by Julia Bell
Dinner with Nigel and Sophia Barnes was a delight. Anna was introduced to their three children, a boy and two girls. Sophia Barnes turned out to be a wonderful cook and Nigel an entertaining host. They sat round the table for hours after the children had been put to bed and talked about everything and anything. Anna liked Sophia on sight. Tall and slender with red hair, her green eyes sparkled with the joy of life. Her work as a psychologist kept her busy but next to her family and occupation, Sophia liked meeting new people. Anna offered to help her wash the dishes and was greeted with a howl of amusement.
“Wash up! Goodness me, I’ve had a dishwasher for years. But come into the kitchen away from the menfolk and we can talk.”
They left the ‘menfolk’ to their discussion and went into the kitchen. As Sophia put the dishes into the machine, Anna helped her tidy up.
It was Anna who mentioned the sorry state of her marriage. “I can’t understand why he won’t divorce me. I’ll agree to everything he wants and I’m not going to fight for the house. He can keep everything, I just want to be free to marry Jason.”
“Perhaps he doesn’t want to give you up?” ventured Sophia.
Anna took in a breath. “It’s a ridiculous situation. I’ve given him grounds and it made me…” she struggled to find the right words. “…feel dirty. And I don’t want to feel like that. Jason and I have a wonderful relationship and Dave is spoiling it.”
“You said he cheated on you?”
“Quite a few times.”
“Men like that can often be the possessive kind.”
“I believe you!”
“He’ll treat you as property and I’m afraid jealousy can lead to violence.”
“Jason thought he might be like that. I wanted to go to Wakefield to see my sons but he’s reluctant to let me go in case I meet Dave.”
“Does Jason think your husband might harm you?”
“He doesn’t want to give him the chance.”
Sophia slammed the door shut and set the machine going. The kitchen filled with the gentle sound of gushing water.
“I wouldn’t advise you being alone with your husband. If you do decide to see your boys then always have someone there with you.”
“Well, I’ve got family who would help. My brother-in-law is in the CID and he’s huge. Any man would think twice before they tackled him.”
Sophia threw back her head and laughed. “Good. As long as you’re chaperoned, I can’t see any harm coming to you.” She reached out to touch her hand. “Keep faith. I’m sure Nigel will hear something soon.”
Anna gave her a half-smile.
Sharon’s wedding in Dublin gave her the opportunity of getting away for a while. They decided to fly since Mrs Wilby had no mind to travel on a ferry in winter. They planned to stay at a hotel for two nights and see a few sights of the city at the same time.
It was lovely seeing Sharon again who hugged them all and introduced them to her fiancé, Aengus who spoke little but smiled a great deal. As Anna surmised, she was surprised but so very pleased when she saw the engagement ring on Anna’s finger. However, they decided not to tell her that the future bride must await a divorce, although Anna wondered if she already knew. After all she had colleagues at the main office in Bristol and someone must have spread the gossip. In fact, Anna saw two or three of them at the wedding and even had a few courteous words with them. But if Sharon knew that Anna wasn’t a widow, she was polite and caring enough not to mention it, preferring instead to concentrate on her own happy nuptials.
The wedding that Saturday was a traditional Catholic affair with everything included. The ceremony seemed to last a long time.
“What’s those funny words they’re saying?” whispered Hollie.
“It’s Latin,” came back Anna’s reply.
Hollie pulled a face. “Can’t they speak English here, then?”
They arrived back at Bishop Sutton the day before Hollie’s eighth birthday and just over two weeks until Christmas Day. Since Jason would be leaving for Singapore in a few days, it was decided that they would decorate the house and have a party for Hollie. Now a happy and wonderful atmosphere filled the rooms as the festive season approached. Anna and Hollie decorated the living room with holly and ivy and scented candles. Jason and Ben lugged in a huge fir tree that took pride of place in the hall and which Anna, Hollie and Mrs Wilby spent hours over, trimming with baubles, lights and tinsel. When they finished, Hollie clapped her hands and jumped up and down like a jack-in-the-box. It really did look magnificent, thought Anna and much better than the artificial one she would pull out of the loft every year.
Mrs Wilby spent a great deal of time in the kitchen and soon the house was filled with the wonderful smell of baking sausage rolls, mince pies and fruitcake, distracting everyone from their normal duties and leading them literally by the nose to sample any tasty morsels.
Anna had had many calls from her sons, now separated for the first time in their lives with Martyn at Warwick and Chris at Loughborough. They had settled down as students and were thoroughly enjoying the life of lectures, campus and the bar in the Students’ Union. But Anna missed them and Christmas couldn’t come quickly enough.
Shortly before Jason was leaving for Singapore, Ben made a startling revelation. They were gathered in the kitchen one afternoon enjoying a coffee together.
“I meant to tell,” said Ben. “I won’t be coming to the Grange for Christmas.”
Jason put down his mug and frowned. “But you’ve not missed in seven years.”
Ben agreed. “Yes, I know. But I think I’ll go and visit my sister instead. She’s been inviting me for years and I’ve hardly seen my nephew and niece.”
