Anne Mather (17 page)

'Yes.'

Caroline was well aware of what this questioning proved.

'So you knew Adam before you knew John,' concluded Teresa.

'Yes.'

'I see. That explains a lot.' Teresa frowned, and bit her lip suddenly. She was recalling a visit Adam had made to America in November of last year. At that time he had accidentally mentioned a girl he had taken to see the house at Slayford. He had not enlarged upon the fact, though, and his mother had been given the impression that he had not intended to mention her at all. She sipped her tea reflectively. Could this possibly be the same girl? Teresa's mind buzzed with the idea. Was that the connection? Had she met John through

Adam and preferred the younger man? That was possible. But then Adam had been on his yacht in the Caribbean in January, so that couldn't be right. She was stumped.

She thought how like Adam it was not to confide in her if that was the case. He had never been one to broadcast his feelings for any woman and his marriage seemed to have made him immune to any serious affection for any female. She had given up hope of him ever remarrying and with John taking no interest in the company it seemed it would pass out of Steinbeck hands during the next generation.

Caroline, watching the play of emotions on Mrs Steinbeck's face, realised what must be going through her mind. She was a shrewd woman and somehow Caroline felt she would not be put off with anything less than the truth.

Finishing her tea, Caroline replaced her cup on the trolley and waited for Adam's mother to make the next move. She felt desperately tired now and felt she could sleep if she was given the opportunity.

Mrs Steinbeck smiled and getting up she walked to the door and opened it. She called: 'Liza!' and a few moments later the coloured maid reappeared. 'Show Miss Sinclair to the guest room,' she said. 'Where is her luggage?'

'Miss Sinclair's suitcase is waiting in the hall, ma'am,' replied Liza. 'I'll take it up. Will you follow me, Miss Sinclair.'

Caroline nodded and rose to her feet. As she reached Mrs Steinbeck she looked thankfully at her.

'I can't thank you enough,' she said, selfconsciously.

Teresa shrugged her slim shoulders. 'You're most welcome, my dear. Besides, I like you and I'm sure we're going to be friends.' She glanced at her watch. 'It's only four-thirty. You can rest for a couple of hours, then we'll have an early meal before going to the hospital.'

Caroline put her hand in the older woman's for a moment, expressing without words her gratitude, and then followed Liza up the wide, fan-shaped staircase. She was shown to a cool, blue room whose wide windows opened on to a balcony which overlooked the gardens at the rear of the building. From the balcony you could catch a glimpse of the azure blue sea in the Sound and the tide could be heard as it came in, thundering on the shore. It sounded soothing and restful, and after Liza had gone, Caroline flung herself on the bed, only stopping to remove her jacket. She was completely exhausted. The last few hours had taken their toll of her and it was good to relax for a while. She fell asleep almost immediately and was awakened by Liza at half-past six.

She felt wonderfully refreshed and took a shower in the adjoining bathroom before dressing in a green, pleated Tricel dress. She applied only a little lipstick, but her fingers trembled continually at the thought of seeing Adam in such a short time. She found her way down to the lounge, but as it was deserted she stepped on to the terrace and looked at the spectacular view. Roseberry Drive was quite high above the small town which lay in a valley and an uninterrupted view of lush greenery and bright flowers quite took your breath away. The air was sweet with the smell of stocks and Caroline took a deep breath, shaking away the

cobwebs which her nap had left with her.

Somewhere, not too far away, Adam was probably dining also and within an hour or so she would see him, speak to him, even touch him. The thought was breathtaking. She wondered what he would say, what she would say to him. It was frightening; somehow she had got to convince him she was sincere. She loved him; she would always love him. She couldn't go on living without him. She might as well be dead. Life would no longer have a meaning. It was terrifying to love someone so much.

CHAPTER EIGHT

W
hen
Teresa came into the lounge, she saw Caroline standing on the terrace and called her in.

'Will you join me in a glass of sherry?' she asked, pouring some into a crystal wine glass. 'Did you sleep?'

'Yes, thank you, to both questions,' said Caroline, and took the glass that Teresa offered her. 'I feel much better now.'

'Good. Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. Shall we sit down?'

Caroline subsided on to the edge of. an armchair and said: 'Would you like me to explain all this now?'

Teresa spread wide her hands. 'My dear, I must confess I am madly curious, but are you sure you want to confide in me? After all, we scarcely know one another.'

