by Lily Baxter
‘You’re not welcome here, Max.’ Maggie’s voice shook with emotion. ‘You shouldn’t have come.’
‘I’ll deal with this,’ George said, stepping in between them. ‘We’ll settle this man to man.’
Max shook his head. ‘I’ve got nothing to say to either of you. This is between me and my daughter.’
‘You’re too late to do anything about it,’ Maggie said icily. ‘Isabel and my son are married.’
‘I think you mean our son.’
‘George is Jack’s father, not you.’
Max curled his lip. ‘I wouldn’t bet on it, my dear. And incest is illegal, so the marriage is invalid.’
‘Dad, is this really necessary?’ Raif said, frowning. ‘Do we need to air our dirty linen in public?’
‘You’ve said enough, Carstairs.’ George opened the garden gate. ‘If you’ve got any feeling for your daughter you’ll come into the house and talk this matter over in private.’
‘That’s rich, coming from a man who attempted to sabotage my career out of spite. If you’d managed to satisfy your wife she wouldn’t have fallen into my arms.’
Maggie caught hold of George’s arm as he took a menacing step towards Max. ‘Don’t, darling. That’s just what he wants.’ She glared at Max. ‘Come indoors and behave like a civilised human being, or leave now and let your daughter enjoy her wedding day.’
‘It’s a farce.’ Max fisted his hands. ‘I came here to settle an old score with your husband, Maggie. Keep out of this.’
‘I won’t,’ she cried, flying at him and pushing him so that he cannoned into his son. ‘You almost wrecked my marriage and I won’t let you do the same to Jack and Isabel.’
Raif grabbed his father by the arm. ‘I think this has gone far enough, Dad.’
Miranda held her breath. She had never felt so helpless in her whole life, and she could see that matters were going to escalate as Elzevir drew the cart to a standstill behind the Bentley. Jack leapt to the ground barely giving the vehicle time to stop, and Isabel’s face crumpled with obvious distress as she climbed down more slowly. Mrs Beasley rushed to her side to put a comforting arm around her shoulders, defying her employer with a stubborn tilt of her chin. Only Ivy and Dolly Dowsett seemed to be enjoying the spectacle as they craned their necks to get a better view.
Jack hurried towards them. ‘What’s going on?’ He glared at Raif. ‘I suppose this is your doing. You couldn’t bear to let Izzie have her day, could you?’
‘I wanted to stop her making the mistake of her life,’ Raif said coldly. ‘But it seems that we’re too late.’
Max pushed him aside, squaring up to Jack with a pugnacious outthrust of his jaw. ‘I’ll get this marriage annulled. I’m calling my solicitor as soon as I get home.’
‘There’s nothing you can do about it, Mr Carstairs. Izzie and I are legally married and I’m afraid you’ll just have to get used to the idea.’
Miranda moved to Isabel’s side. ‘Don’t get involved, Izzie. Your father can’t do anything about it now.’
She shook off Mrs Beasley’s restraining hand. ‘Thanks, Miranda, but I know my father. He’s like a dog with a bone when he gets an idea in his head.’ She ran to Jack and wrapped her arms around him. ‘We’re married, Father. I’d hoped you’d relent when you saw how happy I am and how much I love my husband.’
‘Would you feel the same if you discovered that he’s my son, Isabel?’
She seized Jack’s hand and held it to her cheek. ‘I know all about your affair with his mother, and I’ve found out the real reason why you hate the family. It has to do with your beastly pride, and it’s become twisted into a vendetta that’s affecting all of us.’
‘That’s right,’ Jack said, giving her a reassuring smile. ‘We have no secrets from each other, sir. I was hoping that you might be able to accept the fact that we love each other and we want to spend the rest of our lives together.’
‘Never.’ Max took a step closer to Jack, glaring at him with narrowed eyes. ‘Hell will freeze over before I acknowledge you as my daughter’s husband.’
‘Leave them alone.’ Miranda could see that Isabel was close to tears. She turned to Raif. ‘Can’t you do something to stop this? I know you care for Izzie.’
