by Janet Tanner
‘It is no concern of yours,’ Adam said coldly. ‘ You are not an executor of the will, neither were you named in it.’
Leo’s cheeks burned dull red.
‘No, but I still hold a position of responsibility.’
‘Not for much longer, my friend.’
Leo’s eyes narrowed. ‘Oh no, Adam, it won’t be that easy to get rid of me.’
‘No? I wouldn’t be too sure of that. I have a few things to say to you and when I have finished I expect you to pack your bags and leave.’
Leo laughed shortly, some of his confidence returning. ‘I don’t think you are in a position to order me out, Adam. This house belongs to my mother now.’
‘I don’t care who it belongs to!’ Adam brought his fist down hard on the desk so that the ink pot and pens jumped. ‘If you don’t do as I say, by God, I’ll see you charged with murder!’
If he had had any doubts before as to the justice of Perry’s accusation they were dispelled now. In that first shocked moment the guilt was all there, clearly written in Leo’s face. The dark red flush had drained away leaving his face paper white and the momentary fear in his eyes was unmistakeable.
‘You swine!’ Adam said. His voice was low and vibrant with anger. ‘ I ought to beat the hell out of you for what you did. You are responsible for the deaths of two men and you could very well have killed Sarah and me into the bargain.’ Leo said nothing. He was too shocked at having been detected to protest his innocence and Adam went on: ‘How could you do it, Leo? God, if I had my way I’d like to force you up into the skies in a machine that you and I both know is not airworthy. But Morse Bailey couldn’t stand another dose of bad publicity just now. And besides, dying is too easy for you.’
‘What do you propose then?’ Leo sneered with a dash of defiance.
‘That you do as I say, clear out here and now, or I’ll carry out my threat and see you charged with murder – and a host of other things besides. That wouldn’t be good for the company either and it is not a prospect I relish – showing up my wife’s stepbrother for a common criminal. But I warn you if it comes to the pinch I shall not hesitate.’
As he said it, angry as he was, he wondered if Leo would realise he was bluffing. He was not in possession of the evidence to have Leo charged with anything. But Leo, trapped by his own guilt, did not think to ask Adam just how he would go about carrying out his threat.
‘You’ll be sorry for this!’ he blustered.
‘I doubt it. There is going to be a clean sweep at Morse Bailey. I want you out, Leo, as soon as you can pack your things together. I don’t know how you will explain to your mother and neither do I care. You can tell her what you please – though I doubt it will be the truth, that you were responsible for the death of her husband.’
‘Aren’t you going to tell her?’ Leo asked unpleasantly. ‘I should have thought you would enjoy doing that.’
‘Unlike you, Leo, I do not gain pleasure from causing pain to others. In fact I feel sorry for your mother. She has done some despicable things in her time and I don’t believe she brought much happiness to Gilbert. But I dare say most of what she did was with your good in mind. She is an old woman now. She won’t be happy about you going. But it will hurt her less than the knowledge that her son is a murderer.’
‘Damn you, Adam!’ Leo said softly. ‘Damn you all! I hope you rot in hell!’
‘Possibly. One thing is very sure, Leo – if we do we shall be certain of meeting you there. Now get out of here before I do what I am itching to and smash that ugly face of yours to a pulp.’
A look of sheer hatred disfigured Leo’s features. The evil of him had never been more transparent than it was now. But he was beaten – for the moment – and he knew it.
‘Don’t think you will get away with this, Adam,’ he spat from the doorway. ‘I’ll have my revenge if it takes me a lifetime. And don’t you forget it!’
Then he was gone. Adam brought his hand crashing down on the desk again, delivering the blow he had longed to land square on the face of the man who had been responsible for two deaths. Nothing would have given him more pleasure than to see Leo spreadeagled on the floor choking on his own blood. But it would have done no good. This way at least they were rid of him. They could begin to pick up the pieces of the company which meant so much to all of them – and rebuild their shattered lives. His anger spent, he began to put away the files into which Leo had been prying. Tomorrow they would have to be taken out again. Perhaps Sarah could help him sort out the intricacies they contained, for Adam was not a desk-man. But if necessary he would become one. That much he owed to Gilbert’s memory.
The lengthening shadows cast a gloom over the study as Adam stood there alone contemplating what was over and done with and what was yet to be.
Sarah’s letter arrived with the morning mail. Adam found it in the pile beside his breakfast plate. He recognised her writing and his eyes narrowed. Then as he tore it open and read the contents he swore.
Hellfire and damnation, why had he left her alone last night? He had known she was upset by the traumas the day had brought. But it had never occurred to him she would do something like this … Of course it would never have happened if we had had our plans cut and dried, Adam thought. He had let things drag on for one reason and another and it had only made matters worse. Now he knew the time had come to delay no longer. He had to be free so that he and Sarah could make a life together. Better to make the cut cleanly than to bleed slowly to death.
He pushed back his chair and stood up leaving his breakfast untouched, strode into the hall and took the stairs two at a time. The door to Alicia’s room was open, he knocked cursorily and went in.
