‘Whatever you might think to the contrary, Catherine, I have never yet been so angry that I would strike a woman. I wasn’t going to before, although you thought so. I don’t intend to do so now. I’m angry, yes! That will pass with time, I’ve no doubt. Whether I can ever get over what’s happened tonight is another thing. To answer your question, your inferences about another woman are about as insubstantial as my suspicions of you. There is no one else, Catherine. I don’t want anyone else. I thought I had found all I wanted in you.’
Catherine looked at him. She wasn’t finished yet. ‘What about that handkerchief?’
‘You keep going on about that. What in God’s name are you talking about?’
‘When I turned out the pockets of your navy suit for dry cleaning the other day I found a handkerchief covered in red lipstick. I didn’t speak to you about it. I just threw it away in the bin. I tried to believe in you.’
He stood quite still. She could see him thinking, and then saw some of the anger draining away from him and he almost smiled. ‘Ah, yes, I remember. A certain young lady made unwelcome advances to me. Her father – yes, her father – proffered the handkerchief for me to remove the evidence. I must have put it in my pocket.’ He glanced at her with a wry expression. ‘You should have mentioned it after all, Catherine. That would have been one problem out of the way.’
He came and sat down on the bed again. ‘The question is, what are we going to do now? We can’t keep on like this. Perhaps Sarah was right, we’ve tried to move our relationship on too far, too fast. Maybe we still don’t know each other well enough yet.’
Catherine reached out for his hand. She couldn’t bear him looking so tired and defeated. ‘Alex, I love you. I always have and I always will. I don’t want to be anywhere but with you. I know I do stupid things at times. I’m sorry. It’s just me, I suppose. I must try to think first. Don’t bother any more about the house. It’s not important. We’ll manage somehow.’
Too late, she realised her slip. It was testament to how tired Alex was that he didn’t pick up on the statement and query it. He turned her hand over in his and studied it as if for the first time, twisting the rings around on her finger in an absent-minded gesture, then he gave a weary sigh.
‘Catherine, you exasperate and infuriate me as no one else has ever done, but despite all that, as God is my witness, I love you. I suppose it’s one of the reasons why I do love you. You excite my senses. I want you to be here for me all the time, but I must learn that you have a right to an independent life, away from this flat. I would just ask you, please, please try not to put me through the worry of wondering where you are again. I do trust you. I promise I won’t make any more wild accusations. I’ll try to listen to what you have to say before I start to shout. I’m sorry.’
He reached out and touched her cheek. She took hold of his hand and pulled him towards her. He came and sat against the pillows and held her against him. They sat there together in silence. Too much emotion had been expended over the last few hours for their embrace to lead to anything more; it was just a gesture of shared relief and comfort.
The silence continued for a while and then Alex stirred and stood up. ‘I’d better get changed and ready for work, I suppose.’
‘Alex, you haven’t slept. You can’t go to work.’
Turning back at the bedroom door, he said, ‘I’m used to nights without sleep. I’ll manage. I’d appreciate a coffee, though.’
Knowing that moving around at this time of the morning might be a problem, Catherine was very cautious, afraid that she might yet give herself away. She was sitting at the kitchen table with a pot of coffee when Alex returned, not looking any fresher. He drank a few mouthfuls, and then pushed the mug away.
‘I’ll have to get the Tube in today.’ He glanced at her. ‘I parked the car somewhere last night, and I can’t remember where. The lads are looking out for it. They have the keys. They’ve promised to deliver it back here.’ He stood up, keeping his eyes averted from her. ‘Stupid, or what!’
All Catherine could do was bite her lip and try not to burst into tears. She couldn’t say a word, and didn’t dare look at him.
Alex walked past, ruffling her hair and murmured, ‘See you tonight.’
The door closed behind him, and she raced for the bathroom.
It was just before lunchtime when Catherine heard the sound of the Porsche outside. A few moments later the doorbell rang and when she answered it a young police officer stood there, beaming, holding out the keys.
‘Thank the Inspector will you for letting me have the chance to drive his car. It’s great!’
The young man loped off down the stairs, muttering to himself how some people had all the luck. Rank, a sports car, and a wife like that!
*
Alex was facing another day in the office on his own. He would have preferred Dougie to be there, just to help him keep awake. He drank what seemed to be gallons of coffee, and had the window wide open, but there was no way he could concentrate.
It was only because of a note on his blotter that he remembered he had arranged to meet Jerry McIntyre at lunchtime for a drink. He left the office well before time, for the chance of some exercise and fresh air he told himself.
When Jerry arrived, apologising for having slept in on his day off, he gave Alex a considered look.
‘You look a bit frayed round the edges.’
‘I don’t think it’s just the edges, Jerry. I feel about ninety all the way through.’
‘I’d say you can add about twenty to that, my friend. What’s been happening? Are the criminals gaining on you, or shouldn’t I ask?’
There was a pause. ‘It’s not work, Jerry.’
‘Ah!’ Jerry kept his eyes on his drink. ‘Bad is it? Or do you want to keep it private? Don’t forget, I’m a doctor, I can hold my tongue.’