‘I think this has gone far enough,’ George said firmly. ‘Jack, take your wife into the house. It’s not good for her to get upset.’
Max rounded on him. ‘What the hell do you mean by that?’
‘She’s pregnant, you idiot,’ Maggie said in a low voice. ‘You’re going to be a grandfather, Max.’ She turned her back on him. ‘Come along, George. This is a wedding and we should be celebrating.’ They linked arms and made their way towards the house.
‘Mother’s right.’ Jack took Isabel by the hand. ‘This is our day and I’m not going to let anyone spoil it.’
Isobel hesitated, sending a mute plea to her father, but he turned his head away. With a barely perceptible shrug of her shoulders she allowed Jack to lead her towards the house. Miranda could only imagine what it must have cost Isabel to break the habit of a lifetime and stand up to her father. She would have liked to applaud her bold gesture, but she decided that it would be inappropriate and she did not want to antagonise Max any further. She beckoned to Rita. ‘This might be a good time to take the guests indoors,’ she said in a low voice.
‘Cor blimey, what a show,’ Rita whispered, grinning. ‘Come with me, ladies. I could do with a drink, I don’t know about you.’ She held the gate while they filed into the garden.
‘You’re sacked, Beasley,’ Max roared as she scuttled past him.
‘No, Father.’ Raif faced him angrily. ‘This has gone far enough. I’m going to join the party and wish Izzie all the happiness in the world. What’s more I’m going tell Mrs Beasley that she’s still got her job. We’d be lost without her and Mother would be livid if she knew you’d sacked our housekeeper in a fit of temper.’
Rita strolled up to Max, looking him in the eyes. ‘I don’t know what Mrs B ever saw in you, mister.’ She gave Raif a sideways glance. ‘Good for you, Flight Lieutenant Carstairs. I didn’t think you had it in you. And before you open your big gob – yes, I’m absent without leave. You can report me if you want to, but it was worth it to see Mrs B face up to your old man.’ She hurried after the others, leaving Miranda and Elzevir alone with Raif and his father.
Miranda held her hand out to Raif. ‘You’ve gone up in my estimation today.’ She flicked her gaze to his father. ‘And you were never my favourite person, even though I hadn’t met you. Now I can understand why your children have turned out the way they have.’
Max flushed crimson and the veins in his neck stood out as he spluttered with rage. ‘You little bitch. Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?’
‘I’m Izzie’s friend and actually she’s now my aunt, which feels rather odd, but you’d better get used to the idea that she’s married to Jack.’ She turned to Elzevir as she heard him clearing his throat. ‘Yes? What is it?’
He shuffled his feet, glancing at Max beneath his shaggy eyebrows. ‘Someone mentioned a drink, miss.’
‘Yes, of course. Follow the others.’ She stood aside to let him pass. ‘You’re still welcome to come in, Mr Carstairs. But if you upset the happy couple, I’ll have to get Elzevir to throw you out.’
‘I’ll come in for a drink,’ Raif said, relaxing visibly. ‘But I can’t stay long. I’ve got to get back to the aerodrome.’
Max glowered at them both. ‘I’m damned if I’ll ever set foot in that house again. You can tell Jack Beddoes that he hasn’t heard the last of this.’ He stormed off towards his car.
‘I’m sorry about the old man,’ Raif said with a reluctant smile.
‘But you brought him here. You must have told him that Izzie was getting married today.’
‘Believe it or not, I thought he might mellow a bit if he saw that she was happy. I don’t pretend to like Jack and I probably never will, but I love my sister
and I genuinely want the best for her.’ He proffered his arm. ‘Life’s too short to bear grudges, Miranda. Can we at least be friends?’
She laid her hand on his sleeve. ‘I hope so, Raif.’ She chuckled. ‘I suppose we’re related now in some odd way. If Izzie is my aunt then you must be my uncle-in-law, if there is such a thing.’
‘It’s high time the family feud ended, although I don’t think Father will ever let it go.’
‘What about your mother? What will she say when she finds out?’
