The Hornbeam Tree

by Susan Lewis

  He nodded.

  ‘Its authors,’ she continued, ‘are the much despised neo-conservatives who are now running the White House and Pentagon – and, by dint of unswerving support for pre-emptive military strikes, elements of our own government too, some might say.’

  His eyebrows were up. ‘That about covers it,’ he told her.

  Michelle said, ‘So the P2 task force is a spin-off of this Project?’

  ‘Almost without doubt,’ he confirmed.

  ‘And what Tom has is documentary evidence of one of their missions, which appears to be the funding and plotting of a terror attack on Britain?’

  Again he nodded. ‘Appears being the operative word,’ he added, ‘because he thinks there’s actually more to it, and I’d go along with that, because why would the US help launch an attack on its biggest ally?’

  Katie scoffed. ‘There are certain parties in that regime who’d stop at nothing to secure the next election,’ she reminded him.

  ‘But how would a terror attack on Britain do that?’

  ‘Well, it would stir up enough fear in the US electorate to make them leery of a leadership change – oh my God they’ve hit our best mates, thank God our leaders have managed to protect us. Mustn’t dare change them now, the next lot haven’t had any experience, so we’ve got to stay with who we know …’

  Elliot wasn’t unimpressed. ‘It’s certainly a theory that could hold water,’ he conceded, ‘but we’ve a long way to go before we could prove anything like that, and besides, it’s unlikely anyone in Whitehall would support an attack on our soil, and for the moment at least, we’re presuming someone this side of the Atlantic is party to this project.’

  Wishing she shared his faith in their government, Katie merely shrugged and picked up her coffee, as Michelle said, ‘So what do we do next?’

  ‘Find the original 21 Project document,’ he answered. ‘It seems to have been withdrawn from circulation, so it could take some tracking down. Max is on it in Washington, I’ve got my researchers on it too, so what you could do is familiarize yourselves with the later version, so that when the time comes you’ll be quick to spot any inconsistencies with the original. There’s also the web site you found the other day, listing the names of everyone involved in the recommendation for an elite pre-emptive task force, i.e. the P2OG. Most of them are going to be supporters of the 21 Project, possibly even neo-cons themselves.’

  Michelle was already reaching for the printout which she’d put in the dresser drawer. ‘There are dozens of names,’ she said. ‘Most seem to have scientific, military or nuclear backgrounds.’

  As they began going through the list Katie got up to answer the phone. ‘Hello?’ she said, still half-listening to Michelle and Elliot.

  ‘Katie. It’s Laurie. Is Elliot with you?’

  Katie hesitated, for Laurie’s tone was reminding her of Elliot’s tension when he’d arrived. ‘As a matter of fact he is,’ she replied. ‘Shall I pass you over?’

  ‘If you wouldn’t mind.’

  ‘Laurie,’ she told Elliot, holding out the phone.

  ‘Tell her I’ll talk to her later,’ he responded, still focusing on Michelle’s list.

  Katie put the phone back to her ear.

  ‘I heard,’ Laurie said. Then after a pause, ‘Has he told you he walked in on me and Nick this morning?’

  Though Katie had already guessed as much, with Elliot sitting right there all she could say was, ‘Are we still meeting today?’

  Laurie took a breath. ‘Would it be a problem if I had to postpone until tomorrow?’

  ‘Don’t worry. It looks as though Michelle and I are going to have our work cut out beavering around the Internet now Tom’s finally given us a direction.’

  ‘I thought he must have been in touch,’ Laurie said. ‘That’s why Elliot’s there?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘When’s he heading back to London?’

  Katie turned to Elliot. ‘When are you heading back to London?’

  Once again he said, ‘Tell her I’ll speak to her later,’ and he continued listening to Michelle.

  ‘Sorry, I’m putting you in a horrible position,’ Laurie said. ‘I’ll ring off now and call you later. Or perhaps you could call me when you can.’

