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‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered, aware of herself apologizing for nothing. But anything was better than his indifference.
Jeff looked down at her. ‘Are you?’ he asked.
‘Why did you walk away?’ she murmured, looking anxious.
‘I don’t like being treated like an idiot.’
‘But I wasn’t … oh, Jeff, I guess I am silly at times. Can’t we forget about it?’
Jeff’s eyes softened. ‘All right, Diana. I guess I was as much to blame for taking the huff. Did I make you jealous?’
Diana blushed. ‘Yes, you succeeded in that direction,’ she remarked softly, against his neck, and felt his arms tighten possessively about her.
When the music ended he glanced at his watch.
‘It’s nine-thirty,’ he said quietly. ‘Let’s go, hmn?’
She nodded and went to collect her coat. Outside the air was clear but bitterly cold and they walked swiftly along to the bus stop. Jeff lived at the opposite end of Otterbury, near the secondary school, in fact, but he always saw Diana right home.
The bus dropped them at the end of Evenwood Gardens and they walked up the darkened road towards the second block of flats where the Scotts lived. Before they reached the second block, between the two tall buildings, was a small ornamental garden with flower beds and a bench set among rose trees and rhododendron bushes. The last few dates they had had together had ended on the bench where they said a prolonged goodnight to each other. Although it was cold they still walked through the gardens to the bench, but they did not sit down tonight. It had been raining earlier in the day and everywhere was still slightly damp, but the bushes at least provided a little privacy.
‘Well,’ said Diana, looking up at Jeff, ‘thanks for bringing me home.’
‘It was a pleasure,’ he said softly, pulling her to him, close against his warm body. ‘Oh, Diana,’ he groaned urgently, and his mouth met hers.
Diana slid her arms around him, returning his kiss more responsively than ever. Their minor upset this evening had merely served as an incentive to their mutual attraction for one another and Diana, no less than Jeff, found something infinitely more absorbing in their embrace than ever before.
Diana knew very little about kissing of this kind, not being as old as Jeff or as experienced, but she was aware of a kind of danger not far away. Something about his intense hold on her and the increased tenor of his breathing warned her he was emotionally disturbed in a way hitherto unknown to her. With a feeling of revulsion, she suddenly drew back and swallowed hard.
Jeff fastened his overcoat with unsteady fingers and said:
‘Have you any idea what kissing like that does to a fellow?’ in a tight, withdrawn voice.
Diana bit her lip and clenched her fists. ‘Is … is something wrong?’ she asked nervously.
Jeff laughed shortly and mirthlessly. ‘Oh, no. Not at all.’ He looked furious. ‘Look, I’ve got to go.’
‘Will … will I see you tomorrow?’
Jeff hesitated, and then hunched his shoulders. ‘Oh, yes, I guess so. I have a lecture in the morning, but tomorrow afternoon I’m refereeing the rugby match. Would you like to come?’
‘Could I?’ Diana was interested.
‘Of course. We could have tea afterwards at my mother’s and then go to the pictures in the evening. If you’d like to.’
Diana looked more at ease. ‘I’d love to, you know that. Will your mother mind?’
Jeff shook his head. ‘Of course not. Well?’
Diana smiled. ‘All right.’
Jeff managed a smile in return and thrust his hands into the pockets of his coat. ‘I must go now,’ he said. ‘See you tomorrow. We’ll meet at the school.’
He left her at the entrance to the flats and then walked back down the gardens to catch his bus.
When Diana opened the door of the flat and went in she found her mother just preparing coffee and sandwiches in the kitchen while Adrian Sinclair was stretched out on the settee watching the television. It was apparently the repeat of a football match held in some continental country and after greeting Diana, Adrian returned to his viewing while Diana went out to the kitchen to see her mother.
Madeline smiled cheerfully at her. ‘Well?’ she said. ‘Did you have a good time?’
‘Yes, thanks,’ said Diana, sighing a little as she remembered the kiss they had exchanged. She supposed idly it was the first real kiss she had ever experienced. Prior to tonight all the kisses she had been given were light, casual affairs, and even Jeff had been the same. Now suddenly it was all different. Tonight’s kiss had been full of emotions that she had not realized existed.
Madeline was looking at her curiously and she asked: ‘Why the faraway look in your eyes? Where have you been?’
‘Just to the Club,’ exclaimed Diana, flushing and feeling rather embarrassed. ‘I … we … I’ll go and get undressed, Mum, and then I can go straight to bed after supper.’
‘All right, darling.’ Madeline frowned to herself. There was something different about Diana tonight and she couldn’t decide what it was. It disturbed her to realize that Diana was getting to the stage where she did not tell her mother everything.
