Into the Blue Read Online Free PDF Page B

with anger. It must be Ruby who had thrown her precious plants away! No one else ever came into her studio. Or perhaps the wind was to blame? No, the day was calm and balmy without even a breeze, so yes, it had to be Ruby. Hester went downstairs into the basement kitchen, where Mrs Caunter, red faced, stood over the stove with Ruby beside her, holding vegetable dishes.
    â€˜I want to speak to you, Ruby – please come outside for a minute.’
    Mrs Caunter’s voice overrode hers. ‘Beg pardon, Miss Hester, but
she can’t, not right now. I’m dishing up and I don’t want it to get cold, so if you don’t mind—’
    Guiltily, Hester withdrew. She would corner Ruby after luncheon.
    The parents were, as usual, in the drawing room, sipping their sherry. They looked up and Emma smiled. ‘Hester, I fear you missed Hugh Marchant this morning. He called, but of course you were at your class.’
    â€˜I did see him, Stepmother. He found me coming out of the Reading Room and brought me home.’ Hester refused the offer of sherry and sat on the chesterfield between her parents. She wanted to get on with the meal and then talk to Ruby. But of course, in Oak House, nothing could be hurried.
    Arthur Redding put down his glass and said, with a stiff smile lifting his mouth but not reaching his eyes, ‘And how was Hugh?’
    â€˜He seemed very well.’ Hester’s impatience began to mount.
    â€˜And have you arranged about the Marchants’ tennis party? What will you wear, Hester?’ Emma’s face lit up and she beamed across the room. ‘You should wear white, as they do at Wimbledon – and I expect your tennis racquet will need oiling or whatever it is they require... .’
    â€˜I shall do what needs to be done, Stepmother. And I will wear the tennis clothes I wore last year and the year before that.’ Hester instantly regretted the tone of her voice. She should be grateful that Emma was interested enough to make suggestions, foolish though they were. ‘I beg your pardon,’she said hastily. ‘I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just that—’ She stopped, wondering whether they needed to know about the loss of her plants and then decided to continue. After all, she had to tell them about Mr Flynn and his exciting suggestion, so this might be an easy introduction. ‘Something has annoyed me,’ she said, smiling and choosing her words carefully, ‘because the flowers I have painted and now want to dry for my flora have disappeared. I imagine the maid cleared them off my desk.’
    â€˜Just as well.’ Arthur Redding’s voice was short. ‘This flora business seems to be merely an excuse to fill in time that should properly be spent on caring for your parents.’ He looked at her coldly and Hester felt rage swelling inside her.

    She heard the stridency in her voice as she said, ‘I’m sorry you think that, Father, but I’m determined to continue my flora. And another thing – this morning I had an offer from my painting tutor to give me private lessons which I’ve decided to accept.’ She waited, before adding firmly, ‘I have a little money saved.’
    There was a sudden silence. Emma caught her breath, and Arthur Redding sat up straighter in his chair, hands at once going down to rub his painful leg.
    â€˜Certainly not!’ He stared at Hester who defiantly looked back. His voice became deeper, sharp with rising anger. ‘You forget you can make no decisions for yourself without my consent, and I will not hear of you chasing off to study with some artistic nobody whom I have never met, and never wish to. You will kindly forget the whole idea.’
    Hester’s thoughts were full of anger and frustration, but out in the hall the luncheon gong sounded and the tense moment was broken.
    Emma rose, smoothed her dress and looked at Arthur Redding. ‘Come along,’