Alex swirled the remaining liquid around in his glass. Perhaps if he discussed the situation with someone else he’d have a better perspective on the whole thing.
Jerry listened in silence. He took particular note of Alex’s embarrassed comments about Catherine’s recent odd behaviour.
‘Well, you sound as if you’ve sorted most of it out. A touch of misinformation by the look of it. At least you both know there’s no third party. What do you want to do about the house? Forgive me for saying this, but had you considered that even though Catherine likes the flat, she might feel that it’s still your flat, rather than somewhere belonging to both of you. Nest-building and the like can loom large to a feminine mind. Catherine has always lived in someone else’s property, rather than a home in a family sense. There would be no harm in taking a look at this property that she’s found. If it’s not the one, it could start you on the road to finding something. I’ve got the card of that solicitor friend of mine here somewhere,’ he added, fishing in his inside jacket pocket, ‘yes, here we are.’ He handed Alex the small printed card. ‘Give him a call when you’re ready and tell him I’ve recommended you. I might get commission.’
Alex took the card and studied it. ‘You’ve got a point, Jerry. I never thought about Catherine’s attitude to the flat. She seemed happy enough. I must admit it would be nice to have somewhere to put down roots together. Why is it, though, that I get this feeling there’s something else wrong? Something she still isn’t telling me.’
Jerry grinned to himself. Even the great detective hadn’t worked it out yet. Boy, was he in for a shock!
*
Alex was glad to see the Porsche had arrived back. He walked round it to see if there were any dents or scratches, but it all looked fine. Seeing it again brought back some of the feelings of the previous night, and he was a little apprehensive as he let himself into the flat.
Catherine was doing her history course work at the table, but she looked up and smiled at him. He went over to her and placed a quick kiss on her hair. H
e still felt too raw inside to be able to cope with more.
‘Are you busy? I was just wondering, as you’d done all that investigating yesterday, if you wanted to have another look at that house?’
He noticed that she made a point of not meeting his eyes.
‘I told you that it didn’t matter.’
‘Catherine, I’ve been thinking today that it’s something we should perhaps give some consideration to. Get your coat on. We’ll go and take a look.’
She did look at him then, and some of the sparkle was back in her eyes.
‘Do you mean it?’
‘Of course, I just said so. Come on, hurry up!’
She raced off to get a coat, and he felt better than he had all day. The bridge had been spanned, and whatever happened regarding this house, there was now a shared idea as to their future.
Catherine, as usual, worked her innocent magic and the estate agency allowed them to have the keys to view the property on their own. Following Catherine’s directions, as soon as he turned into Church Road, Alex knew what had attracted her to the area. The tree-lined road and well-maintained properties were a good first impression. The property they had come to see looked a little more unkempt than the others, but, he thought, from a first glance, nothing major.
As they went from room to room inside he was quite impressed. Catherine had been thinking about the interior and suggested to him some internal changes that could be made. The kitchen and bathroom needed some updating, otherwise it appeared to be just cosmetic work required.
Catherine said she would leave him to have a further look around inside while she went out into the garden. A clever move on her part, he thought. It gave him time to think about things on his own. He knew very well that this was the first property they had looked at together, but like Catherine, he was beginning to feel something for this house. He went upstairs and stood at one of the back bedroom windows watching her out in the garden. She was walking around, looking at the various shrubs and bushes, and even pulling up weeds. In her mind she belonged here already, he thought. The question was, did he?
He searched around in his inner self for an honest answer. Since he’d met Catherine there had been a shift in his attitude to many things. The whole idea of marriage and a home had been alien to him such a short time ago, but now he felt an irresistible urge to continue the journey with her. Yes, it was time to make the next move in their lives.
He went downstairs and out into the garden. Catherine saw him coming and he could sense the apprehension in her.
‘Doing some gardening already? You might need some help. You’ll have to teach me, there’s a lot here to do.’
He watched her face, the hope coming into her eyes. He took a deep breath.
‘I like the house, a lot. Perhaps we could shave a bit off the price, as there’s work to be done. Anything we can save will be a help.’ He reached out for her and she came into his arms. ‘Would you like to make this our home Catherine, to start building our lives together?’
She buried her head in his chest, and he heard her whisper, ‘Yes please, Alex. I would like that.’
‘We’ll have a go then, shall we?’
She lifted her head and he saw, to his surprise, her eyes were serious and apprehensive. His felt his stomach tighten.
‘Alex, even if we don’t get this house, it would be nice if we could find one as soon as possible. You see… we’re going to need some extra space soon.’ She was looking up at him, anxiety clear on her face. ‘Do you understand?’
Then he did! My God, he had been so slow not to spot it! This would explain her odd behaviour of late.
‘Are you sure? When did you know?’
‘I’ve suspected it for a week or so, but I had some tests when I was at the Fulham Hospital and they confirmed it, although it’s not far along.’
