Reluctant Relation (3 page)

“No doubt.” Dick seemed to take his sister’s near demise very calmly. “But Miss Greenway has something to tell you, and I think you should listen.”

“Miss Greenway?” Felicity looked around questioningly.

“You’ve just been introduced to her by Pearl.”

“Why, yes, of course. How sweet of you to bother with my little girl. What is it? Please don’t say you want me to open a bazaar or something. I don’t have a minute these days. But if it’s only a case of an autograph—”

Meg explained that she did not want a bazaar opened. “It’s about Pearl,” she said, “and the woman who was supposed to look after her—”

“Oh, Nanny. Where is she, by the way?”

“Upstairs, sleeping off an excess of gin,” said Dick Manners, who evidently knew the best way of diverting his sister’s attention from herself for a moment.

“Gin? Where did she get it? Oh, don’t say she got it from the cellar! That’s something special that Charles got hold of, and I was keeping it for—”

“I don’t know where she got it, and I don’t care,” declared Felicity’s brother with more firmness than Meg had expected. “The point is that she did get hold of it, and that for the whole day she has been incapable of looking after Pearl. You can’t possibly leave her in charge of the child again. I don’t know what you’re going to do tomorrow, but—”

“Tomorrow we’re shooting the wedding scene,” explained Felicity rather dreamily, “in that gorgeous little Norman church. If it had been built on purpose it couldn’t be more suitable.”

“And what about Pearl?” inquired her brother persistently. “She can’t be left with that woman again. In fact, the woman must leave tonight or first thing tomorrow. An
d
if I understand the situation correctly, your housekeeper is looking after her own sick daughter. You’ll have to leave Cecile here.”

“Cecile? But I need Cecile,” said Felicity.

“Then who is going to look after Pearl?”

“I don’t know.” Felicity looked around, as though someone might materialize out of the shadows and settle this minor problem for her. “What will you be doing tomorrow, Dick?”

“Driving to Edinburgh on business, and I can’t take Pearl with me. It’s not that kind of trip.”

“Oh. Well, then,” the limpid gaze traveled on and came to rest on the only other person present, “what about you, Miss—Miss Greenway? You seem to have a wonderful way with children, and Pearl sounded quite fond of you already. Would there be any
chance...”
She paused, allowing an exquisite and touching smile to complete the appeal for someone to come to the aid of beauty in distress.

“But, Miss Manners,” Meg hardly knew whether to be amused,
touched or taken aback by this artfully artless appeal, “you don’t know a thing about me.”

“Indeed I do! I know you have a kind and charming face, and that you’re absolutely trustworthy,” declared Felicity. “I can tell that at a glance. I’m an excellent judge of character, and I always make up my mind about people on first sight.”

Meg stopped herself from asking if this power had been used when she had selected the current nanny. Instead, though flattered against her will, she began to explain that she was not a trained governess.

“No, of course not. I realize that. But that isn’t really what Pearl needs now. She needs someone just like you.”

There was something almost hypnotic about the persuasiveness of the charming voice, and Meg sensed dimly why this woman nearly always got what she wanted. “Someone kind, reliable, firm and resourceful. Even if it were only for a little while, while I'm so desperately occupied with this present film—”

“Miss Manners, I’m a complete stranger to you!”

“You don’t seem like it at all.” Miss Manners gave her famous smile. “There are some people you know almost from the first time you meet them, don’t you think? And anyway, what did you say your name was?”

“Greenway,” replied Meg rather helplessly. “Meg Greenway.”

“Well, there you are! I’m sure I know someone with that name. Don’t we know someone called Greenway, Dick? Yes, of course we do! Why, Leigh’s sister married someone called Greenway only recently. A doctor with a difficult daughter. But entirely respectable and reliable people. Perhaps they’re relations?”

“Incredibly,
I think ...
they might be.” Meg was staring wide-eyed, at Felicity Manners. “What was the name of L—of your friend’s sister?”

