A Pearl for Love (15 page)

There was silence for a moment.

‘
No, he didn
’
t, did
he?
’
John
’
s voice was oddly strained.
‘
I rather think I
’
m going to be busy over the next week or two.
’

‘
Doing what?
’
she asked.

‘
Recovering the money
...
somehow.
’

‘
Do you t
hink
you could find the man again, and get your money back?
’

‘
Confidence men aren
’
t so easy to find. Well, here we are, home again.
’

‘
And I must see Aunt Lucille,
’
Catherine told him.
‘
It
’
s my turn to help her tonight. Elizabeth is going out with Michael.
’

For a moment John sat very still, then he gave a short laugh and opened the car door.

‘
Good luck to her, Kate. When Mother holds her committee meetings, I make myself scarce. They change their minds so often, I wouldn
’
t know where I was among them all. Still, that might be better than complete loyalty to one purpose
...
if it
’
s misplaced.
’

He took her arm as he escorted her into the house and she could feel the steely grip of his fingers. Catherine wanted to slip her hand into his, and to tell him that she would always be there, if he needed to talk to her.

Then Rosalie Craven came sailing out of the drawing room towards them, and came over to kiss John
’
s cheek, ignoring Catherine but for a brief nod.

‘
Darling, I forgot to tell you. Mother insisted that I ask you to dinner tonight, and I thought I had. Only Lucille says I didn
’
t, when I rang to check. It
’
s going to make things difficult if you don
’
t come, as Mother has invited the Eastons and
Leon and Helen Cartwright, so please, can you come? We
’
ll go in my car if you
’
re tired.
’

John was obviously tired, but after a while he nodded.

‘
Maybe I could do with a break tonight, Rosalie,
’
he agreed.
‘
I have to get things in perspective. I must thank
Mrs.
Craven for the invitation. Oh, and I
’
ll take my own car for the sake of getting home.
’

‘
But, darling,
I
can bring you home
...
Catherine didn
’
t wait to hear the reply. Quickly she ran upstairs to wash and change for Aunt Lucille
’
s committee meeting.

When she came down for tea, she found it a silent meal, with only Uncle James, Aunt Lucille and herself. Obviously the older woman had been told about the cheque, and even she was subdued.

What would happen now? wondered Catherine. Would the firm really have to cut down? And if they could no longer afford many staff, who would have to go?

Her own salary was not too large, but it would amount to quite a lot over a year. And they couldn
’
t ask Miss Pryce to go. Not after so many years. The others were all members of the family, and Mike a partner.

Again Catherine began to look into the future. As though in answer to her thoughts, Uncle James
’
s quiet voice penetrated her mind.

‘
Have you tidied all your papers now, Catherine
?’

‘
Just one more small box, Uncle James. I
’
ll
finish it on Saturday. It
’
s taken ages, but there was so much to go through, and
...
and I couldn
’
t concentrate all the time.
’

He smiled kindly.

‘
I know, my dear. When you
’
ve finished on Saturday, come to my study, and we
’
ll talk a little about investments. I think you ought to get the best return possible for the little your father left.
’

She nodded. It was only a few hundreds. He wouldn
’
t want her to invest it in the business, would he? Uncomfortably she remembered Michael telling her that Uncle James used people, and that he had used his father. How could he have used him, if they were partners? Wouldn
’
t they share everything?

‘
Uncle James, was Michael
’
s father a partner? I mean, did he do a lot to put the firm on its feet
?’

A shutter seemed to come over James Sheridan
’
s face as Catherine asked the question. He stared at her, his eyes burning, and Aunt Lucille pushed back her chair a little.

‘
Frederick Rodgers has been dead for ten years,
’
he said, rather harshly.
‘
I don
’
t think we can discuss him now, and his effect on the firm. Who has been telling you about him, Catherine? Michael?
’

‘
He ... he only said he had been a partner. I wondered what
...
what it had been like in those days.
’

‘
Oh.
’
James Sheridan folded his napkin carefully, and slid it into an antique silver ring.
‘
Michael was little more than a schoolboy when his father died. His mother has married again. I rather think he prefers to remember and love his own father, rather than his stepfather, even if he likes and respects him, too. Very understandable. Though he
’
s taking a long time to settle down to life. He
’
s very restless. Perhaps marriage to Elizabeth will help. He needs a steadying influence.
’

‘
He certainly doesn
’
t need me,
’
said a voice from the doorway, and Elizabeth walked into the room, her face deathly pale, and her eyes glittering brightly.

