Dear Deceiver(17)

'You ask me that? All right, Suzanne, I'll tell you. Ten years ago you  walked out on me and Toby and went with Paul Freeman, God knows where. I  never knew, I never found out. Today you walked back-with a  cock-and-bull story about wanting to help Jennie. Do you think I don't  know Freeman's in Dublin too? Your mother's going to die, girl,  presumably, you're one of her heirs. It's time you reappeared. Any fool  can work that out.'

He left speaking to peer at her. 'You don't like the sound of it. I'm  not surprised. But like it or not, Suzanne Hart, this is your life.'

Suzanne Hart! It couldn't ... he couldn't ... Haidee felt nothing now,  not even the pain of her fingernails digging into her flesh. Her head  had reduced to a spinning top. Had she gone mad or had he said it? If  so, it made 'ten years ago you walked out on me and Toby' into an  exploding bomb. The boy-and-girl love affair must have been fifteen  years ago. Five years later-her thoughts sprang wildly from terror to  terror-a marriage, a child and-a desertion ...

You fool, Haidee Brown, you fool. A mother and sister weren't enough for you, you had to acquire a husband and a son.

The enormity of it came up against her like a blank wall. What could she  say? What could she do? A shiver ran through her and was followed by  another.

'For Pete's sake,' she was commanded, 'stop that. I'm not going to touch  you.' He looked not unkindly at her stricken face. 'I'll go. Then, no  doubt, the cat will return.'                       
       
           



       

So he'd spotted Brand, had he? Somehow that made it worse. Now that she  knew the background it was most unlikely Suzanne would have clung to a  pet when she had turned her back on her man and her son.

'I think I'm the one should go,' she said painfully. 'I mean-away from here. Tomorrow. I shouldn't have come. Forgive me.'

Heaven knows she had need of it for the misery she'd resurrected and the  old passions awakened and left unsatisfied. But, strangely, the eyes  regarding her did not seem to condemn. 'All right, get some rest.  Tomorrow will look after itself.'

One other thing. She asked it with further shame and the certainty that  her suspicions were correct. 'This bed-is it yours? Did you...'

He laughed shortly but with tolerance. 'What of it? I once endowed you  with all my worldly goods. We won't fall out over a bed. And you can  share it with the feather duster. I think it's a waste, but I won't  haunt you, I promise.'

A man of surprises, but that was sheer understatement. Five minutes ago  he had hated her and shown it. Now he had laid hold on the bedclothes  and was actually tucking them round her still trembling form.

'Lie down, girl,' he said gently. 'You'll catch cold.'





CHAPTER FOUR



Next morning Haidee and Brand were the first to leave their bedroom and  both looked agitated. Brand because he had told her repeatedly that he  needed to go out, Haidee because she had heard him and was thinking of  the badger traps. When she slipped the bolts on the front door and he  stepped into the unknown, it was a temptation to snatch him back. She  conquered it, watched his mil end go jauntily towards the undergrowth  and went herself not so jauntily towards the kitchen.



Minutes later, Toby's excited voice penetrated the sizzle of the frying pan. 'Is that for us? All of us? Me as well?'

In nothing more than a pair of patterned briefs, it was a sturdy young  body that he showed to the world, hard, and still with its summer tan.  Nature had certainly provided her with a good thing in readymade sons.

He seemed quite ready to breakfast in his underwear and when she chased  him off to finish dressing he returned to do so by the stove.

'Would I be right in thinking you don't trust me?' Haidee remarked.

'No,' he disclaimed. 'I just thought we could talk.'

'All right, we will.' She had been watching the shirt-buttoning. 'Do you not wear a vest?'

'Not till Christmas. Where's Brand?'

'I wish I knew. I let him out and he went into the wood.' Toby at least  did not mention the traps. He flung the window open, wriggled half of  himself outside and reported cheerfully that Brand was sitting on top of  the car. 'If we'd a hoist we could pull him up. I bet I could fix it.  Shall I try?' She was about to explain that the problem did not arise  since she and Brand would be leaving Glenglass that day when the moment  she had been dreading for most of the night caught up with her. A second  figure, this time a fully clothed one, appeared in the open doorway,  and Toby's small bottom, cocked up like a football as its owner leaned  farther out from the window, received a rousing wallop. Toby shot back  and put quite a fair right hook into his father's rib cage. It was  returned at speed.