“Her Christian name? I haven’t the faintest idea. Oh, yes, I have it. It was Claire. I remember now, Claire Sontigan. Do you know her?”

“Yes,” said Meg slowly. “I know her. She married my father. And I’m the difficult daughter.”

“Oh, dear, I’m so sorry!” Felicity sounded genuinely contrite. “What a stupid thing for me to say. And of course it isn’t true. It’s just the sort of thing Leigh would say. So difficult and intolerant himself. That’s one reason I broke off my engagement
to him ...
last week,” she added, as though that might put her on the same side of the fence with Meg. “Please forgive me and say you will look after Pearl for me.”

“There’s ... t
here’s nothing to forgive, Miss Manners. I’m not particularly fond of my stepmother, and I certainly don’t care what her brother thinks about me. But—”

“That’s splendid, then,” said Felicity, with an air of great relief. “And I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re going to look after Pearl for me. It will be a great weight off my mind.”

“But I haven’t said—” began Meg.

“Darling,” interrupted Felicity, but now she was addressing Pearl, who had just come back into the room, “what do you think? We’re going to send away that horrid Nanny who didn’t look after you, and Miss Greenway is going to stay and look after you instead. Isn’t that lovely?”

“Oh, Meg!” Pearl dropped the gold slippers she was holding, and rushed across the room. “Oh, Meg!” And she flung her arms round Meg with such uninhibited fervor that Meg felt a lump come into her throat.

Not until that moment had she realized how unwanted she had felt in the last few weeks. There had been no one to hug her and make her feel wanted. Now, as this little girl clung to her, life suddenly began to take on a warm significance again.

Whatever she had meant to say, in protest or argument, died in her throat. All she could do was kiss Pearl’s little upturned face and say, “It’s going to be nice, isn’t it?”

“Wonderful!” declared Pearl. “Can Meg have the room next to mine, Mommy?”

“If you like.” Felicity cared little about detail, once the essentials were settled to her satisfaction. “Who’s going to tackle Nanny?”

She looked at Dick, who looked at Meg. “I will, if you want,” said Meg. She was rather amused by the concerted sigh of relief which drifted through the room.

“You’re going to be such a comfort to me,” Felicity declared. “Pearl will show you your room. And when you’ve settled in and ... had a few words with Nanny, perhaps you’d see about Pearl’s supper. Cecile will attend to dinner, which will be at eight, and, this evening anyway, I hope you’ll share it with me and my brother. She looked inquiringly at Dick, who nodded.

“Thank you,” said Meg, secretly amused by the way Felicity’s charming vagueness could change to clear-cut decision when she was outlining what she wanted. Then she went upstairs with Pearl to find a small but pleasant bedroom.

“Do you like it?” Pearl asked eagerly.

“Very much,” Meg assured her. “Now I want you to wash and do your hair and occupy yourself in your own room for a little while.”

“Are you going to speak to Nanny?”

“Yes.”

“Can I come too?”

“No,” said Meg, agreeably but finally. “I won’t be long.”

And she wasn’t long. As her father’s secretary and receptionist, Meg had handled many kinds of people. She was polite with the resentful, but now thoroughly scared, woman, but she made the situation crystal clear and allowed no compromise.

After checking with the admiring Felicity, she saw to it that two weeks’ wages were paid and, having firmly speeded the woman’s packing, she telephoned for the village taxi and sent her on her Way.

“Why, the whole thing took less than an hour!” exclaimed Felicity incredulously, when Meg looked into her room to report that it was over.

“There wasn’t any need for it to take longer,” Meg assured her smilingly. Then she went downstairs again to see about Pearl’s supper.

As she turned the bend in the stairs and looked down into the hall, she saw that the front door was open, and that a tall man was standing there, with his back to the mellow evening light.

