

She avoided mentioning Celia. After all, he had not told her yet of his intention to marry her.

He did not answer for a moment, then he said quiet
l
y:

‘Does the idea horrify you so much? I
had no idea you were all that anxious to be rid of me.
’

‘But I
’
m not—
’
she began hotly, then checked herself.
‘It
’
s just that—
’
She sighed and broke off again. She could hardly say:
It isn
’
t you I don t want to see, it
’
s your wife
. Or:
I couldn
’
t bear it because I love you so much.
‘
I think I
will
leave, if you don
’
t mind. It would be the best. My father can always use help in the orchards.
’

Roger regarded her for a minute.
‘
Is that what you
really
want to do? I thought you were still in love with
the boatyard and Norfolk. Don
’
t you want to see
the new auxiliaries finished?
’

‘
It would have been nice, yes, but—
’

He flung down his pencil. ‘Look, why not sleep on it for a little while longer? I think I
’
ve just about had enough of the boat-hire business, anyway. We can work out something. I
’
ll see you again in the morning.
’

He picked up the telephone and began to dial a number, so Julia had no alternative but to go back to her own office.

A partnership. The only partnership she would ever want with Roger was that of his—She could not say the word wife even in her thoughts. It was too painful. And what difference would it make to the situation if she were a business partner? He would still pay visits to
t
he place and bring Celia to stay. He had said nothing about selling the house. Why should he? But the very fact of his talking about going back to the oil business
or something else confirmed what Celia had said if
confirmation were needed. There was no reason at all why she should have told a pack of lies.

During the afternoon Max rang her. She had neither heard from him or seen him since the night he had had a meal with her in the boathouse, the night she and Roger had had the talk in the darkened boatyard. But she did not want to think about that.

‘
Seems ages since I
’
ve seen you,
’
Max was saying.
‘
What about tonight
?’

She did not really want to see him, on the other hand the thought of another evening alone in the houseboat almost caused her to groan aloud.

‘
All right, Max, thanks. But don
’
t come to the boatyard. I
’
ll meet you in town.
’

He agreed without question, and they arranged to meet at a certain restaurant. When next she saw Roger, she mentioned she would be going out that evening.

‘
Not alone?
’
he queried.

She shook her head. ‘With Max. But don
’
t worry, he won
’
t be coming to the boatyard.
’

He frowned for a moment, then obviously remembered what he had said the last time Max was here.

‘You
’
d better forget that,
’
he said shortly, and strode over to the house. Julia looked at his back and knew that she could not stand this for much longer. She could not get away that evening soon enough, and consequently was at the meeting place five minutes earlier than Max.