Anne Mather (16 page)

Mr Mason was the estate agent.

'Yes, that's right, Mrs Jones. What is it? What's wrong?'

'I've had a telephone call from Mrs Steinbeck, miss, from Boston. She too had tried to contact John, but without doing so, so she called me. Calls from America are so expensive and she couldn't keep on ringing from that distance.'

'But what's it all about?' asked Caroline, a cold hand seeming to close round her heart.

'It's Mr Steinbeck, miss. He's had a motor car accident and apparently he's in hospital, near his mother's home. They live just outside Boston, a place called Roseberry, and there's a big hospital there.'

Caroline's legs gave way beneath her and she sank down on to a chair by the telephone.

'Is.. .is he badly hurt, Mrs Jones?'

'Mrs Steinbeck said he'd been cut about the face and he'd gashed his left arm pretty badly. They were still unsure about internal injuries.'

'Oh, Mrs Jones!' Caroline felt violently sick. This, to happen to her beloved Adam. It was too much.

'There, miss, don't you go upsetting yourself. These things always sound worse than they really are.'

Caroline shivered. 'Mrs Jones, do you have any idea what a shock this has been?'

'I think so,' replied the older woman. 'I always thought you were more fitting to Mr Adam than to young John. He's too flibberty-gibbety. I think the world of him, of course, but I'm not blind to his faults!'

'Then will you give me Mrs Steinbeck's address?' asked Caroline, making a sudden decision.

Mrs Jones did not hesitate. 'What do you intend to do?' she asked when Caroline had written the address down.

Til leave a message for John, and let him know, and then I'm going to try and make arrangements to go to Boston.'

Mrs Jones sighed. 'I'm so glad, miss, really I am. And I'm sure Mr Adam will be pleased to see you.'

'Do you think so? Do you really think so?' exclaimed Caroline.

'Of course, miss. I've noticed the change in him these last few months. We know him too well to be mistaken.'

Suddenly Caroline realised that she was discussing Adam with his housekeeper, and that would never do. After warm goodbyes she rang off, and sat staring at the telephone for a moment.

Then she marshalled her thoughts. There was nothing she could do until the morning. She would

need a visa to enter the United States, and she could only get that from the American Embassy. Still, there was no harm in making enquiries about flights from London Airport.

After ringing the airport, she rang John's rooms at Radbury and although she couldn't speak to John because he was out she left a message with his landlady. She wondered where he could be. He was supposed to be inundated with work for his exams, but obviously he had taken the evening off. Maybe he was out with a girl. The thought did not disturb her as it should.

When Amanda returned home, Caroline was pacing the floor restlessly, smoking cigarette after cigarette. Amanda frowned when she saw the littered ashtrays.

'What's wrong?' she asked. 'Having cold feet about tomorrow?'

The trip to Greece had gone out of Caroline's head, and she stared at her friend uncomprehendingly for a moment.

'Heavens! I'd forgotten! I'll have to cancel the arrangements!'

'Cancel them?' echoed Amanda blankly. 'Why?'

Caroline explained, and Amanda shook her head. 'And you think this is the right thing to do? I mean, don't you think you ought to wait and ask for John's advice?'

'John and I are finished,' said Caroline heavily. 'I— I've been trying to write to him tonight. As it is—it will have to wait.'

Amanda felt impatient, and then she sighed. 'All right. It seems there's no point in my saying anything. You've made up your mind, haven't you?'

'Yes.' Caroline stubbed out her cigarette decisively. 'I'm only grateful to Aunt Barbara for providing me with this money. For the first time in my life it's going to do me a little good!'

Teresa Steinbeck entered the wide, sunlit room which her son was occupying in the Roseberry Hospital and smiled at Adam cheerfully. She was a tall, well-dressed woman in her early sixties, and looked considerably younger. Only rheumatism threatened her otherwise youthful appearance, and Adam looked at her with affection. Dressed in a heavy silk suit of palest pink, she looked slim and attractive, and most concerned.

'Well, darling,' she said, closing the door and walking to the side of his bed, 'how are you feeling now?'

