Anna's Return (13 page)

 
Chapter
Twenty-Seven

Anna wiped her brow on her sleeve, and carried on frying the
bacon for breakfast. For one month she had been kept hard at work at Mrs.
Green’s. Not that Anna was afraid of hard work, but she was used to having time
to herself. Now she was lucky to have five minutes before falling into her bed
and drifting off to sleep before the alarm clock woke her all too early in the
morning. Even at Silverton Hall, she had often had time alone to reflect.
Mainly because Mrs. Palmer protected her. The fact that her dearest friend no
longer cared for her cut her to the quick. If only she had not left things to
fester for so long.

Because Anna was so good with the guests, Mrs. Green had
delegated most of the work to her. The guests liked Anna, and even if she was
imparting Mrs. Green’s staunch rules, she was able to do so in a way that did
not offend them all. As a result, Dunromin’ was beginning to get a good name in
the area. This only meant more work for Anna.

She could not remember the last time she had been outside
and seen the sunlight. Mrs. Green insisted on doing all the shopping. “You
don’t want to run into anyone who might upset you,” she said to Anna.

Anna doubted Mrs. Green had her interests at heart. She
seldom spoke two civil words to her. The only time she did speak was to
criticise, despite the fact that Anna did everything better than she did.

She prepared the breakfasts, ready to carry them one by one
into the dining room. She would have to do all that herself too, as Mrs. Green
had taken to having a lie in, knowing she could leave things to Anna. Not that
Anna minded. She found she got on much better without her employer standing
over her shoulder.

What she did mind was that a good bit of her money had gone.
Mrs. Green had somehow managed to engineer it so that at the end of each week,
Anna owed her more money than her wages allowed. She knew it was probably
illegal, but with nowhere else to go, she did not know how to put things right.
She barely had time to go out looking for other work, and Mrs. Green had made
it clear that all the other landladies in the area would not employ Anna if she
left Dunromin’ under a cloud.

“I’ve found us somewhere else,” she heard a man mutter to
his wife as she passed their table. “I mean, the girl is nice enough, but the
woman…”

“Where is it?”

“It’s nearer to the beach, but not on it. A lovely place
called Anna’s Return. I spoke to the landlady, Mrs. Stephens and she said we
could go straight after breakfast.”

Anna almost dropped her plate.
Anna’s Return
? Mrs.
Stephens? Could that possibly be Mr. Stephens’s wife? And if so, the fact they
had called their guesthouse
Anna’s Return
might mean something.

“Excuse me,” she whispered, as she handed the couple their
plates of food. “I couldn’t help overhearing you mention a place called Anna’s
Return.”

“Ye-es…” said the man, looking worried.

“It’s alright,” said Anna, sadly. “I don’t blame you for
leaving. I try my best but…”

“You do that, duck,” said the man’s wife, kindly. “You’re a
good lass and a hard worker. Lord knows why you work for that harridan.”

“I don’t have anywhere else to go.” Anna had not meant it to
sound as pathetic as it did.

“Well, I don’t think they’re looking for anyone at this
other guesthouse,” said the man. “They seem pretty well staffed there. But I
could ask for you.”

“Could you? Could you also tell Mr. Stephens that Anna
Silverton is at Dunromin and if he would like to see her, she’ll be waiting for
him?”

“We’ll tell him, duck, don’t you worry,” said the man’s
wife.

“And please don’t tell Mrs. Green,” Anna whispered.

“We won’t. We promise.”

Anna heard footsteps on the stairs, so moved away hurriedly.
She did not want Mrs. Green to catch her talking.

The morning that followed was agonising. She saw the couple
leave around eleven o’clock, then counted the minutes until Mr. Stephens
arrived. If he did arrive.

“What are you watching the clock for, girl?” said Mrs.
Green. “Not waiting for a young man, are you? I’ve told you I’ll have none of
that. Have you changed all the beds?”

