Kate's Progress (37 page)

‘That’s true,’ Kate said. ‘You have to really tug my door before it will sneck. It’s always coming open.’

Addison whirled on her. ‘Don’t you dare speak to me! I know what’s going on here. Ever since you arrived with your mealy-mouthed, butter-wouldn’t-melt, country-girl act, it’s been one thing after another. You’re trying to get your claws into Edward, but it won’t work, I promise you that! With your stupid freckles and your horrible hair – do you think any man would look twice at a pathetic slob like you? You don’t seem to realize he just feels sorry for you. Where’s your pride? For God’s sake, buy yourself a hairbrush and do something about your face!’

‘Addison,’ Ed said warningly.

She turned on him. ‘Don’t you dare take her side! You’re an idiot, you don’t seem to realize what she’s doing, trying to drive a wedge between us. Look at her! What rational man would want –
that
– instead of me? There isn’t even a choice!’

‘Then you’ve nothing to worry about, have you?’ he said quietly.

She glared at him, trying to read his face, trying to work out what his words meant. Kate knew that, because she was doing the same thing. The wounded Laboutin was still in Addison’s hand, and, growing bored with the talk, Chewy stood up and put his nose up to sniff it, wondering if he could have another go. Addison pulled her hand sharply back, and kicked Chewy hard in the ribs.

He yipped and backed away, ears down and soulful eyes rolling in hurt. There was a sense of the room holding its breath.

‘Do not,’ Ed said in a quiet that was menacing, ‘kick my dog. Do not ever kick a dog in my house.’

‘
Your
house?’ Addison cried. She sounded angry, but her eyes looked close to tears. ‘I start to wonder who really
is
in charge here! Shut those dogs up, and get
her
out of here, or—’

‘Or what?’ Ed asked, exquisitely polite.

Addison’s eyes narrowed. ‘Or I leave. Right now.’ Ed said nothing. ‘I mean it. Which is it to be?’

Kate held her breath. Jack held his breath. The world seemed not to dare to breathe for the moment.

Then Ed said, ‘I can’t ask Kate to leave in her present condition. And I won’t. As for the dogs—’

‘I see.’ Addison’s breath came out in a long hiss. ‘I’m not going to stand around and be insulted. You’ll be sorry for this tomorrow. But it will be too late. Don’t think I’ll take you back, because I won’t. I won’t have to do with a man who doesn’t know how to treat the best thing that’s ever come into his life. I don’t know what I ever saw in you! There are men out there
fighting
over me, you know!’ She whirled on her heel and stormed out.

Ed stood where he was, his head a little bowed, staring down, it seemed, at Ralph, who stared up at him hopefully and swished his tail against the carpet to indicate he was ready for anything that might be required of him. Then he said, without addressing anyone in particular, ‘I’m sorry you had to witness that,’ and left the room, with Ralph and Chewy at his heels.

In the silence that followed, Kate did not want to meet Jack’s eyes. She was afraid he would say something flippant, and she was too upset, both because of the row, and because of what it must have done to Ed, to bear that.

But in the end he said quietly, ‘Poor bugger. He does choose badly. First Flavia, then ten years of nothing, then Addison. Why can’t he fall for a nice, normal girl?’

‘Will he be all right?’ Kate asked in a small voice.

Jack shrugged. ‘As all right as he ever is. Look, if she’s going now, we don’t want to run into her on her way out. I’ll carry you up to your room by the backstairs. Unless,’ he said thoughtfully, ‘you want to stay for another drink?’

‘I don’t think I want to talk any more,’ she said. ‘I’d like to go to bed.’

‘Very wise,’ said Jack. ‘There’s probably been enough talk tonight.’

Kate slept heavily, and woke to the sound of rain, pattering on leaves and gurgling in the gutter that ran above her window. The patch of sky outside looked grey and chilly, and the trees were bending in a brisk breeze. She was warm, however, with Chewy, Ralph and Jacob all curled up on her bed; Sylvester, she saw, was neatly couched down on top of the clothes she had discarded last night and thrown on to the chair. His paws were folded under like the bluff bows on a barge, and from this angle his mouth looked as if it was smiling.

The rain suited her mood. After the emotions of yesterday, she felt worn out, and there was a curious stillness inside her, as if she had no capacity to feel anything more. Her time here was coming to an end, she knew that. As soon as she could put weight on her foot, she would have to leave – back to Little’s, yes, but more than that: back to London. She had been involved for a little space with an upheaval in this family she had come to care for, but she didn’t belong with them. She wouldn’t hang around until they were forced, ever so politely, to point that out. She would keep her dignity and take her leave.

