Part 9 (1/2)

'Left?'

'For the beach house.' Catherine s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably. 'Laura told me, actually.'

'He's left for the beach house? To finish this commission, one supposes?'

'I believe so.'

Mrs Prentiss sighed angrily. 'Isn't that just like a man? Running away from his responsibilities?'

Catherine cleared her throat. 'His-responsibilities?' she echoed.

'Of course.' The older woman stared at her. 'You, Catherine, you! He invites you here, into his home, and then abandons you.'

'I'm not a child, Mrs Prentiss.'

'I know that. Even so, he knows-at least, he must know--how much Laura wants to get married, and yet he persists in behaving in this irresponsible fas.h.i.+on! I suppose it's the artistic temperament. I suppose we must make some allowances for that.

But I do think he takes a shameful advantage of Laura. She's a lovely girl. There are several young men who would envy him his good fortune in being her fiance. But what does he do? He treats her with no respect whatsoever! '

Catherine made an effort to escape. 'I-don't you think we ought to be joining the others?' she suggested hopefully, but Laura's mother wasn't quite finished.

'If Jared is away,' she was musing slowly, 'what a wonderful opportunity you'll have for talking to Elizabeth.'

'But-'

Mrs Prentiss made a soothing gesture. 'Please. I'm not asking you to be indiscreet. Just to-well, discuss the wedding. A casual word here and there. You could learn so much.'

'I doubt it.'

'Oh, I knew I could rely on you!'

Mrs Prentiss took her dry comment as acceptance, and before Catherine had time to protest, she had turned and crossed the hall, calling for one of the servants to bring afternoon tea to them on the veranda. It was deliberately done, Catherine knew that, but she could say nothing. And besides, what had Laura's mother gained after all? She could not be compelled to relay her conversations with Elizabeth back to the Prentisses.. .could she?

Driving Catherine back to Amaryllis, Laura was much more relaxed. 'You and Mummy get on incredibly well, don't you?' she enthused, giving her companion a sidelong glance. 'I'm so glad.

She doesn't always like my friends.'

Catherine let this go without comment. She was feeling raw and vulnerable, and out of sorts with herself. What was it about these people that made her feel so sensitive? Why did they persist in involving her in their schemes? She and Laura were not really friends at all. They were acquaintances, that was all. And she did not get on well with Laura's mother. On the contrary, she felt a strong aversion towards her. All she was, was a stranger, a guest in the Royal house, not even a distant relative. She knew nothing about them or their plans, and she didn't want to know. If Mrs Prentiss wanted her daughter married, she should say so to the only person who could do anything about it. Jared! And why didn't he marry her, anyway? If they had been engaged so long, what were they waiting for? Money was no obstacle, on either side. The Royal house was big enough to accommodate half a dozen families. So why the delay? Was Elizabeth the obstruction? Or was Jared reluctant to make the final commitment? Oh, G.o.d! Catherine could feel tears smarting behind her eyes. It was nothing to do with her. Why couldn't they accept that? Why couldn't she accept it?

Laura refused her invitation to come in when they arrived back at Amaryllis. 'I'd better get home,' she said, slipping the car into bottom gear. 'Thanks all the same. I'll probably see you tomorrow. We might go to Sam Lord's Castle. Would you like that? We could have lunch there. I'm sure you'd like to see it.'

Catherine could think of no good reason for refusing, but she needed some time to herself. 'Make it the day after tomorrow,'

she said, and then despised herself when Laura's antic.i.p.atory smile disappeared.

'The day after tomorrow?' she said, with evident disappointment.

'Oh! Well-all right. But what are you going to do tomorrow?'

Catherine gripped her handbag very tightly, forcing a casual tone.

'Just have a lazy day,' she answered. 'See you!'

'See you,' echoed Laura, with a sigh, and Catherine entered the house feeling an absolute pig.

Lily was waiting for her in the hall.

'Miz Royal wants to see you, Miz Fulton,' she said, rather diffidently. 'She's in the library. Will you go straight through?'

Catherine sighed now. After her conversation with Mrs Prentiss, the last thing she needed was a scene with Elizabeth.

'I-will you tell Mrs Royal I'm just going up to wash my hands,'

she said, going towards the stairs, but as Lily nodded her head and turned away, Elizabeth's voice arrested her: 'Have you a minute, Catherine?'

Catherine turned, one hand resting on the bal.u.s.ter. 'I was just going to rinse my face and hands, Mrs Royal,' she explained tightly.

'I'm sure that can wait,' replied Elizabeth imperiously. 'If you don't mind...'

Catherine saw the sympathetic look in Lily's eyes as she made her way back to the kitchens, and took strength from it. Holding her head high, she preceded Elizabeth into the library.

Elizabeth was still wearing her working attire of silk s.h.i.+rt and jodhpurs, which was strange for this hour of the afternoon. But perhaps as Jared wasn't here, she had less interest in her appearance, thought Catherine, realising as she did so that she had never felt her felinity so strongly as she did with this woman.

'You've been to Fourwinds,' Elizabeth said, as she closed the library doors.

'Yes.' Catherine saw no reason to enlarge upon it.

'Laura invited you.'

'Of course.'

'Of course.' Elizabeth indicated a chair, but Catherine preferred to stand. 'It's rea.s.suring to know she thinks of you as a friend.'

Catherine let that go. 'You wanted to speak to me, Mrs Royal?'

she prompted.

Elizabeth sighed, subsiding into a low chair with her usual grace.

'Oh, dear, we've come a long way in ten days, haven't we? We began as friends, and what are we now? Antagonists--enemies?'

'I think you're exaggerating, Mrs Royal.'

'I hope so. I really hope so.' She bit her lip delicately. 'About last night, Catherine-'

'I really don't think we-'