A Stranger's Kiss

by Rosemary Smith

  A white marble fireplace faced the doorway, the coal and kindling wood laid ready to light in the black grate, and pink and white ornaments stood in profusion on the mantel.

  ‘What a charming room,’ I enthused, speaking to Rosalind who still stood by the open doorway. As I spoke I removed my bonnet, laying it on a small embroidered chair by the door.

  ‘Why thank you, it is one of the nicest bedrooms at Ravensmount and was at one time occupied by our mother.’ At these words an expression of sadness crossed Miss Tremaine’s face, but it quickly changed and she smiled at me. ‘I have no idea of your Christian name.’ She continued moving further into the room standing by the window, the rays of the sun surrounding her in a warm glow.

  ‘It is Sara,’ I answered, ‘and I would be most pleased if you would address me as such.’

  ‘Then I will, Sara,’ and she came across taking my hands in hers briefly, hands which were cold in spite of the warmth of the room. ‘You are nothing like your friend, Amelia,’ she said suddenly turning to look out of the window.

  ‘No indeed,’ I replied. ‘Amelia was as dark as I am fair, also pretty and vivacious.’ Silence followed my words for a couple of minutes after which Rosalind turned to me.

  ‘What do you know of Amelia’s background?’ The question was unexpected and I realised that I knew little about her, for we had only met three years ago at a finishing school for young ladies in Bath.

  ‘I know little of her background except that she lived with her uncle and aunt a short way from Taunton and had done so since she was a baby.’ In truth this was really all I could say about her.

  ‘So she is a mystery to you, Sara.’ Rosalind’s words were true I realised. My friend was indeed a mystery to me. I’d never thought of it before, having enjoyed Amelia’s company and friendship.

  ‘Yes, I suppose she is,’ I said quietly, ‘but I am worried about her wellbeing and have every intention of finding her.’

  ‘Well, I wish you well in your quest, Sara, and now I will arrange for water to be sent up and some refreshment also, for you must be parched on such a warm day.’

  These words dismissed any further talk of Amelia and I had the strongest feeling Rosalind was relieved in some way, for her manner had changed and she seemed more relaxed.

  As Rosalind went to leave I asked, ‘Which room did Amelia occupy?’

  For some seconds there was no reply. ‘The room opposite yours on the other side of the corridor, but no clues will be found there,’ with which words the lovely Rosalind left me.

  My first thought was to look out the window, where I could see that I was at the front of the house not far from the huge tree, where the ravens sat in rows on the thick branches obviously awaiting the next visitor. The sea beyond sparkled in the sun, stretching to infinity.

  The fact that Amelia had not married the handsome Tobias was indeed a shock and now she had vanished and in what state of mind? And what did I really know about my friend? And why had she not written to me until the pleading missive I had received four weeks ago? What had happened in that short time? And indeed what had happened since she had arrived at Ravensmount last September? My thoughts were interrupted by a tap at the door and Tilly entered with another young maid dressed in a white mob cap and apron over a grey cotton dress.

  ‘Why Tilly,’ I exclaimed, ‘you look happy.’

  ‘I am Miss, this is Emily.’ She introduced the young girl who was a slip of a thing with brown hair perilously escaping her mob cap. They’d brought me jugs of water which they tipped into a beautiful pink bowl on a washstand by the bed.

  ‘Thank you, both of you.’ As I spoke they stopped chattering amongst themselves.

  ‘We’ll fetch you a tray of tea now, Miss,’ Tilly informed me as they both practically skipped out of the room giggling as they went.

  I had a well needed wash with a fluffy flannel, soap and towel which lay in readiness on the marble topped washstand, after which I went to the white dressing table set between the window and the door. On each drawer were small oval paintings of young women of a past age, all plump and bonny, dressed in low cut dresses with short puffed sleeves. On the glass top was a pink glass tray with matching candlesticks and trinket boxes decorated with pink roses.

  I reached for the hairbrush and tidied my hair, looking at my reflection in a bevelled glass mirror which was handsomely engraved with brightly coloured birds sat on branches of trees. It was then in the mirror that I caught sight of the portrait over the fireplace, strange I’d not noticed it on entering the room. I turned around and walked towards it, the picture was in a gold leaf frame, not large, but not small either.

