Betrayal (9 page)

'Well, in that case I… '

'Fine, it's agreed he won't help maintain her.'

'Neal, I'll have to go out to work to support her if Toby doesn't pay me anything. I don't want her left with childminders.'

'Money won't be a problem. I've no intention of letting Simon's daughter live from hand to mouth.

Lisa sank back on the pillows and looked thoughtfully at him. 'I didn't know you were that close to Simon.'

'I'm afraid you knew very little about him.' 'What's that supposed to mean?'

'I'm only saying that he didn't tell you every detail of his life, and anyway I rarely have personal contact with people who do business for me. I find it makes for a difficult situation should anything go wrong.'

'You mean he worked for you?'

'Sometimes. An antiques dealer works for a lot of people. If he was going to America and I happened to know of some particular painting that was coming on the market around that time, then I'd ask him to purchase it for me using his own name. It's better with a private art collection to maintain strict secrecy over purchases; otherwise theft can be quite a problem.'

'What exactly do you do?' she asked with interest. 'I'm a commodities dealer.'

'Copper, gold, that sort of thing?'

'Correct, but why are we talking business when I've brought some champagne to celebrate little Jessica's birth?'

He found some glasses in a cupboard beside her bed and together they toasted the sleeping baby's future. After two glasses, Lisa felt quite light-headed. 'Does your wife know you're here?' she asked with mock innocence, her front-fastening nightdress revealing rather more than she realised when she lay back.

Neal looked at the swollen creamy breasts and felt his mouth go dry. For some reason even the knowledge that she’d been Toby’s didn't bother him any more. He still wanted her, and he was going to have her however much it cost him.

'Naomi never asks me about anything these days. She spends all her time at our house near Iver in Berkshire. It's quiet there. She doesn't like London life—entertaining, theatre, shopping—it's a nightmare for her. As long as I go home regularly, she's quite content.'

'Why doesn't she like London?'

'She grew up in a quiet village in Greece, and her family were very poor. I'm afraid she doesn't like the lifestyle of the wealthy.'

'Then she shouldn't have married you!' Lisa stated with the cruel logic of the young.

'I was poor then. It's the usual boring story. I've spent a lot of time making money, and while I've been busy with my work she's brought up the girls while remaining basically the same person I married. I, on the other hand, have changed out of all recognition. It isn't her fault.'

'But difficult for you both?'

'For me certainly. I need someone in town to act as hostess and companion. For her? Not really, as long as she's allowed to live as she wishes, she's quite content.' Neal's ability to lie through his teeth with apparent sincerity was notorious but Lisa believed him. She might not have done except for the champagne, but as it was she accepted all he said. She also realised that the price of her small house and raising Jessica might be paid for by acting as hostess and companion when Neal was in town. The prospect wasn't displeasing. Provided that sex wasn't involved, she'd be perfectly willing to accept if he asked her.

'So how do you manage?'

'I've got a very good friend, Kay Masters, who stands in for Naomi as necessary.'

'Is Kay married?'

He laughed. 'Hardly! Not many husbands would be that complacent. No, Kay's totally free.'

Oh well, thought Lisa, wrong again. He didn't need her as a hostess. It was almost a disappointment. The sophisticated, powerful older man watched the emotions flicker across her face and was pleased. He'd sown the seed and then taken away the pressure. He'd return to the subject in time but leave now while she was relaxed and at ease. 'I've got a late night appointment and ought to be going. Is there anything you need at the moment? Mr Heywood says you can come out in another six days.'

'I'd like a good book. Something big but not too taxing on the brain. My concentration's gone at the moment, I keep looking at Jessica!' 'I'll drop in a few paperbacks. My wife's a romance fan, is that your genre?'

'No! Comedy or horror will do me nicely.'

'I'd have thought you'd had your fill of horror,' he said dryly, and then gave her the briefest of kisses on her forehead before leaving. That night she slept better than she had since Simon died.

The next morning, Steve arrived. She remembered how kind he'd been to her on the night Toby attacked her and tried to thank him but he brushed it aside. 'It wasn't anything, Mrs Walker. I was only doing my job.'

'You were marvellous. I'd have been in hysterics without your comforting presence.'

'Here are some books from Mr Gueras,' he said quickly, handing over a box that must have held at least twenty. 'If you don't like any of them he said he'd be ringing later and you could let him know.'

