Barbara Taylor Bradford - Emma’s Secret

‘Sure an’ I do, I think it makes great sense, Linny, darlin’. Your father and Winston have been best friends all of their lives, since they were boys, and then as young men they shared Beck House in West Tanfield. What rascals they were when they were little,’ he said, chuckling, ‘ and when they were young spalpeens chasing after the girls. Handsome they were, too.’

‘They still are,’ she shot back, laughter echoing in her voice.

‘True, only too true. But they got their wings clipped all right, that and they did! And by Emma’s favourites … your mother and Emily.’ Bryan grinned at her. ‘Fell like ninepins, the two of them, when those beautiful Harte girls batted their eyelashes.’ He shook his head, still smiling, and continued to spear the blush-pink shrimps with his fork.

Linnet confided, ‘Mummy wants to make it quite a fancy bash, Grandpops. You know, a marquee in the garden, dancing under the stars, and all that stuff. I suppose the only thing that’s really worrying her is the weather. June can be cool, and sometimes rainy.’

‘Yes, it can, but the house is big enough for a grand party, sure an’ it is, mavourneen,’ Bryan murmured. ‘Emma gave a dinner-dance here in the fifties and it was wonderful. She did the whole bit with a marquee outside, just like your mother is planning, but Emma used it for cocktails, and dancing later. It was the Stone Hall that was set up for dining, and, as I recall, there was another band indoors in case of rain. It all worked well … such a lovely night it was.’

‘Mummy said she’d heard Grandy talk about that party once. She thought you’d know all about it and that you’d be able to help her do something similar.’

‘I will that,’ Bryan replied, a look of pleasure settling on his face. ‘I do believe I have some photos from way back then. I must look them out.’ He stared off into the distance for a moment, recalling this event of long ago, and obviously he was filled with happy memories from the beatific smile on his face.

Margaret cleared their plates, served the steaming hot cottage pie and vegetables, and then slipped out of the room quietly. Linnet and her grandfather went on to discuss her brother Desmond and his many talents, but eventually they fell silent as they finished lunch. These two had always been comfortable in each other’s company, were at ease with each other, and words weren’t always necessary.

At one moment Bryan sat back and stared across the table at Linnet. In the cool northern light coming in through the bay window her colouring was so very vivid it startled momentarily. Yet there was a paleness, a translucent quality to her skin today, and she looked suddenly quite fragile.

Yet Bryan knew how strong she was both mentally and physically. She had enormous willpower, as well as stamina and energy, even though she was a slender girl.

She is going to need all the strength she has, he thought, just as she’ll need her wits about her. Tessa wants it all, has convinced herself she’s entitled to it all, and she’ll fight for what she believes are her rights. Intuitively, he knew that Paula would give everything to Linnet. This was her child by Shane, the great love of her life, the hero of her childhood, her true soul mate, and Linnet was their love child, very much desired, and conceived in great passion. Furthermore, she was cast in the image of the woman who had founded the Harte family dynasty and a great business empire. Yes, there was no question about it, Linnet was irresistible to Paula. Also, she was best suited to take Paula’s place one day. She was level-headed, steady as a rock, with a cool nerve, and an insight quite remarkable for her age.

All this aside, Tessa did not have Linnet’s business acumen, her vision or her stamina … all necessary attributes required in the person running Harte stores. Paula, shrewd, calculating, and with a mind like a steel trap when it came to business, knew this. She might not discuss it with anyone, but Bryan knew she knew what Tessa’s shortcomings were.

He had been resistant to Tessa’s charms when she was little, long before Shane and Paula were married. Even then he had been wary of Jim Fairley’s child, detecting in her vanity, duplicity and a tendency to lie. And later it had irritated him that she had been so envious of Linnet. Now that they were grown up Tessa was not only envious but she resented Linnet, most especially her looks. Those were simply an accident of birth, to do with genes, and there was nothing anybody could do about them.

Tessa’s other resentments were bound up with the Fairleys, with Shane who had been a loving father to her, but was, nonetheless, still perceived as the stepfather, and with Emma Harte. The last was easy enough to fathom; at least he had fathomed it all out finally.

There’ll be tears before bedtime one day very soon, he thought, taking a sip of his water. His instincts told him trouble was brewing and that Tessa had Linnet in her line of fire. It was going to be nasty. He wished it could be different, but he knew that was not possible.

The die was cast. It had been cast long ago.

‘It’s only the flu, Dad, I’m not dying,’ Evan said, balancing the phone between her ear and her shoulder, reaching for the box of tissues on the beside table. ‘I’ll be better in a couple of days,’ she added, then blew her nose several times.

‘It doesn’t sound like it to me,’ Owen Hughes responded swiftly, then exclaimed, ‘Oh, just a minute, honey! A couple of customers have walked in.’ Putting the phone down on his desk, he stepped out from his office into the main room of his antique shop in New Milford, Connecticut, to greet the two women who had entered. But when he saw that his assistant Darrell was already moving forward to look after them, he retreated and returned to his desk. He picked up the phone again and went on, ‘Sorry about that, Evan.’

‘It’s okay, Dad. How’s Mom?’

‘Not much change …’ His voice, suddenly deflated, trailed off.

Instantly she wished she hadn’t asked the question. Her mother had gone into one of her depressions about ten days ago, just before she had left for London, and when her father had come to New York to take her to Kennedy Airport he had been worried about his wife, and down in the dumps himself.

Summoning a cheerful voice, Evan said, ‘As I told you when I called you on Wednesday night, George was so nice when I arrived, and he’s been very kind to me since. As soon as he knew I was ill, on Friday, he had a doctor here to see me within a few hours. So try not to worry about me, Dad.’

‘I can’t help it,’ Owen answered, and then had the good grace to laugh. ‘And I know, before you tell me, that you’ll soon be twenty-seven. But I can’t change the way I feel about you. I guess you’re still my little girl. And listen, honey, I’m glad George is there for you: he’s a great guy, and he thought you were the cutest kid on the block when you were little. He’ll help you any way he can, and so will Arlette. You only have to ask them.’ A small sigh escaped. ‘I just wish you’d waited until spring to go to London. January’s such a lousy month. It’s snowing, I’ve no doubt.’

‘It’s going to be a rainy Sunday tomorrow, Daddy. But I don’t care, I won’t be out in it. And I’m very cosy here in the hotel.’

‘At least I don’t have to worry about you missing meals, not eating. I know George keeps a good kitchen, and the hotel has room service.’

‘It does, but I’m not hungry. Arlette has poured a lot of soup and hot tea down me, though, these last few days.’

‘Just take care of yourself, Evan.’

‘I will, and thanks for calling, Dad. Have a great weekend, and I bet you’ll have a big crowd for your lecture tomorrow.’