  I gazed at the young dark-haired woman depicted on the canvas. She stood sideways, but her cream face looked towards me, the dark sparkling eyes fringed by long dark lashes, her coal-black hair arranged perfectly back from her face. She wore a white low cut gown and a white fringed shawl was draped over her arms.

  I was intrigued as she looked almost familiar and I searched my mind as to why, but no matter how hard I tried the answer eluded me. A sudden thought came to me. While all was quiet I would take a peep in Amelia’s room. I could see the bedroom door almost opposite mine and swiftly I walked across to it and turned the large enamelled knob, but to no avail, no matter how much I turned and shook the door would not budge and I realised that for some strange reason it was locked.

  Deciding I did not wish to be in my room for the rest of the day, I walked back along the corridor. Before I reached the main staircase I spied a small wooden one at the same side as my room. This must lead to the back of the house, I reasoned, and with that thought in mind I lifted my skirts at the front and made my way down the steep steps which twisted to the left and led into a dark dismal corridor quite unlike the one I’d just walked down.

  There was a studded metal door on the left which reminded me of a prison. I shuddered at the thought and walked on feeling quite cold in the damp atmosphere. Thankfully there was a door ahead of me and I could see chinks of daylight through the cracks in the wood. As I opened it I was startled to bump headlong into a man who caught my arms to steady me.

  ‘Why, Mr Tremaine,’ I uttered, ‘I am sorry, I wished for some fresh air.’

  ‘Do I know you?’ he queried setting me at arm’s length, and I realised foolishly it was not Tobias Tremaine, but he was so like him I could be forgiven for my mistake. As I looked over his shoulder through an arch of honeysuckle I caught sight of a young woman.

  ‘Amelia!’ I called loudly, for I was certain it was her. ‘Amelia,’ I reiterated, but my captor, for that it what it seemed, restrained me from running after her and tears of frustration filled my eyes as I looked into the dark ones of the man who held me against my will.

  ‘Please let me go,’ I pleaded with annoyance, wriggling to try and set myself free, but he held my arms tighter and with one first had caught hold of my wrist. ‘How dare you?’ I almost spat at him.

  ‘I have no intention of letting you go until you tell me who you are and what you know of Amelia?’ By his voice I could tell he was amused and I fought harder, bending suddenly to bite the hand which held fast my wrist so tightly it was painful, but I only managed to graze his skin.

  ‘Blast you!’ I shouted.

  ‘Young lady, I have no intention of harming you. Just tell me who you are, for you could by logic be an intruder.’

  ‘My name is Sara Osborne,’ I obliged him, ‘and I am a friend of Amelia’s. Tobias Tremaine has offered me a room for the night, as I appear to have travelled all the way from Bath today on a fool’s errand.’

  ‘Have you indeed,’ he said quietly. ‘Now I am going to release you and I beg you not to run from me.’ As I struggled once more he held me tighter. ‘Promise?’ he said laughing.

  ‘I promise,’ I conceded, for my wrist was sore and as he released me I could see how red it was from his strong grip. I smoothed my hand across it gently, all the while meeting the dark eyes of this stranger who stood
watching me with some amusement.

  ‘I apologise profusely,’ he said quite sincerely, ‘but you could have been anyone.’

  ‘I really don’t know if I can accept that apology, Sir, and now I’ve told you who I am, may I ask the same of you?’ I realised that I spoke with a trembling voice, the whole incident had upset me far more than I cared to admit.

  ‘Miss Sara Osborne,’ he said startling me by taking my hand and kissing the back of it, ‘I am Michael Tremaine, Tobias’ brother.’

  ‘Well,’ I said in confusion, ‘I’m not going to say I’m pleased to meet you for I can’t say that I am.’

  ‘Let me redeem myself, please, Miss Osborne, and walk with you in our beautiful garden,’ he implored, the amusement leaving his voice.

  ‘Very well, if you must,’ I agreed, ‘for I am in need of some fresh air.’ Michael crocked his arm for me to take which I did with little grace. We stepped through the arch of the honeysuckle into a garden which took my breath away. The heady fragrant scent of dog roses invaded my nostrils and the garden before me was wild and beautiful.

