A Pearl for Love (20 page)

‘
Freddie and I started this business together when we came out of the Army. We were both married, with a son
...
Elizabeth was born a year later
...
and we had such plans for our families. It was hard work, but we put our heads down and got on with it. I had already trained in the buying and selling of diamonds, and Freddie was a watchmaker who was skilled at mending watches and clocks.

‘
We took chances, but gradually Freddie wanted to take more chances than I did. He was a gambler, though at the time I didn
’
t realise how much of a gambler he was. He used to listen to racing results on a small radio he kept at the back of the shop, and I often teased him about losing his shilling.
’

James Sheridan sighed, his eyes rather bleak.

‘
Only it wasn
’
t a shilling, Catherine. It
...
was a great deal more. I knew little about it at first, until Joan Rodgers came to see Lucille one day. She was in distress, and we learned the true state of Freddie
’
s home life. He was deeply in debt, all things of value having been sold, and Joan was in despair, wondering which way to turn for necessities.

‘
Fortunately the financial side of our business was conducted in such a way that Freddie couldn
’
t draw out more than his share of the profits, or I dare say it would have been lost for both of us. The four of us ... he and Joan, Lucille and myself ... sat down and worked things out till we had a true picture of his finances, and I think we were all very shocked. Especially Freddy. He was a cheerful,
lovable man, but for him gambling had become a disease. His little
“
flutters
”
had grown and grown till it grew into something he couldn
’
t handle. One could not blame him, Catherine. It
’
s a ... a form of illness in much the same way as alcoholism. It
’
s one of the worst for the family to bear.

‘
Freddy offered a solution, and asked me to buy him out. He wanted to wipe the slate clean, and try to start afresh, and it was quite a setback to Lucille and me, trying to find the money to give to Freddie. Lucille had a little money of her own, which she insisted on putting into the kitty, and I parted with some things I had hoped never to lose
...
old books and pictures which I have never been able to replace. The rest we borrowed.
’

Catherine said nothing. She watched James Sheridan and knew that she was hearing exactly what had happened all those years ago.

‘
It
’
s true that the business was just beginning to pay. Perhaps in some ways that was unfair to Freddie, but we didn
’
t see it like that at the time. We had no real means of knowing that success lay | ahead.

‘
At any rate, Lucille and I made a great effort and gradually we came out on top. Freddie set aside a room, in his house and kept on mending clocks and watches, and letting Joan manage things for him. We sent him as much work as we could and sometimes, we knew, the old disease would break out and he would keep having to make fresh
starts.

‘
I went to see him as often as I could, hoping to help. But he changed, and became bitter. Then he was ill and
...
well, he died.
’

James sighed.

‘
The children were growing up. We helped Joan as best we could, and after a time she married again. Michael grew into a fine boy, and when I used to remember the plans Freddie and I made for our sons, I offered him a position in the firm.

‘
Even in those days,
I ...
I felt he and Elizabeth would
...’
James broke off again, his face hardening suddenly.
‘
I didn
’
t know he had his own plans made
...
behind my back!
’
he said harshly.
‘
He was using his position in the firm for his own ends. I can
’
t imagine his mother would know. Joan
’
s a fine woman, and was always grateful for any help we tried to give. She
’
s moved from the old house now. We
’
ve rather lost touch with her, but we used to send her our fondest regards
...
through Michael. I wonder if she ever got them!
’

There was a long silence while Catherine sat quietly by the fireside. She thought of Michael
’
s dark unhappy eyes and how convinced he was that the Sheridans had cheated his family. Did he have a point in that James Sheridan had reaped the benefit of years of work done by his father? Yet his father could so easily have ruined the business entirely.

‘
Does Michael know? That his father had gambled away his share of the business?
’

Uncle James frowned.

‘
Of course. At least, he knew his father had to sell out for financial reasons. I don
’
t know how much his mother told him when he was old enough to understand
...’

His frown deepened as he stared at Catherine.

‘
We made no secret of it to him. Though, of course, any time I spoke to Michael about his father, it was mainly about the happy times in our association. But he knew why the partnership had been dissolved.
’

‘
But he believes you took his best years of hard work, then bought him out just
before
the business became prosperous. He believes that was a form of cheating.
’

‘
His mother wouldn
’
t allow him to believe that.
’

‘
I should have thought his mother would say nothing to cast reflection on his father
’
s memory.
’

James was leaning forward.

