“It’s true that she seems to know him very well, but I’m by no means certain that he welcomes her company as much as one might suppose,” she said.
Charlotte drank a half-cold cup of coffee and argued rather peevishly that she was quite sure Richard was delighted to have Miss Brown sitting with him.
“After all, she’s pretty enough to gladden the heart of most men, and even invalids can be responsive when it’s someone they particularly wish to see,” she opined a trifle dourly.
Hannah glanced at her.
“You think Richard was very glad to see Miss Brown? Well, perhaps you and I get entirely opposite impressions – ”
Charlotte banged her coffee cup down on the kitchen table.
“If you want to know the truth,” she said bleakly, “they’re practically engaged to be married. Oh, I haven’t had it officially from either of them, but Miss Brown was about to let a rather interesting cat out of the bag when she and I were in the drawing-room just now – and she’d ceased taking an interest in my furniture! And if Richard hadn’t put in an appearance when he did I’m quite sure it would have proved to be a very interesting cat indeed… Nothing less than that she plans to marry him one day. Possibly quite soon! ”
“Oh!” Hannah declined to appear very much impressed. “What makes you think that?”
“Because she’d got as far as admitting that they were very special friends… and also I’m quite sure she knows all about Richard’s interest in this house. She was trying to make up her mind whether or not she’d enjoy living here.” “Oh! ” Hannah said again.
“And she seems to think it will be all right if she doesn’t have to spend too much of her time in a tucked away place like Tremarth… all right for holidays, that is. She even thinks she might enjoy living with some of the furniture! The rest she’s not so sure about! ”
Hannah went up to her and quite unexpectedly put an arm about her shoulders. As she gave her a hug she said encouragingly:
“You’re letting your imagination work overtime, my dear! And in any case, there are two sides to everything… and Richard at the moment is absolutely convinced she’s more or less a stranger! ” Charlotte actually seemed to brighten.
“Yes, he does, doesn’t he?” she said more hopefully. “And even if he finds out that he’s committed to marry a stranger, he might not take to the notion too enthusiastically. He might even hesitate – at any rate until he’s got his memory back.”
“And that could take weeks or months – if he doesn’t recover in it in the next few days,” Hannah offered it as her purely professional opinion.
Charlotte looked as if she found the notion of their patient being deprived of his memory for' a considerable length of time surprisingly attractive… even wholly desirable.
But later on that morning, when she went out into the garden to pick raspberries, and returned to the house by way of the terrace, she felt as if a slight chill enveloped her comparatively cheerful spirits as she observed the pair sitting watching the sea. They appeared to have fallen into a state of contemplative silence, and despite the fact that Richard was frowning, as if the charms of the prospect were just a little bit wasted on him in his present state of invalidism and mental confusion, Claire Brown had an engaging half-smile on her lips,' and there was no doubt about it she found the prospect – possibly, also, of the future – very satisfactory indeed.
Charlotte halted her footsteps, and decided not to pass behind their chairs in case she disturbed them; but although he didn’t turn his head Tremarth must have heard her footsteps, and he called out sharply as she was about to turn on her heeclass="underline"
“Is that you, Miss Woodford?”
Charlotte answered by hastening her steps until she stood beside him.
“Yes? Is there something you want?” she enquired with a touch of over-eagerness. Tremarth turned his head towards her, and there was an extraordinary expression in his eyes as they met and held hers.
“As a matter of fact, there is,” he replied quietly. “I’d like to go back to my room…”
“Oh, but____________________”
“The sun isn’t as warm out here as I thought it would be, and the glare of the sea makes my head ache a bit. I’d like to go back at once if you wouldn’t mind accompanying me to my room! ”
Claire stood up protestingly.
“Oh, but, Richard darling!… Only a few minutes ago you said how lovely it was out here! And that you could never have enough of watching the sea! And if you want to return to your room I can help you upstairs and tuck you up in bed if you honestly feel you’d like to go back to bed! ”
“Who said anything about going back to bed?”
He actually snapped at her, and Charlotte was so surprised she couldn’t believe it. Claire flushed, and looked momentarily dismayed.
“I don’t think he’s as well as we thought he was,” she said quietly over his head to Charlotte.
Tremarth burst out impatiently:
“What utter rubbish! Just because I said I’d got a bit of a head____________________” But his eyes were frankly appealing to Charlotte. “Anyway,
Miss Woodford has been looking after me for several days – with the assistance of her efficient friend, of course! – and I’m afraid I’ve got used to having her around as a nurse. Miss Woodford – Charlotte!” He smiled at her a little stiffly, as if the muscles of his face were stiff and slightly painful, and every intensely feminine instinct she possessed was touched by the anxious insistence in his eyes. “I don’t need anyone to help me upstairs, but I’d like you to come with me and I’m not going back to bed. I shall sit in a chair in my room.”
“You’re quite sure you wouldn’t like to sit in a chair in the drawingroom?” Charlotte asked.
“No. My own room, if you please – and I’d like to be left alone there until lunch-time! ”
If he had actually attacked her with violence Claire could not have looked more hurt She gathered up her white handbag and gloves.
“Of course, if you’d rather I didn’t stay with you, Richard, I’ll go,” she offered. “Perhaps you’re not as well as we thought, and it might be better if you have a little more rest. So I’ll come back to-morrow.”
“Do,” Richard begged her, no doubt repenting of his harshness and eager that she should not go away feeling too badly used. “I’ll admit I’m a bit of a bear this morning, but tomorrow afternoon! – I’ll be delighted to see you! ”
Claire accepted her dismissal graciously.
“Then good-bye, Richard darling…She advanced towards him, bent and dropped a light kiss on his brow. “Take some aspirin, or whatever sedative tablets the doctor has prescribed for you, and see what a good long sleep will do for you. Despite what you’ve said to the contrary I don’t believe you slept well last night! ”
Richard muttered something that could have been agreement, or otherwise, and Charlotte removed the rug from his knees and followed him across the floor of the drawing-room towards the hall and the foot of the stairs. Claire stood watching them where they had left her alone on the terrace, and as soon as they started to ascend the stairs she went through the hall to the kitchen and demanded somewhat aggressively to know where the telephone was, and whether Hannah knew the number of the taxi-man who was to have picked her up at six o’clock that evening.
Hannah obligingly found the number for her, and afterwards she stood smiling to herself in the middle of the kitchen, and was not surprised when Charlotte came downstairs and informed her that Richard was feeling rather exhausted.