Next Door to Romance (21 page)

'Yes, but did you?' she persisted.

'I did hear something about it,' Mark admitted carelessly. 'But really—' he half turned away from her.

'It's important, Mark,' Lisa said steadily. 'You see, there's a story going round that Mr Cosgrave is behind him coming here—that he's making it worth his while to do so,' Lisa paused, but Mark didn't speak. 'And someone is spreading lies about Tom not being any good at his job—'

Mark shrugged.

'Too bad!' he said indifferently.

'It
is
too bad,' Lisa said quietly. 'And I'd rather not have to believe that anyone could be so mean and beastly as to try to do him harm like that. So I want to know just how deeply Mr Cosgrave is concerned. Please tell me if you know, Mark, so that I can do my best to stop these stories—for your sake as well as Tom's.'

Mark hesitated.

'I don't know for sure one way or the other,' he said carefully at length. 'But it wouldn't surprise me if there was some truth in it. After all, Farrier asked for it, and he deserves whatever comes to him, in my opinion. He's made an absolute pest of himself over that confounded dog and he ought to have realized that the old man doesn't take treatment like that sitting down. And now I must go!'

A moment or so later, the sound of the car faded away in the distance.

Lisa went up to her room and sat down abruptly on the edge of her bed, her legs suddenly weak as if solid ground had been swept away from under them. She was quite certain that Mark did know all about this attack on Tom. And it was quite clear that he thought Mr Cosgrave's attitude was entirely justified.

But much as that troubled her, there was still something worse for her to brood over. Certainly Mark had said he was sorry he wouldn't be coming down to Addingly for a while. But he hadn't said a word about the ring he had planned to give her this week, nor given her a hint of when they would now formally announce their engagement.

If ever they did.

The thought came involuntarily, and she did her best to dismiss it. But it wasn't as easy as that.

Mr Cosgrave didn't appear in court when the case against him for being responsible for Chicot's death came up. Instead, he was represented by a solicitor who put up no other defence for his client other than that there had been no deliberate cruelty, though admittedly thoughtlessness which Mr Cosgrave greatly regretted.

'But I don't understand, Tom,' Lisa said when the sentence of a fine had been imposed and they left the court. 'I'd taken it for granted that he'd put up a fight or make an appeal if it went this way.'

'His solicitor must have convinced him that he hadn't a leg to stand on,' Tom explained. 'Not with the evidence of the R.S.P.C.A. man as well as mine.'

'No, I suppose not,' Lisa agreed thoughtfully. And then, with relief: 'Well, there's one thing, Tom, after today, no one with a grain of sense will believe that nonsense about you not looking after Chicot properly!'

'That's what I'm hoping—though mud sticks, you know. Still, in time, no doubt it will blow over. But even if it does, I'm not out of the wood yet, you know!'

'How do you mean?' Lisa asked, puzzled. 'You've just said—'

'That as far as malicious gossip is concerned, there may well be no more trouble. But that's not the whole of the story, is it? This new chap—Robin Enderby— will still be here, and frankly, Lisa, it's impossible to say just what difference his presence is going to make to my practice.'

'Oh!' Lisa said blankly. 'I'd forgotten him!'

'Had you? Well, I hadn't,' Tom said grimly. 'And what's more, neither has Cosgrave! Don't you see, Lisa, he's had to give up his idea of a short-term retaliation because the evidence against him was too strong. But the long-term plan—that's a different matter! He's out for—revenge. Sounds melodramatic, I know, but that's what it comes to. And he may bring it off!'

Lisa would have given a lot to be able to tell him that he was wrong, that Mr Cosgrave had had nothing to do either with the gossip or with Robin Enderby's arrival. But though Mark hadn't definitely confirmed that it was true, he hadn't contradicted it, either. So she must just let Tom assume that he was right, and she was growing increasingly sure that he was!

'This Robin Enderby,' she said slowly. 'What's he like?'

