by Janet Woods
John Kern
Tears filled her eyes and she said fiercely, ‘If Mr John doesn’t come back I shall find some way of going back to Australia, and I’ll look after him and it’ll be like it always was.’
‘No, Sarette. It can never be the same for either of you. John has much on his conscience, and he is a man who walks his path alone. You owe him a debt that he’ll expect you to honour.’
Sarette was overtaken by a sudden chill. ‘D’you think I’ll ever see him again?’
‘It’s possible, but not probable. Sometimes it’s easier to put things in writing instead of say them out loud, and John was never glib. The letter was meant for you and he has said goodbye in the only way he knew.’
‘Reading the letter has made me feel sad, and he has not said goodbye, else he would have said it face to face.’
‘He has said much to commend you. It’s obvious that he loved you.’
‘Like a daughter.’
‘Which was all you ever could be to him. John was never shallow, and you were privileged to occupy a special place in his heart, my dear.
Sarette was overtaken by a yawn.
‘It’s polite to cover your mouth with your hand when you yawn.’
She giggled through her tears. ‘Am I to be corrected at every turn? Sometimes yawns take you by surprise and fly away before you can prevent them. You don’t have time to be polite.’
‘And was it one of those yawns?’
‘Yes. I do beg your pardon. Mr John used to tell me that the crows would fly into my mouth and pluck out my teeth if I didn’t cover them.’
Mrs Lawrence gave a soft laugh and placed the hairbrush on the dressing table. ‘Into bed now, else you’ll be tired tomorrow, when we will have much shopping to do.’ She picked up the candle. ‘Goodnight, Sarette.’
‘Goodnight, Mrs Lawrence. Thank you for having me. I’ll try and improve myself. I promise.’
‘I’m sure you will, my dear.’
‘And Mr John will come. You’ll see.’
‘Goodnight, dear.’ The door closed behind her.
Sarette’s pillow and sheets smelled of soap and sunshine. The moon rose higher. It gazed at her through the window and the lace curtain gently drifted in a current of air. Odd to think that while she had the moon at her feet John would have the sun at his head.
‘Here I am, Mr John, lying in a bed so fine that I feel like a cuckoo in a linnet’s nest,’ she whispered, and smiled when she thought she heard him chuckle.
Ignatious Grimble was perturbed.
The next morning he summoned Gerald to his study, handed over the wad of papers Sarette Maitland had given him, then went to look out of the window, leaving his son to read them undisturbed while he sipped his coffee.
He rejoined his son ten minutes later. ‘It’s not John Kern’s way to do something like this but it’s definitely John’s handwriting,’ Ignatious told him, knowing he had Gerald’s complete confidence.
‘His instructions couldn’t be clearer.’
‘We should check that the witnesses to his signature are who they say they are.’
‘You mean one of us should travel to Australia? We’re looking at six months.’
‘I was thinking that we should send Edgar. He yearns for adventure and it will take his mind off that innkeeper’s widow he’s enamoured with. He could check on John’s whereabouts at the same time.’
Gerald smiled. ‘Ah, so that’s it. You want to get Edgar out of the widow’s arms. What if the whole thing is an elaborate hoax by Miss Maitland to claim the rest of John’s estate?’
‘Miss Maitland is too ingenuous to take on a hornet’s nest of legal gentlemen in the hope of bringing such a fraud to fruition. She struck me as being entirely naive.’
‘She could have a partner who is directing her. What do we know about her background?’
‘Iris Lawrence will discover anything there is to know about her. I’m tempted to place the matter before Magnus Kern. After all, it’s he who will be affected by the will when John dies.’
‘Since he’s already been given the bulk of John’s fortune, and doesn’t know about his uncle’s annuities it will affect him not at all. He will expect to have the Bournemouth house though.’
‘The house is a good investment, but by the end of two years both house and annuities will belong to the girl, whether John dies or not. John trusts me to keep this quiet until the first year is up. Only then must I take the girl to Magnus and make him aware of John’s plans for her.’
‘And the part Magnus must play in it.’
‘Yes . . . there’s that.’