“Can I help you?” She ran down the stairs, and at the sound of her footsteps he looked up. She saw his features quite clearly then, and stopped dead, three steps above him.

Even without the photograph she would have known him by the likeness to Claire, which was more striking in real life. And even as she looked down at him he said, with the air of one who didn’t take no for an answer, “Is Miss Manners at home? I’d like to see her. The name is Leigh Sontigan.”

CHAPTER TWO

As she looked at Leigh Sontigan for the first time, Meg was aware of such conflicting emotions that it was hard to say which predominated—anxiety in case Pearl should see him, nervous curiosity as to the effect her rejected
fiancé
would have upon Felicity Manners, plain resentment because he was Claire’s brother and had spoken so disparagingly of herself.

All this combined to make her tone excessively cool as she said, “Miss Manners has had a very busy day and she’s resting at the moment. If you’ll go into the living room. I’ll find out if she is seeing anyone.”

She saw a smile flash into his dark, mocking eyes, as though in amused appreciation of the barrier she was erecting. But he said bluntly, “Who are you? I thought I knew everyone in Felicity’s entourage.”

“I look after Miss Manners’ little girl,” Meg replied coldly. “Will you wait, please?”

Then she turned and went upstairs. She made herself go at an unhurried pace, but she was aware that, instead of going into the living room, he stood and looked after her.

“Oh, dear, what is it now?” inquired Felicity fretfully, as Meg knocked and entered.

“I’m sorry. Someone wants to see you. I said I would inquire if you were too tired for visitors.”

“I’m much too tired for visitors. Who is it?” said Felicity.

“It’s L—Mr. Sontigan.”

“Leigh?” Felicity, who had been reclining elegantly on a couch sat up with energy. “What does he want? He didn’t say anything that would give you a clue?”

“No! He just said he would like to see you and gave his name.”

“I wonder what he wants.” Felicity frowned, obviously torn between curiosity and a desire to avoid trouble. “Go and ask him what he wants, Miss Greenway.”

“I don’t think I could do that!” Meg looked taken aback. “We’re perfect strangers.”

“But you’re his sister’s stepdaughter. I don’t call that being a stranger.”

“He has no idea of the connection,” Meg said stiffly. “And, as a matter of fact, I’d rather not emphasize it.”

“You don’t want to be identified as the difficult daughter?” suggested Felicity, with an unexpected flash of mischief. “All right. Well, I suppose I’d better come down and see him, though I expect it will only mean a fight.”

Rising gracefully from her sofa, she wrapped a glamorous housecoat around her and went out of the room.

Meg, meanwhile, went in search of Pearl, whom she found happily curled up on the window seat in her bedroom with a book in
h
er hand.

The little girl looked up eagerly. “Is it all settled?”

“Is all what settled?” Meg smiled.

“Why, the business with Nanny, of course!”

“Oh, yes.” The episode with Nanny had been so overshadowed by the arrival of Leigh Sontigan that Meg had almost forgotten it. “You don’t need to worry about her again. She’s gone.”

“Gone?” Pearl looked impressed: “You do solve problems quickly, don’t you?”

“I don’t know,” said Meg, thinking of the large, uncompromising problem downstairs. “What a pleasant room this is. Would you like your supper upstairs? You’ve had a tiring day, and it would keep us both out of Cecile’s way while she is preparing dinner.”

“Will you stay upstairs and talk to me while I have my supper?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then I’d like that,” Pearl declared with a sigh of satisfaction. “Shall I fetch my supper?”

“No, darling. I’ll get it for you. You can read a few more pages of your book.”

“You are nice,” said Pearl, in the same tone her mother had used when she had said Meg was going to be a comfort to her. “If only Leigh—if only my father would come back now I’d be perfectly happy.”

Feeling she was being mean, even though keeping Pearl free from further emotional upset, Meg refrained from any hint that Leigh was in the house. Instead, she repeated that it would be fun for Pearl to stay in her room and have supper there, and then she went downstairs to the kitchen, where she found Cecile preparing dinner.

