Unknown (21 page)

“Are you seeing Fran today?” her aunt asked as they finished breakfast.

“Not until after lunch,” Katie answered, smiling at the old lady affectionately. “I thought I would spend the morning with you.”

“That is very kind of you, Katherine, but,” she shook her head slowly, “it is not as it should be,” she admonished gently. “Young people should seek the company of their own kind; but thank you just the same for thinking of it.” She patted Katie’s hand. “I’m glad I asked you to come and stay with me, after so long. You’ve made a big difference to this old house.”

“I’m
glad you asked me,” Katie said feelingly. “I admit I was a little doubtful about the wisdom of the move at first, but I think it’s worked out very well, hasn’t it?”

“As I hoped,” Aunt Cora said with a smile. “Just as I hoped.”

When Katie called at Coral House later that day it was not Fran but Jamie who greeted her, and a more worried Jamie than she had ever seen before. He had glanced up eagerly and half risen from his chair as she called out before coming into the house, and his look of disappointment was as unusual as it was unflattering; it was obvious that he was not expecting her but someone else.

“What’s wrong, Jamie?” she asked, a sudden cold doubt rising in her as she noticed Fran’s absence.

“Oh, nothing really, I suppose.” he ran nervous fingers through his hair, a frown between his brows. “It’s just that Fran is a long time gone; she said she’d be back before lunch time because she was seeing you this afternoon, and that was hours ago.”

“Where is she?” Katie asked, fearing the worst and having her fears confirmed by his answer.

“She went into Sea Bar on some mysterious trip or other. She can’t have gone shopping again after yesterday,” he smiled wryly, but his good-looking face looked older than usual without its habitual smile and Katie realised that he was far more fond of his cousin than even she had suspected.

“Which car did she take?” Katie asked, remembering that Fran had only once driven Jamie’s car and was not so used to handling it, although she did so very well.

“Mine.” He pushed both hands into his pockets and walked back into the lounge with her. “I know she’s a good driver, but—well, she’s been gone such a long time and she’s not used to my car.” He shrugged his shoulders resignedly. “She did have a gleam in her eye when she left, which means inevitably,” he pulled a wry face, “that she’s up to something.”

“Yes, she is,” Katie said feelingly, “and I was hoping that she’d given up the idea.”

“What idea?” Jamie asked sharply, taking her arms and pulling her round to face him. “What
is
she up to, Katie?”

“Oh, it's just some bee she has in her bonnet about Eleanor Barlow,” said Katie. “It’s a silly idea and I
told her I didn’t want anything to do with it, I didn’t want to be involved, but you know Fran, she won’t take no for an answer.”

“Yes, I
do
know Fran.” His frown deepened as he walked over to the terrace windows, tapping his chin with one finger restlessly. “I thought she had promised not to interfere any more with John and Eleanor. If John finds out he’ll skin her alive.”

“Well, he’s in London at the moment, so for now, he need not know,” Katie said with relief.

Jamie turned sharply to look at her. “That’s odd,” he said. “Eleanor is supposed to be in London too. Good grief!” He slapped a hand on his forehead. “Fran hasn’t gone up there, has she?”

“No, of course not.” Katie debated whether or not to tell Jamie the whole story; obviously he was frantically worried about Fran and he might take it into his head to take his grandfather’s car and go and look for her.

“Look, Katie love,” he led her to the settee and sat her on it, himself beside her, “tell me what it’s all about, please. What
is
the little idiot doing?”

“Very well,” Katie agreed reluctantly, “but it’s so silly and Fran should have had more sense than to make so much of it. You remember we told you that we had seen Eleanor in Sea Bar, lunching in Barner’s with Kuran Bey from the Kismet?” Jamie nodded. “Well we saw them again yesterday, again in Barner’s, only this time in the fur department, and again he gave her a package of some sort and then she left.”

“Is that all?” he gazed at her in disbelief.

“That’s all, apart from the fact that she was wearing dark glasses and a black wig yesterday, and Fran seemed to think that there was something sinister in the fact.”

“I admit it’s strange,” Jamie said thoughtfully. “Why should she be in Sea Bar when she’s supposed to be in London, and wearing what could, I suppose, be described as a partial disguise, but I can’t see that it’s sinister enough to send Fran off on her own to investigate.”