  ‘Of course,’ Katie promised, and regretting that there was no more she could say or do for now, she rang off. ‘So where are we?’ she asked, returning to the table and knowing Elliot would want to continue as though the last few minutes hadn’t happened.

  ‘We were just posing the question,’ he answered, appearing slightly more strained than before, ‘which elements of the British Establishment would be supportive of American world dominance?’

  Katie frowned. ‘I think, if we put it in the context of gain, we should come up with a few answers,’ she replied.

  ‘Personal or political?’

  ‘Either way, it definitely wouldn’t be good.’

  Smiling at the understatement, Michelle said, ‘I think we need to fire up your computer, my darling, and start this ball rolling. There’s more coffee if you’d like some,’ she told Elliot.

  ‘No, one is fine,’ he replied, carrying his empty cup to the sink. ‘There’s going to be a lot to plough through,’ he warned, ‘it could take days, and even then you’ll still be pulling up articles, comments, reports, you name it, that are going to have some relevance. The important thing is to stay focused on the P2OG and anything that might prove its existence.’

  ‘What about calling some of the names on that list and asking them to comment?’ Katie said.

  ‘Yes, but not yet. A call from any of us is going to confirm that Tom’s running with the story, and we don’t want to do that until he’s ready.’

  Acknowledging the logic of that, she said, ‘It’ll be interesting to see what lengths they go to to try and stop him, because that in itself will tell us a lot.’

  Elliot nodded agreement.

  ‘You look as though you’re about to leave,’ Michelle commented.

  ‘I need to get back to London,’ he responded, glancing at his watch.

  Getting up to give him a hug, she said, ‘Stay in touch, and thanks for coming all this way.’

  His smile was sardonic as he said, ‘It was worth it, just to see Katie.’

  Beaming with pleasure, Katie linked his arm and walked outside with him. ‘It’s a beautiful day again,’ she remarked, gazing up at the mostly blue sky. ‘We’ve been so lucky with the weather this year. The forecast says it’s about to change though.’

  He made no comment, merely turned to look at her as they reached the corner of the house.

  ‘I know what’s happening between you and Laurie is none of my business,’ she said gently, ‘and I’m not about to embarrass you by trying to make it so, I just want to say this: she’s obviously still finding it very hard to come to terms with what you did. It was a terrible shock, and probably hurt her even more deeply than you fully realize. You’re getting a taste of it now, but I don’t think it’s revenge she’s after. I think it’s much more complicated than that, and a part of it will be about who she feels secure with – and he hasn’t let her down the way you did.’ She put a hand on his chest and smiled. ‘I know it’s going to be devastating thinking of her with another man, but instead of trying to force her to give him up and stay with you, I would suggest that you make sure she knows she’s loved, then give her some space to work out what she really wants. It could take you a lot closer to forgiveness than you think. No promises, that’s just my opinion, and it goes without saying, if there’s anything I can do you know where I am.’

  He continued to look at her, absorbing her words, and seeing a woman who was a shadow of the one he’d known and admired for so long, yet somehow seemed to be burning brighter than ever. ‘How did I ever let you get away?’ he said softly.

  A roguish twinkle stole into her eyes, signalling an end to the seriousness. ‘Oh, I’m still hooked,’ she warned, ‘but before you let it
go to your head, my weirdy old hormones have got my libido whirling around all over the place these days, and I’m afraid any old trousers will do.’

  As he laughed, a disgusted voice shot from behind, ‘Mum! You are just so embarrassing!’

  ‘Oh God, I forgot you were still here,’ Katie groaned. ‘I’m sorry, OK?’ And to Elliot, ‘You’re not allowed to be human if you’re a mother.’

  Elliot turned to Molly. ‘I could be going your way, if you’d like a lift?’ he offered.

  Molly’s eyes rounded. ‘Is the Porsche yours?’

  ‘Pff, transparent as air,’ Katie scoffed, ‘at least I play a bit harder to get.’

