Storm In A Rain Barrel. Anne Mather

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СКАЧАТЬ an actual physical thing, and very soon she would not have dared to try to bridge it. Instead, she picked at the fried chicken and golden rice, and merely tasted the lemon soufflé that followed.

      They had their coffee in the lounge, and as Domine was obviously expected to preside over the tray, she did so with nervous intensity, spilling her own coffee into its saucer and dropping the sugar tongs with an ignominious clatter. It was about one-thirty by this time, and she was beginning to think he had changed his mind about taking her to Grey Witches today. After all, he was a busy man, that much was obvious, and if he found the time to take her to Yorkshire then she need not expect that he would spend much time there with her. But what would she do? Would she be left to the care of his mother? The thought frightened her a little. After all, if she knew nothing of James Mannering, she knew even less about his mother and she did not imagine that Mrs. Mannering would approve of her son’s new acquisition, an unwanted acquisition, some might say. She shrank within herself, leaning back in her chair feeling that awful sense of inadequacy assailing her again. All this, the apartment, her new surroundings, James Mannering himself, were a little too much for someone who had spent the last nine years in the cloistered atmosphere of a convent. Indeed she might have been better advised to take the faith and become a novice. At least it would not be a life alien to her.

      James Mannering looked up from the papers he had been studying and regarded her rather impatiently, she thought. ‘Now what thoughts are running through that agile brain of yours?’ he questioned dryly.

      Domine tried to appear nonchalant. ‘Why—nothing,’ she denied miserably.

      He put the papers aside. ‘Don’t lie to me, Domine. Your face is as expressive as an open book.’

      Domine lifted her shoulders. ‘Well, I was just wondering whether you’d changed your mind about leaving for Yorkshire today,’ she said jerkily.

      He raised his dark eyebrows. ‘No, I haven’t changed my mind, why? Have you?’

      Domine stared at him. ‘You know very well my wishes don’t count for anything,’ she said shortly.

      Mannering looked taken aback. ‘What is that supposed to mean?’

      Domine gathered strength from a rising sense of frustration. ‘It doesn’t occur to you, does it, that I might find the prospect of going to Yorkshire, of meeting your mother, rather terrifying!’

      Mannering frowned. ‘Why?’

      Domine bent her head, twisting her hands together in her lap. ‘Well, I’m not exactly used to a social round, Mr. Mannering. My days at the convent were very quiet ones, and the weeks I spent with Great-Uncle Henry followed a symilar pattern.’

      ‘And was it a pattern you enjoyed?’ he asked, rather tautly.

      Domine shrugged. ‘Not—not exactly. Nevertheless, you can’t expect to uproot someone from that kind of existence and expect them to immediately fit in to every preconceived idea you might have of them.’

      ‘You don’t want to go to Yorkshire?’ he asked bleakly.

      ‘It’s not that,’ she denied uncomfortably.

      ‘Well, damn it, what is it?’

      She sighed, her eyes shaded by the long lashes. ‘I—well, I’m only just getting used to you, and now you’re going to plunge me into an entirely different environment and expect me to get used to a whole lot of new people.’

      He sighed exasperatedly. ‘What would you have me do with you? You can’t stay here!’ His tone was flat and brooked no argument, but she dared to defy him.

      ‘Why not?’ she asked, looking up. ‘At least—for a few days. Until I get used to everything. I—I could do some shopping. Great-Uncle Henry gave me a little money. I could use some of that and buy myself some clothes. I know you think I look a frump—’

      ‘I didn’t say that,’ he interrupted her impatiently.

      ‘You didn’t have to,’ she answered pathetically. ‘I could tell.’

      Mannering rose to his feet and paced panther-like about the room. He ran a hand through his thick hair, and stared at her exasperatedly. Then he stopped and faced her. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘what’s frightening you about going to Yorkshire? My mother’s no ogre! Besides, I’ll be there.’

      ‘Will you? Oh, will you really?’ She got to her feet, clasping her hands together tightly. ‘I—I thought you would just be taking me there and leaving me I—I know you’re a busy man and I never dreamed you’d be taking time off to stay in Yorkshire, particularly as you have this television play coming off, and I know you said you’d had an awful morning when you came home before lunch, and then there’s that Miss Park who’s trying to reach you, and all your other friends, and naturally I thought you wouldn’t have time to bother with me….’ She bit her lip, realizing she was chattering on unnecessarily, and that very likely he would be growing bored with her enthusiasm.

      Mannering studied her animated expression and shook his head ‘So that was your objection,’ he murmured. ‘Well, well, I appear to be in demand.’ He smiled rather sardonically as she flushed. ‘All right, all right, so you want to go to Yorkshire now, yes?’

      ‘Yes.’ Domine nodded slowly, not sure how to take his sarcasm.

      ‘Good. Then I suggest we begin to make a start towards that end. Are your cases still packed?’

      She nodded again, and he walked to the kitchen door and summoned Graham and proceeded to give him minute instructions as to the manner of explanation he should give to people who would be likely to call. Obviously, from the explanations he was giving, he had told his immediate associates what was going on, and it was only a question of supplying information to uninformed business acquaintances. Yvonne Park’s name wasn’t even mentioned, and Domine puzzled over this. Then they carried their cases to the lift which transported them down to the basement which housed the cars belonging to the tenants who occupied the apartments. Graham left them here, wished them a good journey, and took the lift back upstairs.

      The previous day Domine had been too overwrought to take a great deal of interest in her guardian’s car, but today she noted with interest that it was a sleek luxury sports car of a continental variety with a speedometer that climbed to alarming heights of speed. However, she climbed inside obediently, and smoothed the skirt of her gaberdine over her knees. She was intensely conscious now of the limitations of her clothes, and realized that the overcoat James Mannering was wearing was lined with real fur and not a nylon imitation.

      They drove out of the garages up a ramp on to the main thoroughfare, and eventually headed north up the Edgware Road towards Hatfield. It was still raining steadily, and the windscreen wipers swished continuously, while the tyres hissed on the wet road. In the environs of Greater London, Mannering did not speak, concentrating on the road ahead, and controlling the powerful engine he had beneath the car’s bonnet. They stopped for traffic lights and occasionally he swore as another car swung dangerously across his path, but eventually they reached the motorway and he relaxed a little and gave the car its head.

      He glanced at Domine, and said, ‘Not much of a day to see your new home, is it?’ and she shook her head.

      ‘Is it my new home?’ she asked curiously. ‘I mean—have you made any plans for my future?’

      He shrugged, the wheel of the car sliding through СКАЧАТЬ