Alicia was sitting at her dressing table mirror putting up her hair and talking to Guy’s nanny as she did so. Guy was there too, fiddling with a pile of her hairpins. As he entered the room she looked up in surprise.
‘Adam! What brings you here?’
He ignored the question.
‘Nanny, would you kindly take Master Guy downstairs? I want to talk to my wife.’
Nanny glanced at Alicia; she was not in the habit of taking orders from Adam.
Alicia nodded briefly. ‘It’s all right, Nanny. You may do as Mr Bailey says.’
‘But Mama, I don’t want to go!’ Guy had a slightly whiney voice which irritated Adam.
‘You, young man, will do as you are told!’
‘Go along, Guy. You may come back later,’ Alicia said. When Nanny had ushered him out she addressed her husband. ‘To what do I owe this visit, Adam? You come to my room seldom enough, and never in the morning.’
He ignored the implication. ‘ There is something I have to say to you, Alicia, and I will not insult you by beating about the bush. You must know that our marriage has been over for some time now and I think it is high time the situation was regularized. I want a divorce and I want it as soon as possible. The time has come to put an end to the charade.’
She froze, her hands still holding her hair in place. He could see her face reflected in the mirror – it was expression-less but for the widening of her eyes.
‘Really? And what has brought it to a head just now?’ she asked after a moment and he found himself unwillingly admiring her containment.
‘I want to marry Sarah.’
‘Oh, I see.’ She slipped a pin into her chignon with calm deliberation. ‘You want to marry Sarah. Well there is nothing new in that is there? I suppose the only thing that has changed is that now she is as good an investment as me. The same third share in the estate, the same control in the companies. Well, I admire your astuteness, Adam.’
Sarah’s letter seemed to burn a hole in his pocket. He was on the point of telling her that if he had wished he could have both – Sarah intended to make all her shares over to him. But he did not. He had no intention of being sidetracked now.
‘I will provide you with the grounds for divorce, Alicia,’ he said. ‘You need have no fear that I will drag your
name through the mire.’
‘Very commendable,’ she said drily. ‘But has it not occurred to you that I might refuse?’
‘It has, yes. And in that case of course my offer to behave honourably will no longer apply. If you force me to it, Alicia, then I will divorce you. Make no mistake of that.’
She twisted the last strand of hair into place and turned to face him.
‘I see. You are determined, aren’t you? Is there nothing I can say to make you change your mind?’
‘Do you really want me to, Alicia? Surely you know as well as I do that our marriage is a mockery. It is no happier a situation for you than it is for me. You would be far better off free to meet and marry someone who would appreciate you.’
She smiled but it was a hard smile. Was there no softness in Alicia? he wondered.
‘Your concern for me is touching,’ she said. ‘There is, however, someone else involved in this. Your son. What you feel for me is irrelevant to what really matters. If you don’t care about disgracing me surely you will continue to keep up the pretence of our marriage for his sake. Think of Guy, Adam. Think of your son.’
Adam’s eyes hardened. His mouth was a bitter line.
‘Oh Alicia, I did hope you would not try to use Guy to hang onto me. To bring him into it will only make things worse.’
‘What do you mean?’ she challenged him.
He glanced towards the door, it was firmly shut, no sound of a childish voice coming from the other side.
‘Because, my dear, you and I both know that Guy is not my son.’
He saw her eyes narrow; a muscle tightened in her cheek. But she replied with admirable coolness.
‘Oh? And whose son is he then?’
‘His father was one of your recuperating officers, I dare say – probably the one I caught you with. I’m really not very interested. All that matters to me is that I know very well he is not mine.’
‘I see,’ she said stiffly. ‘ So now you intend to disown him.’
‘No.’ He crossed to the window and stood with his back to it. ‘I won’t disown Guy. If I had intended to do that I would have done it a long time ago, when I came back from my prisoner-of-war camp to find I had miraculously become a father. I decided then that for the boy’s sake I would allow everyone to think that what you had led them to believe was true, and I see no reason for changing that now. Guy has handicaps enough without being labelled a bastard as well.’
‘You would prefer people to think that you abandoned your own son?’
He shrugged. ‘I shall make proper provision for him, now and in the future. And my shoulders are broad. As far as I am concerned the world can continue to believe I am his father just as long as you release me from this charade of a marriage.’
‘Oh Adam!’ She threw back her head suddenly and laughed.
‘What do you find so funny?’ he enquired.
She shook her head. ‘The irony of it! Our marriage began with blackmail; now it looks as though it will end in the same way.’
‘I would prefer to call it an ultimatum, Alicia, but I dare say it amounts to the same. Give me my freedom and I will continue to own Guy as my son. Even he need know no different, though I don’t suppose he will thank me for it.’
‘And Sarah?’ He saw the flash in her eyes, recognised the rivalry that still existed between the two women.
‘What passes between me and Sarah is our business,’ he said quietly.
Her mouth twisted upwards slightly and for a moment she looked almost wistful.
‘You really do love her, don’t you?’
‘More than anything in the world.’
