A Stranger's Kiss

by Rosemary Smith

  ‘Do you ask me because you are caught up on the moment?’ I asked him anxiously.

  ‘No indeed not, I would have asked you that first night in the garden,’ he strove to reassure me.

  ‘Ask me again after I have found Amelia.’ I said the words without thinking and knew that this tiny sentence had spoiled our time together, and wished with all my heart that my answer had been yes, but pride would not let me alter it and the precious moment was gone.

  We packed up the picnic basket and stood up, me smoothing my skirt and brushing grass from the hem.

  ‘Sara,’ he said suddenly pulling me to him, ‘do love me? Or indeed, think you could love me?’

  ‘Yes I do,’ I told him sincerely.

  ‘Then we will leave this in abeyance until Amelia is found,’ he told me giving me a glimmer of hope and lightening my mood again.

  ‘Very well, so be it,’ I agreed. ‘What will happen with the basket and the rug?’

  ‘Simkins will fetch it,’ he told me.

  ‘Who the devil is Simkins?’ I said, laughing.

  ‘He is the cook’s husband, a fine fellow and very discreet. None of this will go any further I assure you.’

  We walked back to house, my arm through his, like a married couple on a Sunday afternoon outing. Maybe this is how it would be in future years and I knew that not only in heart, but mind I wished this to be so.

  Reaching my room, which was in truth Abraham’s wife’s room, I sat in the armchair, looking up at her portrait once more. How sad I thought, that she had taken her life and I suddenly disliked the master as I had on our first meeting. And what of Violet, who was her mother?

  The day had seemed a long one and it was only five o’clock. Tilly brought me a tray laden with tea and crumpets.

  ‘I hear you’ve been walking, Miss, with Mr Michael,’ she said depositing the tray on the table at my side.

  ‘Who told you this?’ I asked, somewhat surprised in view of Michael’s words only an hour since.

  ‘Miss Violet told me and Emily and anyone else she came across, Miss,’ Tilly informed me.

  ‘And how pray did she know this,’ I asked with some indignation, for Violet was becoming a thorn in my side.

  ‘She followed you both, or so she says,’ said Tilly with all innocence.

  ‘Followed us? I never so much as caught sight of her,’ I said, rising from the chair and feeling very angry now. ‘Do you know which room is Violet’s?’

  ‘But your tea, Miss. I don’t think it’s wise to go to Miss Violet’s room.’ As she spoke there was a tap on the door. It was too late, for the door burst open to reveal Violet, her dark hair loose and falling around her shoulders to her waist, the beautiful violet eyes angry and flashing.

  ‘You’ll never find her,’ she screamed at me and laughed a mocking childlike laugh which burned through my whole being and I suddenly realised what she had reminded me of in the tower and again now. She was like a beautiful gypsy and as she left I asked myself what she knew of Amelia’s whereabouts.

  8

  Monday morning arrived and after breakfast I set off in search of Rosalind. Crossing the hall I encountered Tobias. He promptly gave me a look of disdain which upset me somewhat.

  ‘So Miss Osborne, you favour my brother, Michael, over me,’ were his words of greeting.

  ‘It is not a question of favouring anyone,’ I replied. ‘Not any one of us can help being attracted to one person more than another.’

  ‘You gave me hope that day at the Lizard.’ His words brought to mind our outing. Had I really caused him to think this?

  ‘I’m sorry if I gave you any such impression, Mr Tremaine, but truly I had not meant to,’ I said with truth.

  ‘First Amelia and now you. Could you please tell me what is wrong with me that I am treated with such indifference,’ he asked me.

  ‘I feel sure there is someone right for you as indeed there is for all of us,’ was the only reply I could think of.

  ‘Ah, Miss Osborne.’ The master’s voice interrupted us from the direction of the drawing room for which I was thankful, as I wished to end my conversation with Tobias and did not wish to appear rude.

  ‘Would you be kind enough to accompany me to my study, I wish to discuss something with you,’ said Abraham coming across to me.

  ‘Very well. Please excuse us, Mr Tremaine,’ I said to Tobias, who turned and made his way to the front door.

  I was quite taken aback when Abraham indicated that I should return up the staircase.

