'You'd better wait until Monday. Then I'll have the document ready for you to sign. Once you've done that, everything will be settled.'
'Till Monday, then,' she said, and replaced the receiver. As she did so there was a click on the line and she lifted the telephone again.
'Who's there?' she asked. 'Who is it?'
There was no answer and she replaced the phone and crossed the hall. From upstairs came the sound of Piotr's voice as he spoke to Margaret, and once again she realised there was an unpleasant task ahead of her. It was time she herself took charge of Piotr and told Margaret to go. She envisaged the scene that would take place with Margaret bursting into tears, and probably running straight to Derek. Carolyn paused with her hand on the drawing-room door. Derek! She had to see him regardless of whether or not she caught his cold. Far better to cough and sneeze for a few days than have an unwanted engagement hanging over her head and an unwanted ring on her finger.
Quickly she turned and went upstairs to collect her coat, at the same time she popped into the nursery and found Piotr and Margaret doing a jigsaw puzzle together.
'I'm going to see Derek,' she explained. 'I'll be back for lunch.'
'Where's Grandma?' Piotr asked.
'She's gone to Chichester to do some shopping.'
She ran down the stairs and set out briskly for the shore road. It was a wild January day, the sky was leaden and a fierce wind tugged her head scarf and blew her coat against her legs. The road leading to the sea was deserted, the fields on either side barren. In the distance she saw Derek's cottage, the pink shutters looking even more dingy than usual. A small Fiat was parked by the gate and she glanced at it curiously. The front door was closed and not bothering to knock she walked round the back and into the kitchen. It was empty and she pushed open the door of the living-room, with a gasp she stopped dead. Romaine was held tightly in Derek's arms, their bodies locked together. At the sound of her exclamation Derek lifted his head and, seeing her, drew swiftly back from Romaine.
'Carolyn!' he stammered. 'I didn't hear you come in.'
'Obviously!' She turned on her heel and he called her name again.
'Carolyn, wait! I can explain.'
'It isn't necessary.' She took off her signet ring and threw it behind her. 'It's saved me a lot of explanations. Don't follow me, Derek, it's all over.'
'Carolyn! Wait, wait!'
Heedless of his call, she ran down the path and back along the road. Derek and Romaine! It was unbelievable. So she and Alvin were in the same boat. She started to laugh, tears streaming down her face at the same time. So much for Derek's avowal of love! Like most men he merely mouthed the convenient. No wonder Alvin had asked if she were breaking with Derek in order to protect her fortune. Perhaps he had known of Romaine's association with him and had been trying—in his strange way—to warn her? Yet somehow it seemed impossible. Alvin might want an affair of convenience, but she could not believe he would continue an association with a woman who was also with another man. And from the way Romaine and Derek had been kissing it was obvious it was not the first time. Breathlessly she reached home and sped quickly towards her room. She was half way down the corridor when Piotr's cry pierced the silence. She stopped short. The cry came again from the direction of Margaret's room and she raced along to it and opened the door. Margaret was holding Piotr by the open window, so engrossed with what she was saying that she was unaware of Carolyn's entry.
'It's a lovely game, Piotr,' she said. 'All you have to do is stand on the ledge.'
'I don't want to. I'll fall!'
'Silly boy! Of course you won't. Just do as I say.' She pushed him towards the window and he shouted with fear.
'Put me down, Margaret, I don't want to do it!'
Ignoring his cry, the woman moved inexorably to the window and with a scream Carolyn rushed across the room. For the moment the two women struggled together.
'Piotr,' Carolyn panted, 'run down for Betty! Quickly! Quickly!'
The little boy fled and Carolyn tried to pull Margaret's hands from her throat. The white face was distorted with rage and the thin body was shaking with anger.
'Why did you come back?' Margaret grated. 'It would have been all over if you hadn't returned.'
'You fiend!' Carolyn gasped. 'You murderess!'
Still the hands clawed at her throat and she felt herself blacking out. Backwards and forwards they struggled across the room, knocking against chairs and the bed, overturning the bedside tables and sending the lamps crashing to the floor. With superhuman strength Carolyn dug her nails into the distorted face in front of her, and with a gasp of pain Margaret momentarily relaxed her hold.
