Deceit of Angels (26 page)

She
tapped him on the leg.  “You should talk!”

He
gave a chuckle.  “All right, what were they saying?”

“Well,
they’ve heard I’m not a widow.”

Jason
shrugged it off.  “Let them talk.  Next week they’ll have found something else
to bitch over.”

“But
how do they know so quickly?  I only told the others on Monday.”

“It’s
strange how these things get around.  It could have come from Fran or even
Irene.  Not John though, he wouldn’t spread gossip.”

“They
heard it from Deborah.”

Jason
frowned.  “Did they now?”  He shook his head.  “That woman is beyond belief. 
If I didn’t mind going to prison, I’d strangle her.”

“I’d
come and visit you every day,” she said, smiling.

When
they arrived home Anna decided to take a quick shower.  The trauma of the day
had literally brought her out in a cold sweat and she needed to freshen up. 
She was just coming into the bedroom when Jason knocked on the door and came
into the room.  They were so secure in one another now, that waiting for
permission to enter a room seemed unimportant.  

He
grinned cheekily.  “Irene has made us a pot of tea.”

“I
shall be ready in two ticks.”

He
studied her.  “Good.”  He lifted her chin with his forefinger and briefly
kissed her lips.  “Hurry up.  I’m finding it very difficult to concentrate
knowing that you’re naked under that towel.”

She
gave a giggle and changed the subject.  “After our tea I’m going to phone
Dave.”

“You
can use the phone in my room if you want.  It’ll be more private.”

Anna took the
stairs once more to Jason’s room to make the call to her husband.  She sat on
the bed for some time staring at the phone trying to pluck up the courage. 
Finally she picked up the receiver and dialled the number. 

Dave’s
voice was quiet when he answered.  Anna paused for a moment before saying, “Hi
Dave, it’s me.”  It seemed ages before he replied.  She detected a chilly tone
in his voice and she was relieved.  Now he sounded like the old Dave and not
the one she had spoken to that morning.  “I said I’d phone back.”

“You
didn’t waste any time.  So, have you thought about what I said?”

“I
have but…I’m sorry Dave, I still want a divorce.  Please can I have the name of
your solicitor?”

There
was a long silence before he answered.  “Didn’t you listen to a word I said!  I
said I would move down there.  I said I would give up everything for you.”

“I
know that, but I can’t…trust you.  I shouldn’t have put up with your behaviour
all those years.”

“What
the hell do you want me to do?  I’ve said I’m sorry.”

“I
want you to give me my freedom.”

She
heard him suck in a breath.  “I’ll use that one in Wakefield.  The one I went
to when I bought this house.”

Anna
thought for a moment.  “I remember it.”  She knew that she would get no more
from him, not even the address.  But she didn’t care.  It would be easy to find
the information she needed.

“Are
you absolutely sure about this?  Don’t you want us to talk it over some more?”

“No
Dave, my mind is made up.”

“Why
don’t you come home and we can discuss it face to face.”

Anna
was suddenly filled with dread.  Although she knew Dave was an excellent father
and would never hurt the boys, she wasn’t so sure about her own safety.  Once
inside the house he might be capable of anything.  She tried to dismiss these
terrifying thoughts from her mind.

“No,
I don’t think so.  We can communicate through our solicitors from now on.  Have
you got a pen handy?  I’ll give you the details of mine.”  She looked down at
the card in her hand; the one Nigel Barnes had given her and carefully read out
the name, address and telephone number.  She hoped that Dave was writing it
down.

“This
is stupid, Anna!”

She
ignored him.  “I want to divorce you on grounds of your adultery.”

“What? 
Do you mean from…six years ago?”

“My
solicitor says that as long as you admit it, then everything should go through
smoothly.”

“Forget
it.”

“Please
Dave.”  She was answered with a cold silence.  She took in a steadying breath. 
“OK, then you…you can divorce me for…adultery.”

“What
do you mean?”

“Do
you want me to draw you a picture!”

“You’ve
met someone else?”  Anna tried to speak but her throat dried up.  “Anna, have
you met someone else?”

“Yes…Yes
I have.  And I love him and he’s asked me to marry him and I’ve said yes.” 
Anna could almost feel the anger at the other end of the phone.

“How
long has this been going on?  Who is he?”

“That
doesn’t matter.  And you can’t judge me after your behaviour.  Anyway, I met
him when I came to work in Bristol.”

“Oh
no, you didn’t!  I was right wasn’t I?  You went down there because you already
had another bloke!”

“No,
I didn’t.  I came here to work,” she said defiantly.  “Me and Jason only…I mean
I.…”

“Jason? 
Wait a minute, when I phoned Harrington Rhodes in Bristol, they gave me the
number of a Jason Harrington.  Is that him?  Is it the man I talked to?”

Anna
began to curse her stupidity.  Why, oh why, had she left her CV and her
application letter on the computer?  It would have only taken a second to
delete them. 

“I
don’t want to talk about him.  I just want to get this divorce out of the way.”

“Oh,
do you!  Well, you’ll not get anything out of me.  I’ll fight you all the way!”

“I
don’t care about the money.  I can support myself.  I have a good job.”

A
bitter laugh erupted at the end of the phone.  “Well, I’m sure you’ve got a
good job if you’re screwing the boss!”

“Goodbye
Dave.”

“You
slut!  I’m glad to get rid of you….”

She
didn’t want to hear any more and slammed down the phone.

