Pete didn’t look too sure. ‘Terry, perhaps …’
Kate was adamant. ‘All three of us or none at all.’
‘It’s a good idea,’ her father said. ‘Try to choose prints with a lighter side to them. Kate, you could show that marvellous photo you have of Eddie laughing.’
The discussion became more animated, with much laughter as they decided on suitable photos.
‘Do it.’ James was equally keen on the idea. ‘It will be a light-hearted contrast to the rest of the exhibition.’
‘Yes, you’re right.’ Pete agreed without further objections, obviously seeing the sense of the idea. ‘Now, we must fix a date; a Friday evening might be best. Say, two weeks’ time?’
‘Pete!’ Kate was horrified. ‘We’ll never be ready that soon.’
‘I suppose that is pushing it a bit,’ he agreed with reluctance. ‘We’ll need to advertise it as well, so better make it three weeks.’
Kate pulled a face as she thought of what a rush even that would be. ‘He’s a slave driver.’
It was agreed. James would have the foyer cleared the day before; they would get the pictures up the next morning; her parents would see to the food and drink, Annie to the invitations. And they would open to the public at seven o’clock.
‘Does Aunt Annie know you’re volunteering her?’ she asked her father.
He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. ‘She’ll love to help. In fact, once the family hears about this, you’ll probably have more help than you need.’
‘Right, now that’s settled, are you all coming up for coffee?’ James asked.
Kate glanced at her watch. ‘Sorry, James, we’ve got to get back now.’
‘I’ll have one with you.’ Bill kissed Kate and went upstairs with James.
Kate felt bemused as they drove back to the shop. This had been arranged so quickly, and she still wasn’t sure anyone would come. There was one photo she knew had to be included, though.
Later that evening, in the quiet of her flat, she wrote a long letter to Gerhard, asking for permission to use his picture.
‘What’s grabbing your attention so much?’ Jon asked Gerhard, as they ate a hastily prepared lunch.
‘It’s a letter from Kate, asking if she can use the photo of me in an exhibition she intends to put on showing the pictures she took here.’ He put the letter down for a moment.
‘When?’ Jon asked.
Gerhard continued reading and then exclaimed, ‘What date is it today?’
‘The 12th of September. Why?’
‘Oh, hell, this letter has taken an age to reach me. The exhibition is on Friday the 15th.’
‘I might go back for that,’ Jon said thoughtfully. ‘I want to see the boys anyway.’
‘I think I’ll come with you.’ Gerhard flicked through his diary. ‘I’ll only be able to stay a couple of days, though. It would make a good story for my paper. The people of Berlin would like to think that somebody cares about them.’
Quite frankly Jon would rather have gone back alone in the hope of seeing Kate on her own, but he took Gerhard’s point. There was a belief in Berlin that no one cared that the city had been cut in half. A very solid wall was being put up in place of the barbed wire. It was 2.4 metres high, ugly and depressing, topped with barbed wire. The border guards in the East had orders to shoot to kill. The chances of people escaping to the West were slim now, but some were still trying.
‘That’s settled, then.’ Gerhard stood up. ‘I’ll go and see if we can get a flight.’
Jon watched Gerhard leave, and began pacing the room, stopping to gaze out of the window. The street was almost deserted except for a few people hurrying along, head down. The residents of Berlin now knew that this was not a temporary gesture of defiance by the Soviets; they were going to have to live with the wall for the foreseeable future.
Jon continued to stare outside with unseeing eyes. He’d been jealous when he’d found out that Kate had written to Gerhard and not to him. It was not an emotion he was familiar with, and it was then he realized that he was in love with Kate. He would stay in London for a week or two to be near her, and perhaps he would get a chance to tell her how he felt about her.
Friday, the 15th of September, was overcast. The evening had turned damp and drizzly, but that hadn’t deterred people from attending. The place was crowded when Jon and Gerhard arrived.
‘My goodness,’ Gerhard said, as they pushed through the crush. ‘This is causing quite a stir.’
