Red as a Rose Read online

  Kit smiled. "I'd be proud of such a pretty sister . . ." He looked grave. "You're not thinking she might have fallen overboard?"

  Elinor had not been thinking that but now that Kit had suggested it, Elinor was afraid. Her hand flew to her mouth agitatedly. "Oh, Kit . . .".

  "Oh, really, Elinor . . ." he said. "Be your age. You'll probably find her down in your cabin."

  "I never thought of looking there . . ." Elinor said, startled.

  Kit smiled. "Why not simply say you never thought . . ." he drawled. "You just get into a panic and flap wildly."

  "I am not flapping wildly . . ." Elinor said indignantly and turned and hurried down to her cabin.

  Valerie was there, curled up on her bed, sobbing her heart out.

  "Val . . ." Elinor said in dismay. "What's happened?"

  At first Valerie would not talk. She sobbed noisily into a damp hankie. But at last she looked at Elinor, her mouth trembling.

  "I . . . I owe thirty-five pounds," she said and burst into tears again.

  "Thirty-five pounds!" Elinor echoed, horrified. "But Val—how did you . . ."

  "Oh, it all began as fun and then . . ." Val dabbed at her eyes vainly. "Oh, Elinor, I am sorry, really I am, but I only have seven pounds left and .. . and I've simply got to pay it and . . ."

  Valerie made a great effort, blew her nose and dried her eyes, and stared at Elinor unhappily. "I simply must have the money . . ."

  "But . . . but we haven't got it . . ." Elinor said. She unlocked the suitcase where she kept her passport and travellers' cheques and rifled through them. "I can let you have twenty pounds, Val, but . . . but I must keep something for tips and . . . and suppose Aunt Aggie wasn't at the ship to meet us, we must have some money in hand."

  "We need another eight pounds . . ." Val said, wringing her hands together miserably.

  "But Val—you must tell me . . ." Elinor said. "How can you owe all that money?"

  Valerie's face changed. It became sullen, her mouth pouting. "Now I suppose you'll go all big-sister and lecture me . . ." she said rebelliously. "The truth is I was an absolute idiot, Elinor. This—this morning, we watched the sunrise and then .. .

  then we went along to someone's cabin and had coffee and they suggested a game of cards and when I tried to get out of it, well . . ." She laughed uneasily. "Elinor—you know how one hates to look . . . I said I hadn't the money and they said it didn't matter, play for fun . . . they'd stake me and then . . ."

  "Then when you lost, they didn't," Elinor said dryly.

  "You're not mad?" Valerie asked, her voice surprised.

  Elinor bent and kissed her quickly. "Of course not," she said reassuringly. "I know what you mean. One hates to . . . to . . ." She laughed uneasily. "But Val darling, I just don't know where to get the money."

  Valerie was washing her eyes in cold water. "We only need eight pounds," she said almost cheerfully: "Only !" Elinor echoed.

  Valerie was making-up her face now. "You'll find a way, Elinor," she said happily. "I know you will. Kit will lend it to you . . ."

  "Kit !" Elinor cried in horror. I couldn't ask him . . ."

  "Who else?" Valerie asked. "He can afford it."

  Elinor drew a long deep breath. "You ask him."

  "Me?" Valerie said. "I couldn't . . . I mean, he'd be furious with . . . with those people. He'd probably go to the captain and make a scene. You are nearly of age, darling . . ." Valerie suddenly smiled. "I know you'll find a way . . ." she said and opened the door, closing it behind her.

  Elinor sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the place where, such a short time before, Valerie had lain, sobbing her heart out. And already Valerie had shelved her problem on to someone else's shoulders, and lost her misery and gone off to enjoy herself, leaving Elinor to worry at the thought of asking Kit . . .

  It was easy to understand why Valerie could not ask Kit—if she loved him. Kit would be angry; Valerie was right. And Kit angry was rather terrifying.

  The lunch gong sounded. Elinor dragged reluctant legs down to the dining salon. Valerie was already there with Kit and Hugh, chattering away.

  "So you found her?" Kit said. "Was she in the cabin?"

  Elinor looked at him miserably. "Yes."

  "So I was right?" he said cheerfully.

