Anna of Strathallan (15 page)

Anna was slicing bread when she heard a light step behind her. She turned. Here was a girl about her own age, or a little older, tall, with an elegance of dress and carriage, and she was extremely like someone Anna knew. She tried to catch at the resemblance ... dark chestnut hair, hazel eyes, patrician features... before she could pin it down, the girl spoke, smilingly. 'You're Anna, aren't you? Mother told me all about you. I'm Victoria.'

Anna said, 'Oh, of course. I couldn't think who you were like... Victoria, Philip's sister.'

Then the girl said easily, 'Yes, and Calum's fiancee, of course.'

Anna felt rooted to the floor. It was just as if the words this girl had spoken had dropped a stone on to an ice- surfaced pond and splinters of crystal sound had shattered the silence. She didn't know how long she stood there, just looking at Victoria Sherborne, trying to make sense of it, till she became aware that Victoria was looking at her quite strangely; aware too, that she mustn't, on any account, let her tongue spill out the words that were rising in her throat.

She mustn't gasp: Why, I thought he wanted Sophy!

Afterwards she felt weak with relief that she'd managed to dam them back.

Victoria said, 'What's the matter? You look as if you've come all over funny! Did I startle you? Sorry, I thought you'd have heard me coming.'

Anna managed a little laugh. 'Do forgive me staring, but you're so incredibly like Philip, it was like seeing him dressed up as a girl.' She swallowed, said, 'Does my grandmother know you're here?'

'Yes, I saw the door of the shed open and went in. I'll put my bag in the guest-room and come and help you, Anna.'

It gave Anna a chance to recover. This girl must never guess. She might think Calum had been making up to Sophy. But what - why - had everyone been talking about
Sophy
? It didn't make sense. She hadn't time to work it out now. The men must soon arrive. Anna found herself saying:
Help me, God, to appear natural. Keep it from showing.

Victoria came back, took a look at the table where as yet Anna had no more than table-mats out, went to the cupboards, began getting out the necessary china, cutlery, jam and butter dishes, deftly, with the speed born of familiarity. 'I just got home this morning after Philip had gone. I stayed in Lawrence last night. I decided not to ring Calum and just walk in on him for a surprise.'

Anna's mouth felt dry. She wished Kitty would hurry and take over. This girl could ask her some question yet that would betray her into revealing she hadn't known she and Calum were engaged. That would sound peculiar, even suspicious, to any girl. Given time, alone, Anna would be able, by going back in her mind, to recall each piece of conversation, or gossip if you like, to work out how in the world she'd managed to hassle things up like this!

But it wasn't Kitty's step they heard next. It was Calum's, and Anna wished herself a hundred miles away. Oh, why hadn't Victoria come yesterday when she and Grandy were safely at the saleyards? Now she'd have to witness their meeting after a fairly long absence from each other.

He spoke before he reached the door. 'Are you there, Anna?'

She couldn't reply. She would have choked. She and Victoria were both staring towards the doorway but with very different expressions. Victoria was smiling, anticipating his surprise.

And surprise it was. He just stared. 'Why, Victoria, I thought you weren't coming till next week.' There was the faintest of pauses, perhaps because he knew they were not alone, then without as much as a flicker of his glance in Anna's direction, he swiftly crossed the room and kissed Victoria.

Certainly it was only the sort of kiss one would give in front of other eyes, but Anna had difficulty in controlling her breathing, making it appear as if nothing to her, as if she had known all along he was engaged to Victoria. He'd been so open too, had told her all along he was spoken for.

It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair, to have to adjust oneself with lightning rapidity to a completely different circumstance. Victoria went on explaining that she'd wanted to surprise them, adding all the trivia one inevitably does, passing on the regards of their mutual friends in Lawrence, asking him this and that.

Then she turned to Anna, saying, 'Calum wrote and told me that all his fears about you fitting in here had fled, that you've made the Drummonds very happy and that you're going to stay. How perfectly lovely for them! It makes up to them in such a big way for Alex clearing out. It's so terrible to be left behind, to find life empty.'

Calum was standing beside Victoria, one arm along her shoulders, and Anna saw a nerve jump in his cheek. The next moment she thought she'd imagined it. Because why should he flinch from that remark? This was a glad moment for him. His fiancee had come home to him after weeks of absence. Fortunately Kitty and Gilbert came in then and under the general talk Anna got her feelings under control.

