The Golden Thread Page 5

  Chapter 8

  When Claudia came home at the end of her second year at Oxford her self-confidence was high. She had sustained an excellent level of marks throughout the last three terms, and knew she was heading at least for a good second class honours degree, and quite possibly for a first. Yes, the final year would be tough, but she could do it. She didn’t mind how much time and effort she put in, because the end result would make it all worthwhile. She would be able to embark on a teaching career – an objective she had held for as long as she could remember.

  That same summer Maria achieved her lifetime ambition – she left school. She quickly fell into a pattern of getting up late, telephoning friends, and going out in the evenings. Eventually Hugh put his foot down. This was not good enough – she must get a job. He was not prepared to support her idleness.

  Maria grumbled, but conceded that he had a point, and began, in a half-hearted manner, to look at newspaper advertisements. However, with her usual luck, the ideal job found her, without any effort on her part.

  On her daily journey back from school she used to pass Stroud’s Fashions, a small shop selling ladies’ clothes. She had often lingered to look in the window, and occasionally went in, as the selection was rather more interesting than the clothes she saw in the traditional department stores.

  Out in town one day, on her way to meet up with a group of friends at a coffee bar, she passed by the shop and saw some dresses in the window that appealed to her. She went inside and browsed among the different items, enjoying their colours and fingering the different textures. The proprietor, Jennifer Stroud, not being particularly occupied at the time, came out from behind her counter.

  ‘Can I help you? Are you looking for something in particular?’

  ‘Isn’t this dress amazing! I love this colour – it’s such a gorgeous pink. And the material feels so soft and smooth.’

  ‘It is beautiful, isn’t it – but perhaps a little old for you?’

  ‘Oh, I wasn’t thinking of buying it – I haven’t any money! I just like looking at lovely clothes. Sorry – I suppose I shouldn’t have come in really. I’m wasting your time.’

  ‘That’s quite all right. It’s nice having someone appreciating my choice of fashions. I suppose you’re not looking for a job, are you? As it happens, I’ve been thinking of taking on a young person.’

  The arrangement could hardly have been better. Beautiful clothes were what sparked Maria’s enthusiasm, and the idea of being in a fashion shop all day was certainly attractive. For her part Jennifer was able to take on the assistant she’d been wanting comparatively cheaply, and she could see there was potential for development in this eager young girl.

  Now Maria was up promptly each morning – much to Hugh’s relief – happy to be going off to an environment she loved. She soon proved she had an excellent eye for what suited people and many satisfied customers left with outfits they would not have dreamed of buying had Maria not pointed out how the colours and style enhanced their appearance. She also proved to have a flair for window dressing, her efforts attracting the eye of passing shoppers who could not resist coming in to browse.

  Jennifer Stroud was delighted with her new assistant’s enthusiasm and the resulting increase in sales. After three months she gave Maria a small rise in recognition of the good job she was doing, and Maria felt that this, coupled with opportunities for socialising in the evenings, provided her with all she wanted in life. The past year had brought a marked change in her. Gone was the childish behaviour of the previous year. Diana Maitland had faded completely out of her life. She was a self-possessed young woman, and the greater level of maturity made her more attractive than ever, with the result that there was never any shortage of boyfriends.

  Claudia was pleased to see that Maria had fallen on her feet, but she was troubled by the social aspect of her sister’s life. Almost every evening Maria would rush home from work, wash and change with lightning speed, and then disappear through the door in a state of high excitement with the young man who had been lucky enough to book her for that evening. Mostly the boyfriends came to the door to collect her and the two young people would set off on foot, as the main attractions, such as the cinema and the coffee bars, were within walking distance. Greg Butchers, however, was the proud possessor of a Lambretta scooter, and his attendance at the family home to pick Maria up possibly equalled in frequency that of all the others put together. Claudia would hear the sound of the engine accelerating as the vehicle disappeared in the distance with Maria on the back, arms tightly wound round Greg’s waist, clearly finding the experience exhilarating.

  Then Claudia would wait anxiously for her sister to return. Sometimes, if she had been to the cinema, Maria would be back before Claudia had gone to bed. Then she would regale Claudia with an account of the latest film, the story punctuated with frequent giggles at some private joke she thought it better not to share. On many occasions, however, she came back so late that Claudia would give up waiting for her. Claudia might have retired to bed but this did not mean she could sleep. She would lie there worrying, wondering just what Maria got up to on these late evenings. Should she, as the older sister, say something? She knew only too well that her father would not see any need to intervene. He took very little notice of what Maria was doing, now she was settled in her job. It was at a time like this, when she did not know what to do, that Claudia found herself missing her mother acutely. Anita would have known how to handle the situation.

  One night, as Claudia lay awake, she heard the unmistakable splutter of the scooter’s engine approaching the house. She breathed a sigh of relief, and waited for the sound of the key in the lock. It did not come, but as her bedroom was at the front of the house she could hear the unmistakable sound of Maria’s giggle, and also the gruff tones of a male voice. Then there was silence. Claudia got out of bed, and gingerly drawing back the corner of the curtain, peeped out. The two young people were locked in a tight embrace. Even as she watched they shifted position, and unmistakably the words, ‘Stop it, Greg! Greg!’ followed by more giggles, could be heard.