“She has gone, that Na-nee?” inquired the Frenchwoman, giving the word a contemptuous inflection.

“Oh, yes, she’s gone.”

“Madame will be pleased,” said Cecile, as though no further accolade was necessary. “You have done well.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Meg smiled. “What do you suppose I should give Pearl for her supper?”

“I shall prepare her a little omelette,” the Frenchwoman declared agreeably. “Sit down, Mademoiselle. You will be tired after your encounter with that Na-nee. In six minutes I shall have little Pearl’s supper ready, and you shall take it up to her.”

“Thank you very much. I’m quite sure your cooking is better than mine.”

“
Pas du tout
,”
said Cecile politely. But it was evident that she agreed with Meg entirely.

It was a pleasure to watch the unhurried deftness with which she set about making Pearl’s supper. Meg was enjoying the sight when Dick Manners came into the kitchen from the garden.

“Who’s Madame’s visitor?” he inquired of Cecile.

“Visitor? Madame should be resting. She should not be receiving visitors,” declared Cecile quickly.

“Well, she is,” said Dick, unmoved. “I could see someone talking to her in the living room, but I couldn’t see who it was.”

“She should be resting,” repeated Cecile severely.

“She was resting,” Meg explained, with a faintly guilty feeling. “But Mr. Sontigan called, and when I told her, she went downstairs to speak to him.”

“Leigh, eh?” Dick Manners looked interested, while Cecile gave a slight screech of disapproval.

“You should not have admitted him,” she declared. “You should have sent him about his business, that one.”

“He’d already admitted himself,” Meg replied dryly. “And as for sending him about his business, I’m quite sure I haven’t got what it takes for that task, Cecile.”

“Madame was
so tired ...
she’s so easily upset,” lamented Cecile.

“Nonsense, Cecile. She’s a lot tougher than you ever let on,” declared Dick callously. “She can manage most things and people if she puts her mind to it. Even Mr. Sontigan. Though it would be interesting,” he added reflectively, “to know just why he turned up again.”

“Yes, indeed!” Cecile was curious, as well.

Pearl’s supper, however, was ready, so Meg took it and went upstairs, leaving Dick Manners and the devoted Cecile to speculate as they pleased.

Pearl was delighted by the novelty of having her meal in her room, and she obviously enjoyed her supper. But she was tired too, and, as soon as the meal was finished, Meg hurried her off to bed.

“
Say goodnight to Mommy for me.” She was evidently not expecting any visit from her mother. “And oh, Meg, I’m so glad I started to run away and met you.”

“And I’m glad you decided to come back, or else we would never have arrived at the present arrangement,” Meg pointed out as, smiling, she bent to kiss the little girl goodnight. Then she took the tray of empty dishes and went out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

As she started downstairs, Felicity came running up and brushed past her without a word. Her color was high and her eyes bright, and Meg thought she detected anger in the set of the pretty mouth.

Presumably Leigh Sontigan had gone, but as she came further down the stairs, she saw that he was standing in the hall a little aimlessly.

He looked up, as he had before, at the sound of her footsteps. And then, as Meg reached the bottom stair, he came across and asked abruptly,

“Did you say you looked after Pearl?”

“Yes.” Meg drew back slightly at the almost harsh question.

“May I go up and see her?”

“No.”

“Why not? Pearl and I are good friends. She’ll think badly of me when she learns I’ve been here and I didn’t go up and see her.”

“She won’t hear about your coming,” Meg replied dryly. “I shall see to that.”

“You will?” He seemed staggered, as well as angry, that she should take so much on herself. “Why should you concern yourself with this?”

“Because Pearl’s welfare is my business now,” Meg said shortly. “I don’t doubt that you and she are good friends. But it seems that the child has been told she won’t see you again. She was upset about it but I’m not prepared to have her put on a sort
of emotional seesaw by your appearing again.”

