“I want to come home.”
“You can’t be serious!” exclaimed Ruth, Charles’ words ringing in her head. “Don’t let Delia return. She’s evil.” And she had promised him. There was no way she could give permission for Delia to live here again, even if she wanted to.
Delia began to speak quickly. “Please, Ruth. Hear me out. Since Lucy was born it’s been terrible. I’ve had to stay shut away … because of my face. I can’t bear to go out. No-one wants to know me anyway. I know … I know it’s my own fault but Lucy mustn’t be penalised because of my mistakes. I don’t want much. Just to live quietly and bring her up … and where better? This was my home, Ruth … where I grew up. I want Lucy to grow up here too and know it and love it like I do. I owe it to her, Ruth. I know I don’t deserve help but please … for her sake. We won’t be a burden, I promise.”
Ruth was speechless and Delia, taking advantage of the hesitation, hoping she was gaining ground, continued grovelling, demure and repentant.
“Obviously you don’t want me living in the house but I’ve been thinking. How about the Dower House? It hasn’t been lived in for years … not since Granny died. It probably needs a lot doing to it but I’ll pay. If you’ll only agree … oh, and let me stable Demon at Canleigh. I’ve missed him terribly but haven’t lived anywhere suitable for him. I suppose Philip hasn’t been having it easy with him.”
“You could say that,” Ruth grimaced, recalling how Philip found the animal more difficult each day. There had been talk of having Demon put down but as he was perfectly healthy neither Philip nor Ruth had the heart to make the final decision.
“I don’t know,” said Ruth thoughtfully. She actually felt sorry for Delia. She knew she couldn’t allow her back in the house but would giving permission for her to live at the Dower House be breaking her promise to Charles? It was a good distance from the Hall. Their paths wouldn’t have to cross if they didn’t want them to and she could use the stables for Demon. Ruth had no need to go down there as her car was driven into the garage attached to the Hall every night. “I shall have to give it some thought. Where are you staying?”
“In Leeds. At the Hilton. Thank you, Ruth. I know I’ve no right to ask but I really want this and I promise, I really promise I won’t bother you and give you any trouble. You won’t know we’re there … although I would like you to meet Lucy. Perhaps you could bring Stephen to tea tomorrow at the hotel. It would be good for them to meet.”
“Um. I don’t see any reason why not,” murmured Ruth without any real enthusiasm. It was like being on an unruly wave. She felt swept away with the suddenness of having Delia an enemy one minute and wanting to become a friend the next. It was desperately unsettling.
“I think it’s time for some straight talking,” said Delia bluntly, sitting upright on the sofa and looking at Ruth directly. “I can see you don’t trust me and I don’t blame you. Our first meeting was ... should we say, somewhat traumatic and since your permanent arrival on the scene, it hasn’t got much better … do you still think I murdered Richard?”
“I ….” Ruth wanted to leave the room. She had known it wouldn’t be possible to control the situation and Delia was doing it again. Taking charge. Ruth was at a loss to know what to say. How could she calmly stand here and say she did think Delia was guilty?
“I can assure you, I didn’t,” Delia said, lying through her back teeth and sounding totally plausible but she had everything to fight for now and she was going to give it her best shot. She had to get back to Canleigh. She had to. She would die if she couldn’t. There was nowhere else in the world she wanted to live.
“I loved Richard. I couldn’t hurt my own brother. I know I said I would but that was in a fit of passion. I wanted the estate badly then and to have been cast aside so casually … I said the first silly thing that came into my head. But I didn’t kill him, Ruth. You really must believe that … and there was no evidence that I had anyway and that’s why the trial collapsed. You have to believe me. I had no idea Rocky had a gun tucked away in his luggage and yes, I knew he was dependent on drugs, but when we flew over, he couldn’t bring anything in case we were searched. How he got cocaine and marijuana when we got here, I have no idea, although the police seem to think he sneaked out of the hotel, jumped into a taxi, and found somewhere to buy them. It’s a complete mystery to me how he knew where to go but he knows many people who come to the U.K. regularly, so obviously had contacts somewhere along the line.”
