CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

There was no arguing with him so she didn't try. Sharon might be thrilled at the prospect of looking for a husband but Caroline was quietly determined to forego that pleasure. Within a week, the first of the applicants for housekeeper started arriving for interviews. Where they came from, she couldn't imagine. But it was obvious after the first few that it wasn't going to work out. Some of them were too young—younger even than Caroline— and with no experience. And some were too old.

'I'm not running an old folks' home or a kindergarten,' Grandy grumbled, watching one woman depart, cane in hand, Michael having to help her into a rusting, dilapidated car. Grandy sat at the kitchen table, muttering darkly, his hands running distractedly across his chin. 'Aren't there any sane, ordinary, middle-aged women left in the world?'

Caroline busied herself at the stove, a small grin spreading across her face. She knew Morwenna was doing it deliberately. She just wondered how long it would take Grandy to realise it.

A firm knock at the back door startled her and Grandy looked up with a scowl.

'Another lunatic, no doubt. Show her in, Caroline.'

But it wasn't another unsuitable woman. She opened the screen door and looked up into David Tremain's handsome craggy face. As tall as Caroline was, David was easily a head and shoulders taller. His hair was darker than she remembered. Stylishly long and slightly waving, it was the colour of water-darkened sand and his eyes were brightly blue with laugh lines crinkling at the corners.

'Hello—Caroline?' he said softly, his low voice spilling into the kitchen like a gently lapping wave.

'You remembered me!' Unaccustomed pleasure shot through her and a sudden breathless awareness rippled down her spine drawing her to him like a magnet.

'How could I ever forget Sharon's little sister?' The laugh lines deepened when he smiled. 'You're quite grown up now and more beautiful than ever.'

Her senses tingled and a delicate blush ran up her neck before she took herself to task. If she wasn't careful, it would be so fatally easy to fall under his spell like all the other girls had done before her. He was a man and he had the power to hurt her. She hadn't thought it possible that anyone could breach her defences after all this time and after everything that had happened to her with Philip. But David had done it without even trying and with only a smile. 'Now I remember why Sharon was always so crazy about you,' she said lightly, erasing the unconscious stiffening of her expression and stepping firmly back behind her air of cool reserve. 'America hasn't changed you. You're still the same charming devil you always were.'

He laughed good naturedly and stepped farther into the kitchen. 'But you've changed, haven't you? You're taller and lovelier and suddenly able to speak up for yourself.'

She had to smile at that. 'It comes from living with Grandy.' Looking at her grandfather still seated at the table, she said softly, 'You remember David Tremain, Grandy?'

'Mr Pentreath.' David walked to the table and shifted his wide brimmed hat to his left hand, extending his right to him. He was dressed in well-worn jeans and a blue plaid shirt and Grandy raised his eyebrows when his big hand was warmly clasped.

'Well, well. David Tremain. Come to call on Sharon, have you?'

'Not this time,' he said gently. 'I heard you were looking for help.'

Grandy's eyebrows rose even higher and his eyes widened. ' You want to help me?'

He nodded. 'Is there some reason why I shouldn't?'

'Uh, no,' he blustered. 'It's just—I thought—sit down, sit down, my boy. Caro, get David a cup of coffee.'

Caroline was amazed. She had never seen Grandy discomfited before. He was actually fidgeting in his chair.

'I haven't been to see my. father-in-law yet,' David said quietly as if that explained everything. He pulled out a chair and easily settled his big frame into it. 'My son and I are staying with Morwenna.'

Grandy let out a .small sigh and nodded and Caroline became more and more intrigued. If David had been back in the country for more than a week already, why hadn't he seen his father-in-law? He had no family of his own left in Cornwall, that much she knew. There were only some distant cousins in Wales. If she had been in his shoes, Judith's home would have been the first place she'd go. Judith's father, Sir James Treloar, rattled around that big mansion of his. He must be lonely and dying to see his grandson after all this time. As far as she knew, he had never seen him. Steven had been born in America just a few months after Judith left.

She stopped dead and her eyes widened as all at once it hit her. She'd only been fifteen at the time so the gossip hadn't meant much to her then but now she realised why Judith's precipitate marriage to David had caused such a sensation up and down the coast. Judith must have already been pregnant, and in fleeing to America she hoped to avoid the scandal.

Her lips twisted and sympathy flared. Judith should have known better. Sir James had virtually become a recluse since then. Most likely it was because of the gossip.

Swallowing jerkily, she set a cup of coffee in front of David, pulling the sugar and cream jug towards him. Her eyes met his for a fraction of a second and that was all it took for him to read the sudden knowledge in them.

A look of regret rippled across his face when he gravely thanked her then he turned his attention back to Grandy.