  ‘Maybe that’s where you go wrong,’ Molly retorted, planting a kiss on her cheek.

  Katie’s eyes were wide as she watched them waltz off towards the gate. ‘Did you hear that?’ she said to Michelle, going back inside. ‘That waspy little zinger she just shafted me with could have come straight out of your low-voltage repartee.’

  ‘Correction,’ Michelle said mildly, ‘straight out of yours, which is where we all get it from. Now, we’ve got work to do, and since you’re far better at this kind of research than I am, why don’t you take over the controls?’

  Katie was about to sit down at the computer when she suddenly changed her mind. ‘No,’ she said, decisively. ‘I’ve been doing that ever since you got here, keeping myself in the spotlight, always running the show as though I’m the only one with make-up and a script. I think it’s time you came out of the wings to share the stage, because, crushing as it might be to someone of my dazzling talent, your part in the finale is going to be far more relevant than my own.’

  Michelle was looking at her with a mix of wry amusement and affection. ‘You don’t half talk a lot of twaddle sometimes,’ she commented.

  Katie was unabashed. ‘No, I’m standing aside,’ she insisted, still warming to her theme. ‘You’re in charge now and I’m happy to fade off into the background so everyone knows who the real star is.’

  Michelle cocked an eyebrow, but said no more, for Katie could be as theatrical or as generously intentioned as she liked, it just simply wasn’t going to happen that she’d stand aside and let someone else take over. It wasn’t in her nature, never had been, and never would be, nor would Michelle ever want it to be.

  Chapter Twelve

  AFTER PUTTING THE phone down to Katie, Laurie had decided that the only way she could hope to think straight was to take herself out of the hotel and lose herself in the countryside, where there would be no phones, and no temptation to call either Elliot or Nick, while she tried to sort out the dreadful mess she was in.

  She’d started out walking down through the village to an old stone bridge that crossed the river and yielded to a footpath the other side that crept in a dry, cracked strip through the reeds and bushes along the bank. After a while she climbed a stile and followed the slope of the path, away from the river, up into a meadow, where it unravelled like a ribbon into the tempting depths of a wood beyond. She found it colder amongst the trees, but somehow more restful. The way the sunlight played on the leaves and streamed in misty bands across the pathway filled her with a sense of timelessness and beauty that gradually began to loosen her tension and allow some calm to return to the frantic racing of her mind. But it still wasn’t easy to face the questions that needed to be answered when even to form them was painful, and the prospect of how much hurt she could cause all three of them was as daunting as the thought of facing Elliot again.

  It should have been so straightforward, for in her heart she knew she’d never loved anyone the way she loved him, nor could she imagine her life without him, but perhaps it wasn’t about imagining, perhaps it was about accepting that life was unfolding the way it was now to show her that the time for them was drawing to an end. Even to think it was making her panicky again, and want to hold on even tighter, but in a steadier, more rational part of her mind she knew that was the natural instinct for anyone who felt about to fall. But what if letting go was the right thing to do? She’d found it impossible when he’d left her for Andraya, she’d held on so tight then that the pain and fear had become like a living force inside her, possessing her, and pushing her so relentlessly and mercilessly towards the edge that if Nick hadn’t been there, she dreaded to think now what she might have done.

  She remembered only too well how long Elliot had made her wait before he’d discuss why he’d left her, the terrible agony of self-doubt he’d put her through before he’d finally confronted his actions. And even then he hadn’t told her about Andraya. He’d said he couldn’t marry her because he didn’t love her the way she deserved to be loved. The truth about Andraya hadn’t come out until later.

