The Girl at Danes' Dyke - Margaret Rome

by Margaret Rome

  White-faced, she searched for Thor and found encouragement in his smile. He moved to her side and she felt immeasurably protected when his arm slid around her waist. 'I suppose we shall have to tell them,' be bluffed, tightening his grip on her slender, wilting frame. 'Raine's parents are on holiday in Canada,' he lied without a blush. 'As she didn't want to join them she decided during their absence to do a bit of touring on her own. Luckily for me, Yorkshire took her fancy; she was lost on the moors and I found her. A few weeks later I proposed, but as her parents aren't due back home for three months we prefer to keep our marriage a secret until they've been told.'

  Everyone was rendered speechless by this admission, but finally Janice surfaced. 'How very unusual, she breathed, eyeing Raine as if she were a specimen of some unclassified being, 'so you actually know very little about her, she could be anyone—a criminal even—yet you expect me to leave her in charge of my son!'

  �'Oh, come now… !" Even Britt was embarrassed by his wife's lack of delicacy.

  'I assure you Raine is no criminal,' Thor leapt to her defence, 'on the contrary, she's too basically gentle, she should never have been allowed to roam a strange county alone.'

  'I don't agree 1' Janice retorted with more than a touch of malice. 'It seems to me she's already proved herself capable of the impossible by reversing the opinions of a woman-hating recluse!'

  After Janice, closely followed by Britt, had swept out of the room Raine began wondering if her last parting shot was responsible for the awkwardness Thor was displaying. For a huge man his movements were surprisingly agile, yet twice he bumped into furniture in a hasty bid to move out of her path and he flushed a dull red whenever her gently enquiring look turned his way. It was a relief when he decided to relieve her of his company.

  'I have some work to do in my study,' he muttered, 'don't bother about dinner for me, I'll beg a sandwich from Simeon later.'

  Left to herself, Raine stared thoughtfully out of the window. According to Britt, she was Irish. His remark about her accent had struck a familiar chord and she was glad of the chance to concentrate in solitude, to try to solidify transient memories knocking on the door of her mind. Was he right, and if she were Irish would that help to explain her shocked state on the night Thor had found her? Only the other day she had picked up one of the few newspapers that found their way into the house and had read with horror details of the bomb outrages and murders being committed in the land torn apart by the Troubles. Had she been involved, had she perhaps flown from the sight of some massacre, boarded a ship—any ship—then after finding herself on the, west coast of England had she continued fleeing eastward so as to put as much distance as possible between herself and the cause of her distress? Her head was aching by the time she decided there was nothing to be gained from further agonizing. Wearily, she slid from the window seat to go in search of Vulcan, whose suppertime was imminent, having finally accepted the futility of trying to force a way through the barriers erected around her mind.

  She found him in the kitchen talking to Simeon and was amazed when, instead of the usual surly reception the old man greeted her with a conspiratorial grin. 'Evening, miss,' he confounded her further. 'The boy's had his supper, he's just finishing off his milk.'

  'So I see,' she returned shyly, 'but you already have far too much to do, Simeon, you simply must allow me to help.'

  For a while he fought with his conscience. Obviously Thor had put him in the picture and he approved of the ruse being perpetrated for the sake of the boy, but to accept a woman in his kitchen was asking a lot and truculence was present in -his 'tone when he finally answered. 'Master Britt's wife has instructed that in future dinner is to be served in the dining-room each evening. No doubt she'll be expecting lace mats, best china and-polished silver!' He gave her a short, bitter laugh. 'I fear she's going to be disappointed!'

  'Let me arrange the table,’ she offered eagerly, 'then you'll be free to concentrate on preparing the meal. I'd like to, Simeon, really I would, not just to help out but to show her—' She stopped abruptly; however keenly she felt Janice's contempt it was not fair to try to enlist the sympathy of the servants,

  Simeon, however, was way ahead of her. His head shot up as with a gleam of triumph he urged, 'Do that, Miss Raine, surprise her by laying a table fit for a queen and I promise she'll have no cause to complain about the meal. Moors folk we may be, but ignorant we are not, and between us we'll prove it!' '

  On a wave of enthusiasm they began their preparations. Once having seen a very reluctant Vulcan off to bed, Raine began searching through linen chests; to unearth carefully preserved napery smelling delightfully of lavender; gathered together tor washing selected items from a huge, dusty dinner service, then settled in a corner of the kitchen to the task of removing years of tarnish from cutlery of finely engraved silver. At first they worked in silence, Simeon's gnarled fingers plying a kitchen knife, with surprising speed through a succession of vegetables before turning his skill and attention to the preparing of various; courses.