'It's not that the work is so hard or that there's so much to do around here,' Grandy was saying. 'The boys do help after school but I'm not as young as I used to be. And then there's my son,' he sighed painfully.

David nodded with compassion. 'Morwenna told me about him. I'm sorry.' He flicked an unreadable look at Caroline.

She knew he must have heard a twisted version of her being left at the altar and how it changed her father. Her chin lifted coldly, in faint challenge, daring him to say anything.

But David didn't respond.

'Yes, well,' Grandy pulled himself together. 'The job's yours if you want it: Will you be needing room and board as well as the salary I'm offering? There's plenty of room in this rambling old house.'

David gave him a slow understanding smile. 'I think Morwenna lives close enough not to make it a problem getting here. She says she likes looking after us. It brings out her motherly instincts.'

Grandy's lips twisted almost to a sneer. 'I'll give you a word of advice about that woman. Don't go letting her run your life for you or fill your head with any of her psychic nonsense. Drink coffee instead of tea—that way she can't read the leaves and tell what dire things await you.'

David chuckled softly. 'She does tend to do that, doesn't she?' Draining his cup, he stood up to leave, flashing an easy grin at Caroline. 'Tell Sharon I'm sorry I missed her.' He shook Grandy's hand. 'I'll be back this evening to help with the milking.'

'Fine, my boy, fine? He looked at Caroline then back to David. 'It'll be good to have someone to rely on again.'

A week passed before Caroline found the time to visit Morwenna to thank her for sending David to them. The farm work was running smoothly and Grandy was smiling again and had given up his search for a housekeeper for the moment. He never said as much. The applicants simply stopped coming. It wasn't mentioned any more and Caroline breathed easier.

Situated near Cornwall's more scenic, tumbling cliffs, Morwenna's cottage was always warm and welcoming. Half-timbered, it was small and white, surrounded by a riot of colourful violets mixed with sea-pinks and bluebells and hung with wisteria. Her lawn was kept like a soft green velvet carpet and her pride and joy, a thatched roof, was something of a local tourist attraction.

Caroline took the long way there this morning, following the rocky cliff path, letting the murmuring slap-slap of the sea match her mood. It was a glorious morning and she was glad to be alive.

Morwenna was sitting in her sunny garden with a dark haired little boy kneeling in the blowing grass in front of her having his palm read. 'A lovely lady will come into your life and you'll love her like a mother ...' she was murmuring in her low musical voice. 'Her eyes will hold all the mysteries of the sea. And her smile . . . watch for her smile. That's how you'll know her.'

'Hello, Morwenna,' Caroline called from the gate before lifting the latch and coming up the flower-lined walk. 'I thought I might find you out here. It's such a gorgeous day.'

'Come in, come in, Caro.'

The little boy quickly jumped to his feet and turned around to look at her.

'Steven Tremain, this is Caroline Pentreath,' she said when Caroline reached them.

'How do you do?' Steven stood rigidly erect, his expression solemn.

Caroline blinked, slightly taken aback by his formality. David was quiet but not unusually so, and her brothers and their friends were outgoing and boisterous. She had forgotten how shy some children could be. Thinking it might be her height intimidating him, she got down on her knees and looked him straight in the eye, flashing him a dazzling smile to put him at ease. 'Hello, Steven. How nice to meet you at last. Sharon's told me so much about you, I feel I know you already.'

Almost automatically he put his hand in both of hers, never taking his eyes off her smile. Then all at once his head swivelled to Morwenna and his bright blue eyes became big and round and full of questioning wonder.

A small knowing smile came and went across Morwenna's face and she nodded sagely but didn't say anything.

'A lovely lady,' he repeated almost reverently. 'And her eyes are like the sea. They're even the same colour, kind of bluey but green! How did you know?' He looked at his grubby little palm as if it could tell him something then he looked back at Caroline and grinned from ear to ear. 'Do you like snakes?' he ventured.

All of a sudden she let out an unconsciously held breath and laughed, giving an expressive shudder. 'Only if I see them coming and prepare myself. Yesterday I found one Tim left in his pocket before I washed his jeans. It scared me half to death.'

Steven chuckled and helped her to her feet, brushing the grass from her jeans. 'The same thing happened to my Dad once. He jumped a foot but then he said he wasn't really scared. He just didn't know it was there.' His solemn expression was completely erased by an irrepressible grin. 'I found a neat one yesterday and Morwenna gave me a box to keep him in. Would you like to see him?'

'All right,' she said bravely, hoping it was the common garden variety favoured by her brothers and not something that would scare the wits out of her.

'Go with him, Caro. I'll make some tea and then we'll talk.' Morwenna stood up and turned towards the house, her tidy little figure neat and trim in a blue flowered sun dress. A broad streak of silver threaded the dark strands of hair at her temples. Age had begun to catch attractive character lines about her eyes and mouth and there was an air of quiet dignity and self containment about her that Caroline always envied.

