Anna of Strathallan (25 page)

Perhaps Calum didn't take such a good view of it. He surprised them one morning by announcing that he was off to Sydney. 'I may be away a week or two. I'll cable you when I'm coming back. Victoria's letters have given me itchy feet and it's a long time since I've been to Sydney. It's not a bad time to take a break now.'

He drove to Momona where he would leave his car, to fly to Christchurch for the Sydney plane. Anna did a lot of wondering. That incident in the room upstairs might never have been. Perhaps he felt a little embarrassed over it now. And he must be missing Victoria.

Despite the fact that she told herself it was easier to carry on with him away, she felt very lost and lonely.

S
URPRISINGLY
Victoria's old ladies came back alone. They rang her mother to say she was staying on for a bit, and they'd found flying such a wonderful way to travel, they hadn't minded a bit not being escorted home. She'd seen them off.

Grace Sherborne rang to tell Kitty, but got Anna instead as Kitty was out in the garden. 'At which point,' said Victoria's mother, 'I asked where was Calum in all this. They hadn't seen him. He hadn't arrived when they left. Of course he said he was going to give Victoria a surprise. You know, Anna, I think he'd been trying to write to tell her that Blair's wife had died. He came over and told us, but said not to say anything to Victoria yet. It's not easy by letter. So I think he upped and off to do it by word of mouth - much better. I'm sorry it had to happen now - for lately Victoria has come out of her shell. When Blair left her she lost all her spirit and never quite regained it. She used to be a spitfire as a child. It wasn't just that she learned to control her temper - as we all do as we get older - it was as if something had stilled within her. But you've helped her tremendously.'

Anna said, 'What? How could I?'

'I don't know, but she's somehow loosened up since you've been here, hasn't just acquiesced in everything. I can't analyse it, Anna, but just as you brought Sophy and Philip together in some mysterious way, you seem to have done something for Victoria. I do want to thank you.'

Anna felt touched almost to tears because here was a woman who might even have disliked her for being Alex's daughter. She thanked her, even while deprecating it, added, 'I think Calum must have just missed the old ladies. Victoria would probably go back to the motel to find him there. Funny if they ran slap-bang into each other in the airport. Stranger things have happened.'

*

Stranger things did happen, but not till nearly a week later, a week during which they thought Calum might have sent them at least a postcard.

Then one morning at the hospital, the doctor who'd attended Calum and Barney that first night gave Anna a shock. He said, accepting a cup of tea from her, 'Did Calum's smallpox injection settle down all right? I was a bit worried over it.'

She boggled at him. 'Smallpox? Calum? What do you mean?'

He grinned. 'Just that. Want me to spell it for you, nurse? For his overseas trip.'

More boggling. 'But he wouldn't want that for Australia. It's just a hop across the pond. And anyway, he went on a sudden whim, dying to see Victoria.'

The doctor banged his cup down, looked dismayed. 'Oh, lord, I forgot! Now I've put my foot in it. Calum asked me to say nothing to anyone. It had gone completely out of my mind. But even so I thought he only meant to all and sundry -1 was sure the Strathallan folk would know.' He hesitated then said, 'I've gone too far not to tell you now. Look, his mother wrote and told him to be prepared to fly across to her at a moment's notice if she thought she needed him. Something to do with Blair. He said he didn't want it to come to Victoria's ears in Sydney. But if she's still in Australia, I can't see that it will. But of course say nothing at Strathallan, or to Victoria's mother. But perhaps he changed his mind - or his mother found she didn't need him - so he just flew off to Vicky to tell her about it His smallpox injection played up. The others didn't. He had the lot in case he came back by a different route. Though he thought it would be a very brief trip because of his commitments on the farm.'

Anna said, 'I'll tell no one, so don't worry about it. It's Calum's business and his alone. I wonder if that's why Victoria is staying on in Sydney, to cover up his absence, if they don't want the trip to England talked about. Mrs. Doig may not have wanted to worry her husband - he has some pretty stiff worries at the Hydro at the moment - and yet she may have needed a man's advice. He probably rang Victoria and told her to do that. If she'd come back alone, the secret would have been out.'

