by Lucy Gordon
'What?'
'I'm offering you a deal. Stay here just a few weeks longer. Help me out with this publicity. Play my "game" if you're so sure that's what it is. Then you can have a divorce on any terms you like.'
'I don't believe you,' Faye said slowly. 'This is another trick.'
'I swear it isn't. An easy divorce. Your terms. The only condition I make is that afterwards I see my kids as often as I want-as often as they want. And I'll want to see them plenty.'
'You'd better. If you let them down I'll never forgive you.'
'I won't let them down, Faye. Things have changed. You think it's all been an act, but it hasn't. I've learned to appreciate them now and I'm grateful to you for helping me do that. But I need your help again, one last time. Cooperate over the tenth anniversary, and I'll never ask you for anything else again.'
'What exactly do you want me to do?'
'Stay here. Let the world think we're a happy family. And don't see Kendall Haines.'
Faye gave a bitter laugh to cover the pain. 'I see. This is nothing but an excuse to stop me seeing my fiance.'
'Don't call him that,' Garth snapped.
'It's what he is. Oh, Garth, you're so transparent! You really thought I'd be daft enough to fall for this one? Kendall is the man I'm going to marry and you're not going to separate me from him. And if that spoils your publicity, why don't you hire someone from Central Casting? She'd probably make a better job of pretending to be your wife than I would.'
'You don't give an inch, do you?' Garth said bitterly.
'I feel safer that way.'
She left the room before he could answer and slipped away into the grounds, where she could lose herself among the bushes. At last she sat down on a tree stump and stared out at the stars. It was all so beautiful and peaceful, but there was no peace in her heart.
She covered her eyes, trying to fight back the tears.
She knew that only strength would help her now, but she didn't seem to have any left.
She felt a freezing shock against her fingers, as though an ice cube had touched them. It turned out to be Barker's nose. He'd followed her.
'It's all right,' she said, drying her eyes. 'Everything's fine.'
He pushed his head under her hand and looked at her out of beautiful eyes. He didn't believe her.
'You're a lovely old boy, aren't you?' Faye said, putting her arms around him. It was a relief to hug the sturdy body and hide her face in his thick coat. Barker's tail thumped the ground. He was doing what he did best.
As a child, Faye had confided her small tragedies to an all-wise teddy bear. Now there was Barker, warm and responsive, who would listen without judgement and break no confidences.
'I've been so stupid,' she told him sadly. 'I thought I was strong enough to cope with Garth, but I was kidding myself. I wanted him to be like he was before: wonderful. And that was really silly of me, wasn't it?'
His eyes were so full of understanding that it was almost as if he'd spoken. Anyone had the right to be silly.
'Yes, but I was worse than silly, because I know what he's like, yet I still let myself- Well, anyway it's over between us.'
A small crease appeared between Barker's eyes. Sure about that?
'It was over two years ago,' she said, fondling his soft ears. 'I love Kendall now.'
At the sound of Kendall's name, Barker gave the soft, yearning woof of a dog who'd discovered aniseed and never forgotten his benefactor.
'You're perfectly right,' Faye said, brightening. 'Kendall's the one I need to talk to.' She rubbed Barker's head gratefully. 'Why didn't I think of that myself?'
He sighed. Because you're not crazy about aniseed.
She knew Garth was watching as she drove away. He would guess, of course, where she was going but she was too angry to care.
Kendall received her news thoughtfully. 'And this way we'd be sure of getting the divorce?' he asked.
'So he says. How do I know he'd stick to that?'
'Oddly enough, I believe he would. I don't like your husband, but I think he's a man of his word.'
'You're right,' Faye said slowly. 'But still-it would mean we wouldn't be able to see each other for weeks.'
'We might sneak the occasional meeting.'
'No,' she said regretfully. 'I can't expect Garth to keep his word if I don't keep mine. We must stay apart, to make sure we can be together afterwards.'
'As long as it doesn't go on too long,' he said. 'You know this is a risk. If you don't love me as much as you say-'
'But I do,' she said firmly. 'You know that.'
