by Rhoda Baxter
"Are you all right, love?" A station guard seemed concerned. "Can I help you?"
Jane started. "I need to get to this B&B." She showed him the information she'd printed from the B&B's website.
"Ah, that'll be Frank and Caroline's place," he said in a sing-song accent. "That's funny though. They normally come pick people up if they're this late."
"I wasn't expecting to be this late," said Jane. "Is there a taxi rank near here?"
"Not at the station, no. You'll have to phone for one. Tell you what love," he said, kindly. "You sit in the waiting room and I'll call one for you."
"Thank you." She sank onto a wooden bench and hugged her small bag. Now, sitting in a cold train station in Wales, she realised how tired she was. She had barely slept since the photographer had jumped out at her two days before. Today she'd rushed home after work and thrown a few things into an overnight bag before practically running to the station.
She shivered. It was colder here than in London. She wished she'd packed a thicker jumper. The hems of her jeans were wet. All she wanted right now was to curl up and go to sleep. The last of her energy reserves drained away, and she rested her head on top of her bag.
The station guard touched her shoulder, waking her up. "Your taxi's here, love. Get you to the B&B. You look like you could do with a warm bed."
Gratefully, Jane stood up, her limbs protesting. "Thank you so much." It seemed like a long time since a stranger had been so kind to her.
"Oh don't mention it," he said. "I have a daughter your age. I'd like to think people are nice to her when she needs it." He shooed her out towards the exit, where a taxi was indeed waiting.
* * * *
The taxi left Jane in front of the B&B. The sound of its departing wheels crunching on the gravel was soon swallowed up by the sound of the rain. Jane stood still, getting increasingly wet, staring at the white house. A light above the sign shone on wet ivy leaves and gleamed on the stone doorstep. Even in the pouring rain, the house looked inviting.
From inside came a burst of laughter. Clearly the B&B had guests, maybe even a full house. She gathered her courage. It was too late to turn back now. If she did, she might as well give up on Marsh forever.
Taking a deep breath, she tried the door. It was open.
Somewhere off to the right she heard voices. A notice on a shelf saying Reception sat next to a bell. After a moment's hesitation, Jane rang it.
A woman appeared, wiping her hands on an apron. She was tall and thin, with a crop of blonde curls. "Hello. Can I help?"
"I need a room?" It was meant to be a statement, but it came out like a question. She had been so busy thinking about what to say to Marsh that she hadn't really thought about this bit. But she did need a room.
"Of course," said the woman. She looked Jane up and down. "You poor thing, you're soaking. Come through. It's warmer in here." She opened a door and shooed Jane ahead of her. "I'm Caroline."
They entered a large room with a small bar at one side. In front of the fire crackling in the hearth, two middle-aged women in walking clothes were sitting in arm chairs. They were chatting with a young woman who was sitting on a floor cushion with her feet stretched out towards the fire. Everyone looked toward Jane.
The young woman had dark hair pulled back into a pony tail. When she smiled a dimple appeared on her cheek. Jane knew she was looking at Marsh's sister.
She smiled back and murmured a greeting.
Caroline went behind the bar and pulled out a book. "Can you fill in your details here, please?"
Behind her the three women resumed their conversation. "So why does she think he told the magazine?"
Jane froze, halfway through writing her address.
"I dunno. Paranoia?" From the tone of her voice, Jane could tell Stevie wasn't well disposed towards her.
"I must admit, it doesn't seem like the sort of thing he would do," said the other woman. "Mind you, I don't know your brother at all."
Her companion chuckled. "You've only just met him Isabel."
"Yes, but you get a feeling about a person, don't you?"
Jane signed her name. Yes, you got a feeling about a person. Her feeling about Marsh was that he was a good man. She should have trusted that feeling. Instead she had let her bad memories of Ashby interfere and ruin a perfectly good relationship.
"I'm afraid both the single rooms have been taken," said Caroline. "I've got a double you could have."
"That will be fine." Feeling she ought to add something more, she said. "It'll be nice to have room to stretch out." Her jeans were starting to stick to her legs and she was cold. She would very much have liked to go and stand by the fire, but she wanted to hear the rest of the conversation.
"So, what's he going to do?" said Isabel.
"His boss is going to decide that and let him know on Sunday."
"I didn't mean about that. I meant about his girlfriend."
"Oh," said Stevie. "I don't know. But, if she can't believe him when he says he didn't do it, he's better off without her."
"Maybe she just made a mistake."
"Hmph. He is really miserable." Stevie sighed. "I think he really liked her."
Caroline handed Jane a key. "Breakfast is seven-thirty until nine. I usually cook it to order, so if you tell me what you want, I can have to ready for you."
Behind her, Stevie said. "It's so annoying. It's been ages since he's liked someone, and he finally lets himself fall in love and this happens. That woman doesn't know what she's let go of."
Jane almost turned round to point out that she did know what she'd let go of. Difficult as it was to listen to herself being described in less than sympathetic terms, she felt she somehow deserved it. She had been so stupid. She had been rehearsing what she was going to say all the way from London, but now it seemed horribly inadequate.