“So why did he kill Richard? They hadn’t set eyes on each other before, had they … and why did you take him to Richard’s flat?”
“Well, I told Richard I had come across our half-brother on my travels and he was curious enough to want to meet him. So, we flew over, intending to have a fortnight over here. I hired a car and we were going to do a few touristy things as Rocky had never been to the U.K. He was keen to come and that was it really … but I had no idea he actually had any ulterior motives and I certainly didn’t know he was carrying a gun. When we arrived at the flat, I left them getting to know each other in the lounge while I went to make some tea in the kitchen. Then I heard raised voices and that awful bang,” she shuddered. “I hurtled into the lounge to see Richard on the floor and Rocky pointing the gun at me. I literally fought for my life, Ruth,” Delia said, tears welling up in her eyes. “It was one of the worst moments of my life. We struggled desperately and I wrestled to get the gun from him but … but it went off … and he … he just looked at me and fell … I had killed him. My own flesh and blood. I still can’t believe it happened. One minute they were alive and chatting and the next they were dead. It was horrific.”
Delia took a tissue out of her bag and dabbed at her eyes. Luckily, she was wearing waterproof mascara and didn’t ruin her make-up. She took another deep breath and continued.
“And as for all the nasty things I said later … when you visited me in hospital … I didn’t mean it. You were right … I was bitter, horribly upset and confused. I didn’t know what I was saying. You don’t know how much I regretted it, especially when I heard Father had died so soon afterwards.”
Trying to give herself time to think, Ruth turned to the drinks’ cabinet. “Would you like one?” she asked, holding up the brandy decanter.
“Just an orange juice, please. I don’t touch alcohol any longer,” Delia said, giving Ruth another reason to look surprised. “That’s what got me into such a mess. Oh, you don’t want to know all the sordid details but I can tell you, if it hadn’t been for alcohol … and drugs … much of what I did wouldn’t have occurred. Richard would probably still be here and Vicky … what I did to her was unforgivable. How is she? I heard about her and that Alex chap. I hope she’s happy. Barrie was a rat. She shouldn’t have married him … I did warn her, if you remember.”
Ruth was thunderstruck by this conversation. Whatever she had expected, it certainly wasn’t this and if Delia had truly turned over a new leaf, who was she to stand in her way? But she needed to think. Needed to talk it over with Philip. After all, he would be affected too with Delia living close by at the Dower House.
“All right, Delia. I promise to think it over and when I bring Stephen to tea tomorrow, I’ll give you an answer but you must appreciate what a shock this has been. I also have to tell you that I promised your father I wouldn’t allow you to live back at Canleigh again.”
A shadow passed over Delia’s face and for a split-second Ruth wondered if she was making a huge mistake even promising to think about it.
* * *
As soon as Stephen was in bed Ruth drove over to Tangles. She didn’t feel like dinner and if she did become hungry later, she could throw something together there. It was a lovely warm, summer evening so with Philip’s arm around her shoulders, they went for a walk, across a couple of fields and through the pretty woods bordering Canleigh.
“Is Delia really the prodigal daughter or is there something far more sinister behind this request to come home?” asked Ruth. “What
do you think?”
“I’ve no idea, Ruth,” said Philip, thinking back over the years, remembering how close he and Delia had once been, how he had so nearly married her, until Sue had swept him away. “Delia was such a splendid kid. We had some great times together, around here and up at Blairness. We both doted on animals, especially horses … that night Demon was born … you should have seen her face.”
Ruth listened attentively, trying to imagine Philip and Delia as children.
“All Delia’s troubles stemmed from the time her mother was caught in London having sex with Simon Parfitt in a park. You did know about that?” he asked, as they stepped carefully over some large tree roots in their path.
Ruth nodded. “Yes. Charles told me what happened and that there was a tremendous row when Margaret came back and the Dowager had a stroke and died. It must have been tremendously upsetting for Delia … I gather she and her grandmother were very close.”