‘Well.’ She turned away with a lift of one eyebrow. ‘In that case, Adam, I suppose I should no longer stand in your way. I have had my chance – and much happiness has it brought me. Perhaps it is time for Sarah to have hers. Very well, Adam, you shall have your divorce. We will leave it to our lawyers to work out the best way to go about it so that there is as little unpleasantness as possible. And now I suggest you go to her. To be honest, I beg you to go to her. At this moment I really don’t care to have you in my room a moment longer!’
‘Thank you, Alicia.’ He crossed to the door, her back presented to him was very straight, very erect. Even at this moment Alicia was totally the mistress of self-control. ‘Thank you,’ he said again. ‘I am only sorry it has to end this way.’
He went out closing the door after him and only then did Alicia’s iron control crack. She snatched up her hair brush from the dressing table and hurled it with all her might at the bed. It bounced off the pillow and lay in the centre of the floor.
‘Damn!’ Alicia cried. ‘Damn! Damn! Damn!’
But there was no-one to hear her.
Chapter Forty-Three
The room at the inn was exactly as she remembered it. Just being there, where she and Adam had made love on that first wonderful night brought back memories so poignant that she wanted to weep, so vivid that she ached for him with every fibre of her being. She should not have come here, of course. It was stupidly self-indulgent, and yet …
Sarah sat on the edge of the bed where they had lain together, recalling every detail. One night, one glorious stolen night. Perhaps it was all they would ever have. For the good of the company she felt it must be. But nothing could take away from her the happiness they had known.
When she had arrived very late the previous evening the landlord had greeted her with barely veiled surprise – he remembered the lady aviator whose crash landing had caused such a stir in their sleepy village. But Sarah had brooked no questions and today she had spent walking and thinking, and the moment her meals were abandoned, half-eaten, she had left the dining room.
Now it was late afternoon and she was facing the prospect of another night alone. She could not stay here much longer, of course. But at least it had afforded her a breathing space – time to reflect – and so far nothing had changed her view that the only course of action open to her was to leave Chewton Leigh for good.
It would be painful, she knew. She would have to build a new life for herself somewhere. The thought of it was daunting. But left alone Adam would no doubt mend his bridges with Alicia and the two of them would be able to resurrect Morse Bailey from the ashes.
Footsteps on the stairs. Sarah took little notice. Then the door swung open, making her jump and as she spun round breath caught in her throat.
‘Adam!’
For a moment she thought she must have fallen asleep and be dreaming. He came into the room, kicking the door shut behind him, and she knew she was not.
‘I thought I’d find you here, Sarah. At least – I hoped I would. I couldn’t think of another single place where you might go.’
She was trembling with the longing to throw herself into his arms but she remained standing stiffly by the bed.
‘Why are you here?’
‘Why do you think? To bring you home.’
‘But Adam … I explained in my letter. It’s best if I give you my shares and just disappear off the scene.’
‘You little idiot!’ he said. ‘Did you really think I’d let you go so easily? As for your shares – Gilbert gave them to you because he wanted you to have them. You can’t throw them back in his face.’
‘Oh – I don’t know …’
‘If I don’t mean anything to you at least think about your airline,’ he said roughly. ‘How is that going to get off the ground if you aren’t there to organize it?’
‘Someone else can …’
‘Who?’
‘Oh, I don’t know … Alicia, maybe.’
‘Alicia is not interested in the business. It was Gilbert’s blind spot to think she might be. And before you say another word I think I should tell you that Alicia has agreed to divorce me.’
‘You told her?’
‘I did. So there is no longer any problem, Sarah, and I am not prepared to listen to your excuses any longer. If I had a fragile ego I would think you dreamed
them up especially to avoid me. But I haven’t a fragile ego. Now, are you coming with me willingly – or do I have to remove you by force?’
‘Oh Adam …’ Her knees felt weak. Was there another man alive who could make her feel this way?
‘Perhaps a little force wouldn’t be such a bad thing in. any case,’ he said harshly. And then she was in his arms and it was a long time before either of them said anything more. Darkness had fallen by the time they were back in Somerset, a star-spangled blackness that seemed to draw the last sweet perfume from the hedgerows and lay soft on their faces, and Sarah felt that in some way it was recharging her for all the difficulties of the days ahead, flowing into her, making her strong. It was not going to be an easy road. But that would not deter her now.
Through the lanes, curving and dipping, every one of them with its own special place in her memory. And he had a port of call to make before he took her home.
The works made an unsightly blot against the skyline. The windows were darkened now, like blinded eyes, but as he stopped the car on the drive the lights caught some of the panes of glass, bringing them to sudden sparkling light and in the rattle of the idling motor she seemed to hear the hum of an aero engine.
How I love this place! she thought. It must not fail – I will not let it! Especially since Gilbert had put his trust in her – whatever the cost, she would fight on as long as there was breath in her body. Much as she loved Adam the company was bigger and more important than any of them. And yet in some strange way they were inextricably bound – now that Gilbert was gone Adam was Morse Bailey. In fighting for one she would be fighting for them both.
There in the darkness Sarah took on the mantle of responsibility – and took it gladly. This was where she belonged, here where the smells of engine oil mingled with the fresh scents of the countryside. Here her past, her present and her future were bound up together in the heritage of Morse Enterprises. And she knew she would never willingly leave them again.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully