Page 64 of Needs Must
‘An excellent excuse for him to avoid fulfilling the widow’s expectations but still be a frequent visitor to her door. Aykroyd doesn’t strike me as the constant type.’
‘No, I suppose he is not.’ She again sent him a sideways glance. ‘Could it really be that simple, do you suppose? Will Ian admit to his crimes in order to either impress or terrify me?’
‘You are the one who seemed convinced that he would, otherwise I would not have agreed to your scheme under any circumstances.’
Cal glanced over his shoulder. The others were nowhere in sight, and he didn’t hesitate. Something stronger than his own will overcame common sense. He pulled Donna into his arms in a rough embrace and covered her lips with his own, firing his already burning passion to boiling point. She neither struggled nor elbowed him in the ribs, as she had every right to. Instead, her arms wound their way around his neck and she returned his kiss with a passion to match his own. The dog, ignored by them both, yapped at Donna’s heels.
‘You should not have done that,’ she said primly when he broke the kiss and reluctantly released her. ‘It serves no purpose.’
‘At the risk of sounding ungentlemanly, you need not have responded to it,’ he replied, tweaking the end of her nose.
‘Anyway, I don’t suppose it matters. As soon as I have restored my reputation I will leave the district and search for a position in order to keep the bailiffs from the door. We need never meet again. But,’ she added, waving a finger beneath his nose, ‘let us be clear on one point. Despite evidence to the contrary, I am of strong moral character and will not become your mistress.’
‘My mistress?’ Cal blinked at her, vaguely aware of Willow disappearing into the trees in pursuit of only he knew what.
‘I imagine that I should wait to be asked. I am perfectly sure that there is a precedent for such situations, although you would know more about that than I do.’ Cal doubted it but found the subject matter entertaining and so allowed her to run on. ‘Besides, we have gone beyond that point,’ she said, walking again and forcing him to do the same.
‘Whatever makes you suppose that I want to take you for my mistress?’ he asked, curious to see how she would respond.
‘Oh, don’t be so obtuse!’ She flapped a hand in irritation but no longer seemed able to look him in the eye. ‘What other conclusion am I supposed to draw from your behaviour? You have gone out of your way to help me resolve my problems, even to the extent that your interest in me has put you at odds with your family.’
‘I promised Bagshott that I would look into the matter of his wife’s murder, and since you appear to be on speaking terms with her spirit …’
‘Don’t you dare mock what you do not understand!’ But she smiled as she spoke and was able to meet his eye again. ‘In truth, I hardly understand it myself. I have seen and sensed Esmeralda’s presence, but in my more rational moments I am able to convince myself that it must have been a product of my imagination. And I do have a lively imagination. Ask Miriam. She will confirm it.’
‘I was not being facetious, if that is what you suppose. I have told you before that I am open-minded when it comes to the subject of the hereafter. Besides, there is too much evidence about situations such as Esmeralda Bagshott’s restless spirit for even the most rational mind to dismiss the possibility out of hand.’
‘Well, we are in agreement at least insofar as such matters are concerned.’ They had reached Denmead Cottage and Willow came hurling out of the trees to join them. ‘Please don’t kiss me again, Cal. It serves no purpose other than to confuse things. I am grateful for your assistance but will not repay you with anything other than gratitude. Ah,’ she added, watching him in a speculative manner. ‘I see that I have offended you, for which I apologise. That was not my intention, but I believe in plain speaking. That way, there can be no possibility of misunderstandings arising.’
‘Perish the thought!’
She laughed and swatted his arm playfully. ‘Stop making fun of me. You might not find such situations embarrassing, but I most certainly do.’
Cal was sorely tempted to provoke her into explaining the situation in question, even though there was no real doubt about it. She was delightful when she was embarrassed, but still gamely held her own. Unfortunately, the arrival of Jules and Miriam meant the opportunity was lost to him, which on reflection he decided was probably just as well. Donna might prefer it if he deferred from kissing her and Cal could quite see that would be the safest course of action to adopt. He was less sure however about his ability to resist such a delightful temptation. One taste of Donna’s sweet lips, he was now in a position to know for a fact, would never be enough for him.
Cal noticed Tom Cooper in the grounds, chopping logs with apparent ease as he swung the heavy axe through the air.
‘How do, Tom?’ Cal said, raising a hand in greeting. ‘Hard at it, I see.’
‘M’lord,’ Tom mumbled, pausing to wipe sweat from his brow with his arm.
‘You address Tom by name,’ Donna remarked.
‘Why would I not?’ Cal looked surprised by the observation. ‘That’s his name, isn’t it?’
‘I’m not questioning his name, but I am surprised that you know it and took the time to acknowledge him. In my experience, most men of your stature would not trouble themselves.’
‘You have clearly been mixing in the wrong circles. We shall have to see what we can do about that.’
Donna smiled and shook her head as she followed Cal into the cottage.
‘Right,’ he said briskly. ‘If you are determined to do this, Mrs Harte, then I’d best find the best vantage points from which to eavesdrop. Stay down here if you will and talk in a normal voice to Jules. I will see if I can hear what is being said from upstairs.’
Without waiting for a response, Cal took the rickety stairs two at a time and ventured into the larger bedchamber at the front of the cottage, directly above the sitting room. It was obviously Donna’s room, and he imagined her sleeping alone in her bed tonight beneath that colourful bedspread. The thought aroused Cal, which worried him.
It worried him a great deal.
He told himself that he would get his obsession with her under control as soon as he had resolved the problem of her husband’s death and cleared her name of any suspicion of wrongdoing. At the same time he would get to the bottom of Mrs Bagshott’s murder, which in turn would help him to reinstate the short cut across Bagshott’s land, the withdrawal of which had caused Cal and his father before him considerable inconvenience.