  ‘Don’t be alarmed, Miss Osborne, my study is upstairs next to my room and has been since an accident some time ago prevented me from coming downstairs for a while,’ he explained.

  Duly I followed the tall upright figure of Abraham Tremaine up the staircase. My mission to seek out Rosalind was forgotten as I was curious as to what the Master of Ravensmount would want with me.

  After yesterday’s revelation, my intention was to be cool towards him and to keep my distance. Violet stepped out of a room along the corridor which I took note of as the room could be hers. Seeing Abraham and I together she clapped her hands. Today she looked her old self again and I had the thought that may have imagined her animosity yesterday, but I knew it had not been a dream, her spiteful words had been meant.

  She followed us to a door nearly at the end of the corridor not far from the steps leading to her studio and I shuddered.

  ‘Sara, please come up to my studio when you have finished with Papa,’ she pleaded.

  ‘I’m sorry, Violet, but I shall have no time and I have little desire if any to step in that room again,’ I told her as kindly as I could.

  ‘Oh Papa,’ the young woman cried, ‘please tell Sara she has to come.’

  ‘Violet run along. We had enough and more of your tantrums yesterday. I wish to speak to Sara alone,’ he explained.

  ‘Are you going to ask her to marry you?’ she asked in a coy fashion and giggled, running off before Abraham had chance to reply.

  We stepped into his study.

  ‘What a beautiful room!’ I exclaimed, for indeed it was. A large oak desk, the top covered in red leather stood in the alcove of the window. A large matching chair stood behind it with the back covered to match the top of the desk. Instead of curtains white shutters framed the window and books in all different hues and sizes lined the three remaining walls.

  ‘I’m so pleased you like it, Sara. May I call you that?’ he asked politely.

  ‘If you wish.’ I replied abruptly, trying to imagine this intelligent man with a gypsy.

  ‘You are cool towards me today, Sara,’ he said quietly, taking the little snuff box from his pocket. ‘Has Michael been talking to you?’ The question came unexpectedly and this man had already admitted admiring my honesty.

  ‘Yes he has,’ I said truthfully, all the while meeting Abraham’s brown eyes.

  ‘You are an intelligent young woman, Sara, so I intend to tell you the truth,’ he said, taking a pinch of snuff and returning the exquisite box to his pocket. ‘Please sit down and I will enlighten you.’

  As he spoke he indicated a chair by his desk which I sat upon, curious as to what Abraham would say.

  ‘My wife was called Sara,’ he began and I gasped at the coincidence. ‘She was beautiful and as dark as you are fair. I loved her with a love much more than any man could feel for a woman. I would have given her the earth and still given her more besides. We had three wonderful children, close in age, two years between them, they were born in this house, in the bedroom you sleep in now, Sara.’

  He stopped for a second or two and went to the window, then turned back to me and continued. ‘Twenty years ago, a gypsy encampment set up in the field opposite the gates of Ravensmount. I had no cause to be concerned about this one way or another. Four months went by and Sara came to me one day to tell me she was expecting a child. I knew it wasn’t mine for we had not been man and wife in the true sense of the word for four years. I hope this subject is not too
delicate for you?’ he asked me.

  ‘No,’ I managed to utter, quite in awe as to what he was relating to me a stranger.

  ‘Then I shall continue. Sara told me quite candidly that a gypsy at the encampment was the father of her child and that she was in love with him. I knew she’d never loved me, but I adored her nonetheless and she had borne me three children. This news devastated me, but I agreed to bring the child up as my own when he or she was born. Sara kept to her room, no-one but Millie Sutton, our nurse, knew of her condition. Violet was born in the room you sleep in, Sara.

  ‘The long travail turned my Sara’s mind and one night she walked into the sea at Moll’s Bay and never came back. I would have stopped her if I had known, for she left me a note, but by the time I had read it it was too late.’

  He retrieved a small key from his pocket and reaching into a desk drawer which he opened he handed me a yellowing piece of paper. ‘Read it.’

  ‘I can’t, for it is nothing to do with me,’ I said.

  ‘I wish you to read it, Sara, for I have no desire for you to think ill of me, and after all you will be my daughter-in-law one day.’ He smiled encouragingly at me and so I opened the faded piece of paper and read Sara’s words.