‘Catherine, when were you going to tell me?’ Then he realised, and looking at her face, he knew. He sighed. ‘You were going to tell me last night. That, and the house. And then… Why didn’t you tell me earlier today?’
He saw her head go down. ‘I didn’t want to put pressure on you to make any decisions because of that,’ she said in a small voice.
He put his hand under her chin and lifted her face. He looked deep into her eyes. ‘Supposing that I did have someone else to go to, what would you have done then?’
He felt the trembling in her body and saw the green eyes cloud over with tears. ‘I would still have had the baby, just to remind me of you. I’d have managed somehow.’
Alex knew that it was the truth, and for a moment was overcome with the depth of his emotions. He bent his head and kissed her soft mouth.
‘I love you, Catherine. You, and now our child.’
He gathered her close in his arms, and for some while they just stood there together in the darkening garden, letting their mutual love heal the wounds they had inflicted on each other.
CHAPTER 11
Their first introduction to Simon Kingsley, Jerry’s solicitor friend, was very favourable. He steered them through all the initial legal formalities, and suggested that if everything went as he anticipated, the whole matter could be nearing completion within a few weeks.
At the conclusion of their interview he suggested it might be a good idea if they thought about Wills. Alex had to work hard to hide his grin, and didn’t dare glance at Catherine.
‘I always feel plans should be made for the future as soon as you start owning property and having a family. I have a checklist here you can work through for ideas. I think you ought to give it some thought at least, and when you come to sign the papers perhaps we can talk about it again.’ He rummaged in a tray on his desk and handed them a printed sheet.
Alex looked over at Catherine. It seemed a bit over the top to think about something like this, but then again he could see the logic.
‘I take your point, Simon, and I suppose it is a good idea.’ Alex knew he had to bring something out in the open. ‘There’s also the matter of money to which Catherine will be entitled when she’s twenty-five.’
Simon looked interested at this news. ‘Lucky girl! How long do you have to wait for this, Catherine, if I can ask a delicate question of a lady?’
‘It will be next year, September 1976.’
‘Do you know how much will be involved?’
‘I have no real idea of total value. I’ve never bothered to find out. I believe there are proceeds of sale from areas of farmland in Ireland which came from my mother, and also an extensive portfolio of stocks and shares. I remember my uncle commented once that it was a considerable sum. The trustees are my uncle and two of his friends; one is a banker and the other a lawyer.’
‘If you let me have their details I’ll get in touch and see if I can find out some up-to-date information.’
Alex cleared his throat. ‘I would like to make one point about this, Simon. Can we indicate in some way that none of Catherine’s money from this fund comes to me; it should go straight to any children?’
‘Alex?’ He could feel the green gaze on him. He glanced at Catherine’s distressed face.
‘I mean it, my love. It’s your money, and I want no part of it. Do what you want with it, give it to a cat’s home if you like.’ He couldn’t keep the edge out of his voice.
He saw that Simon was looking from one to the other with a slight frown, no doubt realising that there was an issue here.
‘Well, as I said, talk a bit about your affairs and we’ll sort something out next time you come.’
As they left the offices Alex knew he could well hear more about the point; however, he would never tell Catherine what had passed between him and her uncle. He would just have to remain firm on the matter even if she was upset. To his relief, Catherine didn’t refer to the issue. She must have guessed that he had a reason and wouldn’t change his mind.
After further discussion over the next few weeks, they found their deliberations and thoughts on any executors and guardians always came back to the same people, Sarah and Jerry. Another lunchtime drink between Alex and Jerry settled the matter between the four of them.
It was with a smile that Alex later passed on to Catherine Jerry’s parting comment that if Simon was drumming up business with this much success, his remark about making a fortune was scheduled to come true.
*
Lionel Franklin reread the papers in front of him. It was a report from one of Clarke’s men who had been keeping an eye on the Hartmans. He noted several attendances by them both to a local GP, and a solicitor. He was beginning to form a disturbing idea. What if that wretched girl was going to have Hartman’s brat and they were thinking of getting a house? Damn the man! It was happening again!
He could feel the old resentment building in him. Like her mother, Catherine was causing his plans to be thwarted. It was frustrating. The chance to get back at Hartman was starting to eat away at him, but it had to be done with care, and he must learn patience. He’d been ready to move ahead, but decided it was better now to wait and see what developed. With the possibility of a child, a new idea was forming. Long term, but worth the wait, and so much more satisfying.
*
‘She’s turned into this demented harridan overnight. I feel sorry for the workmen. I keep out of the way, I’m too embarrassed. Likewise shopkeepers. I don’t think she’s bought anything full price yet.’
Laughing, Alex ignored the glare directed his way. Jerry and Sarah were at the flat for a meal. Catherine was busy in and out of the kitchen, and Alex was bringing them up to date on all that had happened over the last month or two. The house had been purchased in record time with Simon working his magic, and builders were at the moment finishing off Catherine’s requested alterations.
‘Despite some serious sickness in the mornings, Catherine seems to be a going concern for the rest of the day. Although I think she does too much. I have to put my foot down from time to time, especially about her course work.’
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