“They adored each other. The Dowager Duchess could be quite formidable and to be honest I was a little scared of her but looking back I had no reason to be. She was very kind to us as children. She just wouldn’t accept any bad behaviour or nonsense from any of us. She let us be children but woo betide us if we crossed any lines. Delia loved her to bits and was utterly devastated when she died … so suddenly too. There was no warning. No time to get used to the idea. Unlike us ….” he added sorrowfully.
Ruth squeezed his hand sympathetically, not knowing if it was better to lose a loved one quickly or, as they had, to watch them slip slowly and painfully away into another dark, dark world.
“Anyhow, prior to that dreadful day, Delia was a normal, happy girl but afterwards … she had that awful nervous breakdown which took her a long time to recover from and then she grew hard. All she talked about was Canleigh. She was totally obsessed with it and when her father disappeared up to Blairness and left her with us, and then later, when she was older; to live at Canleigh by herself, she became consumed by the place. It sounds stupid I suppose but it was that, and Demon of course and wanting to be engaged to me that kept her going … and by golly, she worked hard to achieve what she wanted. Richard made it perfectly clear to us that he had no real interest in the estate as his desire was to become a surgeon, although we all knew, of course, that inevitably he would have to become Duke and inherit Canleigh. Whether or not he would have been able to combine that with his ambitions in the medical field, I have no idea. Anyhow, Delia decided to attend college and learn everything she could about running an estate. Charles assumed she was doing it for when she married me … but I knew there was more to it. She didn’t need all that knowledge to assist me with Tangles and my business. I knew she dreamed of amalgamating Tangles with Canleigh at some point but how she planned to do it, I have no idea. She should have been a boy … and the first born, and then there wouldn’t have been all this misery and heartbreak.”
“She loved you though. You were engaged.”
Philip snorted. They were now on the path leading out of the woods and the lake could just be seen, the water sparkling through the trees. “Oh, yes, she did but it wasn’t the right kind of love. It was possessive. Delia wanted to own me, order me about, make me part of her grand plan.”
With the lake only yards away, he picked up a stone and hurled it into the water, making large ripples on the surface. A duck swam past quickly to get out of the way, his beautiful green head shining in the evening sun. “It wouldn’t have worked. I knew that for a long time but hadn’t the courage to extricate myself. It seemed easier to let things ride but then Sue came along and upset the applecart, so to speak.” He smiled, remembering how he fell madly in love with her that evening when Delia couldn’t accompany him to Jim’s birthday party. “It was awful, having to tell Delia … and she took it pretty badly.”
“Okay,” said Ruth, “so she had a few hard knocks and has a quick temper but do you think she’s capable of murder? Do you think she could have been responsible for Richard’s death?”
“I wish I could give you an answer but the truth is, I really don’t know. It’s quite possible … there was a very definite motive but to do such an evil deed … to Richard … I would be surprised. Delia does things in a rage but premeditated murder … I very much doubt it. If you want my honest opinion, I think as the case was dismissed, the whole matter should be left in the past, even though there will always be a question mark over the whole affair. It’s best to leave it alone now and not dwell on it … learn to live with it. What we have to concentrate on now are the present and the future.”
“You’re right,” Ruth murmured, unconvinced by Philip’s reasoning but then he wasn’t aware of all the facts. He didn’t know how Delia and Barrie had treated Vicky so cruelly. Ruth remembered the ghastly mess Vicky had been in after the brutal treatment she had received at their hands … and then there was the way Delia had reacted when Ruth suggested she have an abortion to save Vicky more pain … and how she had wanted to dance on Charles’ grave ….”
“I assure you, Delia’s not all bad. She does have her good points, you know,” Philip grinned, seeing from the look on Ruth’s face that she was still doubtful.
“And what are they?”
“She can ride extremely well,” Philip laughed as Ruth slapped him playfully. “And funnily enough, she can cook too … she was great when Granny was ill. She came and cooked us meals every night after college and afterwards, when there was only me.”
Ruth saw the far-away look in Philip’s eyes. “Do you … do you feel anything for her?” She was reluctant to ask but wanted to get things absolutely clear, especially if Delia was going to return to Canleigh. If he was still harbouring any feelings in that direction, Ruth wanted to know … and now. There must be no uncertainty.