'None the less, I feel you're entitled to an explanation,' replied Caroline firmly. 'Also, I'd like to tell you.'

'Then do tell me,' exclaimed Teresa, smiling. 'I'm pleased you feel you want to tell me.'

'Well,' began Caroline, twisting her glass between her fingers, 'I met Adam in November, quite by accident, in the lift of the Steinbeck Building. I didn't know who he was then. I was a mere typist in the typing pool and I'd only been working there a very short time. I won't bore you with the intimate details,

but to be blunt about it, we were attracted to one another at once. It was a physical thing at first, I think, but then it very quickly developed into something deeper. When I found out he was who he is it didn't seem to make any difference. I couldn't have cared less. To me, he's everything I've ever dreamed about.' She flushed and Teresa took a sip of her sherry, giving Caroline a moment's respite.

'Then about ten days after we met we went down to Slayford. Quite unexpectedly John arrived with a girl-friend. He wasn't pleased to find me there, as you can imagine, and I think he thought we were lovers. Anyway, a couple of days later Adam had to leave for America. Before he left I was sure he he loved me.' She sighed. 'But while he was out of the country, rumours started circulating about Adam and me. In the office, of course. You must know how damaging rumours can be and I didn't want our love to be turned into whispered gossip. Besides, Adam was the chairman of the Steinbeck Corporation and nothing like that had ever involved him before. Maybe I was stupidly naive, I don't know, but when a boy from the office asked me out I thought it would scotch the rumours once and for all. I didn't know until afterwards he was the office Don Juan, or thought he was, anyway. He did try to get fresh with me, but luckily I got away. I hadn't enjoyed going out with him. All I could think about was Adam, and how soon he would be back.' She bit her lip. 'He came back all right. His secretary told him about me within five minutes of his landing, I think. Anyway, he came to my home on the Saturday evening and ended our association once and for all. He wouldn't give me a chance to explain. He made some excuse about me being too young for him after all. It was awful. . .' She broke off, her voice unsteady. When she had controlled herself again she said: 'I suppose it sounded bad to Adam. He must have thought I was only interested in him for his money and I wanted this other boy as a playmate. He treated me like some stupid child who can't decide whether he wants an ice-cream or a lollipop. So that was that! He went off to the West Indies, as you know, and it wasn't until January that I met John again.

'He seemed much nicer then and he certainly liked me well enough. I think at first I went out with him solely because he was Adam's son and I could keep in touch with Adam through him, unknown to Adam, of course. Then my Aunt Barbara died. She brought me up and was my only living relative. She left me twenty-five thousand pounds. You would have thought that would make a difference, wouldn't you? After all, I've never been used to being rich and I've always been interested in visiting foreign countries. But I'm afraid all I felt was completely rootless and alone. Scared too, if you like. Then John became very sympathetic and proposed. He begged me to marry him or at least become engaged. So I agreed. Don't ask me why. I must have been crazy. But this love I have for Adam seems hopeless now and I was too much of a coward to go on alone. Also, I knew if I gave John up I would sever all connections with Adam and I couldn't do that. Can you possibly understand?'

Teresa looked thoughtful. Caroline's story had explained everything, and she felt, convinced it was the truth. It seemed too simple to be a lie. Surely if the girl had made it up she would have contrived some more complicated method of explaining away her association with this other boy. She could imagine Adam's hurt at Caroline's supposed defection, though. He was stubborn enough not to believe there could be any logical explanation. After his disillusionment with Lydia he was doubly unwilling to take anyone on trust. Besides, this girl was so young.

'How old are you, Caroline?' she asked suddenly.

'Eighteen,' answered Caroline with a sigh. 'But please, don't say I'm not old enough to know my own mind. I do, honestly. I love Adam. I've loved him for six months and I don't want anybody else. Last night when you rang I was attempting to compose a letter to send to John, finishing everything. I was going to Greece for a holiday and then I think I would have tried to see Adam just once more, to try and make him understand.'

'I see,' said Teresa, nodding, 'and what if Adam still refused to believe you, what then?'

Caroline shrugged wearily. 'I honestly don't think I could go on without him. Not for ever. It horrifies me to even contemplate such a thing.'

Liza came in, grinning as usual. 'Your dinner is served, ma'am,' she said cheerfully, lifting a little of the tension, 'will you come through?'

