A Perfect Guest
Rebecca scanned the airport lounge. Aunt Pat had sprained her ankle otherwise she would have been at the airport to greet Rebecca.
A tall man dressed in tweeds held up a card with her name, Rebecca waved and smiled.
‘Good evening,’ he said. ‘I’m Robert. How was your flight?’
Rebecca smiled, ‘fine’ she said.
He held out his hand for her bag and led the way to his car..
‘I expect your Aunt will be on her feet in a day or so but in the mean time I’m here to help.’
‘You live nearby?’
‘I’m staying at your Aunt’s. Didn’t she tell you?’
Rebecca shook her head. Aunt Pat said there would be no other guests this week.
‘Are you on holiday?’
‘No, business really but I shall stay and see a bit of Scotland before I go home.’
Her hope that he was about to leave her Aunt’s B&B faded. ‘How long will you be staying?’ With luck it would be only a day or so.
‘A week, possibly longer. I did offer to move but Pat said it was no trouble.’ He turned his head to smile at her. Rebecca made the effort to be polite but she had no gift for small talk unlike Pat who chattered non stop.
The cottage had changed since she was here last. Rebecca walked round to the back of the house and gave a little cry of delight. The garden had been landscaped and the overgrown hedge cut giving a panoramic view of the sea.
Pat was sitting with her feet propped on a footstool. ‘Robert will take your bag up.’
Rebecca picked up her bag, ‘No need. It isn’t heavy.’
Rebecca emptied her Times hold all and put her night shirt under the pillow. Tea had been made by the time she returned to the living room. ‘Where is he?’ She asked sharply.
‘Who?’
‘Robert. You haven’t got another man hidden away have you?’
Pat smiled and shook her head. ‘Robert is really the perfect guest. He made the tea and now has taken himself off a walk.’
Saturday morning Pat gave her a grocery list, ‘Robert has offered to take you.’
Robert chatted all the way to the supermarket and once in the store he wheeled the trolley and lifted goods from the shelf. With the car loaded they set off back for Greystone Place. Robert became talkative, extolling Pat’s virtues. ‘The B&B must be a little gold mine.’ He asked how long Pat had been widowed and whether Rebecca was her only relative.
She glanced at her watch. It was taking a long time to do the seven mile journey. She looked out and she saw the rolling hills in front. ‘Where are you going this isn’t the way back.’
‘I thought we’d take the scenic route, beautiful isn’t it?’
‘Pat will be worried she will wonder what has become of us.’
He turned his face towards her, he was smiling but his eyes were cold. ‘Oh I don’t think so. She asked me to give you a bit of fun.’
Rebecca felt the heat rise to her face. What else had Pat told this stranger? ‘Please go back. The frozen stuff will start to defrost and be spoilt.’
‘It would be further to go back than to go on.’
Rebecca glanced swiftly at him. ‘You know your way around here then. I had assumed this was your first visit.’
‘Yes but I can read a map.’
No more was said until they reached the house. Rebecca asked Pat to make a list of where each item went. She need not have worried, Robert knew exactly where everything went.
With every thing packed away Rebecca decided to visit the jetty where years ago she had bought a crab straight out of the sea. She had to ask the fisherman to kill it for she could never bring herself to boil it alive. The way to the jetty was down a great many rough steps. She had forgotten how high above the sea her Aunt’s cottage was.
At last she reached the sea. Hills rose up either side creating a frame for this inlet. No crabs were landed here now. A few dilapidated wooden shacks were all that remained of the fishermen's boat houses. Rebecca focused her camera.
‘You’d get a better snap from here.’
She swung to face Robert. What was he doing here? ‘Have you followed me?’ She snapped.
‘Not at all I came down by the road much easier than all those steps.’
‘Pat, who else? You must have known there was a path down from the road.’
She had known but had forgotten. It would be easier to return that way.
They walked up the path together. Rebecca began to quiz him about his job, his family and friends but he parried all her questions except to say, ‘I’m single and available. How about I visit you tonight to talk about it?’
Rebecca gasped. What cheek! A frizen of fear trembled within her. His bedroom was next to hers and there were no locks on the doors. Half asleep she heard his footsteps in the passage and held her breath. The door knob turned and opened a fraction.
‘Rebecca are you asleep?’ Robert whispered.
She did not answer. The stairs creaked. He was going down. What was he up to? She waited a few minutes before following him. There was light on in Pat’s bedroom Rebecca listened, she heard his voice and Pat’s giggle.
Returning upstairs on a sudden impulse she entered the single bedroom. There was a card case at the side of his bed. Rebecca hesitated only a moment. She opened it and the card she found sent her running down the stairs. Flinging open Pat’s door she cried, ‘Aunt Pat he’s an impostor- he’s a tax inspector!’
‘I know dear, he’s helping me with my returns.’
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