The Japanese Screen. Anne Mather

before driving away. She entered the house with a distinctly hollow emptiness inside that owed nothing to her physical condition. She didn’t know what she had expected. She should have felt relieved that he had made no attempt to ask to see her again. But she didn’t. Instead, she felt emotionally drained, deflated, and totally out of humour with herself for feeling so.

      The following day life resumed its normal pattern. Eduardo had lessons in the morning and in the afternoon they walked to the common so that he could run off some of the energy he had in such abundance. Susannah usually enjoyed these outings. She liked running about after the ball and seeing Eduardo’s pale face flushed with healthy colour as he forgot his anxieties in the pure delight of physical exertion.

      But today, Susannah found it hard to relax. She was constantly searching for a gold Granada among the cars that they passed and every dark man they encountered aroused a momentary flutter of excitement which was just as quickly doused. She didn’t know why she should imagine that Fernando Cuevas might want to see her again. His parting of the night before had been humiliatingly brief. And yet she couldn’t deny the surge of anticipation she was feeling.

      However, neither a gold Granada nor any dark Spaniard appeared and she returned to the house for afternoon tea somewhat dejectedly. Señor Castana had returned in their absence and when Eduardo saw his father waiting for him in the hall he gave an excited squeal and ran towards him eagerly. Susannah greeted her employer politely and then left the family together, asking the young maid to bring her tea to her sitting-room.

      The next morning Señor Castana sent for Susannah while she was giving Eduardo his lessons. Leaving the boy writing out an English exercise in his laborious fashion she went downstairs to the study wondering whether Señora Castana had found some cause for complaint in spite of what she had said.

      Carlos Castana was a stocky man of average height, with a thin moustache. He was handsome in a swarthy, Latin sort of way, but Susannah liked him because he had such a pleasant personality. He always tried to be fair in his dealings with the staff, and they all thought he put up with his wife’s moods and tempers very patiently. Now he admitted Susannah to his study, rather thoughtfully she thought, and indicated that she should take a seat. Susannah sat, waiting apprehensively for him to begin. Of course, he might just want a report on Eduardo’s progress, but in the past he had always come to the schoolroom for that.

      He walked behind his desk and sat down facing her. ‘First of all, Miss King, I want to say how pleased we are with Eduardo’s development.’

      Susannah folded her hands in her lap. ‘Thank you, señor.’

      He shook his head. ‘No, I am thanking you, Miss King. You have settled down with us very well – better than I had dared to hope.’ He paused. ‘You may know that in the past my wife has had some difficulties in keeping staff, but I’m glad to say that you appear to have fitted in with us excellently.’

      ‘Thank you, señor.’

      Susannah was intrigued. She wondered what all this was leading up to. If Señor Castana hadn’t brought her here to discipline her, what did he want?

      He went on, choosing his words carefully. ‘As you are aware, I have been abroad for several days. I went to the continent on business. There was a directors’ meeting. My company is planning to expand.’

      Susannah nodded. She didn’t quite know why he was telling her this. The affairs of his company were nothing to do with her, unless it was a roundabout way of telling her that he intended giving her a rise.

      He reached for a cigar from the box on his desk, and lit it before going on. Then, when it was glowing warmly, giving off an aroma of Havana tobacco, he said: ‘The company is planning to open a branch in New York, Miss King. I have been invited to run that branch.’

      Now she understood. He was explaining the circumstances to her because if he took this appointment, if he moved to New York, he would expect his family to move too, and that included Susannah herself as Eduardo’s governess.

      ‘I see,’ she said inadequately.

      ‘You understand why I am telling you this, do you not, Miss King? Naturally I shall be accepting this appointment and moving to New York. I intend to take a house there as I have done here for the past eighteen months. I want you to come with us.’

      Susannah nodded. ‘Yes.’

      ‘You’ll come?’ He rose to his feet, resting his palms on the desk and leaning towards her.

      ‘I don’t know, señor. I – I should have to think about it.’

      Señor Castana nodded. ‘I understand that. I have told you at once because I remember at the time you came for an interview you mentioned that you were leaving your previous post because you did not wish to move to the United States. May I hope that you have changed your ideas since then?’

      Susannah shrugged her shoulders. ‘I don’t know, señor. I – if it had been France – or Spain!’ She hesitated. ‘New York is such a long way away.’

      ‘But you have no family in England, Miss King. You told me so yourself.’

      ‘No,’ she admitted. ‘But my friends are here.’

      ‘You will make new friends!’ He spread a hand in a very continental gesture. ‘You are a very attractive young woman, Miss King. Forgive me, but one cannot help but notice such things. I have seen the way men look at you … I do not think you would find it too difficult to find companionship.’

      Susannah’s cheeks were flushed. ‘Well – thank you, señor. But really, I – I must have time to think it over.’

      ‘Of course, of course. I will not rush you. I do not suppose we will be leaving England for several months yet. But I would hope you would decide soon. I want an English governess for Eduardo, and if you are not coming with us …’

      ‘I quite understand, señor.’ Susannah rose now. ‘And – and thank you for your confidence in me.’

      Señor Castana made some deprecatory comment before showing her out, but after the study door was closed, Susannah stood for several minutes in the hall thinking over what had been said before returning to the schoolroom. She was still standing there when the maid came down the stairs.

      ‘Oh, there you are, Miss King,’ she exclaimed. ‘I’ve been up to the schoolroom looking for you. There’s a letter been delivered for you.’

      ‘A letter? For me?’ Susannah forced herself to remain calm. ‘Where – where is it?’

      ‘It’s here, miss.’ The maid drew an envelope out of the pocket of her apron. ‘Delivered by hand, it was. Do you know who it’s from?’

      Susannah took the envelope from the maid’s inquisitive hands, turning it over with trembling fingers. It was parchment-stiff, the quality evident, and there was a monogram on the flap. Making no attempt to open it, she stared at the scrawling handwriting and her heart skipped a beat. It had to be from him, it just had to.

      Aware that the young maid was watching her eagerly, waiting for her to open it, she went towards the stairs and ran up them lightly. ‘Thank you,’ she called over her shoulder, and guessed that her concealment of the letter’s contents would become the topic of much gossip and speculation in the kitchen. But she couldn’t bear to open it in front of anyone else.

      She went to the schoolroom first and checked that Eduardo was still busy, then she went to her own suite of rooms. Once inside she tore open the envelope and drew out the sheet of thick paper it contained. It was a letter, and an urgent glance at the signature at the end assured her of its writer’s identity.

       Dear Susannah, she read,

       As you do not wish me to come to the house and as I cannot telephone without revealing my identity, I am forced to use this method of contacting you. I would like to see you again. I am expected to return to Spain on Sunday and therefore I would hope that we might dine