“I may be coming back into the picture permanently, for all you know.” He spoke with a touch of angry amusement.

“Mr. Sontigan, that isn’t my affair until it happens.” Meg spoke coolly and decisively. “My information is that you are not going to figure in Pearl’s life any more. Until I have her mother’s instructions to the contrary, I am not going to have the child upset by confusing that issue.”

“So, as far as you’re concerned, I don’t exist, eh?”

“As far as I’m concerned, you don’t exist,” agreed Meg dryly.

He looked half amused, half incredulous. Then, narrowing those bold, dark eyes consideringly, he asked, with real curiosity, “What’s your name?”

“Does that matter?”

“I’d like to know it. Unless there’s some mystery about it.” He looked even more mocking now, as though he thought she was making
this absurdly heavy.

“There’s no mystery about it.” Meg slightly raised her chin and look up at him defiantly. “My name is Meg Greenway.”

“Meg ...
Greenway?” He repeated the name, as though it struck a chord in his memory. “Good lord! Meg Greenway? Then you and I are some sort of relation!”

“Indeed we aren’t,” Meg assured him with cool emphasis. “But my, sister, Claire, has just married your father.”

“That doesn’t make us relations.”

“But some sort of connection.”

She was silent. And after a moment, he laughed rather wickedly, and said,

“A connection you’re not anxious to emphasize, I take it?”

“Are you?”

“I don’t know.” He ran an amused glance over her. “I never thought about it until this moment.”

“Well, I don’t know that there’s much point in thinking about it now,” Meg said, as composedly as she could in the face of that faintly mocking interest. “We’re not very likely to meet each other again.”

“Don’t be so sure of that!” His momentary anger seemed to have passed completely. “You’ll see me again, my reluctant little relation.”

And, with a slight gesture of farewell, he laughed, turned on his heel and went out of the house, leaving behind him such a strong impression that it was a moment before Meg could shake off the curiously compelling effect which he had had upon her.

She was actually trembling a little, as she turned towards the kitchen and found an approving Cecile standing in the doorway.

“Ah, that was well done, Mademoiselle.” Cecile nodded vigorously. “I did not hear what was said, for I am not the eavesdropper. But I saw that this time you sent him about his business.”

“Did I?” said Meg doubtfully, for that was not at all what it had felt like. But neither with Cecile nor with anyone else was she anxious to discuss her encounter with Leigh Sontigan, so she handed over the tray and went back upstairs, telling herself that she was not really trembling, but just a little tired and shivery.

It was an uneventful evening after that. At dinner time, in spite of her presence, Dick Manners asked his sister with frank curiosity, “What did Leigh want?”

“To talk things over again, of course.”

“I thought everything was irrevocably settled.”

“It was. Only to Leigh nothing is ever irrevocably settled until he has his own way.”

Dick laughed. “Yes, he’s an obstinate devil. Did he get you to see things in a different light?”

“Certainly not,” said Felicity composedly. “I’m an obstinate devil too when I feel like it.”

“How true!” agreed her brother, with feeling but without rancor. “Well, I’m glad we have Miss Greenway now, to see that Pearl isn’t dragged in and out of these emotional upsets. It’s agreed, I take it,” he glanced from one woman to the other, “that no mention is made to Pearl of Leigh’s visit here this evening.”

“Of course,” said Meg gravely.

“Of course,” agreed Felicity absently. And there the matter rested.

Meg slept well in her comfortable bed, and woke to a beautiful, fresh morning. Pearl was standing beside her bed in her pyjamas.

“Hello, darling.” Sleepily, she stretched out a hand and patted the little girl’s cheek. “What time is it?”

“Half-past seven.”

“Is that your usual getting-up time?”

“Well, Mommy and Cecile always leave very early. Mommy calls it going away in the middle of the night. It has something to do with getting the right light for filming. I like to get up and have breakfast with her.”

