The Dark Stranger (19 page)

“
No? He
’
s not the only Pentreath to take what he wants my dear, and he has no legal authority over Tina. Young people these days do their own choosing and I, for one don
’
t blame them.
”

The rain had stopped. Tina in her bedroom sat staring at the old-fashioned sprigged paper, her thoughts refusing
to stretch further than Belle
’
s revelation. All that money
...
and Belle had known when she bought so lavishly that Craig must meet the bills without protest, without even thanks from the stranger whom he was benefiting
...
Belle had used her as a goad, secure in the knowledge that she, herself, was safe, and now she had destroyed that slender link which Tina, in her foolishness, had forged to happiness. Tremawvan could never be home. She belonged only by virtue of circumstance, the unwilling victim of a Pentreath who could dispense charity for a whim, as his kinsmen before him had plundered and wrecked and cast out what they no longer wanted.

With unsteady hands she packed a small suitcase with her immediate requirements. She must get away now, before Craig could return in the evening, before Brownie could come prying with kindly solicitude.

Tomorrow she must look for work, somehow, somewhere. If she could get a lift into Merrynporth, she could find a room for the night and in the morning she would take stock of what marketable qualities she possessed and how best to earn a living.

She slipped out of the house unseen and across the wet fields to the road. She walked a long way, her suitcase growing too heavy to carry much further, but no car passed her. It was a lonely road, she remembered, and the hour was growing late. She came to the Spanish Inn, and saw the lights shining through the thin curtains of the saloon window, and hesitated. She did not like the Spanish Inn and its surly landlord, but there were rooms there of a sort. It would be wiser, she thought, to seek shelter here than chance some form of transport into the town. In the morning she could take the bus and little time would be wasted.

She pushed open the saloon door and went in. No one was there except the morose landlord behind the bar who looked at her with surprise and then, as his eyes fell on her suitcase, with unpleasant speculation.

“
We don
’
t let rooms,
”
he said shortly.
“
Leastways, only to special customers.
”

“
I only want to stay one night,
”
Tina faltered.
“
I—I won
’
t be any trouble.
”

The man
’
s little eyes flickered.

“
That
’
s what they all say. Who you meeting here?
”

“
I
’
m not meeting anyone,
”
she said with surprise.
“
I just want a bed for the night and—and perhaps you could do a sandwich. I
’
ve had no dinner.
”

“
Don
’
t reckon on snacks,
”
he replied, sourly.
“
Does Mr. Pentreath know you
’
ve come here?
”

“
No,
”
said Tina, flushing at the man
’
s tone.

“
O-ho! A runaway.
I
see,
”
he said unpleasantly.
“
Well, I
’
ve no liking for the Tremawvan lot. You can come in here while I see what I can do.
”

He opened the door which led to the mysterious back rooms which she had never seen and she hesitated.

“
The saloon will do. I
’
ll sit by the fire,
”
she said.

His eyes were sullen and
unsmilin
g
“
Best come in here,
”
he repeated with a jerk of the head.
“
You never know who may drop into the bar.
”

That was true, she thought. Someone might come in who knew her, or even Belle. She followed the landlord into a small stuffy room with a smoking fire which gave out little heat, and sat down thankfully on a hard horsehair couch.

The man stood in the doorway watching her.

“
Sure you
’
re not meeting anyone?
”
he asked.

“
Of course not,
”
she said, wondering why he was so insistent.

“
No offence meant. Just thought you might be expecting Adwen. He
’
s brought you here before, though not to my back room like the others.
”

Her color deepened, for his meaning was suddenly plain. Did Adwen bring his other girls here, coming by the back way
?
The Susans and Joans and Pats whose names had adorned his boat in turn?

“
I
’
m not expecting Mr. Adwen or anyone else. Now will you please go and see about that room?
”
she said and was relieved when he shut the door and went away.

Hours seemed to pass. Tina tried to dry her wet clothes but there was little warmth in the sulky fire. No one came near her, and presently she began to wonder with rising panic whether the landlord was going to trouble about a room at all, or whether, despite his dislike for the Tremawvan Pentreaths, he was getting a message to the house to acquaint them of her whereabouts.

At last there was the sound of a step outside, and as she half rose to her feet, Adwen came into the room and shut the door behind him with a small, satisfied slam.

“
W-ell!
”
he said slowly, surveying her with a curious expression.
“
This
is
a surprise! I hardly hoped to see you again after my wealthy cousin had snatched you so spectacularly into his possession. What brings you to the back room of the Spanish Inn all prepared with a suitcase? Cousin Craig, I
’
m sure, would be duly shocked.
”

She did not like his manner or the mocking complacence of his dark eyes.