'Yes, of course I do.'
Barker greeted her as soon as she returned home, eagerly sniffing her hands and pockets. When he found no aniseed he gave her the indignant look of a dog who'd been thoroughly conned. Faye pushed him aside with difficulty and went to Garth's study, firmly shutting the door.
Despite the late hour he was still up, working. He pushed the work away and regarded her tensely. He looked tired and he'd torn open the front of his shirt, as though he needed to breathe more easily.
'I've been to see Ken,' she told him. 'We've talked it over and he thinks I should do this. So you've got your deal.'
Instead of pleasing Garth, this seemed to annoy him. 'I don't need that man's permission for anything I want to do,' he growled.
'Not his permission, his blessing,' she retorted. 'I wouldn't do it without that. You said yourself I don't belong to either of you. But if I did it would be Ken, not you.'
'You'll never belong to any other man,' Garth said with a sudden flash of temper. 'As long as I want you, you belong to me.'
'As long as you want me,' Faye echoed. 'But you didn't want me very long, did you, Garth? Not really want me. A mother to your children, yes. But when I grew up you were either hostile or indifferent. A divorce will be as good for you as for me. Then you can marry a doll who'll never answer back.'
'You know nothing about me if you can say a damned fool thing like that.'
'Well, perhaps I never did really know you,' she agreed. 'Or you me. It's better this way. I'll stay with you until the marketing campaign is launched, but only to get the divorce. And I have conditions too.'
'Which are?'
'We leave the children out of it. They're not going to be involved in the publicity. And I won't stop them seeing Ken.'
'I'd rather they didn't.'
'I'm sorry, those are my terms. They like him. Cindy calls him for advice about Barker and Adrian is involved with one of Ken's countryside campaigns. I don't want you worrying them with our private quarrels.'
'And the other condition?' he asked.
'You stay right away from me, or the deal's off.'
'I suppose Haines thought of that one?'
'No, it's all my own idea. I want your solemn promise.'
He sighed. 'Very well. You have my word.'
'So that's settled.' She waited, wondering if he would say something more, but he only shrugged. Once Garth had concluded a deal on the best terms he could get, it wasn't his way to waste time on a post-mortem.
'I hope this means that we won't argue so much, Garth.'
'I've never liked arguing with you.'
'No, you just prefer me to give in without a fight,' she said lightly. 'But this is a business arrangement. Nothing more.'
'Nothing more,' he murmured.
'I'll keep my side and I expect you to keep yours.'
Garth leaned back and regarded her with a wry grin. 'You've become a tough negotiator. You know what you want, and you won't settle for less.'
'You should offer me a job with your firm. I seem to have all the qualifications.'
'Well, maybe I- What the devil is the matter with that dog? He's been trying to scratch the door down ever since you came in here.'
'I'll see to him, then I'm going to bed.'
'Won't you join me in a drink, to celebrate our deal?'
She hesitated. 'No, but I'll shake hands with you, if you will.
'
He looked at her little hand, firmly outstretched to him. After a while he took it gently in his own. 'To business,' he said.
'To business. Goodnight, Garth.' She left the room without looking back, so she didn't see him staring after her.
She had a curious sensation of light-headedness. It felt good to have made a stand, and actually stopped the Garth Clayton juggernaut in its tracks.
She wasn't left to muse for long. Barker, bent on sorting out the misunderstanding, followed her upstairs and waited determinedly in the hall while she kissed her sleeping children.
When she emerged he planted himself firmly in her path. But this, too, failed. Faye hugged him and called him loving names, but there was no aniseed. At last he accepted the perfidy of humans, and retired to his basket in a huff.
CHAPTER SIX
It was halfway through Saturday morning when Garth received a phone call from Bill, his second in command and the one person who knew all his business secrets.
'Garth, sorry to call you at home on a Saturday.'
'That's all right. You know I'm never really off duty.'
'I tried the office first. It felt strange not to find you there.'
