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“Oh dear!” said Esther Field. “I’ve dropped two more stitches! No, three! Carmona darling-”
When the stitches had been retrieved Carmona stood up. She was still holding the shawl. The man who had come down the cliff path looked at the little group and saw her like that, in her white dress with the folds of crimson wool falling down it to her feet. He stood for a moment to take in the scene. Quite a decorative effect. She had, if anything, improved in looks. Pretty would always be the wrong word for her, and no one would ever call her beautiful, but there was something about her that pleased the eye-a charm, a grace. Since Hardwick was away, they might have quite a sentimental meeting.
His eye travelled to Esther Field. She really hadn’t changed a bit. He supposed she never would, the soft-hearted, muddle-headed old thing. He felt quite fond of her as he remembered how easy it had always been to get round her.
Neither of the Trevors was in evidence. Esther’s maid had told him they would be here-“Such a nice party, Mr. Alan. Mrs. Field was ever so pleased about it. Colonel and Mrs. Trevor, and Lady Castleton-quite a reunion as you might say, not to speak of meeting old friends we used to see when we went down to Cliffton regular every summer. The only pity is Major Hardwick not being there.”
Somehow, he felt, they would be able to do very nicely without James Hardwick. And without the Trevors too. Maisie was all right-she might even be useful-but old Tom had always given him a pain in the neck. Adela Castleton- no, on second thoughts, Adela might be worked into the game. It would be tricky of course, but he could do it-oh yes, he could do it. And to play a tricky game well was half the fun.
He came across the shingle to the beach hut, and Carmona saw him. It was just as if someone had struck her a sharp blow. The shawl slipped from her hands and fell. She didn’t know whether she was hurt or not. There was just that sense of shock and of everything being wrenched a little out of focus. His voice and the touch of his hand on her shoulder-
“Carmona!”
He was smiling and looking down into her eyes just as he used to do. And then he was on his knees by Esther Field, an arm about her, kissing her.
“Well, old dear, how are you? But I needn’t ask-you look marvellous. I’m even a little hurt. The wanderer returns, and nobody has been pining for him!”
“Oh, my dear boy! Oh, Alan, my dear, dear boy!”
He endured an embrace which entangled him in crimson wool. Half a needleful of stitches slipped and were lost. He disengaged himself, laughing, and turned to Adela.
“Lady Castleton-how nice to walk right into a family party! Emily told me when I turned up at Esther’s flat, so I thought I would come down right away. Pity about Hardwick not being here. I was looking forward to meeting him.”
Carmona had not moved. She did not move now, but she spoke.
“I hope he will be here tomorrow.”
Alan Field said, “Delightful!”
The numbness went out of her. The shock of the blow was passing and she could feel again. What she felt was not what she had expected to feel. Whenever she had thought of seeing Alan again there had been an intolerable sense of shrinking, but now that he was here it was gone. He stood looking at her with the smile which used to twist her heart, and all she felt was the prick of anger.
As he stepped into the sunlight, she saw that he looked more than the three years older. Whatever he had been doing in South America, it had not done him any good. There was the old charm, the old grace of movement and ma
He had the nerve now to laugh in her face and say, “Well, Carmona, how about it? I hope you are going to ask me to stay, because, quite frankly, I’m broke to the wide.”
Pippa sat up and stretched.
“Who isn’t?” she said. “Hullo, Alan, where have you blown in from? I haven’t seen you for ages.”
“Darling, you couldn’t very well-I was in South America.”
“Why didn’t you stay there?”
“Partly because I was broke, my sweet, and partly because someone was advertising for me. I thought there might be money in it, so I came home only to find it was a bloke who wants to go through my father’s papers. Seems there’s a boom in Penderel Fields, and he wants to cash in on it and write a life.”
Pippa stared.
“Well, I shouldn’t think Carmona could put you up. Frankly, I think you’ve got a nerve to ask her. And anyhow the house is pretty well crammed.”
Esther Field had scrambled to her feet.
“No, no, you can’t stay here-of course not! The house is really very full indeed. It wouldn’t do at all. Carmona mustn’t think of it. Come up to the house with me and we will have a talk. You remember the A
He laughed.
“Oh, yes, I remember the A
“Well, Mrs. A
Carmona had not said anything at all. Her expression was grave and still. Alan Field turned to her now, his eyes dancing.
“Well, Carmona? Time seems to be getting on, and I lunched on a sandwich. Talks with Esther are rather apt to be lengthy. Am I invited to di
She smiled, and said in her natural voice,
“Oh, I think we can manage di
CHAPTER 3
Esther Field sat by the window and fa
Her thought jerked back to Alan. What he ought to have done was to stay at the flat and ring her up from there. Emily would have looked after him.
Alan laughed and said,
“Well, old dear? Where have you got to-‘He really oughtn’t to have given us a shock like this’? Yes, I guessed as much. I can generally see through you. Well, I always was a bit fu
In spite of continued fa
“You oughtn’t to have come here.”
He made an airy gesture.
“Because Carmona and I were once engaged and very sensibly didn’t get married? Really, darling-we’re not Victorians!”
She said again, “You ought not to have come. Why did you come back from South America?”
He smiled.
“I told you-to go through my father’s papers for that man Murgatroyd. Though I don’t expect you to believe that it’s all filial piety, because of course it isn’t. I can’t really afford that sort of thing-at least not free gratis and for nothing. But if there’s going to be a boom, I’ve at least as much right to be in on it as anyone else.”