'Much better,' said Adam with an attempt at a smile. It was painful to move his face at the moment owing to the stitches he had had in his left cheek. His face was partially bandaged and his arm was bound up too. However, apart from a slight pallor he looked quite well.

'Good.' Teresa nodded thankfully. When she had first had the news of the accident she had been terribly upset, but now that the specialist had found no internal injuries she felt much easier in her mind. It had been such an awful thing to happen. Three teenagers in a big convertible losing control of their car and careering across the freeway into Adam's saloon. It was lucky he hadn not been killed, but fortunately no one was seriously hurt. His face might be scarred, of course, but plastic surgery could work wonders.

'Did you hear from John?' asked Adam, frowning.

'I wish you hadn't rung him really, you know. It wasn't necessary.'

'Nonsense. A boy should know when his own father is in hospital.'

'It depends on the father,' replied Adam dryly. 'John and I haven't had too much to say to one another lately.'

Teresa shook her head irritably. 'Stop concerning yourself over the boy. Let him have a bit of worry for a change. Do him good. Becoming too selfish, so he is. Couldn't even bring this girl to meet me before he got himself engaged to her.'

Adam's eyes darkened. 'Mother, that's John's affair. Don't interfere.'

Teresa's eyes twinkled. 'But that's what I am, didn't you know?' she chuckled, 'an interfering old woman.'

Adam looked indulgently at his mother. She didn't know the full facts about John's engagement and perhaps it was just as well. She wouldn't have approved.

'I don't believe that any more than you do,' he replied easily. 'However, let's skip it. When are they letting me out of this place?'

'I spoke to Doctor Morgan before I came to see you, and he said that after the stitches were removed you might be allowed home. I think they're afraid you might suffer from after-effects of the shock.'

Adam frowned irritably. It wasn't in his nature to enjoy lying in a bed all day and he longed to get up and leave.

'That's almost a week in here,' he muttered with a sigh. 'My God, when they get you into these places they don't care much for getting you out. They must make a fortune that way.'

'Now, Adam,' said his mother placatingly, 'you were glad enough of their help a couple of days ago.'

'Maybe so, but I've had enough now.'

Mrs Steinbeck smiled serenely. 'Well, you're staying here until they discharge you, like it or not. Good heavens, you've no emergency waiting for you. They didn't expect you back in England for at least another week.'

'All right.' Adam gave up trying to argue with her. It was no use anyway. Until the stitches were removed it was easier to stay where he was.

The house owned by Teresa Steinbeck stood in Roseberry Drive. It was a massive, palatial mansion which had originally been owned by an American oil tycoon. When Adam purchased the house for her she had been overawed by the size of it, but now she was used to it she really loved the building. The end of the road joined a highway which ran beside the cliffs over-looking Roseberry Sound. A wide beach stretched down to the water which shelved away swiftly and was dangerous for swimming, but the musical sound of the sea could always be heard in the houses in Roseberry Drive, and Teresa, who came from Western Ireland, was nostalgically reminded of her beloved Galway.

When Teresa arrived home, driving herself in the big saloon, her coloured maid, Liza, met her in the marble hallway.

'There's a young lady awaiting to see you, ma'am,' she said worriedly. 'She says her name is Miss Caroline Sinclair and she's English.'

Teresa frowned. She pulled off her gloves and placed them on the hall table. As she did so the name struck a chord in her memory.

'Sinclair, Sinclair,' she murmured thoughtfully. 'I believe that's the name Adam called John's fiancee, Caroline Sinclair. Is John here, too?'

'No, ma'am. Just this young lady.'

'I see. Well, where is she?'

'I put her in the lounge, ma'am. I offered her tea, but she wouldn't have any.'

'Very well, Liza. Bring us some tea in about ten minutes, will you?'

'Yes, ma'am.'