Two nights after that, Anna answered the phone in the lounge. Gilbert switched the TV off. The operator's voice said, 'This is a person-to-person International call. Mr.

Calum Doig is calling Miss Anna Drummond from Buenos Aires. Is she available, please?'

Anna gasped. 'Buenos Aires? Oh, yes, she's available. I mean, I am. Anna Drummond speaking. Put him on, please.' Over the receiver she saw Grandy and Gran stand up, their eyes looking startled and apprehensive. She put a hand over the mouthpiece. 'It's all right, my darlings. It's not Rosita, or her agent. It's Calum, though what
he's
doing there, I can't imagine.'

There was a little jiggling, some strange voices, then, blessedly, Calum's, as clear as if he wasn't thousands of miles away.

He said, 'Anna, is that you? It's Calum here, but you'll know that. Are Kitty and Gilbert with you?'

'Yes, right beside me.'

His voice was clear and strong and happy. 'Then tell them right away all is well, there's nothing to fear. Alexo isn't their grandson. Everything is all right. He's not even Alexo, he's Alonso. I found that out before I even contacted them. I quizzed the neighbours with an interpreter. They were trying it on. Go to it, Anna, don't worry about the cost, tell them now.'

She steadied her voice, told them almost word for word. Then back to the phone. 'Calum, how did you get there? I mean, what—'

'Well, of course I didn't go to Sydney. I flew here. I'd made up my mind there was something so fishy it would take months of correspondence straightening it out and I thought that while I was so doing, it would nearly kill Kit and Gilbert, it wouldn't be fair at their age. Stornway knew, in case anyone had to get in touch with me.

'Now I must put you in the picture. As I tell you each bit you can repeat it briefly, not to keep them in suspense. Then I'll speak to them both when I finish. You can fill in the gaps later. Ready? Rosita is married to a husband of her own nationality, has been for over twenty years. Alonso is
his
son. He was born before the records show Alex reached South America. You were right about the age, he's nearly twenty, so he must have been born before your father left Fiji. You said you were six then, didn't you? They rim a sleazy boarding-house. Alex just stayed there two nights. But the affair of the mine got a bit of publicity and Rosita's brother is that agent, no less. He's a private eye, specializing in divorce cases - a shady character. They thought they might get something out of an old couple. Right, let them know the bones of that…

'I've seen to it that the authorities will keep an eye on him in future and I scared hell out of Rosita and her husband. But - and this is wonderful news, Anna - I went further inland to this little mining village, tucked away in the mountains. Oh, the poverty there! I found out that during his last two years, Alex was a reformed character. Not just a case of them whitewashing someone who had become a local hero - he really had turned over a new leaf. I'm bringing back proof of that. He had identified with these poor people to such an extent, improving their lot, fighting legal battles for them, that when he died, with the ones he hadn't managed to bring out, although he wasn't a Roman Catholic, special arrangements were made, and he was buried in consecrated ground with the bodies of those who perished with him. That's all you need to tell them, Anna…'

Then he went on, 'Victoria co-operated so they'd think I was staying in Sydney. Tell Kitty and Gilbert that, will you? I should be home on Wednesday. Now I'll speak to Kit and Gilbert.' He paused, added, 'Take care of yourself, won't you? Goodnight, Anna.'

She heard in his voice all the things he mustn't say. Oh, Calum, Calum! She managed to reply: 'The same to you, of course. You're the one in a foreign country. Take no chances, Calum. Goodnight.'

When her grandparents finally turned from the phone, their happiness had to be seen to be believed, but they were both in tears. They all three sat on the couch and rejoiced with each other.

'It's just as if he had come home,' said Kitty, 'as indeed he has, in a very real way. I've never been one who believed anyone was eternally lost - that would be crediting God with less love than human parents - who sometimes grieve more over the lost ones than any, but how wonderful to think that he redeemed himself, paid back the debt he owed to life for a childhood that knew no want. I remember reading during World War Two something the Queen Mother had said - she was the Queen then, of course. That our work is the rent we pay for our room on the earth. So if Alex was able to do just that, in striving for those poor people in his last two years, then he'd feel square with himself ... and I. need no longer grieve.'