“Then I’ll get up too.” Meg sat up, yawned and smiled. “There are one or two things I must ask your mother about our program for today.”

This seemed to delight Pearl, who skipped off to her own room to get dressed.

Later, over the breakfast table, Meg discovered that Felicity was a very businesslike person at the beginni
n
g of the day. Also, somewhat unexpectedly, she ate a good breakfast, with the grim comment that she never knew when she would get the next meal. “I’ll be away all day,” she informed Meg. “You can make what arrangements you like. No, there’s no need to bother about household shopping. Cecile attends to that. All you need to do is to see that Pearl has her meals at the right times and doesn’t get into mischief.”

“Does she have to do any lessons?”

“I don’t know.” Already Felicity's thoughts were flitting ahead to her own affairs. “Do you do any lessons, darling?”

“No. It’s vacation,” Pearl pointed out reproachfully.

“All right. You can have a picnic ... or go into Newcastle, if you like. But if you go into Newcastle,” Felicity frowned slightly, “don’t go running around trying to find Leigh. I’m not very pleased with him right now.”

Meg was so staggered by this casual mention of a more or less forbidden subject that she could hardly decide for a moment whether this remark had been addressed to her or to Pearl. Pearl, however, was in no doubt. Her eyes lit up with sudden interest, and she asked eagerly, “Is Leigh in Newcastle, then?”

“Yes, of course. You know he lives there.”

“I thought,” Pearl’s voice shook, “you said he’d gone away and would never come back.”

“Did I? Oh, well, never’s a long time.” Felicity smiled to herself in a way that made Meg want to slap her.

“Do you mean he hasn’t gone away?” Pearl persisted.

“He hasn’t gone away from Newcastle,” her mother said impatiently. “You don’t go away from your home and your business just
because ... well...”
Even she seemed to see that the conversation was unsuitable for small ears. “Anyway, Pearl, that’s no concern of yours. Just don’t go around trying to find Leigh. And don’t go to his office.”

“No,” Pearl shook her head obediently, but Meg noticed her tone was breathless with excitement. “Only, if we just happened to see him, that would be different, wouldn’t it?”

“Madame,” Cecile put her head in, “the car is here. And I have brought down your fur jacket. The wind is cold.”

“Nonsense. It’s a lovely day, Cecile. Just fresh and pleasant.” The Frenchwoman shuddered exaggeratedly and muttered something uncomplimentary about the English climate.

“All right.” Felicity laughed and carelessly slipped her arms into the wide sleeves of a beautiful mink jacket. “It’s becoming, anyway. Well, enjoy yourselves.” She blew a kiss impartially to Pearl and Meg. “And don’t get into mischief, either of you.” She flashed a smile at Meg, and went out of the room.

“Mommy,” Pearl rushed after her, “if we do go into Newcastle, and we do see Leigh quite by accident—”

“Don’t be silly, darling. Accidents like that don’t happen.” Meg heard Felicity say sharply. Then the front door closed, and Pearl came slowly back into the room, as the car drove away.

“Come and finish your breakfast, dear.” Meg tried to speak normally.

“Did you hear what Mommy said?” Pearl obediently sat down again and began to butter a piece of toast. “Leigh hasn’t gone away after all. That’s my father, you know. At least, he’s the one who was going to be my father. I don’t think he’s going to be my father after all.” She nodded her head thoughtfully. “I think that was what Mommy meant. But he hasn’t gone away. He’s in Newcastle. Shall we go to Newcastle for the day, Meg?”

“I thought a picnic would be nicer, especially as it’s such a lovely day,” Meg said casually.

“I’d rather go to Newcastle.”

“Why, Pearl?”

Pearl looked vague and oddly like her mother for a moment. “It’s a very nice town,” she said innocently.

“I’m sure it is.” Meg suppressed a smile. “But one can go into town almost any time, whereas for a picnic we really need a nice day, like this one.”

