Dangerous Secrets

by Chrissie Loveday

  ‘To us. Good health.’ Charlotte couldn’t quite bring herself to toast their future together, however tempting it seemed to become a part of this comfortable, luxurious lifestyle. Take things slowly was her plan. Gerard’s reputation for collecting beautiful women was well known. She had become aware of the unfriendly attitude of his secretary – Maisie something, wasn’t it? When she had arrived at Gerard’s office one evening, she was greeted with stormy glares from the young woman. One of his many conquests, no doubt. He led her to the large comfortable sofa and eased her down.

  ‘We have the whole weekend ahead of us. What would you like to do with it?’

  ‘I’m not sure. I’d like to see round the house and grounds, of course. And maybe some of the surrounding area? I don’t know this part of the world at all. I was brought up south of the river. The northern areas were always off our map.’

  ‘Very well. That’s easily done. I’ll take us to a nice little restaurant tomorrow evening.’

  ‘As you like.’

  By the end of Sunday lunch, Gerard was totally hooked on this woman. He wanted her. He wanted her in his bed every night. He wanted to travel the world with her and make her the new love of his life. One thing he was certain about. He did not want to have any children with her. Never again did he want to feel this obligation and need to provide for other people. His parenting was never a success and had it not been for his first wife, his children would have turned out to be a total disaster … far more than they were already.

  Was it too soon to ask Charlotte for a commitment? To offer her marriage? Would she be content with simply moving in with him and beginning their lives together this way? Though totally free and exciting when making love, there was still a reservation in the way she spoke lightly of the future.

  ‘You do like my house, don’t you?’ he asked over coffee at the end of lunch.

  ‘It’s wonderful. I love it. Why do you have to ask?’

  ‘I was wondering how you’d feel about moving in with me?’

  ‘Nothing to do with the house, but I’m not sure it would be wise. Not yet.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Your son still lives at home. I’m not sure how he would feel about having another woman in his mother’s home. Don’t forget I haven’t met him yet. Or even seen a picture of him.’

  ‘I’m not sure what that has to do with our relationship. I can always buy him a place of his own if it’s a problem. He’d probably want that anyway.’

  ‘Let’s get to know each other better. It’s a big commitment, you know. We’ve only been out together a few times. This weekend will be the longest time we’ve spent together.’

  ‘It’s been wonderful. I won’t press you now but I want you to think about it seriously. Let’s go somewhere next weekend. Paris?’

  ‘That sounds great. OK. You’re on.’

  ‘I’ll get Maisie to book tickets and a hotel. Any preference as to which one?’

  ‘I leave it to you.’

  ‘Fantastic. Look, I’ve got a little present for you. To celebrate our first proper weekend together.’

  ‘More improper than proper,’ she said softly, remembering some of the extremes of the previous night.

  He took a small jewellery box from his pocket and placed it on the table between them. Charlotte frowned slightly. Surely this wasn’t a ring? That would all be much too soon for her and surely, too soon after the death of his wife. Holding his gaze, she opened the box and finally looked down. A pair of diamond earrings nestled in black velvet.

  ‘Oh Gerard, they’re perfect. Quite lovely. Thank you so much.’

  ‘I’m glad you like them.’

  ‘But you shouldn’t spend so much on me. Not so soon.’

  ‘Why not? I want to give you everything you could ever want. This is only the beginning of what you could have. What I intend to give to you.’

  ‘You’re very generous. Thank you.’

  He smiled contentedly. He was relieved that he had put all of his wife’s jewellery in the study safe straight after her death. Julia hadn’t asked about any of it. By rights, she might have expected to inherit all of it but it had never been mentioned in the will. He’d bought it all so felt free to give any of the pieces to whomsoever he wished. He’d had them all cleaned by a professional jeweler, just in case any of them held traces of his wife’s perfume. Charlotte certainly seemed pleased with his first offering. He doubted she would guess they had once belonged to anyone else.

  They left the restaurant, arms entwined and drove back to The Gates. Ryan’s car was parked in the drive.