'Yes, I've been spending a little more time at home recently,' Garth said, hoping his edginess couldn't be heard in his voice. He'd made a special effort to be at home today, meaning to spend some time with his son, only to find that Adrian had other plans. Even Cindy wasn't there to support him, having taken Barker to spend the day with Jenny Patterson, her best friend.
An hour later Kendall had collected the boy in his old van. Garth had longed for Adrian to tell him where they were going and why, but when he didn't Garth shrugged and refused to show how much he minded.
'What's it all about?' he asked now.
'It's the Outland,' Bill said, naming a patch of land about twenty miles away on which Garth intended to build. 'We may have more of a problem than we thought.'
'We've had problems since the day I offered for the place, but nothing that can't be overcome. First they claimed it was a famous beauty spot, though no one I spoke to had ever heard of it. Then they wanted to have the trees protected. Last week they burst into the council meeting and tried to stop me getting planning permission. But I got it anyway.'
'With some restrictions,' Bill pointed out. 'They may not look much, but they're going to cramp your style.'
'Not if I get them lifted, and I will. Trust me. I know the people to work on. So what is it this time?'
'Butterflies. The Outland is supposed to be the habitat of a rare breed.'
Garth groaned, muttering, 'Give me patience,' under his breath. Aloud he said, 'Stop worrying, Bill. If I wasn't put off by that bearded yob jabbing a placard in my eye and calling me a destroyer of creation, I think I can cope with a few butterflies.'
'I thought you should know that there's going to be a protest march at the Outland this afternoon. I tried to get the police to ban it, but no luck.'
'I wouldn't have done that, myself. It makes them look as if we're afraid of them.'
'Yes, but the television cameras will be there. It'll be on the news tonight.'
'Pity! But it can't do us any real harm. Thanks for letting me know, anyway.'
Later that afternoon Faye brought him a coffee and found him engrossed in the television screen.
'You always said watching the box in the afternoon was a dangerous habit,' she reminded him. 'According to you, it led to self-indulgence and time-wasting.'
'There's a news item that I need to see. I've taken an option on a strip of land and apparently a set of longhaired clowns are tramping over it, predicting the end of the world if I'm allowed to build there. There it is!'
The screen was occupied by a board, bearing the name
Melkham Construction, set in an expanse of countryside.
–
____________________
Beside it stood an earnest young man addressing the camera.
'The protesters say that if this land falls victim to developers' frenzy it will be the destruction of a unique butterfly habitat-'
'Developers' frenzy,' Garth repeated angrily. 'I build houses for people to live in; people like that sanctimonious crowd. Where would they live if no one had built their homes? With the butterflies, I suppose! GOOD GR1EFV
Startled, Faye followed his gaze and saw what had appalled him. The screen was filled with placards whose owners were hoisting them aloft, trying to catch the cameraman's eye. With an inward groan Faye saw that one of them was Kendall and right beside him, his face shining with enthusiasm, was Adrian. His placard bore the uncompromising words, GREED OUT, NATURE IN.
Garth turned accusing eyes on Faye. 'Did you know about this?'
'Of course I didn't. I knew Ken was going to some sort of ecology protest and Adrian begged to go with him. I think they mentioned the name Melkham, but I didn't connect it with you. You're Clayton Properties.'
'Melkham is a subsidiary. I acquired it last year.'
'Well, I didn't know that. Nor did Adrian.'
'I'll bet Kendall Haines knew, though. He must have loved getting my son to demonstrate against me in public.'
'Not everybody's mind is as tortuous as yours,' Faye said indignantly. 'Kendall is a decent, straightforward man. He'd never pull a stunt like that.'
'I wonder.'
'Garth, you're being impossible. Kendall fights for what he believes in and so does Adrian. You should be proud of your son. He's one of life's dragon slayers. How was he to know that you were the dragon? He'd be interested to find out.'
'And if I don't tell him, I'm sure you will.'
'Goodness, no! I won't say a word. You must deal with this in your own way. But go carefully. Your son is no fool.'