“
There are reasons why I must leave Tremawvan,
”
she said quickly.
“
I asked the landlord to find me a room here for the night, but I don
’
t think he
’
s done anything about it. Could you—could you talk to him, do you think?
”

“
I could, but first tell me the reason why you
’
re running away from my rich cousin in such unseemly haste.
”

“
The reason doesn
’
t matter,
”
she replied.
“
It
’
s no one
’
s concern but my own.
”

“
O-ho! Has the respected Mr. Pentreath been forgetting himself? I had a notion that his little act of piracy in the bay wasn
’
t strictly disinterested.
”

“
Of course not,
”
she said impatiently.
“
There are different reasons which I don
’
t want to explain now. Would you see the landlord for me? I
’
m very tired.
”

His eyes were alert and bright with inquiry.

“
All in good time. What are you going to do with yourself, now you
’
ve run away from Tremawvan?
”

“
Find work,
”
she said wearily,
“
I thought I
’
d go to Merrynporth in the morning. There must be some way I can earn a living.
”

He observed her dispassionately. With her wet hair and draggled clothes she looked plain and rather helpless.

“
You won
’
t find anything in a little place like Merrynporth at this time of year,
”
he said.
“
Besides why hire yourself out as unskilled labor when there are other alternatives?
”

“
I can
’
t think of any.
”

“
Well, you might marry me for one.
”

She was silent, conscious now of the infinite weariness which attacked her
limb
s and drained her mind of reason.

She pushed the damp hair back from her forehead with a gesture of exhaustion and stood staring at him miserably.

“
Doesn
’
t the idea appeal?
”
he asked, watching her with amusement.
“
There was a time when I thought you were quite fond of me.
”

Belle
’
s way out, thought Tina numbly. She did not want to marry Adwen or anyone else, but with only enough money for one night
’
s lodging, and little prospect of regular work, what was she to do?

“
I can
’
t think straight tonight,
”
she said.
“
Would you really marry me?
”

He leant against the door, confident and a little patronizing.

“
Yes, I
’
ll marry you, Tina, if only to score off Cousin Craig,
”
he said,
“
though I will say I find you attractive, too, when you aren
’
t looking like a little drowned rabbit. You can keep house for my father. We need a woman at Polrame.
”

“
Then you will take me to your home and let me
thin
k
things over for a day or two?
”
she asked.
“
It
’
s not the sort of thing I can decide in a hurry.
”

“
Well, hardly tonight,
”
he said, raising his eyebrows.

“
Why not?
”

“
It
’
s not convenient for my father. Tomorrow morning will do as well.
”

“
But I can
’
t stay here,
”
she said, the tears threatening her again.

“
I
’
ll be with you, my sweet, so you see, you might just as well make the best of it and get out of your wet clothes.
”
Suddenly she was angry.

“
If all you want is a—a night out for a bit of fun, I
’
m not obliging you,
”
she said.
“
I
’
d rather go back to Tremawvan and eat humble pie.
”

He only laughed.

“
Would you, really? I believe there
’
s more in this odd question of Cousin Craig
’
s behavior than meets the eye. But don
’
t get me wrong, Tina. I
’
ll marry you all right, but we spend tonight here.
”

“
But why—why?
”

“
Because,
”
said Adwen calmly,
“
a night at the Spanish Inn will change even Craig
’
s reluctance to hand you over
to Polrame, and we don
’
t want more trouble with Tremawvan than we can help, do we?
”

Her eyes, grave and accusing on his face,
“
And are you proposing to marry me from spite, Adwen—to score, as you put it, off Craig?
”

It was past ten o
’
clock and the bar had been quiet for a long time. The sudden sound of voices made Adwen pause in his reply, and before he could finish he was flung forward as the door behind him violently opened.

“
What the hell!
”
he exclaimed savagely and then was silent.

Craig stood framed in the doorway, his dark face drawn with anger. His eyes rested for a moment on Tina
’
s exhausted face, then his clenched fist shot out to Adwen
’
s chin.

“
Craig, please,
”
cried Tina, frightened at his violence.
“
It was my fault. I came of my own free will.
”

“
Your explanations can keep, Tina. I
’
ve a pretty shrewd idea what brought you here,
”
he said roughly and turned to tower over Adwen sprawling on the floor.

“
Get up,
”
he said,
“
and give an account of yourself.
”

Adwen got slowly to his feet, his hand nursing his jaw.

“
You heard her,
”
he answered sulkily.
“
I had nothing to do with it. She came of her own free will. We met by chance.
”

“
What have you and Belle cooked up between you? Come on, spill it, unless you want another crack on the jaw.
”

Adwen was recovering some of his old confidence.

