Reluctant Wife(26)
‘You said,’ he remarked as he lay sprawled back in a chintz-covered armchair, ‘and I guess your prowess in the kitchen made me think of it, but you said this afternoon that you’d like to know how the economy worked, and computers. Were you serious?’
‘Yes. Why?’
‘Well, computers are something I happen to know rather a lot about,’ he explained.
She looked surprised, and he explained about his business. She said, ‘I’ve only ever associated you with horses, But if you think I could understand …’
He looked at her meditatively, then grinned suddenly and asked her for a pencil and paper.
An hour later Roz was rather amazed to find she did and was quite excited—so much so that she suddenly remembered the bottle of cumquat liqueur Mrs Howard had given them last Christmas, and suggested they try it to celebrate.
He laughed and looked speculative when she produced two small glasses of it and fresh coffee. He laughed some more when she. took a sip that left her gasping and coughing.
‘Oh! I had no idea it was so strong,’ she spluttered at last, laughing too. ‘Although l should have. Grandad used to say it would stun a horse, but I always thought he was teasing.’
She could never afterwards remember what pierced her feeling of warmth, enjoyment and security at that moment. It could have been wiping the cumquat liqueur-induced tears from hers eyes and looking ruefully across at Adam Milroy wearing her grandfather’s clothes, it could have been remembering him teasing Mrs, Howard, but whatever it was, all of a sudden, like a swift passage from light to dark, all her burdens came back. Not only but she couldn’t believe she could be laughing and joking when only a few miles away her beloved. grandfather lay in a wet, desolate graveyard.
She put her glass downs and stood up, turning away abruptly.
Adam Milroy watched her, young and slender and looking younger in the pink dress, with her shoulders shaking as she valiantly tried to control her emotions, and he sighed slightly, then,stood up and went over to her.
‘Roz…’
‘I’m sorry … I’ll be all right,’ she gasped.
‘You’d be better to cry it out. l don’t mind.’
‘No. No,’ she whispered. ‘I’ve done that. Now I’ve got to cope. He… he wouldn’t have wanted me to go to pieces, just to remember him with love.’
All the same, Adam put an arm around her again and she leant against him for a time, quietening.
Then he said that it had been a traumatic day and, tilting her face up to his and observing the shadows in her blue eyes, suggested she go to bed.
She agreed and thanked him. She asked him if there was anything else he would like, but he said no, he’d be fine and he’d take care of the lamps and check on the horses for the last time, so Roz found him a waterproof. Then she stood awkwardly for a moment before bidding him a grave goodnight.
Roz slept rather well, considering all her problems, and those that she’d not seven thought of. But when the Howards arrived home quite early the next morning, having heard the news of the hailstorm, they encountered not only the Electricity Board workers who had come to clear the tree and repair the line but Adam Milroy. It was obvious that it came as a slight shock to them all, but mostly Mr Howard, that Roz should have spent the night alone in the company of a strange man.
Mrs Howard recovered quickly, however—Adam had raised his eyebrows haughtily as the silence had lengthened once the explanations of his presence had sunk in—and she said that they had dashed home because they’d been worried about Roz, knowing she was on her own as well as worried about their own property, and she for one didn’t believe Roz should be on her own yet, but it was so awkward with the foal, but Mr Milroy was not to be concerned, Roz would be coming back under their roof for the time being until … well …whatever arrangements … er …
Mrs Howard ran out of breath then, which gave Adam the opportunity to commend that idea with a limited-version smile, and mention Roz’s unfortunate encounter with Stan Hawkins the day before.
Mike immediately took Roz’s hand and Mr Howard looked grimmer—he didn’t hold with gambling of any sort, but Mrs Howard set her jaw and said, ‘That does it. Pack a bag, Roz!’ she commanded. ‘And we’ll move the mare and foal over too.’
Roz tried to protest, to no avail—and it was time to say goodbye to Adam Milroy again. He seemed to hesitate, then observed, ‘They say it never rains but it pours. I sincerely hope this is the end of it for you, young Roz, and that things improve from here on. Goodbye.’