“Yes, Mrs. Green.”

“Then go and dust the sitting room. It’s a mess.”

“I’ve already dusted it,” said Anna.

“Are you defying me? I’ve told you I’ll dock your wages if
you do.”

“No, Mrs. Green. I’ll go and dust the sitting room.”

Having difficulty finding dust anywhere, Anna idly flicked
the wooden furniture with a feather duster. She had done the room thoroughly
after breakfast, and as none of the guests liked sitting around in the
guesthouse, because Mrs. Green was apt to scold them, it had not been used
since.

She was flicking away an imaginary bit of dust when she
heard a commotion in the reception area.

“She’s not here, I tell you.”

“Oh yes she is. You’ve been working her like a slave, from
what I’ve been told. Anna! Anna!”

“Mrs. Palmer…” Anna whispered. She was on her way out of the
room when Polly burst into it.

“Anna, it is you!” Polly held out her arms and Anna ran into
them, sobbing. “Oh my darling girl. You’ve come home to me at last.”

Chapter
Twenty-Eight

“Let me help you,” said Anna, as Polly fluffed the cushions.

“You’ll do no such thing,” said Polly Stephens. “You’ll sit
there and rest my girl.”

They were in the sitting room at Anna’s Return, which was a
much more welcoming place than the one at Dunromin’. There were still no guests
around as most had gone out to lunch, but Anna could tell by looking at the
comfortable room that it was used regularly. Books littered the coffee table,
and there was a half finished game of draughts on a table by the window. At the
other end was a large jigsaw puzzle, which apparently the guests added to
whenever they felt like it.

As soon as Polly arrived at Dunromin’, she made Anna get all
her things and return to the guesthouse with her. She had a few choice words to
say to her sister too, most of which involved the return of the money Mrs.
Green had taken off Anna for board and lodge. Her sister had reluctantly handed
over most of it, claiming to have already spent the rest.

“The Harpers said you had no work here,” said Anna.

Polly sat down next to her. “That doesn’t mean you’re going
anywhere else. You can live with me and Horace now. We’ll find you something to
do and pay you proper wages. Oh, Anna, why did you run away? I would have
sorted things out for you. Not for one minute would I believe you capable of
hurting young Master Teddy. Never.”

“I know … I was afraid because my stepmother seemed so
certain I would be arrested, and I thought she was very powerful.” Anna’s eyes
filled with tears when she remembered that fateful day all those years before.
“I never meant to hurt him, Mrs. Palmer … I mean Mrs. Stephens.”

“You mean Polly. And I’ve already said that I know you
didn’t. You don’t have to convince me, darling girl.”

“I should have guessed that you were Mrs. Stephens when I
saw the poster. Are you sure Mr. Stephens isn’t angry with me?”

“He’s gone to the cash and carry but he’ll be able to tell
you himself when he gets back. He got the ten shillings you sent him, dear,
even though he didn’t want it. He never did think you stole it and neither did
I. And even if you had, well you were young and afraid because of that awful
stepmother of yours. As far as we’re both concerned, the money was yours to
have.”

“Thank you.” Anna still trembled with relief to hear that
Polly had never doubted her. So much had happened over the years and they had
loads to catch up on. Mr. Stephens’s nephew, Richard brought them tea and joined
in, eager to hear about Anna’s adventures.

“They talk about you constantly,” he told Anna. “They’ve
been so worried about you.”

“I know that now, and I’m sorry for it,” said Anna.

“Ah well,” said Richard. “It’s all mended now. And you’ll be
able to see your brother.”

“My brother?” Anna’s face went pale. “Teddy?”

“He came looking for you,” said Polly.

“Oh…”

“Now don’t you start thinking of running away again, my
girl,” said Polly.

“No, no I shan’t. I’ll see him if he wants to see me. We’ll
bring an end to this once and for all.”

