They chatted on for another ten minutes or so. Talking to Bob had snapped Jane out of her immediate concerns, and after she had finished speaking with him she felt much better. Tomorrow she would look for the old files on the Miles Ashington article and see what they revealed.
*
Jane’s plans did not go exactly the way she had intended. The next day was very busy at work, with several new projects landing on her desk. During her lunch break she managed to go into the filing room and hunt for the file on the Miles Ashington feature. The person who had handled the interview had left the magazine soon after Jane started her job, so there was nobody she could ask for more information. All that would be available was the original file – with, hopefully, all the details.
She found it without too much difficulty and carried it back to her desk. The information it contained was going to be helpful. There were several letters from Miles Ashington with a London address and telephone number, and the magazine article itself was interesting reading for Jane. Up until then Miles Ashington had merely been a name that had popped up in the news from time to time. Jane was aware that Miles Ashington was a very successful businessman who owned several companies, and she knew that his business interests frequently brought him into the company of politicians. The magazine article was more revealing. She learned that he had been married three times, and that he owned a yacht and had houses in several parts of the country. The most valuable thing of all to Jane was the telephone number. She carefully made a note of it before returning the file to its home.
She had no opportunity to make a phone call to Miles Ashington that afternoon. She returned home in the evening without her plans being completed.
It was that evening that she received the anticipated visit from Gerald. He was most interested in the details of her visit to Elizabeth and kept asking for more details than Jane had. In the end he agreed that the next stage should be to try and contact Miles Ashington, and left Jane with the statement that he was going to tell Eric what had happened.
After supper Jane decided to open her laptop and play with the family history program. She had hardly started when the phone rang. This time it was not her mobile, which was on the table beside her, but her landline. She dashed to the telephone. It was Lucy returning her call from the previous evening.
The two friends spent a long time talking. Lucy wanted to be completely updated on what had happened with Jane’s research, and then they started to chat about old times. It was a good half an hour later that their conversation ended.
Back at her computer, Jane started to type names such as Ann Ashington and Ruth Ashington into the search area to see what came up. She found Ann Ashington’s marriage without too much difficulty. She made a careful note of the reference numbers just in case she wanted to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate. Next she turned her attention to the name Henderson in the births section. She found several that looked as if they might be likely candidates. As she soon found out, this was confusing, because the records listed gave no details of parents. All she had access to were the name and the reference number that would enable her to obtain a certificate.
Her research was suddenly brought to a halt again by her mobile ringing.
‘Hi. It’s me again.’ It was Bob.
His voice brought almost a squeal of delight from Jane. ‘Gosh! How lovely to talk again so soon!’ She sensed that something was in the air.
Bob was quick to elaborate. ‘I’ve just been talking to Mum and Dad.’ He paused. ‘How about we drive down there and look them up this weekend? They are mad keen to meet you.’
‘I’d love to! What have you got in mind?’
‘I thought we might drive down Saturday morning and spend the day there. It’s not all that far.’
‘It sounds a super idea. Shall I pick you up early again?’
‘No. I’ll come over to you on the first available train. They start quite early. You can have a lie-in.’ She heard Bob chuckle as he finished speaking. His next comment was more serious. ‘I really must get a decent car soon instead of just talking about it.’
Jane was quick to chip in. ‘Bob, don’t. There’s not really any need unless you want it for local trips. I’ve got mine and it needs to be used.’
Bob was philosophical. ‘I suppose you’re right. I only use it for going to the local shops anyway.’
‘There you are, then. Listen to a woman’s logic.’ Jane laughed.
Bob suddenly thought of something else. ‘Oh, by the way, Cissy will be there this weekend as well.’
‘That’s marvellous! I want to meet her.’ Jane followed up by asking the question that had been on her mind ever since the first time Bob had mentioned his sister by name. ‘By the way, why is she called Cissy?’
