Anna of Strathallan (4 page)

Calum interrupted. 'It's not that. She's always game to take over in any emergency, and made Ian go up with Betty when her mother took so ill, but she's in an absolute flap about this girl coming down. You'll have heard... the long- lost granddaughter.
If
that's what she is. The Forbes think they found the marriage entry. Apart from that, it's mostly a likeness.

'She's been flat out. Strathallan has been spring-cleaned from top to toe; never known her fuss like this before. New curtains and quilt for the spare room, new blankets, sheets all sprinkled with yellow roses and what-have-you, every book on the shelves taken out and dusted. As for the kitchen cupboards! I said to her: "Kit, are you really expecting her to peer into every one?" and she answered quite seriously, "It's just I'll feel easier in my bones if I know everything's in apple-pie order. She'll be used to servants in the guesthouse." I'll never forgive this wretched girl if she comes, makes a big fuss over Kitty and Gilbert, then departs, leaving their lives emptier than before. Or if, as I suspect, she's tarred with the same brush as her father, and thinks she might be on to a good thing.
He
never stopped asking them for money till a dozen or so years ago. This one could bleed them white too.'

Anna froze. She seemed incapable of taking it in. Fortunately, as they all were, it seemed,
au fait
with the situation, and thought of her as a stranger who wouldn't be likely to be interested, they went on talking and didn't look at her.

Sister Grey said, 'Oh, Calum, it may not be anything like that at all. I'd back Elizabeth Forbes's judgment any time, to say nothing of Ross. They're good judges of character and they thought this girl and her mother were just sweet. I think it's because you're so fond of Kitty and Gilbert that you're so afraid for them. Forget it. Let's hope and pray she's all Elizabeth said she was. It could be a new lease of life for old Mr. Drummond. But if Kitty's all het up, you'll be better home. She won't want to be too tired when this girl arrives. Three children with spring mud on their feet could get the old lady fidgety.' At that moment she got her eye on Anna. 'Hullo ... what have we here? You've gone as white as a sheet. Get your head down.'

Anna put her head down and felt the colour come flooding back into her cheeks instantly. 'I'm not swooning - I'm not that sort - just a little tired. And I've had no evening meal.'

The doctor snapped his fingers. 'Coffee ... let's all have some coffee, and some of those ginger nuts. Sugar in your coffee, my dear, whether you like it or not.'

It was produced with a minimum of fuss and as Anna drank it, strength and purpose flowed back into her. For one ghastly moment she'd felt she could do no more than bawl out this opinionated man and disappear into the murky night, never to turn up at Strathallan - then the memory of her grandmother's letter hit her. It wasn't Kitty Drummond's fault that this man held the ideas he did - a member of the family, perhaps? Well, no matter how blunt he was himself he was going to get a whale of a shock when he found out who she was. But she wouldn't do it here, in front of these people.

As she sipped her coffee she said, 'Who is Kitty? A relation of yours?'

'No, my boss's wife. I work for a chap called Gilbert Drummond as his farm manager. My brother occupies the married couple's house on the estate - a real family affair. But his wife's mother in Dunedin is ill, and Kitty took the three children in. I wanted to send them to friends of ours in Roxburgh, but Mrs. Drummond wouldn't hear of it - thought it would upset them. They're quite young and it would have meant a different school.'

Anna stood up and found her knees would, after all, support her.

She said crisply, 'I'll take him home, and stay the night. He seems clear enough in the head now. Which way do I take?'

The Sister looked at her admiringly. 'Right on through the town, keeping to the main road, past Corriefeld, you'll notice lots of orchards, then on almost to Crannog. It's the first turning to the left before the street lights of Crannog start. It's clearing nicely. I can see the stars through this window. But be careful, there'll be a lot of traffic coming in for the Ball. Why aren't you going?' She'd turned to Calum.

He grinned. 'My lady-love's away. Right. Sister, would you ring Strathallan and warn them? Otherwise, seeing this enormous bandage, they'll think I've been scalped!'

They were escorted to the car. They drove on westward, the road climbing shortly. Anna marvelled at the clarity of the air now. Above them a mountain, Mount Benger, her companion said, was lightly sprinkled with white. A few flakes clung to the rows of fruit trees in the symmetrical orchards that bordered the road.