Anna
sat for a while, hugging herself and rocking gently backwards and forwards. 
She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself.  She mustn’t let him get to
her.  She would ring Nigel on Monday morning and pass on the details of her
husband’s solicitor.  And then everything can go ahead, even if it meant
admitting her adultery.  Life wasn’t fair, she sobbed, but it was only for four
or five months and that wasn’t so long to wait.  Then she and Jason could get
married, here at the Grange.  She would be happy with Jason, she knew it.  And
the boys would meet him and little Hollie too.  They would love her new
family.  And perhaps in time, she would have another baby.  Jason said he would
like another child.  Perhaps in twelve months’ time she might be pregnant.  And
they would all live happily together, for the rest of their lives.

Jason
stuck his head round the door.  “All done?”

Anna
nodded.  “I’ve got the name of his solicitor and he knows about us.”

He
came to sit on the bed with her.  “How did he take it?”

She
turned her face away in embarrassment.  “You were right about the animosity. 
And, damn it! You were right about the leopard.”  She turned to face him again
and he could see the pain in her eyes.  “I’m trying to decide if it’s better to
be a whore or a slut.  I mean, what would you choose?”

“Oh,
sweetheart.”  He put his arm round her and pulled her close, kissing her hair.

She
went into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the coin that Jason had used. 

“I
think I’ll put this on a chain and hang it round my neck!”

He
took it from her and put it in the drawer of the bedside table.

“You
must forget it now.  Let Nigel do his job and all this will come to an end
soon.”

She
leaned against him, fighting back the tears, finding comfort in his nearness. 
For quite a while they didn’t speak, as she breathed deeply trying to control
her agonised trembling.  It felt so good to feel the warmth of his body close
to hers, to smell the aftershave he liked to wear.

She
lifted her face and he kissed her lips.  “I need to know that you love me,” she
said softly.

“You
know I love you very much.”

“Show
me,” she whispered.

They
undressed slowly.  Being with Jason was always wonderful but it seemed for
Anna, that this time was even more exquisite.  Their kisses and caresses were
gentle and unhurried; the tender murmurings of their lovemaking soothed and
comforted her.  She loved him desperately and she needed to feel part of him,
to feel that she was truly his.

And
when he slipped inside her, she lifted her body to meet his, crying out in
pleasure and the anguish she had endured seemed to melt away.  She closed her
eyes and let herself be carried to a place where only that instant counted and
nothing else mattered.  Jason held back until the last possible moment and only
when he saw the warm flush spread across her breasts and neck did he join her
in that special place.

CHAPTER
TWELVE

S
he
was running, running so fast that she thought her heart would burst.  Dave was
right behind her, his face twisted in rage, his hands reaching out to grab
her.  She ran from room to room desperate to find an escape, a place to hide,
but there was none.  Suddenly she felt the force of his body on top of her and
his hands were round her neck.  She was choking, crying, pleading for her life,
but he wasn’t listening.  He was intent on her destruction and nothing was
going to save her. Anna jumped out of sleep with a scream and sat up in bed.

Jason
came hurrying out of the bathroom.  “Dear Lord! What is it?”  His face was
white as he sat on the bed next to her. 

“Bad
dream.  Just a bad dream,” she gasped, reaching out and holding him close.

He
wrapped his arms round her and kissed the top of her head.  “Wow!  You gave me
a fright.”

“It
was nothing.  You go and finish shaving.”

Anna
watched him go feeling ashamed, she really must pull herself together.  Their
holiday was over and they were travelling back to Bishop Sutton to pick up the
threads of their lives and Anna knew that Jason was keen to get back and resume
his normal life.  How strange it would be to work in the office once more, she thought
and yet how wonderful too.  She had been happy staying at the Grange and it
seemed that the last week had been the most eventful of her life.  Anna slipped
out of bed, drew back the curtains and smiled at the scene outside the window.

It
was going to be a beautiful day now that the rain and gusty winds had moved off
to the east. The telephone rang and Anna ran swiftly across the room.  She
answered in a hushed voice and to her delight discovered it was Martyn. 
Keeping her voice calm, trying to hide her excitement, she confirmed the
details of their visit in just three weeks’ time.  Anna told her son that
arrangements would be made for their overnight stay and how much she was
looking forward to seeing them again.  As she replaced the receiver she saw
Jason standing at the bathroom door.

“Your
turn,” he smiled.

“Sorry,
for frightening you like that.”

“We
all have bad dreams, sweetheart.  So the visit is all sorted?”

She
nodded.  “Saturday the twenty-eighth.  But only the lads.  The others can’t
make it.  Martyn has just told me that he’s passed his driving test, so he and
Chris are coming down in my car.”

Jason
gave a quizzical look.  “Your car?”

She
squirmed in embarrassment.  “Yes, the car I used at home.  It seems his dad has
put him on the insurance and now he’s driving it.  I’m pleased about that.  It
was only sat idle.”

“Oh,
so you did have a car,” he smiled.  His smile faded.  “Oh, dear, the
twenty-eighth? That’s the weekend I’m going to Vancouver to pick up Hollie.” 
He saw her face blanch and quickly added, “But don’t worry I’ll make other
arrangements.”

“But
what?  Hollie needs to go back to school, so you must go and collect her.”

“No,
I want to meet your sons, so I’ll ask Ben to go.”

“Will
he mind doing that?”

He
threw back his head and laughed.  “He’ll love it.  He’s been to visit the
Macintoshes many times before.  He’s one of the family.”

“Oh
Jason, I’m so sorry for upsetting your plans.  I should have checked with you
first, but I was so excited about seeing the boys again.”

“Don’t
worry, it’s not a problem.”  He smiled.  “Well, if it’s just the two of them
visiting, they can use your room.”  Seeing Anna’s quizzical expression, he
added, “We must decide which bedroom we’re going to sleep in when we get back. 
We can’t be running backwards and forwards between rooms like we’ve done here. 
I know it’s been fun but…”