Bob laughed. ‘It was me who started that off when I was a kid and she was small. I think it was meant to be for sister, but somehow the name stuck. Her real name is Jocelyn.’
Jane was pensive. ‘Well, at least she knows her proper name,’ she commented quietly, her thoughts turning to her own situation.
Bob picked up her concerned thinking at once. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll sort you out in the end. It’s only a matter of time.’ He added for good measure, ‘And who knows what we might glean from Miles Ashington?’
They continued to discuss family history, and in particular Jane’s problem. It was only after a good ten minutes that during a lull in their conversation Jane brought the topic around to the weekend again.
‘Bob, what do you think I should wear this weekend?’ she asked.
Bob thought for a second. ‘Hmm. Something nice and simple, and perhaps not too showy.’
Jane knew the kind of thing Bob had in mind. Perhaps his parents were a little old-fashioned when it came to appearances. Graham’s parents had been much the same. ‘I think I know what you mean. I’ve got just the thing,’ she replied.
Their chatter continued for a while longer, until eventually Jane had to stifle a yawn. She commented she had had a hard day, Bob replied that he had to get up early in the morning, and they ended the phone call.
*
The following day Jane had the opportunity to phone Miles Ashington. During a relatively quiet period in the afternoon, she took out the details and dialled the number.
The telephone was answered almost immediately. It was a woman’s voice. ‘Miles Ashington’s office.’
‘Good afternoon. Would it be possible to speak to Miles Ashington, please?’
Jane held her breath. Was she speaking to a secretary who vetted her employer’s telephone calls, or would she manage to speak with Miles Ashington?
‘I’m sorry. He is not in the office at present.’ The reply was not unfriendly.
Jane was not going to give up easily. ‘I see. Would it be possible for me to phone later?’
‘He won’t be in the office until Monday. Can I ask who is calling?’ The tone of the voice was more formal now.
Jane knew she had to tread cautiously if she was to succeed in speaking to Miles Ashington. She chose her words carefully. ‘My name is Jane Carroll and I work for Discerning Woman magazine. We ran an article on him several years ago.’
‘I would suggest that you call again on Monday, or I can take your number and ask him to call you.’
The last thing Jane wanted was for Miles Ashington to ring her at work. She thought quickly. ‘It might be more convenient if I phone him,’ she suggested.
‘As you wish. I’ll tell him you asked for him and that he can expect another call from you on Monday.’
‘Thank you very much.’
‘Goodbye.’
‘Goodbye.’
Jane put the telephone down. So far, so good. There was nothing more she could do until Monday. She suddenly had a horrible thought. Suppose Miles Ashington phoned Discerning Woman before she had a chance to call him? Her logic soon dispersed that fear. That was highly unlikely to happen. People like Miles Ashington were too busy.
Now she would concentrate on the weekend ahead and her introduction to Bob’s parents.
Chapter 26
Jane was up early on the Saturday morning. So far, she was well pleased with her plans for the weekend. The previous day she had had a brief lunch with Bob at The Green Man and he had outlined his intentions. He would arrive at her apartment at around nine and then they would have a leisurely drive down to Kent to get to his parents’ house in time for lunch. Jane had been fortunate in securing a late appointment with her hairdresser after work on the Friday. She planned to be ready and waiting when Bob arrived.
Breakfast was a quick affair, and then she took her time getting ready. She had decided on an old favourite, her navy blue skirt and jacket. She had an open-necked white blouse to go with it. Shoes were another old favourite, a pair of matching navy blue court shoes with a medium heel, her ‘old comfortables’, she called them. She had had one last-minute idea. For the first time for months she put on a pair of tights. She rummaged in her dressing-table drawer and found a new pair. The label claimed that the contents were ‘almost invisible and the next best thing to bare legs’. She decided to give them a go and see what Bob thought. The wickedness in her had originally intended to buy a pair of stockings the day before to tantalise him, but because she had met him for lunch she did not have enough time. It was an escapade that would have to wait.