She was silent for a moment, then said, 'When first we knew he was gone, I wished I could have known in time to have him cremated and his ashes flown here to go beside his forebears' remains in the Crannog kirkyard, but now I'm glad we didn't. It's fitting that his bones should rest in the village of the people he gave his life for.'

Anna slipped out to make them some coffee. Later she would write and tell Mother. Mother had always sorrowed over that seemingly wasted life. She would be glad about this.

The shadow that had lain over Strathallan these past weeks was gone. Calum would come back and perhaps next year he would wed Victoria. Don't, Anna Drummond, shrink from that thought. Don't you remember what Mother said about
her
lonely years when you asked how she'd endured them? 'By taking a day at a time, Anna. You can bear anything for a day at a time. You can't if you think: this will last for ever at this height of pain.'

Victoria, who had collaborated in this with Calum, would probably make rendezvous with him in Auckland or Christ- church, and come back with him. When they arrived there must be no hint of reserve in her gladness at what, together, they had achieved, to give her grandparents peace of mind.

It seemed as if Wednesday would never come. However hopeless the situation as far as her own ultimate happiness seemed, Anna would know joy and relief when Calum was safe home again. So much could happen in these days of lawlessness, of senselessly indiscriminate bombing ... it would be enough to know he was home, and his mission accomplished.

They'd all forgotten to ask what time he would arrive. They worked out that it would probably be about the time of the evening meal. It was a glorious day, but oh, how long to wait! The weeping willow in the lower garden trailed green fingers in the chattering brook waters, ferns sprang crisply from every crevice of its mossy banks, a thousand roses scented the air, lavender added its pungency, sweet peas fluttered like butterflies on the trellises, gypsophila flung bridal mist in the corners, and delphiniums and larkspur lifted blue spires heavenward.

Anna thought the kitchen garden was a poem in itself. In the frames apple cucumbers were swelling, strawberries offering ambrosial sweetness. Little turf paths ran between the raspberry canes for easy picking, black and redcurrants too hard to pick yet in early December glowed like rubies and jet among the branches, but promised abundance later. Runner beans twisted round rough-barked supports and garlanded them with scarlet flowers. Grandfather spent hours earthing up his leeks and celery, planting out lettuces almost every week for regular succession, kept taking Anna out to see his golden pumpkin flowers, chuckling because they were trying to climb up the ribbonwood trees, bringing in the first of the peas, trying to resist digging the new potatoes.

'Far too early,' said Kitty admonishingly. 'You'd think when a man's lived almost a lifetime in the one place he'd know it was too early. But there's never been a year since we were wed that I've not had to scrub taties as small as marbles, so he can say to his cronies in Crannog, "We lifted the first of our potatoes today." I notice he's never game to ask any of them out to sample the first! They'd laugh him to shame.'

Oh, yes, Gran and Grandy were back to normal, rejoicing in all the small joys of daily living at Strathallan.

They were both weeding in the kitchen garden when the phone rang. Anna flew to it. What if Calum had landed in New Zealand and was phoning to say when to expect him? But it was Victoria's mother. She said, 'Calum will be home today,' and paused, as if she wanted Anna to comment.

Anna said cheerfully, 'Yes, tell me, is Victoria coming back with him?'

A pause. 'Anna, haven't you got a bit addled again? You don't fly to New Zealand from South America via Australia.'

'No, I know. But I thought perhaps Victoria would meet him in Christchurch and fly on down with him.'

'I see. No, she's not coming home yet. I expect you're dying to see Calum, all of you, and get the full story from him. Oh, how glad I am for the Drummonds! Theirs has been the most cruel grief of all. And I hope it has made your mother happy too.'

'Oh, thank you, Mrs. Sherborne. I appreciate that. Yes, . it's made us all happy. I'm glad I'm not working today, Wednesdays are my days off. It will be wonderful to hear about my father, how he rehabilitated himself. Not just the spurt of bravery at the end, but real service to people in need. I want to hear it from Calum as he tells it first, to the three of us.'

'That'll be why he made it Wednesday to return.'

'Oh, I think it'd be pure chance. Plus the fact that the earliest he could make connections probably made it a Wednesday arrival here. He's going to be terribly tired after travelling all that distance, especially with time changes and so on. So hard to adjust to.'