'Yes, thank you, Liza.' Teresa stood up. 'Give us a couple of minutes to finish our drinks.'

'Yes, ma'am.' Liza withdrew and Teresa turned to Caroline.

'Thank you for telling me all this, my dear.'

Caroline sighed, replacing her empty glass on the tray.

'What is your opinion, then?' she asked, hardly daring to voice the question.

Teresa looked compassionately at her. The story Caroline had told her had moved her tremendously. She was convinced that this child, she was little more in her eyes, might be good for Adam. And she wanted Adam to be happy; to live a normal life with a wife and family.

'I think,' she said slowly, 'that my son is a very stubborn man and that you must make him see reason. I think he is afraid that what you feel is only infatuation.'

'And you don't believe that?'

'No. I think you love my son.'

Caroline's eyes widened. 'And you don't disapprove?'

Teresa smiled. 'No, I don't disapprove. In fact, I should like to see Adam married, happily this time. His life with Lydia was never that. She was a rather miserable person, unable to envisage life on the scale that Adam was attaining. And now, I'm afraid, Adam believes himself to be self-sufficient. You are shaking his self-confidence. I hope you succeed. I wish you luck.'

'Thank you,' Caroline smiled tremulously. To know that his mother liked and approved of her was a wonderful feeling.

During the meal, Caroline enlarged upon her story. She told Teresa about her disastrous trip to Paris with John when everything seemed to fall apart. She skirted around his change of attitude towards her, but Mrs Steinbeck was shrewd enough to realise a little of what must have occurred. She already knew that John was a rather unstable person and the engagement had come as somewhat of a shock to her, knowing how he loved his freedom. She had supposed he was seriously in love, but in the face of Caroline's experiences it seemed highly unlikely. It was far more likely that John had surmised that Caroline was no loose young woman and the ties of an engagement might weaken her resistance. It was unpalatable but probable. He was very young for his years.

When they had finished dinner, Caroline, who had eaten very little, found her legs felt like jelly. She sat beside Teresa in the big saloon as Teresa drove to the large new hospital and dreaded the coming interview although nothing would have made her forgo it.

The hospital stood in its own grounds and commanded a view of Roseberry Sound. It was a modern, white-painted building that bore little resemblance to hospitals Caroline had visited in England. To begin with it was very futuristic in design with steel-framed windows and abstract-like ejections. She thought it looked more like an atomic research establishment than a hospital.

Inside, a lift transported them to the private ward where Adam was living. The long white corridors seemed endless and Caroline was glad of Teresa's reassuring fingers beneath her elbow.

'Don't worry,' said Teresa quite kindly. 'He can't eat you, dear.'

Caroline smiled nervously. 'No. He can't quite do that, can he?'

At last they reached the door of Adam's room and Teresa halted.

'Now, you go in,' she said firmly. 'I'm going to have a word with Sister. I'll not be too long.'

Caroline closed her eyes for a brief moment, praying for assistance.

'Oh, Mrs Steinbeck,' she whispered, 'I'm scared.'

'Go on.' Teresa leaned forward and opened the door, leaving it ajar. 'Buck up.'

Summoning all her courage, Caroline walked through the door and closed it behind her. She was in a room of generous proportions with wide windows opening on to a balcony. To her surprise, the bed was empty, and Adam was sitting in an armchair by the open windows. He was wearing a dressing gown over dark silk pyjamas, and studying some papers which he had taken from the briefcase on the table at his side. He did not look up immediately, and her heart plunged at the sight of him, so dear and familiar. His left arm and cheek were swathed with dressings, but she was relieved to see that his left eye was miraculously unharmed. Then he looked up and saw her, and the hot colour flooded her pale cheeks.

He thrust his papers aside, and stood up abruptly, his eyes dark and enigmatic.

'He—hello, Adam,' she murmured awkwardly. 'It's—it's wonderful to see you. How—how are you?'

Adam shrugged his broad shoulders. 'As well as can be expected, as they say,' he remarked regaining his composure. 'Why are you here? Is John with you?'

'No—at least—not yet.' She faltered. 'I—er—I got your mother's message, too. I've left word for John. I came at once.'

'Why?' Adam was coldly aloof. .

'Why?' Caroline shook her head blindly. 'Why do you suppose?' She felt her voice quivering. 'Because