Gerald smiled. ‘I must admit I’ll enjoy seeing the look on his face when he finds out.’
‘Try not to allow your rivalry with Magnus Kern to work against you, Gerald. You were an intellectual match at Cambridge, but you always liked each other. Better have him as a friend than an enemy.’
‘Lor, father. Magnus is my best friend and nothing will change that. Notwithstanding the generosity of his uncle, Magnus has done well in his life, and I do continue to wish him well. Our rivalry is a contest rather than real envy, and often serves a purpose. And we know exactly when to stop. We have the same tastes in women, the same outlook in life, and the same background to a certain extent. Except my grandfather was a dishonest revenue man who turned the other cheek for gain, while you—’
‘Dishonestly turned the whole enterprise into a legitimate business interest. None will ever be able to prove that the Kern and Grimble families were less than honest purveyors of goods and legal services.’
‘You have taught your sons well, father. I have a great deal of respect for you.’
‘Ah, Gerald. You haven’t got a crooked bone in your body. You’ll never be as wealthy as Magnus, or as your elder brothers are, come to that.’
‘I have sufficient for my needs. The poor need representation, and I do my best to provide it, as does Magnus. We are of one mind on that. It also gives the firm a good name. But we’ve discussed this before. Did you want my advice on the situation John Kern has presented you with?’
‘I would welcome it. Of all my sons, you might not be the most sensible at times, but you’re clever and quick-minded, and I value your advice the most.’
‘Thank you father, but I don’t know why you’re bothering me with this. You know you have no choice but to carry out your client’s wishes to the letter, unless the situation changes.’
‘Changes . . . now?’
‘If John Kern happens to die then Magnus will expect the estate to be settled on him, at which time he’ll have to be told. Whenever he’s told of the presence of this girl, he’s not going to be at all happy about us keeping the information from him.’
‘And he’ll be none too pleased with the girl, either. I suspect she is not as biddable as she seems. Your advice on the situation then?’
‘Send Edgar off adventuring, by all means. It will kill two birds with one stone where he’s concerned, since it will get both widow and wanderlust out of his blood. Also, he’s a bit of a terrier if he doesn’t allow himself to be distracted. Once his teeth have locked into a problem nothing will shake it loose. As for the other business, you didn’t need advice on that.’ Gerald’s eyes flicked up to his. ‘The girl . . . d’you think John—’
‘No, I do not, otherwise he would have kept her there with him. Anyone can see she’s an innocent. She hero-worships him, nothing more. Only a lesser man would take advantage of that.’
Gerald laughed. ‘You needn’t be so defensive of him, Pa.’
‘Don’t call me Pa, you know I detest it.’
‘Iris Lawrence was engaged to John Kern once, wasn’t she?’
‘She was. It was an arranged match when Iris was barely out of school, but she refused to marry him and she fell in love with an actor and joined his company. After a while he tired of her and she was disowned by her family. She turned to John for help.’
‘And?’
‘Nothi
ng like that. He’d met Annie by then, and that was that. John offered Iris a country cottage he owned to live in, and Annie introduced her to the man who became her husband.’
‘Did he know of her past?’
‘Yes. But he loved her, and he reconciled her with her father.’
‘So John Kern has a habit of saving damsels in distress.’
‘He had a soft spot for children, and Sarette was a child when he came across her. It will be interesting to see how she turns out. She’s an attractive little baggage, and that won’t be lost on Magnus when he claps eyes on her.’
Gerald grinned to himself. It hadn’t been lost on him, either. He might find an excuse to visit the delicious Miss Maitland from time to time himself, just to see how she was progressing.
‘I don’t like that smile, Gerald. If it’s what I think you’re thinking, restrain yourself. The girl has been placed in my hands for safe keeping and John will expect her to be in one piece when he comes home. She’s too young for you.’
‘If he comes home. Intuition tells me that he’s setting his house in order for a reason.’
His father gazed at him in some alarm. ‘Let’s hope you’re wrong, Gerald.’
Seven
March 1898
‘The corselette will give you a fashionable waist.’
