Chapter 10
The following morning I wake to the news on the local radio that Roman relics have been discovered in Becmead Woods. Hardly able to contain my excitement I turn up the volume as loud as I dare and listen as an excited reporter outlines the story of the find by an early morning jogger. The police have informed the local history museum who are sending over an archaeologist to inspect the site for a possible Roman Fort. By the time the report finishes, my heart is thumping so hard I imagine it might be loud enough to wake Mother, still snoring her head off in the next room.
What had I done? Set a lie in motion that’s going to be hard to stop and I flick the radio off as the day’s weather report begins. It all seemed such a brilliant idea at the time, but now in harsh daylight, it doesn’t feel nearly so clever. Alan is as closed mouthed as anyone can be, but the thought of Avril sitting in the canteen boasting to her uppity mates at College soon brought me out in a cold sweat. Before long the word would spread and the word would reach the wrong ears. And then there would be a whole lot of trouble. I’m particularly worried at the thought of the police getting involved too. Subconsciously I find myself listening out for a loud knock at the door that will result in aggressive questions, arrest and a possible court appearance, the awful Sergeant Bacchus leading the enquiry while wearing his habitual, ‘warned you didn’t I.’ look.
I flop back onto the bed and pull the duvet over my head, my mind a mass of confusion. It soon conjures up an unstoppable trail of disasters that finally lead to a lengthy stay in a tough women’s prison where I’m be banged-up for twenty three hours a day with the worst serial killers in the country while fending off psychopaths with razor blades embedded in toothbrush handles.
There’s only one thing to do now. Danny will have to be told before things go too far. This isn’t winning, it’s cheating and like my Father always said, cheating is bad and no way to win anything. Cheating is for the Marsden’s of this world and not for me. Alan and Avril don’t have to be dragged into it. I will take the blame myself and everyone will be reasonable as long as things don’t go too far. It won’t take an archaeologist long to realise that the whole site is nothing more than an amateurish hoax anyway and that the relics have been planted. People will start asking questions and it won’t take them or Danny Marsden long to work out who the culprits are. Better to get in first before that happens. Why had I kissed the beastly man anyhow? Or had he kissed me? Not that it mattered now. He’d be furious. Oh God he was always furious about something and again it looked as though I would be the cause of it.
As soon as I’d decided it was too late for anyone to still be in bed over at Fulton Manor, I leapt onto my bike. The wondrous sights and sounds of a beautiful summer morning erupting into life all around me is way down on my priority list now. My mind is filled only with the problem at hand until I feel my head spinning with it as I mull over it all again and again. By the time I skid to halt beside the main gate I’m sick with worry.
They swing open as if by magic as soon as I buzz to be let in, an introduction over the intercom unnecessary. The dogs, loll about lazily in the driveway and bound over to greet me, wagging their tails deliriously at the unexpected arrival of a playmate so early in the day. They try to drag me off the bike long before I get anywhere near the house and I have to spend an age petting them and paying them compliments before they will let me approach the front door. Again it swung open before I could reach the bell and I wonder if Danny might be watching my every move on his security cameras. But it’s not Danny; it’s the man who’d helped Danny’s Father down from the helicopter the night before. He’s wearing a friendly smile, which I’m relieved to see and I take it as a sign that no-one inside is aware of my subterfuge.
“I have to see Danny,” I gasp, adrenalin still pumping through me from the ride and my barely controlled panic.
“I’m sorry Miss, he’s not here. Can I give him a message when he returns or perhaps you’d like to wait?”
Confusion spreads through me. Has Danny heard about the find in Becmead Woods already and decided to go and investigate himself? Does he already suspect I’m behind it? Maybe he’s in and doesn’t want to talk to me.
“All right, thank you,” I manage at last. “I’ll call back later.”
As the man is about to close the door, a voice sounds behind him. “Edkins, who is that?” Greta Marsden appears before the man can reply.
