Deceit of Angels (37 page)

“She
did a lot of shopping if I remember right.”

“Was
there any time when she was out for most of the day…or evening?”

Ben
thought carefully.  “On the Friday, she was out for a good part of the day,” he
said hesitantly.

“You
know beyond any doubt it was the Friday?”

“It
was actually Friday the thirteenth.  You know how superstitious Mrs Wilby can
be and she mentioned the date in passing.” 

“What
time did Anna get in?”

Ben
took a sip of his coffee.  “Late.”

“How
late?” 

Ben
felt extremely uncomfortable and made a non-committal answer.

“Late
enough.”

“I
asked what time she arrived home!”

“We
had to stay up for her.  She got in about eleven.”

“Eleven
o’clock!  Did she say where she’d been?”

“We
asked, but she said she’d been held up.  Didn’t seem to be any point in making
a fuss about it.  We were just glad she was home safely.”

“How
did she seem?”

Ben
hesitated once more but could see by Jason’s angry expression that he had to
answer.

“Her
lip was cut and bruised.  She said she’d slipped and hit her face on the kerb.”

Jason
frowned while he considered this for a moment.  “I…I won’t be going to the New
Year’s Eve party, but you go as you planned.  I’ll ring the Grange this morning
and tell Mother.”

“She’ll
be upset,” ventured Ben.

“Can’t
help that.  Perhaps you could bring Mrs Wilby and Hollie back on the second of
January?”

Ben
turned in his seat.  “What about Anna?”

“Anna
can do what the hell she likes,” Jason muttered, making his way to the office.

In
his office, Jason stared down at his desk.  Her lip was bruised, he thought
bitterly.  He remembered his time with Deborah.  There had been no love between
them and when they went to bed it was purely for sex.  And Deborah had liked
the rough stuff.  Not that it was Jason’s preference but he had complied with
her wishes and found it interesting although rather alarming at times.  Why a
woman would want to be treated violently was beyond him.

It
had never been that way with Anna.  Sex with Anna had always been an expression
of his love for her and he had cherished that, since he had never experienced
such a powerful force of emotion with anyone else.  Being with Anna had been
tender and gentle, but unbelievably exciting.  The feelings he had known had
been mind blowing.  And he knew Anna had felt the same.  In fact, he knew
beyond any doubt that he had aroused passions in her that had lain dormant for
so long.

Perhaps
that was it!  Perhaps he had awakened her to the point where she craved more
variety and she had searched further afield.  Her lip was cut.  Deborah had
experienced many cuts and bruises to her lips when he had pressed harsh, brutal
kisses on them.  But Deborah had enjoyed that.

He
rose from his chair and wandered across to Anna’s desk.  He felt sick to his
stomach.  Why had she cheated on him?  Of all the women he had known, he would
never have thought it of her.

“I’m
off now,” said Ben, from the doorway.  “Do you want me to pass on any message?”

Jason
shook his head.  “I’ll phone my mother so she’ll expect you.”

“You’re
not staying here by yourself, are you?” said Ben.  “You can’t spend the New
Year on your own.”

“I’ll
be fine.  You go and enjoy yourself.”  He heard the door slam and then a car
driving away.

He
returned to his desk and picked up the phone.  A few minutes later he was
talking to his mother, explaining that he wouldn’t be joining them for the New
Year’s Eve party, but Ben was on his way and would bring back Hollie and Mrs
Wilby at the beginning of January.

“I
think you’re being very silly,” his mother reprimanded him.  “Why don’t you
come back and talk to Anna?”

“I’ve
done enough talking,” he said angrily.

Margaret
paused for a moment.  She knew there was no reasoning with her son when he was
like this. 

“And
what shall I tell her?  Is she never to go back to Bishop Sutton?  She does
work for you, Jason.  What about her job?”

Bitterness
suddenly overwhelmed him.  “Working together will be impossible.  Tell
Anna…tell her I’ll sort out her wages…and her P45 will be sent to her.”

CHAPTER
SIXTEEN

M
argaret didn’t have the heart to tell
Anna that she had lost her job and by implication, her home also.  It could
wait until after the New Year, she decided, let the poor girl have a few days
of peace.  And besides, everything might change once Jason had had the chance
to think things over.  At the moment he was like a wounded animal, biting and
snarling at everyone.  But she knew her son loved Anna with all his heart and
that alone would bring him round.

The
arrival of Ben brought some news of Jason, but only that he was determined not
to return to the Grange for the celebrations.  Anna listened with a lump in her
throat.  How could things have gone so terribly wrong?  They had travelled to
the Grange only one week ago and she and Jason had been so happy and so full of
plans for their future.

By
the time the final day of 1996 came, Anna had convinced herself that she would
never see Jason again.  She was almost on the verge of asking Ben to take her
back to Bishop Sutton so she could confess everything, when something else
began to occupy her thoughts.  Something that filled her with ecstatic hope and
yet at the same time, with the most awful dread.

Anna dressed for
the party and then joined the others in the ballroom.  She hadn’t been in this
room since Margaret’s party and her memories nearly overwhelmed her.  Thick,
velvet curtains were drawn across the bay windows, the deep colour enhancing
the polished floor and plush red and gold wallpaper.  Fires had been lit in the
two huge white marble fireplaces at each end of the room and the warm flicker
of the flames was reflected in the chandeliers.  Margaret had organised a
lavish buffet that was spread on a long table against the far wall.  There was
going to be a live band followed by a disco and the players were already taking
their places.

The
arrival of the guests caused a great deal of chaos as coats were discarded and
drinks were served.  Nigel and Sophia followed on the heels of Doctor Orchard
and Sarah and it seemed Jason’s absence was immediately noticed.  Standing next
to Ben, with Hollie holding her hand, Anna became the focus of attention. 
Margaret diplomatically made some excuse why Jason was missing, waving her hand
in a gesture of casual dismissal.  Anna tried to reflect her nonchalance and
threw herself into the celebrations as though she hadn’t a care in the world.