'Please thank him for me.' Her tone was cool now that she realised the young man no longer wished to be friendly.

'May I look at the baby?' he asked, sensing her change of mood and not wanting to offend.

'Of course, although she's probably asleep.’

'No, she's awake. Her eyes are wide open, she's obviously going to be very bright.'

'Unlike her father!'

He was surprised by the tartness of her tone. 'I suppose so. Good luck in the future.'

'Thanks. Oh, Steve?'

He turned, looking apprehensive. 'Yes, Mrs Walker?'

'Why don't you call me Lisa? I only wondered if you knew where this house of mine is going to be?'

'I'm afraid not.' She was sure he was lying, but guessed that Neal wanted to surprise her.

Turning her attention to the books she found them all excellent, and they kept her occupied during her spare time, which wasn't as much as she'd expected because for some reason bathing and dressing Jessica took a great deal longer then she'd anticipated.

'She's so passive!' she complained to Neal one evening as she struggled to put Jessica's limp legs into the babygrow.

'What did you think she'd do? Lift up her arms and put her hands down the holes?'

'No, but… '

'Lisa, how many babies have you handled before Jessica?'

'None.'

'And how many have I handled?' 'Three.'

'Then let me assure you that Jessica is perfectly normal, and you are setting ridiculously high standards for a five-day-old baby! God knows what you'll be expecting her to do in a year's time. Compose a symphony or something?' She laughed, but deep down she still wasn’t happy.

On the day that Neal collected her from hospital the paediatrician gave Jessica her final examination. He went over her from head to foot, checking and double checking because he'd been told about Lisa's worries. Finally he put the baby back in her cot and smiled. 'She's perfect in every way. Normal responses, excellent physical development, and if anything a little forward. You've nothing to worry about there, I assure you.'

'Why won't she let me move her from one breast to the other at feeding times?' demanded Lisa.

He shrugged. 'Perhaps she doesn't like change. Her weight gain's fine so it obviously doesn't matter.'

His first sentence was, if Lisa had but known it, a pointer to what was wrong, but it was to be a long time before the truth was revealed, and realising that to continue worrying against all advice was insane, Lisa finally accepted what everyone had been saying all along and told herself firmly that she was taking home a perfectly healthy, normal baby daughter.

At ten-thirty, Neal arrived with a case containing Lisa's clothes, all of them collected from Toby's flat, and a beautiful hand-crocheted shawl for Jessica.

The trio were escorted to the entrance porch where two nurses waited until the chauffeur had ushered them into the back of the car and settled himself behind the wheel before they gave a final wave and turned back to their duties.

Rebekah Geuras had been born in the same private hospital, but although both nurses remembered that, they made no comment, not even to each other. They knew how unwise it would be, and no other hospital offered such superb working conditions. In any case, Mr Gueras looked far more interested in this child—and its mother—then he had been in Rebekah, despite the fact that it was yet another girl.

Naturally they both thought he was the father of the child. This assumption was to be made by other people too, and wasn't discouraged by Neal until later, when the truth about Jessica finally came out.

'Where are we going?' Lisa asked, half-nervous and half-excited. 'To your new home.'

'But where is it? '

'Wait and see! Baby all right? '

Lisa hugged Jessica closer to her, telling herself that it was only natural for the tiny limbs to stiffen in protest against such sudden restriction. She was too young to realise it was a gesture of love and not aggression. 'She's fine. What did Toby say when he heard about her?'

'Who?'

' Toby! I just wondered… '

As the car slid to a halt outside a beautiful Chelsea mews cottage, Neal Gueras turned to the slender, fine-boned girl beside him and put one well-manicured hand lightly on her wrist. 'He's gone, Lisa. He's no longer part of your life. Forget him. As far as I'm concerned, Toby Walker never existed.'

She felt a flicker of apprehension. 'But he's Jessica's father! I can't forget him. She's even got his hair.'

'Then I'd prefer it if you kept your memories to yourself.’

Lisa looked out at the enchanting little whitewashed house and then at the heavy-boned intelligent face of the man next to her. For a moment she wished that there was a choice; that she wasn't so totally dependent upon his good will. Then he smiled at her, his eyes kind, his voice deep and reassuring.

'It's for your own good, my dear. After the things that he did to you, it's only sensible to put him firmly out of your mind.'