“Come in Cathy,” she beams. “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon, but I’m glad you’re here. All right Edkins.” Edkins slides back inside. “Well don’t just stand there girl,” Greta orders. “Come in.” She would have made a great schoolteacher I decide and when we’re settled in the living room, she orders tea.
“Danny’s had to rush off I’m afraid.” She says. “He got a call early this morning and went tearing out of here like a bat out of hell. I hope he settled down all right last night after he stormed out on us?”
I nod and let my mouth relay the previous evening’s events on auto pilot, while my mind struggles to digest the fact that Danny has left the house and knowing it can mean only one thing. I edit out any reference to our visit to the woods too, feeling oddly guilty about the event in the presence of his Mother.
“You’ve heard the news I take it?”
“The news?” I repeat.
“I thought that’s why you had come.” Greta says, barely able to control a smile. “It was on the early local news about Roman relics being found in the woods?” She pats at her chest, trying to control the laughter hovering just beneath the surface and her face contorts tightly with suppressed mirth. Her actions confuse me and I wonder just what Greta finds so funny about the whole episode. Had my deceit been seen through so readily, even by Danny’s Mother?
“Roman relics.” I say, trying desperately to look confused.
She fixes me with a knowing look as Edkins appears with a tea tray and I squirm at the thought of having to keep the pretence up for the next few minutes. To make matters worse Harrison Marsden wheels himself into the room just behind the man. I stand and he grins at me as he approaches the table.
“You sit there young lady and drink your tea.” He scolds. “I can’t stand for you so I don’t expect you to stand for me.”
He offers a huge hand that’s covered in hard skin. As perceptive as his son, he doesn’t miss my interested look as I marvel at the rough texture.
“Hard skin. Comes from fourteen years of shunting yourself around in this bloody thing.” He slaps the wheelchair as if it were a thoroughbred racehorse. “Wouldn’t have one of those electric ones though. No fear. Imagine the thing breaking down and getting stranded for want of a bit of muscle.”
Harrison Marsden is built like a bull despite his disability. “Not having breakfast then?” He growls. I shake my head. Despite his tanned good looks and a definite Mediterranean air about him, it’s surprising to hear a slight Lancashire accent.
Greta frowns. “Harrison, you’re not going to have a cooked breakfast this morning surely. Remember what they said at the hospital?”
Harrison waves away the question. “I’ve had a cooked breakfast every morning since I was a kid and no namby pamby Doctor’s going to tell me any different. Besides, the operation’s not till tomorrow. Today it’s just another load of daft tests which will prove nowt and bore me to tears into the bargain.”
“Tea sir?” Edkins asks.
Harrison shoos away the expensive bone china placed in front of him with a look of horror.
“Where’s me proper cup Edkins? I’m sure we don’t need to impress Cathy.”
Edkins grins as if expecting the order. “I’ll fetch it for you sir.” He slides through the double doors silently and I feel trapped and alone with the senior Marsden’s. I expect Danny to come storming in at any moment and order me from the house never to return.
“Cathy.”
I shake myself from the waking n
ightmare of my imagination.
“Sorry Mrs . Greta.”
“I was just saying, you look distinctly off colour. Are you sleeping all right?”
“Yes I’m fine . really.”
“Cooked breakfast every morning that’s what you need.” Harrison nods soberly at his own hard learned advice. “I bet you’re one of them muesli types aren’t you?”
Greta tuts at him. “Harrison, will you leave the girl alone?”
The big man laughs. A big booming sound that fills the room and he gives my arm a friendly squeeze that feels as if though it’s shut off the blood supply to my hand. “Don’t mind me. I just speak me mind. I talk to strangers the same way as I talk to people I’ve known all me life.”
“Yes and none of its very polite.” Greta butts in. “Harrison thinks anyone who eats cereal in the morning has to be somehow less than normal. Pay no attention to him.”