At the end of the afternoon she drove to the Pattersons' to collect Cindy and Barker. Cindy chattered non-stop about her day but, as soon as she was home, she ran to her father to say it all again. Garth hugged her and Faye was relieved to see that his mood had improved. Barker had vanished to the kitchen, to be lovingly scolded for his muddy paws and fed some of his favourite buttered scones.
'Can we go out and play ball with Barker?' Cindy begged when she was sure she hadn't deprived Daddy of a single detail.
'I thought he'd been chasing around a garden all day.'
'Yes, but it's a very posh garden with lots of potted plants-'
'Oh, heavens!' Faye groaned.
'It wasn't Barker's fault. He didn't mean to knock it over, and he didn't know it was a prize bush.'
'No wonder Mr Patterson looked a bit tense when he said goodbye.'
'It's his own fault,' Garth observed. 'He should have known better than to leave his prize bush around when Barker was there.'
Cindy flung him a grateful look. 'Anyway, Barker wants to run and run in his own garden.'
'Can't you play with him?'
'You can throw the ball further than me. I'll go and get it.' She scampered off.
'Better get two,' Garth called. 'You know he always loses one.'
'Thanks, Daddy.' Her voice faded down the hall.
'I've got a pile of bookkeeping work to do,' Faye protested to thin air.
'Mummy!' came Cindy's imperious voice before Faye could answer. 'Barker wants to play.'
Garth grinned wickedly. 'Go on,' he told her. 'You've got your orders. That dog wants to play, and his social secretary is going to make sure everyone jumps to attention.'
'Mummy-'
'Coming, coming!'
Faye obediently headed for the garden and threw the ball for half an hour. Although she was annoyed with Garth, she had to admit he was spot on about Cindy. Nothing mattered to the little girl except giving her four- pawed darling whatever he wanted. She smiled with pleasure at the sight of child and dog romping together in perfect understanding.
Then her smile faded into a frown at something she thought she'd seen. She watched Barker carefully and wondered if his back legs really were a little stiff, or
was she imagining it? Then he went bounding down the garden after a ball, charging through a tall heap of twigs Fred had just finished gathering up. Fred's little dance of rage and the terrible threats he hurled at Barker's retreating form made her double up with laughter, and the matter passed from her mind.
Adrian arrived home two hours later, full of delight over his day but, to Faye's relief, minus the placard. As she'd promised Garth, she kept quiet about what she knew.
Garth seemed to have forgotten his annoyance. He asked Adrian about his afternoon and listened attentively to his replies. Faye watched a flush of pleasure come to the boy's face. To have his father showing interest in his concerns was an unexpected delight.
'It was great, Dad. We were on telly.'
'I know. I saw you. In fact, I taped it for you to see.'
Adrian beamed. 'Great! Can we see it now?'
Garth put the video tape in and they watched it together.
'That placard is good,' Garth said. 'Greed out. Nature in. Who thought of it?'
'It was Kendall's idea. He's really brilliant at that sort of thing. He says firms like Melkham are nothing but selfish, greedy predators, and they have to be fought in any way you can.'
'Has he got any good ideas about fighting them?'
'Yes, 'cos he knows something they don't.'
'What's that?'
'That bit of land is covered by a special planning act. If anyone wants to build on it they have to comply with special conditions, and they have to do it by a certain date. If they don't, they lose the chance.'
'And that date's coming up?' Garth asked in a neutral voice.
'Next Wednesday. Then Ken's going to court to say they can't do it, because the date's past.'
'That's really clever of him. But suppose Melkham knows about it?'
'Kendall says they can't do, because they'd have done something by now. He says we're going to take them completely by surprise.'
'But shouldn't Melkham's point of view be considered?' Garth asked seriously. 'After all, people need somewhere to live, as well as butterflies.'
'Kendall says it doesn't have to be there,' Adrian explained earnestly. 'Besides, it's not just houses. Melkham is going to build a shopping complex and an office block, because that's where the real money is.'