‘And the family now?’
‘Oh, nice and tight in S.A. It was the step I was seeing in London when I took you down. He wanted to see me about some shares I still have in the mine.’
‘So that was what you were doing?’
‘What else?’ His eyebrow tilted.
Sue stared hard at a leather button on his jacket. ‘I thought perhaps you were with Carlotte ... ’
‘And I thought you were painting the town red with Mr. Mason! It seems we both jumped to the wrong conclusions, my darling. ’
There was silence, a long-drawn-out moment when Meric’s arms drew her closer, while Sue tried to take in what he’d just told her. There were still several things she didn’t understand. ‘Why didn’t Father tell me about it,’ she whispered at last, ‘when I first came?’
His eyes met hers soberly. ‘We should have told you, but John begged me not to. I think subconsciously he was frightened of losing you, as he did your mother, and he imagined, rightly or wrongly, that if he told you the truth you might go. He did intend doing so after a while, but like most deceptions the knot became increasingly difficult to unravel. And, on top of this, his health didn’t improve, which made it daily more difficult for me to insist on a course of positive action.’
In spite of the warmth from the fire and Meric’s arms, Sue felt suddenly cold. ‘Why didn’t he trust me?’ she said sadly. ‘I was his daughter, I should never have left him. That is—’ Her face whitened as she remembered her new job. How was she to explain this? Yet somehow it was easier than she’d thought. Everything seemed easier now with Meric. ‘I only intended staying away during the week,’ she finished, ‘or even going in daily; whatever he wanted. I just felt I ought to be earning my keep.’ No need, she decided hollowly, to mention to Meric that it had really been a means of escape from him.
But Meric glanced at her keenly, almost as if he guessed the truth. ‘Your father would have told you eventually, Sue. Perhaps on the whole life had proved too disillusionary for him to trust people too easily. In many ways he certainly seemed happier after you came, but, as things
turned out, he wasn’t given the time to prove it.’
‘As you say,’ Sue mused sadly, ‘maybe neither of us was given enough time, but I didn’t realize until after he’d gone that I was beginning to love him dearly. It is some comfort to know I helped a little. But,’ she added dully, ‘he must have trusted you implicitly.’
‘I think he did.’ Meric paused, regarding her thoughtfully. ‘Ten years, Sue, is a long time. We got on very well together, he and I. I think he regarded me as he might have done his own son if he’d had one. Certainly I grew fond of him. It’s been heartbreaking this last year to see his good health diminish so rapidly.’
He regarded her a moment longer, then in the ensuing silence slid her gently from his knees on to the settee, proceeding with deft fingers to remove her coat. As she shivered slightly he jerked it from her shoulders, examining the thinness of it sombrely. ‘You needed money, I expect, to replace this sort of thing? I told John to ensure you had enough, but he obviously never got round to it. ’
Sue shook her head, evading a direct reply, startling herself by answering his question with a totally impulsive one of her own. ‘You never wanted to get married?’
‘Yes,’ he replied softly, ‘many times.’
So it was Carlotte! Apprehensively Sue stared at him, her eyes wide, dilating, the newly restored colour fading from her cheeks. The dizziness returned, and she was scarcely aware that he was back beside her on the settee until he placed a glass between her shaking fingers, commanding her to drink it. ‘I should have given you that when you first came in,’ he frowned, ‘but I was too distracted to think straight. Drink it up, there’s a good girl, ’ he ordered with mock sternness, ‘then take a look at what I’m going to show you.’
As she sipped the brandy nervously, Sue’s colour returned, but her eyes still stayed on him fearfully.
From his pocket he took his wallet, and from it a small miniature, gazing at it for a moment like a star-struck teenager. Then he put it in front of her on a small table. It was a small oval miniature of a girl, a young girl in a flowered dress. Her fair hair was looped back into ringlets, and tiny feathery tendrils of hair escaped at her temples.
Bewildered, Sue stared. The girl in the miniature was an exact replica of herself, only it couldn’t be! The high neck of the dress and the hair-style spoke of another age. Yet the likeness was amazing. ‘Who is she?’ she gasped. ‘Where did you get it from?’
‘I found it,’ he exclaimed, with great satisfaction, ‘by accident - in one of the bottom drawers of this desk. I did ask John if I could keep it, and he agreed. I knew then that she was the only girl I could marry, which was crazy, as I could never hope to meet her. Or so I thought - until one evening in Edinburgh ... ’
His meaning couldn’t have been clearer. Sue’s heart missed a great beat as her gaze left the other girl in the miniature to cling to Meric’s face. ‘You thought it was me?’
His hand clamped possessively over hers. ‘I knew it was you,’ he stated positively. ‘Or, if you like, your grandmother reincarnated. That evening you obviously thought my behaviour peculiar.’ He gave a slight smile. ‘I suppose it was, but when a man sees a dream coming true he doesn’t usually stop to think. Even when you took fright - very properly, I
might say, and ran away — I knew beyond doubt you would turn up at Glenroden.’
‘And you waited on the crag,’ she whispered. ‘And yet you were annoyed about something?’
‘I waited on the crag,’ he repeated, his arms going around her. ‘And to begin with I was suddenly alarmed that you might upset John — thus the bad temper. I was annoyed more with myself than you, for not thinking of it sooner. Then you weren’t a bit like the meek Victorian Miss of my dreams. You’ve been quite a little handful! Sometimes I wanted to shake you, especially when your Mr. Mason appeared, but,’ he added wryly, ‘in spite of all the misunderstandings I could never resist an opportunity to have you in my arms.’
‘Darling,’ Sue snuggled against him, warmly content. ‘You don’t need to worry about Tim. I never loved him, nor did I ever let him think I did. I think he was confused by many things, but I don’t suppose he’ll ever come back to Glenroden.’ She finished helplessly, ‘I’ve loved you for so long.’
‘Not as long as I’ve loved you, Sue,’ He kissed her deeply, tenderly. Then, on a lighter note, ‘I’ll admit when I first heard about Tim Mason, I thought you couldn’t make up your mind.’
‘I thought exactly the same about Carlotte Craig,’ she retorted, but not quite so lightly.
He ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it back from her smooth forehead. ‘What we have, Sue, is something stronger than lesser passions.’ His deep voice vibrated. ‘Do your teaching stint, darling, if you must, but marry me before Christmas. I refuse to wait any longer.’
‘We’ll spend Christmas at Glenroden?’ she pleaded, hiding her hot face against his rough jacket. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly, she could scarcely take it in, but the knowledge that Meric Findlay loved her sent the blood singing wildly through her veins.
‘Yes,’ he agreed slowly, his dark eyes faintly smiling. ‘We’ll spend Christmas here at Glenroden, then I’ll take you to South Africa for a proper honeymoon, and to meet the family. You’d like that?’
Sue nodded. Just so long as Meric was there she didn’t mind where they went. They would come back to this old grey house amongst the mountains. From now on Glenroden would always be home - Father would like that ... In her heart she knew a warm prayer of thankfulness as Meric, as if understanding her thoughts, held her close.
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