Читать книгу Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection - Josephine Cox - Страница 25

KATHY WAS DUE to finish work at lunchtime today; afterwards she was planning to go and see Mabel. ‘It’s a crying shame, so it is.’ Rosie at work had been horrified to hear of Mabel’s sorry plight. ‘Sure, the poor woman should get rid of him, and buy a cat or a dog!’

Chuckling at Rosie’s straightforward, no-nonsense nature, Kathy told her she would pass on the suggestion.

When she stopped in at home, her sister had a few different ideas. ‘If you ask me, she deserved what she got!’ Kathy had told her where she was going, and that she wouldn’t be long. ‘You tell her from me: any woman who lets a man boss her around is a damned fool!’

Ignoring her sister’s spiteful remarks, Kathy informed her she would have to root about in the cupboard and get her own lunch. ‘I had a sandwich at work. That should keep me going while I’m out.’

Samantha had not planned on getting her own meals. ‘I hoped we could go out for a meal – you, me and Tom?’

‘Did you now?’ Because of the blatant way she was flirting with Tom, Kathy wanted her gone, but was too polite to say so.

Insensitive at every point, Samantha retaliated. ‘You seem very insecure these days,’ she said harshly. ‘Anybody would think I was trying to steal him from you.’

Kathy picked up on that. ‘And are you?’ It wouldn’t be the first time Samantha had stolen a boyfriend of hers.

Instead of giving a straightforward answer, Samantha simply smiled. ‘He might even prefer me to you. Have you thought of that? Oh, but don’t worry. If he makes advances on me, I’ll put him in his place, I promise.’

‘Like you did with other men I’ve liked?’ In her heart Kathy had never forgiven Samantha for her behaviour. ‘You just lured them away, and when you’d had your fun, you dropped them. It was all just a game for you, wasn’t it?’ Kathy was annoyed with herself for rising to the bait, but Samantha’s taunts had brought the memories flooding back.

‘It wasn’t my fault! They came on to me!’

‘Maybe they did, and maybe I ought to thank you for showing me what swine some of them were, but I can promise you that Tom is a different kettle of fish altogether.’

‘Are you sure about that?’

‘As sure as I am about anything, yes.’

‘Really? Well, if you’re so sure, why are you afraid of inviting me along this evening?’

Kathy was losing her patience. ‘You know very well he’ll be leaving for London tonight. He’s busy tying up a few loose ends, but I want to see him on my own later.’ Her voice hardened. ‘You’re welcome to stay here, but occasionally Tom and I would like some time to ourselves. And another thing, while we’re at it. I’ll thank you not to keep inviting yourself everywhere we go. Or including yourself in every conversation we have.’

Samantha had been painting her nails, but now she looked up with a feigned expression of horror on her face. ‘Do I do that? Oh, I am sorry.’

Not wanting to get into one of Samantha’s one-sided arguments, Kathy walked away. ‘I’d best get ready.’

‘Yes, I should if I were you.’ She blew on her nails. ‘If Tom pops in, I’ll look after him, don’t you worry.’

After the conversation they’d just had, that remark cut deep.

Kathy asked her outright. ‘You still haven’t told me why you’re here.’

‘I’ve come to see you. I would have thought that was plain enough.’

‘I don’t know why you should.’ Kathy had learnt not to mince words where Samantha was concerned. ‘You’ve never bothered about me before. Why start now?’ She was no fool. ‘You’re after something. What is it?’

Taking Kathy by surprise, Samantha suddenly became tearful. ‘You don’t want to know,’ she said, wiping her eyes.

Kathy was adamant; she would not be taken in by her sister’s show of emotion. ‘Try me.’

‘It’s Mother.’

‘What about her?’

‘She’s been such a fool. I’ve been trying to comfort her, you see. And now she’s cost me my job. I’ve lost my home and everything.’

Kathy could see now that Samantha was here for a purpose. ‘Go on. I’m listening.’ If they really were in trouble, she could not turn her back on them.

‘Well, she got really depressed. He’s not the easiest man in the world to live with. In fact, I think he’s hit her now and again, only she’s too proud to say so.’

Samantha congratulated herself on the ease and skill of her lies. ‘Anyway, I went to see her the other week. She was all worked up. She began telling me that she had been wrong to marry just for money, and that now she wanted to find herself someone kinder. She didn’t care how rich he was, she just wanted someone who would take care of her.’

