Free The Unknown Mr. Brown by Sara Seale

you, allow small trivialities to upset a mood which have nothing whatever to do with the sexes,” she said, putting down her empty cup and getting to her feet. “If you’ll excuse me, Kate, I’ll go up and read to Timmy until it’s time to put him to bed.”
    “Well, there’s gratitude for you!” Robert exclaimed as the door closed behind her. “I strive to excuse your employee’s imagined shortcomings by stating the facts and get put in my place for my pains!”
    “Serve you right, too! You know very well, Rob, that your intentions were anything but altruistic. You wanted to embarrass the child, didn’t you?” Kate replied, and somewhat absently poured herself a third cup of tea.
    “It’s not easy to embarrass Miss Victoria Mary Hayes when her hackles are up, but I confess I find her unpredictable reactions rather endearing,” he said, and received a straight old-fashioned look from his cousin.
    “If I, didn’t know you better I’d have serious misgivings on the wisdom of encouraging these odd weekends,” she said bluntly. “It would be a pity, if you succeeded in turning the girl's head just because you find her unpredictable reactions rather endearing.”
    “Would you say there was any chance of her head being turned when the remembered image of the first Mr. Robert Farmer is forever looking over my shoulder?” he asked her with mock despair, and she shook her head at him.
    “Don’t play games just for the masculine satisfaction in breaking down resistance. It wouldn’t be fair,” she answered soberly, and the humour went from his face leaving it grave and suddenly tired.
    “No, it wouldn’t be fair,” he said gently. “Don’t anticipate contingencies that may never arise, sweet Kate; just remember that I’m grateful for the past years and your unfailing support and hospitality and wouldn’t willingly give you cause for concern, imagined or otherwise.”
    “Dear Rob ...” she said with a little smile of acceptance, “has the thaw set in at last?”
    “The thaw?”
    “That protective wall of ice you fashioned for yourself to shut Irene out. It’s been so long.”
    “Yes, I suppose it has. Well, don’t be too hasty with your metaphors, my dear. If ice melts too quickly it leaves nothing behind but a puddle of dirty water—no solid foundation on which to build again—so leave me a few stubborn icicles to bolster up my morale,” he said with a return to his old manner, and she knew that the moment for confidences had passed.
    “Well,” she said, “I’d better go up to the nursery and do my share of story-telling. Will you come up later to say good night? Timmy’s very jealous of his Uncle Rob’s attentions.”
    “Yes, I'll be up. I don’t think you’ll find my halo’s slipped, you know. Timmy was quite aware that he was being not only rude but wrong in hitting out at Victoria.”
    “Yes, and of course you were quite right to check him. I don’t know why I made such a thing of it.”
    “Don’t you? Well, never mind. It’s been rather an unsettling week-end altogether, so perhaps we’ve all been acting a little out of character.”
    But although with Robert’s departure the next morning the household appeared to settle back into its normal quiet routine, Victoria was conscious of change. Perhaps she imagined a slight withdrawal in Kate and only fancied a certain coolness in Elspeth, but she found herself hoping that pressure of work would keep Robert away from Farthings for a time, for not least of her doubts was the curious effect on her own emotions. She did not flatter herself that his behaviour on Sunday afternoon meant any more than an impulse of the moment born of idleness and a masculine desire to experiment, but she wished now that she had slapped his face in the traditional manner instead of responding with such undisguised pleasure.
    With the dawn of her birthday, however, such fancies were dispelled by the goodwill and small attentions surrounding her. Kate,