  At last there was the sound of the front door being opened, and Maria’s feet running upstairs, as the scooter roared away down the road. Claudia looked at her alarm clock – it was gone 3 a.m. She got up and opened her bedroom door. Maria saw her and grinned.

  ‘Oh, Claudia!’ she said. ‘I had such an amazing time, I can’t tell you. Do you know what we did? We–’

  ‘You’re very late, Maria,’ Claudia cut in. ‘Do you know what the time is?’

  ‘Oh, fiddle the time.’ Maria looked entirely unconcerned. ‘Anyhow, what are you doing up, if it’s so late?’

  ‘Waiting for you to come back, and worrying because you haven’t.’

  ‘Whatever do you want to do that for? I’m perfectly able to look after myself. I’m only having a good time. What’s wrong with that?’

  ‘Come in, a moment. We don’t want to wake Dad.’

  Maria followed Claudia into her room, protesting, ‘Must I? You’re not going to be stuffy and start lecturing me, are you?’

  ‘Look, Maria, it’s just that I feel responsible, with no mother here to guide you. You’re out with a string of boys, you come back at all hours, and I don’t know what you’re doing.’

  ‘I told you – I’m just having fun. We go to the pictures, or meet up with some of the others …’

  ‘Yes, but I worry about what you do when you’re out with these boys … well, what I mean is … how far do you go?’

  ‘Not far at all – only into town. Except when it’s Greg, of course, with his mean machine, as he calls it. Then we can–’

  ‘That’s not what I meant. I saw you both outside this evening. You were …’

  ‘Oh, Claudia! So that’s what you’re worrying about! Do you really think I’d risk getting pregnant? I can tell you, a baby’s the last thing I want at the moment – and not for ages! Life’s far too good the way it i
s.’

  ‘Are you sure, Maria? Are you sure you know what you’re doing? It all looked pretty intense outside just now.’

  ‘So you were snooping! Just stop clucking over me like a mother hen. I promise you, that’s not going to happen. I’m not a schoolgirl now. I know all about these things. You don’t have to worry.’

  And with that she got up, smiled sweetly at Claudia, and disappeared into her bedroom. Claudia felt relieved to a certain extent, while still wondering just how much Maria’s assertions were to be trusted. Well, she had done what she could.

  It was time to go back to Oxford, for the final push. Claudia knew it would be hard work, but she was prepared to make the effort. She was on the way towards achieving her goal. She and Maria continued to keep in touch, frequently exchanging letters. The sisters settled back into their separate ways of life, each drawing comfort from the knowledge that the other would always be there for them.

  Chapter 9

  ‘Claudia! Are you there? I’d like to have a word with you.’

  It wasn’t often Hugh sought her out – usually they lived parallel lives, communicating infrequently, but always civilly. Hugh was very proud of his undergraduate daughter, delighting in her successes throughout her course. Claudia was in her third year now and only the last hurdle remained to be overcome – her Finals were in three months’ time.

  Maria was amazed when Claudia came down for her first vacation and immediately drew up a schedule of study. She had assumed Claudia would be on holiday when she came home, not realising the amount of work to be covered, and when she saw it for herself she was all the more glad she had not stayed on at school any longer than she had to!

  ‘Fancy having to spend all your free time working! Where’s the fun in that? It looks like slave labour to me!’

  Claudia patiently explained that new work came at a fast rate, and it was her responsibility to use the vacations to revise and prepare for the next term’s work, but Maria soon lost interest.

  ‘You don’t seem to have much of a social life. It wouldn’t suit me!’

  Claudia agreed that indeed it wouldn’t suit her sister. She had been kept informed, on the whole, in their weekly letters, of the procession of young men who came and went – each successive one being the amazing specimen of manhood who was going to whisk Maria away into the sunset – only to be abruptly superseded by another young hopeful. Claudia, for her part, had had no wish to embark on any sort of relationship. It would have been too distracting. She got on satisfactorily with her fellow students, and was happy to leave it at that.

  It seemed her father had a proposition to offer her.

  ‘A colleague of mine knows of a young Italian who will be doing business for his company in England and who wants to improve his English. He’s looking for someone competent to give him some tutoring – the pay would be good, I understand, and I wondered if you would like to consider it – while you’re at home?’

  ‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly! I’ve far too much to do. I’ve got my studies all planned out.’

  ‘I really don’t think it would take up too much of your time. I believe he speaks quite well – it’s just that he wants to get a bit more confident, and master colloquial English. Well, think about it.’

  Inclined to reject the idea initially, Claudia started to wonder whether, perhaps, there might be some merit in it. If it wasn’t going to be too onerous, it would be a useful way of accumulating some funds – something she might need as she embarked on a teaching career, possibly moving away from home. Her father was always ready with his support, but she preferred to be as independent as possible. Perhaps it would be fairly easy to manage an hour here and there; after all, she did schedule in breaks, otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to keep up the high level of concentration required. And it would be a kind of introduction to teaching. She agreed to meet this man, thinking she could discuss his needs, and then make a decision.

