by Linda Sole
‘Lucky you,’ Carole said. ‘Nothing exciting ever happens to me. It’s all because of this rotten war.’
‘Yes, it has a lot to answer for.’
She turned away as the phones started to ring. It was the beginning of a busy afternoon and an even busier evening as one of the local factories sustained some damage in a small explosion. Fortunately, no one was hurt this time.
It made Emily think about the fireman who had been hurt though, and the next morning she decided she would visit him after all. Her first reaction had been to dismiss his request, but now that she’d had time to consider she realized that she wasn’t angry. It wouldn’t kill her to visit Terry Burgess, and she could leave if he was surly.
As it happened, he was sitting in the day room reading a magazine when she arrived. He looked at her a little awkwardly and then launched into an apology.
‘It was a foul thing to say to you, Miss Searles. I was feeling rotten and I took it out on you. Will you forgive me?’
‘I should think I could manage that,’ Emily said, and laughed. He still had a nasty blister on his cheek, but the heavy bandages on his hands had been replaced with thin cotton gloves. ‘I might have felt as you did in your place. It isn’t very pleasant to go through what you did, I should imagine.’
‘Others have it worse. Look at some of the poor devils in those convoys. We’ve been lucky here so far, but it won’t last.’
‘No, I don’t suppose so.’ She was wearing the dark blue skirt, white blouse and navy cardigan she wore for work, her hair pulled back into a neat pleat, but her skin had a peach bloom and she looked lovely. ‘My brother says it’s going to be a long war.’
‘Is that the one who was wounded at Dunkirk?’ He had obviously been asking questions about her, Emily realized.
‘Yes. Daniel. He doesn’t talk about it much, but I think it was pretty awful. He was lucky to get back.’
‘It’s a wonder they got as many away as they did.’ Terry hesitated awkwardly. ‘They’re going to discharge me in a few days. Would you come to the pictures with me one day?’
‘I’m sorry but I’m being transferred in a couple of days. They’re sending me to Liverpool.’
‘Just my luck,’ he said ruefully. ‘Would you have come otherwise?’
‘Yes, I don’t see why not.’ Emily smiled at him. He was nice-looking in a rugged sort of way, and she quite liked him. ‘I’ll send you a postcard to the station house, let you know how I’m getting on if you like?’
‘Thanks.’ He grinned at her. ‘I suppose that’s the fortunes of war. It was decent of you to visit me again, Emily.’
‘No trouble. I hope your hands will be better soon.’
‘They’re healing. I wasn’t sure they would but I can move the fingers now. It hurts like hell, of course, but they tell me I’ll be back to work in a few months.’
‘I’m really glad,’ Emily said. ‘Well, I have to go now. I’m on duty again this evening, and then I get a couple of days off before I report to my new post.’
‘Good luck, then. Take care of yourself up there.’
‘I shall.’ She smiled at him. ‘Have a good war.’
‘You too.’ He grinned, watching her as she walked the length of the common room, her hips swaying enticingly. ‘Just my bloody luck . . .’
Five
Margaret looked around the bedroom, making a mental note of things she intended to pack when she left. Those silver items on the dressing table, not strictly hers but pretty and given to her to use when she married; and that Lalique glass vase on the window sill. She might as well take as much as she could; they’d screwed her down to the last penny for her share of Robert’s assets. She was going to get as much as she could before she left.
She felt a lot better in herself now, the guilt almost gone. Robert was a grown man, responsible for his own health. Her few days away had refreshed her, making her see life differently. Her affair with Michael Knight wasn’t exactly on again, but it probably would be once she’d settled back in London. He’d told her about a decent flat going in Belgravia, and she knew it wasn’t too far from his office. He would be near enough to visit when he had a few hours to spare.
Michael’s business was one of those considered vital to the war effort. She knew it had kept him out of conscription and gave him certain privileges, besides earning him a lot of money. She’d been a fool to quarrel with him, and an even bigger one to marry Robert. Michael and she understood one another and she would settle for what she could get in future . . .