The door opened, letting in a blast of cold air, and Marsh stepped into the room. He was wearing a dripping waterproof and his arms were full of small logs. He spotted Jane as soon as he entered and froze in place, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. After a moment he arranged his face into a carefully neutral expression, as though he was waiting to hear what she said before deciding how he felt.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Stevie straighten up and knew she had been recognised.
Jane managed a weak smile. "Hi."
"What are you doing here?" He sounded perplexed, but not particularly angry.
"I..." She took a quick glance round the room. Stevie was getting to her feet. Everyone was looking at her. "I came to find you."
"Why?" He was still clutching the bundle of logs like a shield. Water dripped off his hood and fell on his nose. He twitched his head, making the hood slide off. When the firelight caught his features, Jane suddenly longed to see him smile.
Stevie went to his side, her face set as though she was preparing to defend her brother.
Jane had hoped to talk to Marsh in private, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said. "I was wrong. I know that. I should have believed you from the start. I should have known you'd never say anything to the press."
Marsh's expression remained carefully neutral. He said, "Yes, you should."
"I know. I think at some level, I did know. But I let my memories of Ashby cloud my judgement."
"I'm not Ashby."
"I know that too. I didn't mean to compare you to him. It was all just such a shock that I jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry Marsh. I'm really, really sorry. I don't know what I can say that would make things better between us."
"What changed your mind?"
"I really couldn't believe you'd told Cause Celeb where we'd be, but the evidence... Then I figured out who else could have known we'd be there." She blinked back tears that were blurring her view of him. "I was so wrong, Marsh. I needed to see you and apologise as soon as possible, so I came here."
He continued to stare at her, coldly impassive.
; She had expected some reaction from him. "Please, please know that I'm very sorry. I've never met anyone like you before. You were so perfect and we were good together... But I was so scared of getting hurt again that I let you slip through my fingers. I'm a very stupid person." She brushed a tear away. "If you never want to see me again, I'll understand, but for what it's worth, I love you."
The silence in the room was broken only by the cracking and popping of the fire. Everyone seemed to have lost the ability to move.
Jane held her breath.
"Well, she sounds sorry to me," Isabel said, making everyone jump.
Marsh glanced at Stevie and a look passed between them. Without a word, he handed her the bundle of logs.
With two long strides he was across the room. "I'm not Ashby, Jane. And I would never take you for granted the way he did." He looked into her eyes. "All I ask is that you do the same for me."
Jane nodded, trying to inject all the sincerity she felt into that small movement. When Marsh smiled, she felt her heart swell with relief and love.
He took her face in his hands and kissed her.
For a moment she forgot the world around her. All she knew was the pressure of his lips and the warmth of his hands. She felt insubstantial, as though the only thing holding her up was him.
"Aaaah," said one of the ladies. "If only that were part of the service, you'd get a lot more custom, Caroline."
Marsh drew back slightly, his eyes shining. "I've made you soaking wet." He stepped back, releasing her.
"Oh no, I was like that when I came in..."
"You poor girl." Caroline appeared beside her. "Marshall, why don't you show Jane her room and then come back down. I'll have a sandwich and a mug of hot chocolate waiting for you to take up."
"You don't have to do that," said Jane.
"Nonsense," Caroline said. "You must be freezing cold and shattered if you came straight from work. Go on Marshall, before the poor girl catches her death of cold."
Marsh grinned and picked up the key Caroline was brandishing. He took Jane's hand and led her out of the room.
"I feel like I should give them a round of applause," said one the ladies. Everyone laughed.
* * * *
The room was quaint in a traditional B&B sort of way. The duvet bloomed with pink rosebuds and a china bowl sat on the dressing table. As far as Jane was concerned though, the best thing in it was Marsh.
"You should take a hot shower." he said. "I'll go get this tray that Aunty Caroline's threatening you with."
Jane had been too nervous to eat more than a couple of biscuits on the train. Now she realised she was actually quite hungry. A shower sounded lovely too. She felt dirty and sticky from having been at work all day and then on a train for several hours. Much as she wanted to grab hold of Marsh and never let go, she feared he would find her icky in her current state. "Promise you'll still be here when I come out?"
Marsh put his arms around her and held her. "I can easily promise that." He kissed her just below her ear, sending a thrill of pleasure down her side. "Besides, Those ladies down there would hunt me down and beat me with their walking boots if I ran away now."
* * * *
The shower made Jane feel much better. By the time she emerged, dressed in a large t-shirt and a jumper that wasn't warm enough, Marsh was sitting on her bed with a tray containing two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, a chicken sandwich and two slices of cake.
"You're lucky," he said. "Not everyone gets a slice of cake."
As she settled down to eat, Marsh sat behind her and put his arms around her. "So, what happened at work?"
"Oh Marsh, I'm so sorry about your promotion."
"It's not your fault. It was bloody Keith. Anyway, tell me what happened."
She leaned against him and, between mouthfuls, outlined what was going on.
