Caroline

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‘No, just some aspirin,’ replied Amanda rather hoarsely. ‘I expect I’ll be all right if I have the day in bed and dose myself like mad.’

‘Well, don’t overdo it,’ said Caroline severely. ‘I’ll try and get home at lunchtime to get you something to eat.’ She brought in the tea. ‘Where are the aspirins?’

She left the flat a few minutes later after making sure that Amanda had everything she needed. She had not had time to have any breakfast herself and had had to make do with a cup of tea, gulped scalding hot.

Outside it was bitterly cold. The fog cast a gloom over everything and the thought of the winter months ahead was not a pleasant one. She joined the queue at the bus stop, but all the buses were so full that they did not stop and she realised she could probably have walked there in the time she had been standing, freezing.

At last a bus did stop and she was squashed inside. The bus crawled along. The traffic was congested and the fog was so thick that the driver could hardly see at all.

She reached the entrance to the Steinbeck Building at nine-forty-five and thought with a sinking feeling that she might really get the sack this time. After all, this was the third time she had been late and she had not been there a month yet. It was no joke, and she walked into the reception hall feeling very small and rather scared. Today there was no sign of the handsome stranger whom she had half-hoped to see and Miss Morgan was just as angry as Caroline expected. Caroline had hardly got through the door before she pounced and stood staring at her grimly.

‘Do you realise, Miss Sinclair,’ she stormed, ‘that this is the third time in as many weeks you have been late?’

‘Yes, Miss Morgan,’ Caroline managed to say, shakily. ‘But I’m afraid the girl I share a flat with has developed influenza, and I couldn’t come away and leave her without making her some tea and filling her hot water bottle.’

Miss Morgan was not impressed.

‘Save your excuses for the personnel manager,’ she replied icily. ‘I intend to report you this time. I won’t have such lackadaisical behaviour in my department. It’s getting quite out of hand.’

‘But, Miss Morgan…’ Caroline began.

‘Say no more,’ commanded her superior. ‘You’ve wasted quite enough time already. Kindly go and get on with your work.’

Caroline went to her desk feeling near to tears. She saw Ruth looking at her sympathetically but hadn’t the heart to acknowledge her. The fog also did not seem to be thinning at all and she dreaded the rush she was going to have at lunch time, rushing back to the flat to attend to Amanda and then getting back here again, all in an hour.

She was summoned to Mr Donnelly’s office at eleven o’clock. Mr Donnelly was the personnel manager and when Caroline met him at her interview she had thought him very kind and pleasant. Today, however, he was far from pleasant. After hearing a tirade from Vera Morgan he felt justly annoyed and the suggestion that his judgment had been lacking when he hired Miss Sinclair irritated him immensely. He was thus in no mood to be his usual amiable self.

‘You realise, Miss Sinclair,’ he snapped angrily, ‘that I could fire you for this! You’ve let everybody down, especially me. It was in my power to employ you or not to do so. Having done so you go ahead and ridicule my recommendation!’

‘Oh, no, sir,’ exclaimed Caroline. ‘I truly am a punctual employee in the normal way. It’s simply that my flatmate has developed ‘flu and I had to attend to her before leaving home. And then the fog…’

Donnelly strode up and down restlessly. He wanted to believe this girl with the honest eyes. He was almost convinced she was telling the truth.

‘You’ve placed me in a very awkward position,’ he said at length. He sighed heavily. He could see how distraught she looked and how she genuinely seemed to want the job.

‘Very well, then,’ he decided slowly. ‘I’ll give you one more chance. Any deviation from regular times after this will mean instant dismissal. Do you understand?’

‘Yes, sir,’ Caroline’s heart was heavy. How on earth was she to manage at lunch time? She was tempted to ask him whether the might be permitted an extra quarter of an hour for lunch, but decided against it. He had been very fair and that would probably have been too much, even for him. As for asking Vera Morgan, that was unthinkable!