  I wondered momentarily what other surprises Ravensmount would hold as Michael Tremaine led me to a stone seat set on a small grass lawn from where I could see a small wooden bridge which spanned the tiniest of streams.

  ‘So you like our garden?’ my companion asked as I seated myself on the stone seat decorously arranging my green skirts.

  ‘Yes, it is beautiful,’ I said honestly as Michael sat beside me.

  ‘I feel, Miss Osborne, that we have started on the wrong footing,’ he said softly reminding me of Rosalind.

  ‘I fear so, Mr Tremaine, but there isn’t anything that can’t be mended,’ I assured him smiling and thinking how like his brother he was.

  ‘You don’t know how relieved I am to hear you say that.’ As he spoke Michael laid a hand gently across mine. ‘Now tell me,’ he continued, ‘what you know of Amelia. And did you really think it was her crossing this very garden?’

  ‘I’m convinced of it,’ I said adamantly, ‘if you hadn’t prevented me from doing so I would have ascertained the fact.’

  ‘But I can assure you that no-one has seen Amelia since she disappeared. Lord knows I’ve looked for her high and low. I believe it was a figment of your imagination, Miss Osborne. Maybe you wanted to see her.’

  His implication that I was prone to fanciful thoughts marred the kind thoughts I had started to have of this brother of Tobias and I snatched my hand away from his somewhat rudely, an action I regretted almost as soon as I’d done it and I reached my hand out to him.

  ‘Forgive me, Mr Tremaine, but it has been a long day and one full of surprises, most of which were not pleasant.’ As I spoke I noticed the light was starting to fade, but it was still warm and the combination of the scent of honeysuckle and dog roses suddenly felt overpowering. I rose to my feet, closely followed by Michael.

  ‘Tell me, what has been the most unpleasant surprise for you today?’ he murmured.

  ‘Apart from Amelia disappearing, I think the fact that she lied to me about marrying your brother,’ I said quietly with resignation. ‘Do you know why she didn’t marry Tobias, Mr Tremaine?’

  There was a silent pause before his answer drifted across to me. ‘Because, Miss Osborne, Amelia fell in love with me.’

  This admission beat any other revelation told to me today. I stepped back from him.

  ‘So my friend married you, Mr Tremaine.’ This was a statement rather than a question, my voice was harsh and I wondered why I felt a sense of betrayal.

  Michael Tremaine’s reaction to this statement was to throw back his head and laugh. I felt like pounding on his chest with anger, but I’d already behaved in an unladylike manner towards this man in the space of little more than an hour already.

  ‘Why are you laughing at me?’ I almost shouted at him.

  ‘Because you have reached your own conclusion, totally the wrong one in the space of seconds, Sara,’ he said, merriment in his voice.

  ‘So tell me then, what happened between you and Amelia?’ I challenged him, sitting back on the seat.

  ‘Nothing, absolutely nothing. Her love for me was not reciprocated I assure you. I am surrounded by dark-haired women, I certainly wouldn’t want to marry one.’

  As he spoke, the merriment in his eyes and voice suddenly died. ‘I much prefer fair-haired women and a very beautiful one has stumbled headlong into my path today.’

  At his words I didn’t know what to do or say. I felt foolish and confused at the same time and didn’t wish to discuss the matter further.

  ‘I must return to my room, Mr Tremaine, but I cannot walk back through that dark passageway,’ I said with a calm I didn’t feel.

  ‘Then I’ll show you round to the front,’ he said, kindly offering me his hand.

  3

  The ravens flew noisily overhead as I ascended the steps to the front door for the second time that day. As I stepped into the hall I saw Rosalind standing at the bottom of the staircase. Was she waiting for me? I wondered.

  ‘So you’ve met our brother, Michael,’ she commented, and I realised she must have watched us from the window alongside the great door.

  ‘Yes,’ I replied, not wishing to tell her the circumstances in which we had bumped into each other.

  ‘Your maid, Tilly, tells me it is your birthday today,’ said Rosalind dismissing the subject of Michael for which I was grateful.

  ‘Indeed, I am twenty-one today and haven’t yet opened Father and Mother’s present to me,’ I told her.