Heavily Carolyn hit out, and Margaret fell to the floor, her harsh sobs echoing in the room.
Betty rushed in and seeing the scene, her face turned white. 'Lands alive, I thought he was joking!'
'Throw her out!' Carolyn panted. 'I'll send her clothes on afterwards.' She looked at the crumpled figure on the floor. 'Did you want to kill him so that I could inherit the money? Well, I never will, and neither will you.' She drew a long, shuddering breath. 'If you haven't left the district by tomorrow morning, I'll call the police.'
'Don't tell Derek,' Margaret moaned. 'He loves you and Piotr. If he hears what I tried to do he'll never forgive me.'
'Don't waste time lying. Your brother is as two-faced as you.'
'No, no, it's not true!'
'I'm afraid it is. You can ask him when you get home.'
Betty helped Margaret to stand up, and stood between her and Carolyn as the woman pulled a coat from the wardrobe and stumbled out of the room.
Not until she heard the front door close behind her did Carolyn draw another deep, shuddering breath before she hurried down to the kitchen.
Piotr was sitting on Cook's lap. 'I didn't want to play that game,' he said. 'You're not cross with me?'
'Of course not, darling. It was a stupid game. You must never stand on a window ledge. If you did, you would fall and htm yourself very badly.'
'Why did Margaret want me to do it?'
'She was just joking,' Carolyn said quickly. 'She didn't mean it.'
Cook, her face as white as her apron, glanced at Carolyn. 'Has she gone?' she whispered. Carolyn nodded. 'Why would she do such a thing?'
'The money,' Carolyn mouthed the words so Piotr would not hear.
'She was mad,' Cook said, her voice rising with anger.
Carolyn moved to the door. 'I'll go and pack her things. You keep Piotr here.'
Some twenty minutes later she came downstairs with a phial of white tablets in her hand.
Betty met her on the bottom stair. 'Mr. de Mancy's in the drawing-room, madam. Will you see him?'
Carolyn's heart missed a beat, but she forced herself to remain composed. 'Yes. But you'd better wait within earshot.'
'Don't worry,' Betty said grimly. 'I won't leave you alone with anyone from that family.'
Bracing herself for the scene ahead, Carolyn went into the drawing-room. Derek was pacing the carpet, his manner as distraught as his appearance. 'Carolyn,' he said hoarsely and strode over to her, 'you've got to let me explain.'
'About Romaine or Margaret?'
'Romaine means nothing to me. She's been throwing herself at me for weeks, and then this morning when she came round she flung herself into my arms like a mad woman.'
'It didn't look like that to me,' Carolyn said.
'But it's true. You've got to believe me! I didn't want to make her angry because of her influence with Tyssen, that's why I was——-'
'Kissing her so passionately,' Carolyn finished for him. 'Come off it, Derek. Surely you can think up a better story than that— or are you saving your talent for Margaret? What was her innocent reason for trying to murder Piotr?'
'I've no excuses for my sister,' he said quietly, 'except to say that she obviously hasn't got over her breakdown yet.'
'It was more than illness,' Carolyn said. 'It was evil.'
; 'No, that's not true. She's mentally sick. I'm taking her to London in the morning to see a specialist.'
Carolyn sat on the edge of the settee. 'I'm to blame for not seeing it all before. She's been acting peculiarly ever since she's been here.'
'It's overwork.'
'If every nurse that's been overworking tried to kill her patients, we'd never have any sick people left!' She sighed. 'No, Derek, you're not being honest. The first thing that struck me was Piotr complaining about the taste of his food. I think she tried to poison him.'
'Don't be crazy!'
For answer, she held out her hand and disclosed a phial. 'People take these for slimming because it causes loss of appetite. She's been giving these to Piotr. They could have killed him.'
'Holy Mary!' Derek gasped. 'I never realised she was as far gone as this.' He sat down and buried his head in his hands. 'If only I'd known what was going on in her mind… I can't believe it…' He looked up, his eyes bleak. 'You're not going to let this make any difference to us, are you? I love you, Carolyn.' He bent forward and tried to pull her into his arms, but she pushed him away.