'I've got him over here in the shade,' Steven said, slipping his hand in hers and pulling her with him, 'but I don't know if he'd rather be in the sun. What do you think?'

She lifted her shoulders, stopping near a massive boulder on the cliff path. 'I don't really know much about snakes,' she said. 'Tim would, though. Shall I ask him when he gets home from school? Or better still,' she grinned, 'why not come home with me and ask him yourself?'

'Could I?'

'I'm sure Morwenna wouldn't mind. In fact, that's one of the reasons I came today. I'd like to have you and her and your dad come for dinner. You could come early and help me set the table. Would you like that?' Her grin turned rueful when she thought of the way Sharon had been badgering her all week to ask David to dinner. Grandy was exasperated by the way she always managed to find some excuse to put herself in David's proximity, interfering with his work. He tried to put a stop to it by giving her extra chores to keep her busy in the house but Sharon wasn't about to let that defeat her.

'Oh, yes!' Steven's eyes shone. 'When Sharon came to bring us some eggs last night, she told me you have a dog. And she said I'd like Tim. We're on the same wave length.'

She looked at the thin green snake coiled in the box and gave a relieved laugh. 'Sharon's right. You are a lot alike. Tim's got a snake who's probably this one's brother.' She only hoped Steven wasn't the type who liked putting them down the back of a girl's shirt the way Tim did when he thought things were too quiet around the house.

Something flashed in Steven's eyes when he gingerly picked up his snake. He hesitated only a moment but it was enough of a warning for Caroline.

'Don't do it,' she said softly. 'Don't even think it.'

His eyes danced. 'What?' he said innocently enough.

'I'll ... I'll ...' She swallowed and began to back away but tripped on a rock and landed in a sitting position in the middle of the path.

The snake slithered down the front of her blouse and she gave a yelp, furiously twisting and turning, fumbling with her buttons, trying to let him loose. 'Oh, Steven, I'll get you for this!'

He doubled over, laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes. He was practically rolling on the ground.

Caroline whimpered in frustration, tearing off a button before finally getting rid of the snake. Once it was safely back in its box, she advanced on him.

'I couldn't help it,' he gurgled.

'Oh, couldn't you?' She caught his shoulders with mock gruffness as if she was going to shake the life out of him but then she gathered his thin little body in her arms and hugged him instead. 'I should have been warned, shouldn't I? When you said you and Tim were on the same wave length.'

He laughed and burrowed his face deeper into her softness, the gesture coming as naturally as breathing. 'Sharon told me how Tim was always teasing you like that. I wanted to try it as well.'

She expelled her breath loudly to let him know what she thought of that. 'Am I to expect this sort of thing from now on, when the both of you get together?'

'Oh no,' he said at once, drawing away from her, his face solemn again. 'You weren't really scared, were you?'

'And if I was?'

'I won't do it again. I promise.'

'Well, I wasn't scared. I just don't like them in my shirt.' She glanced sideways at him and saw the devilish grin begin again. 'Or in my jeans, either,' she said quickly. 'So get rid of that idea right now. Next time, if there is a next time, you won't get off so lightly.'

His grin was infectious and they went back to the garden hand in hand, an invisible bond running from his heart to hers.

Little shafts of sunlight dappled the ground under the gnarled apple tree sprinkling her with shadowy comfort. The warm breeze sighed over the rugged boulders tumbling down the cliffs to the sea as sea gulls dipped and wheeled overhead. Caroline sipped her tea and smiled in contentment, loving this place more each time she came. Steven was playing with Morwenna's grey and white cat on the grass a little way away from them.

'It's so restful here,' Caroline said softly. 'I almost envy, you this house, Morwenna. Every time I come, I can feel my batteries getting recharged.'

Her friend chuckled. 'You surprise me. I would have thought it would take more than a peaceful afternoon in a cliffside garden to make you happy. Sharon's batteries got a high voltage jolt when David came to work for you.'

'Yes, well,' her lips twisted, 'Sharon hasn't learned discretion yet. She's really crazy about him and make no bones about it. Sometimes I think the way she acts must embarrass him.'

'How do you feel about him? For the past week Sharon's come round every day to get me to tell her everything I know about him. Would you mind having David for a brother-in-law?'

She squirmed uncomfortably, feeling a telltale blush creep up her neck. How could she answer that truthfully? Her thoughts were so jumbled lately. David was good and kind to Grandy and the boys and especially gentle with her father. He worked hard around the farm but she didn't really know if she wanted to see him married to Sharon. All her brothers did. At least they said so often enough this past week. But David didn't seem to be overly interested in Sharon and for some strange reason that made her feel ... relieved.

'Don't you think you're being a bit premature?' she hedged. 'Sharon's out to hook him but so far David's not even nibbling at her bait.'