Kathy was amazed. ‘Are you sure we’re talking about the same woman?’

Samantha snivelled. ‘She’s changed, Kathy. He’s changed her. Anyway, while she was saying all these things about him … like how she would make a new life and all that, she had no idea he was there, listening at the door. Now he’s stopped her allowance and won’t give her a single penny. I’m really worried about her.’ In fact, the only person she was worried about was herself.

For one foolish minute, Kathy was tempted to believe her. Concerned, she sat down.

‘Are you telling me the truth?’ she asked pointedly. ‘I know you can spin a good story when it suits you, but I would hate to think of Mother being knocked about.’

Images of her mother flashed through her mind: the jewels, the family home, the callous way she had treated Father. And all those many times she had made Kathy feel worthless. ‘I couldn’t stand back and see her being ill treated,’ she told Samantha now. ‘Though if she has messed up her life, she’s got no one to blame but herself.’

‘Of course I’m telling you the truth!’ Samantha could put on a good act when needs be. ‘She’s not only ruined her life. She’s ruined mine as well. Why do you think I’m here?’

Kathy’s suspicions were never far away. ‘Why are you here, Samantha?’ Kathy still couldn’t quite believe what Samantha was telling her. Irene was a strong, arrogant woman who could look after herself in any circumstances, and who would certainly find life without a wealthy husband very hard to bear.

Samantha reiterated what she’d already said. ‘I’m here because I needed to see you. Like I say, I’ve lost my job, and I’ve nowhere to live.’

‘What about the jewels Mother gave you?’

‘She took them back. After he stopped her allowance, she couldn’t pay her bills. She was suicidal. I had to help! You would have done the same.’

‘But the house!’ Kathy was saddened about that. ‘How in God’s name could you lose that? It was worth a small fortune!’

‘It just went. She kept draining me of money and I kept borrowing on the house.’

A picture was beginning to build up in Kathy’s mind and it was frightening. ‘You’re lying as usual!’ Clambering out of the chair, she faced her down. ‘I know why you’re here!’

Suddenly it was all too clear. ‘Mother had nothing to do with it. You’ve squandered everything, like you always do, and now you’re after taking this place from me, aren’t you?’ Her voice shook with rage. ‘Have the decency to admit it!’

Samantha gave another sniff; she even had real tears in her eyes as she pleaded, ‘All right! I admit it! But you have to help me, Kathy … And anyway, Father should have left this place to me. It was my right as the eldest. You could sell it and split the money, and you’d still have enough to put down a deposit on a smaller place.’

‘You really are a cunning, selfish creature.’ Kathy stared down at her sister. Deep down she thought she had known all along that Samantha was not here for the love of it. She had lost her own inheritance, and now she was after Barden House.

The idea was unthinkable. ‘If you think I would sell this place, you had better think again. Father left me Barden House, and now it’s my home. You had ten times more than I ever had. It’s not my fault if you’ve squandered it.’

Seeing her one, easy chance slip away, Samantha came back at her, this time with anger. ‘You owe it to me! I really am in trouble. I’m not lying about that. And it’s true that he’s stopped Mother’s allowance: he overheard her planning how she would spend his money after he’d gone. He heard her say she would have the time of her life; and maybe she’d find herself a younger man. What the hell is wrong with that?’

‘Not a lot as far as I can see; except the poor old fool who married her might have wanted her to be just a bit more loyal, instead of waiting for him to drop dead so that she could get a younger man to fill his shoes.’

‘Hmh! All she did was to say how she felt. It was just a shame he overheard her.’

Kathy could only smile. ‘At least we’re getting to the real truth of the matter. All right! So Mother may well have spoiled her chances of going through that poor man’s money like a house on fire, and now he’s put a stop to her extravagant ways … what man wouldn’t in the circumstances? But I don’t suppose for one minute he’s thrown her out, has he?’

‘No.’

‘So she’s still living in luxury, with everything at hand?’

‘It’s not the same as having your own account and being able to buy what you want when you want it!’

‘I’m sure she’ll wheedle her way round him somehow. She usually does.’

‘Don’t you care that she’s unhappy?’

