‘Oh, my goodness!’
‘And he kept asking after her. It was tragic, She would allow a week to pass between visits and when she did deign to grace us with her presence she never stayed very long. That hurt him deeply, but he never said anything. He stores everything inside, you see.’ She clutched her fist to her chest. ‘And I knew he was worried about it. So one day, I called upon her and tried to appeal to her better nature, citing how much her visits meant to my brother and how I believed they were essential in his recovery and do you know what she said?’ Effie dreaded to think. ‘That she wasn’t cut out to dance attendance on an invalid!’
‘But that is atrocious! After all he’d been through... How could anyone...?’ She was staggered that anyone could be so unfeeling.
‘It gets worse, Effie. I reminded her that the marriage vows stated a wife stand by her husband in sickness and in health and she countered that she hadn’t yet taken the vows and wasn’t entirely sure she was going to—as she felt that Max was no longer the man she had agreed to marry! Can you believe that?’
‘I have no words, Eleanor. None. I am so shocked...’ It really did beggar belief. Aside from the dreadful aftermath of his injuries, Max had lost his career, his ship and his fiancée, too, and all because he had tried to save his crew, then had the audacity to survive. Then another dreadful thought occurred to her. ‘Had your father died at this point also?’
Eleanor nodded and her expression turned fierce. ‘Oh, how I hate that woman and despise everything she has done to my brother. When he first came home he was optimistic and determined to fight, then after things ended between him and that foul harpy he changed. The light dimmed in his eyes and he lost the will to live. I do not think he has found it again since. I blame Miranda for all of it and I do not care if it is small-minded, but I wish her no luck, Effie.’ She gripped her hand and her expression hardened with disgust. ‘If I ever collide with her again, I swear as God is my witness, I shall spit in her eye!’
‘Then you are more civilised than I, Eleanor, because I have never met her or heard of her before today and I already want to wring her neck, then pummel her to a bloody pulp! What a witch! What an evil, malicious, spiteful...’ The fury and outrage she felt on his behalf burned hot in her gut and she didn’t realise she had leapt from her seat and started pacing until she stopped dead and pointed a quaking finger. ‘How far away is this Prittlewell House? Perhaps we should go there right now and give her what for?’
Through the tears, Eleanor smiled, her bottom lip quivering before she enveloped her in a hug. ‘Oh, I do love you, Effie! Max needs someone like you on his side.’
That simple, affectionate gesture touched her beyond belief. ‘Of course I am on his side. I am his friend. Or at least I hope I am. With Max it is hard to be sure.’
‘He plays his cards close to his chest. Too close nowadays but, and if you will forgive the irony, he has been badly burned in more ways than one and finds it so very difficult to trust anyone any more. He never used to be like that. He never used to be so cynical, either, or so pessimistic. But since the accident and after Miranda ran roughshod over his heart, he has built walls around himself which he has allowed nobody to breach. Not even me. It worries me so much.’
‘Where is he now?’
‘Locked in his study, where I suspect he will remain for at least a week if his reaction to her wedding is anything to go by. This is a massive setback... When he was doing so well. I was beginning to see glimpses of the old Max. He seemed almost happy again and I credit you with that entirely, but...’ Eleanor slumped back into her chair and put her head in her hands. ‘We are back to square one again and heaven only knows how long it will take him to get over this latest blow.’
Effie wrapped her arm around her shoulders and squeezed in reassurance. ‘If he knew she was expecting, then chances are he was prepared for the news. Today it might have all got on top of him, but perhaps tomorrow he will rally?’
‘I was going to go home tomorrow. Just for a few days...’ The older woman shook her head before blowing noisily into her handkerchief. ‘I am sorry. I shouldn’t be dumping all my woes on you, Effie. I was just looking forward to seeing my family... Selfish, I know, but never mind. I am being silly. They will still be there in a few more weeks when hopefully this latest crisis has past...’
And now her heart wept for Eleanor who had stepped into the breach and coped with it all for so long. ‘You should still go see them. I can look after Max.’
‘No. I daren’t leave him. He needs me here. He might not appreciate that, and will undoubtedly disagree with it, but he needs me still. Maybe he will surprise me as you say and bounce back in a day or so.’ Her brave expression was unconvincing. ‘Once he has stopped lashing out at me, of course.’
‘And festering in self-pity.’
‘Yes. And that, too. You do seem to know him well.’
‘Do you think it would help if I tried to talk to him?’
‘I doubt he’ll see you, Effie. Or anyone. Not today at least. It’s too raw and he won’t appreciate the interference. Perhaps tomorrow?’
Chapter Thirteen
Two hundred and twenty-four squares of
panelling...
Max stared at the wall and prayed the loud ticking clock upon it would somehow tick quicker and get this damned day over with. He was furious for feeling sorry for himself after all this time and livid that he couldn’t seem to stop.
He sensed her before her dark head poked through the study window and he cursed himself for not locking the damn thing the moment he had heard her in the hallway an hour before. How typical she would encroach where she was not wanted! Something he had suspected she would do because the damn woman had no boundaries. Which was probably exactly the reason why he had left it open on the off chance she might come. Heaven help him...
‘I found an axe head. A big one. Probably used for chopping wood rather than for battle judging by the shape of the blade. Battleaxes are a lot more showy and this one is nothing but practical. Of course, you would know that if you’d visited the dig site today...but as I can see, you are inordinately busy.’ She allowed her eyes to wander to the spot on the wall he had been staring at so intently. ‘What were you counting? Cracks in the plaster?’
‘Go away, Effie. I’m not in the mood.’
‘So I gather.’ She balanced one hip on the sill and settled her back against the frame so that he knew she had no intentions of going anywhere and bizarrely he felt inordinately relieved at the prospect. He needed something to be angry at other than his own inability to face facts and he needed Effie. Had been craving her comforting presence since he’d read that damn newspaper this morning. ‘But your long-suffering sister is worried sick and...’ he sighed and her pretty, insightful eyes locked with his again ‘...and so was I.’
She was just being kind, he knew that deep down, yet it didn’t stop his silly heart from soaring for a moment that she cared enough to be worried about him.
‘You might have sent word you weren’t coming. I packed a huge lunch and, with the heat, half it is now thoroughly spoiled and wasted.’