‘I don’t want a fashionable waist, I just want to be comfortable.’ Sarette groaned as the maid tightened it a little more, saying, ‘Enough, I can’t breathe as it is.’
Amy chuckled. ‘Arms up.’
The white silk gown was slid over the froth of petticoats she wore, the bodice glistening with scattered beads that also decorated the wide, puff sleeves.
‘Your hair looks nice in that bun with the curly fringe. You look grown-up.’
‘Goodness, I am grown-up, Amy. I’m eighteen today, and I can’t believe I’ve been here for six months already.’
‘Mr Grimble won’t recognize you when he arrives.’
‘I hardly recognize myself.’
Winding a pale green sash around her waist Amy secured it at the hip with silk flowers that matched those in her hair. ‘He’s handsome, isn’t he?’
‘Who . . . Ignatious Grimble?’
‘You know very well that I meant Mr Gerald Grimble.’
‘Oh, Gerald. He’s a horrible tease and probably won’t come with his father.’ She gazed at herself in the long mirror. It was true that she hardly recognized herself, the child had gradually been replaced by a woman. She wondered what Mr John would make of her now, wondered if he ever thought of her. She picked up the photograph, now preserved behind glass in a silver-plated frame. What had he seen in that skinny child with the big eyes that he’d stumbled across by accident – a child in more pain than the despair he’d carried in his own heart?
She’d not heard one word from him since she’d left Australia, and was looking forward to Mr Grimble’s visit to see if he’d received any news.
As for Gerald Grimble . . . yes, he was handsome, and he flirted with her, but he never overstepped the line or gave her any reason to think that his visits were any more than friendship with Iris Lawrence. He wasn’t the only gentleman Mrs Lawrence entertained, thus enabling the woman to train her few students in the art of engaging in dinner conversation with trustworthy gentlemen.
And what students. There was a shop assistant who wanted to get on in life and had made an advantageous marriage her goal in life. Then there was Celia, a girl so shy that she hung her head and stammered if anyone addressed her directly. Most interesting of all was the spinster who’d inherited a modest house and some money from a relative she’d looked after. Edith Carter had a straightforward manner and was a member of the Women’s Liberal Association.
‘Tell me about the Australian goldfields, Miss Maitland,’ she said. ‘I’ve heard that the place abounds with poisonous snakes and spiders.’
Immediately Sarette remembered her father – recalled the fear in his eyes as the venom did its work and leached the life from him. She felt the colour drain from her face. ‘I’m afraid I’d rather not talk of such creatures at the dinner table.’
‘Nonsense,’ she said in her hearty forthright manner. ‘We’d all be interested, I’m sure.’
Sarette had exchanged a glance with Iris Lawrence, to whom she’d confided the nature of her father’s passing. Iris smiled sympathetically at her and deflected Edith with, ‘Perhaps you’d prefer to see some gold dust, Miss Carter.’
‘I’d love to see it again,’ Gerald said. ‘It’s fascinating stuff. It took Miss Maitland two years to sift it, fleck by fleck, from the sand. She had it in a match box. but I’ve given her a bottle to keep it in, so she won’t lose it fleck by fleck in the same manner.’
She’d thanked Gerald later for rescuing her with, ‘I have reason to hate snakes.’
‘I know you do. You were as white as a sheet and I thought you were going to faint.’
‘I don’t know why you come to these dinners.’
‘To oblige Mrs Lawrence, and because she provides an excellent dinner. Also because I have the pleasure of your company for the whole evening. If you put those in reverse order you will have your answer.’
‘I like your company too, Gerald. Next to Mr John, I regard you as my best friend.’
He’d raised an eyebrow at that. ‘Only second best? You certainly know how to crush the vanity of a man.’
She’d felt confused by him. ‘I’m so sorry . . . didn’t mean. Noting his grin she’d punched him gently on the arm. ‘You’re teasing me, Gerald.’
‘Am I indeed? Now there’s a second slight. As punishment I shall go and talk to Miss Celia Ingleby and make her stammer, while you can be bored by Mr Taggard. I think he’s sweet on Mrs Lawrence, don’t you?’