‘Well, of course I do. But, when you think about it, the whole thing might be a blessing in disguise. Maybe she’ll begin to understand what it’s like to make a pair of shoes last a bit longer, or wear the same dress twice. So what if she has to stretch every penny to make it go further? We all have to do that. It won’t kill her. I’m sure he would never throw her out. As I recall, he thinks the world of her. Like I say, it’s only a matter of time before she has him wrapped round her little finger again.’

Samantha was on her feet now, thinking about herself as usual. ‘And what about me? What do I do? I’ve got nothing.’

‘You work! That’s what you do. Like the rest of us. Get a job and rent a flat. Learn to look after your money, the same way we all have to do.’

She had never in her life met anyone else like Samantha, who thought the world owed them a living. Even Maggie worked and, if she got the sack – which was more often than Kathy cared to remember – she found another job, and so it went on. She didn’t laze at home all day feeling sorry for herself. ‘Knowing you, Samantha, sooner or later you’ll meet some rich fool who’ll lay the world at your feet.’

‘Right! I’ve asked you in a civilised manner and you won’t listen.’ She was in no mood for a lecture. ‘I’ll see a solicitor, that’s what I’ll do!’ Though she knew it would be of little use. Her only chance was to frighten Kathy into doing what she wanted. ‘You’ll be made to sell this house, or take a loan against it, so I can get what I’m entitled to. I warn you, Kathy. I mean to fight for what’s rightfully mine, and I will win. You can be sure of it.’

Shaken to her roots, all of Kathy’s fears were suddenly confirmed. There was absolutely no doubting the real reason for her sister’s visit.

In a quiet, controlled voice Kathy told her, ‘I’m going to see a friend. I want you packed and gone by the time I get back.’

Going to the mantelpiece, she took down a small vase. Reaching inside, she drew out the folded ten-shilling notes and handed them to her. ‘This is money for paying bills and keeping the wolf from the door,’ she said. ‘But you’re the biggest wolf of all. Here! Take it. I dare say it doesn’t seem much compared to what you’re used to. But it’s all I’ve got. If you’re careful, it should be enough to tide you over until you get yourself a job.’

‘This is peanuts!’ Samantha held the money at arm’s length, as if it was tainted.

‘Take it or leave it, I don’t care which.’ Kathy just wanted her out of there. ‘Just remember what I said: by the time I get back, I want you gone. And I never want to see your face again.’

Samantha had never seen such resolve in her younger sister’s face before. Usually she was able to cajole or bully her into doing whatever she wanted. Only now, Kathy had grown stronger, more confident. It was a real setback to her plans.

But she would not give in. ‘I intend to get this house, or part of it,’ she warned again. ‘I always get what I want, you should know that.’

Kathy tried to ignore the fear that bubbled up inside her. Looking her straight in the eye, she smiled. ‘Do your worst,’ she said and, turning away, she went out of the room and up the stairs.

In the privacy of her own bedroom, she sat on the bed, head in hands, her heart aching. It was true. Samantha had a way of always getting what she wanted.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father’s photograph, his smiling, happy face looking up at her. ‘Did you hear all that?’ she asked wryly. ‘Your eldest daughter wants this house, and to tell the truth I’m not sure if she has a claim or not.’

The harsh exchange with Samantha had only made her all the more determined, though. This house was too special. It had been her father’s place of contentment and now it was hers. And Tom would help her, she knew he would. ‘She won’t get it!’ she whispered. ‘I’ll burn it to the ground first!’

Pushing it all to the back of her mind for now, she began getting herself ready to visit Mabel at the hospital.

Twenty minutes later, as she passed the sitting room, she could see Samantha pacing the floor. ‘That’s it!’ she muttered. ‘Work out what you’re going to do, now that I’m onto you.’ She didn’t doubt for one minute that Samantha was already cooking up some mischief or other.

All the same, now that she was armed with the facts, she was ready for her.

But for now, she had a friend to see.

A brisk walk down the street, a ten-minute bus ride, and she was at the hospital.

She could see the change in Mabel already. Though the bruises were still evident – mellowed to yellow and purple now – they were on the way out; that dear woman was recovering fast from her ordeal. She wasn’t yet able to eat by herself but, thank God, her strength was returning.

Mabel’s ready smile greeted Kathy as she came in the door. ‘I’ve something to tell you,’ she said.

Kathy gave her a kiss. ‘Something exciting, is it?’

Mabel revealed her little secret. ‘I told you I had a brother I hadn’t seen in years, and I had no idea where he was any more,’ she said animatedly.