  "As usual" she said bitterly and saw the quick, annoyed look on his face. Well, perhaps it was rude, but you got tired of Kit always being right—and knowing it.

  She ate in sullen silence, hearing Valerie's birdlike voice chattering away. How could Valerie be so cheerful—so completely free from the despair and fear that had chilled her? Was it simply because she knew she no longer had to solve the problem? Yet was it good for Valerie always to be able to hand her troubles to her sister? Elinor wondered if she ought to make Valerie ask Kit herself . .

  She looked at them quickly. Kit was smiling indulgently at Valerie, who was being very silly, teasing

  him, fluttering her lashes, and then Valerie looked at Elinor and smiled.

  "You missed a lot of fun last night, Elinor. Where were you really?" She turned to Kit, laying her hand on his. "What do you think, Kit—" she said, laughing. "Elinor swears she was reading . ."

  Elinor felt her cheeks burn. "I was reading," she said stubbornly.

  "Well, you weren't in our cabin . . ." Valerie told her. "I went down several times to see, for Kit was worried about you."

  "I was reading," Elinor said again and, looking at Kit, saw that he did not believe her.

  She wondered how she was going to ask Kit for the money. How could she make an opportunity? It would not be easy. They would have to be somewhere alone—where no one could interrupt.

  Her chance came that evening. They were dancing and Kit asked her to dance. Once round the room, she allowed herself to enjoy being in his arms and then she looked up at him, unaware of the fear and unhappiness that showed so plainly in her eyes. "Kit—I must talk to you . . ." she said desperately.

  He hid any surprise he might have felt. "On deck? It's a bit chilly—for the wind has got up . . ."

  So he didn't want to be alone with her, she thought. 'I'm sorry, Kit," she said again, "but it's urgent."

  Dressing for dinner, Valerie had been suddenly very white-faced. "Elinor," she had said miserably, "I simply must pay that money soon. He . . . he keeps pestering me."

  "Who is he?" Elinor had asked, but Valerie had refused to tell her.

  "I'll have nothing more to do with him," Valerie had said almost violently. "He seemed so nice and he's so . . . so . . ."

  "It's urgent . . ." Elinor said desperately, looking at Kit.

  "We'll go to my suite and have some coffee . . ." he said, taking her arm and walking with her.

  They passed Valerie, dancing in Hugh's arms. Valerie's eyes met Elinor's . . . Elinor -saw how frightened Valerie was, for all her show of gaiety.

  Kit waited for Elinor to speak. They sat silently, sipping hot coffee, while Elinor rehearsed words and phrases and discarded them.

  Finally she blurted out. "Could you lend me ten pounds? I'll pay you back as soon as I get a job and . . ."

  Kit's wallet was in his hand. Slowly he counted out ten pound notes.

  "Spending money at the shop?" he teased and watched the colour in her cheeks rising. "Didn't Aggie give you any money for such things? Not like her to be mingy."

  "She's . . . she's been terribly generous . . ." Elinor said quickly. "It . . . it's just that I need the money and . . ."

  Kit's face changed. It became stern. "You've been gambling . . ." he accused. Her cheeks burned painfully as she stared at-him. "You young idiot . . ." he said slowly. "You think you're so capable,

  you fuss about Val and she's got ten times more sense than you . . ."

  Elinor buttoned her mouth. The words longed to be spilled. Why should she always be blamed? But if Val loved him .. .

  "I've supposed you'd have sense enough not to play with the crowd that gamble," Kit drawled on. "I suppose it
started with cards and you were told it was just a game—and then you put on a pound and so on. How much did you lose?" he suddenly rapped at her.

  "Thirty-five pounds .. ." she said miserably.

  "My word . . ." he drawled. "Of all the idiots!"

  The crass injustice of it stung her. She faced him. "Is it any worse than betting on horses?" she said defiantly.

  To her amazement, Kit's face relaxed. "Touché . . ." he said almost gaily. "All right, Elinor, just write it off as experience gained. I'm willing to bet you'll never play cards again."

  "Never .. ." Elinor said with feeling. She thrust the notes in her bag. "Kit—I can't thank you enough . . ."

  "Forget it .. ." he said cheerfully and stood up. Elinor felt as if she had been dismissed. "I'll pay you back . . ." she promised.