  Dear Ab,

  I cannot live with my betrayal of your love for me. You have been a good husband and father. My mind is in turmoil. I implore you to look after Violet, I fear for her.

  Today I heard the legend of Moll’s Bay from Millie, she was trying to amuse me, but it gave me an idea. That is where I shall go now to find some peace. Instead of going because I am forsaken, I shall go because I forsook you.

  Forgive me.

  Your Wife, Sara.

  Silently I handed Abraham the letter and in return he gave me his handkerchief, for tears rolled down my cheeks and I could taste the salt in my mouth. Never had I heard such a sad story. My disdain for this man turned to compassion and admiration.

  ‘So why,’ I began, ‘why does Michael think you are Violet’s father?’

  ‘I loved my wife, I love my offspring. How could I tell them their mother betrayed me? It would break their hearts. Whereas I, their father, have strong shoulders and can bear the brunt of their anger. I wish them to have good memories of their mother. Do you understand?’

  ‘I more than understand, I admire you so much. I first thought you were harsh and manipulative, but indeed you are kind and honest,’ I told him.

  ‘Where my children are concerned I am manipulative, I wish them to marry for love and see that love returned. Amelia didn’t love Tobias, she toyed with his feelings and as for Michael, she had no love for him either. She was fickle and that is not a good basis for marriage. But Tobias is fickle, maybe they deserved one another. In some ways I was pleased when your friend disappeared, but now I feel concerned as to her whereabouts,’ he admitted.

  ‘I feel sure she is somewhere here at Ravensmount for I fancy I saw her on a couple of occasions and then I saw a face at the window of the north tower, but Michael and I looked in there yesterday and the room was empty,’ I told him.

  ‘Your friend will be found, I assure you,’ Abraham said and then changed the subject. ‘I would like you to meet our nurse, Millie Sutton, a wonderful loyal servant.’ As he spoke he pulled a cord in the corner not far from his desk. ‘So this is our secret, Sara?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, I promise, until such a time as you may wish to alter it,’ I assured him.

  ‘In some ways it is dishonest, but my loyalty to my Sara will not let me tell my children otherwise. If nothing else Sara was honest with me, she could so easily have run away with her gypsy.’ His words were true.

  ‘And what of Violet? Forgive me for saying so, but at times she seems a little strange and childlike.’ As we were talking frankly to one another I had to mention it.

  ‘You are right. Violet is childlike and temperamental, some traits she has in her blood, handed down no doubt from her father. But we humour her, it is the only course to take. The only thing which disturbs me is her desire to see me married to whoever comes along, but I have no wish to marry anyone.’

  Here he laughed reminding me of Michael. We were interrupted by the door opening to reveal Mrs Mallory.

  ‘You rang, Sir,’ she said curtly.

  ‘Could you please locate Michael and ask him to join us, and a tray of coffee and biscuits would be appreciated,’ Abraham instructed.

  ‘Our housekeeper is an unfriendly soul, Sara, but she is a staunch friend to Violet and she in turn adores the woman,’ explained the master, as he saw me watch Mrs Mallory’s departure with some interest.

  ‘To tell me about your wife. Is that the reason you brought me here this morning, Mr Tremaine?’ I asked him while smoothing the skirts of my dove grey morning dress.

  ‘Indeed not, Sara. I wish to talk to you about turning the small dining room into a library, for we sadly do not have one at Ravensmount. Me being the only person interested in reading and the arts, what do you think?’ he asked of me.

  ‘I think it a splendid idea, but without being rude, why ask me, a mere guest?’

  The words were true, but I anticipated his reply. ‘Because Sara, I know in my heart you will be residing here as Michael’s wife and after our discussion on the dance floor about Johann Strauss I knew instinctively that you enjoyed learning and would no doubt love books,’ he explained.

  ‘Indeed this is true, but how can you be so sure about Michael and I?’ I pressed him.

  ‘Young woman, I see the love in your eyes at the mention of his name and my son wears his heart on his sleeve and no doubt adores you.’

  At his words I thought to tell him of Michael’s proposal of marriage, but decided not to yet.