It was only when she was outside again with the older folk, leaving Victoria and Calum together, that Anna knew why she now felt more desolate than before. It was because when she had thought Sophy was hesitating, there had been a faint ray of hope for herself.

Suddenly she almost recoiled as another angle hit her. Till now, selfishly, she'd been totally concerned with the situation as it affected herself. But now ... who then had they meant Sophy was swithering over? ... Of course ... Philip! That was why Sophy had rung Philip in a fury and told him not to use Anna. Anna had wondered that Calurn and Sophy had so soon caught on to the idea that she and Philip were bent on creating an atmosphere of romance for them. That they'd hoped romance might be catching. The other was so blatant it would've hit them in the eye immediately. Philip's idea had been: 'If
you
won't go to watch moons with me, Sophia Kirkpatrick, I'll get myself a girl who will!' Oh, heavens to Betsy, what could she do?

At that moment Anna remembered the rest of the conversation Sophy had had over the phone with Philip. Anna recalled it now with the utmost clarity. After Philip had told her about the high-country offer, she'd detained him long enough to ask curiously, 'Tell me, Philip, how did you and Sophy part on the phone?'

He'd looked grim one moment, devil-may-care the next. Really reckless. 'I finished up telling her it was no business of hers. That she had a pretty good imagination if she thought we'd been putting on an act, and why should
you
do such a thing anyway? Don't look like that, Anna, I know it wasn't the truth, but I was past caring. I told her she had a nerve even thinking of it, that on my part it was a very genuine attraction and I'd thank her to keep out of it.'

No wonder he hadn't wanted to go to church, and had gone to Dunedin. What horrible timing - why on earth had that man from Draviemore turned up with his offer just when they'd all got at cross-purposes? If Philip closed with it, Sophy and he might never come together. Sophy would fill her days with parish work just as she had done with study, to ease her grief at the loss of Roderick. Philip would take on possibly dangerous mustering jobs and live a rough, if satisfying, life in the back country. And he'd probably marry the first girl to cross his path, on the rebound.

Anna's mind felt like an ant-heap with thoughts scurrying to and fro. Oh, if only she could do something! But what? When Victoria and Calum came back to the paddock, she went across to Kitty. 'I'm going back to the house for a bit. I want to ring Sophy if I can get her. There was something Philip wanted me to tell her.'

Kitty surveyed her granddaughter's flushed face. 'Just as well not to forget any message from Philip for Sophy. But you may not get her just now, love.'

Anna said, 'Say nothing in front of the others. It's private.'

She thought she'd try to get hold of Philip first. He might be back from the sale, though she doubted it. The Sherbornes had a lovely home, Kowhai Bend, nearer Crannog. Philip's father was the County Engineer, but liked enough land to run a few sheep on. Anna liked his mother very much. She was sweet.

She must go warily, though. Philip mightn't have told his mother he was thinking of making a change and a mother oughtn't to hear it from a stranger. Oh, dear, there were so many people to consider. But she must stop Philip closing with that offer. She was fairly sure that would be the right thing to do. She'd tell him this might be the very moment to press his cause, not give up. That Sophy had confessed she was lonely, that she wanted to chat with Anna. She might have been angry with Philip on the phone, but could now be having second thoughts.

Philip's mother was young-hearted and gay, and she sounded so happy because Victoria was home. Anna simply said she had something to ask Philip, when would he be home if he wasn't there yet?

'He'll be lateish, Anna. He's having dinner in Clyde on the way home, with friends. But he did say he'd have to be in by ten as he's expecting a ring from Tekapo then. Anna, you might know. Has there been any friction between Calum and Philip? I wondered if Philip might be thinking of going up the high-country. I mean, this Tekapo ring. They've been wonderful friends, but I wondered if Philip may think it's not wise to have a brother-in-law as boss.'

'Oh, no, Mrs. Sherborne, they've been just as usual, the best of friends.'