  He smiled at it. "All right—if it'll make you feel

  any better but if you don't, it won't break me . . ."

  He took her back to the verandah café. Valerie

  was talking very fast to Hugh. Her eyes sought

  Elinor's and there was a look of desperation in them.

  Elinor very slightly nodded her head and caught

  Hugh staring at her, and then saw the relief in Val's eyes.

  It was near the end of the evening that Kit, who had left them for some time to talk to an old friend, travelling on the ship, suddenly stood in front of Elinor. "Dance," he said curtly.

  Startled by his reappearance, a little guilty, for she had just—surreptitiously, under the table—handed Val the rest of the money she needed, Elinor stood up.

  They danced in silence for a while and then Kit drawled:

  "I hate to have to tell you this, Elinor, but it's something you ought to know. You remember that man . . ."

  "What man?" Elinor asked, wondering why he looked so stern.

  "Last night—the man you were with, I presume, though you insist you were reading . . ." Kit said sarcastically.

  "Oh—" Elinor understood. "You mean Sam . ."

  "Is that his name? Well, Elinor, that man is

  married." Kit told her, looking down at her gravely. "I know he is," Elinor said, a little puzzled. "You . . . know . . . he . . . is," Kit drawled. She saw the thin white line she dreaded so much

  appearing round his mouth and she wondered what

  she had done to offend him, this time.

  "Of course I know Sam is married . . ." she said, staring anxiously at Kit. "Does it matter?"

  CHAPTER NINE

  BEFORE KIT could speak, someone tapped him on the

  shoulder and, with barely-hidden annoyance, he gave

  way to Elinor's next partner, Val's jolly Third Officer.

  The plump cheerful young man twirled Elinor round until she was quite giddy and then he slowed up. "Did I rescue you in time?" he asked.

  Puzzled, she looked at him. "Did I need rescuing?" she asked.

  He grinned. "Your sister seemed to think so al said Kit was probably tearing a strip off you and you needed help. He looked a bit grim," he said cheerfully, as the music stopped. As he walked back to the table with her, he grinned again. "Anyhow the ogre seems to have vanished."

  It was true, and for the rest of the evening, Kit did not appear again.

  In bed that night, Valerie demanded to be told all. "Was Kit very mad—what did he say?" she asked.

  Elinor described the scene as carefully as she could. "He said I was an idiot but he didn't seem to be really mad," she admitted. "Not as mad as I expected him to be. He said I needn't pay him back . . ."

  "Good-oh . . ." Valerie said cheerfully. "Now I'm out of that mess . ."

  Elinor was startled by Valerie's emphasis on the one word.

  "You're not in another mess, are you?" she asked anxiously.

  "Of course not . . ." Valerie said quickly. With just a little too much emphasis? Elinor wondered worriedly. Valerie went on pettishly: "I suppose I'll never live this down. You'll always be reminding me of what a silly thing I did. You should have been a school marm, Elinor. You never let sleeping dogs lie."

  "I'm sorry but . . ." Elinor began, really worried now as she gazed at her sister's angry face. What other mess could Valerie be in? "Val . . ." Elinor began again, more firmly this time. "I absolutely refuse—and I mean it this time—to ask Kit for more money . . ."

  Val laughed unsteadily. "Money . . . we won't need any more money once we get to Aunt Aggie's. Hugh was telling me she has even more money than Kit and we shall be her heirs . .. or heiresses, I suppose . . ." She yawned and got into bed. "Why do you always want to talk at night when I'm tired?" she asked crossly.

  Feeling that Valerie had somehow neatly sidestepped any awkward questions, Elinor got into bed, switched off her light and shut her eyes.

  But sleep was far away. Why had Kit looked like that? Why had he repeated her words with that strange look round his mouth? What did it matter if Sam was married .. .

  But of course, it would matter, to Kit, she realised with a shock. He thought she was friends with Sam—might even be having a little romance

  with him. Of course, Kit did not know she was merely baby-sitting . . .

  She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. She seemed fated to appear at her worst in Kit's eyes. Flirting with a married man and being so offhand about it ; gambling away thirty-five pounds and expecting help to repay it . . . What must he think of her?

  Dreading another lecture and afraid she might lose her temper and tell him the truth, thus involving Valerie and proving her to be a liar, she decided to keep out of Kit's way the next day.