He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Mother is in Los Angeles making a movie. I think the only thing that will upset her is the fact that she’s going to be a grandmother. I can imagine she’ll want to keep very quiet on that particular subject.’
‘How sad for both of them,’ Miranda said with feeling. ‘I’m afraid it’s their loss. Anyway, let’s go and join the party.
They found the guests assembled in the drawing room and the atmosphere had lightened considerably now that Max had gone. Ivy and Dolly were already well away, having found the gin bottle, and Elzevir had taken his beer out onto the veranda and was huddled on one of the steamer chairs drinking steadily.
Miranda was relieved to see that her grandparents appeared to have recovered sufficiently to enjoy the party after their encounter with Max, and Jack and Izzie were oblivious to everything other than their own happiness. Miranda circulated amongst the guests, making sure that everyone had a drink and that no one was left out. Rita was chatting to Mrs Beasley and Annie, while Raif did his best to entertain Ivy and Dolly.
No one seemed to mind that the wedding breakfast consisted of Spam sandwiches, slightly burnt jam tarts and rock cakes that were a dental hazard, or that the wedding cake was a simple sponge filled with the last of the homemade strawberry jam. Everyone seemed to have recovered from the unfortunate scene with Max, and the crate of champagne that George had managed to procure had helped to put everyone in a happy mood.
When the last toast was drunk and the speeches had been made, Miranda slipped away from the party and went to retrieve her handbag from the kitchen. She had put worries about Gil to the back of her mind during the day, but now that the stress of the wedding was over she had time to think. She knew that she would not sleep a wink that night if she left it another day. She took out her diary and flipped through the pages to where she had made a note of the Madderns’ telephone number. She left the comparative warmth of the drawing room to perch on the elephant table in the cold hallway and pick up the receiver. She dialled and waited, hoping against hope that it would be Fliss on the other end of the line. The ringing tone went on and on and she was just beginning to think that there was no one at home when someone answered the call.
Chapter Eighteen
‘HELLO.’ THE SOFT female voice sounded wary.
‘Felicity, it’s Miranda Beddoes. Please don’t hang up.’
There was a brief pause. ‘I’m sorry, but I’m not supposed to talk to you.’
‘I understand how your mother feels but I thought that you and I were friends.’
‘It’s not as simple as that. I do like you, Miranda, but I can’t go against Mummy’s wishes.’
‘I’m not asking you to do anything wrong. I just want to know how Gil is getting on. Surely that’s not too much to ask?’
‘Mummy phoned the hospital in Yarmouth this morning and they said that Gil was comfortable, whatever that means.’
‘But he’s no worse.’ Miranda uttered a long drawn out sigh of sheer relief. ‘I’ve been so worried about him.’
‘The doctors said something about transferring him to the Royal Victoria near here, but not yet. I really can’t tell you any more, Miranda.’
‘My leave is up in two days and I’ll be returning to Henlow. Would it be asking too much for you to drop me a line to let me know how he’s getting on?’
‘I can’t talk now. Please don’t phone again.’ The line went dead.
Miranda sat for a long moment after she had replaced the telephone on the elephant table. She did not blame Felicity or her mother for their attitude towards her, but she could not abandon Gil without a word, especially when his whole future hung in the balance. At the very least he had been a friend, and she could not bear to think of him lying in a hospital bed thinking that she did not care if he lived or died. She walked slowly to the drawing room, where the furniture had been moved and the carpet folded back so that couples could dance. A Joe Loss record was playing on the gramophone, and to Miranda’s surprise Raif was partnering Rita. Although they were not dancing cheek to cheek he was holding her rather closer than was strictly necessary and Rita was smiling up at him. Jack and Izzie were in each other’s arms, moving dreamily to ‘Crying My Heart Out for You’. In complete contrast Dolly and Ivy were attempting to waltz although they could not seem to decide who was leading. Looking on with some amusement, Annie and Mrs Beasley sat side by side on the sofa, sipping port and lemon, while Elzevir was still on the veranda, huddled on a steamer chair with a bottle of stout clutched in his hand.
