Deceit of Angels (6 page)

One
exceptionally hot Sunday in the middle of July, Anna came into the kitchen to
be greeted by Mrs Wilby filling a large wicker hamper with all manner of fare;
pies, sandwiches, containers of salad and flasks of coffee.  Anna stared in
bewilderment.

“Oh,
my dear!” gasped Mrs Wilby, rushing from cupboard to cupboard. “Could you get
your own breakfast this morning?  I’m so busy preparing for this picnic. 
Jason’s idea, with it being such a beautiful day.  We’re just waiting for him
to come back with Hollie then we’ll be on our way.  Ben is bringing the car
round in twenty minutes.”

Anna
poured herself some coffee.  The thought of a picnic pleased her and she smiled
as she watched Mrs Wilby scurrying around the kitchen.  Jason arrived back with
Hollie who bounded into the kitchen excited by the news they were going on a
picnic.  Within the hour Anna was sitting beside the fidgety little girl and
Mrs Wilby in the back of the Mercedes, with Jason up front with Ben.

“Where
are we going?” Anna asked, trying to remember when she had last been on a
picnic.

“Oh,
it’s our usual place,” said Hollie with a bright smile.  “You’ll really like
it.  And we can play tennis.  Can you play tennis, Anna?”  Anna smiled and
nodded.

“It’s
just in the foothills of the Mendips,” said Mrs Wilby.  “Such a wonderful spot
to have a day out. We often go there if the weather is fine.  It doesn’t seem
to matter what the season, the scenery is always so pretty.”

They
parked the car and climbed a small hill.  Jason and Ben carried the hamper
while Anna clutched a folding chair in one hand and with the other helped Mrs
Wilby to puff and pant her way to the top.  Hollie ran ahead looking for the
best spot.  The view was glorious.  Spread before them were the meadows and
woods of the valley, sparkling in the warm summer sun.  Mrs Wilby made herself
comfortable in the chair and after shuffling about, pulled out her knitting
from a huge canvas bag.

Hollie
unzipped the racquets from their bag and Jason threw her the ball that he had
tucked in his pocket. 

“Play
tennis with me, Anna,” she said, pulling at Anna’s hand.

“Hey!
What about me?” shouted Jason.

“No,
Daddy!  I want Anna to play.  You hit the ball too hard and it goes down the
hill.”

Jason
gave Anna a resigned smile and lay down on the rug, staring up into the vivid
blue sky, his hands behind his head.

Anna
and Hollie started their game and in moments there were squeals of delight as
they ran backwards and forwards.  After a while, Hollie had had enough and went
to join the others on the rug.  Anna felt the need for solitude to put her
thoughts in perspective.  Making her way further along the hill, she finally
reached a spot that was absolutely breathtaking.  The peace and quiet seemed to
ease her mind.  Her sons were coming home in a few days and she had made plans
to meet them.  She hoped Dave would tell them the truth and not leave the
terrible burden to her.

“It’s
lovely isn’t it?”

Anna
turned to find Jason standing behind her.  “I’ve never seen anything so
beautiful.  You’re very lucky to live here.”

Jason
came to her side.  “But you’re not far from the Yorkshire Dales or even the
Lake District, surely?” he queried, frowning slightly.

“Oh
yes! But we...I mean.... I never seemed to have the time to go anywhere.”

“I
suppose you wouldn’t, with nursing your husband.”

Anna
tried to change the subject.  “I’m having a wonderful time.  Thank you for
suggesting a picnic.”

“I’m
glad you came.  All the way from Bristol, Hollie kept asking if you were coming
with us.  I wasn’t sure if you’d want to so I had to tell her so.  She seemed
very disappointed with the idea you might not come.”

“I
wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

“She’s
very fond of you and that’s good considering the circumstances.”

Anna
paused for a moment before asking,  “Is the divorce really definite?  You seem
so suited when you’re together.”

Jason
glanced away and then looked towards his daughter who was now making a daisy
chain and insisting that Ben try it on.

“Appearances
can be deceptive.  But we decided to stay amicable for Hollie’s sake.  Kiera
has settled down with…Well, she’s decided she wants to marry and who am I to
stand in her way.”

“It’s
so sad.”

Jason
shrugged indifferently.  “No, it’s just life.”

Hollie
called to say it was eating time and they joined her for the picnic.

CHAPTER
THREE

T
he
letter arrived for Anna two weeks later, when she felt at her happiest.  The
boys had returned home and she had managed to meet up with them.  Elaine had
brought them down and they had had a wonderful lunch together at a pizza
restaurant in Bristol.  They had talked endlessly of their trip to Romania with
just a slight hint of worry about their impending exam results.  Anna wasn’t
surprised when they said they had decided to work for the rest of the summer.

“Marks
and Spencer’s have taken us on,” said Martyn, almost in amazement.

Chris
nodded.  “We stack the shelves but I’ve been on check-out and I’m quite
brilliant at it.”

“The
trouble is we can’t help spending what we earn.  Working in a shopping centre
like the Ridings is too tempting,” complained Martyn.

There
was uncomfortable silence until Anna asked, “Have you spoken to your dad?”

The
boys glanced at each other before Martyn replied.  “We asked him why you had to
move out and he said that there were problems in the past, but you were making
a fuss over nothing.”

Anna
felt her blood boiling.  “He said what!”

Elaine
reached out and squeezed her hand.  “I told them what those problems were.” 
Anna looked at her in horror.  “I felt it only right that they know and since
Dave wasn’t going to deliver the goods, someone had to say something.  They’re
not children.”