“You have a sister?”
“She’s younger than me by three years and my nephew and niece must be ten and eight by now.”
“What’s changed your mind?” asked Mrs Wilby, startled that Ben had more family than he had admitted to.
“It’s silly really. It was when I was in Vancouver; I suddenly began to miss my kin. As you can imagine all the talk was of family and I began to think of mine. So, it looks like it’s up to Nottingham for me this Christmas.” He gave a chuckle.
It was their last night together. Jason’s trip would last one week and it seemed an age for Anna who had not been separated from him for more than two or three days at the most. That night their lovemaking was like their first time again and Anna clung to him as if she couldn’t bear to let him go. Suddenly she longed for Christmas when he would be back and they would travel to the Grange once more. As Anna fell asleep in Jason’s arms, she reassured herself that seven days wasn’t long. She would spend it working and finishing her Christmas shopping. Time would pass quickly and he would soon be home.
The first two days were the loneliest Anna had ever known. The phone calls from her sons helped the heartache and plans were made to see one another. To her utter joy, Margaret phoned and suggested they come to the Grange for part of the holiday. Yes, she thought, to introduce them to the family and show them round such a beautiful place would delight her. She had finally told them that there was a new man in her life and their reaction had been mixed. Martyn was pleased, but she could tell his mind was more on his new life at university. Chris was hesitant and wanted reassurances that she wasn’t on the rebound. Anna had smiled at her cautious younger son and told him that she certainly wasn’t and that Jason was the man for her.
Jason phoned when he reached Singapore and told Anna he had had a comfortable flight, sleeping most of the way in club class, his only preferred way of travelling by air. He was seven hours in front of GMT and the weather was very different from the bitter cold he had left behind in Great Britain. He told her it was hot and sticky and he was already missing the rain.
Hollie had finished school for the holidays and spent most of her time in the garage where Ben was working on her Wendy house. But for everyone else, preparations were made for their trip to the Grange. They planned to go only f
ive days after Jason returned from Singapore and two days before Christmas, the twins joining them when they could. Ben would leave the same day to spend some time with his family in Nottingham. Anna felt excited about visiting the Grange once more, since it was over three months since she was there last. Although Jason had visited his mother regularly with Hollie, Anna had never accompanied him.
It was after lunch on Friday when she decided to call it a day and go into the city to do some Christmas shopping. She still had a great deal to buy and had not been able to decide on anything for Margaret yet. She also wanted to go to HMV and buy her sons some vouchers. It would be easy to pop them in an envelope and send them. Anna had now got into the routine of leaving the car in the car park belonging to Harrington Rhodes. Since it was a working day the place would be full, but she always used Jason’s space, a fact she was eternally thankful for, as there would be no chance of parking in Bristol.
She manoeuvred the Peugeot into the bay and got out. She glanced up at the third floor and saw Graham Rhodes standing at the window. He raised his hand in a friendly wave and Anna waved back. And then she set off to walk the short distance into the city centre, a matter of five minutes. Graham watched her and frowned.
It had been ten o’clock that morning when his secretary had pointed out a man sitting in a car just across from the car park. Graham had kept an eye on him since then and although he wondered what he was up to, he really couldn’t see he was doing any harm. His secretary had thought it very suspicious that he should be sitting there all that time, but again, Graham and simply shrugged and said it was a ‘free country’. But now he felt slightly uneasy. As Anna past the end of the road, the man got out of his car and started following her. It seemed strange that he should move from his place as soon as Anna arrived, but in all probability it might be just a coincidence. Perhaps he should contact her on her mobile and warn her? But not wanting to alarm her and realising she was heading for the busy part of the city centre, to join the throng of Christmas shoppers, he turned back to his desk.
Anna didn’t know where to start her shopping. The streets and shopping centre were crowded to capacity, people hurrying backward and forwards carrying their treasures in bags from every possible retailer. The fairy lights twinkled and glowed making a colourful display in the shop windows. Swinging over the road in a gentle breeze, a cascade of rainbow lights stood out against the darkening sky. It looked like it was going to rain and it was bitingly cold. The rain might turn to snow and if not, it would definitely turn to ice. Anna wrapped her scarf more closely round her and pulled the hat over her ears. She went into the Broadmead shopping centre and pushed her way through the heaving mass of bodies. She smiled at the faces of the children as they pointed upwards and laughed at the huge displays hanging from the roof depicting Santa in his sleigh his bag overflowing with gifts. The children’s joyful laughter mingled with the melodious voice of Aled Jones singing Walking In The Air from the sound system.
Anna bought a few items and then made her way to HMV to buy the vouchers for her sons. She lingered long enough to look through the rack of ‘new releases’ since she knew Jason had mentioned a particular one he would like. She picked up a case and started reading the index of songs on the back.
“I don’t think Chris was thinking of that one,” said a cheery voice from her left.
She turned her head sharply and gasped with surprise, for standing there was the last person she expected to see.
“What are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d surprise you,” said Dave.
“You’ve come all this way to surprise me?”
