‘Yes. Margaret.’
‘She didn’t turn up to the wedding. Talek was left standing at the altar, humiliated in front of his family, friends and business acquaintances. I will never forgive her.’
‘What was her reason?’
‘She said she woke up on the morning of the wedding and could not go through with it. When he asked her why she said she had simply changed her mind and no longer loved him.’
‘But there must have been something to make her change her mind.’
‘You think he must have done something terrible to warrant her behaviour or why else would she stand up such an eligible man?’
Grace pressed her lips together. She had meant that. Why else would she leave him so publicly?
‘You are not the first to have such thoughts, but I can vouch for Talek when I say, he didn’t. Talek loved her very much. Although it has been two years now, I believe he still does. I suspect she had a better offer and did not have the courage to tell him. There was gossip as to the reason and why she would humiliate him so publicly. Revenge, fear, a woman’s flighty nature, but it soon died away. If Talek was guilty of anything, it was having his attention taken by the clay pits. He took his position seriously and was eager to do well. People relied on him for their employment and he felt that responsibility more than most. She wanted his attention and had no interest in the clay workers. I think the community could see how much Talek wanted to keep them in work and it helped for the gossip to fade in time.’
Grace returned to her chair beside Amelia. She was seeing a new side to Talek that he preferred to keep hidden. The man who rarely showed his feelings had been hurt deeply once, and probably was still hurting.
‘Where is she now?’
‘We do not know. I, for one, do not care.’
‘And your brother? Does he care?’
Amelia turned the page of her book as she searched for the place she had last paused in her reading. ‘I don’t know. I do know that he no longer trusts so easily and I firmly believe that he will never get over losing Margaret.’ She looked up at Grace. ‘I think she has ruined him for anyone else.’
Grace frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’
Amelia closed the book and traced the letters of the title as she replied. ‘She absorbed all the love he had to give, Grace. There is very little left for anyone else other than me . . . his crippled, dependent sister.’
* * *
‘What are you doing here? You are spending more and more time here.’
Talek looked up from the ledger he had been studying. His business partner, Henry, stood in the doorway looking puzzled. He couldn’t blame him. He usually preferred the solitude and peace of his study at home. However, recently he had come to notice that the silence was no longer an asset and when he ventured outside he was at risk of bumping into their new houseguest. Today, he had heard her laughing with his sister, which in itself was not at all unpleasant. However, although he should be pleased that his sister had a female companion and was in high spirits, it only seemed to underline the uncomfortable feeling that he was beginning to feel marginalised in his own home. Not that his sister was actively seeking to do this, or Miss Kellow — Grace — come to that. In fact, Grace did her very best to melt into the background whenever he appeared, which only resulted in him being even more aware that she was there.
Talek pushed the ledger away. ‘I thought I would take a look at the accounts.’
‘And did you find everything in order? I suspect you understood very little of it.’
Talek conceded with a smile. ‘I cannot make head or tail of your writing.’
‘There is nothing wrong with my writing if you understand what you are looking at.’
‘I swear you make it unnecessary complicated to keep me from reading it,’ grumbled Talek.
Henry reclaimed the large leather bound book. ‘Damn, I didn’t think of that. The truth is that my process is very simple compared to many. However, I have a head for figures and you do not, which is why I am responsible for the task.’ Henry frowned. ‘You look out of sorts. I don’t think my mathematics is responsible for your sullen look. What is really bothering you? Is Amelia unwell?’
‘She’s well. She has a live-in companion now, so I’m able to spend more time at the mines.’ Talek noticed his friend’s smile slip. ‘You do not want my company?’
‘If it is as sullen as it is now, then no, I do not.’
‘Take care. I could take offence.’
Henry laughed and slapped him on the back. ‘I know you will not.’
The two men, brought together by a joint inheritance, had learnt to work together and a solid friendship had slowly developed. Would they have become friends if it was not for the mines they jointly owned? Probably not. The mines had brought them together in a partnership that neither was willing to give up. Learning to work together had been difficult. Henry had two years of experience running the business before Talek and Amelia inherited their share. Talek and Henry’s share were equal at forty per cent each, however, Amelia also had a small share of twenty per cent and as she always looked to her brother for guidance, her smaller share gave Talek the authority he required when decisions were agreed. Henry came to accept this far easier than Talek would have done if the balance of power had been tilted in the other direction, this was partly due, Talek believed, because he had worked hard to understand the business, quickly gaining more knowledge about clay production than Henry. Despite this, it was Henry’s early acceptance that made Talek warm to him in a way that Henry’s poorly planned, grand schemes for more profit, could not.
‘You have come to know me too well. Little offends me these days,’ replied Talek.
‘Apart from being accused of murder.’ Henry sat on a chair opposite him. He crossed his legs and cradled the ledger in his lap. His eyebrows lifted to await his friend’s reply.
‘She angered me. I had all but forgotten the incident.’
Henry chuckled. ‘I drop in to spend a pleasant afternoon with you and Amelia, and I am forced to listen to you venting your anger about what had happened at Hel Tor.’
‘I was not angry.’
‘You were affronted.’
Talek considered the word and grudgingly agreed. ‘Yes. I was affronted, but I think I had every right to be.’
‘I don’t know why you let her bother you. It’s not as if you will ever see her again.’
Something in Talek’s expression made Henry sit up. ‘Have you seen her again?’
‘She’s Amelia’s new companion.’
‘She is living with you!’ Henry burst out laughing again. ‘This explains everything.’