  ‘What’s he doing back so early?’ Gerard snapped. ‘I didn’t expect him till late tonight. He might have Hermione with him, so be prepared. I’m so sorry, darling.’

  ‘I’ll just collect my things and go away. You probably want to talk to your son.’

  ‘Not at all. Well, I suppose you had to meet him sometime. Now is as good a time as any I suppose.’

  They went inside and Gerard called out to his son. Ryan came down from his room, looking pale and drawn.

  ‘Dad, I … oh, you have someone with you.’

  ‘Why are you back so early?’

  ‘Hermione wanted to get back. We left after breakfast.’

  ‘Nothing wrong is there?’ Ryan looked away. It had been a disastrous weekend and he didn’t want to talk about it.

  ‘Aren’t you going to introduce us?’ Charlotte asked sweetly.

  ‘Sorry, darling. Ryan, this is Charlotte, a very good friend of mine. Charlotte, my son, Ryan.’

  ‘I’m very pleased to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you,’ she fibbed.

  ‘Really? That surprises me. He doesn’t usually like to talk about me much. I’m a big disappointment to him, you see. I don’t share his appetites for …’

  ‘Ryan. That’s quite enough. Don’t be so rude.’ Gerard was fuming.

  ‘Shall I make some tea?’ Charlotte offered. ‘I think I know where to find things.’

  Ryan glared at her but said nothing. She went into the kitchen and Gerard turned on his son.

  ‘Try to show a modicum of restraint. I know what you think of me but Charlotte is a very special lady and I hope to be seeing a lot of her in future.’

  ‘I bet you’ve seen plenty already. And if you intend moving another woman into my mother’s home, then I want to get out.’

  ‘You shall my boy. As soon as I can arrange it. I’ll buy you a place somewhere nearer the office. I have several properties in mind.’

  ‘You’d like that wouldn’t you? Get me out of the way so you are free to do whatever you want.’

  ‘I’m warning you, Ryan. Behave with some civility or get out of my way. You know what will happen if you don’t. I have the means, remember.’

  Tears filled his eyes and he turned away from his father. He ran back upstairs feeling the same way he used to feel when he was about seven years old. Charlotte emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of tea things.

  ‘Shall I put it in the drawing room?’ she asked.

  ‘Thank you,’ Gerard muttered. He now knew exactly how his son would react to another woman coming into their home. ‘Ryan won’t be joining us after all.’

  So, a cosy weekend with your brother and some woman?

  Unexpected, to me at least. And there was I, planning some new nightly wanderings. No problem. I’ve had some new orders … get her out as fast as you can. So, here we go again, Julia dear.

  I’ve got to make it so unpleasant that you won’t be able to wait to get out of your dear little cottage. I suspect there’s something more much profitable than holiday lets driving all of this. Must be something much bigger to make it all worthwhile.

  They haven’t done much to the old ladies’ place yet … just tidied it up. I think after this summer, we’re going to see something much more interesting happening around here. Some mega changes. Pity I won’t be around to see it. But then, I just might come back.

  I’m going to
enjoy myself the next few days. Or should I say, nights?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Julia dumped the sheets in the washer and stood outside in the garden watching the surfers as they looked for decent waves. The youngsters on their little body boards were having fun in the slight surf. Most of the big guys had moved to the North Coast where the waves were more challenging. She reflected on the weekend. They had driven round The Lizard on Saturday, stopping off at the various beaches and beauty spots. They’d had lunch at one of their favourite hotels near Lizard village itself. A magnificent view over a private bay, the lighthouse and warm sunshine had made it a very pleasant break.

  She had offered to stay behind at the cottage and leave Ryan and Hermione to enjoy a day out together but both had insisted she should accompany them. She had sensed slight tension between them and did her best to make it an enjoyable outing. They had all gone along to the pub in the evening for a meal and some live music. Several of their old friends had been there and Julia was delighted to find she would be able to enjoy some new company in the coming weeks. But for Ryan and Hermione, she sensed this was probably the end of something … not that anything much had happened in their relationship so far. At breakfast this morning, they had announced that they planned to leave once the meal was over.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind, Julia. It’s been lovely to meet you and thank you for sharing your lovely cottage with me. But I have things to do early tomorrow and it’s such a long drive.’