The man grins at his wife and when he smiles he looks like Danny. It’s easy to see that he and Greta are still very much in love even after so many years together and I can’t shake off the feeling I’m intruding on what could be the last moments between them. Harrison’s operation is so close and every minute they have with each other now is very precious. I try to make my excuses but Greta won’t hear of it, telling me it’s great to have a new face around while Harrison loses no time in trying to force a plate of eggs, bacon, black pudding and fried bread on me. The full works as he jokingly calls it. But I refuse politely, realising there is no escape until Danny arrives. I ask technical questions about his operation then.
“They are basically going to try to get the pellets out of the gaps between me spinal discs.” Harrison explains. “It’s only them things that are preventing me from walking you know. Risky though, very near the spinal cord a lot of them. They use some robotic arm thingamajig to help them, as apparently no human hand is steady enough. Great thing progress.”
“Pellets.” I ask, confused. But before I can get an answer, Danny and Amanda Williamson stride into the room. He has his arm around her and they’ve obviously just broken free of some sort of clinch outside the door. Suddenly all thoughts of apology and admitting my deception evaporate instantly and are replaced by that same horrible feeling I’d experienced the previous evening. It was jealousy and a sickening wave of it crashed over me. I can’t decide who to be angrier with. Danny for being a slimy rat or myself for letting him get away with being one. He untangles himself and fixes me with an odd, embarrassed stare.
“Good morning.” He announces lightly to everyone. I fight off the urge to glare at him, conscious of his parents so close by.
“Well? We heard the news report.” Harrison barks in his gravelly drawl, half turning. “What’s the verdict?”
“It seems we’ve got a major find over there.” Danny’s expression changes down to neutral now but there is something hidden in those dark eyes. Did he know? I wonder if he would be so cruel as to make his accusations right here in front of his parents and I struggle to keep my own expression static.
“What?” Harrison growled, more surprised than angry. “What the hell do you mean, major?”
“The local paper has found some local archaeologist and he reckons the stuff is definitely Roman and that there’s quite possibly a fort around there somewhere. He’d already unearthed a few interesting pieces when I spoke to him.”
“How much stuff are we talking about?” Harrison said.
Danny shrugged. “Tons of it by the looks of things. I found a piece of pottery myself and I wasn’t even looking.”
Harrison sits back in his wheelchair and sighs, lost in thought while Danny dons his famous half grin. He appears to avoid looking directly at me, as if knowing I’m guilty and is enjoying making me squirm. For a moment I think they might all be having a laugh at my expense.
“I don’t understand it,” Harrison mumbles. “The crew that dug the trench didn’t notice anything did they?”
“No, but there was a hell of a downpour not long after they quit for the day. I suppose the water might have washed it all out.”
“Well I never heard of such a thing.” The old man replies. “One or two pieces maybe, but not that much. And I’m sure the bloody Romans were never in these parts anyway. I’d have thought the surveyor might have said something at the time.”
Edkins brought a plate piled high with cholesterol and grease and put it down silently in front of Harrison along with a steaming mug of tea. I looked at it all with barely suppressed horror.
“Yes Cathy,” Greta says. “They did tell him to cut down on that sort of food but he takes about as much notice of them as he does of me.”
“Give over woman.” He winks at me with a mischievous gleam in his eye as he shovels a vast forkful into his mouth. “It took me all my willpower to give up smoking. A man’s got to have something in life.”
I can hardly believe the man is intending to eat all of what lay on his plate before calmly heading off to the hospital for his tests. He has courage all right and I guess like Danny, he puts on a brave face while keeping his worries bottled up and hidden away. Afraid of being less of a man for letting them show.
“I do think you could make a bit more of an effort though Harry.” Greta whispers. Harrison grunts his disapproval. “So what happens now?” She adds to Danny.