By half past eight she was almost ready. She was in the middle of going through the contents of her bag to ensure that she had such essentials as her keys, mobile, driving licence and lipstick when the outside buzzer went. She dropped the bag on the settee and hurried to press the entryphone button.
‘Hello.’
Bob’s voice answered loud and clear, ‘Hello you. It’s me.’
‘Come in. I’m all ready.’
Jane pressed the button and waited at her door until she heard Bob’s footsteps outside, and then she threw the door open wide. She stood behind the door to let Bob enter. As soon as she had closed the door, she threw her arms around him.
‘Darling, it’s lovely to have you here.’
Bob kissed her. ‘The minutes dragged until I got here,’ he replied with a grin.
As Jane separated from him, she giggled. ‘Now you’ve got lipstick on your face.’
Bob glanced in a convenient mirror and grinned.
‘Would you like a drink, darling?’ she asked.
‘Coffee, please,’ Bob replied, wiping off the lipstick.
‘You go into the lounge. I’ll make us one.’
Jane disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later she appeared in the lounge with two mugs of coffee. She put them down on the table in front of the settee and then stood back, holding each side of her skirt; she glanced briefly down at her outfit and then concentrated on Bob.
‘How do you like my outfit? Do you think your parents will approve?’ She had been slightly worried about her first meeting with Bob’s parents, and she had noticed that Bob was wearing a jacket with an open-necked shirt.
Bob smiled at her. ‘I think it’s just right,’ he said.
‘What do you think of my tights?’ Jane asked, looking down at her legs. ‘The packet claims they’re supposed to be almost invisible.’
Bob scrutinised Jane’s legs. ‘They very nearly are,’ he laughed.
‘Well, I want to make a good impression on your parents.’ Jane picked up her mug of coffee and sat down beside him.
Bob smiled again. ‘You will,’ he announced simply, turning his attention to his drink.
‘What time did you get up?’ asked Jane.
Bob made a face. ‘The middle of the night.’
‘Right. I’ll drive, then, and you can have a snooze,’ Jane announced firmly.
*
They left her apartment soon after they finished their coffee. Jane drove while Bob dozed. Jane was quite good at navigating and quickly found her way to the South Circular Road. Fortunately, on a Saturday morning the traffic was light, and they made good progress. As a bonus, the earlier grey morning had now changed to a bright sunny one. It was only when they left the M25 and headed deeper into Kent that Jane began to turn to Bob, who by now was wide awake, for directions.
While she was driving she updated herself on Bob’s family. ‘What did your father actually do for a living?’ she asked. She remembered Bob once telling her that his father had worked in the City before retirement.
‘He was a banker,’ Bob replied. ‘I think he was quite good at it. We had a very comfortable lifestyle.’
‘What about Cissy? What does she do?’
Bob grinned. ‘She’s in PR,’ he replied. ‘She works in Manchester.’
‘And she’s much younger than you?’
‘Only two years. We used to fight quite a bit when we were younger, but we get on fine now.’
‘It must be nice to have a brother or sister,’ commented Jane, almost as if she were speaking to herself.
Bob looked at her. He knew what she was thinking. It must be lonely at times being an orphan. ‘I understand,’ he assured her.
It was just coming up to eleven when they arrived at the village near Canterbury where Bob’s parents lived.
‘Take the next turning on the right,’ said Bob.
‘How long have your parents lived here?’ asked Jane, signalling to make the turn.
‘We moved here when I was five or six. There’s a railway station just down the road, and that was convenient for Dad to commute to London,’ replied Bob, adding quickly, ‘Here we are, through those iron gates.’
Jane turned off the road and through the gateway. A large, substantial house stood in front of them. There were already two cars parked on the gravel in front of it, one of them a sports model.
‘That’s Cissy’s.’ Bob nodded towards the sports car.
Jane was glad to get out of the car and stretch her legs. They were busy getting the few items they had brought out of the car boot when Bob’s mother, a sprightly grey-haired woman, appeared from the house.