  ‘I’m sorry you have to leave, Perhaps you could come for a longer stay next time.’ The two of them exchanged glances and she knew immediately there would be no next time. She had heard them talking earlier and thought they might have reached some sort of understanding. It seemed they had, but not the one she had hoped it might be. She dumped the piece of beef into the freezer. She had planned to cook a Sunday roast but was certainly not going to bother with it just for herself. The day lay ahead, unexpected and unplanned. Perhaps gardening was on the cards. Boring but necessary. When she finally went back inside, she saw there was a message waiting on the phone. She pushed the button.

  ‘Hi, Julia. We arrived home safely. I dropped Hermione off. I’m afraid we won’t be seeing each other again. Guess what? Dad’s brought a new woman home. I suspect she’s about to move in. I can’t bear it. Speak later.’

  ‘Oh, Ryan, Ryan. You poor dear,’ she muttered. ‘I knew this would happen eventually but not quite so soon.’ She tried to call him on his mobile but it was switched to voicemail. She left him a message. Someone knocked at the door.

  ‘Oh hi, Rick. Come in.’

  ‘Just come off duty,’ said the Aussie lifeguard who was a regular in Trengillyn each summer. He had his life sorted. Summer in the UK and winter in Australia. He was tall, blond, and very good- looking. He wore tight T-shirts showing off his pecs, with shorts to display equally muscular legs. She was surprised to see him here, as his beach buggy was usually draped in bikini-clad teenage girls who did their best to entice him to stay with them each evening.

  ‘No little friends this evening?’ she asked.

  ‘I’ve had my fill of giggly girls for one weekend. Needed some more adult company. Thought you might be feeling a bit low after your brother and girlfriend left.’ Rick had been in the pub the previous evening and they’d known each other for several summers.

  ‘Can I get you a drink?’

  ‘Yeah. Thanks.’

  ‘Beer? Wine? Tea or coffee?’

  ‘I’ll take a beer thanks. We could sit outside and enjoy this lovely evening.’

  They sat companionably, watching the sun disappearing behind a headland.

  ‘I heard about your mum,’ he said. ‘Sorry about that. And what’s with Ryan and his lady? She looked a nice girl.’

  ‘She is but I never thought it would last.’

  ‘Doesn’t surprise me. Didn’t think he was that interested in skirts.’

  Julia stared at her companion. What did he mean by that?

  ‘Sorry. No offence intended. There’s just something about him. Sort of gentle. Sensitive. Bit too aware of his feminine side.’

  ‘Maybe. He doesn’t really know what he wants actually. Sorry, I shouldn’t be talking this way.’

  ‘Why not? Sometimes helps to speak to someone who isn’t involved. By the way, have you eaten this evening?’

  ‘No. Ryan and Hermione left early so I didn’t bother cooking. I could fix an omelette or something?’

  ‘Thanks, but I was going to suggest the pub. My shout.’

  ‘Well, thanks. OK. That would be nice. I feel as if life is starting over again now you guys are back and there are more visitors are around.’

  ‘Must have been lonely here for you earlier on. And I heard about all your troubles. Good that things have calmed down now. Come on then, let’s go.’

  They walked along the beachside road. Julia felt relaxed once more and slowly, the old feeling of being in her favourite place was creeping back. It was still slightly odd to be here on her own but it was her home now and she was coming to terms with it. It was a pleasant evening and Rick and his mates were good company. He insisted on walking her back home and went in for a final coffee.

  ‘You’re pretty thorough with putting the alarm on, aren’t you?’ he remarked as she disarmed it.

  ‘Taking no chances.’

  ‘Have you thought of getting someone to stay here? You could rent out a room here ten times over. We’re all looking for places around this time of year. Be company for you and also added security … not to mention a bit of rent to add to your income.’

  ‘I’m not sure. It’s Ryan’s place too, don’t forget. There has to be somewhere for him all the time and space for him to invite friends.’