“I’d rather go to Newcastle,” repeated Pearl, with an obstinacy Meg had not expected.

“Even if I would much rather go on a picnic?” Meg permitted herself to smile then.

“I want to go to Newcastle,” repeated Pearl, with the persistence of a character in Russian drama. Meg heard an ominous quiver in her voice, and she knew that she would gain nothing by adding to the child’s nervous frustration. To make a big issue of the matter would be the biggest mistake of all. So she said
calmly, “Very well, Pearl dear, if you’re so set on it, we’ll go into Newcastle today. And if it’s nice tomorrow, we’ll have our picnic then.”

“Oh, yes, that will be lovely!”

Like her mother, Pearl was amiable once she had her own way over something she cared a lot about.

So they washed the breakfast dishes together and Pearl actually sang to herself, in between much chatter. Then they got ready to take the bus to Newcastle.

“The buses go every half hour, at ten after and 20 minutes to the hour,” Pearl explained. “Oh, Meg, I’m so glad we’re going!”

“Well, then, so am I, if it means so much to you.” Meg smiled. But to herself she thought,
I hope she’s not going to be disappointed when we don’t meet him. The chances are a hundred to one against it in a place that size. Fortunately, I suppose, though it’s a little difficult to know what to hope, now that her mother has stirred up the situation again.

The bus stop was just outside the village church, and as they went there, Meg noticed that many interested glances were cast in Pearl’s direction. She seemed unaware of the fact. If people looked at her in a friendly way, she smiled back at them with open .pleasure. But she seemed not to have realized that, as the child of a well-known personality, she commanded a certain amount of interest herself. To this extent she was delightfully unspoiled.

Purworth, pronounced, to the confusion of visitors, Purth, was one of the many enchanting old villages found all over mid and north Northumberland. Its small Norman church (now roped off for the purpose of Felicity’s film), its one meandering main street, and its ruined castle on the hill, combined to make a scene so enchantingly picturesque that Meg would gladly have lingered. But Pearl hurried her along.

“There are lots of castles round here,” she explained. “It’s lovely. Like living in a history book. Do you like history, Meg?” Meg said that she did.

“Which side are you on in the Civil War?” Pearl asked anxiously. “King or Parliament?”

It was evidently a matter of importance to her, and when Meg said stoutly, “I’m for the King,” she gave sigh of relief, and said, “So am
I. I
wouldn’t have liked it if you’d been for Cromwell. When we get to Newcastle, I’ll show you the cathedral with its lantern tower. Do you know the story about it?”

“No.” Meg shook her head. “But tell me, how do you come to know so much history, at your age, by the way?”

“Leigh told me. He tells me lots of things about Northumberland. He says most people never notice it because they think it has nothing but coal pits and slag heaps, and they just rush through it on their way to Scotland.”

Meg laughed, but she could not quite imagine the bold, mocking man who had spoken to her last night really bothering to make history interesting for a child of nine.

“Shall I tell you the story now?” demanded Pearl, as soon as the conductor had given them their tickets.

“Yes, please.”

“Well, during the Civil War, Newcastle was held by the Royalists, and the others were
besieging
it. Because Newcastle wouldn’t give in, they threatened to blow up the famous lantern tower. Everyone was very sad about it, but the Governor of the town sent back a message to say they could jolly well blow up the tower if they wanted to, but they would be blowing up their own men too, because that was where he was putting all the prisoners. Leigh said it was a wonderful idea. It was, wasn’t it?”

“I suppose it was, provided you weren’t one of the prisoners,” agreed Meg, with the certainty that Leigh Sontigan would have fitted admirably into this picture of past violence and ingenuity.

“Oh, the prisoners were all right,” explained Pearl earnestly, because she was a tender-hearted little girl, “Of course the Roundheads didn’t dare carry out their threat then, and so the lantern tower was saved. I’ll show you when we get there. You’d like to see that, wouldn’t you?”