  In the end, dazed with grief and devastated by rejection, she’d seduced Nick while barely knowing what she was doing. He’d tried to resist, afraid of how deeply she might regret it later, but she’d so desperately needed the closeness, as well as the reassurance that someone could want her the same way Elliot wanted Andraya, that he’d finally given in. It had been beautiful and tender, he’d given everything of himself, despite knowing that for her it was only a partial escape, because even then she’d hardly been able to get Elliot and Andraya out of her mind. And it was no different now. The very thought of them together filled her with so much pain and jealousy that she had to instantly close it down. She wanted to think only of Nick, to make love with him and know that his passion burned with the same strength as her own, and that when he was with her he was there completely, not torn between her and a woman who was so exotically sensuous and exciting that it could only be a matter of time before Elliot went back to her.

  She walked on and on, across fields and meadows, over stiles, through more woods, until eventually she rejoined the river, a long way from where she’d started. She stood for a long time staring into the bubbling, swirling current, feeling her thoughts moving with it, rising and turning, falling and moving on, until finally she found the courage to admit that in spite of everything she was telling herself about Nick, it still didn’t change the way she felt about Elliot. No matter that he’d betrayed her so cruelly, or that he’d let her down in so many ways, the love they shared was still there in her heart. However damaged and changed it was, until everything was resolved between them she had to accept that it simply wasn’t fair to carry on using Nick in this way.

  When she finally returned to the hotel she went straight to her room, picked up the phone and dialled Nick’s number. He answered on the third ring, and even though he was half way to London, he agreed to turn round and come back.

  As she waited she considered trying to call Elliot again, but decided against it, for right now she wouldn’t know what to say. She wondered where he was, how much thought he was giving to this morning, and how he was dealing with the hurt. Knowing him as she did, it was easy to imagine him blocking it out by immersing himself in Tom’s story, indeed he’d already demonstrated it this morning, when he’d asked Nick to call him. Had they spoken yet, she wondered.

  It was just after five thirty when she saw Nick’s car pulling up below her window, next to the market cross. As she watched him get out her insides were folding into a chaos of nerves, though, for the moment at least, her mind seemed calm, and her resolve more or less intact. She’d rehearsed what she was going to say, even though she knew it would probably all come out differently, because she had no idea how he was going to react, or even how she was going to feel when it came time for him to leave. Right now she truly didn’t think she’d be able to let him go, so she tried just to focus on the few minutes ahead, because how she greeted him would, she believed, set the tone for how she handled everything else.

  When the knock came she closed her eyes and tried to ignore the hammering of her heart. Maybe they should have met in the bar, or somewhere else completely, far away from the hotel and the intimacy they’d shared in this room, but it was too late now, and finally steeling herself she went to open the door. />
  He said nothing as he looked at her, and as she looked back her heart turned inside out, for his expression told her that he already knew what she was going to say, but he’d come anyway, driven all this way back to hear her tell him it was over, when he could so easily have put it off, or made her tell him on the phone. She took a breath, maybe to invite him in, or maybe just to say hello, she wasn’t entirely sure, she only knew that all her words had gone, and that she was moving into his arms because it was the only place in the world she wanted to be.

  The door closed behind them and their embrace grew deeper and ever more needful, as though the fear of parting was drawing them tighter together. They made love with more tenderness than they had before, never taking their eyes from each other as their bodies moved rhythmically together, allowing them to feel each sensation as exquisitely as if it were the first. There was no urgency, only an intensity that seemed to flow between them with as much ease as the physical part of their pleasure. Their climax was a long and deeply sensuous time in coming, building with excruciating power to a point where neither of them could hold back any more. Only then did he kiss her again, catching her cries in his mouth, while the full force of his release cascaded into the tightly pulsing depths of her very being.

  Neither of them moved to break the embrace, they simply lay together, bound in each other’s arms, kissing, holding on tight and feeling every last moment of the love they had shared. She pushed her hands into his hair, and over his back, kept her legs wrapped around him and his penis inside her. He whispered softly that he loved her and put his mouth to hers again, as though to stop her responding.

  She gazed up into his eyes and saw her own feelings reflected there. ‘I don’t understand what’s happening,’ she whispered, ‘I just know I can’t let you go.’