Free Unknown by Unknown

“I’ve already torn Fran off a strip.”
    “And now it’s my turn?” she asked meekly. “You shouldn’t blame Fran, she said you and she found that cove years ago.”
    “So we did,” he admitted, “but it. was years ago when we were both too young to know better. I didn’t realise that the little idiot was still using it.”
    And he had been badly frightened, Katie thought, and had a sudden clear insight into the relationship between the two younger members of the family. Fran had remembered that cove because Jamie had found it for her. Poor Fran, she thought, with Jamie as he is; one girl after another, and each one may be the one he thinks he’s looking for.
    She looked at Jamie’s good-looking face, bronzed in the sun, and the fair head so like his brother’s. “It was lucky Fran wasn’t hurt,” she said. “She was all set to dig me out single-handed.”
    "Yes, she would,” a smile of very real affection warmed his blue eyes. “She’s quite a girl, is Fran.”
    “I’m glad you appreciate her,” said Katie. “And I hope you make it up to her for being so unkind to her.”
    “I will,” he promised solemnly, raising one hand. “I’ll be absolutely charming to her when I get back, fair enough?”
    Katie smiled, satisfied. “Fair enough,” she agreed.
    He leaned forward, his eyes enquiring. “I suppose you must rest?” he asked. “You couldn’t possibly come out to dinner tonight?”
    Katie shook her head. “No, Jamie, I can’t,” she said. “I do feel rather rocky, it’s the reaction, I expect.”
    “Tomorrow?” he asked hopefully.
    She smiled agreement, stilling her conscience as she thought of Fran. “Tomorrow,” she said, “I’ll be fine by then.”
    “Good !” Having achieved his objective he relaxed in his chair, smiling and inordinately pleased with himself, Katie thought, and came to the conclusion that Janus Dennison must have spoiled his younger grandson enormously to have given him such bland self-confidence. He took out a cigarette case, but glanced surreptitiously at the door before taking one. “Does the fairy godmother allow smoking?” he asked in a stage whisper.
    “Of course,” Katie laughed at the exaggerated caution, then became aware of voices in the hall as she spoke and of Bridie’s muffled protests from the dining-room.
    Jamie inclined his head listening. “Big brother,” he said. “What does he want, I wonder?” He looked queryingly at Katie.
    Katie got to her feet and crossed the room. “I expect Aunt Cora is giving him back his coat,” she said, and “opened the door as the canvas jacket changed hands. John Miller turned his vivid blue eyes on her as she appeared in the doorway.
    He had bathed and changed into a neat dark suit that made him look more business man than artist, and she smiled slowly at the thought. “I was going to return your coat via Jamie,” she told him. “I know it’s the one you use for painting, isn’t it?”
    "Yes.” He turned back to her aunt. “It was good of you to return it so quickly, Miss Manson. Thank you.”
    “I called you because I wanted to thank you,” Aunt Cora said, “for helping Katherine as you did. It must have been a very dangerous situation and I’m grateful to you; I hope my niece was suitably thankful.”
    For a moment the blue eyes were fixed on her as he spoke. “She was most suitably grateful, Miss Manson, thank you.” He brushed his fingers along his jaw briefly. “I was thanked most charmingly.”
    “Oh, I’m glad.” Aunt Cora sought the reason for Katie’s flushed cheeks. “Your brother is here enquiring after Katherine—it is really most good of you all to be so kind.”
    “Not at all,” he dismissed the thanks with a cool smile. “If you’ll excuse me, I must hurry, I have a lunch appointment in Sea Bar.”
    With Eleanor Barlow, I suppose, Katie thought, watching the straight, arrogant figure disappear down the path and remembering Fran’s worry over the model’s