Back at her desk she did her work automatically, mentally calculating the time required to do what she wanted to do. An hour would just not be long enough. It would take her nearly half that time to get home, if she was lucky enough to get a bus, and as for getting back…

Ruth was frankly amazed when Caroline explained that she intended going home. She was quite sure that Caroline would never make it and Caroline wondered whether she ought to develop ‘flu too, and not bother going back at all. At least they couldn’t fire her for that!

Ruth went off to the staff canteen at lunch time where both she and Caroline always ate in the normal way, while Caroline almost flew down the stairs, not waiting for the lift. She rushed across the hall and out of the glass doors. The fog did not seem so thick, but it was bad enough. In her haste to reach the bus stop, Caroline ran full tilt into a man coming from the opposite direction.

‘Gosh, I’m awfully sorry,’ she began, and then as he steadied her she stopped. ‘Why, it’s you!’ It was the man from the lift.

He released her and smiled.

‘Miss Sinclair,’ he said easily. ‘I am right, aren’t I?’

‘Why, yes, but how do you know my name?’

He shrugged and ignored the question. ‘You’re in an enormous hurry.’

Caroline realised she was wasting time and grimaced. ‘Yes, it’s too long a story to tell you now, but I nearly got fired this morning and now I’m taking my life into my hands again. I’m sure to be late.’ She sighed heavily.

Adam Steinbeck hesitated and then he said: ‘Perhaps I could give you a lift.’

‘A lift?’ Caroline was incredulous. ‘In a car?’

‘Well, I didn’t intend carrying you on my back,’ he remarked rather dryly, and she chuckled.

‘But you’re not going in my direction,’ she exclaimed.

‘No, but I’m quite prepared to do so. My car is just parked along here. If you’d like a lift, that is.’

‘Gosh, would I?’ she cried in relief. ‘Please.’

‘Good.’ He put a hand beneath her elbow and guided her swiftly along the busy street. She was intensely conscious of the nearness of him and of how attractive he looked in a dark blue suit and dark overcoat. The collar of his overcoat was turned up and she found him quite fascinating.

The car turned out to be a Rolls, while a uniformed chauffeur was seated behind the steering wheel. He sprang out at Adam’s approach and said:

‘Are you ready to go already, sir?’

‘I am, Jules,’ replied Caroline’s companion smoothly. ‘However, I intend to drive myself. You can go along to the office and explain that I’ve been called away and will be rather late.’

‘Yes, sir.’ The chauffeur saluted smartly. If he was at all surprised at this turn of events he did not show it and although the sight of Caroline in her rather shabby duffel coat could not have been a usual one his face remained impassive. After he had gone Caroline looked curiously at her companion. Who on earth could he be, to run a Rolls and a chauffeur? He must only be a director, she decided nervously, and bit hard at her lip.

Adam smiled at her obvious discomfiture. ‘Don’t look so perturbed,’ he remarked lazily. ‘The car belongs to me, I can assure you.’

Caroline flushed. ‘I don’t doubt that,’ she replied, sighing and allowed him to assist her into the seat beside the driver. After closing her door firmly, he walked round the bonnet and slid in beside her. He looked perfectly at ease and she thought rather wistfully that he fitted the car. Both were well groomed and immaculate.

‘And now,’ he said, before she had any time to ask questions, ‘where am I to take you?’

Caroline told him her address and wondered whether when they arrived he would expect to be invited in. She hoped not. The old building was hardly the sort of background she would have chosen.

Their route through some unknown side streets brought them to Gloucester Court in a very short time. As they had avoided the main roads the traffic had been much lighter and although Caroline was sure she would have got lost in the fog, it was obvious that this man knew London very well. The big car looked out of place in the small court and Caroline hoped Amanda was not looking out of the window. They had spoken little on the journey and when the car halted Caroline made to get out as quickly as she could.

‘Just a moment,’ he muttered easily. ‘How long will you be?’

Caroline’s eyes widened. ‘Not long,’ she exclaimed guardedly.

‘Then I’ll wait,’ he said surprisingly, and took out a case of cigars.