Polly nodded. “My thoughts exactly. We’re not going to let
you run away from us again. Young Master Teddy is training to be a doctor now.
Oh you should see him, Anna. He’s grown into such a handsome young man. A nice
young man too. Not stuck up like his mother.”

She was able to have her first good night’s sleep in ages.
Having been cooped up at Dunromin for a month she was eager to actually see
Filey.

“You go out and stretch your legs,” said Polly. “Get some
colour in your cheeks. And if you bump into my sister, don’t let her bully you.
You tell her it’s all out in the open now, so she’s nothing to blackmail you
with.”

“I will,” said Anna.

She still felt a little uneasy about seeing Teddy again.
Even though Polly had insisted her brother bore her no malice, she still feared
that he might have been pretending to care about her just to find her. She
shook her head and looked out over the sea. She would have to stop going into
flights of fancy now about being locked up.

When Mr. Stephens had returned the day before, he did
something he had never done in all the time Anna had known him. He embraced
her. What’s more, he apologised to her for not helping her more. But he told
her he had also taken legal advice just in case they ever met her again.

“A solicitor told me that even if your stepmother went to
the police now, there’s no evidence against you. Young Teddy clearly suffered 
no ill effects from his fall. And he’s not going to speak out against you,
lass. So don’t you worry anymore. You’re safe now.”

“Thank you,” said Anna, wondering why it had never occurred
to her to seek legal advice. Everything Mr. Stephens said made perfect sense.
“For a clever person, you can be really stupid,” she had told her reflection in
the mirror just before she went to bed. All those years wasted over something
so trivial. In her own defence, at the age of eighteen, with no experience of
the world, she had thought her stepmother a powerful figure, who could probably
make the police believe anything she told them.

Now, breathing in the bracing air at Filey, she finally felt
free from the shadow that had blighted her life. She only wished she could tell
Janek the truth. But what did it matter? She had been dismissed from
Carmichaels and as nothing more than an employee, she had no claim on Janek.
The friendship they had known in darker times, whilst escaping from Europe,
belonged to that time. It was foolish to think it could ever be recaptured or
that his care for her as a child could evolve into something more grown up when
she became a woman.

No doubt Janek would continue to prosper and probably marry
Mary Carmichael one day, if the young lady did not snap up a titled man
instead. If not Mary, then someone very much like her. An elegant,
self-possessed young woman who knew how to behave amongst high society. Anna
stood at the sea front and closed her eyes, feeling the fresh air on her face.
It would be easier if her feelings for Janek could be carried along on that
breeze, leaving her free to get on with her life.

Sighing she turned and made her way back to the guesthouse.
Luckily she did not meet Mrs. Green on the way. She supposed she would see her
one day, but that was something she did not have to deal with just yet.

Strangely enough, Anna recognised the young woman first.
Standing with a young man at the entrance to the guesthouse, the girl was the
pretty redhead who had asked after Anna at Carmichaels. She turned and looked
at Anna, her face breaking into a huge smile. She said something to the handsome
young man with her. But he was not the same young man who had been at
Carmichaels.

The young man turned and his eyes lit up. She saw his lips
form her name. “Anna…” Suddenly the years dropped away, and she saw the child
in the young man’s eyes.

“Teddy,” she cried. “Teddy, is that you?”  

Brother and sister flew into each other’s arms and embraced
in the street, much to the amusement and bemusement of passers by.

Chapter
Twenty-Nine

“I’m sorry if I frightened you away from Carmichaels,” said
Izzy, after Anna had once again told the story of her adventures since she last
saw Teddy and the Stephenses. They all sat around the lunch table in Polly’s
private rooms; Anna, Polly, Horace Stephens, Izzy and Teddy. Polly had prepared
a ham salad, followed by sherry trifle, which they all tucked into gratefully.

“It’s not your fault,” said Anna. “It was Reg.”

“There was something smarmy about him,” said Izzy.

Anna nodded. “I wonder what’s happened to them all.”