‘
No,
’
he said slowly,
‘
that
’
s true. I ... I suppose I never really thought about it. Time has gone past, and for me the early struggles of those days have dimmed down. And they were struggles, believe me. And it never occurred to me that it could be different for Michael
...
that he had, in fact, been nursing this grudge. I ... I thought he would become like another son to me, when he married Elizabeth. I thought he really loved her, even as children.
’

Uncle James sat tapping the arm of his chair, and Catherine leaned forward.

‘
Couldn
’
t you tell him the truth?
’
she asked gently, and watched a slow flush mount his cheeks.

‘
He shouldn
’
t have to be told anything,
’
he said angrily.
‘
He
’
s been treated honourably and decently ever since he came into the firm. I was willing to trust him with my daughter
’
s happiness. If that wasn
’
t enough for him, I don
’
t know what was. Why should I go crawling to him to make him think well of me? He would only accuse me of
l
ying to blacken his father!
’

Catherine nodded. This was probably true. It looked as though there was a great misunderstanding between Michael Rodgers and the Sheridans, and it was insurmountable.

Only Elizabeth was in the middle.

‘
Not even for Elizabeth
’
s sake
?’
she asked gently.

‘
Especially for her sake. I can no longer trust that young man. Elizabeth will get over him. She
’
s young enough.
’

But Elizabeth felt things so deeply, thought Catherine, and her thoughts turned to John. Perhaps she could appeal to him to help. Somehow it seemed cruel that two young people could be so unhappy because of things that had happened in the past. Because she was now convinced that Michael
’
s heart was aching as much as Elizabeth
’
s.

She rose.
‘
I think I
’
ll go to bed, Uncle James.
’

‘
All
right, my dear. Oh, if you care to let me see your pearl again
...’

The pearl! Her face paled a little, and she sat down again suddenly.

‘
Why didn
’
t you tell me about it? Did Mother know?
’

Again he looked at her levelly.

‘
I don
’
t know, but looking back, I don
’
t think so. Though I couldn
’
t be sure of that at the time. You see, your father said he had plans for that pearl, but didn
’
t say what they were. Remembering my experience with Freddie
...’

James Sheridan
’
s cheeks suddenly coloured again, and Catherine could sense his embarrassment.

‘
You see, my dear, I thought I knew Freddie so well, but I didn
’
t know him at all. I had no idea he was such a gambler. So that when your father wouldn
’
t discuss the pearl, I ... I didn
’
t want to pry too deeply. Later
...
well, I wondered if it hadn
’
t gone to meet some liabilities, which I knew nothing about, and I didn
’
t want to ask your mother in case it upset her in any way.

‘
David said it was a secret from her, as yet. That
’
s the last we heard. Suppose I had asked her, and her hopes had been raised, then she had found that the pearl had been used for
...
well, something. Wouldn
’
t that have been upsetting?

‘
So I decided it wasn
’
t my affair. I offered to help her in any way I could, as I had done with Joan. I encouraged her to take a holiday, knowing you were all right with the Neills.
Then
...
later
...
when that tragic business
happened, I encouraged you to come here, and to go through things carefully
...
just in case. I was sure Alison would come to me if she found it, or would tell me if she had sold it elsewhere. You see?
’

‘
I see,
’
said Catherine slowly, then she looked at him levelly.
‘
Will you want to buy the pearl, Uncle James?
’

His eyes twinkled.

‘
Only if you really want to sell it, and I think your father
’
s old market for his pearl should have first refusal, don
’
t you? I can hardly start a new line with one pearl.
’

Her eyes cleared and she bent forward and kissed his cheek.

‘
Uncle James, I don
’
t deserve you. I
’
m sorry.
’

‘
For
what?
’

‘
Lots and lots, but it
’
s getting late. I must go up now.
’

‘
All right, my dear. Goodnight.
’

As she mounted the stairs, the front door opened, and John came into the hall. For a long moment they stared at one another, but Catherine saw no softening of his mouth.

Perhaps he had been out with Rosalie, she thought. Perhaps it cheered him to know that one girl wanted him. Miss Pryce had hinted that she also wanted the diamonds he could give her, but perhaps it wasn
’
t true, and Rosalie now knew she really loved John.

‘
Goodnight,
’
she called huskily.

She wanted to apologise to him for doubting their motives in taking her into their home.

‘
Goodnight,
’
he said crisply, and she went on up to bed.