'I wasn't intending to conjure up action replays of our fights, I'm not a masochist.'

'Lisa, this is the beginning of a new life for you and your daughter. That's all I'm trying to say. Toby doesn't belong in it any more.'

She nodded. He was right. Whatever lay ahead of her now it was quite obvious that Toby Walker wouldn't be a part of it, and for that she was extremely grateful. So grateful that she pushed the other worry, the worry over exactly what Neal would want from her in the future, to the back of her mind. He was a friend of Simon's and she had to stop thinking the worst of everyone.

If he wanted to help her, he could obviously afford it. For the moment, Jessica was her priority. With Neal's help she could spend as much time with Jessica as she liked, without any financial worries at all. It was an offer anyone in her position would find very hard to refuse. And so, holding her baby daughter in her arms, she climbed out of the sleek silver Rolls-Royce and up the two steps into the entrance hall of her new home, leaving Toby Walker behind her.

Not, however, forever.

Chapter Seven

The new house was beautiful. The ground floor consisted of a large living-room with open plan stairs, plus a small kitchen where Lisa could eat but not entertain, while on the first floor there was a vast room with a door concealing two steps up into a tiny room in the roof where Jessica would eventually sleep.

It was carpeted throughout in cream wool with tiny flecks of beige. The beige had then been picked out as the base for all curtaining while the walls were a restful shade of leaf-green, with the exception of the kitchen which was wood-paneled, matching the wood of the folding table and two chairs in the furthest corner of the room.

Despite being small, the kitchen contained everything Lisa could possibly want, from a six-place-setting dishwasher to a microwave oven, which would make preparing Jessica's meals blissfully easy when that time came. A small fridge-freezer just fitted in by the sink, which was complete with waste disposal unit. The rest of the room had fitted cupboards and oven plus a small hob.

For the first few days she didn't really appreciate just how convenient and tasteful the house was because she spent nearly every moment of her time looking after Jessica, but as the baby settled into a reasonable sleep pattern she gradually took more notice of her surroundings.

She was both surprised and a little disappointed when Neal didn't come to see her within the first week. However, he sent a car round each day with some small gift, either for her or Jessica, plus the standard instruction for her to tell the chauffeur if there was anything she needed.

The chauffeurs varied. Most of them were young, unsmiling but highly respectful. The only trouble was they didn't ever want to talk. The exception to this was a cheerful, open-faced young man called Mike. He always had a smile for Lisa, and often consented to a cup of coffee in the kitchen where he would listen to her talking and admire the baby as though there was nothing else in the world he'd rather be doing.

After a week she asked Mike why Neal wasn't coming to see her himself. He stirred the sugar in his cup for an extra long time before giving a wry grin. 'Why do you think?' he queried.

'Is he busy at work?'

'He's always busy at work! Guess again.'

'He's waiting until I'm looking more presentable?' 'Don't fish for compliments! Talking of fishing… ' 'Yes?'

'If you want my honest opinion, he's playing a fisherman's game with you.'

'What on earth's a fisherman's game?'

'He's set out the bait, now he's waiting until he thinks it's been taken.'

She leant against one of the worktops and stared at Mike, unaware of how beautiful she was looking after the peace of the past few weeks and the joy of Jessica. 'You mean this house is bait?'

'That's only my opinion. Mind you, it's expensive bait; hardly your common or garden earth worm!'

'In that case I've already taken it. I am living here.'

'He's playing you very carefully. A clever fish can get away even after it's taken the bait. He doesn't want to take that risk.'

'Aren't you taking rather a risk, telling me all this?'

'Not really. I think you're intelligent enough to know better than to repeat any of it.'

'And trustworthy?'

'Of course—who else can you talk to?'

Her face clouded as she realised how alone she was. 'No one.' 'Hey, I didn't mean to upset you, it was a joke. I like you a lot, that's why I'm talking to you like this. I also assumed you'd already worked most of it out for yourself.'

'How many times has Neal done this before?' 'What?'

'Made women so grateful that they sleep with him.'

Mike laughed. 'He isn't the sort of man who has to make women grateful in order to get them into his bed; they leap in quite willingly. Money and power has that effect on the female sex!'

'He's quite attractive.'