  ‘You must join us for dinner this evening, so we can at least toast your special day.’ She spoke with enthusiasm and I realised that her life may in some way be dull and her days repetitious.

  ‘It is kind of you, Miss Tremaine, but I feel weary and would not be sparkling company,’ I admitted.

  ‘Then stay for a few more days,’ she pleaded, ‘and we shall have a party for you.’

  ‘Why thank you, I would like that and it would give me time to try and trace Amelia’s whereabouts,’ I said, having no intention for some reason in telling this young woman I had seen my friend not long since walking in the garden. Or had I seen her?

  At the mention of Amelia the lovely face changed, and she was about to speak just as another young woman joined us in the hall. I’d thought Rosalind to be beautiful, but the young woman who now stood at her side, dressed in a day dress the colour of a beautiful mauve, matching the wearer’s expressionless eyes surpassed even Rosalind’s beauty.

  ‘Did I hear mention of a party?’ the newcomer said in a tinkling melodic voice, but still her eyes were void of any emotion.

  ‘This is our sister, Violet,’ said Miss Tremaine, ‘and this young lady,’ she said, speaking to her sister as if she were a child, ‘is Sara, a friend of Amelia’s.’ At these words Violet ran over to me, her dark ringlets bobbing up and down, and she caught my arm.

  ‘You must come to my studio and see my ravens,’ she said excitedly, ‘Amelia loved them, but she hasn’t been to see me for a long time.’ At which words she stamped her foot and tears rolled down her cheeks. ‘No-one likes me,’ she wailed and I realised this lovely young girl was still a child inside a woman’s body.

  ‘Come, Violet,’ coaxed her sister, ‘we will go to your room and prepare for dinner.’

  Before they walked together up the wide staircase, Violet looked at me. ‘You will come tomorrow?’ she pleaded, and I knew I would, but only for her sake as I felt compassion for her. As I made my way to my room I wondered if there was anyone in this household that I hadn’t yet met. I didn’t realise then that there was someone else I would meet on the morrow and that the whole day would be fraught with minor incidents drawing me further into the lives of the family at Ravensmount.

  As I stepped into my room, the first thing I noticed was a cheery fire burning in the hearth for which I was thankful as now the sun had gone and the large room felt chilly. Tilly, with Emily’s assistance, was
arranging my clothes in the large rosewood wardrobe which stood in an alcove on one side of my bed. I could see my open trunk standing at the foot of the bed.

  ‘Your tea’s gone cold, Miss Sara,’ grumbled Tilly indicating a tray which stood on a small table next to the armchair which had been pulled up by the fire, ‘and the bread will be curling at the corners no doubt,’ she continued to chide me.

  ‘I’m sorry, Tilly,’ I said, realising how hungry I suddenly felt and Rosalind’s invitation to dinner crossed my mind. Picking up one of the sandwiches, I could see that the bread had indeed dried out a little, but I ate it nonetheless, a thought coming to me. ‘Tilly, have you come across my birthday present?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes, Miss, it’s on the dressing table.’

  Swiftly I retrieved the tissue wrapped gift which had been tied with an emerald green ribbon. I sat on the armchair and carefully unwrapped it. The paper contained an oblong green velvet box and opening it I could see a necklace of creamy pearls with diamonds set into the clasp. They were beautiful and I suddenly felt homesick. Tilly came over to look, Emily hovering in the background.

  ‘They are lovely, Miss Sara,’ Tilly whispered. ‘Oh Miss, don’t feel sad,’ she said suddenly as she caught sight of a large tear which trickled down my cheek. ‘We’ll be back home before you know it. Shall we leave the rest of your things in the trunk, Miss? Seems silly getting everything unpacked.’

  ‘No, empty it please, Tilly, for we are here for a few more days,’ I replied.

  As I snuggled between the crisp white sheets later that evening, the candle beside my bed cast eerie shadows on the walls and ceiling. I wondered just how long we would stay at Ravensmount and whether my search for Amelia would prove to be fruitful. Before I fell asleep I recalled Tamsin’s words, ‘Do not spend a night there.’ I dismissed the thought, certain no harm could befall me.