Haidee watched, astonished. Was there no end to the surprises of this  household? No end to the instances of Rory Hart's Jekyll and Hyde  make-up? It was still Dr. Jekyll as she found herself included in the  range of the blue eyes. 'Hi, Johnny!' the forester said lightly. 'Sleep  well?'

She thought his gaze narrowed as Toby launched excitedly into his scheme  of a cable car exclusively Brand-for-the-use-of, but when she tried to  speak no chance was given her. 'All right, go and fetch him in,' Rory  Hart bade sharply, and Toby hurried off.

It was suddenly Mr. Hyde whom Haidee had to face. 'I didn't know he was in here. What have you been saying to him?'

'About being his mother?' she stumbled. 'Nothing, of course.'

'All right. See it stays that way.'

'Don't worry, I'm leaving today.'                       
       
           



       

'Now wait a minute. No need to rush.' He stopped as Jennie came hurrying in.

'Oh, Suzanne, I'm sorry. I meant to get the breakfast.'

Had she been crying? Her eyes looked swollen, her long hair had been  brushed straight back off her forehead. Altogether it was a plain,  blotchy little face that met Haidee's distressed one. For the nth time  she reminded herself that this was the person she'd come to help. But  was she doing so? Rebellion could have been expected, but Jennie had not  rebelled. She had been anxiously docile and she was breaking her heart.

At least, however, breakfast seemed to be appreciated and not least by  Brand who enjoyed his snatches at Toby's hand. Sometimes it contained  tidbits of rasher, but even when it did not it was a new and friendly  little hand and Brand was all for a bit of fun. The dallying, however,  did not escape parental comment. 'Watch your time, never mind the  clutterbug!' Toby was bade.

Answer was swift. 'Can I have another piece of toast? It's not burnt like it usually is.'

'As,' Rory corrected. 'It's not burnt as it usually is.'

'Okay. It's not burnt as it usually is,' Toby repeated chirpily.

A chair grated. Jennie's napkin went on the table. Her voice rose  tremblingly: 'That's the third time you've said the toast was burnt. It  was only once, and I didn't see you leaving any of it. You never do.  Greedy little beast!' A catch seemed to rise in her throat and she  dashed from the room.

'Now look what you've done!' Rory rounded on Toby. 'What he's done! I  like that.' Haidee could not contain herself. 'You were just as  tactless. Couldn't you spot she'd been crying? Pour your own tea if you  want more,' she added heatedly. 'I'm going after her.'

'You're doing nothing of the kind.' Rory was also on his feet. 'Go and  wash your face,' he commanded the munching Toby, who rose reluctantly.  'You say you've only come here to help Jennie.' The stony look turned  back once more to Haidee. 'And I believe that after last night.' His  meaning was not in doubt and it set her cheeks aflame. 'But you were  always a bungler. Suzanne, always a bad receiver, always a fool rushing  in. You have no idea how Jennie ticks and until you have you can't hope  to help her. Be humble enough to work from that angle even if you don't  like the answer. Have you still got a driving licence?' Startled, she  murmured assent and was flung the car keys. 'Run Toby to school, then.  And don't let him hang round that cat.'

Easier said than done. Toby, fastening unfortunately on the last  uncomplimentary epithet, was crooning an affectionate good-bye to 'good  old Buggy' which Brand was accepting with his aristocratic eyes closed.  Haidee shrugged on her camel-hair jacket and hoped the new golden brown  car handled easily. It did, and in any case her passenger, a dedicated  instructor, was taking no chances with their lives. Thank heaven, he was  also a dedicated navigator.

'Switch on,' he said blithely, scrambling in. 'Okay. Now left. Now  right. Put out your indicator in case someone's coming.' One piece of  advice she marked with favour. 'You have to be careful round here  because of the hedgehogs. They're so slow.'

'Do you like living here?' Haidee asked.

'Oh yes. I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world. I know what other places are like.'

'Do you? What other places?' she questioned amusedly.