Teresa frowned and crossed the hall to the lounge. This was certainly an unexpected occurrence, unless of course John was ill also and had sent this girl in his place. Opening one of the double white doors she entered the lounge and closed the door behind her. A tall, slim girl was standing by the open French windows, surveying the gardens, now brilliant with colour. She turned as Teresa came in and Teresa thought she had never seen such a beautiful creature. Her long, almost straight fair hair framed a piquantly attractive face in which green eyes dominated her other features. She looked poignantly sad and Teresa felt it was her grief which added to her allure.

'Miss Sinclair,' she said, advancing into the room, holding out a hand.

'Yes.' Caroline shook hands with her. 'You must be Adam's mother. He's very like you.'

Mrs Steinbeck indicated that she should take a seat and Caroline did so.

'Well, what can I do for you?' asked Teresa, seating herself opposite, and offering Caroline a cigarette.

'Are you John's fiancee, by any chance?'

'At the moment,' said Caroline quietly. 'But before you ask me any questions, how is Adam?'

'My son is in Roseberry Hospital,' replied Teresa, completely intrigued by all this. 'He had facial injuries and a severely lacerated arm, but otherwise he is all right. There were no internal injuries as was suspected at first.'

'Thank God!' murmured Caroline, feeling relief sweep over her.

Teresa was completely baffled. If this girl was engaged to John, she was abnormally concerned about his father, whom she couldn't know so well, surely! It was most unusual.

'I expect you're wondering where John is?' said Caroline, drawing on her cigarette.

Teresa shrugged. 'Miss Sinclair, or may I call you Caroline?' Caroline nodded and she continued: 'you have me at a distinct disadvantage. I don't understand at all what this is about. I can understand that John would be very concerned about his father, but as he is obviously not with you at the moment I can't comprehend why you have come alone. Is John ill?'

'No. He's not ill. In fact, I expect when he received your message he too decided to come out here. But Mrs Jones couldn't contact him yesterday evening when you rang, and so she called me. I'm afraid I dropped everything and flew out here immediately. I wanted to see Adam.'

Teresa sighed, still unable to get the full picture.

'Well,' she said slowly, 'I'm. sure that can be arranged. But if you've flown all the way from London, surely you must be tired and hungry.'

Caroline half-smiled. 'Tired, yes; but hungry, no,' she replied. 'Thank you all the same.'

Teresa shrugged helplessly. She sensed instinctively that this girl felt something more than friendship for her son and although she was engaged to her grandson she believed that Caroline was not playing any underhand game. She was too genuinely concerned about Adam. Teresa's innate generosity asserted itself and she said:

'As you're here, you're very welcome to stay for a few days if you would like to. At least until Adam gets out of hospital. And of course, if John arrives he will stay too.'

'Mrs Steinbeck, I feel I should explain,' began Caroline awkwardly, aware of how strange this must all seem to Adam's mother.

'Later,' said Teresa, suddenly standing up. 'Look, you have your reasons for coming here and although I'm sure they concern my son very strongly, I'd rather you rested before attempting to tell me anything. I've just come from the hospital, so we can both go later and see Adam.'

Caroline found tears welling in her eyes. The tension of the last few hours had been almost more than she could bear and now this kindness Adam's mother was showing her proved too much and to her embarrassment she burst into tears.

Teresa moved away, allowing her a few moments of privacy. It was good to cry and clear all tensions from your system. Within a couple of minutes Caroline was composed again and she said:

'Please forgive me. I'm not normally so dramatic. It's simply that I've been so worried.'

'Don't apologise, my dear,' replied Teresa with a smile. 'I, too, gave in to tears when I found he wasn't badly hurt. Women are funny that way.' She turned. 'Ah. . .some tea. Thank you, Liza.'

Liza wheeled in the trolley and smiled at Caroline. Caroline thought she looked a jolly sort of person and she imagined she must be very happy working for as nice a person as Mrs Steinbeck.

After Liza had gone, Teresa poured out the tea and handed a cup to Caroline. After pouring another for herself she said:

'Tell me one thing, Caroline. How long have you known Adam?'

Caroline flushed. 'About six months,' she answered quietly.

'And you and John have only been going out together since January, according to Adam.'