They strolled across to a bench and sat down. The sun was disappearing but the evening was still warm and pleasant. It was strange to think that in another couple of hours it would be dark and the creatures of the day would be asleep and those of the night would be out and about; the foxes, the badgers, the owls. What a different world to the one they saw now.
Philip threw an arm around her and drew her close. He kissed her forehead and looked straight into her eyes. “No, Ruth. Delia and I were childhood sweethearts and good friends but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. We’re not the same people. There couldn’t be anything between us again. Be assured about that. I loved Sue very, very deeply and will always love her but she is no longer here, like Charles. Ruth, darling. We have been given a gift. In our shared grief, we have found each other and for that, I shall always be thankful. I love you, Ruth, more than I can say and want nothing more than to have you by my side until the day I die. Delia has no place in my heart and never will … you must have no doubts.”
All thoughts of Delia flew away as he bent his head and kissed her mouth tenderly.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I badly needed to hear that.”
“If you really feel you want to allow Delia and her child to move into the Dower House, then please do. It won’t affect us, I promise.”
“I’ll think about it overnight and make a definite decision in the morning.”
They walked back to Tangles, their steps quickening as it was growing dark, Ruth’s heart lighter now that she had talked over her problem with Philip and had been reassured of his love. He was special, and he made her feel special, and she was massively grateful they had found each other. Delia could do them no harm.
The next morning Ruth rose early and drove down to the Dower House. It had been empty for quite a few years, was beginning to show signs of neglect, and would be expensive to put right. Delia had offered to pay for the work but the Dower House was part of the estate and as such should be repaired out of estate funds. Delia would then be a tenant, with no strings attached, and easier to get rid of if things went wrong.
There, Ruth’s mind was made up. She couldn’t refuse. She was still not entirely sure of Delia�
��s sincerity but there could be slight possibility motherhood had softened her. From the conversation yesterday, Ruth was positive Delia doted on Lucy and that was in her favour … and it was only right the child should grow up on the estate.
There was Vicky to consider but she was busy with her new life with Alex. They rarely visited Canleigh these days and even if they did, the Dower House was far enough away from the Hall so it would be highly unlikely the sisters would bump into each other.
Ruth glanced back at the Dower House as she drove off, hoping she was doing the right thing. She steered the car back towards the Hall and sighed. Having Delia residing on the estate was going to be a real challenge.
CHAPTER 38
CANLEIGH – 1978
Six months later, on a cold and chilly February day, Delia sat in her Ferrari, smiling with pure pleasure as she surveyed the Dower House and allowed the peace and tranquillity of her surroundings to soothe her. Now back on familiar territory and only a stone’s throw away from the hall, for the first time in years she felt as if life was worth living again.
Rathbones had drawn up a formal tenancy agreement for the Dower House, which Ruth and Delia had signed, and Delia was now the legal tenant for an initial period of three years. A great deal of renovation work, including a new roof, had to be completed prior to Delia and Lucy moving in, which was why it had taken so long but Delia was given permission to decorate as she wished, enjoying herself immensely, lavishing love and money on the home Granny had last lived in.
The lovely old Georgian house looked impressive in the weak, wintry sunshine. However, Delia knew that in the spring it would look fabulous as the facade was almost covered in Virginia creeper, apart from the wisteria around the front door, which in full bloom and climbing valiantly up towards the upstairs windows, its pale blue flowers like big bunches of grapes just waiting to be picked, would look magnificent. An old and gnarled laburnum tree, stood in the centre of the lawn. It always looked so pretty, towering over a mass of rhododendron bushes which would be smothered with balls of deep red petals. Delia hugged herself with glee and with a thrill of excitement, left the Ferrari on the gravel, patting it with pleasure as she got out. She had always fancied owning a car such as this but hadn’t bothered to do anything about it until after the third operation on her face when she was feeling particularly down and wanted something to cheer herself up. It had certainly helped … and now she had the Dower House too.
Rejection Runs Deep (The Canleigh Series, book 1: A chilling psychological family drama) Page 63