‘Yes, I remember.’ Kathy settled herself into the chair beside the bed. ‘So, have you heard from him?’

Mabel’s eyes shone. ‘It seems that eventually he found out where I lived, and went there. The next-door neighbour heard him knocking and told him what had happened … how he didn’t believe that I’d fallen down the stairs, and that my husband had beaten me twice before, that he knew of.’

She paused to take a breath, before going on. ‘Well, my dear, Eric, that’s my brother, he went to the café and gave that bully a real roasting. He warned him that, if he had his way, I wouldn’t be going back there to be his skivvy.’

Exhausted now, she had to stop for a moment.

Kathy waited for her to recover before asking softly, ‘And did he?’

‘What?’

‘Did he get his own way … about you not going back there to be his skivvy?’

Mabel chuckled. ‘Oh, Kathy, I’m that excited. When I get out of here – in a few days, they say – Eric will have a car to take me away from here. Apparently he never married. He tried many a time to find me, but never could.’

Taking a moment to calm herself, she smiled. ‘I’m not sure I believe that,’ she said wisely, ‘but at least he’s found me now, and that’s all as matters. He’s done well for himself. After he got demobbed he set up a taxi business. He’s got a nice house and he’s not short of money, or so he tells me.’ Again that wide, happy smile that gladdened Kathy’s heart. ‘He wants me to go and live with him, and I’ve said yes.’

She giggled like a naughty schoolgirl. ‘I’ll be shot of the café and I’ll be shot of that big bully! Oh, Kathy! I can’t believe my good fortune.’

Kathy was delighted for her. ‘You deserve it,’ she said warmly, but added, ‘You’ll have to tell me where you’re going, Mabel. I don’t want us to lose touch.’

‘That won’t happen,’ Mabel promised. ‘Look in that drawer.’ Pointing to the bedside cabinet, she waited for Kathy to open the drawer. ‘There! That piece of paper.’

Kathy found it.

‘Read it, my dear,’ Mabel urged. ‘It’s my new address.’

Kathy read it aloud. ‘The Grange, Pleasington, Blackburn, Lancashire.’

‘That’s where you’ll find me,’ Mabel told her.

‘But that’s North – inland, isn’t it, Mabel? Won’t you miss the seaside?’

‘No.’ Softly, Mabel slid her hand into Kathy’s, her eyes swimming with tears and her voice quivering with emotion. ‘I’m going home, lass,’ she told her. ‘Me and Eric were born in Blackburn. It turns out he went back there after the war, and I wish to God I’d done the same. But, oh, you don’t know how glad my old heart is that, after all this time, I’m going back where I belong.’

The next half-hour was filled with talk of Mabel’s new-found family, and of her great excitement at going home to Blackburn.

Kathy made no mention of her own troubles. She was glad for Mabel, and wished her well, but was sad for herself. She had grown extremely fond of Mabel, an older woman whom she could trust and admire in a way she never could her own mother.

Just before she left, Kathy met Mabel’s brother, who had come to tell her of his plans. They hugged and held onto each other and Kathy thought it was a joy to see.

A small, stocky man with a kindly face and a warm, pleasant manner, Eric thanked Kathy for befriending his sister. ‘My Mabel has talked a lot about you,’ he said. ‘Thank you for being such a good friend to her.’

Kathy told him how much she thought of Mabel and that she was happy for her now. ‘Take care of her, won’t you?’ she said, and he promised he would.

When she left it was with tears in her eyes and a great lump in her throat. At least that dear woman would never again have to put up with being beaten to within an inch of her life.

It was late afternoon when she climbed onto the bus. Troubled about her own affairs, she turned her thoughts to Samantha. She hoped she might have gone but, knowing Samantha from old, she somehow suspected that she would still be there. If that was the case, then she would have to be firmer. She felt a sudden desperate desire to be with Tom. He would understand; he would know what to do. But with a lurch of her heart she remembered that he might not be around to help her fight this battle. He was leaving for London tonight. Well, Kathy decided, she would have to manage by herself. Samantha had come here to rob her of her home, and she was not going to allow her to get away with it!

Five minutes later, as the bus made its way down the road that led to West Bay, it passed the boarding house. Deep in thought, Kathy didn’t see the taxi draw up, or notice as it dropped off a young woman in a burgundy dress, burgundy shoes and a black coat, and carrying a smart leather case.