"Hmm." He rested his cheek lightly on the top of her head. "Doesn't sound good, does it." His sigh made the hairs on her nape stand up.
"Susan's on your side," she said.
"I know. She's a scary boss, but very loyal to her staff," said Marsh. "Besides, I get the impression she knows what Keith's like."
"Maybe he tried to pull something on her when he first started," said Jane. They both sat in silence for a moment, contemplating it.
"Nah," Marsh said after a moment. "Not even Keith is that stupid." He looked over her shoulder. "Are you done?" He slid off the bed and set the tray on the dresser. When he returned to her and gathered her to him in a kiss, Jane flung her arms around him and kissed him back.
They lay together on the bed, kissing with the enthusiasm of teenagers. After some time, Marsh said, "I guess I should tuck you in and take that tray downstairs."
Jane groaned. "Do you have to?"
"I think I should. I don't think I'm allowed to sleep with the paying guests." He paused and shuddered slightly. "Not that I've ever wanted to before."
Jane slipped under the duvet. Marsh tucked her in. "It gets quite cold at night. Are you sure you're going to be warm enough?"
"I would be if you were in here with me." Her eyes were already closing.
"I'll see what I can do." He kissed her forehead. "Goodnight Jane. Thanks for coming to find me."
"The pleasure was all mine," she whispered.
* * * *
Jane woke in the middle of the night, wondering where she was. Remembering, she smiled into the darkness. Marsh loved her. Okay, she was in the tabloids again and her job was in jeopardy, but she could deal with all that. Because Marsh loved her.
There was a soft knock on the door. Jane sat bolt upright, her heart suddenly leaping with hope. "Yes?" she whispered, and turned on the bedside lamp.
"It's Marsh," came an answering whisper.
Jane slipped out of bed and opened the door. It was cold now that she was out of her nice warm bed. She let Marsh in and scrambled back under the duvet.
He was barefoot and wearing jeans and a t-shirt. In the soft light of the bedside lamp, he looked ruffled and unutterably sexy. "Do you still need a hot water bottle?"
Suddenly Jane was very much awake. "It is quite cold."
"Certainly is."
She enjoyed the movement of muscles as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. Jeans and boxer shorts followed soon after. Jane had to resist the urge to reach out and grab him.
"Shift up," he said.
"No way. I've warmed this side of the bed up. I'm not moving."
Marsh slid in between her and the duvet. His naked body pressed against hers.
Jane's heart sped up as she felt his heat. He propped himself up on his elbows so that he didn't crush her. "In that case," he said, as he traced the line of her jaw with his finger, "we'll just have to share."
Chapter 31
From: James Edwards
To: Marshall Winfield
Welcome back. It's good to have you around again.
I see Keith is back too. Never mind.
Were the committee fair to you? I gather not being made partner is your punishment. I suppose that's punishment enough, really.
Jim
##
From: Marshall Winfield
To: James Edwards
I'm just grateful to have my job. I guess we've all been let off lightly. Of course, none of it was actually my fault. Or Jane's.
Susan hinted that strong words have been had with Keith. She wouldn't be drawn any further on that.
I'd better get back to work. The client has okayed the text we sent, so I have to finalize the documents and get them filed before the deadline.
Marsh
##
From: Marshall Winfield
To: James Edwards
PS: Thanks for helping Jane out when she was looking for me.
##
From: James Edwards
To: Marshall Winfield
That's what friends are for.
Lou wants you and Jane to come for dinner and tell her all the details. She says you owe us.
Jim
##
From: Marshall Winfield
To: Louise Edwards
Cc: Jane Porter
Lou
Jim says you want to feed me and Jane. How about weekend after next--Stevie will be back down for the weekend. She's still a bit cut up about Buzz, but seems to be coping okay.
Marsh
##
From: Louise Edwards
To: Marshall Winfield
Excellent.
I'm looking forward to meeting Jane, we've heard so much about her. It will be lovely to see Stevie too.
I spoke to Stevie yesterday, in fact. All she wanted to talk about was you and Jane. I guess it's taken her mind off Buzz nicely.
I'm really happy that you've found someone. I've always said it was a waste that you were single.
Love
Lou
Chapter 32
SWAGGER! The brand new album by Manchester bad boys Triphoppers.
The album covers a range of songs about the nightlife in Northern cities and the hard working and gritty lives that people lead. The lyrics, penned by the multi-talented front man of the band, Ashby Thornton, and the drummer, Pete Gosling, have been hailed as lyrical poetry by afficianados. Put together with Triphoppers' distinctive style, the songs capture the work hard, play hard feel of life in the north and are bound to succeed.
Swagger! is released under the King Penguin label and hits the stores on Saturday.
* * * *
Jane hummed to herself as she walked towards the music megastore, where she'd meet Marsh before they went to Jim and Louise's for dinner. The sun was shining on streets still slick with the morning's rain. Traffic hissed over wet tarmac. She was snug in her winter coat and was feeling warmer and happier than she remembered ever being.