‘Jon.’ Rose appeared, shook hands with him and then studied his companion. ‘And you must be Gerhard. I recognize you from Kate’s photograph. It’s very good, by the way, have you seen it?’
‘No, we’ve only just arrived and it isn’t possible to get near the pictures. There must be nearly a hundred people crammed in here, Mrs Freeman.’ Gerhard pulled a notebook out of his pocket and began to scribble in it. ‘It’s wonderful to see so much interest.’
‘The poor bloody people of Berlin must be worried sick about their future.’ Rose’s dark eyes blazed. ‘I’d like to get my hands on some of these politicians!’
Gerhard looked up from his writing and smiled at Rose. ‘You and me both, Mrs Freeman!’
Jon chuckled, remembering how she had dealt with the officials when sorting out the trouble at Wilkins House.’ I’d love to have seen you when you were younger, Rose.’
‘Oh, no, you wouldn’t, Jon.’ Rose grimaced. ‘I was a blasted menace. The politicians used to run and hide when I appeared!
‘Well, come and have a drink first, it will thin out later and you can see the photos in comfort.’ Rose led the way, carving a passage through the people.
‘She’s everything you told me, Jon,’ Gerhard said quietly, ‘and she is still beautiful.’
‘I never said she wasn’t.’ They were nearly at the refreshments when Jon saw Kate for the first time. People surrounded her. She was wearing the amber dress she’d bought in Paris, but he was not prepared for the impact the sight made on him. He wasn’t the only one, though, because he heard Gerhard take in a deep breath.
He leant towards Jon. ‘I take back what I said in Berlin. If you want her, then you are going to have to get past me first!’
‘I’ve told you I’m not interested.’ If there were such a thing as divine retribution for lying, then Jon Devlin would have been struck by a bolt of lightning at that moment. It was a real corker. He did want her! More than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. This wasn’t merely a physical attraction, although that was potent enough; it was a deep, undying love. And that frightened the hell out of him!
It came to him with such shattering force that his instinct was to run out of there, and he knew this was the first time he’d ever shown cowardice in the face of danger. But this was a danger that could tear him apart mentally, and, if he couldn’t make her his own, the pain would be intolerable.
‘Aren’t you supposed to be in Berlin?’
Jon turned at the sound of Andrew Stevenson’s voice behind him.’ I’m just on a flying visit to see the exhibition. What are you doing here?’
Andrew dragged him over to a wall where the World Explorer was mounted with a circle of photographs round it.
‘Good, don’t you think?’
‘Very impressive.’ And it was. No wonder the Chief was smiling. It was marvellous publicity for the paper and highlighted the intelligent coverage it had given to the crisis. ‘I’m surprised she let you through the door after the way you’ve treated her.’
Andrew looked smug. ‘That’s all behind us now. That girl knows what she’s doing with a camera.’
‘Pity you didn’t recognize that sooner,’ Joel Perkins said over his shoulder.
Andrew groaned. ‘The boss never misses a chance to rub my nose in it. I admit I did make a mistake, but I managed to get her to work exclusively for us this time, and I’m sure she will in the future.’
‘So you did,’ Joel conceded, taking hold of Jon’s arm. ‘Come
and have a drink and then you can tell me how things are in Berlin.’
They made their way over to the table, and Jon couldn’t help noticing the smile Kate was bestowing on Gerhard. His friend hadn’t wasted any time getting close to her, and by the way she was leaning towards him as he spoke, she obviously didn’t mind one little bit. Of course you had to be near someone to hear what they were saying above the constant chatter, but that was of little consolation to him in this mood – he was jealous! He called himself a stupid bloody idiot and turned away from the sight. It didn’t help when he saw the way Robert Sinclair was sticking to her side. This was only a temporary aberration; he would soon get over it.
Annie and Reid were serving at the makeshift bar and smiled when they saw him.
‘It’s good to see you again.’ Reid shook his hand. ‘What are you going to have?’
Jon eyed the bottles on the table. ‘Something strong?’
Annie was apologetic. ‘We’ve only got red or white wine.’