  It proved easier than she had expected and with her usual inconsistency where Kit was concerned, she felt out of things and vaguely hurt, and even resentful as a result. It must have been arranged the night of the charades when she had been baby-sitting, but Kit, Hugh, Alison and Val were all part of a group who were going to dress up as Henry the Eighth and his wives for the Fancy Dress Ball soon to be held. They all disappeared in Kit's suite and they were laughing a lot, buying masses of crepe paper, and it was all very hush-hush and Elinor was obviously not wanted.

  Rather downcast, she sought out Mrs. Anderson and, as usual, got a warm welcome. Mrs. Anderson's cheeks were no longer so pale; she seemed much more cheerful.

  "Yes, my dear," she said in answer to Elinor's enquiry about her health. "I feel a different woman. I even stood for a little while today . . ." She beamed. "I hear you are all having a wonderful

  time. Kit was telling me last night how much he liked you . . ."

  "Kit said that?" Elinor almost gasped. A warm glow of happiness spread through her.

  Mrs. Anderson smiled. "Yes, my dear. He said that you were two of the nicest girls he had met and he was sure Aggie will be very happy to have you. . ."

  Some of Elinor's elation left her. She was just one of the girls.

  Mrs. Anderson's long thin white hands were folded idly in her lap.

  "This is a strange life, isn't it, my dear? All day long in which to do nothing. So very different from our life at home," she said thoughtfully. "Kit was saying the same thing last night. I sleep badly and he often drops in to see how I am in the small hours when life seems so very depressing. He is longing to get back to the station and down to work. He works very hard . . ." she went on proudly. She frowned suddenly. "You know, Elinor., I was rather troubled last night. When Kit came in, he was in a bad temper. I can always tell. After a while, he seemed to get over it but then he said to me that he thought it was time he settled down and got married and what did I think. I told him it was a matter he must decide . . . that all I wanted was for him to be happy."

  "And what did he say?" Elinor asked, her eyes enormous in her small pale face.

  "He told me that he had chosen the girl he was to marry—that I knew and approved of her—that he

  had thought very carefully . . ." Mrs. Anderson said.

  "And . . . and the girl's name?" Elinor asked breathlessly.

  Mrs. Anders
on shook her head. "He refused to tell me. He said I would know all in good time. That when we got back to the station, I would know. Elinor . . ." she went on and her voice was troubled. "I'm afraid he means Alison . . ."

  Elinor swallowed. "I think he does . . . She . . . she will make him a good wife . . ."

  "Good wife!" Mrs. Anderson snorted a little. "What man wants a good wife? He wants a woman , warm, loving, a woman who thinks he is wonderful. Alison has no heart, no warmth. I pray that Kit will not marry her, but I am very afraid he will. He always was one to choose the practical solution and she is the practical answer . . ."

  When she left Mrs. Anderson, Elinor bumped into Alison on the promenade deck. The chairs were all on the sheltered side of the ship, which was rolling slightly in the rough seas. Alison hesitated and then paused.

  "You'll wear fancy dress, won't you?" she asked. "I . . . I haven't thought about it . . ." Elinor admitted.

  "I've left them all sewing. You should see Kit . . ." Alison said, laughing. "He is going to be Henry the Eighth and will need his clothes padded. I'm glad he is enjoying himself . . ." Alison went on in her cool voice. "He gets little recreation on the station, works much too hard, and it may be a long

  time before we go on a voyage again." She turned away and then looked back. "If you don't want the bother of making a costume, Elinor, I've got one you might, like. You'll have to shorten it a lot .. . you're very short, aren't you, but it would suit you perfectly."

  "That's kind of you, Alison . . ." Elinor began, not wanting to wear anything of Alison's and yet not sure how to refuse. "What is it?"

  Alison smiled. "A Quaker's costume. I've never worn it. Somehow it didn't look right on me . . ." She smiled again and walked on.

  Elinor drew a long deep breath. A Quaker. It would suit her, would it . . . ? Doubtless, it was Kit's idea--or even Valerie's. Why should she wear a drab unexciting costume when the others .. .

  Walking rapidly, she bumped into someone and saw it was Petula Keet, holding small Sally by the hand. It gave her an idea.