She drifted back into a doze, until Mrs B knocked and came in with a tray. ‘I thought you’d prefer to have breakfast in bed and take your time about getting up,’ she said. She set the tray down, straightened up, and said with some triumph, ‘She’s gone.’

‘She has?’ Kate queried.

‘Miss Bruckmeyer. Went last night apparently. Ed didn’t say much, but I gather she’s not expected back.’ She looked at Kate to see how she felt about that, but Kate didn’t feel it was right for her to express anything either way. Mrs B sniffed and supplied her own epitaph. ‘She didn’t fit in with our ways,’ she pronounced. ‘Too much of a town person, to my mind. I’m not sorry to see her go.’

‘I expect Ed is, though.’

Mrs B looked sceptical. ‘I don’t believe he was that fond of her. Anyway, she wasn’t good enough for him, that I
do
know.’

Kate’s eyes slowly widened as revelation came to her. ‘It was
you
!’ she said.

Mrs B stiffened. ‘I beg your pardon?’

‘
You
let the dogs into her room.’

‘What an idea! As if I would. I expect she didn’t shut her door properly.’

But there was a gleam of satisfaction in her eye. Kate found herself wondering about the lost ten years and all the women Jack said had thrown themselves at Ed. Had Mrs B had a hand in seeing them all off – setting brisk, judicious action in the scales against Ed’s diffidence?

But perhaps she hadn’t needed to. Anyone who married Ed would be marrying the Blackmore Estate, the farms, the family, and the animals as well. They would have to love him very much to take all that on. It would be enough to daunt the casual enquirer.

Mrs B was taking her departure, but paused to look back at Kate with what seemed, to Kate’s startled glance, like approval. ‘You take your time getting up,’ she said kindly. ‘Nothing to hurry for. And I’ll tell you something else – Madam didn’t come home last night.’

And having bestowed this nugget, she took her leave.

Someone had thoughtfully left a walking-stick propped against her wardrobe, and with its aid, she could get about all right, even managed the stairs. She could just dot her foot down this morning, though she still couldn’t take any weight on it. Realistically, she couldn’t go back to Little’s yet – would have to stay here at least another day. She was torn two ways about that. She longed just to be near Ed; but the sooner she got away and started the healing process, the better it would be for her. She knew that’s what Lauren would say. Jess, being an incurable romantic and having little grasp of reality at the best of times, would tell her to stay as long as she could in the hope of being suddenly noticed
à la
Barbara Cartland: ‘My God, but – you’re
beautiful
!’ Some hope!

All was quiet downstairs. She got back on the sofa with Lizzie and Jane. She realized that this probably was not the best book for someone in her frame of mind; but she spent as much time staring at the rain running down the window panes as reading, in any case. The dogs surged in, suggesting she’d feel much better if she went out for a nice long walk, and that rain was
lovely
, really it was; but when she didn’t take the bait, they folded up philosophically in various spots around the room, just glad of the company.

The sound of a car outside broke into the somnolence, everyone perked up and looked at the door, and a moment later Camilla came in, wearing – Kate would never have thought to see the day – a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a sweater too big for her. She had her dress from last night over her arm, her face was innocent of make-up, and she looked about twenty-five and wonderfully excited.

‘Well!’ Kate said.

Camilla tried to look stern, but her mouth wanted to smile and wouldn’t cooperate. ‘You knew,’ she accused.

‘I knew what?’ Kate hedged.

‘You knew Harry was going to propose.’

‘Advice to the lovelorn is the prerogative of the bedridden,’ Kate said. Camilla blinked at that, long words not being her forte. ‘You’re going too fast. Tell me everything. Was Armandine’s nice?’

‘It’s lovely, very romantic, but that’s not the point. It was Harry – he was so different! I’ve always liked him, always thought he was a lovely man, but nothing more than that. He never behaved as though he wanted to be anything but a friend.’

‘Diffidence,’ Kate said. ‘He didn’t think he had a chance with you.’

‘Well, I call that silly,’ said Camilla. ‘How could I know whether I liked him, when I didn’t know he liked me?’

‘That’s what I said. And you did? My God,’ she said, suddenly realizing, ‘you haven’t said yet if you accepted him. I’m assuming – oh, please say you didn’t turn him down. Please say you said yes.’

