Free The Unknown Mr. Brown by Sara Seale Page A

very conscious that their quiet country life offered little in the way of excitement to a young and attractive girl, had tried to make the day a festive one with small surprises and presents hidden in unlikely places, just as she planned for Timmy on like occasions, and Elspeth contributed with a splendid cake ablaze with twenty candles.
    The morning’s post had brought the usual small cheque from the solicitors, together with the customary handkerchiefs from Scottie and Robert’s promised birthday card. Kate privately thought Robert might have found time to choose a personal gift, knowing that Victoria had no relations to remember her, but if Victoria was disappointed there had been no time to dwell on it, for all her pleasure had culminated in the biggest surprise of the morning. Five dozen red roses had arrived by special delivery packed with all the extravagant trimmings of ribbons and bows and a card attached by a silver cord which read simply: With the compliments of Mr. Brown .
    Amazement turning to pure bliss had illuminated the girl’s thin face with such startling happiness that Kate had known a prick of irritation. It was absurd in this day and age that flowers from a perfect stranger should evoke such astonished delight.
    “Well, it’s a handsome gesture, even though some might call five dozen of the best a trifle excessive,” she had said with some dryness, but Victoria had only smiled and alternately stroked a petal and the plain white card with equal tenderness.
    “It wouldn’t have hurt him to add a message—many happy returns or even just best wishes,” Kate went on, wondering why she should feel so put out, and Victoria smiled again, the affectionate smile an adult might bestow on a complaining child.
    “He never adds anything but his name,” she said serenely, “I suppose the lawyers see to it for him, but he’s never sent me flowers before, so perhaps, this time, he chose them himself.”
    “Hardly, when it’s simply a matter of picking up the telephone, stating your requirements and leaving the rest to the florist. Is it his writing on the card?”
    “I don’t know. He never writes letters. The only other time he sent me a present Mr. Chappie or Mr. Ponsonby signed the card.”
    “Then the florist’s assistant probably did the same. It’s not a particularly distinctive hand. Never mind,” she added hastily with a belated resolution not to spoil the day, “nothing can take away the compliment of five dozen expensive hothouse red roses to grace our rooms, so I, too, must be grateful to your Mr. Brown.”
    But she need not have troubled herself with regrets for her lack of enthusiasm. Victoria, her pleasure in the day enriched by such an unexpected tribute to her consequence, shared none of Kate’s misgivings. The occasion was made perfect by the lavish abundance which greeted her eyes in every room, colouring her thoughts and filling the day with promise. Even Timmy, inevitably playing up at bedtime from over-excitement, failed to spoil the evening for her, though for Kate’s sake she was glad when John Squires, arriving with a large box of chocolates to mark the occasion, went up to the nursery and restored peace with little apparent effort.
    “You have as much influence over him as Robert,” Kate told him with some surprise when later they were drinking their sherry while awaiting Elspeth’s summons to dinner, and he gave her a rather curious look.
    “Well, of course your cousin has the advantage of occupying a pedestal, but even a dull country GP can cultivate a way with children,” he replied with a twinkle and Kate smiled demurely.
    “You shouldn’t grudge Robert his place in the sun—he’s known Timmy ever since he was born,” she said.
    “Consequently the natural father-substitute in your eyes?”
    “Not necessarily, but it’s become rather a habit to depend on Rob. He’s been a good friend to us both, as I think you know, and helped me through a bad time after