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard something outside her door. She turned, thinking it might be Emily or Daniel, but when the door opened suddenly, she stiffened, her nerves jangling as she saw who it was.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I knew you were back. I wanted to see you.’
‘You could have waited downstairs.’
‘Oh, no, I’ve had enough of waiting,’ Clay said, eyes narrowing. ‘You’ve kept me dangling long enough. You got what you wanted, now it’s my turn.’
‘I don’t know what you mean . . .’ Alarm bells were ringing. There was something odd about him at that moment, a glitter in his eyes that unnerved her.
‘Then perhaps I’d better show you.’ Clay moved towards her purposefully. Margaret backed away, smothering a scream. ‘Don’t be shy. You’ve been asking for it for months. Now you’re going to get it.’
‘You’re drunk!’ She could smell the drink on his breath. She put up her hands defensively. ‘Stay away from me . . .’
‘I’ve had a couple, but don’t worry. I can still give you what you want.’ His eyes glittered. ‘Thought I was your lap dog, didn’t you? Well, now I’m going to teach you to sit up and beg.’
Margaret gasped. She knew there wasn’t any point in pleading. She had met this sort before, though he’d kept his nature well hidden while his father was alive. But he wasn’t going to get his way easily. She would fight to the last.
‘Do this and you’ll be sorry,’ she said. ‘If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get out now.’
‘I know what’s good for me, all right.’ He struck her across the face, and she went for him with her nails, scoring his cheek and drawing blood. The next minute he lunged at her, grabbing her around the waist. He was shaking with excitement, beads of sweat on his face. She could taste the blood on her lips as he ground his mouth on hers, his teeth bruising her. She struggled, clawing at him where his flesh was exposed, tearing his skin. She brought her knee up sharply but he was ready for her, and avoided the crippling action. He swung her round, forcing her arm up against her back. Then he thrust her forward so that she fell face down across the side of the bed. Holding her down with one hand, he pulled her dress up above her head, tucking it round her head and face so that it half suffocated her, making her more helpless, and then he ripped away her expensive silk knickers.
Margaret screamed then. She screamed again and again as he entered her from behind, thrusting at her feverishly, hurting her, tearing her as he raped her, using her in a way she had never thought to experience. And then it was suddenly over. She lay face down on the bed, weeping into the covers as she felt him move away from her.
‘So now you know who you’re dealing with,’ Clay rasped. ‘That’s for my father, bitch. That’s how we treat cheating whores around here. Take what you can and get out of this house and this village. Next time I might not go so easy on you.’
Margaret lay where she was, listening to him leaving, his boots clattering down the stairs, the front door slamming behind him. Shudders ran through her as she realized that he had gone. The shock and horror of what had happened to her kept her where she was for several minutes, unable to move. It had all been so quick, so sudden. She could hardly believe it had happened, except for the pain and the feeling of humiliation.
When at last she could move, she went into the bathroom and locked the door. She wretched over the toilet but though her mouth tasted vile
nothing came out. Turning on the bath taps she let the water run, pouring in the last of her precious bath salts. She didn’t think she would ever feel clean again, but she had begun to gather her thoughts.
He wasn’t going to get away with this. She would make him pay. Somehow, she would make him pay . . .
Daniel saw the light on in the sitting room as he came in from the kitchen. He had been to the pictures in Cambridge with Alice and afterwards had stopped for a cup of tea with her parents. The house had been full to bursting point, because the Robinsons had taken in a couple of lodgers – New Zealand airmen who were now fighting with the Royal Air Force and had been sent to work at the aerodrome. He wondered about the light; Connor was staying with Henry for the weekend so it must either be Emily or Margaret.
He hesitated on the threshold as he saw Margaret. She was pouring brandy from a decanter on the sideboard and as she turned, he saw the cut on her lip. It had swollen and she looked awful.
‘What happened?’
‘It’s hardly your business.’ Her tone was sharp, bitter.
‘You’re still family.’ Daniel’s gaze narrowed. ‘Someone did this to you – who was it?’