“She wanted me to go with her,” Katie told him, wishing now that she had, “but I told her I wouldn’t, that it was no business of ours, particularly, mine, what Eleanor does with herself.”

“I suppose she’s still bothered about her marrying John,” he said, shaking his head, “though what good she thinks she can do, I don’t know. Big brother will make up his own mind eventually, he always does.”

“That’s what I told her,” said Katie.

“And you think she’s gone into Sea Bar looking for Eleanor and more evidence to influence John against her?” He smiled wryly at his choice of words.

“I’m convinced of it.” Katie was not so amused at his choice of words as they had a more ominously likely ring to her. Fran might find out something about the model and her Eastern boy-friend, perhaps even enough to discover their smuggling activities, but trouble for Eleanor Barlow and Kuran Bey meant trouble too for John, and Katie had no way of warning Fran without betraying John. She tried to smile reassuringly at Jamie. “I shouldn’t worry too much, Jamie. She’s probably enjoying herself in the shops and has forgotten all about Eleanor.”

“Could be,” he smiled, albeit uncertainly, “but if she’s wrecked my car I’ll break her neck! Just the same,” he glanced at his watch for the hundredth time, “I wish to heaven she’d come back.”

Katie echoed his sentiments feelingly and decided that this was something she needed advice on and since John was away, Sir Janus was the only person she could turn to. “Is Sir Janus here?” she asked.

“Mmm,” Jamie nodded his head towards the terrace, his eyes on the open front doors anxiously, “he’s on the lawn under the trees with the papers.”

“I think I’ll have a word with him,” said Katie, hoping that he would not wish to join her, but she need not have worried. “If you don’t mind.”

“No, of course not, Katie, go ahead.” He lay back against the settee, his long legs stretched out before him. “I’ll stay here so that I shall hear Fran when she comes back.”

Leaving him to his lone vigil, Katie sought Sir Janus and found him, as Jamie had said, seated in the shade of a huge beech tree, surrounded by several newspapers. He rose as she approached and cleared the papers from another chair. “Katie, my dear, how charming you look. Do sit down, won’t you?”

“Thank you, Sir Janus.” She sat in the cane chair, unaccustomedly straight-backed, her hands in her lap, her eyes dark with worry.

“Tell me about it.” The quiet voice made her start almost guiltily.

“It’s Fran,” she made no pretence at denying that there was something worrying her. “She’s gone into Sea Bar to try to see Eleanor Barlow again.”

“Again?” The old man dropped sharply on the word.

Katie nodded, “We saw her again in Barner’s yesterday with Kuran Bey.” She went on to describe as matter-of-factly as she could what they had seen take place the previous day, and Fran’s suspicions. “I tried to make Fran leave it alone,” she said at last, “but she wouldn’t listen. I thought perhaps if I refused to help she might give up the idea, but it seems she didn’t.” The old man shook his head, a wry smile on his face at his granddaughter’s strong-mindedness. “It was a vain hope, my dear, but you did your best to prevent her probing further. I can see your predicament.”

“I’m worried in case Fran
should
discover anything about—” she frowned, shaking her head, “about the thing John’s involved in. Not that I care what happens to Eleanor Barlow,” she added frankly. “I don’t like her, but if
she
is found out—”

“John is in trouble,” the old man nodded understanding^, “and we don’t want that, do we?”

“No,” Katie swung her black hair in an emphatic shake, “I thought perhaps you might know where John is and get in touch with him.”

“I will,” Sir Janus promised. “And in the meantime I only hope that Fran is not getting into anything too deep for her. I have always found Eleanor a pleasant enough young woman socially, but I have no illusions about her character. She would be ruthless if anyone crossed her path.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Katie said miserably. “I couldn’t say as much to Jamie and Fran, but I was desperate in case Fran turned up anything, I tried to keep her from probing any further.”

“Don’t worry any more, Katie,” he took her hands in a comforting gesture. “I’ll let John know, and when Fran comes back I’ll deal with her, too.” He glanced down the lawn to the house. “I suppose,” he said softly, “Jamie is worrying himself over Fran being away so long.”

“Yes, he is,” said Katie, wondering if there were any secrets at all in the family that were not known to the old man. She rose, smiling down at 'him. “I’ll go and keep him company,” she said, “until she comes back. Thank you, Sir Janus, for taking a weight off my mind.”