  Greatly daring, she ventured, 'Have you decided what the menu is to be?' Then when his brow beetled, .suspecting interference she rushed on, 'I need to know, how many places to set… for, how many courses…' she faded miserably.

  His rugged, smile revived; her spirits. 'I thought of lobster cocktail as a starter,' he informed her kindly, 'then' minestrone soup. Sautéed kidneys should go down well as an entree and, as Master Thor is very partial to a nice piece of-steak, I'm doing T-bone with veg for the main course, then to follow, pineapple sloshed over with some of that Kirsch liqueur that's been standing in the drinks cabinet for ages, with a selection of cheeses for them as wants 'em,' he finished with a flourish, gratified by her wide-eyed admiration.

  'Perfect!' she congratulated him, wondering if she dared offer to help with the preparing of the more difficult dishes. She decided against it, however, being too cowardly to risk arousing the wrath of the old man whose new, favourable attitude had come about merely as a result of having had to give allegiance to one of two mistresses—his choice being governed by the maxim: better the devil you know than the devil you don't 1'

  For a while longer they continued working in silence, then once again she decided to chance her luck. "Diet… has Captain Halden explained the situation that's arisen?' she asked, fire burning her cheeks.

  'About you two being secretly wed? Yes,' he concluded abruptly.

  She waited for a follow-up, but none came. 'You must have been surprised,' she soldiered on, 'but Captain Halden insists there's no other way.'

  'A man of sound judgement, the Skipper,' Simeon pronounced flatly. 'If he says there's no other way then there is no other way.'

  'You're very fond of him, aren't you?' she challenged softly. 'But then you must be equally fond of his brother, too, having known them both from childhood?'

  'Fond of Britt!' he snorted with startling vehemence. 'The Skipper won't have it said, but that brother of his is no more than a playboy, any man who's ever served under him will vouch for that. Brilliant he may be in some respects, but any sailor given a choice would prefer to sail the Arctic under the Skipper's command than cruise in a warmer hemisphere with his brother! Only women are fooled by false smiles and pretty manners men go for a man they can trust!'

  After his stormy outburst, Raine "decided: it would be politic to clear out of the kitchen, so hastily she began transferring everything she needed into the dining-room to set about a display which she hoped would do justice to the promised excellence of the meal. Before leaving the kitchen for the last time she hesitated. 'What about wine? They're sure to expect…'

  'Master Thor will attend to that.'

  'Oh, but he said not to bother him with dinner!:' she suddenly remembered, her sense of excitement quickly deflating.

  'He'll change his mind once he knows the score,' Simeon stated with a confidence Raine; however much she tried, could not bring herself to share:

  It was seven-thirty by the t
ime she was satisfied that the dinner table was looking as attractive as she could make it. She stood back to admire her handiwork, pleased; with the sheen of silver reflecting from a polished surface scattered with .delicately crocheted mats, slender crystal goblets and fine plate splashed with a pattern of vivid fullblown poppies. The centrepiece, a shallow silver bowl she had found pushed to the back of a cupboard, was filled with poppies picked half an hour earlier, and its glorious spill of colour was evocative of a kiss—petal-smooth lips quivering and pouting.

  She sighed, reminded for some reason o£ Thor's previous unease. It was as if Janice's spiteful remark had given rise to the suspicion that she might read more than was intended into his enforced friendliness, and he had therefore decided to retreat once more into the shell he had so fleetingly abandoned. Which was a pity, she reflected with a blush, because the short interval of truce had been so enjoyable that not even the seriousness of the events leading up to it had dimmed the pleasure she had felt in his approval!