Caroline was astounded, but with a hasty ‘Thank you’ she sprang out, carefully closed the door and ran inside the building.

The flat was on the first floor and soon she was unlocking the door and going in. A glance at her watch told her it was barely twelve-forty-five. Only a quarter of her hour had gone already.

Amanda was still in bed, breathing nasally. ‘Is that you, Caroline?’ she called feebly.

‘Who were you expecting?’ replied Caroline cheerfully. ‘Now then, how do you feel?’ She came to the bedroom door.

‘I’m bearing up,’ answered Amanda with a forced smile. ‘You’re nice and early. Could I have some soup, do you think? I feel quite hungry now.’

‘Of course,’ said Caroline, pulling off her mitts. ‘That’s a good sign.’ She hurried into the kitchen and filled the kettle before opening the tin of beef broth.

When the kettle had boiled she refilled Amanda’s hot water bottle again and made some more tea. She put ten pence in the electric meter, ensuring that the fire would remain on, and put the soup in a saucepan to heat up.

‘Did you get into trouble this morning?’ asked Amanda thickly, as Caroline set a tray of steaming soup, toast, and tea in front of her.

‘Well, I’m still on the payroll,’ replied Caroline, evading the question. She didn’t want Amanda worrying about her and as for telling her about accepting a lift from a stranger! Well! She just couldn’t do it. Amanda would think she was the village idiot; after all, she knew nothing about him at all.

After making Amanda comfortable, she put on her mitts again.

‘I must go,’ she said quickly. ‘I don’t want to be late again.’

Amanda’s eyes widened. ‘But, Caroline, it’s only one o’clock and you’ve had nothing yourself.’

‘Oh, I’m not hungry,’ lied Caroline blithely, aware of feeling particularly empty. ‘Anyway, I can get a sandwich from the canteen when I get back.’

‘Oh, all right, pet. Thanks for everything, and mind how you go. Let’s hope I’m feeling better by tonight. I have a date with Ron.’

Ron Cartwright was her current boy-friend. A cub-reporter for the Daily Southerner who imagined himself the editor, was Caroline’s private opinion.

‘Well, you won’t be going out,’ stated Caroline indignantly. ‘It’s absolutely freezing out there, and it’s so damp and foggy.’

Amanda shivered and sipped her soup appreciatively. ‘All right, all right, it was only a thought.’

‘Well, forget it,’ ordered Caroline with a smile. ‘I must go now.’ She walked to the door. ‘See you about five-thirty, I expect.’

‘Okay, don’t get lost.’

Caroline ran down the stairs again and out into the street. The cold atmosphere was numbing and feeling very nervous she approached the car. It had been turned in her absence and as she neared it the man pushed open the door from inside. She slid in beside him, into a world of luxurious comfort, warm air and the delicious scent of Havana tobacco.

‘Good,’ he said as she slammed the door. ‘Do I take it you have executed your business?’

‘Yes, sir,’ Caroline was subdued.

‘Sir?’ He frowned. ‘Why are you calling me that?’

Caroline shrugged. ‘Well, you must be somebody important with a car like this,’ she replied carefully. ‘I don’t know who you are, and if you don’t mind my saying so, you don’t seem awfully keen to tell me. Are you married and afraid your wife finds out? Oh, I hope that doesn’t sound rude.’

He smiled slightly. ‘I am not married,’ he stated firmly, ‘and you can call me Adam. Does that satisfy you?’

Caroline flushed scarlet. ‘Yes, sir…I mean Adam,’ she answered, feeling rather foolish.

He started the car and they moved away from the kerb. However, once they had joined the main stream of traffic he took the opposite turning to the proper one and Caroline realised they were not going in the direction of the Steinbeck Building.

‘Wh…where are you taking me?’ she enquired, trying to keep her voice calm when suddenly it felt very shaky.

‘To a roadhouse I know near Kingston,’ he replied easily. ‘I gather you haven’t eaten yet, so over a meal you can tell me all your troubles.’

