half the stones will be embedded in the mud and impossible to move.”
Stuart smiled at her. “But let’s leave my problems for today. I forgot to ask you yesterday in all the excitement about Susan if you’d come with me tomorrow to the Highland games. They’re being held in a park on the outskirts of Cruban.”
Judith caught her breath in a slight gasp. If Neil were taking Mairi, surely she might be justified in accepting Stuart’s invitation instead. But her delay in answering gave him more than a clue.
“Oh, I see. Raeburn’s forestalled me once again, has he?”
“Yes. He asked me, but—”
“All right. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the evening if you go with him.” He was halfway across the yard, then turned. “Tell Barbara I came to ask about Susan. I’m going down to get McKinnon’s tractor.”
She turned away and went slowly indoors.
“Was that Stuart who was here?” Barbara asked her. “Has he gone?”
“Yes. He asked about Susan and—”
“I’m sorry I didn’t catch him before he shot off. I’d have told him what I thought of him! All these stupid rebuilding schemes of his! Susan might have been drowned yesterday.”
Judith was amazed at her sister’s irritable outburst. “But how could you blame Stuart?”
“Of course I blame him! He’s had a great load of boulders and stones dumped there.”
“But Susan might have fallen anywhere and cut her head,” Judith protested.
Barbara sat down, planted her elbows on the kitchen table and rested her head on her hands. “Oh, I suppose I’m being unreasonable, but all these things wouldn’t happen if we lived in a more civilised place.”
“No, Barbara, all you’d have to worry about would be traffic dangers and whether the children could keep out of the way of cars,” Judith said quietly.
Barbara glanced up sharply, then smiled. “Yes, I’m sorry I flared out like that. Forgive me. I’m nervy, and the least thing upsets me.”
“Of course, darling.” Judith bent swiftly to kiss her sister. “I do understand.”
“You didn’t tell me you’d already met Graham Mundon,” Barbara said presently.
“Mairi took me to the Roxburgh Hotel for lunch. I told you that. Then he came along and spoke to us, and Mairi introduced me.” Judith chuckled. “He gave us a free lunch. Then he said he hoped you and Andy would take me to dinner there one night. So I thought if I told you, you’d feel under a kind of obligation.”
“We’d never think that about Graham.” Barbara stood up and filled a kettle. “Judith, why don’t you stay with us—all the summer?”
“Stay with you? But I have to go back next week.” Barbara turned. “You could stay here for three months, then get another job in the autumn.”
“But I couldn’t impose on you like that and be idle at your expense.”
“Graham would soon find you a job here. Judith, think about it please. You’d be such good company for me. I need you—to give me back my sense of proportion. Sometimes I feel so desperate.” She closed her eyes momentarily. “I darn’t think of the future. Judy, why don’t you stay?”
Judith could have saved herself the worry of whom to accompany to the evening of Highland games, for Barbara decided that Susan was well enough to be taken and even Andy spared time to come, so Judith became merely one of the Greenwoods’ party. At the ferry Mairi waited with her mother and Neil.
Halfway along the road to Cruban, Stuart’s car passed and stopped to pick up Mrs. Drummond and whoever else wanted a lift, but only Mairi accepted. Fiona, sitting next to Stuart, waved casually to those left behind and Stuart called, “See you all at the ground.”
Neil, as though he were under invisible observation from Mairi, chose to walk with Susan and Robbie some distance ahead. Judith reflected that in the end it had all come to the same thing. If she had accepted Stuart’s invitation, she would still have been a third party.
By the time they had
Stuart smiled at her. “But let’s leave my problems for today. I forgot to ask you yesterday in all the excitement about Susan if you’d come with me tomorrow to the Highland games. They’re being held in a park on the outskirts of Cruban.”
Judith caught her breath in a slight gasp. If Neil were taking Mairi, surely she might be justified in accepting Stuart’s invitation instead. But her delay in answering gave him more than a clue.
“Oh, I see. Raeburn’s forestalled me once again, has he?”
“Yes. He asked me, but—”
“All right. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the evening if you go with him.” He was halfway across the yard, then turned. “Tell Barbara I came to ask about Susan. I’m going down to get McKinnon’s tractor.”
She turned away and went slowly indoors.
“Was that Stuart who was here?” Barbara asked her. “Has he gone?”
“Yes. He asked about Susan and—”
“I’m sorry I didn’t catch him before he shot off. I’d have told him what I thought of him! All these stupid rebuilding schemes of his! Susan might have been drowned yesterday.”
Judith was amazed at her sister’s irritable outburst. “But how could you blame Stuart?”
“Of course I blame him! He’s had a great load of boulders and stones dumped there.”
“But Susan might have fallen anywhere and cut her head,” Judith protested.
Barbara sat down, planted her elbows on the kitchen table and rested her head on her hands. “Oh, I suppose I’m being unreasonable, but all these things wouldn’t happen if we lived in a more civilised place.”
“No, Barbara, all you’d have to worry about would be traffic dangers and whether the children could keep out of the way of cars,” Judith said quietly.
Barbara glanced up sharply, then smiled. “Yes, I’m sorry I flared out like that. Forgive me. I’m nervy, and the least thing upsets me.”
“Of course, darling.” Judith bent swiftly to kiss her sister. “I do understand.”
“You didn’t tell me you’d already met Graham Mundon,” Barbara said presently.
“Mairi took me to the Roxburgh Hotel for lunch. I told you that. Then he came along and spoke to us, and Mairi introduced me.” Judith chuckled. “He gave us a free lunch. Then he said he hoped you and Andy would take me to dinner there one night. So I thought if I told you, you’d feel under a kind of obligation.”
“We’d never think that about Graham.” Barbara stood up and filled a kettle. “Judith, why don’t you stay with us—all the summer?”
“Stay with you? But I have to go back next week.” Barbara turned. “You could stay here for three months, then get another job in the autumn.”
“But I couldn’t impose on you like that and be idle at your expense.”
“Graham would soon find you a job here. Judith, think about it please. You’d be such good company for me. I need you—to give me back my sense of proportion. Sometimes I feel so desperate.” She closed her eyes momentarily. “I darn’t think of the future. Judy, why don’t you stay?”
Judith could have saved herself the worry of whom to accompany to the evening of Highland games, for Barbara decided that Susan was well enough to be taken and even Andy spared time to come, so Judith became merely one of the Greenwoods’ party. At the ferry Mairi waited with her mother and Neil.
Halfway along the road to Cruban, Stuart’s car passed and stopped to pick up Mrs. Drummond and whoever else wanted a lift, but only Mairi accepted. Fiona, sitting next to Stuart, waved casually to those left behind and Stuart called, “See you all at the ground.”
Neil, as though he were under invisible observation from Mairi, chose to walk with Susan and Robbie some distance ahead. Judith reflected that in the end it had all come to the same thing. If she had accepted Stuart’s invitation, she would still have been a third party.
By the time they had
Similar Books