'Derek, don't! It's no use. Finding out about Margaret has nothing to do with my breaking our engagement.'
'But I told you the truth about Romaine,' he said passionately. 'I swear it.'
'Maybe. But it doesn't make any difference. I came round to see you today in order to tell you I couldn't marry you.'
'No!'
'Yes,' she said steadily. 'I don't love you, and I was stupid to think I could marry a man without loving him.'
'You're lying, Carolyn. It's because of Romaine, and now Margaret.'
Carolyn shook her head, but Derek ignored the gesture.
'You've every right to be hurt, sweetheart, but you can't punish me for ever because of one kiss.' He advanced towards her. 'Darling, forgive me. I love you.'
'It's no use, Derek. We're through. I don't trust you any more.'
Colour mottled his face. "Don't blame me because of Margaret's behaviour. If necessary, I'll get her put away in a home. I swear by everything I hold holy that I'd no idea she was acting like this.'
'I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt there. But it doesn't make any difference. I still don't want to marry you.'
'You'll be sorry if you don't take back the ring.'
Her eyes flashed. 'I don't find that remark particularly humorous.'
He gave her an odd look. 'It wasn't meant to be. I'm not joking, Carolyn, it's too late for humour.'
She listened to him incredulously. Gone was the faint Irish accent she had come to associate with him and his voice was sinister and threatening. Even his eyes had lost their twinkle and stared at her with a strange, speculative expression.
'Well, Carolyn? This is your last chance.'
She flung up her head. 'I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth.'
'Don't try me too far.' He caught her hand in fingers of steel. 'Think it over carefully. In the long rum it'll be cheaper to become my wife.'
She tried to pull away from him. 'I think you must be crazy too. In fact, I'm sure you are. Get out of the house at once or I'll call Betty.'
He made no move and she crossed to the bell by the mantelpiece. 'I wouldn't if I were you, Carolyn,' his voice had a rapier edge. 'At least, not if you value your position here.' He bent his head to her. 'You don't think you fooled me, do you? I know all about you and Piotr.'
She laughed. 'If you're trying to bring up the old story about my marrying Peter for his money you'd better forget it. You can't make mischief between Mrs. Nichols and myself. She likes me.'
'Does she now?' His voice was mocking. 'Indeed and all, that's a wonderful thing to hear. And do you not think she'd be interested in the name of the orphanage where Margaret was a matron? To refresh your memory, it's a barracks of a place near Cleethorpes.'
'I don't know what on earth you're talking about.'
'Then I'll refresh your memory a little further. Four years ago a young couple came to the orphanage with a very sad tale. The girl could never have any children of her own, so they decided to adopt one. Do you want me to go on?'
'Yes,' she said quietly, 'I do.'
'Well, they asked Margaret to help them because there was a long waiting list and they were in a hurry. They were going to Canada.'
'Canada?'
'Canada,' he reiterated. 'And finally, after a little bit of persuasion—the couple were very persuasive, you know—Margaret helped them to adopt a little boy.' His voice dropped to conversation level. 'Orphanages are funny places. If a kid's a Quaker they like to send it to a Quaker family and if a kid's a Pole they like to sent it to a Polish family. So you see, Margaret wasn't doing anything very bad because this kid was a Pole and so were the couple. At least the man was—his name was Peter Kolsky. Shall I still go on?'
'Yes,' she breathed. 'You'd better finish.'
'There isn't much more. The couple adopted the boy. The date of the adoption was'—he looked down at a slip of paper in his hand—'January the third, exactly four years ago, and the court of adoption was in Grimsby. I can give you the exact details if you like, but I'm sure you already know them.' He smiled. 'So you see, Piotr—whom you've brought forward as Rosemary's son—isn't Rosemary's son at all. He's not entitled to a single penny.' He bent towards her. 'I'll give you two choices, Carolyn. You can either marry me to keep me quiet, or you can pay me.'
'And if I do neither?'
'Then I'll see you go to prison.'
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Carolyn stared at Derek's face. It receded, came nearer and then receded again.
'You've broken the eleventh commandment,' he said softly. 'Thou shalt not be found out.'