“They were sacked,” said Teddy. “The new desk clerk told us.
And don’t worry, I’ve made sure he can tell that Dabrowski fella that you’re no
child killer.”

“Thank you, Teddy,” said Anna.

“I’ve spoken to Mother too. Told her she’s got to stop this
silliness. Father was there and he agreed with me. He’d really like to see you,
Anna.”

Anna shook her head. “I don’t know… I know you love him
dearly, Teddy, but he had plenty of chances to help me, to accept me as his
daughter, but he didn’t. I’m not blaming him for what happened that day, but if
I’d been able to go to him things might have been different. I understand how
difficult it was for him when I turned up out of the blue. At least I do now. I
didn’t as a child. Even so… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise, Anna, please,” said Teddy. “You’ve done
nothing wrong. Actually I’ve got something for you that Father asked me to give
you.” He reached inside his jacket pocket and took out the yellowing envelope. “I
think it might make things a bit clearer for you.”

“Clearer?”

“I don’t know what’s in it, but I can guess. Go on, open it.
We’re amongst friends here.”

With trembling fingers, Anna opened the envelope, expecting
to see a letter from her father. Except it was not that. She could hardly speak
for shock. It took her a few moments to compose herself.  “Teddy it’s a
marriage certificate, dated nineteen twenty-nine. Father and my mother…”

Teddy nodded. “I guessed as much.”

“I always suspected it too,” said Polly. “Only I didn’t have
proof. I kept trying to remind Sir Lionel, but he wasn’t having any of it.”

“But that means…” Anna could not finish the sentence.

“It means my mother’s marriage to father could not be legal.
Unless there was a divorce, and I don’t think there was. You’re the proper heir
to Silverton Hall, Anna. Not me.”

“Teddy! I can’t do that to you.”

“It doesn’t matter whether you can’t or not, Anna. It’s
there in black and white. Or black and slightly yellow.” Teddy smiled. “I don’t
care. I’m doing well at my studies. I’ll be a doctor one day. Someone useful
and not some spoiled brat waiting for his father to die and leave him all his
money. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”

Anna shook her head. “I think I can understand why Lady
Geraldine was so against me now. If she knew this too…”

“I think she did,” said Teddy. “She was looking for it. I
think she wanted to destroy it.”

“She knew she’d married a bigamist, Teddy. If not straight
away, then eventually. I’m not saying it excuses her behaviour but it does
explain it. She must have been frightened for herself and for you.”

Because the day was cool, there was a fire in the hearth.
Anna walked up and went over to it.

“Anna, no!” said Teddy, standing up.

“Teddy, it’s enough for me that I know. And that Father
knows and has to live with his deceit. I’ll not let you suffer for it as well.
When you go home, tell your mother that she has nothing to fear from me.”

Anna tore the marriage certificate up and threw it in the
fireplace.

“Anna, why did you do that?” asked Teddy. “I told you it
didn’t matter to me.”

Anna went to him and took his hand. “You forget, Teddy. I’ve
been on the wrong side of the … blanket … so to speak. I know how it feels to
be the outcast. I won’t put you through that too. I don’t care about Father’s
money anymore than you do. But you can do great things with it when you become
a doctor. Turn Silverton Hall into a hospital.”

“I promise I will,” said Teddy, putting his arms around his
sister. “But you promise me that you’ll never struggle alone again. If you want
anything, come to me and you can have anything you want.”

“I promise.”

“You may not think you have a family, Anna, but you do. Me,
Polly, Horace and Izzy.”

“Me too?” said Izzy, raising her eyebrows. “Not that I’m
complaining.”

“Isobel McDonald, I decided at the age of sixteen I was
going to marry you. Nothing that’s happened since has changed my mind. Of
course if you have qualms about marrying the son of a bigamist…”

“No qualms at all, Doctor Silverton.” Izzy smiled. “I
thought you’d never ask…”