  ‘Can two people fall in love in such a short space of time? For in some ways all this feels unreal and yet I feel I’ve lived at Ravensmount for always,’ I said passionately.

  ‘You belong here, child and time is immaterial. What matter if it be a year, a month or a day to fall in love.’

  The door burst open and Michael stood there, dark and gentle, and I realised that Abraham was right, he is a wise man. A tray of coffee was brought soon after and placed on the desk. I felt a warm glow all around me as I sat there with my beloved and his father.

  Abraham told Michael he wished him to take me to meet Millie Sutton that afternoon and Michael agreed. We arranged to meet at the front of the house at two o’clock. The thought of visiting Moll’s Bay brought to mind many things. The first, Sara, then my outing with Tobias, and not least Tamsin. Where did she fit into this mosaic?

  In the meantime I needed to seek out Rosalind and ask to borrow the key of Amelia’s room for I felt it unfair to involve Emily again and to sneak around, far better to be in the open about it.

  Walking back along the corridor, Abraham’s story of Sara went round and round in my brain. How I admired him for his loyalty to his wife. It was curious that he never mentioned more of Violet’s true father, but maybe he didn’t wish to know.

  I found Rosalind in the small dining room laying the table for lunch. Did she know of her father’s plans to turn this room into a library? I guessed not and certainly wouldn’t be the one to tell her.

  ‘Shall I lay a place for you, Sara? You are most welcome to join us,’ Rosalind invited, her manner friendly once more.

  ‘That is most kind of you, I would be pleased to join you, thank you,’ I agreed then continued, ‘Rosalind, I must apologise for what must have seemed most rude and ungrateful behaviour on Saturday evening. I had no right to berate Tobias on the dance floor and leave the hall in such a manner.’

  ‘You are forgiven, Sara,’ she told me gently while she laid cutlery by the six placemats. ‘Tobias can be a trial at times. It is my belief he is desperate to marry and he is in a fit of pique over your friend, Amelia.’

  ‘Is this so?’ I asked, having never thought that Tobias might actually be still upset over my friend.

  ‘He talks to me often, we are q
uite close, our ages only being two years apart. I don’t believe that Tobias is yet capable of passionate love, but I do believe he has strong feelings for Amelia and truly wished to marry her,’ Rosalind told me and I recalled Abraham’s words, ‘Maybe Tobias and your friend deserve one another.’ Could this be the case, and would Tobias be happier if Amelia was to be located? Which brought me to the reason I had sought Rosalind out.

  ‘Rosalind, I hope you won’t mind me asking you this, but could I please borrow the key to Amelia’s room? For I wish to have a look around to see if I can obtain any clue to her whereabouts,’ I explained, wondering all the while what her answer would be.

  ‘But of course Sara, you have every right to see your friend’s room. I have finished here so come with me and we will fetch the key from the kitchen quarters.’ She agreed, far more amicably than I anticipated, for which I was thankful.

  I followed Rosalind across the hall and into a part of the house I had not seen before. We entered the kitchen, a huge room with white walls and an immense black range on which steaming saucepans and a huge black kettle sat. The cook and her two helpers were obviously preparing lunch.

  This must be Simkins’ wife, I assumed, looking at the slender woman in a blue striped dress with a white apron over the top and a mob cap to match on her dark hair. I smiled at Mrs Simkins and she nodded her head in return. As Rosalind walked into a large cupboard cook took the chance to speak.

  ‘Enjoy your picnic, Miss?’ she asked in a strong Cornish brogue.

  ‘I did indeed, thank you,’ I replied, smiling back at her.

  ‘That’s all right then, Mr Michael be my favourite of the young people and I hope all works out for you both. Enough said.’ And Mrs Simkins put a finger to her pursed lips. I followed her gaze and saw Rosalind leaving the walk-in larder, closing the door behind her.

  ‘Everything all right, Miss Rosalind?’ Cook asked, sprinkling sugar on the top of a pie which sat on a huge table amid flour and blotches of fruit.

  ‘No, Mrs Simkins. I can’t find the key to the gold bedroom. Have you seen anyone here this morning?’ Miss Tremaine asked the cook.