Carolyn stared at him. 'I had no idea… you can't think——- '
'Now then, mavourrneen, the time for lying is over.'
'It's the truth.' Her voice grew stronger. 'Why should I pretend Piotr was Rosemary's son?'
'It was the only way of getting the money.'
'Money be darned!' She reached for a cigarette, lit it and blew out a cloud of smoke. 'As a point of interest, how did you discover it?'
'Margaret read about Piotr in the papers. She didn't recognise the boy, of course, but she remembered the name.'
'It can't be true.' Carolyn jerked upright. 'I've got his birth certificate and it doesn't say——-'
'It wouldn't,' he explained. 'Somerset House issues a short certificate unless you ask them otherwise. If you want a detailed one you have to write to the Registrar, giving the name of the court and the date when the adoption was ordered. I can assure you I'm not lying, Carolyn. You can check all the facts for yourself if you don't believe me.'
'I believe you,' she said slowly. 'What I can't believe is that you think I'll pay to keep you quiet.'
'What do you intend to do? Tell Mrs. Nichols?'
'Right first time.'
His laugh was scornful. 'Indeed and all! You've got used to an easy life, my dear, and it's packed off you'll be with a brat on your hands and no money.'
'I have a profession.'
'Come off it, Carolyn. If you won't marry me, how much will you give me? Will it be a lump sum or something each year?'
'It's neither, Derek. It's the police if you don't leave the house immediately.'
Derek remained seated and Carolyn walked over to the telephone and picked it up. 'Would you put me through to the police?' she asked the operator. There was a murmur at the end of the line. 'It's Mrs. Kolsky here, Sergeant, from Royston Manor. Could you come over right away? Thank you. Yes, it is urgent.'
She put down the telephone and Derek got to his feet, his face, even beneath the beard, sickly pale.
'Carolyn,' he said hoarsely, 'don't be mad—think of the money. It's a fortune—a fortune in your hands. And you're letting it go.'
Her lip curled. 'I'd rather do that than give any to you. Now, get out!'
Derek stared at her for a moment. Then he lowered him
self into an easy chair and spread his legs out in front of him. 'You have a good sense of the dramatic, but that won't help you to bring up a kid of five.'
'No?' She fingered the edge of the table. 'Tell me something, Derek—would you have looked at me if it hadn't been for the money?'
Immediately he was at her side, gazing adoringly down at her. 'Mavourneen, no man could help falling in love with you. You're beautiful and kind and…' He saw the mocking look in her eyes and shrugged. "No, my dear,' he said abruptly, 'I wouldn't have fallen in love with you. It's a provocative bitch like Romaine that can get under my skin.'
She relaxed. 'Thanks for not lying. It's about the only time you haven't' She moved over to the fire. 'Incidentally, Derek, your sister drives a car very well.'
'She's capable at everything.' He stopped and bit his lip.
'I thought so,' Carolyn whispered. 'When she failed to kill him with the car, she decided to…' But it was impossible to continue. She clenched her hands tightly together. 'You'd better get out quickly. The police will be arriving any minute and if you're still here I'll charge you both with attempted murder!'
In the distance the bell rang. Footsteps crossed the hall and the drawing-room door opened. The sergeant stood there accompanied by a police constable. Derek's face turned red and then white.
'I'll be getting along. I'm glad you found the brooch.' He moved to the door. 'Think over what I said.'
Carolyn did not trust herself to reply and with an effort she turned to the police sergeant. 'It was a brooch. I lost it and got panicky. It turned up just before you arrived. I'm awfully sorry.' She rang the bell. 'As you're here, perhaps you'll have some coffee?'
When the sergeant and constable had left Carolyn paced the carpet nervously. The news Derek had told her, as well as the final attempt on Piotr's life, made it impossible for her to relax. If only Mrs. Nichols would hurry home so that she could tell her the truth!
The thought of the impending interview filled her with dread and she hurried into the kitchen where Piotr was playing with Cook.
After lunch he went upstairs for his rest and Carolyn perched on the edge of the bed to read him a story. She was in the middle of it when Mrs. Nichols came in.
Rachel Lindsay - Mask of Gold Page 21