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_e8d57738-87f1-5558-80e5-b41508813165)
ON Saturday morning, Madeline and Diana usually went shopping together. They bought most of the food required for the following week and the perishable goods were stored in the pocket-sized refrigerator, in the kitchen.
‘I’m going to the grammar school rugby match with Jeff this afternoon,’ remarked Diana, as they ate their lunch. ‘Then we’re going to have tea at his home and go on to the pictures.’
‘Really?’ Madeline raised her dark eyebrows. ‘Will his mother be pleased about that?’
Diana smiled. ‘Why shouldn’t she be? Besides, we won’t be there long.’
‘Have you met his family before?’
‘No. But that doesn’t matter.’
Madeline shrugged. ‘Well, I hope everything turns out all right. Does this portend a more serious relationship in the future? I hope not. You’re very young, both of you.’
‘Oh, Mother!’ Diana exclaimed, and carried her dessert plate through to the kitchen.
While she was making the coffee her mother joined her, her expression thoughtful.
‘Just remember,’ went on Madeline quietly, ‘you’re still only a child and Jeff is still at school. He intends to go to university in the autumn, so you’ve told me, so it’s no use either of you doing anything silly.’
‘I don’t see that you’ve any reason to talk to me like this,’ protested Diana exasperatedly. She hated being talked down to. ‘After all, I’ve not said anything, have I?’
‘No. But last night you looked rather strange, when you came home.’
Diana felt her cheeks flame again. It was annoying to be so transparent.
‘For no reason,’ she retorted abruptly, and turned off the percolator.
Madeline wondered, was she being over-anxious about Diana? After all, as Adrian said, girls did mature earlier these days. She hoped so; how she hoped so!
After the meal was over Madeline washed up while Diana went to change. Then she got out the vacuum cleaner. She always did the apartment through on Saturday afternoons.
Diana emerged looking young and fresh in a tweed skirt and a chunky sweater. She was wearing a quilted anorak with a hood which actually belonged to Madeline and which was the colour of honey with a darker brown lining. It suited Diana’s olive colouring as much as Madeline’s and she looked rather ruefully at her mother.
‘You don’t mind, do you?’ she asked, indicating the anorak.
Madeline grimaced, an amused look on her face, ‘Would it matter if I did?’ she asked, smiling. ‘No, go on. It will at least keep you warm. And you’re wearing your new boots, I see. I’m glad you got them, even if they were expensive.’
‘Well,’ said Diana, ‘I want to look nice to meet his parents.’
‘Y … yes,’ said Madeline doubtfully. ‘Oh, well …’ she shrugged. ‘Have fun!’
‘I will. G’bye.’
After Diana had gone, Madeline set to work with a vengeance. She was not particularly fond of housework, but it had to be done and she was not one for shirking it.
By the time she had finished it was teatime, so she made herself a snack. Adrian always took her out for dinner on Saturday evenings, so she did not bother with much of a meal. They usually went to a hotel just outside Otterbury, and had a drink before the meal. Madeline always enjoyed the change it made as she did not go out at all during the week.
She changed into a jersey dress of amber-coloured material and combed her hair up into the French knot. As she applied a light make-up to her face she thought that at least her skin was good. It was smooth and unlined and she was aware that she did look younger than her thirty-three years. Amused at her thoughts, she realized that all this self-criticism had been brought on by the man in the red car and she wondered again whether she would see him any more.
Adrian arrived at seven-thirty. Dressed in a fawn lounge suit he, too, looked younger and distinguished, and Madeline smiled as she admitted him.
‘You look very smart this evening,’ she complimented him.
Adrian raised his eyebrows. ‘Thank you. So do you. The Crown won’t really do us justice, will it?’
Madeline pulled on a loose suede coat. ‘I expect it will be as pleasant as usual,’ she replied, matter-of-factly.
Adrian drove an old Rover which was remarkably comfortable. He was always saying he would have to get a new one, but Madeline knew his old car would survive a few more years yet. Adrian disliked change. He was a creature of habit. That was why she knew that she could never think seriously of marriage with him, if for no other reason than his staid ways.
The Crown was only three miles from Otterbury, on the Guildford road. It was a reasonably sized hotel, catering mainly for evening motorists who wanted to get away from the noise and bustle of the towns. It had built up a reputation for good service over the years and its restaurant was both efficient and well patronized. The food, cooked by a French chef, was delicious and varied in taste and Madeline always felt quite a gourmet eating there.
The road to the Crown ran past the Sheridan factory, and she felt her eyes drawn to the place as they passed. She wondered what position the man held. He had said he worked at Sheridans, so he was possibly one of the managers. Driving the kind of automobile he drove, she hardly associated him with the shop floor. Besides, his clothes had had that definite air of good tailoring about them, and even Adrian’s suits did not fit him so well or look so expensive as that. And Adrian was a headmaster! But then Adrian bought things to last and they usually did.