The
room began to fill and it wasn’t long before the band started up.  The party
had begun, but as time passed, Anna began to feel the strain of smiling and
trying to appear happy.  Eventually, she just couldn’t summon up any more
enthusiasm to join in.  When the buffet was served she used it as an excuse to
go outside for some fresh air.

She
stood just to the right of the main entrance, looking up at the stars.  It was
a beautiful clear night but very cold.  She pulled her scarf round her chin and
focused on the blue and white lights that decorated the trees along the drive. 
In two days’ time, Ben would be taking Mrs Wilby and Hollie home, but she had
no idea about her own future.  Ben had told her that Jason was in a foul mood
and had not been specific about her return to Bishop Sutton.  She took in a
huge breath and closed her eyes.

“The
lights are lovely, aren’t they?” said Sophia.

Anna
turned round.  “Yes, they are.  Have you come out for a bit of fresh air too?”

Sophia
lit up a cigarette.  “I’ve got three hours to smoke myself to death before I
give it up,” she laughed.

“Another
New Year’s resolution?”

“I
try every year.  One time I actually got as far as March.”

“Perhaps
it’s the job you do.”

Sophia
nodded.  “It’s a rather harrowing occupation.  But I like helping people.”

Anna
slipped her arm through Sophia’s.  “And you’ve helped me so much.  I don’t know
how I’d have managed without you.”

Sophia
gave her a wry smile.  “I know what you’re going through.”

“You
know?”

Sophia
turned her head away and sighed uneasily.  “I was raped when I was nineteen
while at university by a man I had come to trust.”

Sadly,
Anna absorbed this information.  “I’m so sorry.”

“It
was a long time ago.”

“But
it must have been difficult for you, being so young.”

Sophia
nodded.  “It was difficult and I dropped out of uni.  But then I met Nigel and
he was so wonderful.  He was the turning point in my life.”

“So,
you told him all about it?”

“Yes
and he encouraged me to go back and finish my degree.”  She turned to face
Anna.  “That’s why I want you to tell Jason.  He loves you very much and he’ll
understand, I know he will.”

“Are
you saying this as a friend or a counsellor?”

Sophia
laughed.  “As a friend.”

There
was silence once more as Anna thought this over.  “I think I’m pregnant,” she
said softly.

Sophia
stubbed out the cigarette.  “You only think?”

“I’ve
not had a test or anything.  But I’ve been here before and I’ve started feeling
a bit unwell, just like I did with the twins.”

“That’s
probably because you’re missing Jason.  When he’s back you’ll feel a lot
better.”

“I
don’t think he will be back.  We had an awful row.”

Sophia
took in a huge breath.  “Is that why he’s not here tonight?”  She pulled a face
but then smiled.  “Then go to a chemist and buy a test and get it confirmed.”

Anna
couldn’t help smiling with her.  “I’ve already got one in my bag.”

“That’s
very organised of you.”

Anna
grimaced.  “I was fitted with the coil about three years ago.  But I had the
doctor remove it when I realised that Jason would love another child and… well,
I’m not getting any younger.  I didn’t have any trouble falling pregnant
before, so I hoped it would happen straight away.  I had this wonderful idea of
surprising him with the news as a special Christmas present.  I bought the
pregnancy kit a few days after seeing the doctor.  I was so excited about it
all.”

Sophia
put her arm round her.  “Then do the test as soon as it’s necessary and then
for God’s sake, tell Jason.”

Anna
tried to hold back the tears.  “I can’t tell him.  I don’t know if he’s the
father!”

Sophia
considered this.  “When was your last period?”

“Twenty-sixth
of November.  I’m actually seven days late.”

“So,
your husband could be the father too?”

“Yes,
I’m afraid so.”

Sophia
licked her lips.  “You can have a termination, if you wanted.”

Anna
shook her head in horror.  “No!  This child has a right to live.”  She put her
hand to her forehead.  “I just pray that it’s Jason’s, but no matter what, I
will still love it.”  And then she added quietly, “But please, please God, let
it be Jason’s.”

Anna sat on the
edge of the bath and waited patiently.  The instructions told her that it would
take a few minutes before she would know and the time seemed endless.  But when
she glanced down again she had her answer.  She was disturbed from her thoughts
by Hollie calling her from the hallway.  It was now the second of January and
the others were leaving to go back to Bishop Sutton.  Margaret had invited her
to stay at the Grange for as long as she needed, a kindness she had greatly
appreciated.  At the moment, Anna needed the comfort of its walls round her,
for she never felt so much at home, as she did in this ancient manor filled with
history.

She
ran downstairs and scooped Hollie up in her arms.  “Bye sweetie.  Be a good
girl for me.”

Hollie
shuffled uncomfortably.  “But why aren’t you coming with us?”

“I’m
staying here for a few more days,” said Anna gently. 

She
hugged Mrs Wilby and Ben and then went outside with Margaret to see them off. 
She felt her heart would break as she saw them drive away and kept waving until
they had turned at the gate and were out of sight.

Margaret
put her arm round her.  “I’ve something to tell you.”

“And
I’ve something to tell you.”

Margaret
gave a chuckle.  “Then let’s go into the parlour and sit comfortably by the
fire.” 

She
thought afterwards that it was only a quirk of fate that Anna happened to break
her news first.  And because of Anna’s information, Margaret found it quite
unnecessary to tell the poor girl that the man she loved had sacked her and
thrown her out of her home.  Had it been the other way round then Anna would
have had to cope with two distressing problems instead of one.