As the bus came to a halt, Kathy stepped off and hurried through the streets, along by the harbour, and towards Barden House.

Tom would be here soon; more than ever she was looking forward to seeing him. He was leaving for London on the early evening train. Who knew when she would see him again?

It was with a sinking heart that she saw a light burning in the house.

Coming into the sitting room, she found Samantha still there. Lolling in the chair, with her bare feet propped up on the fender, she was happily warming her toes.

On Kathy’s arrival, she said casually, ‘The kettle’s on if you want a drink. Oh, and if you’re making a brew, I’ll have a cup as well.’ Bold as brass, and with the slyest of grins, she added, ‘Oh, by the way, Tom came here looking for you this afternoon.’

Kathy was instantly on the alert. ‘Did he come in?’

‘I asked him to, but he said he’d come back.’ Softly chuckling, she wiggled her toes. ‘Shame, that. We could have spent a pleasant hour together.’ She gave Kathy a curious glance. ‘Still, there’ll be another time, I expect.’

She had worked out that if she couldn’t have the house, she might have to settle for Tom instead. After all, he was good-looking, rich enough to keep her happy, and he had a boat. What more could a girl want?

‘Did he say why he’d come down earlier than we’d planned?’

‘No, why?’

Kathy murmured her answer. ‘That’s funny. I told him I might not be back from the hospital until about tea-time.’

Again, that sly little glance. ‘He’s a man, isn’t he? A woman never knows what’s on their devious minds.’

Wisely ignoring Samantha’s jibes, Kathy pointed out, ‘I asked you to be gone when I got back. What’s keeping you?’

Getting out of her chair, Samantha sauntered to where Kathy stood. ‘I told you before,’ she said, ‘I’m not leaving until I get what I came for.’

‘I can see I’ll have to get you thrown out!’

Samantha thought that amusing. ‘Hmh! I don’t think so. I’m my father’s daughter, too … the eldest one, don’t forget. So, if I were you, sis, I’d be very careful what you say to people around here. They might begin to wonder whether it was fair that you alone should get our father’s house.’

She stared at Kathy for a full half-minute before laughing in her face. ‘I’m going out tonight – oh, and don’t try locking me out, or I’ll have to break a window, and what would the neighbours say then?’ She yawned. ‘I’m just going for a lie-down. Then I’ll have a bath … I hope there’s hot water in this dump. After that, I’m off to the pub to get drunk.’

Realising she was being goaded, Kathy didn’t say anything. Instead she stepped aside to let Samantha through.

When she was gone, Kathy wondered how it would all end. There were times with Samantha when she felt out of her depth. This was one of those times.

She desperately needed someone to confide in. She really wanted to talk to Tom, but was it fair to burden him with all this, especially when he was leaving for London tonight? Maggie was in London. There was only one other person who would understand.

‘Hurry back, Jasper,’ she muttered. ‘I need your help!’

After asking the taxi-driver to wait for her, Lilian climbed the steps to the front door of the boarding house.

One push on the big heavy door and she was inside a small vestibule. Another door led to the hallway, where she found the reception desk set into the recess under the stairs. None of it was what she was used to, but apparently there were only two boarding houses in the area, and no hotel as such. This one was nearest to the harbour, or so she had been told.

There was a brass bell on the desk, which she thumped a couple of times before a small woman with an angular face appeared. ‘Yes, can I help you?’ In spite of her sharp appearance, she was extremely pleasant.

‘Lilian Scott,’ she introduced herself. ‘I have a booking; I rang a few days ago.’

The woman located her name in the ledger. ‘Oh, yes. And how long will you be staying?’

‘Just the one night.’ Lilian had high hopes. ‘I’m here to locate a friend; I expect to be staying with him from tomorrow.’

She would have gone straight to Tom’s with her suitcase, but felt it might be best to see him first. She could always come back for her case.

‘How did you find out about us, my dear?’ The landlady always asked her guests that question: it helped to place the adverts in the right places.

‘One of the salesmen from my company knew the area. He had stopped here a few times on his travels. He gave me your address some time back.’ And she had kept it safe until she thought the time was right to pay Tom a visit.

Showing a double row of small, brilliant white teeth, the woman grinned. ‘That’s good,’ she said. ‘Word of mouth is by far the best way to build up a business.’