'Nicely put,' Morwenna grinned. 'Just between you and me, he's not the man for her.'

'But she loves him. You know she does. I think it's only a matter of time before he realises it and begins to love her back.'

'Let's see ...' Morwenna pursed her lips. 'She loved John Polgearon last month and Alan Penrhyn the month before that ... and wasn't there someone named Simon something or other ...?' her voice trailed off as if she didn't really have to go on.

'This is different. She knew David before. Look what she did to make sure he'd notice her again.'

'You mean that horrid dye job? Give the man credit for having more brains than that. He wouldn't be flattered if he knew. He needs a quiet kind of love—from someone level headed, who has both feet on the ground, who'll fill the empty places in his heart and be a good mother to his son and all the other children he's meant to have.'

'Meant to have? That's a curious thing to say. Did he tell you that?^>

'No, silly. Haven't you ever taken a good look at him? It's written all over him. That man's made to be a father to a large family.'

Caroline smiled innocently enough but her heart began to thump unsteadily. To be the woman he chose for his wife, to have the right to work at his side and share all the intimacies of love and passion with him, to be the mother of his beautiful children. The mere thought took her breath away. And then she shook herself. What was the matter with her? She had dreamed these dreams before, in Philip's arms, and they had all been shattered. She wouldn't begin them again. Not with a man as far out of reach as David. It was doomed to failure before it even began.

'David knows the loneliness of being an only child,' Morwenna said softly, 'and so did Judith. He doesn't want Steven to grow up like that.'

'Sharon's flighty,' she said with a sinking feeling she couldn't explain, 'but she'd be a good mother.'

'She's not for him!' Morwenna was emphatic and her dark eyes flashed.

'Don't be too sure. She's out to get him. That's one of the reasons I came today. To invite you and David and Steven to dinner tonight. Will you come?'

'Do I have a choice?'

Her face fell. 'Don't you want to come?'

'Not if I have to watch you let Sharon make a fool of herself over David.'

'Morwenna ‑'

'All right, all right,' she sighed. 'I won't go on about it. But I could shake you, Caroline. One of these days you're going to pull your head out of the sand and stop giving priority to self-protection. You're going to allow yourself to experience and express loving emotions again and you'll see what's staring you in the face.'

'I can see it already. When you love someone, you give them power over you. Love is for fools who are afraid to be their own person.'

Morwenna shook her head and sighed and decided to change the subject instead of arguing. She knew Caroline could be as stubborn as a mule when she wanted to be. 'How's your father today?'

A frown creased her forehead and she lifted her shoulders helplessly. 'Funny you should ask that. All this past week I've noticed a look on his face but I can't explain it. It's not exactly pain but when he looks at David, I know he sees him and knows who he is. It's almost as if Daddy wants to offer him— sympathy. Isn't that crazy? Grandy says, I'm imagining things.'

Morwenna leaned towards her. 'Give me your hand.'

'OK, come on.'

'No, no, I'm not going to read your palm. Just let me see.' She took first one hand, then the other and searched them. 'See that line there? The one running from the middle of your wrist straight up to your middle finger?'

Caroline looked and nodded. Morwenna had it on' both her hands too.

'They say people who have that mark are somewhat psychic.' She sat back in her chair and smiled an intriguing smile. 'Perhaps you're not imagining things at all. Perhaps your father knows something none of the rest of us know about David and that's why he's sympathetic. I always thought you were more sensitive than most. Who knows? Maybe with a little practice you'll find you have the gift of a sixth sense.'

'Heaven forbid!'

'Oh, it's not so bad Sometimes it's even a blessing.'

She looked sceptical.

'Not all the time, I'll grant you. Like when there's something unfortunate about to happen and you know you can't do anything to change it.' A troubled frown crossed her face. 'It makes you restless and kind of jumpy. Unsettled.'

Caroline tilted her head. 'That's the way you've been for the past half hour. Oh yes,' she said quickly at Morwenna's look of surprise. 'I know you're been trying to hide it but I noticed it right away, as soon as I came up the path. Don't tell me you're picking up some bad vibrations from somewhere?'

'I knew you were sensitive. You're right. Something is wrong.' She gripped her hands nervously together in her lap and bit her lip and looked beyond her. 'I'm afraid we'll know what it is all too soon. Here comes David.'

Caroline wheeled around and was on her feet at once, unconsciously holding her breath. He was supposed to be overhauling the tractor with Grandy this afternoon.

David's quiet approach was deceptive. Coming from the side of the cottage, his long fluid strides ate up the distance between them in no time at all. He came straight to Caroline and searched her face for one timeless instant without saying anything.

Her eyes widened and became full of mute pleading.

'It's your grandfather,' he said, his mouth shaking. 'I think he's had a stroke.'

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