‘Bob! Lovely to see you.’ She embraced her son and kissed him.
She immediately turned to Jane. ‘And you must be Jane. It’s so nice to meet you. Bob’s told me a lot about you. ‘
She gave Jane a hug. ‘It’s nice to be here,’ replied Jane. She took to Mrs Harker immediately. She handed her the bouquet of pink roses she had bought for the occasion.
‘Thank you. They’re really beautiful – and they’re my favourite. How did you know?’
Jane smiled at her. ‘I had inside information,’ she laughed. They had stopped on the way to buy the flowers and Bob had advised her which ones his mother liked.
‘Come along in.’ Bob’s mother ushered them towards the house. ‘Now Bob, you must show Jane where everything is. Your dad’s in the garden. I told him half an hour ago to get ready.’ She turned to Jane and shook her head. ‘Men,’ she said, with a little laugh.
Jane smiled again. They had now entered the large hallway of the house. A graceful staircase swept up to the next floor. Jane liked the house straight away. It had a nice homely feel about it.
‘Where’s Cissy?’ asked Bob.
‘She’s around somewhere,’ said his mother. She went to the foot of the stairs and called out. ‘Cissy! CISSY! They’re here.’
From somewhere upstairs there was a muffled answer, and a minute later a young woman with blonde hair bounded down the stairs, carrying a pair of stilettos.
‘Hi!’ she greeted Bob and Jane breathlessly as she slipped into her shoes.
It was clear that Cissy was not one inclined towards formal introductions in family matters.
Bob’s father, a white-haired man with spectacles, came into the house at that moment in his gardening clothes, embarrassed and apologetic about his appearance. He was immediately dispatched to change by his wife, while she ushered her guests into the lounge. Coffee was produced at about the same time as he reappeared, and the process of absorbing Jane into the family progressed, mostly
by bringing the conversation round to her and asking a lot of questions.
A good half-hour later, during a break in the conversation, Bob’s mother announced, ‘We thought we’d all dine out today, so we’ve booked a table at The Golden Lion.’
Jane hardly had time to respond before she addressed her daughter. ‘Cissy, why don’t you take Jane upstairs and show her where the bathroom is?’
Cissy immediately obliged. She gave Jane a cheeky grin as she stood up. ‘This way, Jane.’
Jane obediently followed her.
When they reached the foot of the stairs, Cissy removed first one shoe, and then the other. She leaned towards Jane and whispered, ‘I caught my heel a few years ago and fell down the stairs.’ She pointed to her forehead. ‘I had a cut here and had to go to A & E. Mum makes me take off my shoes now.’
Jane muttered a few words of sympathy, and as they started to climb the stairs she took off her own shoes. Her heels were not as alarming as Cissy’s, but she took the hint.
Cissy led the way to a bedroom first. ‘You can use my room if you want to. Sorry it’s a bit of a mess.’
Jane immediately saw why the comment had been made. Clothes and other items were strewn everywhere. The state of the room rather amused her, particularly as she had learnt from the conversation in the lounge that Cissy had only arrived the evening before.
Cissy gave her a smile. ‘How long have you known Bob?’ she asked Jane. There was a friendly inquisitiveness in the tone of her voice.
‘I met him earlier this year,’ Jane explained.
‘I’m glad he’s picked up with someone nice like you.’ Cissy grinned.
Jane had no time to answer before Cissy pointed to two framed photographs hanging on the wall.
‘They’re Bob’s,’ she remarked casually, studying Jane’s face for a reaction.
Jane smiled. ‘I thought they might be,’ she replied politely. She had noticed them as soon as she entered the room. One was a summer scene in woodland, and the other was the same scene in winter.
Jane was quite unprepared for Cissy’s next question.
Cissy lowered her voice. ‘Has Bob taken a picture of you yet – in the nude?’
The Golden Anklet Page 24