  ‘Just a thought. There’s always me, of course. I’d move in like a shot. In fact …’ He reached for her hand and pulled her towards him. He kissed her and held her close. ‘You are just gorgeous, Julia Renton. You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to do that. This has to be the first time I’ve had you to myself. You’re always surrounded by hoards of people.’

  ‘Everything changes. It’s the first time I’ve been here alone for a spell.’

  She realised just how much she had enjoyed the contact with such an intensely physical male. Rick was typical of the Aussie surf crowd. He was strong and muscular … just the sort a person would be glad to have around in an emergency. Apart from that, she realised she was very attracted to him. It could never be anything more than a casual affair. She’d heard about his reputation with girls. Did she want to be just another conquest for him? Would it spoil their friendship and make things difficult with the rest of the group?

  At this moment, he was sending delicious feelings of anticipation through her entire body. Coffee forgotten, it was no longer a matter of making decisions about their next actions. She felt as if her body was completely turning to liquid fire.

  ‘Let’s go upstairs,’ she murmured.

  She awoke suddenly sometime later, wondering who was lying beside her, a strong arm lying over her middle. Memory came back quickly and she smiled at that memory. Rick stirred and mumbled something. She wriggled slightly to get out of bed. As she did so, she heard a noise from downstairs. Damn, she hadn’t reset the alarm, she realised.

  Gently, she shook Rick’s arm, warning him to stay quiet. ‘I think there’s someone downstairs,’ she whispered in his ear. Instantly, he was awake and leapt out of bed, pulling on his shorts as he did so.

  ‘Stay there,’ he hissed. Julia was glad to do as he said but went to the top of the stairs to see what was going on. There was a loud yelp and Rick shouted out.

  ‘What is it?’ Julia called.

  ‘A bloody fox got in. The front door’s open and it must have got inside. It’s ripped several cushions and looks as if it managed to open the fridge. Stuff’s been pulled out. Bit of a mess.’ She ran down the stairs to look. Rick was herding it out of the door and it ran off into the night. He slam
med the door shut.

  ‘I don’t understand how it opened the door. Maybe it wasn’t locked but I doubt it could have opened it without help.’

  ‘I think you may be right. I somehow doubt it was an accident. My attacker is obviously back on the scene. Thanks for being my knight in shining armour.’

  ‘Glad I was here. But surely, this makes my suggestion of having a lodger even more necessary?’

  ‘I’ll give it some thought. Somebody wants me out of here for sure.’

  ‘Any suspects?’

  ‘Well, I don’t have any proof other than my boss. Bryce Davies is very anxious to buy up any properties going. He’s made many suggestions that he’d like to buy this place.’

  ‘Wouldn’t have thought holiday lets were that profitable.’

  ‘I suspect there’s something more dramatic on the cards. I am hoping to find out when I get more information from the business.’

  ‘So, that’s why you took that job, is it?’

  ‘I needed the money.’

  ‘Thought your family were loaded?’

  ‘My father is. Because I’ve rebelled, I’m cut off without a penny.’ Rick looked away. She took a breath. ‘Is that why you were interested? You thought I was loaded? Sorry to disappoint.’

  ‘Course not. I like you. Always have. I just didn’t realise you were struggling.’

  ‘Not exactly struggling. Maybe you’d better leave now.’

  ‘Don’t be silly. Let’s have a cup of something and go back to bed. I don’t want to go wandering about in the dark. I’m a wimp at heart. Set your alarm, lock the door and I’ll help you clear up the mess.’

  ‘I’ll do it in the morning. I just don’t see how that fox could get in without help. And I know the door was shut firmly. May not have been locked. Oh well, it just proves I can never totally relax.’

  ‘I’ll see what I can do to help you relax,’ he said, running his fingers over the back of her neck. They went back to bed, a cup of anything soon forgotten.

  They awoke late and Julia was forced to hurry him out of the house without breakfast next morning. Now she was alone in the office, she couldn’t be late. As Bryce so often said, “Missed calls are business losses”.