Reid winked at him, dived under the table and came up with a double whisky in a wine glass. ‘Sacrilege, I know, but we’ve only got wine glasses. Bill smuggled in the whisky.’
‘This will do just fine.’ Jon took the drink and noticed that Reid, James and Bill had the same. He lifted his glass in a salute and grinned. The men in the family were quite clearly not wine drinkers.
He spent the next fifteen minutes or so telling Joel Perkins the unedited story of the Berlin crisis.
‘I’m pleased you looked after Kate. I would hate anything to happen to one of Rose’s children.’
He looked sharply at his boss. ‘Do you know Rose, then?’
‘Yes. I was only around six when she swept into our life. I remember it as if it was only yesterday. Our street was a slum and was being knocked down, but my father was refusing to move. The bailiffs were at the door ready to burst their way in and throw us out. We were all terrified. It was then Rose Webster strode in, got the bailiffs to hold off while she persuaded my father to move to the new house. She was successful and my family never looked back after that. Without her help I don’t know what would have happened to us. And it wasn’t just us she helped: she was tireless in her efforts to get rid of the slums.’ Joel gazed across at Rose with obvious affection. ‘Decent living conditions, education and rights under the law for women were her goals in life, and I know she has never stopped working for the underprivileged.’
Jon listened in fascination. The more he learnt of Rose and her family, the more he loved and respected them.
‘What she did that day opened the way for a better life for all of us, and I’m so grateful.’
Things were becoming clear to Jon now. ‘Is that why you gave Kate the job on the paper?’
‘When I saw her application I knew who she was and checked up on her credentials. When I found that she was a good photographer, I ordered Andrew to take her on. We had the most almighty row about it, but in the end he knew he didn’t have a choice.’ Joel’s sigh was sad. ‘That was a big mistake because you know how Andrew hates women around the workplace.’
Jon emptied his glass, Reid quickly refilled it, and he nodded his thanks. ‘I bet he made her life difficult.’
‘No doubt, and she was right to leave, but it’s all turned out for the best.’ Joel chuckled. ‘She’s got her own back by pinching Terry. He’s working for her now.’
‘What?’ Jon burst out laughing. ‘Good for her.’
His boss helped himself to another glass of red wine. ‘Andrew has found out the hard way that you don’t mess with a member of that family and get away with it. Not even the quietest and most docile one. There’s something in them that makes them rebel against injustice of any kind.’
‘I saw that in Berlin,’ Jon agreed. ‘When I first spotted Kate, she was furious and trying to beat down the barrier.’
‘Separation from family and any kind of imprisonment would be two of the most heinous crimes to Kate.’ Joel sipped his drink. ‘I’m relieved you were there at the time.’
Jon glanced across at the woman they were discussing, seeing her surrounded by family and friends. They were very important to her, and so must freedom be after her kidnapping. He was glad he’d had this talk with his boss; he felt as if he understood Kate better now.
‘Beautiful, isn’t she?’ Joel said affectionately. ‘But you should have seen Rose as a young woman. She was something to behold, even to a snotty-nosed kid.’
Joel Perkins wandered off then to talk to someone else, and Jon caught sight of Terry, busy taking photos with Pete. He beckoned Terry over. ‘I hear you’ve jumped ship.’
‘Couldn’t get out quick enough.’ Terry took a picture of him, and then shook his hand vigorously. ‘Glad you could come tonight. Your friend seems to be staking his claim to Kate, but he’s wasting his time.’
‘What makes you say that?’
Terry looked at him in amazement. ‘She almost died at the hands of Derek Howard. If you were a woman, would you trust a man again?’
Jon merely shook his head. That was so sad. Kate was a person who should love and be loved, with a family of her own around her. He only had to picture her with Eddie to know that. He spent too much time in dangerous situations not to understand what violence would do to a young woman like her. She would have been very badly shaken by the experience. He wasn’t usually a religious man, but he prayed now that the damage would not be permanent.
But his fears soon passed when she looked him straight in the face. Her eyes were shining with happiness, without a shadow of the trauma or sadness he’d seen in them before. Clearly everyone was worrying unnecessarily. She was fine. He acknowledged her with a nod of his head and began talking to James, who had just joined him.
