by Anne Baker
Somehow their relationship had always had an awkward edge to it. For a long time, Andrew had seemed to be reaching out to her, wanting more than friendship, and she was beginning to think she’d been a fool to push him away when he’d tried to kiss her.
Pete would be the first to say, ‘It’s no good hankering after me, I’m history now. It’s time you got on with life. I want you to enjoy it. If you feel you’ll be happy with Andrew, tell him so and go for it.’
Perhaps she was dreaming of a rosy future for them, happily married and working together to make the business a real success. Perhaps she’d left it too late for them to get together, perhaps she’d pushed him away once too often and he no longer wanted that. Perhaps he wouldn’t want to take on management duties. His ideas about the future could be very different from hers, but she knew there was only one way to find out. If she wanted things settled, she would have to ask him. She would have to lay all her cards on the table and openly discuss all her ideas with him.
The next morning, as soon as she’d made sure that all was under control in the lab, she went along to Andrew’s office. It was easy enough to talk about the business side and ask if he wanted to help her run the company. Business was what they usually talked about in his office. She started to outline her plans.
His dark eyes beamed at her. ‘You’re offering me a wonderful opportunity,’ he said, ‘and I’m thrilled you want me to help you. You and I work well together. It’s a splendid idea.’
They spent all that day and most of the next getting an advertisement into several newspapers for a young qualified accountant to take on some of Andrew’s work, and deciding how the duties and responsibilities of the business should be divided up between them. Millie shared his enthusiasm, excitement sparked between them and when his hand happened to brush against hers, she thought they both felt the thrill. She hoped he’d speak of it. She was certain now that it was love she felt for him, she wanted more, but hesitated before taking the last step.
It was only when they’d drafted everything out on paper and given it to Sylvie to type that their excitement calmed down. Millie regretted that she’d given no indication of what she felt for him, said nothing about love or marriage, so that part of her plan was still up in the air.
What she’d intended to do was propose marriage to a man who had said nothing about his feelings for her. It was a subject they’d never discussed and she was finding it difficult now. The very thought made her nervous because she was afraid she might have read signs she thought she’d seen all wrong. She went home and worried about it all night, but she knew if that was what she wanted, she’d have to propose to him.
Sylvie and Geraldine were in high spirits, looking for-ward to seeing Denis again. Millie decided his visit would provide an opportunity to have a private talk with Andrew. She would invite him to have supper with her at home. Sylvie would be tied up with Denis and though the boys would be there, when she sent them off to do their homework she could rely on them doing exactly that.
When she invited Andrew, his smile was dazzling. ‘Supper at your house tomorrow evening? I’ll look forward to that. Thank you. At what time?’
‘Straight from work,’ Millie said, heartened by his response. ‘It’ll be nothing special, I’m afraid, an informal meal with the boys. In fact, Sylvie’s going out to dinner so you’ll be eating her ration.’ Millie planned to make the stew tonight so it would only need warming up tomorrow.
‘That sounds great,’ he said, ‘excellent.’
All the same, when she went along to his office at five o’clock the following day, she was feeling a little on edge and he was quieter than usual. He drove them home, parked on her drive and presented her with a bottle of red wine. She took him to the kitchen where she lit one gas under the stew pan, and another under the pan of potatoes. Then she filled the kettle and gave him a bottle opener for the wine.
From the window, she could see the boys in the garden kicking a ball about. Millie tapped on the glass, signalling for them to come in. She’d set the table this morning and made everything ready and she’d agreed with the boys that they should take over the job of cooking the potatoes and cabbage.
‘Hello, Mum.’ They came in looking hot and untidy.
‘Wash your hands before you do anything,’ she said hastily, and when they came back she added, ‘This is our accountant, Andrew Worthington. Sylvie is his secretary.’
Simon offered him a damp hand and assumed a formal grown-up manner. ‘How d’you do?’ She could see Andrew was not at ease.
‘We know you, don’t we?’ Kenny said, peering up at him. ‘You came to our bonfire night party.’
‘Yes,’ Simon said, ‘and Sylvie talks about you sometimes.’
Kenny added, ‘She said working for you was better than working for Cousin Marcus.’
Millie pulled a face, and picked up the wine and two glasses. ‘Call me when everything’s ready.’
She took Andrew up to the playroom where she lit the gas fire. It popped and spluttered and, seated one on each side of it, she knew the time had come to say her piece. But Andrew was sitting straight and stiff on the edge of the armchair, staring at the glass in his hand.
That gave her cold feet and she decided to put it off until they’d eaten and the wine had had time to take effect. He talked about the new arrangements in the office until Kenny came running up to tell them that Simon was dishing up the dinner.
The food was passable, just, the boiled potatoes and cabbage were overcooked but the wine was good and by then their inhibitions were melting. The boys chatted about school and it was quite a relaxed meal. Sylvie had made queen of puddings for them which was excellent and the boys made a cup of tea. Afterwards they cleared the table between them and dealt with the washing-up.
Millie sent the boys to do their homework and took Andrew into the sitting room. The room felt a little chilly though Simon had put a match to the fire she’d laid ready when he’d come home from school. The time had come, and she couldn’t put it off any longer.