Miranda waited until the music ended and her grandparents came towards her, hand in hand like a young married couple. She felt almost envious of their obvious devotion to one another, and she could not help wondering if she would ever experience something as lasting and wonderful. If Max Carstairs could see them now and feel the warmth and affection that filled the room, he would see how wrong he had been. She met them with outstretched arms and gave them a hug. ‘I love you both,’ she said, swallowing hard as her eyes misted with tears.
‘Now, now,’ Maggie said briskly. ‘Don’t get maudlin, my girl.’
Miranda drew away with an affectionate smile. ‘I’m not, Granny. I just wanted to say thank you for everything, and I’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning.’
‘I thought you had another two days.’
‘I have, but I’m going to Great Yarmouth before I go back to the priory. I need to see Gil no matter what his mother thinks or says.’
Miranda had lied to the sister on duty, telling her that she was Gil’s fiancée, as only close family members were allowed to visit. It was a white lie, she told herself as she entered the side ward where Gil lay with both his legs in traction and one arm in plaster. She had not known what to expect but she was surprised to find him fully conscious and staring up at the ceiling. He raised his head a little as he heard her footsteps on the bare linoleum and a slow smile spread across his face. ‘Miranda.’
She hurried to his bedside and drew up a chair. ‘How are you?’ She pulled a face. ‘I’m sorry, that’s a silly question.’
He grinned. ‘I know I look like an Egyptian mummy, but to be honest I don’t feel much at all. They pump me full of morphine if the pain gets too bad. You might be a drug induced delusion for all I know.’
She took his good hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘I’m no illusion, Gil. I came as quickly as I could.’
‘How did you get past Sister Cerberus?’
‘Wasn’t Cerberus the dog that guarded the gates of Hades?’
‘I rest my case. But seriously, how did you get in? I was on the main ward for a while and I heard the chaps complaining because she was so strict about visitors.’
‘I said I was your fiancée. I hope you don’t mind.’
‘I’m flattered. But even if it were true I wouldn’t hold you to it now.’
She was silent for a moment, feeling his inner pain as if it were her own. ‘That’s definitely the morphine talking,’ she said briskly. ‘You just need time for the injuries to heal and you’ll be the old Mad Dog. You’ll be back in your Spit, doing what you do best.’
He looked away. ‘I might be paralysed from the waist down. It could be permanent and I’d spend the rest of my life a cripple.’
‘You don’t know that, Gil.’
‘I overheard the nurses talking and I’m not a fool. I might be flying high on drugs but it doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s happening to me.’ He tightened his gras
p on her hand. ‘But thanks for coming, Miranda. It’s meant a lot to me.’
‘That sounds like goodbye.’
‘It has to be. I don’t need your pity.’
Anger and frustration bubbled up inside her and she drew her hand away. ‘Stop wallowing, Gil. I’m sorry you were injured but I’m here because you mean a lot to me. I care very much what happens to you.’
He raised his eyes to her face. ‘Do you?’
‘Of course I do.’ She dropped her gaze, staring down at their entwined fingers. ‘But I broke my word to come here today. Your mother loves you very much, and I understand why she did it, but she made me promise that I wouldn’t try to see you or contact you in any way.’
‘Why in hell’s name would she do that?’
‘She was just trying to protect you.’
‘She told me that you’d been to The Gables, but that was all.’ Gil closed his eyes. ‘Sorry, I’m starting to drift off again.’
‘I’ve booked into a guest house near the hospital and I’ll come again this evening, if they let me.’ She was not sure if he had heard her, but she leaned over and kissed his cheek before rising from her seat. She stood for a moment, gazing down at him. He looked very young and vulnerable and her heart went out to him, but she was painfully aware how easy it would be to mistake pity for a stronger emotion. She was about to leave when the door opened and a young nurse bustled in carrying a kidney basin covered with a spotless white cloth.
‘I was just going to ask you to leave, miss. It’s time for Flight Lieutenant Maddern’s medication.’