Craddock. She’d known it existed but it had never manifested itself in her presence before. Dear God! Had she made the blunderof a lifetime in marrying him? For the very first time since they’d married she had terrible doubts. She needed time to think, long and seriously. He had shown such utter generosity in giving her half his assets and yet he baulked at this, a minor capital outlay compared to the rest of his fortune.
She sat staring at him as all these thoughts were running through her head. He appeared now a total stranger, as though he’d invaded the sitting room uninvited and sat down in a chair of hers. The as yet slender threads by which they were bound together snapped.
Then he smiled at her. ‘Have I surprised you? You look appalled.’
‘I am. Totally. How can the loving man I married be so callous? So damned unfeeling? The Bliss children are suffering. Do you hear? Or are you too thick-skinned?’
‘I hear, my dearest. I hear.’
‘So, what are you going to do about it?’
‘Nothing. If I spend money doing it up then I shall have to charge more rent, she won’t be able to live there and I shall be the terrible landlord.’
‘You are already. That cottage is an eyesore.’
‘No one but you and the Rectory know that, and
they
won’t tell. Discretion, you know, and besides I’ve given too much money to the church for Peter to betray me.’
Kate got to her feet again. ‘Betray you? You know you’re doing wrong or you wouldn’t have used that word. What’s more, you know Peter better than that. He wouldn’t hold back from being truthful about you simply because you’re a benefactor. He’s honourable through and through.’
‘Meaning?’
Kate didn’t answer.
‘Meaning that I’m not?’
Kate clenched her fists. ‘I don’t understand. You
are
honourable; giving me half of the business is more than honourable. It would be such a small matter in the grand scheme of things to have this house made habitable. Such a small thing.’
Craddock got to his feet so they were facing each other over the hearth rug. ‘I shall tell you again for the last time – I make all the decisions.’
Defiantly Kate retorted, ‘Then I shall wait until half the business is mine and I shall do it myself.’
He took a step forward, eyes blazing, his temper barely in check and Kate, for one terrible, frightening moment, thought he was going to hit her. If he did, then the marriage was over before it had begun. She shuddered with anger and stepped back to distance herself from his fury.
But he didn’t hit her. Instead he grasped her wrist and said, ‘Don’t defy me, Kate, all that does is force me to take decisions I shouldn’t be taking. I won’t be pushed. Persuaded, possibly; pushed, definitely not. Don’t make me do something that will destroy what we have for each other. There is a line over which married people must never step, because if they do, they are on the path to destruction, and in my experience married people take that step far too often, and their marriages turn to ashes in their mouths.’
As he spoke his voice became gentle and persuasive until by the time he’d finished, she was horrified how close they had come to spoiling everything they had. Kate realized he was talking about respect for one another andshe wondered if perhaps in marriage that was as important as love. A huge well of emotion filled her, scrambling her thoughts, tumbling her feelings until they were topsy-turvy and more than anything in the whole wide world she wanted to put things right between them. She was in his arms apologizing and weeping before she knew it. ‘I’m so sorry. So sorry. I never meant us to get upset like this. I’m not used to being married, I suppose.’
He wiped away her tears and said, ‘Neither am I. And I’m sorry as well. Too many years having my own way, I suspect. We both need to learn how to live together.’ He lifted her face from his shoulder by placing his finger under
She sat staring at him as all these thoughts were running through her head. He appeared now a total stranger, as though he’d invaded the sitting room uninvited and sat down in a chair of hers. The as yet slender threads by which they were bound together snapped.
Then he smiled at her. ‘Have I surprised you? You look appalled.’
‘I am. Totally. How can the loving man I married be so callous? So damned unfeeling? The Bliss children are suffering. Do you hear? Or are you too thick-skinned?’
‘I hear, my dearest. I hear.’
‘So, what are you going to do about it?’
‘Nothing. If I spend money doing it up then I shall have to charge more rent, she won’t be able to live there and I shall be the terrible landlord.’
‘You are already. That cottage is an eyesore.’
‘No one but you and the Rectory know that, and
they
won’t tell. Discretion, you know, and besides I’ve given too much money to the church for Peter to betray me.’
Kate got to her feet again. ‘Betray you? You know you’re doing wrong or you wouldn’t have used that word. What’s more, you know Peter better than that. He wouldn’t hold back from being truthful about you simply because you’re a benefactor. He’s honourable through and through.’
‘Meaning?’
Kate didn’t answer.
‘Meaning that I’m not?’
Kate clenched her fists. ‘I don’t understand. You
are
honourable; giving me half of the business is more than honourable. It would be such a small matter in the grand scheme of things to have this house made habitable. Such a small thing.’
Craddock got to his feet so they were facing each other over the hearth rug. ‘I shall tell you again for the last time – I make all the decisions.’
Defiantly Kate retorted, ‘Then I shall wait until half the business is mine and I shall do it myself.’
He took a step forward, eyes blazing, his temper barely in check and Kate, for one terrible, frightening moment, thought he was going to hit her. If he did, then the marriage was over before it had begun. She shuddered with anger and stepped back to distance herself from his fury.
But he didn’t hit her. Instead he grasped her wrist and said, ‘Don’t defy me, Kate, all that does is force me to take decisions I shouldn’t be taking. I won’t be pushed. Persuaded, possibly; pushed, definitely not. Don’t make me do something that will destroy what we have for each other. There is a line over which married people must never step, because if they do, they are on the path to destruction, and in my experience married people take that step far too often, and their marriages turn to ashes in their mouths.’
As he spoke his voice became gentle and persuasive until by the time he’d finished, she was horrified how close they had come to spoiling everything they had. Kate realized he was talking about respect for one another andshe wondered if perhaps in marriage that was as important as love. A huge well of emotion filled her, scrambling her thoughts, tumbling her feelings until they were topsy-turvy and more than anything in the whole wide world she wanted to put things right between them. She was in his arms apologizing and weeping before she knew it. ‘I’m so sorry. So sorry. I never meant us to get upset like this. I’m not used to being married, I suppose.’
He wiped away her tears and said, ‘Neither am I. And I’m sorry as well. Too many years having my own way, I suspect. We both need to learn how to live together.’ He lifted her face from his shoulder by placing his finger under
Similar Books