“
You don
’
t have to take it this way, Craig,
”
he said.
“
It
’
s all perfectly straightforward with marriage as the main aim.
”

“
Marriage—you!
”

“
Ask Tina. We
’
re on our way to Polrame where my father will be an adequate, if not a very respectable, chaperon.
”

The force of Craig
’
s anger fell full upon Tina.

“
Is that true?
”
he asked harshly.

T
ina
stared up at him, helpless and afraid. He looked as he had that day standing on the half-deck of his sloop, with his dark pirate
’
s face intent on capture or destruction.

“
It
’
s true I asked him to take me to Polrame,
”
she answered,
“
but I didn
’
t know we were to spend the night here first.
”

“
You dirty swine,
”
he said, addressing his cousin with bitter contempt.
“
A typical Polrame notion of forcing my hand, I presume. Well, to save you further bright ideas, I
’
ll tell you this, once and for all. In no circumstances whatsoever will I permit you to marry Tina, and if you don
’
t want me to take stronger action, you
’
d better remember that I can make things so hot for you that you won
’
t dare show your face round here again.
”

Adwen
’
s manner was still insolent, but his eyes shifted.

“
How do you think you can prevent the girl marrying who she pleases?
”
he said.
“
She
’
s under age, it
’
s true, but you aren
’
t her guardian, and I can assure you her stepmother has no objection to me.
”

Craig
’
s jaw tightened and his head lifted in deliberate arrogance.

“
I can prevent it very simply,
”
he said with autocratic assurance.
“
Tina apparently omitted to inform you that she was already engaged to me. Until I release her from that promise she
’
s not free to make another choice, and I think you know, my dear cousin, that the Pentreaths don
’
t relinquish what they
’
ve fairly won.
”

Tina opened her mouth to deny such a preposterous statement, but as Craig
’
s blue eyes met hers with fierce intensity, she shut it again.

For the first time Adwen looked shaken. It was one thing to score off his rich cousin but quite another to steal from him in a district where Tremawvan rights had been upheld for three generations.

“
Is
that
why you ran away?
”
he said disgustedly to Tina.

Craig
’
s eyes were on her again.

“
Was that why you ran away, Tina?
”
he asked sardonically.

She moistened her dry lips.

“
Yes,
”
she said and he gave her a brief, satisfied smile.

“
Young girls are often foolish at such times, aren
’
t they, Rocky?
”
he said suavely to the landlord.
“
A quarrel, a misunderstanding, and they fly to the nearest rival. You will kindly acquaint your customers of my engagement so that there need be no further misapprehension in the district. And you, Adwen, can tell your father to retract any unlikely stories he may have put about. The announcement will be sent to the papers tomorrow so there can be no mistake. Come, Tina. If you don
’
t soon get out of those wet things you
’
ll have a cold.
”

He picked up her suitcase, and under the watchful scrutiny of Adwen and the landlord, there was nothing left for Tina to do but to follow him out to the car.

They drove in silence away from the inn. It was now all so much like a nightmare that Tina was no longer surprised at anything. She was too tired then to realize what Craig had committed her to. She only knew that again she owed him a debt it would be hard to repay.

“
You shouldn
’
t have told the landlord that story,
”
she said.

“
It was the only way, I
’
m afraid, to avoid a scandal,
”
he replied curtly.
“
You won
’
t have any trouble from Polrame now, or Rock
’
s gossiping clients.
”

“
But you
’
ll have to deny it tomorrow,
”
she said wearily.
“
Won
’
t that make things worse?
”

“
We
’
re not going to deny it, either of us,
”
he said calmly.
“
Tomorrow, as I said before, the notice will go to the papers.
”

She tried to see his face in the darkness.

“
But you can
’
t—I mean it was all a lie,
”
she protested.

“
It
’
s a lie you
’
ll have to put up with for the time being, I
’
m afraid,
”
he said, quietly.

The long day had caught up with her at last, the scenes, the shock, the hours without food, and now the sharp, sudden knowledge that had things been different she could have given gladly what Craig could scarcely want from her. Without warning she bowed her face in her cold hands and wept the first tears of the day.

The brakes screamed as he pulled the car into the side of the road and stopped. He sat beside her, waiting patiently for the storm to pass, but he said nothing and made no move to touch her. The wind lashed at the car, making it rock and a squall of rain beat on the windows.

With gentle fingers, he turned her face towards him in the
darkness
and wiped the tears away with his handkerchief.

“
Is it going to be so difficult?
”
he asked.

“
Yes,
”
she said, thinking of Belle and the things she had said and the knowledge that she herself had forced upon him a situation which could not be
w
elcome.

He was silent for a moment, then he said with deliberation:

“
I won
’
t make things any harder for you than I have to, Tina. You won
’
t find I shall take any—unfair advantages of our new status.
”