Kate was surrounded by people, so he decided not to fight his way over to her. His chance to see her would come later, he hoped.
‘Someone wants to buy one of your pictures.’ Beth touched Kate’s arm to gain her attention. ‘They’d like you to sign the back for them.’
‘Oh, right.’ The two friends walked over to the alcove where the other photographs were on show.
When the transaction was completed, Beth looked up at her. ‘This is a great success. I wish I had a more exciting job.’
Kate laughed at her friend’s disgusted expression. ‘I’ve already told you to leave and find something else.’
‘I’m sticking it out because I don’t want to be out of work.’ Beth waved her left hand in front of Kate’s face. ‘I’m saving up.’
‘You’re engaged!’ She hugged Beth in delight. ‘When did this happen?’
‘Only yesterday.’
‘Why didn’t you bring Steve along? We could have turned this into a celebration.’
‘He’s got a rotten cold and didn’t want to spread it around.’
‘What a shame. Never mind, when he’s better we’ll open a bottle of champagne.’
‘I’ll keep you to that,’ Beth laughed as she looked across the room. ‘Jon Devlin’s a stunning man, isn’t he? It’s time you got yourself a steady boyfriend.’
‘He’d be anything but steady!’ Kate snorted inelegantly. ‘And don’t you start. I’ve already had Dad and Aunt Dora on at me.’
Beth giggled. ‘I’ll go and talk to James. It’s about time he got married as well.’
Kate groaned theatrically. ‘Have you been talking to my Aunt Dora?’
‘Of course.’ Beth waved and disappeared into the crowd.
32
On Monday, Kate, Pete and Terry were back in the shop, elated with the success of the exhibition. Not only had it served to highlight the fate of Berlin, but they had all sold a few of their personal photographs. And it hadn’t done their business any harm: bookings were flooding in. They were in good spirits and planning their next shop. Things couldn’t be better, but underneath her happiness Kate could feel a knot of disappointment.
Gerhard had come straight over to see her, but Jon hadn’t even bothered to
talk to her. Apart from a quick acknowledgement from across the room, he’d spent the entire evening with other people. In Berlin she had believed they’d come to understand each other a little. It would have been lovely to discuss the pictures with him, and ask what he thought of the exhibition. She would have valued his opinion. Though why she should let his offhand conduct upset her was a mystery. He was obviously unsociable as well as unreliable.
‘Where shall we start looking for a new shop?’
Pete’s question cut through her musing. They were sitting around the table in the back room with mugs of tea in front of them. Pete had joked that this was their first board meeting. ‘Have you any ideas, Terry? You’re the one who’ll be running it.’
‘Well, I live in Putney, so what about there?’
‘What do you think, Pete?’ she asked.
‘Sounds good. We’ll have a look and see what’s available.’
‘You’ll need a good assistant like Susan.’ Kate gazed into space thoughtfully. ‘My friend Beth is looking for a new job.’
‘Oh, ask her if she’s interested, then,’ Terry said.
She grinned. ‘She’s just got engaged, so I’m not sure how long she’ll stay, but she’s just the cheery sort you need in a shop.’
‘She sounds perfect.’ Pete rubbed his hands in excitement. ‘You see your friend and we’ll start on this right away.’
Kate finished her tea and put the mug down, grinning at the men. ‘We can afford really good premises with the money Andrew Stevenson paid me.’
Terry held up his mug in a mock salute. ‘I never thought I’d say this: good old Andrew.’
Kate and Pete roared at his comical expression. At that moment the shop bell tinkled, and Kate, knowing Susan was busy, stood up.
‘I’ll get it.’ She walked into the shop, and when she saw who it was didn’t know if she felt pleased or angry. ‘Can I help you?’ she asked politely.
Jon’s gaze swept over her in a strictly masculine appraisal.
‘I’ve come to congratulate you on the exhibition.’
‘Really?’ Her eyebrows rose in query. ‘And you couldn’t have told me that on Friday evening?’
A Time of Peace Page 29