“I'm glad you told me,” he smiled, releasing her hands. “I can at least warn John that there might be trouble.”

“Oh, I do hope there won’t be,” Katie sighed. “I wish I knew some way of stopping Fran before she goes too far.”

“There is no way,” Sir Janus shook his head, “no way of stopping Fran when she gets an idea into her head, but I shall try, and I shall leave her in no doubt as to my feelings in the matter. That and the fact that she has already incurred John’s wrath for meddling should have some effect.”

“I hope so,” said Katie, without much hope.

Walking back to the house she realised that her fear for John Miller exceeded any she felt for Fran’s safety and she bit her lip at the thought of him being connected, even in business, with Eleanor Barlow.

She walked in to the lounge as Jamie left the settee and ran to the door through the hall and out on to the drive, with Golly in frantic pursuit. He arrived as the little two-seater pulled up and Fran climbed out. “Fran!” He rushed straight to her as she stepped on to the gravel and pulled her into his arms. “Fran, are you all right?” He held her so close she could not answer, but Katie saw her arms go round him and hug him as tightly as he did her.

Katie stayed where she was for the moment, thinking this not a moment to intrude. His relief patent in the first desperate hug, Jamie put Fran from him and looked down at her flushed, freckled face as if seeing her for the first time. “You little idiot!” he said angrily. “Where on earth have you been? We’ve been worried sick about you.”

“We?” She tilted her fair head to one side, eyebrows raised, her eyes dancing.

“Well, I have,” he amended. “Where have you been all this time?”

“Sea Bar,” she said, and he shook her gently, taking a handful of her long hair and pulling her head back to look at him.

“Where in Sea Bar?” he demanded. “I know why— Katie told me.”

“Oh, did she?” She wrinkled her nose at him in the familiar way and he pulled her to him again and kissed her. Perhaps, Katie thought, unable to avoid seeing them from the lounge, Fran’s curiosity had achieved one thing at least, but at what cost she could not guess.

FRAN smiled at Katie broadly as she came into the room and flopped down on the settee. “I need a long, cool drink,” she demanded, “before I say a word!” Jamie made her one and brought it to her, sitting beside her on the settee. “Now, infant,” he said when she had quenched her thirst, “talk, or do we get tough with you ?”

“It wouldn’t do you any good,” Fran retorted. “But you don’t need to anyway. I will tell all, as they say in the Sunday papers.”

“Never mind the Sunday papers,” Jamie said firmly. “What have
you
been up to all this time? Do you realise that it’s now half past three in the afternoon and it was before half past ten this morning when you went out?”

“I know.” She had the grace to look shamefaced. “I have been a long time, longer than I meant to be, and I’m sorry you were worried.” She wrinkled her nose at him again and he shook his head solemnly.

“Cousin or no cousin,” he said, glancing at Katie, “I shall have to take you in hand, otherwise I shall be old before my time worrying about you. Don’t you agree, Katie?”

“I do,” Katie smiled. “If you’d like to go into the matter right now, I can go, you know. You don’t have to be polite about me.” .

“You stay where you are,” Jamie told her. “I’ll have plenty of opportunity to put the infant in her place later.” He turned a grin on her, his blue eyes warm and gentle, and Katie felt a pang of envy for Fran. “You started the train of thought, Katie, so you should be the first to know. I’m going to marry this insane cousin of mine, whatever anyone says.”

“Even me?” Fran asked, smiling her happiness.

“Even you,” he said. “Now get on with whatever tale you have to tell.”

“Well,” Fran began, “I wasn’t too sure at first, where I ought to start. I wandered around Barners for ages wondering if I would see them again, but no luck.”

“I don’t imagine it’s a daily occurrence,” Jamie interposed. “It would cost him a fortune in presents.”

“Mmm,” Fran agreed, “I suppose so. Well, by the time I’d decided it was no use waiting any longer, it was lunch time and I was hungry.”

“As usual,” Jamie muttered, and received a black look.

“I thought of having lunch in Barner’s,” Fran continued, undeterred, “in case they turned up there again; then I had a brainwave.”

Her audience eyed her dubiously, fearing the worst, Katie particularly wondering just how far Fran’s curiosity would take her. “A brainwave?” she asked cautiously.