“I’d love to see it,” Meg said sincerely.

“You didn’t really mind coming to Newcastle, instead of going on a picnic, did you?” Pearl slipped her hand coaxingly into Meg’s, as though, now that she had had her way, she felt a few twinges of conscience.

“Darling, I’m delighted to come to Newcastle, particularly as I have you to show me around.”

This gave to Pearl a gratifying responsibility, which she proceeded to discharge with enthusiasm as soon as the bus had deposited
them in the Haymarket. She even, Meg thought, forgot about Leigh Sontigan for a while, in the pleasure of conducting her companion through the busy streets to the cathedral of St. Nicholas.

Here they spent some time, during which Meg good-humoredly entered into a verbal reconstruction of the scene that was reputed to have taken place during the Civil War. And because the exercise seemed to have sharpened both their appetites, they had lunch in one of the nearby hotels.

After lunch it was not quite so easy to maintain Pearl’s interest in sight-seeing. Meg noticed that, as they walked through the streets toward the castle, the child’s attention wandered. It was obvious that she was searching the crowds for someone.

It made Meg’s heart ache, but there was little she could do about it. For, with the situation between Leigh Sontigan and Pearl’s mother so tiresomely obscure, it was impossible to either encourage or discourage an affection that could make the little girl equally happy or miserable.

The castle itself, with its ancient museum, occupied Pearl for a while, but she was too young to be interested in many of the exhibits. And at one point she took Meg’s hand and said, “We went right past Leigh’s office on our way here, but we didn’t see him.”

“Maybe that was just as well, since your mother said she didn’t want you to seek him out,” Meg said gravely.

“But if we saw him by chance, that would be different, wouldn’t it?” insisted Pearl, evidently still clinging to the hope that she might direct events without seeming to do so.

“If it were genuinely by chance, yes.”

Pearl muttered something about her mother having said that chances like that didn’t happen. But Meg thought it wiser to pretend not to have heard anything, and when they came out of the castle once more, she said, “Sight-seeing is tiring work,
P
earl. You know what I think you and I should do? We’ll take a local bus to the Haymarket and catch our Purworth bus back, before rush hour. That will get us home in time for tea.”

“Let’s walk part of the way to the Haymarket,” Pearl countered quickly.

“But darling, aren’t you tired? I know I am.”

“I’m not a bit tired,” Pearl protested. “Let’s walk a little way, Meg, please.”

Although she was certain that she was going to be led past Leigh Sontigan’s office once more, Meg yielded, again on the principle that it was better to take a small risk than to make an unnecessary fuss.

So they walked slowly along the crowded pavements, waiting from time to time to cross busy intersections, as the traffic lights flashed from green to red and back again. They talked little now, but their hands were linked, and Meg felt that the little girl trusted her and was glad of her company.

It was just as they paused once more before crossing the street that the disaster happened, with a suddenness that left Meg numb and helpless. She had just said, “Wait, dear,
”
as the light changed when she felt Pearl snatch her hand away.

“There he is!” cried Pearl triumphantly, and, without a second’s hesitation, she dashed out into the street.

“Pearl—
n
o!” cried Meg, as brakes squealed and horns blared.

For a second it seemed as though the child would run straight under the wheels of an advancing bus. But she shot past with inches to spare, and had almost reached the other side when a small car caught her with a glancing blow and threw her on to the pavement, almost at the feet of Leigh Sontigan.

Even from where she stood, on the other side of the stream of traffic, Meg could see the color wiped from that vivid face as he stopped and snatched the child from the ground. Then she too was threading her way through the traffic, oblivious to shouts and warnings. A second later she stood beside him, as Pearl lay, gasping in his arms, one arm hanging limp from the shoulder.

“Are you crazy?” He turned on Meg in his terror and fury. “How could you let such a thing happen? You’re supposed to be in charge of her, aren’t you?”