A moment later, Lilian had signed the necessary form, paid her deposit and, following the woman up a long narrow flight of stairs, was taken to her room.

It was a poky place, with a tiny window overlooking the main road, and a bed that looked as if it was out of the ark. ‘I pride myself on my cleanliness.’ Flinging the eiderdown back, the woman displayed the stark-white sheets underneath. ‘If the bed is clean, you can be sure everything else is too, that’s my motto.’

She showed Lilian where the bathroom was, and told her what time breakfast would be, and which room to go to. ‘You can get food at the pub, or there’s the fish and chip shop,’ she told her. Then she bade her goodnight and went back down to her half-read newspaper.

Left on her own, Lilian unpacked only what she needed, afterwards laying the case on the armchair in the corner. She paid a visit to the bathroom, where she splashed her face and neck with cold water to freshen up.

Ten minutes after arriving, she was on her way out, to where the taxi-driver had been taking a well-earned nap. ‘Sorry, Miss!’ Her tapping on the window had woken him. Leaping out, he let her into the car, before clambering back into the driving seat, shivering when the chilly evening air got into his bones. ‘The harbour is it, Miss?’ She had mentioned it before.

Lilian gave him the full address and, filled with excitement at the thought of seeing Tom, she anxiously settled back. She had to think what she would say, because he didn’t even know she was coming. ‘I hope he’ll be pleased to see me.’

The driver cocked an ear. ‘What was that, Miss?’

‘Nothing.’ Lilian grew agitated. ‘I was just thinking out loud.’

Curious, he sneaked a look at her in his mirror; to see her softly talking to herself, and sometimes smiling. ‘God! I hope I haven’t picked up some bloody crackpot.’ There had been a case in Dorchester where a driver was attacked by his passenger. It was the first time anyone had heard of such a thing. In the end it turned out to be some drunk who’d had an argument with his girlfriend. Right now, he was languishing in prison where he belonged.

By the time they came up the hill towards Tom’s house, Lilian’s heart was beating nineteen to the dozen. ‘Be in, Tom,’ she muttered, increasingly anxious. ‘Please be in!’

She was disappointed. When they arrived, the house was in darkness; however many times she banged on the door, there was no answer.

‘What the devil d’you think you’re doing … trying to knock the damned door down, from the sound of it!’ The man from next door had been alerted by her continuous banging. ‘He’s not in – can’t you tell that … I mean, look! The house is in darkness. If he were in, you’d expect there to be a light on.’

An old misery, he kept himself to himself, though he quietly relished the gossip in the village shop, and liked to watch the goings-on from his window. What he didn’t like was being disturbed by some stranger pounding on next door.

He shook his fist at her. ‘Clear off! And give an old man some peace, why don’t you?’

Lilian was desperate. ‘Do you know where I can find him?’

The man continued chewing on his baccy, his avaricious old eyes noting the slim figure and the pretty face, and he smiled knowingly. ‘Who are you then?’

Now that she was here, Lilian’s fantasy had become reality. ‘I’m his sweetheart.’

‘I see.’ He chewed a bit more and stared at her a bit longer before asking, ‘Does he know you’re looking for him?’ In his own youth he had often played one woman off against another. It was a man’s thing.

‘No. I wanted to surprise him.’

He chuckled, and chewed a bit more and rolled the baccy round in his mouth, before telling her with great glee, ‘Oh, you’ll do that all right. He’s gone to see his other sweetheart …’ He pointed in the direction of Kathy’s home. ‘You’ll find him down there … Barden House, that’s the name. That’s where you’ll find him … with his other sweetheart, name of Kathy.’ Muttering and chuckling, he went back inside.

Lilian was confused and upset. ‘Barden House,’ she told the driver. ‘Back down to the harbour. Be quick!’ She must have told him that a dozen times as he drove round looking for Barden House, but in the end, impatient and edgy, she told him to stop the car.

Glad to do so, he parked by the harbour while she set off to find the house the old man had mentioned. ‘You needn’t wait for me.’ Digging in her purse, she took out a handful of coins and threw them into his lap.

He watched her running across the road to the houses. ‘Mad as a hatter!’ he muttered, driving off with his foot hard down on the accelerator.

As he went, he couldn’t help but see another taxi parked at a big old house opposite. ‘Watch out, mate,’ he laughed, ‘you don’t want to be picking that one up. If you ask me, she’s straight from the funny farm!’