  It was not until she went up to her room that a dreadful thought struck her. She had nothing to wear I Each evening, after seeing Vulcan to bed, she had formed the habit of slipping into a cumbersome, masculine dressing-gown she had found abandoned in the huge wardrobe so as to wash through the only items of underwear she possessed. The flimsy, drip-dry garments were then hung up to dry, ready for wearing the following morning, and though at first she had shuddered from such repetitious use, pride had forced her to accept the situation rather than approach Thor with a request for money. Obviously, she could not dine in the company of Janice and Britt clothed in shrunken jeans and a misshapen sweater, so the only alternative was to send an excuse for absence and remain in her room until such time as she judged it safe to slip down to the kitchen and forage.

  The sound of knuckles rapping oil the connecting door made her jump. Nervously she called out permission to enter and, marooned on a sea of carpet, she tensed, awaiting Thor's unprecedented appearance in her bedroom. He strode in, hiding his embarrassment behind cool abruptness.

  'Aren't you ready yet I' His eyebrows met above a straight blade of nose, 'According to Simeon the success or failure of this .dinner depends entirely upon how we conduct ourselves this evening, so a late start will hardly be conducive to good humour. The appropriate wines have been decanted, and as you can see, I've been bullied into dressing up and presenting myself as an escort. Will I pass muster?'

  Disappointment almost-choked her as she cast an eye over the tall figure, unfamiliar in a dark suit, pristine shirt and a tie flaunting an emblem decidedly nautical. 'You look-very nice,' she commented feebly. Struggling to appear unconcerned, she sauntered as casually as she was able across to the window. 'Do you mind if I don't join you downstairs? I'm not very hungry and also I have rather a bad headache.'

  When he reached her in two enormous strides it was too late to wish she had chosen a dark corner in which to make her stand. Late evening sun was flooding through the window, highlighting cheeks flushed with health and eyes a vital, startling blue.

  'Liar!' The whispered indictment could not have shocked more had it been shouted. 'Now tell me the real reason—fear of Janice, or just a natural desire to avoid the pitfalls of deceit?'

  'Neither, I promise you,' she assured him hastily, soothed by his obvious regret. 'It's simply—well, just look at me't' she burst out, goaded by his masculine blindness to a woman's needs.

  For a puzzled second he stared down at her slight defiant figure. Then: 'Good lord!' he said simply, 'I am an unthinking fool!'

  His realization hurt more than his blindness. Before, her appearance had barely registered, but now he was seeing her as she really was, shabby, unkempt and decidedly unglamorous. She spun from his sight when tears spurted, furtively mopping up her humiliation on a baggy sleeve, and felt mortified by his quietly voiced assurance, 'Don't fret, I'll think of some excuse that won't arouse suspicion. Janice and Britt must not guess the reason behind your non-appearance at dinner.'

  Raine remained with her back turned until she was sure he had left the room, then in an orgy of self-pity she flung herself upon the bed to wallow in a flood of tears, muttering fierce condemnations between sobs. 'Won't guess! I bet they will! Not everyone is so blindly obtuse he can't see when clothes are falling off a person's back I It didn't matter before—there was no one with whom I could be compared, but now…! Oh, damnation!’ she burrowed her face deep into the soaking pillow, 'I wish I were dead!’

  Much later she stirred and gazed dazedly around the bedroom. Judging from the shadows filling each corner she must have been asleep for hours. She slid from the bed, reminded of her evening chore, and had just begun washing when she heard a low, urgent tapping on the connecting door. She stiffened and held her breath, willing him to go away, but when the tapping was resumed, impatiently louder, she had no choice but to open the door.

  'What do you want?' she hissed through an aperture narrow enough to conceal her small figure engulfed by the comically-large dressing-gown.

  'I've brought "you some food,' he whispered back,. sensitive of eavesdroppers. 'I waited until Janice arid Britt had gone to bed, then slipped into the kitchen to fill a tray. You must be famished,' his purposeful foot prised the aperture wider. 'Here, catch hold of this while I fetch the wine.'