Danny shrugs. “It’ll be a real pain to get anything done around the place now. The men from the local museum will be all over it by this afternoon and then we’ll have the archaeologists digging and scraping around for God knows how long. There’s even talk of a whole team coming here from the British Museum in London.” He looks at me directly then and I can feel the rigid stare boring into me. “You’re very quiet this morning,” he says suddenly, just when I think he’s ignoring me. “I’d have thought you, of all people would be bouncing around with joy. Yet you sit there straight faced as if it doesn’t matter.”
“I’m just as amazed as you are.” I croak. “All the time I spent up there as a kid and I never found anything remotely interesting. There could have been a fortune at my feet the whole time. Looks as though you’re going to be around longer than you anticipated now?”
The silence drags on for what feels like hours until at last he says “Yes, Looks as if I will.”
I look over at Amanda, relieved to be able to tear my gaze from the man. The woman stands silently and I notice for the first time how sad and upset she is. An embarrassing surge of victory pulses through me and I hate myself for allowing it to happen.
“So what can I do for you?” Danny says suddenly. It takes a moment to realise he’s speaking to me.
“Oh yes.err,” I begin, verbally stumbling around for ages while the black eyes bore into me. Even Harrison stops munching to twist around and give me an enquiring look. “It was just that I wanted to take some photos, of the Dell. But I guess you’ll be too busy now with all this going on. Maybe when it’s all sorted out, you’d give me a few minutes up there?”
He nods but he doesn’t smile. “Well,” I add. “I really must be going.”
I stand to leave, knowing I sound lame but it’s the best I can come up with and besides, this is the day for Danny’s Father to go into hospital. The family will want to talk and they can hardly do that with me sitting here.
“I’ll run you home.” Danny offers.
“No, I’ve got the bike out there.”
“Why don’t you come and look over the site then? You’re so into the local history of the place and there’s a lot up there to see right now.”
I eye him suspiciously. “You don’t want me there. I’d only get in the way.”
“I’d have thought it would be tough to keep you away. Major historical find and right in your own backyard too. What were the chances of that? You can bring your camera too if you like.”
All eyes are on me now and I fight the urge to bolt from the house as fast as my legs will all
ow. “Yes, I’d like that.” I manage, fighting a blush.
“Later then,” He adds. “About midday be all right?”
I nod. “I’ll be there.”
I squeeze Harrison’s hand as I rise. “I hope everything works out OK Mr Marsden. I’ll be praying for you tomorrow.” I really mean it too. He’s such a nice down to earth kind of guy.
He takes my hand. “Thanks kid.” He grins. “That’s very kind of you. A small miracle about now wouldn’t come amiss I must admit. You look after yourself young lady.”
I say goodbye to Greta and head for the door. As I pass Amanda I feel an overwhelming urge to ignore her, but it’s a childish notion. Danny wouldn’t miss the snub and would feel happy about having got under my skin. I offer a polite farewell but its clear now I’m close up that Amanda has been crying. Her mascara has run, giving her the look of a sad circus clown.
The blonde managed to croak “Bye Cath,” as if unable to risk more for fear of exploding into emotional sobs. Trying hard not to stare, I leave an almost electric silence behind me.
There’s quite a gathering amongst the closely grouped trees as I arrive. Danny stands, grim and immaculate in a tailored raincoat and shoes totally unsuitable for the terrain and they’re already covered in tan coloured mud. But he doesn’t appear to notice. He’s too engrossed in the plodding drama unfolding a few yards away as a few unkempt genius types from the local museum work carefully amongst the damp soil; Scraping, sifting and poring over every clod of earth as if they’re all priceless gemstones.
Over to the left, several elderly men I recognise as being from the Borough Council murmur together in a little group and they barely notice me as I slide quietly up to Danny.
“Nice day.” He says, uncharacteristically aware of the watery sunshine filtering through the packed trees like Christmas fairy lights.
“Yes, it’s all right I suppose.” I say. My mind is a long way from the scenery though. “Have they found anything else?”