Having located the house, and being camouflaged by the dark, at a point where there was no street-lamp, Lilian crept up the path. From here she had a clear view in through the window. What she saw only served to infuriate her all the more.

As promised, Tom had called in before setting off to London. ‘I don’t want to leave you,’ he murmured, his gaze enfolding Kathy, ‘but I have to, you know that, don’t you?’ He saw the misery in her light-brown eyes and his heart ached to be with her. ‘I had thought about asking you to go with me,’ he confessed, ‘but I know you can’t just leave your job. And in any case, I would have to be out and about, going places, seeing people, asking questions. I need to get to the bottom of what happened. The inspector’s already promised he’ll work with me. He says he’s as keen as I am to see this case solved.’

Drawing her to him, he held her for a time. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

‘I wouldn’t let you go if I didn’t believe that.’

In his arms, Kathy felt safe from the world. She had shed her tears, and now she was resigned to the idea of Tom going away, if only because she knew it meant they could be together all the sooner.

‘Look at me.’ Holding her at arm’s length, he smiled into her troubled eyes. ‘I love you.’

She gave a small nervous laugh. ‘I love you too.’

‘If I asked you, would you come with me?’

‘No.’ She wanted to go with him, but it was wiser not to. ‘It’s not my place. You go and do what you have to do,’ she murmured. ‘I’ve got my job to do, and I’ll still be here when you get back.’

He nodded, a smile lighting his face. ‘You’d better be!’

They talked a while longer, and kissed, and held onto each other for a while. There was so much in their hearts they wanted to say, yet each knew what the other was feeling, and it was all right.

Outside, looking in, Lilian was beside herself with rage.

She could not hear what they were saying, but the sight of another woman in Tom’s arms was too much. ‘Bastard!’ she kept saying. ‘You bastard!’ In her tortured mind, she could only see that he had deceived her. He had left her alone in London, and now he was deceiving her with another woman. ‘BASTARD!’

‘I’d better go, darling.’ With his arm round Kathy, Tom started towards the door.

‘I’ll see you to the taxi.’

‘No need. It’s chilly out there. You stay in the warm.’

Kathy would not take no for an answer. ‘I’ll get my coat. I think I left it in the kitchen when I got back earlier.’

He shook his head and smiled. ‘What will I do with you, eh? An obstinate woman who won’t do as she’s told?’

‘Marry me.’ Kathy’s deep-down love was alive in her eyes as she looked up at him.

For a precious moment they held each other. ‘That’s what I’ve promised for us,’ he murmured. ‘There is nothing I want more in all the world.’

From outside, Lilian saw Kathy go through a door at the back of the room. A moment later she returned, dressed in a long blue wool coat.

Tom put his arm round her and they walked across the sitting room; when Lilian saw them turn, almost as if they were coming right at her, she panicked.

Running away, she hid behind the wall, where they could not see her. And neither could she see them.

Panting and fearful in her hiding place, she peeped round the corner to see the two of them walking down the path, arm in arm, for all the world like lovers.

When suddenly Kathy looked back, she dived behind the wall again and kept out of sight.

Enraged, she didn’t see Tom get into the taxi, and she didn’t see how Kathy waved him goodbye, her sad face betraying her deeper feelings.

Instead, she stayed where she was, stiff with rage, her back pressed against the wall, her nails scraping the brickwork until the blood spurted from her fingertips. ‘Bastard!’ She was distraught. ‘Bastards, the pair of them!’

Inside the house, as Kathy closed the curtains, Samantha appeared. Bathed and beautiful, she was combing her long tresses. ‘How do I look?’

Busying herself, Kathy didn’t even turn to look.

Samantha smiled. ‘You might as well accept it, sis.’ Putting a final dab of lipstick on, she collected Kathy’s blue wool coat from the arm of the chair. ‘You don’t mind if I borrow this, do you?’

When Kathy appeared not to have heard, she threw the coat on and buttoned it up. ‘There’s nothing you can do,’ she said, preening herself in the hallway mirror. ‘I’m owed half of what Father left you. So you might as well sign an agreement to that effect and get it over with.’

Confident that she had got Kathy on the run, she declared triumphantly, ‘I’ll make us an appointment with a solicitor first thing in the morning.’ She gave a wry little chuckle. ‘That’s if there are any decent solicitors in this half-baked place!’

