Barbara Taylor Bradford - Just Rewards

Evan paid no attention to her. She was far too worried about Hudson, intent on finding her puppy. Then she suddenly spotted the little paw prints in the snow, and began to follow them, pulling her cardigan around her shoulders, shivering in the icy wind, regretting she had not stopped to get her coat.

It didn’t take Evan long to find Hudson. The dog had sunk down into a snowdrift against the terrace wall, and was whimpering.

Bending over the snowdrift she almost fell into it herself as she reached down to retrieve Hudson. He was wet and cold, trembling with fright, and still whimpering as she took hold of him firmly and lifted him out.

‘Little Hudsy, here I am. You’re safe,’ Evan soothed. ‘I’ll soon have you warm,’ she whispered against his wet hair, bundling him inside her cardigan, wrapping it around him, cradling him in her arms. Holding him close to her body for extra warmth, she hurried back to the solarium.

Evan turned the knob only to discover that the door had been locked by Angharad. The child stood on the other side of the French doors, making faces at her; she stuck out her tongue, then laughed.

‘Open this door!’ Evan demanded, banging on one of the glass panes, filled with irritation. It was cold in the garden.

‘No, I won’t.’ Angharad put her tongue out again, swung around and ran away from the French doors.

Racing along the path, Evan went to the back door of the house which led straight into the kitchen. Stumbling inside, she brought a blast of cold air with her, which made Glynnis swing around. She looked startled when she saw Evan.

‘You’re going to catch your death of cold, my girl, going out without a coat in this weather,’ Glynnis chastised, then stopped when she saw that Evan had the puppy dog in her arms. She also noticed that the two of them were shivering.

‘Goodness me, whatever happened to Hudson? He looks very wet,’ Glynnis exclaimed, frowning in concern. ‘Here, give him to me, Evan, I’ll wrap him in this warm kitchen towel. As for you, lovey, take off that damp cardigan at once and stand in front of the fire. You’ll be warm and dry in a jiffy.’

‘Yes, Gran,’ Evan said dutifully, handing over the puppy, then struggling out of her damp cardigan which she then laid on the hearth.

Once the puppy was dry and nestling in a cosy bed of thick towels in his basket, Glynnis said, ‘Do you want to tell me what happened, Evan?’

Evan let out a long sigh. ‘I’m not a snitch.’

‘I know that. But how did the puppy get outside in the first place?’

‘I found him in a snowdrift,’ Evan muttered, avoiding answering the question.

‘Certainly Hudson can’t open doors, so somebody must’ve put him outside, Evan. That’s the obvious answer. Perhaps a little girl called Angharad, eh?’

Evan was silent.

‘It was Angharad,’ Elayne announced clearly, walking into the kitchen. ‘I saw her shoving Hudson out into the snow, Grandma.’ Elayne made a face. ‘She’s always jealous of Evan, and me, too.’

Glynnis nodded. ‘I understand. Well, please go and find her, Elayne, and bring her to me. At once .’

Elayne rushed off.

Glynnis looked pointedly at Evan. ‘I know you never want to confront her, but this time Angharad has gone too far.’

When Evan was silent, Glynnis said, ‘You know that, don’t you?’

‘Yes, Gran.’

Within minutes Elayne came back into the kitchen, pulling Angharad along by the hand. At five she was taller and stronger, and so she was able to control the younger child, who was struggling and looked sullen.

When they came to a stop in front of Glynnis, she said in a quiet voice, ‘Angharad, what you did was a cruel thing, putting that defenceless little puppy out in the freezing cold. Hudson would have soon died in that snowdrift, there’s no doubt about that. You’ve been a wicked girl. I don’t often use such a strong word with you, even though you are frequently extremely naughty. However, this time you deserve it.’ Leaning closer, bending slightly, looking into the child’s face, Glynnis asked, ‘Now, explain why you did such a cruel thing.’

‘The dog wee-weed in my room,’ Angharad mumbled.

‘ Oh really. That’s surprising, since you usually keep the door closed. Let’s go upstairs, shall we? All of us .’

Glynnis, her face still grim, shepherded her three granddaughters up the front stairs and into the bedroom shared by Angharad and Elayne.

‘Now, show me where the puppy had an accident,’ she said.

Angharad hung back for a split second, then ran to a small, damp spot visible on the light-coloured carpet. She pointed to it. ‘There! It’s there.’

‘It doesn’t look like urine to me,’ Glynnis muttered, and kneeling down, she sniffed the spot, then looked up at Angharad, her face grim again. She said, ‘This spot doesn’t have a smell at all. I think it’s water.’

‘Yes, it is, Grandma,’ Elayne told her. ‘She spilled it last night.’

‘I thought it was something like that,’ Glynnis replied, getting up from the floor. ‘And now you’ve resorted to fibbing, Angharad. Well there’s only one thing to do with a girl who lies. She’s got to be left alone to think about what telling the truth means, how important it is. Girls who lie are not fit for decent company.’

‘I didn’t lie!’ Angharad cried, glaring at Elayne.

‘I believe you did,’ Glynnis exclaimed. ‘And it’s not the first time. You’re to stay here in your room until your father and mother get back from New York with Grandpa. Then we’ll see what happens.’

She walked across the bedroom floor, beckoning to the other two girls. After ushering them out, Glynnis turned and looked at Angharad. ‘I’m not going to lock this door, but don’t you dare come out.’

Once they were back in the kitchen, Glynnis served Evan and Elayne large bowls of chicken vegetable soup and small chicken sandwiches. They ate their lunch dutifully and in total silence, afraid to speak. And Glynnis didn’t say a word either.

It was much later that afternoon, when she was playing with the puppy at one end of the kitchen, that Evan heard her grandmother talking to her mother. ‘There’s something wicked in her, Marietta,’ Glynnis said at one moment. ‘Angharad tells lies, and she has a cruel streak.’ As Marietta began to protest, Glynnis went on firmly, ‘She was an abandoned child … we know nothing about her genes, now admit that’s true, Marietta.’

‘I’m not denying it,’ Marietta finally answered in a low voice. ‘But she is pretty, and she can be very sweet, you know. Very loving.’

‘Yes, most certainly she can, when you’re giving into her, spoiling her,’ Glynnis pointed out.

Marietta did not answer.

Evan, who had listened to this exchange, kept herself hidden at the back of the kitchen, not wanting the two women to become aware of her presence.

As the memory slowly faded, Evan once again accepted that Angharad had not changed very much. She was just as envious and spiteful as she had always been. It struck Evan that Angharad had come to the store today spoiling for a fight, had wanted to upset her intentionally. And if they hadn’t quarrelled she wouldn’t have fallen, would she?

Evan shivered slightly and huddled deeper into the bedclothes. And then she was filled with relief that she hadn’t mentioned their quarrel to Gideon. She was certain he had already spotted something in Angharad which he didn’t like. His tone of voice had given him away. Angharad would never find favour with him, of that she was aware.

It’s exquisite,’ India Standish said, looking at the diamond tiara resting on a square of black velvet laid on the dining room table at Niddersley House. ‘And I would love to wear it on my wedding day …’ Her voice trailed off and there was a moment’s hesitation before she asked, ‘As long as you don’t think it’s too much, Grandma?’