The thought of which had made her giggle. All the same Mr Taggard visited often, and was a pleasant and gentle man. Sarette observed him with Iris over the following few weeks when he visited, and she thought that Gerald might be right.
She smiled and placed the photograph back on the dressing table.
‘All right now, Miss Maitland?’ Amy said.
‘Thank you, Amy, you’ve made me look lovely. You’d better go and see to Mrs Lawrence.’
Gerald and his father had already arrived and were in the hall when she went down the stairs.
‘Why, if it isn’t Miss Maitland, all grown-up at last,’ Gerald drawled. ‘Happy birthday, Sarette.’
‘Thank you, Gerald. Don’t forget that you promised to teach me to waltz when I was grown-up.’
‘So I did.’ He came to the bottom of the stairs, placed his hands around her waist and lifted her down the last two. ‘Come on then. I’ll waltz you along the seafront and back again, and everyone will stare at us.’
‘Oh, you.’
He kissed her on the forehead and handed her a jewellery case. ‘For your birthday.’
‘What is it?’
‘Open it.’
Inside was a string of glowing pearls. He fastened them around her neck, said, ‘My father has some earrings to match for you.’
‘Oh, Mr Grimble, in my excitement I forgot to greet you. I’m so sorry, and I am pleased to see you. She reached up and kissed his wrinkled cheek.’
His eyes crinkled. ‘That was the best apology I’ve ever received, so it was worth waiting for.’
‘Gerald told me you were suffering from a cold the last time we met. Are you fully recovered?’
‘Yes, Miss Maitland. I am.’ He handed her a little jeweller’s box and cleared his throat. ‘I do hope you like them.’
‘They’re beautiful.’ Removing them one by one from their purple velvet bed, she moved to the hall mirror and pinned the pearl drops to her ears. ‘What riches! I feel so grand, that I could be mistaken for the Queen of England.’
Gerald and his father exchanged a grin when Gerald said, ‘Thankfully, you could never be mistaken for Queen Victoria.’
She linked her arms through those of the men. ‘
Come into the drawing room and tell me all the news. Have you heard anything from Mr John? I expected him to write, yet I’ve heard nothing.’
Ignatious gazed into her lustrous green eyes and noted the worry in them. As his mind composed something designed to soothe, he also tried to assuage his own worry. Apart from a telegraph to say he’d arrived safely, they hadn’t heard a thing from Edgar.
Australia
Edgar Grimble was a dapper young man of medium height with an air of bustling energy about him and an inclination towards spur-of-the-moment decisions. He was the possessor of a modest fortune in the form of a legacy from his maternal grandmother, whom he’d adored, and he idolized his half-brother, Gerald, who credited him with more sense than Edgar knew he actually possessed.
Discounting the tale the girl had told his father, for he’d rather go back to the beginning and find out for himself, he’d travelled to Coolgardie. He’d found it to be a bustling town with wide streets, prosperous buildings, and plenty of dust.
There he’d found news of John Kern.
The shopkeeper remembered him well. ‘A pleasant, honest gentleman was Mr Kern.’
‘And the girl, Sarette Maitland?’
‘A dear child. Abandoned by her father’s partner. She worked off his debt to the shop. Mr Kern took her in and looked after her. Then they upped and left one day. He sold his claim and everything, and the new owners are doing quite nicely out of it, I hear. They took the train, they did. Sarry said they were going to Fremantle to get on a ship to the old country. As I recalled she was excited about it, but she didn’t want to leave the horse behind. She kicked up a fuss, but Mr Kern took no notice of her tantrum. He boarded the train and told her that he was going, and if she didn’t want to come she could stay behind. That brought her to heel, I can tell you. I haven’t set eyes on the pair of them since. We would have knowed if he’d come back.’
So the girl’s account of things had proved to be genuine. ‘Thank you. You’ve been very helpful. You’ll be pleased to know that Sarette Maitland is well and reached England safely. It’s Mr Kern I’m looking for. If he comes back, would you ask him to contact Grimble and Sons.’