He takes a long time to answer. “No not yet,” he growls, unconcerned at his voice carrying in the still air. “But they’ve had a good look at the pieces found already and were virtually hopping around with ecstasy ten minutes ago. At the rate these guys work it’s a wonder they ever find anything at all.”
“These are professionals Danny.” I say. “They’re not digging foundation ditches now you know? These items must be around two thousand years old.”
He remains unimpressed. “Well it will take them that long to dig them up by the look of it.”
I swallow a laugh and try to look disgusted at his typical impatience. Idly wondering what he’d be like to work for. A real slave driver probably. We walk around, making sure not to stand on anything that looks remotely precious and Danny keeps giving me curious sideways looks that only serve to make me more nervous than ever. My mind’s in turmoil and I know what I’ve done is wrong, but the thought of him clearly having something going with Amanda and leading me on at the same time prevents me from coming clean about the whole thing. He deserves it, I thought forcefully, intent on letting it flow now and see where it led.
After another twenty minutes or so, the men from the council are becoming impatient too and one of them speaks to the chief archaeologist before sidling up to Danny. He’s small man with an old fashioned overcoat and a sad droopy moustache, both of which look a little too large for him. Danny dwarfs him even more than he does me and I can feel a little sorry for him as Danny fixes him with an icy stare. He views Bureaucrats as somewhere below cockroaches in the grand scheme of things.
“Well what’s the verdict?” He growls.
“Far too early to say.” The man replies. “They tell me there’s something here all right, although nothing’s on record to suggest a major roman settlement ever existed in this part of the country. It’s quite exciting all the same though isn’t it?”
“Is it?” Danny drawled. “Have they any idea how long this is going to take. I’ve got two more earth movers coming here right now.”
The Councillor’s face fell. “I’m afraid earth moving will be out of the question Mr Marsden. Mr Smythe over there says he must contact his colleagues in London and they’ll want to bring a full team up here with all their specialist equipment to check the site properly.” He paused nervously, “And that could take a month or more.”
“A month!” Danny’s eyebrows shoot up and his voice carries in the hallowed calm around him and I feel a curious buzz run right through me. Despite my misgivings, it’s wonderful to have outmanoeuvred the man for once.
“And that isn’t the worst of it I’m afraid.” He goes on. “The British Museum’s archaeological team are in New Mexico on another dig and they won’t be back here for a good long while.”
Danny unfolds his arms and man seems to visibly melt under the withering gaze. “What does that mean ...exactly?” He demands.
“Well it means that we can hardly let you start tearing the place up until the professionals give us the all clear. And that’s going to be at least two to three months.”
Danny trembles with rage and a vein in his temple throbs out a frantic warning to anyone sharp enough to notice it. It radiates from him like some dark primeval force. It scares me as much as it does the councillor but I refuse to allow myself to step away. The worst thing you can do is show a man like Danny fear.
“Look,” he says evenly. “You gave permission for this site to be re-developed right? You’re duty bound to let me get on with it. Never mind the museum, they can go to hell. I thought you were in charge around here. This is your land.”
“This land belongs to the people of the borough Mr Marsden. And my duty is to them, which is why we have to have meetings about projects like this in the first place.”
“Yes, and we had the meetings. Now why don’t you tell these people to sod off and let me get on with my work. If we find anything of Interest my boys will pass everything over to you.”
The Councillor looks horrified. “Mr Marsden, I don’t think you understand. There could be a whole Roman settlement right here under our feet. By the time your bulldozers have finished chewing it all up there won’t be a whole lot left of it no matter how careful your men are. If I stand back and allow you to proceed, my days on the council, an unblemished twenty six year period I might add, will be numbered. Just think of what a find like this could mean to the people round here?”
I smirked. The Council man was beginning to sound like Danny.
“What about their shopping complex or have you forgotten what that will mean to the people round here?”