'So am I, and beautifully groomed young women with designer label clothes don't fall over themselves to grace my bed! I'm younger too, so I think it's the money that makes the difference.'

'Do you want elegant women in designer label clothes?'

'Certainly not, I want them out of them! Christ, is that the time? I must go or he'll wonder what we've been doing and I could lose more than my job! How's Miss Pears today?'

'She's all right. I wish she'd look at me with a bit more interest though, she seems far more interested in her mobile than my loving face!'

'You've got enough people interested in your face, I should leave Jessica to her mobile! By the way, I shan't be round for the next few days. I'm off abroad. Should be back by next weekend. I'll bring a giant teddy for Jessica if there's room in my haversack.'

'Where are you going?' 'Amsterdam.'

'Simon used to go there a lot. He was in antiques.'

'He's the reason I'm going. He always did our work for us when he was alive.'

'What work?'

'Just remember how the elephant got its trunk, Mrs Walker! Take care now.'

After he'd gone, Lisa found it hard to settle to anything and wandered listlessly round the cottage. She was physically stronger now and Jessica slept a great deal of the time. No one knew where she was, and without Neal contacting her she felt very isolated indeed, yet for some reason she didn't like to call Sabrina or even Stephanie. Neal hadn't actually forbidden it, but she'd got the impression that she was meant to keep her new address a secret, certainly until her divorce was through.

After lunch she put Jessica in her pram and set off for a walk. She'd only got to the end of the cul-de-sac when she became aware of a very tall, heavily built man walking behind her. She slowed down, her nerve endings beginning to twitch as the memory of Toby and his beatings intruded on her previous calm. To her horror, the man slowed too.

Lisa then stopped, pretending to examine the heel of one shoe. As she did so, she glanced behind her and saw that the young man had stopped as well, apparently to light a cigarette. Her hands were clammy and her heart started beating far too fast. She walked more quickly, almost running as she turned into the main street and headed for the nearest shops. When she finally found a chemist and wheeled the pram in to buy some disposable nappies the man had gone, but when she came out he was on the opposite side of the road reading a newspaper.

Finally, Lisa gave in to her fear and turned back for home. It was only when she re-entered the mews that she lost him. He carried straight on past the end, walking briskly as though heading for some appointment, but she guessed that he was a friend of Toby's and was now so scared that she was grateful for the locks on the windows and the small spy-hole in the front door .

Fortunately Jessica continued to sleep because once she'd finished checking that the house was secure, Lisa sat shaking with terror and weeping silently. Only then, when she truly believed that Toby had found her did she finally ring the number Neal had left in case of emergency.

'Priority Commodities, good afternoon!' said a cheerful voice, not at all what Lisa was expecting.

'I need to speak to Mr Gueras,' she said abruptly.

'I'm sorry, Mr Gueras is in conference. If you leave your name and number I'll pass your message on,' was the unruffled reply.

'I need to speak to him now. He told me that I could always reach him on this number.'

'I'm sorry, Mr Gueras is… '

'I heard you the first time! Would you please tell him that I'm on the line? My name is Mrs Walker.'

'Mr Gueras cannot be disturbed in conference, Mrs Walker. Please leave your number and… '

'Forget it!' she cried as Jessica began to wail, and slammed down the phone. So much for his promise of instant support. She ran into the living room and found Jessica still wailing for no apparent reason. She changed her, offered her a feed, cuddled her and crooned to her but nothing worked. Jessica had decided to use her lungs.

At least the noise might deter any would-be prowler she thought as she tried to ignore the screaming. In sheer desperation she put on a recording of Von Karajan conducting Aida and turned the volume up. Amazingly, within the space of three minutes, Jessica was silent, lying staring at the ceiling with a look of absolute contentment on her previously enraged features.

Worn out by her fright and soothed by the familiar music, Lisa closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Her rest was abruptly disturbed by a frenzied hammering on the front door, and she struggled to rouse herself sufficiently to peer through the spy-hole, having first checked that the bolts were in place.

She was totally unprepared for the sight of Neal on the front step, his chauffeur only a couple of paces behind him. Fumbling with all the locks she finally managed to let him in.

'What the hell's been happening?' he demanded, grabbing her by the shoulders. 'First of all you ring me up saying it's an emergency, then you don't answer when I ring back, and now I come round here expecting God knows what disaster and can't make myself heard for that damned row.'