'Then it's this business of Sophy. I expect you've noticed. If Sophy wants to be single-minded and wedded to her career, I expect we must make the best of it, but if ever there's a girl I'd like as my daughter-in-law, it's Sophy. Not that that means a thing. I've tried to tell myself that Philip will get over it if she finally turns him down flat, that he'd eventually meet someone else, but I'm whistling in the dark, I'm afraid. Oh, how much better it was when they were little and one could pick them up and comfort them. Goodness, I sound like a doting mother, and I'm not, really.

'Only when you have a family, you feel so helpless sometimes. It's easier to bear your own troubles than your offspring's. I did try to tell Phil a few weeks ago that if Sophy wouldn't change her mind, there could be someone else for him in the years to come, but nobody believes that till it happens, ever. Besides, it mightn't with Philip. My two take after their father, once they love it's for keeps. Oh, Anna, I shouldn't be unloading this on you, but even though I've only met you twice and you're so young, there's something about you that makes it easy to talk to you. Kitty and Calum and Elizabeth Forbes have all said so.'

'Calum said so? I can't imagine it. He and I clash a bit!'

'Well, he did. He came over here to see if I'd had a letter from Victoria, because he was worried that he hadn't had one. But of course she was on her way back. He said then that Kitty and Gilbert were opening out as they hadn't for years. That they were different persons now. Of course, not knowing them before, you'd be unaware of it. You don't know how happy it's made our whole community.'

Anna felt warmed, comforted. 'Mrs. Sherborne, I wonder if you'd ask Philip to be sure to ring me as soon as he gets in. I don't like to sound mysterious, but I'd like it to be before he gets that ring from Tekapo. I can't say why because it would mean breaking a confidence. And don't worry too much right now. I've got a feeling things might come out all right. I mustn't say any more. I can hear the rest coming in. Bye-bye.'

That was a polite evasion. She didn't want to say too much. She got no answer from the manse. She tried the hospital, only to find Sophy had done her afternoon visiting and had departed on her parish rounds. Well, she'd try again tonight. She didn't know who to tackle first. Perhaps, from sheer necessity, it would have to be whichever one she got hold of soonest. She really needed something a little encouraging from Sophy before she stopped Philip taking the Draviemore position.

Victoria, naturally, stayed for the evening meal. Anna kept going to the most private extension, the farm office one, but the manse phone remained unanswered. Perhaps Sophy had stayed to tea with someone.

With this problem on her mind, Anna felt a little remote from the pain of seeing Calum with the girl who was going to be his wife, the wife who would live in this lovely old house, in this very kitchen where the first Drummond wife had hung up her smoked hams, her bunches of herbs, made her oat-cakes, her girdle-scones, baked her crusty loaves... where William Drummond had brought his first weak lambs to revive in front of an older stove than this. No doubt later it would impinge on her numbness, but for the time being she must set straight her unknowing part in this recent estrangement between Sophy and Philip.

Calum said as they finished their apple-pie, 'Now Victoria and I will wash up. You all go and watch TV and we'll bring the coffee in when we're done.'

Naturally he'd want Victoria to himself for a bit. Anna was thankful. She sped to the phone and got Sophy, who, by her muffled voice, was having her tea.

Anna came to the point without preamble. 'Sophy, I've just got to see you. I've tried to get you all the afternoon. May I come over now? Is it too much to hope you're free?'

Sophy swallowed and her voice sounded clearer. 'You can come any time you like. Anna, are the Drummonds okay? Is anything—'

'No, nothing's wrong. It's nothing to do with Strathallan folk.'

She heard Sophy take a deep breath. 'Anna, I'm sure it's to do with Philip. Is he all right? Has he had an accident?'

Anna made her voice sound surprised. 'He should be all right. He went to the Cromwell sale. He's having dinner with friends at Clyde. But - oh, I'll explain when I see you. Quite soon.'

She slipped a brown windcheater over the frock she'd changed into for dinner, picked up her car keys, came in jingling them. She said lightly, 'I'm off to the manse, Grandmother. Remember that message I had for Sophy? I've just got her now. She was just having her meal. I want to see her before she gets called out again.'

She was glad Victoria and Calum were still in the kitchen. But as she swept past the entrance she saw Calum come out on to the front porch, put up a hand as if to stop her. But she wanted no questions asked. She'd
never
confess to Victoria that she'd thought Calum loved Sophy. That could arouse doubts.