The councillor smiled wistfully and returned his attention to the men moving carefully on their hands and knees, oblivious to the mud soaking into them in their quest for the find of their lives. “No, but I also have to think of the vast increase in tourism this find might generate. In another five years or so, this place might produce enough money to pay for our new complex. We’d be getting it for free, so to speak. Everything found will eventually be declared treasure trove and so the benefit for us could be tremendous.”
Danny rolled his eyes. “Isn’t that just like a politician?” He looks around at me then as if scouting out some support before realising he has no chance of getting any.
“I’m sorry Mr Marsden; we’re all in agreement on this one for a change. Planning permission is rescinded until further notice.”
As if loathe to risk a physical assault the man hurries away to rejoin his colleagues where they whisper together with only the occasional look over to indicate the topic of conversation. Danny continues to return their looks until he has a thought and wheels around. I jump and could kick myself for doing so.
“Did you hear what that fool said?” He barked.
“Which part?”
“The part about the Romans never being in this neck of the woods?”
“Yes.” I replied, unable to stop an involuntary swallow.
; “Well it’s given me an idea.”
“What can you do?” I say. “You heard the man. It’ll take months.”
Danny sneers and glares over at the men. “We’ll see about that.”
He turns and strides back towards his Land cruiser still deep in thought and I follow on behind him, wondering what he’s up to. “Get in the car.” He growls. “I want to speak to you.”
“The bike.” I reply, nodding over to the tree my pride and joy is propped against. To my astonishment Danny picks it up and throws it into the gaping tailgate of the vehicle and slams it shut.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demand.
“I want to talk to you and you’re not going to get away from me on this thing.”
I swallow. Not sure if I can stand up to him in this mood and think fleetingly about making a scene while I still have some witnesses, but decide against it, telling myself I’m too tired for pedal power anyway. He holds open the door for me and fixes me with a stare that almost triggers blind panic as I slip into the front seat. He’s soon weaving through the trees, the car bouncing about on the rough ground like some insane fairground ride until we reach Hobbs Lane.
“I know it was you.” He growls, his hard jaw set in a determined line.
“What was me?”
He isn’t fooled by the innocent act. “That little charade back there. You’re clever. Cleverer than I thought you were. I expected you to come clean sooner rather than later, but you haven’t.”
“I don’t know what you’re going on about.” I reply.
“Come on Cathy. You gave yourself away back at the house.”
“What do you mean?” I snap, mock confusion spreading all over my face.
He apes a feminine whine. “All the time I spent up there as a kid and I never found anything remotely interesting. There could have been a fortune at my feet all the time. That’s exactly what you said, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it was something like that.”
“No Cathy, it was exactly that. The last thing someone like you would ever think about was how much it was all worth. You’d be more concerned at what it was and how big it was and how old it was. You would never stop to think about the monetary value at all would you?”
I remained silent as he went on. “And you haven’t brought your camera either. That tells me you already know what’s up here. Where did you get hold of all those bits and pieces? You either found them yourself ...or you got them from somewhere else.” He thinks hard. “A Museum, you got them from a museum, no, they’d be missed from there. You got them from a college or a school.”
The urge to open the door, leap out of the car and run for it before it has a chance to pick up speed along the lane is strong as Danny goes on. “Go on admit it. You know you want to. You’re not the type to be able to lie and sleep nights are you?”
“There’s nothing to admit,” I reply evenly.
He seethes for a while. “Well, do you know what I’m going to do now?”
I’m not sure what Danny Marsden might be capable of. I’m going to drive you somewhere quiet Cathy and beat the hell out of you until you confess to the borough council? Would he be capable of that? Judging by the evil stares he’s been giving the Council men, he looks to be capable of anything right now.
“Tell me . what are you going to do?” I manage as he screams around the bend in the road where he’d first sent me flying into the ditch.
“I’m going to get hold of a top team of archaeologists and they’re going to be all over that site like a rash on a baby’s arse. And then I’m going to get a sworn statement from them that there is nothing in Becmead Woods except a lot of damp wood and a few carefully planted roman trinkets. And that will take me about a week at most.”
