The Dark Stranger by Sara Seale Page B

and she was putting on weight.
    She had come in late that first night and made more fuss than usual over Tina ’ s arrival, only laughing when Brownie said sourly:
    “ I should have thought you could have put off your card-playing for one afternoon, Belle Linden, and been here to welcome your stepchild. ”
    “ Nonsense! Tina wouldn ’ t expect it, would you, darling? That dress suits you. I must remember that blue is your color. I ’ ll come in and see you on my way to bed and you can regale me with the horrors of school. ”
    Tina felt the old warmth of spirit reach out to her stepmother, but it became plain that Belle was not in the least interested in Tina ’ s affairs. She only wanted to talk about herself and the possibility of a closer relationship with Craig who, she affirmed, should be thinking of getting married. How would Tina like him for a stepfather?
    Tina blinked. Belle was given to making extravagant suggestions but she did not think that Craig was the type of man to make a marriage of convenience in order to give them both a permanent home, though Belle said stranger reasons than that had inspired a marriage.
    “ After all, ” she said, “ we ’ re very well suited. If Craig had been going to fall in love he ’ d have done it by now. He ’ s nearly thirty-five—but they ’ re a hard-headed lot the Pentreaths and marry for sensible and not sentimental reasons. ”
    “ Belle —” Tina began but broke off. What was the use of trying to argue with someone like Belle who would simply finish up by telling you you were a silly schoolgirl who knew nothing about such things? ”
    It was a wet spring so Tina spent a good deal of time in the house, browsing among the shelves in the book-room and helping Brownie with small chores about the place. She was allowed in the kitchen if Brownie herself was preparing a dish, and she enjoyed those rare occasions more than any others. It was pleasant watching the yellow crust form on the great pans of new milk which stood over a slow fire to provide the scalded cream which was served with every meal, and she came to appreciate the unfamiliar Cornish dishes which Brownie still insisted were the best. Starry-gazy pie, cooked with pilchards ’ heads protruding from the crust, and the once famous squab pie, made with pigeons and sometimes conger and all manner of vegetables and apples and raisins, the whole being eaten with helpings of scalded cream.
    “ When you come home for good, Tina, ” Brownie told her, “ you can try your hand at Cornish cooking. There ’ s a mort of goodness in some of these old recipes. ”
    When you come home for good ... For Tina there could be no promise in the phrase. Tremawvan was not yet home and her future was unsure.
    “ How should I know? ” Belle replied when Tina asked her what plans she had. “ There ’ s no telling how far the Pentreath generosity will stretch but I can ’ t see that Craig shouldn ’ t have us here indefinitely. Tremawvan ’ s a big house. ”
    “ But he can ’ t be expected—I mean, it ’ s different for you, Belle. ”
    “ You ’ d better ask him, ” said Belle lazily. “ He seems to regard you as a responsibil i ty, insisting on another year at school, though that, of course, had advantages from his point of view. Incidentally it was stupid and rather tactless of you to imply to h i m and Brownie that you weren ’ t wanted here for the Christmas holidays. ”
    Tina looked wary. It was disconcerting how her most guarded remarks came to be repeated.
    “ But, Belle, you did say—I mean, you gave me the impression that Cousin Craig didn ’ t want to be bothered with me, and then I found he was annoyed, and Brownie says he was disappointed that I stayed away. ”
    Belle gave her a swift look under her lashes.
    “ Hardly disappointed, my dear, ” she drawled with a brittle little laugh. “ You ’ re scarcely as important as that to my high-handed cousin. If you play your cards right, Tina,