'I didn't hear you ring. I put the music on to drown Jessica's crying and must have fallen asleep.'

'Wonderful! I rush away from a conference and end up ruining your beauty sleep. I deserve to lose that contract. I assume it was Jessica's crying that constituted the emergency?'

'No, it wasn't!' shouted Lisa. 'How dare you come in here like some third-rate bully boy? You told me I could always contact you on the number you left, but I found myself fobbed off by a talking parrot. Then, when I finally manage to pull myself together and get some peace, you start throwing your weight around and complaining about me. Well, go back to your precious contract, and take that chauffeur with you. He gives me the creeps.'

'He isn't a chauffeur. Surely you remember Bishop? '

She did but knew that she'd managed to insult him and took a perverse pleasure in the knowledge. 'Sorry, Bishop. You all look alike in that uniform.'

'He happens to be wearing his own suit, ' said Neal coldly.

'It must be lack of character that turns even a suit into a uniform!' 'Wait outside, Bishop,' said Neal quickly, and Lisa's brief moment of triumph faded at the look of dislike in Bishop's eyes. 'Now then,' he continued, 'perhaps you’d tell me what the emergency was.' And so, eventually, she did.

'It could have been anyone,' he said comfortingly as she wandered into the kitchen to make some tea.

'Why should he have followed me?' 'You're an attractive young woman.'

'It wasn't that kind of following! Why won't you listen to me? I tell you he was checking on where I came from and where I was going. I 'm sure he's a friend of Toby's.'

'He sounds inept enough.'

'I'm sure I'm right, and if Toby knows where I am, what will he do?'

Neal put an arm loosely round her shoulders and was relieved to find that she didn't draw away. 'I've no idea, but I'll send someone round to see him and make sure he stays away, all right?'

'What makes you think he'll listen to you?' 'He will.'

'So you agree I might be right!'

'It's possible. Certainly I can understand your fright.'

He could, and he was also livid with the man who'd caused it. He was there to keep a discreet eye on Lisa and let Neal know where she went and anyone who called. Obviously he wasn't up to the job, but he'd made it doubly difficult for the next man to take over because now she was suspicious.

'How would you like to come out with me next week?' he asked casually. 'I've got to go to a business dinner and I thought you might enjoy the social side of the evening. You're looking much stronger now.'

'How many people will be there?'

'Less than eight; it's a very small group and they're not important people, I just thought… '

'You make it sound like my starter for ten!' she laughed. Neal stared blankly at her. 'I'm sorry?'

'You know, "University Challenge". It's the easy question that gets you in. I thought this dinner sounded like a gentle trial run, to see how I cope before I'm allowed to run amok at something more important!'

He smiled politely but she could tell that he wasn't really amused. 'Not at all. I thought that after the past few months and some of the undesirable publicity you've received, you'd be more comfortable at a small gathering.'

'What undesirable publicity?'

'I kept the papers from you at the time but there were stories about your final fight with Toby, and one or two lurid tales suggesting the kind of life you used to lead. Most of it total rubbish, of course, but… '

She remembered Roger and the photographs. The reason for her marriage, obviously still in existence, and stared at Neal in total silence, all the animation and colour draining from her face. In the living-room the opera came to its conclusion and Jessica began to cry again, but for once her mother didn't notice.

'What's the matter?' Neal quickly moved to her side and put an arm beneath her right elbow as he guided her to the kitchen stool.

'Nothing, I… '

'Is there something I don't know about? Some misguided behaviour on your part? If there is, I want to know about it.'

She shook her head. 'I don't think you do.'

Neal's mind began to race. He thought that he knew everything about the marriage. The drinking, the drugs, the violence—but none of that would account for the almost trance-like look of shock on her face at this moment. 'Lisa,' he said softly, 'I only want to help you. If there's something you want to talk about… '

'There isn't. I never want to talk about it. Is that Jessica crying?'

It wasn't the first time that Neal had silently cursed Lisa's baby, but he managed to nod and followed her to the other room where they both stood looking down at Jessica.

She was still very beautiful and gaining weight rapidly, but whilst she stared intently at the ceiling he was surprised to notice that she took no interest whatsoever in her mother even when she was picked up. Not a very affectionate child, it appeared.

'She's already yelled her head off once today,' said Lisa anxiously. 'Do you think she's sickening for something?'