Caroline gasped. ‘But I’m due at the office in twenty minutes,’ she exclaimed. ‘Oh, please, take me back.’

‘Don’t worry,’ he murmured, quite amused at her expression. ‘I’ll speak to Miss Morgan myself. Relax.’

Caroline’s tensed body suddenly went weak. What could she do now? She had been stupid and she was now paying the penalty. He could do what he liked with her! Take her where he liked, for that matter! It was her own fault for trusting him. She looked desperately out of the window and wondered whether, if she shouted for help, anyone would take any notice. Driving in a car like this the odds were decidedly against it.

She was most astonished therefore, when a short while later, the powerful car turned between the wrought iron gates of a driveway and drew up outside the imposing façade of a country house with ‘The Copper Kettle’ printed on a sign which hung over the doorway.

Adam slid out and walked round the bonnet to assist Caroline to alight. She forestalled him, however, and with a smile he slammed her door and locked it.

‘Did you think I was kidnapping you?’ he asked in her ear, as he drew her through the entrance and into the wide hallway.

‘That thought had crossed my mind,’ she admitted with a smile, which she suddenly couldn’t control.

At their entrance a waiter appeared immediately and greeted them. ‘Your usual table, Mr Steinbeck?’ he asked politely, his sophisticated eyes taking in the blue duffel coat that Caroline was wearing and finding it sadly lacking.

‘Yes, thank you, André,’ replied Adam, and urged Caroline forward. But Caroline had been arrested by the man’s words.

‘Steinbeck,’ she whispered in an awed voice. ‘Oh, glory!’

The restaurant was quite full, but a table near the window was awaiting them. Andre saw them comfortably seated and then produced the menu with a flourish. All the diners looked with surprise at Caroline. The women were all wearing expensive furs; minks and sables; and the men were as immaculately groomed as Caroline’s companion.

Quite a number of people had greeted Adam, and Caroline, now aware of his identity, felt awkward and out of place. She wished that he had not turned out to be so important a person. Had he been just an ordinary person like herself he might have seriously become interested in her, but now that she knew who he was she was convinced that any interest he had in her must be simply curiosity. She ought to have realised the day she met him in the lift, by the impeccable cut of his clothes, that he was no ordinary office worker. It was fantastic to consider the difference in their positions and she sighed dejectedly.

Adam asked her if she had any preference regarding the food, but she shook her head and was glad when he said he would choose for her. What did she know about menus that were large enough to cover the table?

After he had ordered the meal the wine waiter appeared and there followed another discussion about the choice of wines. As an aperitif he ordered Martinis, and Caroline found herself with a glass in her hand and a cigarette between her fingers.

Looking about her, Caroline was extremely conscious of the limitations of her red pinafore dress and white jumper and was convinced she must be the topic of conversation of all these elegantly fashionable women. They must be wondering why such a man as Adam Steinbeck was giving her lunch when he was obviously much more accustomed to dining with the élite of society.

Her eyes returned to Adam as he smoked his cigarette and she saw wonderingly that his eyelashes were extremely long and thick. Combined with his dark skin, strong face and fathomless eyes, he was quite the most attractive man Caroline had ever seen. He had a kind of animal magnetism against which she felt herself to be completely defenceless.

Suddenly his eyes turned on her and caught her staring at him and she hastily drew on her cigarette and took a sip of her Martini. She choked in the process and had the ignominy of spluttering and coughing arousing the amused attention of the whole of the restaurant.

Adam, however, was not perturbed and said softly:

‘I suppose you ought not to be drinking that, ought you?’

Caroline flushed anew. ‘I’m almost eighteen,’ she exclaimed, feeling embarrassed.

‘Almost, but not quite,’ he remarked slowly. ‘However, in this instance, no one but ourselves is aware of the facts, so there need be no disgrace.’

Caroline, sure he was amusing himself by teasing her, put down her drink before she made any more mistakes.

‘Why didn’t you tell me immediately you were Adam Steinbeck?’ she said suddenly.