“Well, not on my own. The boys are with me.”
Anna nearly dropped the CD case with shock. “The boys are here?”
“They certainly are,” he grinned.
“But they were coming to visit in a few weeks.”
Dave nodded. “Oh, they still are. This is a special Christmas present for you.” Anna quickly looked around as if expecting to see them. Dave noticed. “They’re not here. They’re back at the hotel waiting for you.”
“How did you find me?”
Dave gave her a surprised look. “You’re not going to believe it but it was pure chance. I forgot to pack a shaver and I was buying a new one.” He held up the Boots bag. “And then I saw you disappear into this shop.”
Anna still felt puzzled. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t the boys phone me and tell me they were coming down?” She pulled her phone from her bag and checked it for messages.
“They did, but you weren’t there obviously, so they left a message and the hotel number. They hoped you’d phone so that we could all meet up. The boys can’t wait to see you.”
Anna realised that he must have phoned the house in Bishop Sutton and left a message with Ben or Mrs Wilby. Although why they didn’t contact her on her mobile was a mystery.
“I don’t wish to sound ungrateful, but why did you come with them?”
Dave looked down at his feet. “The boys made me see sense. I treated you abysmally and I thought this was a way of making amends. We could talk about our divorce with the boys and settle everything before we leave.”
Relief flooded through her. “Which hotel are you staying at?”
“The Marriott. It’s not far. I’ve booked a table for a meal so I hope you could join us. We can spend the evening catching up on all the news.”
Still stunned but hardly able to breathe for excitement, Anna allowed him to take her arm and guide her through the crowds and into the street. The hotel certainly wasn’t far since he had chosen one almost in the city centre. As she passed through the massive entrance door and into the impressive foyer she marvelled that Dave had had the enthusiasm or sentiment to accompany the boys. And to have a change of mind about their divorce was wonderful. The boys had worked wonders.
Deborah parked her car and headed for her office. There was a lot to do before she finished for the weekend and she was also having dinner at the Marriott Hotel with a client, so she needed to get home to change. She was just about to climb the few steps to the main door when two figures caught her attention. She looked closer, squinting against the glare of the Christmas lights. She recognised the woman instantly even thought she was shrouded in a thick coat, scarf and hat. That was none other than Jason’s sweet little fiancée, but who was with her? He was obviously very friendly with her since he placed an arm protectively round her as they disappeared into the hotel across the road. He’s quite a good-looking guy, thought Deborah with disdain. I wonder if Jason knows his lover is frequenting hotels with other men? It would be information worth remembering for the right occasion.
How Anna wished that Jason wasn’t in Singapore at that very moment. How wonderful it would have been if he could have shared in the surprise. Dave collected the key from the receptionist, a fact that puzzled Anna, since surely the boys could have opened the door? Shrugging the incident off as unimportant and her face bright with anticipation, she followed her husband to the lift and soon they were being whisked to the third floor and then a short walk down a thickly carpeted corridor took them to the room. He opened the door and let her go in first.
She went in smiling, ready to enfold her sons in her arms once more, after an absence of five months. Anna quickly glanced around the room and saw it was empty and then she heard the door slam behind her.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
She spun on her heels and confronted her husband. “They’re not here, Dave. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He smiled smugly, threw the key and carrier bag on the table and removed his coat.
“Couldn’t get you to see sense, so I thought I’d come down and confront you. You know what they say about Mohammed and the mountain?”
“I don’t want to talk to you. That’s a cruel trick to play on me! To say Martyn and Chris are here and it’s all lies.”
He stepped closer and she took a step back. “Don’t talk to me about lies! Th
at’s all you’ve done from the very beginning. A widow indeed!”
“I’m sorry for doing that. I should have told the truth, but I wasn’t thinking straight at the time.”
“Not a very good excuse for brushing me off as insignificant…or dead.”
“I needed to get away. Can you imagine how I felt, never being able to trust you?”
Dave walked over to the fridge in the corner. “You needed to get away?” he mused. He took out two small bottles of wine. “I take it you mean from me? Take off your coat and let’s talk it over.”
Anna remained still for a moment and then decided it would be better to comply than antagonise him. She removed her coat, hat and scarf and lay them over a chair. Dave poured out two glasses of wine and handed her one and then went to sit down on the bed. Anna chose a chair by the door and sipped her drink gently.
Dave studied her for a few moments. “So, you were saying, you felt the need to get away?”
Anna nodded. “I wasn’t…happy…I decided that I’d had enough of your flirting, cheating ways. I know you said that woman in the pub wasn’t who I thought she was, but right from the start I’ve lived a life on the brink…I shouldn’t have stayed with you in the first place.”
“So, why did you stay?”
“For the boys, of course. How could I break up their home?”
“Not to mention the comfortable home and life you had.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I was a good provider and you didn’t have to go out to work. All right, I admit that I had a few affairs, but I told you they meant nothing.”
“I don’t care that they meant nothing. The fact that they happened was enough.”
“And what about your affair with your boss? Or is it one rule for me and one for you?”