‘Of course I said yes,’ Camilla exclaimed, and Kate felt a ridiculous surge of relief and satisfaction. ‘Would I have stayed the night if I’d said no?’

‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ said Kate. Camilla blushed slightly, which made Kate blush. They’d hit a very personal point in the conversation, and Kate was suddenly afraid Camilla might tell her how it was, while Camilla feared Kate might ask. ‘I’m so happy for you,’ Kate went on quickly, to steer away from the rock. ‘I think he’ll make a wonderful husband and you’ll be very happy.’

‘I think so too,’ said Camilla. ‘He was so different last night – at the restaurant, I mean,’ she added hastily, though it was clear she was meaning afterwards as well. ‘So strong and masculine and determined and – well, you could just imagine him in the army, leading his men, and them all adoring him. The sort of man you’d follow into battle. That you’d trust with your life.’

‘Yes,’ said Kate. ‘I can see that.’

‘So when he asked, and he said he didn’t expect me to answer right away, that I’d need time to think about it, I didn’t even stop to think. I just said yes, and as soon as I said it I knew it was right.’ She sighed, looking around the room but probably not seeing it. ‘It’ll be strange to be going away from here after all these years. Harry has a lovely house – I remember when I was a child his mother used to open it to the public on Queen Alexandra day. Of course, it needs redecorating. Harry says I can have a free hand – it’ll be such fun! Re-doing a house that will really be my own, not like this place. I shall get Flick to help me – might as well keep it in the family. Oh, and he wants to buy me a new horse as a wedding present. He says Henna’s not really right for me, and I think he’s probably right.’ She smiled as another thought occurred to her. ‘It’ll be nice to have a permanent bridge partner, too. We can have bridge parties at home. The morning room would be perfect for that – you could easily get six tables in there.’

In all this joy and expansiveness, Kate gave a thought for Jocasta. ‘I wonder what Jocasta will think. I know she likes him, but how will she feel about leaving The Hall?’

‘Oh, as long as she can take the ponies, she won’t mind. Though Harry says we ought to start thinking about a proper horse for her. She’s old enough. There’s a lovely room at the back that will be just right for her bedroom, with a linen cupboard next door we can convert into an en-suite shower room. In any case, she’ll be away at school a lot of the time, so it won’t be such a big adjustment for her.’

It seemed as good a time as any to put in a word. Kate said, ‘She really hates being at boarding school. She was talking to me about it. She’d love to go to day school instead. She mentioned a place called Comyns?’

‘Oh, a child her age doesn’t know her own mind. She talks about hating school, but everyone does.
I
did, when I was her age.’

Kate left it. It wasn’t for her to interfere. She had planted the seed – anything more might be counterproductive.

‘So, when’s the happy day going to be?’ she asked.

‘We’re talking about the beginning of September,’ Camilla said happily. ‘I’ll need time to have my dress made and arrange the wedding. I’ve been thinking of venues … .’

She went off into a happy burble of wedding plans, and Kate allowed herself to drift on the stream of warm air, only half listening, until Camilla came back down to earth and said briskly, ‘I must go up and change. I look an absolute fright. And I’ve a million phone calls to make.’

And she was gone, the dogs following her in the happy delusion that brisk movement meant a walk for them. She was so happy, Kate realized, she hadn’t asked about Addison.

Kate was alone for lunch. Camilla had drifted back down in a smart jersey two-piece and a cloud of perfume to say she was going out to lunch with Harry and some friends – presumably to make the announcement. Jack was seeing some potential customers, taking them to lunch at the Blue Ball; and Ed simply didn’t appear. Mrs B brought her soup on a tray and the news that one of the gutters was leaking. ‘Always something to be done with an old house like this,’ she sighed, ‘and Bradshaw shouldn’t be going up ladders at his age.’ Evidently Camilla hadn’t told her the news, so Kate didn’t mention it. It wasn’t her place.

After lunch she was restless for fresh air, and as the rain seemed to be easing a little, she struggled into a wax jacket and elderly hat she found in the welly lobby, and with the aid of her trusty walking-stick managed to hobble round the dank and dripping garden for a quarter of an hour. The dogs watched her from the scullery door – so much for their fine words! Only Jacob ventured out to join her, but he dashed in as soon as she did, and seemed to take great pleasure in standing on his hind legs and making an interesting pattern on her jeans with his muddy front ones.