‘If you really want to know’ – she laughed harshly – ‘it was Clay. He walked into my bedroom two hours ago and raped me.’
‘Raped . . .!’ Daniel stared at her. He felt stunned, wanting to dismiss it as a lie, and yet he knew it was true. ‘My God! The stupid fool. I am so sorry, Margaret. Is there anything I can do – get the doctor for you or something?’
‘You can ring the police if you like, have Clay arrested.’
‘He deserves to be punished . . .’ Daniel felt sick. He stood there staring at her as his stomach churned, imagining the scene, the bestiality of what his brother had done. ‘I’ll thrash him for this. I promise you he won’t get away with it.’
‘It isn’t enough,’ she said coldly. ‘I want five thousand pounds or I go to the police.’ She walked towards the telephone, her hand hovering over it. ‘Shall I ring them or will you?’
‘It would ruin him – us. I know he’s a bastard. What he did is unforgivable, Margaret, but he has a wife and children.’
‘He should have thought of that before he raped me. Five thousand pounds is my price for silence – take it or leave it.’
‘Henry couldn’t borrow any more from the bank and Clay has borrowed to buy the land. I doubt they could raise a thousand between them at the moment.’
‘Then he’ll go to prison. I’ve got bruises all over me to prove my case.’
Daniel thought it over. She would go to the police, he knew that. She might not succeed in court, but the damage would have been done. In a village like this the family would never live it down. Every one of them would be tarred with the same brush, even though they hadn’t done anything.
‘I could raise two thousand,’ he said. ‘It’s my only offer, Margaret. Refuse and I’ll ring the police myself.’
She looked at his set face, realizing there was no room for manoeuvre. Daniel was no fool. Robert had been right about that much. ‘And you’ll thrash him? You promise?’
‘You can be sure of that,’ Daniel said, his mouth drawing into a thin line. At that moment he wanted to kill his brother for the trouble he’d caused. Margaret might be a grasping woman, but she hadn’t deserved this – no woman did. ‘I’ll have it out with him in the morning, and I’ll give you the money in cash tomorrow afternoon.’
‘You won’t go back on your word?’
‘No, I shan’t do that. Once I’ve given it I stick by it.’
Yes, she believed that. It was why she’d chosen to target him rather than his brothers. A part of her wanted to see Clay punished and the rest of the family with him, but she knew she was going to take the offer. She couldn’t wait to get out of this wretched place and she would never bother to come back. She had made a big mistake when she married and in future she would be more careful.
‘Then I’ll take your word.’ She finished her drink. ‘I’m going to pack my things. I shall be leaving as soon as I get my money.’
Daniel nodded. He didn’t say anything as she left the room but he was sick and angry inside. That money was all he had, his savings for the future, for the garage he wanted after the war. But he’d been left with no other choice. Margaret could – and would – have ruined them all. He had ensured that she would leave them in peace but at the cost of his dreams.
He swore out loud. Clay could pay him back. He would give him a good thrashing in the morning, and he would make sure he got his money back somehow.
‘You were a bloody fool to promise her so much,’ Clay muttered, holding a stained rag to his nose. The fight between them had been long and hard, for they were evenly matched. Neither had really won, but Clay was sure his nose was broken. ‘Stupid whore asked for it.’
‘Stupid or not, she didn’t deserve what you did,’ Daniel told him. His lip was cut but he was in marginally better shape than his brother. ‘She was Dad’s wife – and no woman deserves to be treated like that. You behaved like an animal, Clay.’
‘Bloody white knight,’ Clay muttered, but couldn’t meet Daniel’s eyes. ‘You should’ve let her go to the police. It was her word against mine.’
‘And how do you think Dorothy would have felt? Who would she have believed? She would’ve died of shame – and what about the rest of us? We have to live here. It’s only because it would have shamed them that I stopped her going to the police.’
‘Well, I’ve no money to pay her. I’ve borrowed up to the hilt on that land.’
‘I’ll pay her. You can give it back to me when the war is over.’
Clay muttered something and Daniel glared at him.