  "The tray was thrust info her hands and too startled to protest, she remained still, afraid to move in case she should trip over the yards of hem flowing around her feet. He returned in seconds, carrying a slim-necked bottle and two glasses, and at the sight of her incongruously clad figure his lips twitched, though his voice was roughly grave when he apologized, 'I'm sorry, I didn't realize your predicament—let me take the tray while you find yourself a seat.'

  Putting on as dignified a front as possible, she handed back the tray, then, gathering up as much as she could handle of the surplus material, she tottered across to the bed and sat down, tucking her feet beneath her.

  'Are you hungry?' he queried, settling the tray down beside her.

  'Terribly,' she confessed. 'It was agony lying here knowing Simeon was serving dishes specially concocted to impress Janice. 'Was she impressed?' she asked eagerly, sinking small white teeth into a large piece of utterly delicious cold steak.

  'Amazed would be a more apt description,' he smiled. 'We all of us were, Simeon included. You must have dedicated hours of your time to the perfectly appointed table; I must admit I've never realized before this evening how devoid Danes' Dyke has been of a woman's touch. You have the gift of turning a house into a home,' he conceded slowly. 'I appreciate your allowing us to benefit from that gift.'

  Raine stared, arrested between bites, her hunger forgotten as she digested his words. It hardly seemed credible that his brusque, no-nonsense manner could have been hiding a yearning for the light feminine touches both he and his father had banned for ever from their lives. Yet was it so incredible? After all, she had not already experienced the touch of velvet beneath the iron glove of Thor, recovered unscathed from his vocal hammer blows, and felt grateful for the security of his constricting belt… ?

  Carefully she laid down the remaining morsel of meat and dared to search the face made so aggravatingly inscrutable by the blazing red beard. Green eyes met blue in a steady gaze that stripped her of bravery, left her breathless, unsure and full of awkward shyness. She wished now that she had concentrated upon the food he had provided, accepted without question his kindly action instead of probing for wildly improbable motives.

  'Have some wine.' At the clink o£ bottle-against glass she winced, enduring the pain of a broken spell.

  'Th-thank you,' she stuttered, and reached for the proffered glass with a hand obscured by a dangling cuff. Hastily she rolled it back, discomfited by his grin, then felt needles of fire when their fingers touched around the crystal stem. Simultaneously they snatched then: hands away and the abandoned glass spilled a stain of red wine on to the bedcover.

  'Oh, the mess I' she cried, near to tears.r />
  'What a fuss you women do make over trifles!' he clipped, moving impatiently away. 'It will soon dry, for heaven's sake!'

  'She longed to explain away her nervousness, but dared not risk upsetting further the equilibrium of a man already torn apart by, on the one hand, gratitude for her help, and on the other, resentment of her disruption of his masculine stronghold. So she concentrated on mopping up the slowly-spreading stain while he strode towards the door, and lifted a pale, unhappy face to his when he hesitated just long enough to command,

  'What I really came for was to tell you that tomorrow I'm going into York on business, so you might as well come with me. As I want to make an early start I've told Simeon to serve breakfast early. Seven o'clock sharp I' he ordered. 'Don't keep me waiting!'

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Thor had finished breakfast when she arrived downstairs the following morning, but as it was just after six-thirty he sent an approving look across the top of his newspaper when she slid into a chair and began helping herself from dishes containing kidneys and bacon. As he continued reading she peeped at the back page and finding it contained nothing more exciting than farming news, weeks but of date,-she decided his interest could "hardly be urgent and nerved herself to speak.

  'Shall I waken Vulcan now?—it will take at least half an hour to get him ready.'

  The paper rustled as it was lowered to the table. 'Vulcan isn't coming,' he surprised her by saying, 'he can be left in the care of his parents for one day.'

  'He won't like that, he's sure to misbehave.'

  'I'm counting on that!' His sudden grin almost stopped her heart. 'The devil himself is good when he's pleased—it's time Janice and Britt discovered for themselves that their offspring, when crossed, can be far from angelic.'

  Still confused by the warmth of his smile, she countered on a breath, 'So that's why we're disappearing for the day! Very clever!'

  'Devious,' he contradicted wryly, 'but there's another reason behind our proposed outing. No,' he shook his head when she began interrupting. I've no intention of divulging further, when you're ready we'll be on our way.'