Rafferty's Legacy by Jane Corrie Read Free Book Online Page B

sadly.
    Glancing out of the window, Teresa saw Mr Oates and Michael approaching, and hastened to switch on the kettle.
    She was on the point of handing Mr Oates his tea when he turned his attention from the window and said, 'Teresa, I fancy one of Mrs Pott's fancy pastries. I expect you'd like one, too. Be a dear and pop across there, will you? Oh, and go the back way just in case some of those steers get loose—they'll be loading about now.' He grinned at her. 'It's been known to happen, you know.'
    This was the first time such a request had been made, but even so it was a little near lunch time. Still, she did not mention that, and was very grateful
     
    for the warning about the steers; she would be terrified if such a thing happened!
    When she returned to the office a little while later, having had to queue for the pastries, which judging by the length of the queue must be very good, she forgot about Mr Oates' warning and automatically made her way to the front entrance of the offices. Before her fingers met the door handle the door swung open, and Teresa found herself face to face with the tall fair man she had seen at the auction.
    'Teresa ! ' he said sharply. 'What on earth are you doing here?'
    Teresa stared at him—how did he know her name? Before she could answer him Mr Oates' voice spoke close behind the man. 'Come along in, girl. Did you have to wait until they baked them?'
    She grinned at this, and with a half-curious look at the stranger still standing there watching her, she slipped past him and into the office, leaving Mr Oates with him.
    She would have liked time to ponder on this strange happening, and the fact that the man had known her name. Her brow furrowed. Had she met him somewhere? in which case, he must think her awfully rude.
    Her musings were cut short by a request from Mr Oates of, 'Come into my office, Teresa. I want to have a word with you.'
    She glanced quickly at Michael—had she done anything wrong? she wondered. Michael's quick reassuring grin assured her that all was well, and she followed Mr Oates into his office.
     
    'Er ... sit down, girl,' he said awkwardly as he closed the door behind her.
    Teresa sat down slowly, sensing he was embarrassed about something, but what it was she had no idea.
    'That man you met when you came in just now,' he said, then cleared his throat, proving to Teresa that he was embarrassed. 'That was Carl Elton,' he said slowly, and waited a second or so before he continued, giving Teresa the distinct impression that he rather expected the name to mean something to her.
    Her lovely green eyes met his in silent query. 'Mr Elton,' she repeated steadily, then shook her head bewilderedly. The name meant nothing to her. She looked back at Mr Oates; it was clear that she ought to have known who the man was.
    She sighed softly. Poor man, and she hadn't even answered when he spoke to her I It might help, she thought sadly, if she wore a card on her lapel stating that she had lost her memory, that way no one would be offended.
    Giving Mr Oates a wry smile, she said gently, 'It's pretty obvious I ought to have known who he was. I do hope you apologised to him, Mr Oates, for my apparent rudeness.'
    'I did,' he said carefully, 'explain how things were. You oughtn't to get any trouble in that direction from now on.'
    Teresa did not like this answer, for it left a few unexplained, not to mention intriguing, questions in the air. Had she in fact had any trouble with this man? She conjured him up again in her mind's eye.
     
    He was certainly not a man one could overlook in a crowd. He had that certain something about him. Authoritative, that was the word she wanted. He looked wealthy and could, she imagined, afford to indulge in any whim that took his fancy.
    A thought then struck her. Had she been one of Carl Elton's 'whims'? She shook her head. She simply couldn't see how, for according to her uncle she had only been in the country a few weeks before the accident