She took a deep breath and said what she’d rehearsed. ‘Andrew, there’s something I have to say to you. I feel in a way I’ve used you. I’ve accepted all your kindnesses and advice and shown you little regard in return.’
‘No, no,’ he protested, ‘nonsense, you’ve just promoted me.’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t mean that. I’ve pushed you away when you were trying to . . .’
‘Kiss you?’ He came nearer to sit beside her on the sofa. ‘I’m sorry. I was showing no understanding of your feelings.’
‘What I’m trying to say,’ Millie stumbled on, ‘is that I’m over Pete and . . .’
His arms went round her in an exuberant hug, ‘Millie, I was afraid I’d never hear you say that. I love you. I have for ages. I’m absolutely thrilled.’ His lips came down on hers. ‘I’ve known almost since I first saw you that I wanted you in my life,’ he told her.
They stayed on the sofa with their arms round each other and had the heart-to-heart talk Millie thought they should have had sooner. She knew she hadn’t yet made clear what she wanted and said, ‘Dare I ask what your thoughts are about marriage?’
‘I’m all for it.’ His eyes looked into hers for a long moment. ‘To you? Are you asking me if . . .?’
‘Yes. I haven’t always been kind . . .’
‘My darling Millie,’ he laughed. ‘Marry you? You must know I’d jump at the chance. I was afraid the only thing you wanted from me was help with the job. I was prepared to settle for that if it was all you could give.’
‘I’m sorry. I choked you off, didn’t I?’
‘I should have been more patient,’ Andrew was saying when Kenny came down in his pyjamas.
‘We’ve got ourselves bathed and ready for bed,’ he said. ‘We’ve done everything you said we must. We haven�
��t been a nuisance, have we?’
‘No, love, you’ve both been very good,’ Millie said. ‘Come on, we’ll both come up to tuck you in and say goodnight.’
As they were coming downstairs afterwards, Andrew said, ‘I feel very lucky to be gaining a family as well as a wife. My lonely days are over.’
‘You haven’t told me very much about yourself,’ she said. ‘Compared with me, you’re really quite shy.’
He told her then about his first marriage and asked about Sylvie’s father.
‘I was in love with him when I was seventeen,’ she said, ‘but he left me in the lurch when I was pregnant. Pete rescued me, but not until after Sylvie was born. I had no idea how I was going to cope. I agonised long and hard about it and promised myself then that I’d never allow myself to be in that position again.’
‘Quite right,’ he said.
‘But it’s left me with a hang-up. I can’t sleep with you until we’re married. Apart from that, it would be setting a bad example to my children.’
‘I do understand,’ he said. ‘I promise to respect your wishes. I feel everything is in reach now.’
It was late when Denis brought Sylvie home that night.
‘I’d better be off,’ Andrew said. ‘We all have to go to work tomorrow. Can I offer you a lift home, Denis?’
‘Yes please,’ he said, ‘though I don’t have to be up early.’
Millie thought her evening ended rather abruptly, but she was very happy and more confident about the future than she had been for a long time.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Millie still felt on cloud nine when she arrived in the lab the next morning. She knew Andrew was already here, she’d seen his car in the car park, and a few minutes later he came to see her, but Geraldine was chatting about Denis and Sylvie. Millie caught his eye and he indicated that he’d like them to go to his office, where they could talk in private.
He hurried her down the corridor, pushed the door shut behind them and caught both her hands in his. ‘Millie, I hardly slept a wink last night, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.’ His eyes were shining, ‘I can’t believe you really want to marry me.’ He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
‘There’s nothing I want more,’ she said, ‘and afterwards I want you to come and live in our house, we’ve loads of room.’
The phone on his desk rang, and clucking with impatience he broke off to answer some routine query. When he’d put it down he smiled across his desk at her and said, ‘We haven’t talked about what sort of a wedding you want or all the hundred and one other arrangements we’ll have to make.’
‘I’ve been thinking about it. I’d like to get married quickly with no fuss.’
‘So would I.’
‘But then there are my children. I think it would be better if we gave the boys time to get to know you.’
‘It might, they’ll need time to get used to the idea of a new father, won’t they?’
Millie nodded. ‘Yes, I want us to be a happy family.’
‘Perhaps we should be engaged for a while.’
‘Yes. They’ve lost their father. I don’t want them to think I’m deserting them for you.’
‘But you’d still be there with them.’
‘Yes, but I want ours to be a proper marriage so a lot of my attention will be on you.’
Andrew came round and took her into his arms again. ‘Millie, I do love you.’
She whispered, ‘Pete said that he’d told his daughters he wanted to marry me before he proposed to me. He said it was obvious they wouldn’t see me as a replacement for their mother, but he wanted them to be happy too. It turned out very well for us all and I’d like that for my sons.’
‘Then we must do it that way. What about Sylvie?’
‘She has Denis now, so I think she’ll have less trouble than the boys.’
‘But she’s my secretary and soon she’ll be my stepdaughter.’
‘I know, but she’ll get used to the idea.’