  She was unprepared for the handsome Italian who presented himself – tall, dark, good-looking, athletic build, with an engaging smile, wonderfully penetrating blue eyes and a charming manner.

  ‘Miss Hansom! It is kind of you to invite me to your home. Your father has told me that you study very hard now. It is admirable – your cleverness with mathematics. Do you think you could help me learn English?’

  ‘You don’t seem to need too much help. You’re speaking quite well, as far as I can see.’

  ‘Ah, you are a very kind lady, signorina, but I know that I do mistakes. My English is – how you say – textbook? I need to speak like the English people, so there is no problem for me when I make business.’

  ‘What business will you be doing?’

  ‘I work for the renowned Italian firm, Carbotti – you have heard of them, no? We use beautiful leather and make lovely handbags and other accessories to make the signoras and signorinas look most beautiful.’

  Claudia laughed. She had never met anyone quite like Stefano, and decided a slight diversion wouldn’t do her any harm. They reached an agreement about times and dates – he would have three hours a week, on separate days – and they would do oral work, for the most part, but she agreed to make notes for him during the lesson so that he would have some reference material afterwards.

  It took considerable determination to stick to her studies. She was eager to do a little research into some basic Italian words and phrases, knowing nothing of the language. She found herself looking forward to their sessions.

  On the first occasion she encouraged him to tell her about his background – his family, his work and what he wanted to achieve from his lessons. He talked easily about all his sisters and brothers, and their family home near Milan so that the hour ran quickly by. Every now and then she stopped him and corrected a word here or a phrase there – sometimes changing the order of words into a more natural English style. Every time she intervened she noted the point down so that when he got up to go he was already aware of a number of improvements he could make.

  He held out his hand to her, and bowed a little, thanking her profusely and saying how much he was looking forward to the next time. Meanwhile he would practise the points she had written down. ‘I will make my best,’ he said.

  ‘Do my best,’ corrected Claudia. ‘“Do”, not “make”. Or you could say “I will make every effort to practise what I have learned.”’

  ‘Ah, yes, thank you.’ He turned to go. ‘Ciao!’ he said, and with another of his attractive smiles he was gone. Claudia watched his retreating figure moving easily with a grace that highlighted the awkwardness of many English young men.

  Maria arrived home from work all agog to know what had happened. On hearing Claudia’s description of the Italian good looks and charming manner, Maria was full of envy, wishing she’d been there to see him.

  ‘He sounds amazing! Next time he comes I’ll tell Jennifer I’m not well, and need to have a day at home! I don’t see why you should have all the fun!’

  ‘That’s strange – I thought it was you who had the fun, and I just did boring study! Anyway, my time with him is on a purely professional basis, so don’t go reading anything into it.’

  ‘Professional, my foot. As if anyone could keep their minds on professional things if he’s as marvellous as you say.’

  The lessons proceeded smoothly, and each time teacher and pupil became easier with each other. Whenever Stefano made a mistake he would touch her arm, throw back his head and exclaim, ‘Oh, Stefano is a big fool!’ He didn’t mind how often she corrected him – in fact he seemed to enjoy it. She was aware that he would often touch her, in a manner that was obviously natural for him, but it slightly disconcerted her. Maria would have described it as flirty and Claudia had to admit it gave her a secret thrill. No one had ever acted like that with her before.

  One day, when he was due to come, he rang to say his company wanted him for the day, so would Claudia permit him to change the time to the evening instead, as
he did not want to miss out on his lesson. Claudia readily agreed.

  However, when the bell rang and Maria went rushing to open the door Claudia began to regret her decision. The sight of Maria’s upturned face, her eyes fixed on Stefano, and the sound of her tinkling laughter sent a cold shiver down Claudia’s spine. He must have been transfixed by her looks, as he appeared to have forgotten his way to the dining-room where they normally sat.

  ‘I know!’ cried Maria excitedly, ‘why don’t I join you for your lesson? It will mean Stefano has to cope with both of us talking, which will make it a lot harder for him to keep up!’

  Claudia was about to rebuff this idea immediately but before she could get a word out Stefano said, ‘How kind that would be! But I’m afraid you will both see what a fool I am and Claudia will not be deceived any more – she will realise that I am not as clever as she thinks.’

  ‘Come on!’ Maria led the way, and soon they were all seated at the table. Maria immediately started a flow of chatter, scarcely allowing Stefano any scope for response.

  ‘This is no good,’ said Claudia tersely. ‘How is my pupil supposed to learn if you don’t give him a chance to get a word in edgeways, Maria?’

  Maria raised her hand to her mouth in mock alarm. ‘Oh my! Now you’ll think I’m such an idiot, Stefano. Here I am, rambling on, forgetting it’s you that should be talking! What a good thing it’s Claudia who’s your teacher. She’s much better at being serious than I am.’

  ‘Perhaps I should do some practice now with Claudia. But thank you for talking to me.’ He rose to his feet, and bowed a little, as Maria left the room.