'You haven't met him yet?' Tom asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

'No. I—I haven't been out very much lately,' Lisa admitted. 'Mark's away on business, you see—'

It sounded extremely lame, she thought, but to her relief, Tom accepted the explanation without comment.

'I haven't met him either,' he told her. 'But Celia has, and according to her he's quite a good type. Fairly recently qualified, though this isn't his first job. He was assistant to a chap somewhere down in Devon. Enthusiastic about his work—and quite good-looking— which I, of course, am not!' he added grimly. 'Well, there it is! We'll just have to see.'

'Yes, but, Tom, couldn't there be enough work for both of you?' Lisa suggested. 'I mean, you've been saying for a long time that you needed help—'

'And so I do. But that's not quite the same as having a rival in the field, is it?'

'No,' Lisa admitted, 'it isn't. Tom—' she went on after a moment's thought, 'do you think he knows—I mean, if it's true that Mr Cosgrave is backing him, then he must realize that there's a reason for it, mustn't he? I mean, people don't just arrive out of the blue and help you like that do, they? And it must cost quite a lot for equipment to say nothing of something to live on until a practice develops. So if, as Celia says, he is a good type, he can't know the true reason, surely?'

'I know, I've thought of that,' said Tom. 'And even if he was quite honestly convinced that I was a wash-out and that he was justified in pushing me out, I don't think he could have done that after today. So it makes one wonder, just how does he explain the situation to himself? Or perhaps one should say, how has it been explained to him?'

For a moment or so Lisa thought over what he had said. Then, slowly, she replied.

'You know, Tom, so far I've only seen this from your point of view, and I've blamed Mr Enderby for—for—'

'For playing Cosgrave's game?' Tom suggested.

Lisa nodded.

'Yes,' she admitted. 'I'm afraid you're right, Tom, and that he is at the back of all this. But as I was saying, if Celia is right and he—Mr Enderby—is nice, then if one day he finds out he's been made use of, he isn't going to find it very pleasant.'

'No,' Tom agreed, 'he certainly isn't! Yes, I see what you mean, Lisa. If that day comes, then we won't be able to help but feel sorry for the chap! And now, what about a bit of lunch before we go back?'

It was on the tip of Lisa's tongue to refuse—but really, why should she? She and Tom were old friends and if he wasn't exactly in a mood for celebrating, he must most certainly be feeling such a strong sense of relief at the way things had gone that to relax over good food and drink was a very natural instinct.

'Thank you, Tom, I'd like that!'

He took her to the best hotel in the town, and it was perhaps a little surprising that at a nearby table to their own Evadne Cosgrave was lunching with—Robin Enderby.

His back was to them so they could not see his expression, but it was clear that he was talking very earnestly to Evadne—and that she was exerting herself to be gay and entertaining.

'Well, well!' Tom said softly. 'Is he beginning to ask questions already, do you think?'

'I don't know,' Lisa said uneasily. 'But I could wish we hadn't come to the same place as they have, Tom!'

'Oh well, too late to worry now,' Tom said matter-of-factly as he studied the menu. 'Now then, what about starting with melon—?'

Lisa exerted herself to take an interest in the choice of food but, in fact, it was a wasted effort, for she hardly tasted what she ate.

Evadne, of course, had seen them, and once again Lisa had seen that look of sheer malice in her eyes. But this time there was no suggestion of jealousy. Instead, Lisa could have declared that there was amusement and triumph.

Yet the case they had just heard had gone against her father, so she couldn't be exulting over that! So what was it that was giving her so much satisfaction? Lisa refused even to let herself guess.

Mark rang up that evening, and at the sound of his gay, confident voice Lisa's spirits rose.

'Is everything going all right, Mark?' she asked, and crossed her fingers in case that wasn't the right question to ask. But it seemed that it was.

'First rate!' he assured her jubilantly. 'Couldn't be better! But I don't want to waste time talking about work! I want to know how my girl is.'

'Fine!' Lisa said, and immediately decided that the solitary word somehow didn't sound very convincing, and judging by the silence from Mark's end, he could well be thinking the same thing. 'Except, of course, that I'm missing you badly!' she added hastily.