Not if I can help it! Kathy thought angrily.

She had no intention of signing any such ‘agreement’.

Jasper tumbled wearily out of the last bus of the evening. Having spent almost all day on the road, the travelling bag in his fist felt twice the weight it had when he’d started. His poor old back ached from the long hours in the train, and his feet were throbbing in his shoes.

‘Goodnight, mate.’ The bus conductor was a jolly sort, who had chatted to his few passengers all the way. ‘Mind how you go.’

Jasper bade him goodnight before walking the few hundred yards to his cottage, where he quickly let himself in, made a cup of tea, and fell into bed almost immediately. ‘By! I must be getting old,’ he complained. ‘Once upon a time I’d ’ave walked all the way to Woburn and back, wi’ never a second thought.’

He was looking forward to seeing Tom and Kathy tomorrow. ‘I wonder what they’ve been up to while I’ve been away.’ No sooner were the words out of his mind than he was snoring like a good ’un.

Half an hour after Jasper had gone indoors, Samantha emerged from the house.

Once outside in the cold evening air, she shivered. ‘This is a godforsaken place,’ she muttered, drawing the coat about her. ‘The sooner Kathy signs that paper, the sooner I can get out of here.’

Needing to clear her thoughts, she headed for the pub, by way of the harbour, making her way carefully along the slippery stones of the harbour wall. There were no railings along this stretch of the walkway; the bollards were the only markers of the wall’s edge. Beyond them she could see the oily, dark waters of the harbour and the looming shapes of the boats. There was no street-lamp here and only now did Samantha realise how hellishly dark it was. ‘Dammit!’ Tripping once or twice, she began to walk more carefully. ‘You’d think they could at least afford to put up another street-lamp!’

She was almost at the pub when she imagined she heard footsteps behind her. Quickly, her heart leaping, she turned, and there was no one there.

She quickened her steps, almost running. And there again, seeming right behind her, was that same sound. She swung round, angry now. ‘Who’s that? Is that you, Kathy?’ Her stern, harsh warning belied the fear inside her. ‘If you’re trying to frighten me, it won’t work, so you might as well show yourself.’

There was a low, throaty laugh, then the dark shadow lunged at her. She saw a raised arm, and that was all; there was no time to scream before she felt a vicious push which sent her toppling over the wall edge. As she fell, her fingers clawing aimlessly at the air, another laugh was the last thing she heard before her head crumpled against the side of a boat as she plunged into darkness.

After Samantha had gone, Kathy found it hard to settle. It was always the same when Samantha was near. She had the uncanny ability to rile her, until her emotions were in turmoil.

For a long time she sat in the chair thinking, full of regrets. Then she went to the window and looked out. The night was dark, eerily silent. ‘If she’s not at home by midnight, I’d best go and find her.’ Even now, she had a kind of affection for her impossible sister.

Pacing the floor, she grew agitated, angry that she should be made to feel responsible. ‘No! Why should I?’ she thought. Determination shaped her features. ‘If she wants to stay out all night, it’s up to her!’ With that, she went upstairs and got ready for bed. From outside, she could hear the pub turning out, then the sound of people softly talking, and a woman’s laughter.

She climbed into bed, and was soon asleep, though troubled by dreams she had not experienced in an age.

The fishermen were out with the first light. ‘Good luck, matey!’ The tall, lean fellow nodded to his colleague as they parted to go their separate ways.

Climbing down to his boat, he imagined he saw something floating in the water, half submerged, yet cradled by the broken oil spills, which shifted back and forth amongst the boats. He peered down for a closer look, taking care as he came nearer, his footsteps negotiating the narrow decks and fishing paraphernalia which littered his way.

Suddenly, he saw her. The shock momentarily silenced him. With wide, disbelieving eyes, he stared down at the still, white face and the hair, now matted and disfigured by oil and debris. ‘Jesus Christ!’ The whisper became a shout. ‘Kenny! Come quick … there’s somebody drowned!’

Quickly, the two of them pulled the body out of the water. ‘I reckon she’s that woman staying at Barden House with her sister,’ Kenny remarked, ‘but I can’t be sure … poor devil.’

‘Best alert the police.’

Kenny covered her over. ‘Stay with her,’ he advised, before going at a run to raise the alarm.