Calum talked about the accident, chuckling over her thinking he was plastered too; she made herself laugh with him ... imagine him thinking she was the one who'd put him in the ditch! That must have been the only car that had passed her during the snowfall - but she'd been too concerned to even notice the make of the car. She was glad of the small talk. She didn't want to tell him who she was till they were home.
Home?
Would it, could it ever be that, with this antagonistic stranger ensconced on the estate? His brother too! Oh, for sure they wouldn't want a Drummond turning up.

She said, 'What a dreadful thing, that car tipping you and going right on. Surely the driver must have known.'

He said, 'I said hit-and-run for want of a better term. To be fair, we didn't touch, but it was a near thing. The car swung out and passed me at a speed quite unsuitable-for these conditions. In any case, he began to come back in far too soon, and to make it worse skidded almost across the road and then managed to straighten up. I pulled over to avoid hitting him, and went into a skid myself. I struck the white-and-red warning post for the culvert. It went with a real crack. He must have heard it - or she. But maybe I should give him the benefit of the doubt. I've made one too-hasty stricture tonight, thinking it was you.'

'Well, it was mutual. It'll teach us not to make snap judgments. Or get preconceived ideas about people.'

'Preconceived? What do you mean? Oh, slow up, that's the Crannog school just ahead. It's on the outskirts. There are the lights. Turn left at this corner. Just about a mile to go now.'

He didn't go back to his question. Instead he said suddenly, 'I say, I've got the queerest feeling I've seen you before. Or else I know someone very like you. Have you relations round here? I remember now you said you weren't a New Zealander - you'd never seen snow. Then where—'

She said slowly and deliberately, 'You
do
know someone like me. My grandfather, Gilbert Drummond. I'm Anna!'

She felt very satisfied with the effect on him. He sat bolt upright immediately. She could feel his gaze upon her, trying, she supposed, to see the likeness in the three-quarter darkness. Then he slumped.

'Anna!
' he said, and sounded winded. 'Anna! Of all the foul luck!'

'Yes,' she agreed icily, 'but for whom? For you? Or for me? Well, perhaps not for me, because at least I know your preconceived ideas about me, Calum-whatever-your-name- is! How would you have met me, I wonder, if that moment of revelation in the hospital hadn't happened? It would be interesting to know. Had you decided on armed neutrality, definite antagonism, or bland and deceptive hypocrisy?'

He didn't answer. He seemed to be as shocked as she had been at his earlier clanger. She didn't care. She hoped he
was
shocked. He deserved it.

She continued, 'You ought to be very grateful to me. I could have showed you up in front of the doctor and Sister, but I've too nice a nature to do such a thing. For my grandparents' sakes I'm not going to say anything to them about this. They would be deeply distressed to know the sort of welcome I'd had from someone I'd played the Good Samaritan to. And I will not upset them like that. It seems my father brought them no joy - at least not from early manhood on. I'm
not
here to feather my own nest, Mr. - what- ever-they-call-you. I don't need to. My mother and myself survived some very hard times, especially my mother, but when my father deserted us we made the guest-house pay. Yes, we had Fijian servants, but we worked even harder ourselves. I don't need to look to my grandparents for money. I've a good bank balance and I'll work for my keep as I've always done - worked hard. No forty-hour week for the owners of a guest-house. I came over here to get a job in Auckland. I've just postponed looking for one because my grandparents wanted to see me. I have nothing of my father in me, I hope to God! Is this it? Do I go through these gateposts? Oh, I see I do, there's the Drummond goshawk on the tops.'

He came to life, said sardonically, 'I can see you've done your homework!'

She said coolly, 'I found out about the family crest long ago, before I knew I had any Drummond relations. Found out in Scotland. Oh, how I wish I hadn't been the one to rescue you tonight. I wanted this meeting with my own folks to take place in a natural atmosphere, in one of pure joy. But don't worry, I'll not give you away. But as far as you're concerned, I'll remember the clan motto and gang warily There.' She drew to a neat stop in front of the steps where a welcoming light shone. 'Out you get.'

The door flew open and two people were framed against the light. Anna went round to the passenger door, helped Calum out. He still looked dazed, but perhaps that wasn't solely due to the accident. The two people hurried down the steps, came towards them. Anna almost hated this man for spoiling her moment of homecoming. She said swiftly in response to their cries of thanks and concern, as to a stranger, 'I think he's about all in, delayed shock maybe. I'll be back for my overnight bag when we get him inside.'