He laughed. ‘Millie, I was thinking of myself. How do I treat her? I mean, I’d have a different relationship with my secretary than I would with my stepdaughter, wouldn’t I?’
‘That is something you’ll have to work for yourself. But we can ask her if she wants to carry on working for you, or whether she’d prefer to change to someone else. Let’s start by telling the children. Come round again for dinner . . .’
‘No, let me take you all out together to have a slap-up meal. We can tell them it’s by way of celebration.’
‘I’d like them to make up their own minds about it being a good idea. Sylvie says she likes you but I want the boys to like you too. Better to start on a lower key, take them out on a day trip, and tell them we plan to get married over tea and cakes. Just let it sink in slowly.’
‘Whatever you think best,’ Andrew agreed. ‘You know them better than I do.’
‘Right, then to start with, we’ll just tell Sylvie and the boys and Pete’s daughters and let them know it’s a family secret. We’ll leave it a week or two before we say anything here at work.’
‘I need to tell my mother straight away,’ Andrew said. ‘It’ll mean big changes for her and I don’t think she’ll welcome them. I’ll take you to meet her.’
‘Yes, and you must bring her to meet the children and see where you’ll be living. Everyone will accept it, if we give them time.’
The following day over their lunchtime sandwich, Andrew said, ‘I told my mother about you last night.’
Millie smiled. ‘What did she say?’
‘That she was glad I’d found somebody at last. She kept asking questions about you and wanted to know if you’d be coming to live with us. Afterwards she looked very sad. She’d told me ages ago that when my father died and I was away during the war, she felt lonely and frightened.
Millie was concerned. ‘How old is she?’
‘Seventy-six but she hasn’t been too well recently.’
‘She doesn’t like the idea of being left on her own?’
‘She doesn’t say that, but I’m sure you’re right. Come home with me this afternoon and have a cup of tea with her. She needs to get to know you.’
‘Andrew, I need to get to know her and the sooner the better. Sylvie can go home on the bus today and I’ll come with you.’
‘Good, as you say, the sooner the better. I don’t think she likes change.’
‘Does anybody at her age? It’s Friday, let’s leave early, say four o’clock, so I can spend a bit of time with her. I don’t want to seem rushed.’
Millie followed Andrew’s car through pleasant suburban roads and saw him pull into the drive of a smart, semi-detached house. It had been freshly painted and the garden was well cared for, but she found Elsie Worthington looked very frail and thin, and walked with the aid of a stick.
‘Just a touch of rheumatics,’ she told Millie. ‘It’s beginning to catch up with me now but I still enjoy pottering round the house and garden. I don’t let it stop me doing things.’ She had a tray set with her best cups and saucers and the kettle filled in readiness. ‘I was so pleased when Andrew phoned to say you were coming for tea. Though I’m afraid I have no cake to offer you.’
‘Don’t worry, Mum,’ Andrew said from the kitchen, ‘I’ve got the kettle on and I’m just getting a few plates. I told Sylvie I had to provide an afternoon tea for her mother and got her to nip round to the Refreshment rooms. She managed to get three cream slices and borrow a packet of ginger nuts from the kitchen at work, though she told me I’d have to replace that.’ He brought them into the living room.
Millie laughed, and Andrew’s mother said, ‘Resourceful as ever.’
She had plenty of small talk and asked about Millie’s children. Millie invited her to come and meet them o
n Sunday afternoon.
She drove home pondering on Andrew’s present situation. Clearly he was doing much of the housework and his mother would not relish being left on her own. She knew what she had to do. All those years ago Pete had taken over responsibility for her mother and she was in the position to sort the problem out for Andrew now. He would not be happy if his mother was left on her own.
By Sunday afternoon Millie had finalised her plans. She was watching for Andrew’s arrival and went out to his car when she saw him pull up on her drive. Elsie Worthington seemed stiff and fragile as she helped her into the house and through to the conservatory. Millie had decided they’d have their afternoon tea here because although the sun was shining, there was too sharp a breeze to have it in the garden.
‘What a lovely house you have. So big and bright.’
Millie introduced her to her children. ‘Sylvie baked the Victoria sponge this morning and the boys made the scones and the gingerbread men,’ she said as she poured out the tea. The children handed round the food and Elsie praised everything.
‘If Andrew comes to live here, he won’t know he’s born. Home-made cakes too.’
‘I hope he will come,’ Millie smiled at him. But she thought her guests were not entirely at ease and when they’d finished their tea, she said, ‘The children have promised to clear away and wash up, so while they’re doing that let me show you more of my house. Andrew hasn’t seen it all yet. Can you manage the stairs?’
‘Yes, no problem,’ Elsie said cheerfully but it took her a long time to get up.
Millie had spent a couple of hours spring-cleaning the room that Hattie had used, and took them there now. It had two big windows with views over the garden and a gas fire fitted into the grate. Two small armchairs were pulled up to it and there was a bookcase and a small table. On the other side of the room was a single bed and two wardrobes. Once it had been the main bedroom of the house and for Hattie the adjoining dressing-room had been turned into a bathroom.