The Crown was very crowded, but their table was reserved week by week, so that at least was secure. Since the arrival of the Italians and Americans the town of Otterbury and its environs seemed to be getting smaller and the population was overrunning its limits everywhere. Adrian grumbled as he had to push his way through to the bar for their drinks. He fought his way back to her side as she stood near the entrance. He was carrying a vodka for her and a whisky for himself.
‘What a scrum!’ he muttered, easing himself into a position beside her. ‘It’s getting more like a rugby match every week. It never used to be like this.’
‘I don’t suppose the proprietors are grumbling,’ remarked Madeline wryly. ‘They’ll be grateful for the trade.’
‘I expect they are, but really, there’s nowhere to sit, and the fumes over by the bar are nauseating.’
Madeline smiled. She was not as averse to crowds as Adrian, but even she could see that there was not much fun in standing in the doorway all evening.
‘Let’s go and have our supper then,’ she said. ‘After all, we can have a drink in there in comparative luxury.’
‘An excellent idea,’ said Adrian at once. ‘Lead on.’
The supper room, too, was crowded, but Adrian’s table, under the window was waiting for them. They seated themselves thankfully, and Madeline removed her coat.
They ate grilled salmon and peach soufflе, and Madeline sighed with enjoyment as she sipped her coffee.
‘That was absolutely delicious,’ she murmured, smiling. ‘You must admit, Adrian, if we were to change our hotel, we wouldn’t get a meal like that.’
Adrian smiled. ‘Yes, you’re probably right. I feel altogether different about things now.’
They lit cigarettes and were idly discussing a novel they had both read when a shadow fell across the table. Madeline looked up in surprise to see an elderly man smiling down on them. Adrian, looking up too, rose swiftly to his feet.
‘Hetherington!’ he exclaimed. ‘It’s a long while since we’ve met.’
Mr. Hetherington smiled benignly down and said:
‘May I join you for a moment?’
‘Of course, sit down,’ said Adrian easily. ‘Oh, by the way, this is my secretary, Mrs. Scott. I don’t believe you’ve met before. Madeline, this is Mr. Hetherington, the headmaster of the Grammar School.’
‘Yes, I know,’ said Madeline, smiling, and shaking hands with Mr. Hetherington. ‘Do sit down. We have finished.’
Hetherington seated himself in the vacant chair and said:
‘I see you like the cuisine here, too.’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Madeline enthusiastically. ‘Do you come here often?’
‘Only as often as I can safely leave my wife,’ replied Hetherington slowly. ‘She’s a semi-invalid, you know, and I don’t like leaving her alone. However, I had a business engagement this evening and we came on here for a meal, afterwards.’ He turned to Adrian. ‘I’m glad I’ve run into you, Sinclair. I wanted a word with you.’
‘Oh, yes?’ Adrian was intrigued. ‘What about?’
‘Shall I leave you?’ Madeline looked questioningly at Hetherington.
Hetherington shook his head and taking out his pipe he began to fill it.
‘Not at all,’ he replied. ‘Do you mind if I smoke?’ Madeline said: ‘No, not at all,’ and Hetherington lit his pipe ponderously.
‘Now,’ he said, when he had it going, ‘you know Conrad Masterson, don’t you, Sinclair?’
Adrian frowned. ‘Conrad Masterson? No. Who’s he? Oh, wait a minute, you don’t mean the American who’s now running the Sheridan factory?’
‘That’s right. Do you know him?’
Adrian shook his head. ‘No. I’ve only heard his name in passing. Why?’
‘Well, you’ll know he’s bought that house that used to belong to Lord Otterbury at Highnook.’
‘Yes, I had heard,’ Adrian nodded, and Madeline listened interestedly. What was all this about?
‘Well, I have his son, Conrad junior, at school. He’s thirteen and quite a bright boy. But that’s not what I was going to tell you.’ He chuckled. He was quite aware that his colleague was positively bursting with curiosity for him to get to the point. ‘No, actually, Masterson himself came in to see me earlier in the week and invited me and my wife to go up to his house for a drink on Monday evening. I explained that Mary was not up to social visiting, so he suggested that I came anyway and brought along anyone I cared to. I wondered whether you might like to come along with me. Like most Americans, Masterson is very gregarious and he wants to get to know people. Naturally, your position as headmaster of the only other secondary school in the town brought your name first to my mind. I was going to ring you tomorrow, but when I saw you here this evening, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to speak to you myself. I hope you don’t think I’m intruding?’
‘Not at all.’ Adrian was obviously intrigued and flattered. ‘It sounds a most fascinating prospect. I must admit these newcomers to our town interest me enormously.’