I bristle with rage but keep it masked. That little get out hasn’t occurred to me. “The council will never believe you.” I say. “They’ll think you put the archaeologists up to it. Any team of yours will tell people anything you pay them to say. You’ll be making things worse. People will think you have something to hide.”
He thought for a moment. “Then I’ll hire some world renowned outfit not known for their love of backhanders. A team beyond reproach. There are still plenty of honest people out there.”
“Really?”
“Yes really. All you’ve done is set my plans back a few days. I hope it was worth the effort and thought that went into it.”
I bite my lip. Knowing he’s right and hating him for it.
“Now do you want to tell me the truth?”
“No.” I scream at the top of my voice right next to his ear. He jumps so violently at the sudden outburst, he narrowly avoids steering the car right off the road and I hear the shrubs at the roadside scraping the bodywork until he regains control of the car. For a moment he’s wide eyed with shock and retreats right over to his own side of the vehicle with his right shoulder pressed against the side window. Only the sound of the engine fills the car for ages until at last he suddenly throws back his head and laughs until tears stream down his face. I fold my arms and slump back in the seat, watching him.
“What’s so funny?” I say, when I get the chance. The sudden change in him is quite startling and I wonder if there’s a touch of insanity somewhere in the family history.
“You are. You really hate me don’t you?”
I scowl at him, trying to find the words that will adequately describe my shifting feelings.
“You are just about the most self-centred, horrid, arrogant, unfeeling, egotistical pig I have ever met in my life.” I pause to soak up the look of horror in his face before adding. “But no, I can’t say I hate you or anyone else for that matter.”
He laughs again and every time he looks at my serious expression it makes him worse.
“And what is so funny about that may I ask?” I had to shout now just to be heard above the din.
“Because only a woman could come out with a statement like that and actually mean it. If I knew someone like me, I’d hate them, no question about it.”
I look out of the window, trying hard not to laugh along with him and wonder if this sudden joviality is a ruse to get me to spill the beans on my subterfuge back at Becmead Woods. At last he manages to calm himself. “Let’s continue this discussion over dinner tonight?”
“I wasn’t aware of having a discussion.” I say. “I thought you were just making a lot of wild accusations. I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about and if I did, do you really think you’re going to calmly get it out of me over dinner.” I have committed myself to the lie now and that’s how it’s going to stay. He doesn’t deserve honesty or the truth.
“Isn’t the delectable Amanda up for grabs tonight?” I add. “I’d have thought she was far more your type anyway.”
I kick myself for the slip. In trying to keep one thing under wraps I’ve carelessly let slip another.
Danny’s expression sags immediately. “Amanda? What about her?”
“What about her?” I repeat. “Are you always so blasé about your cast offs.”
He frowns as he stops the car a good hundred yards away from my front door.
“Cast offs.” He repeats. “What are you talking about now?”
“Amanda, she looked pretty upset this morning. What did you do to her?”
“Have you got this ultra-low opinion of all men or is it just me?” Danny sighed.
“Just you.” I hiss.
“Thank you for your honesty.” He says.
“Well, what have you done to her? Or are you just one of these men who get off on women hating them? Don’t tell me she’s your wife. She must be. She looks as if she’s suffered terribly and over a very long period of time.”
“Amanda and me?” He’s incredulous now, but it could be an act.
“No, no of course not we’re not married.”
“Why of course not? I reply. “Even I can see she’s a gorgeous
woman most men would run themselves ragged for. What’s so different about you?”
He scowls in answer, but I’m unable to stop myself going on. “She doesn’t seem to like me very much. I wonder if it’s because she sees me as some sort of threat. You wouldn’t be playing one off against the other would you Danny?”
“No. It’s not like that at all.” He stammers slightly, now on the back foot for once. “You’ve got hold of the wrong end of the stick.”
“Have I?”