‘
Elizabeth darling! Catherine said you were going out
...
you and Michael
...’

‘
Only to talk over something. It didn
’
t take long. I
’
m no longer engaged to Michael. I
’
ve given him back his ring.
’

‘
Darling!
’
cried her mother again.
‘
But
you and he
...
you and he
...
it
’
s been understood for years
...’

‘
I won
’
t be married off because it
’
s so suitable!
’
cried Elizabeth.

‘
But I thought you loved him!
’
cried Lucille, and Catherine felt her heart go out to the other girl, as her strong composure suddenly gave way, and Elizabeth was just another young girl sobbing her heart out, while her father went round to hold her in his arms.

‘
He
’
s
...
he
’
s been blaming John for
...
for making mistakes and losing us money. Only
he
’
s
the one who
’
s been behind it all. He definitely told John that the cheque was O.K. I
heard
him. I
heard
him, I tell you
!
He says he meant the firm, but he told John the man was O.K., knowing that John would think he was a friend from his club, bringing him in as he did. Mike knows heaps of people from his club, and knows a great deal about what
’
s going on. I tell you, he knew all about that man, even if he denies it.
’

Elizabeth had stopped crying.

‘
And he kept encouraging people to go elsewhere. I could see it all happening, and when I tried to talk to him, he kept putting me off, and pretending it was I who was jealous of Catherine.
’

Here Elizabeth
’
s composure broke again.

‘I
tried to show it didn
’
t matter and I didn
’
t care, for Catherine
’
s sake. I didn
’
t want her to become involved. And I hoped she would ignore it when Mike started looking at her so ... so deliberately, and blaming what I had to say on jealousy. I
...
I think John sensed it, too, and got angry.
’
Elizabeth sobbed quietly for a few moments and James Sheridan stood up, his face white.

‘
Young rascal,
’
he said at length.
‘
That
’
s the finish. Tomorrow he starts to look for another job.
’

‘
I don
’
t know what
’
s happened to him,
’
said Elizabeth.
‘
I really thought he cared for me
...
as ... as I cared for him
...’

After a while she became a little calmer, and more like the old Elizabeth
.

‘
Your friends will soon be arriving, Mother,
’
she said, wiping her eyes.
‘
Can you help, Catherine
?’

‘
Of course,
’
she said readily.
‘
I
...
I
’
m sorry, Elizabeth.
’

‘
No need to worry,
’
said Elizabeth, with a watery smile.
‘
I
’
ll get over it. It happens all the time, but we survive.
’

She excused herself and went upstairs, and Aunt Lucille took Catherine
’
s arm as they went into the lounge, where, shortly, her ladies arrived and she got involved in a great deal of chatter, even if only Catherine knew what an effort she was making to keep it a normal evening.

Catherine
’
s thoughts turned to Michael. So it was Michael who would be leaving the firm! Uncle James had spoken as though he were an employee, though, not a partner. That seemed strange, but it was not really her affair. That could all be left to Uncle James.

Yet it would be strange without Michael in the shop. She thought of his dark good looks, and of the strange disturbing effect he
’
d had on her when she first came. That was when he was deliberately taking notice of her.

Would the restless, disturbing atmosphere she had often experienced about the shop disappear after Michael went?

No one ever knew what James Sheridan said to Michael Rodgers. This time the office door was
firmly closed, and when Michael appeared, his face was ve
r
y white and he walked over to collect a few of his personal things, then made for the door, pausing only to look for a long moment at Elizabeth.

Catherine felt her heart shake as she watched, aware of some sort of intense feeling between them, then Michael was gone, and Elizabeth standing rigid and composed.

Miss Pryce seemed to be the most affected, her face scarlet as she buzzed about like an angry bee.

‘
They
’
ll be sorry,
’
she muttered to Catherine.
‘
It was Michael
’
s right to be here. His father helped to build all this. It is his son
’
s right to take his place here with the others.
’

‘
Only if he gives complete loyalty,
’
Catherine said, rather absently, looking at John, who had just come in.

‘
Michael has gone,
’
Miss Pryce told him loudly.
‘
Your father has just fired him.
’

John said nothing, but strode on into the office. He had been home late the previous evening, and had been told the main details of what had happened. Now they could hear low voices as he talked things over with his father, and when he appeared, his face was cold and inscrutable.

‘
My father and I will take care of the clocks and watches till
Mr.
...
Mr.
Rodgers is replaced,
’
he said flatly, and Miss Pryce sniffed. John looked at her levelly, and she flushed.