'My poor sweet!' Mark said caressingly. 'Well, with anything like luck, it shouldn't be very long now! What?'

His manner had altered with the last word and Lisa thought she heard another voice—a woman's voice—in the background. Then silence, as if Mark had put his hand over the mouthpiece.

'Mark!' Lisa said sharply.

'It's all right, darling,' Mark said reassuringly. 'We haven't been cut off. But I'm dining with some friends and my hostess just came in to tell me that dinner is ready. So I mustn't keep them waiting—'

'Just a minute, please, Mark,' Lisa said hurriedly. 'There's something I want to ask you. I—I suppose you've heard what happened today—about Mr Cosgrave and Chicot?'

'Oh, that!' To Lisa's surprise, Mark laughed. 'Yes, the old man got off with a fine that he'd hardly notice! Inevitable, of course, though we had the deuce of a job convincing him that with the evidence stacked against him the way it was he hadn't got a chance.'

'We?' Lisa said quickly.

'Yes, Gilling, the solicitor and I,' Mark explained, and then: 'But I really must go. 'Bye, darling!' and he rang off.

For a moment Lisa stood looking at the unresponsive instrument she held in her hand, a puzzled expression on her face. Then slowly and very carefully, she replaced it in its cradle.

'Oh yes, he's very good-looking, and no doubt very charming as well,' Celia said with scornful indifference. 'But as far as I'm concerned, I've no use for him, either professionally or socially. And I've seen to it that he knows it!'

Lisa had met her in the village and being overburdened with parcels, had been glad to accept Celia's offer of a lift back home. Now she rather wished she hadn't, for almost immediately Celia brought up the subject of Robin Enderby, and with her usual outspokenness, had made her feelings regarding him perfectly clear.

'Then you do believe this story that's going round—?' Lisa asked hesitantly.

'About Mr Cosgrave having brought him here?' Celia finished briskly. 'Oh yes, of course I do! It's true!'

'But you can't know for sure—'

'Oh yes, I can,' Celia contradicted flatly. 'I asked Robin flat out, and he didn't try to deny it. I'll say that for him, though he'd got some ridiculous story about Mr Cosgrave having known his father and owing him a debt of gratitude which he was only too glad to be able to pay back by helping Robin.'

'Well, it could be true,' Lisa suggested, admittedly rather doubtfully.

'Poppycock!' Celia retorted. 'If anyone ever did Mr Cosgrave a good turn, he just grabbed it with both hands and despised the person responsible for being such a fool! As I told Robin that as well. He was livid-he's one of those people who likes to think everybody is decent and straight even against all the evidence. However, hearing Tom's and the R.S.P.C.A. man's evidence the other day shook him considerably, especially when I'd filled in a few gaps for him and made him see that Mr Cosgrave was simply using him to play a dirty trick on Tom. On Tom, of all people, who is as straight and decent and clever as they come, if only people realized it more, as they would if he wasn't so modest and unassuming!'

'Tom—modest?' Lisa explained. 'Well, of course I know he's good at his job and doesn't blow his own trumpet—'

'Oh, that's only the beginning of it!' Celia declared, and gave Lisa a quick sideways glance. 'Do you mean to say he's never told you that he's written a couple of books that are regarded as the last word in practical veterinary instruction for ordinary people—I wouldn't be without them for anything! And that, besides that, he's been approached at least four times about doing world tours. Lectures, you know.'

'No, I didn't know,' Lisa admitted wonderingly.

'Well, you do now,' Celia said bluntly. 'And I hope you can also see why, feeling as I do about Tom, I've no use for anybody who hurts him or makes things difficult for him!'

'You're very loyal,' Lisa said slowly.

'I think loyalty is one of the most important things in the world,' Celia declared with evident sincerity. 'Don't you?'

'Yes, I do,' Lisa agreed.

But loyalty to what? To the man one loved? Or to the standards one had been brought up to believe were right?

Because she was not at all sure that it was possible to be loyal to both.