She didn't want to appear other than a stranger yet. The old man took Calum's arm. Anna took the other.

Calum said, 'I'm all right, Gilbert. One of Barney's bottles got me. Could have been a lot worse. What's a few stitches? And I was very lucky in my rescuer. She had a good first-aid kit.'

They got into the hall, warm with a night-storage heater, and rosy with a beautiful chandelier. The light fell directly on Anna as she steadied Calum beneath it. She managed to look directly at her grandfather, was aware of his suddenly- riveted attention, and heard a little gasp from her grandmother. She summoned up a gamin grin, looked right at the old masculine face opposite hers and said, 'Like as two peas in a pod, aren't we, Grandfather?' and stepped forward to enclose him in her young, strong arms, holding out a hand very quickly again to include her grandmother in her embrace as well.

'It's true,' she said, 'I'm Anna - oh, my darlings!'

A
PART
from Anna's chaotic feelings regarding the watching Calum, it was a wonderful moment for three people. They drew apart and regarded each other. Anna put her hands to her eyes in a sweeping-away movement and said, 'Oh, do forgive me, I've got such over-active tear-ducts, but they are tears of joy.'

That made it easier for the older people not to feel they had been betrayed into over-sentimentality, which some young people despised.

Gilbert's voice was only just under control. 'Aye, lassie, but so are mine.' Kitty Drummond took out her handkerchief, mopped her eyes. 'But come away in, beside the fire. I'm afraid it's only the kitchen fire tonight. I couldn't be bothered to light the other.' She laughed. 'We were going to have an early night for once so that if you arrived during the next day or so, we'd be fresh for you. Calum, come away in and let me have a good look at you and when we're satisfied, you can tell us how in the world you managed to pick Anna up.'

He grinned.
'She
picked
me
up, literally. And Barney. I'd found him collapsed in the gutter and was taking him home when I skidded.'

They were horrified. 'Barney? Is he all right? He is? Oh, Anna, what a welcome, dealing with the local drunk!'

Kitty steadied Calum into a deep old chair with wing sides. He burst out laughing, groaned, clutched his head each side, said, 'She thought she was dealing with
two
drunks. I got the contents of his kit-bag all over me, you see.'

Gilbert sniffed. 'No wonder, lad. But it looks as if she still coped.'

'She did, even if she was furiously despising me. I was no help to her, kept flaking out. Somehow she heaved me into the front seat, mopped away the blood so I could see, bandaged me up, found my car where it was ditched, and in some way we managed to shake Barney awake and get him across the road and into the back seat. She picked up Rod Staikes in the township, and he guided her to the hospital and saw us in. They're keeping Barney. Then I accused her of being the cause of my skid, though I gave her credit for coming back after all. She didn't half chew my ear!'

'I should think so,' cried Anna. 'The car that put him in the ditch was going the other way. So I - er - blasted him for driving when drunk! I mean, what with the fumes of the beer spilt all over him and his slurred speech - due now, I realize, to faintness - I was just furious. Grandmother, I think he should have a hot bath, he was dreadfully cold when I found him. But someone should be in the bathroom all the time, because he might pass out on us again.'

Calum looked so alarmed, Anna's grandfather started to laugh. 'It's all right, lad, I'll supervise, not Anna.'

Anna boggled. 'I'd no intention of doing it. Whatever made you think that?' She gave Calum a sharp look.

He didn't deny he'd thought it. 'Well, you said you'd done nurse-aiding, and from my experience of nurses they're as bossy as they come, and don't spare a chap's feelings.'

Old Gilbert chuckled again. 'It does me good to hear you two talking like this ... sparring ... we're already one family.'

Anna opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again.

Her grandmother, who'd been gazing and gazing at Anna as if she just couldn't believe her eyes, came to herself and said, 'He'd better get into it right away, Gilbert, so do go and run the bath. I'll go upstairs and switch on the electric blankets. Anna's bed is ready. I made it up myself this morning - couldn't resist putting the last touches to her room. We'll have some soup and toast when you come down. Gilbert, make Calum wear some of your pyjamas - they'll be a lot warmer than those daft nylon things he wears.'