‘Don’t think you’re getting away with it. I shall want that money when I come back, so don’t forget it. You may think you’ve got away with this but you’ll get your comeuppance one of these days.’
‘All right, all right, damn you,’ Clay said. ‘I’ll see what I can do. Things should be better by then.’
‘I’ll want it whatever, either in cash or land – suit yourself.’ Daniel stared him down. ‘You were a fool, Clay, and it’s your debt not mine. Think yourself lucky you’re not sitting in a police cell with a prison sentence hanging over you.’
Clay pulled a face but said no more. He’d had a few drinks and the thought of Margaret alone in the house had got to him. He’d wanted to hurt and humiliate her, but he didn’t want to lose everything. Dorothy would leave him if she knew, and things had been looking brighter now he had the land he wanted.
‘I admit I was a bloody idiot. We’ll sort it out when you get back – but I still think you were a fool to pay so much.’
‘She wanted five thousand. If I’d had it I would probably have paid her. You deserve all you get, Clay.’
Daniel turned and walked away. His brother had shown no sign of remorse and it sickened him. What he knew and what he’d seen disgusted him. A part of him wished that he’d picked up that phone and let Clay take his punishment, and yet he could imagine how Dot and his sisters would feel if they knew Clay was a rapist of the worst kind.
Walking away, Daniel got into the old Ford he’d bought for a few shillings from someone’s barn a couple of days earlier. He had managed to get it going and with the ban on the sale of new cars it should bring him in a few pounds once he’d smartened it up. It was going to take a long time to replace the money he’d promised Margaret, because he might never get Clay to pay up, but he would get that garage somehow. When the war was over.
He looked at his watch. Frances would be at the station very soon. Marcus was going straight back to his base following their honeymoon, and she’d asked Daniel to meet her.
He wouldn’t be able to buy the house now. He would have to tell Henry and Emily. Their best hope now was that Samuel Danby would buy it for his son and Frances.
‘Do you mean it?’ Frances looked at him excitedly. ‘Can we really have Rathmere? I know
Marcus will say yes. I’ll phone him this evening but I’m sure of his answer already. He has always liked this house.’
‘I’m glad you’re pleased. I was going to try and keep it for the family but something else came up.’
‘You and Emily and Connor are welcome to stay as often as you want,’ Frances said. ‘At least until we have a family.’
‘I shall be looking for a place of my own after the war,’ Daniel told her. ‘Connor can stay with Henry or me after that – but until then he would be company for you.’
‘Yes, of course. I shall be glad of him here while Marcus is away. Emily too when she wants to stay.’
‘Let’s hope Marcus agrees then.’
‘I am sure he will.’ Frances’s face was glowing. There was no doubt that everything in her world was satisfactory, and for a moment Daniel envied her, her surety, her confidence in the future. ‘But are you sure you don’t want it, Dan?’
Daniel smiled and shook his head. Of course he wanted the house Grandfather Searles had so lovingly built; it was his home and he had formed his plans around it, but the situation was hopeless. He was going to need every penny he could save for his business. If the house had to be sold, it was best it went to Frances and Marcus.
Emily knew that something was wrong when Daniel told her he couldn’t keep the house after all. He’d been so pleased that he was providing them all with a home, and now he was definitely brooding.
‘What happened?’ she asked. ‘Was it something to do with Margaret?’
‘Yes, in a way,’ he said, and shook his head as her brows lifted. ‘No, I’m not going to tell you. She has gone now and I don’t think we shall see much of her in future. She doesn’t like village life.’
‘No, I know. She was bored here, wasn’t she – with Father and all of it? It’s a pity he married her.’
‘Yes, it is,’ Daniel agreed. His father’s marriage had cost the family dear, one way and another. It wasn’t just the money. She had been entitled to her share, but things had changed. Henry and Clay hardly ever spoke these days. Henry was still sore over losing their best land and would be a long time forgiving his brother. Daniel hadn’t told him about the rape but Henry knew there had been a fight between him and Clay, and he suspected something was going on. ‘It would have been better if she had never come here.’