intentions. Small children ….' She added vaguely. 'And then there was the fire. I ….'
She broke off in a state of mounting anguish and despair. It was all becoming too much for her. She couldn't just sit here and be told off, not when she had so much on her mind.
'My dear,' Elizabeth said, 'please don't misunderstand me. I am not here to chastise you. On the contrary. I am here to thank you. I'm very grateful to you and your children.'
Anna stared blankly.
'You've lessened my load considerably, if I can put it like that. I've been able to get on with my own life at the school. More important, you've given my brother something to live for, with the result that his recovery has been very much quicker than we had dared to hope.'
'I don't understand. I ….'
'You like him, don't you?'
'Well, yes. Very much. But ….'
'And Daniel is very fond of you, my dear. I wanted to tell you that. It might make things easier. Smooth the way, as it were.'
'Ridiculous, isn't it?' Elizabeth added. 'I feel like a Victorian father, not a modern old maid!'
Anna smiled uncertainly. 'Daniel hasn't said anything to me,' she began tentatively. 'I mean, I like him a lot. The children do, as well. But that's as far as our … our relationship goes.'
'How could he say anything?' Elizabeth said brusquely. 'With his injuries, he assumed no-one would be interested in him ever again. Nonsense, of course. But there you are. He's had a bad time. And that fiancée of his didn't help either. What a wicked woman!'
For a moment the words failed to register. 'Fiancée? What do you mean, Elizabeth?'
'Hasn't he told you?' When Anna shook her head, Elizabeth tut-tutted and resumed. 'Daniel was engaged to be married. After he was wounded, that woman took one look at him and announced their engagement was over She couldn't bear to look at him, and told him so.'
'But that's terrible!'
Elizabeth nodded. 'I told him he was well out of it. A woman capable of thinking and feeling like that wasn't one to marry.'
'Poor man! How awful.'
'He pretended not to be bothered, of course, the way men like him do. He keeps his emotions well hidden, as a professional soldier must. But I know he felt it deeply. As if his injuries were not enough! He became more depressed than ever.'
Anna grimaced. Poor Daniel!
'It wasn't until he met you that he came out of it,' Elizabeth continued. 'He's been much more like his old self, his real self, lately. It's thanks to you, my dear. What is it?' she added, breaking off. 'You don't seem very happy about what I've told you.'
'Oh, I'm sorry. I'm very pleased for Daniel, I really am. But ….'
'But?'
There was no way round it, not now.
'The truth is, Elizabeth, that I was beginning to hope Daniel and I might in time become more than just good friends. Until today, that is.'
'Why? What's special about today?'
'A woman arrived this morning at Daniel's.' She shrugged and added, 'A young woman, with a suitcase.'
'Oh, she's here already, is she?' Elizabeth's face assumed a grim expression. 'I knew she was coming, of course. That's why I'm here.'
Anna stared.
'It's Shona. His ex-fiancée. Come on! Drink up. I must get up there.'
'What is it, Elizabeth? I don't understand.'
'That woman announced that she was coming to see him. She wasn't invited, mark you! She simply wrote and told Daniel she was coming. Presumably to see if his appearance had improved, and he might be worth marrying, after all.'
'You can't be serious?'
'Oh, I am! Daniel has money, you see. Inherited family money. And Shona is well aware of it. She wouldn't want to give that up if she could possibly help it. Now I must go and make my thoughts and feelings known to her.'
Chapter Twenty-One
Daniel's visitor was emerging from the house as Anna neared the top of the hill with the children. She marched to her car, flung open a door and hurled the suitcase inside.
Oh, dear! Anna thought. It doesn't look as though the visit's gone very well. Good!
'Keep
She broke off in a state of mounting anguish and despair. It was all becoming too much for her. She couldn't just sit here and be told off, not when she had so much on her mind.
'My dear,' Elizabeth said, 'please don't misunderstand me. I am not here to chastise you. On the contrary. I am here to thank you. I'm very grateful to you and your children.'
Anna stared blankly.
'You've lessened my load considerably, if I can put it like that. I've been able to get on with my own life at the school. More important, you've given my brother something to live for, with the result that his recovery has been very much quicker than we had dared to hope.'
'I don't understand. I ….'
'You like him, don't you?'
'Well, yes. Very much. But ….'
'And Daniel is very fond of you, my dear. I wanted to tell you that. It might make things easier. Smooth the way, as it were.'
'Ridiculous, isn't it?' Elizabeth added. 'I feel like a Victorian father, not a modern old maid!'
Anna smiled uncertainly. 'Daniel hasn't said anything to me,' she began tentatively. 'I mean, I like him a lot. The children do, as well. But that's as far as our … our relationship goes.'
'How could he say anything?' Elizabeth said brusquely. 'With his injuries, he assumed no-one would be interested in him ever again. Nonsense, of course. But there you are. He's had a bad time. And that fiancée of his didn't help either. What a wicked woman!'
For a moment the words failed to register. 'Fiancée? What do you mean, Elizabeth?'
'Hasn't he told you?' When Anna shook her head, Elizabeth tut-tutted and resumed. 'Daniel was engaged to be married. After he was wounded, that woman took one look at him and announced their engagement was over She couldn't bear to look at him, and told him so.'
'But that's terrible!'
Elizabeth nodded. 'I told him he was well out of it. A woman capable of thinking and feeling like that wasn't one to marry.'
'Poor man! How awful.'
'He pretended not to be bothered, of course, the way men like him do. He keeps his emotions well hidden, as a professional soldier must. But I know he felt it deeply. As if his injuries were not enough! He became more depressed than ever.'
Anna grimaced. Poor Daniel!
'It wasn't until he met you that he came out of it,' Elizabeth continued. 'He's been much more like his old self, his real self, lately. It's thanks to you, my dear. What is it?' she added, breaking off. 'You don't seem very happy about what I've told you.'
'Oh, I'm sorry. I'm very pleased for Daniel, I really am. But ….'
'But?'
There was no way round it, not now.
'The truth is, Elizabeth, that I was beginning to hope Daniel and I might in time become more than just good friends. Until today, that is.'
'Why? What's special about today?'
'A woman arrived this morning at Daniel's.' She shrugged and added, 'A young woman, with a suitcase.'
'Oh, she's here already, is she?' Elizabeth's face assumed a grim expression. 'I knew she was coming, of course. That's why I'm here.'
Anna stared.
'It's Shona. His ex-fiancée. Come on! Drink up. I must get up there.'
'What is it, Elizabeth? I don't understand.'
'That woman announced that she was coming to see him. She wasn't invited, mark you! She simply wrote and told Daniel she was coming. Presumably to see if his appearance had improved, and he might be worth marrying, after all.'
'You can't be serious?'
'Oh, I am! Daniel has money, you see. Inherited family money. And Shona is well aware of it. She wouldn't want to give that up if she could possibly help it. Now I must go and make my thoughts and feelings known to her.'
Chapter Twenty-One
Daniel's visitor was emerging from the house as Anna neared the top of the hill with the children. She marched to her car, flung open a door and hurled the suitcase inside.
Oh, dear! Anna thought. It doesn't look as though the visit's gone very well. Good!
'Keep
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