“Yes.” He snaps, fixing me with a hard stare. “Amanda’s just going through a bad patch that’s all. In fact she even had the brainless idea this morning of inviting you up to the house for dinner this week.”
“Why me?”
He hesitates and I already know him well enough to spot when he’s holding something back, like he is now. “Oh I don’t know. Maybe she just wants another woman to chat to. How do I know how your bloody mind’s work?”
“Danny, you’re lying to me.” I say flatly.
He looks unusually flustered before his expression softens into something approaching defeat. It’s such an unusual look I find myself eyeing every muscle with interest.
“Yes. I’m lying. I didn’t want to tell you.”
“So,” I smile triumphantly. “I was right after all. That’s all I wanted, the truth. Wasn’t too difficult, even for you was it?”
“Now just hold on there a minute.” He says. “The truth, seeing as you seem so keen to hear it, is that Amanda’s husband has just left her for another woman.”
“Husband! I didn’t think .”
“No,” He cut in, “You never think do you? Haven’t we had a similar conversation once before? You just barge right on in, make up your own mind and leave no room for any discussion. The very attitude you’re always accusing me of having. You wear that thorny crown all the time with your self-righteousness airs and graces digging into you. It must be marvellous being so perfect and so right all the damn time.”
I scowl out through the window, knowing I deserve his wrath.
“For your information,” he continues on a lighter note. “Not that it’s any of your business; Amanda is practically coming apart right now. To make matters worse she has two young children who will be home for the holidays any day and she has to face breaking the news to them. She isn’t very tough and never has been. Even when we were kids the slightest thing would knock her sideways. In business there’s no-one like her, but in everything else...well, she’s hopeless.”
I cringe, feeling as bad as if I’d just bitten into a lemon.
Danny calms a little. “So you see why I didn’t want to tell you. It wasn’t my place to tell you.” He pauses to look out of the window. “I don’t know what you think of me deep down Cathy, but forget all the stories you hear about all men being two-timing rats. We aren’t all like that.”
“I’m sorry.” I murmur, but it sounds false and hollow.
“Amanda’s your sister then?”
“Yes...well, sort of half sister.”
“I don’t know what to say to you,” I manage, horrified at making such a king size fool of myself.
“It’s all right." He replies. “Can we just forget it now? I realise how it must have look. But you can make it up to me by saying you’ll come over. She desperately needs to talk and the pair of you are pretty close in temperament. You were the first person I thought of.”
“Really.” I brightened a little.
“Yes.”
“In that case how can I refuse? Of course I’ll come.”
He seems relieved now. “Thank you.” He says quietly.
I climb out of the car and Danny retrieves the bicycle and sets it down gently on the ground. Again he’s standing far too close for comfort and it feels like a re-run of the first night he’d brought me home after the debacle rescue attempt over at the manor. He doesn’t want me to go to dinner for his benefit at all and all he wants is a friend for Amanda. I feel such a fool now and to make matters worse, I’ve shown my hand. Well, I’ll write it off as a good lesson learned and try to keep my distance from now on. If Amanda needs a shoulder for the next few days, that’s fine. After all the horrible thoughts I’ve had about the girl I figure I owe her that much. Most of my evenings are free these days, but I don’t want Danny getting the impression I’m desperate for company.
“How about this evening?” he says.
I shake my head. “I promised Molly I’d help start shift the mountain of stuff she’s collected over the years at the ARC, an old friend of hers is going to store it for a while. How about tomorrow?”
He may look a little disappointed but I can’t be sure. That mask of his rarely slips down more than a few millimetres.
“That’ll be great.” He says. “I’ll pick you up?”
“No, I’ll make my own way there.”
He smiled as if knowing what my answer will be. “As you wish.” He says. “About seven o clock all right?”
I nod and it’s not until he’s driven away with a slight squeal of slipping tyres that the thought struck me with some force. Tomorrow is Harrison’s big day and by then it might just be Danny who’s desperate for a shoulder to cry on.
Make a Wish Page 10