Anna
sat back in her chair.  “Well, now you know.  So, what do you think?”

Again
Martyn answered for them both, his lip curling slightly.  “We asked Dad if it
was true and he admitted that ages ago he…” He looked at his brother.  “We’ve
decided to move in with Grandma.  She said it would be OK.”

“Yes,
that might be for the best,” breathed Anna with relief.  “She’ll look after
you.”  She gave a bright smile.  “When you get your results, then we’ll meet up
again to celebrate.”

She
didn’t want to think about her husband and her life in Wakefield so the rest of
the meal was spent in telling them about how much she enjoyed her job, the
wonderful atmosphere that permeated through the house in Bishop Sutton as the
summer wove its magic.  She had helped Jason plan the trips to the seaside with
Hollie and organise the barbecues that were held in the garden and were
presided over by Ben.  Anna had watched with delight as he cooked the sausages
and burgers over the flames, sporting the rather risqué apron depicting a nude
man with a fig leaf over the necessary parts of his anatomy. 

Mrs
Wilby was always busy in the kitchen, preparing salads and quiches, the
mouth-watering smell of baking sausage rolls, bread and strawberry tarts sending
enticing invitations around the house. 

At
the end of the visit, Anna walked with her family to the car and after giving
them all hugs, she watched with her heart in her mouth, as they drove away. 
Sadness stayed with her in the taxi back to Bishop Sutton and she was glad to
arrive home and join the others for coffee in the kitchen.

All
the talk that afternoon was of their visit to the Grange, which was about ten
miles away on the other side of the Mendip Hills. It seemed it was a tradition
to spend a week each summer at the Grange with Jason and his mother and this
year was very special since it was her seventieth birthday.  She intended to
hold a celebratory lunch followed by a party and everyone was invited,
including Anna, much to her surprise.  It was then that Jason remembered a
letter had come for her.

He
had dropped it on her desk and after their coffee, both she and Jason went back
into the office to finish off for the day.

He
nodded at the envelope.  “It’s been re-directed from the main office.”

She
picked it up, immediately recognising Dave’s bold handwriting.  A sharp intake
of breath took her by surprise as her mind reeled in horror at the thought her
husband had found her address.  She knew Jason was watching her and she was
well aware of why, since she had felt the colour drain from her face.  She gave
Jason a weak smile and murmured a ‘thank you’.

“Aren’t
you going to open it?” he asked rather bewildered.

“It’s
only from a…friend.  It’s probably just full of gossip.  I can read it later.”

She
went back to her work, but she could feel him watching her and she was
conscious of her neck and face burning.  For the first time since meeting him,
she began to feel indignant and wished he wasn’t in the room.

Anna
slipped upstairs just before the evening meal.  Locking herself in her bedroom,
she opened the letter with trembling hands.

Anna,

I’m
sure you’re going to be surprised as hell to get this letter, since you’ve
never bothered to tell me where you are.  I found out by accident.  You left
the info on the computer and I was very surprised to read it.  What do you mean
you’re a widow?  Is that some way of saying you wish me dead?

I
know you’re angry with me, but I don’t think I deserve this from you.  I don’t
know what you’re talking about when you mention a redheaded woman.  What
redheaded woman?  I think it’s just an excuse, as I won’t believe you went down
there just for a job.  I know there’s another bloke involved and if I ever get
my hands on him then he’ll answer to me for his actions. 

                    
Dave

Anna
held the letter in a limp hand as the enormity of its contents sank in. 
Leaving her CV on the computer wasn’t the problem, it was the changes she had
made.  She lay back on her bed as tears trickled into her hair, her thoughts
and nerves a jangled mess at her husband’s threats.  How could he accuse her of
having someone else after the affairs he had had?  But that would be so typical
of him.  One rule for him and one for her.  Thank goodness she had left him and
although she had probably lost her home, she didn’t really care.  Her children
and family were supporting her and that was all that mattered.

Eventually,
the tears subsided and she pulled herself up into a sitting position.  Her
memory returned to the day of the picnic.  It had been a wonderful day and as
her emotions became calmer, she wondered how her future would be.  Divorce
would be the next step, she supposed.  It seemed that she and Jason would be
going through similar experiences.  Sniffing into a tissue, she remembered that
Jason knew nothing of her husband, he still thought of her as a widow.  She
carried the letter to the wastepaper basket and crushed it into a tight ball
before flinging it in.  Feeling much better, she went to tidy herself up.

In
the kitchen, Anna ate her evening meal with the others.  She guessed her eyes
must still be a little red, since she had spent a good part of five minutes
crying. But Ben and Mrs Wilby didn’t seem to notice and chatted away throughout
the meal.

Only
Jason studied her, his eyes narrowed.  “Well, Anna.  Have you decided to come
to the Grange with us?” he asked, as they finished their coffee.

“What
do you mean!” Mrs Wilby broke in sharply.  “Of course she’s coming with us.”

“Now,
now, Mrs Wilby.  Let’s not jump to any conclusions.  Anna is new to the job and
she might have made her own plans.  After all, she has got family in
Wakefield.”  He turned to her.  “If you want to spend a few days with your
sons, then it’s OK by me.”

Jason’s
voice had been gentle, almost comforting and as she searched his expression,
her mind raced with the thought of telling him about her husband.  But then he
might react badly when he discovered her lie and would be disgusted with her. 
He had already gone through so much with Kiera’s betrayal and he surely
wouldn’t tolerate an employee’s deceit.  Would he sack her?  But worse than
that, much worse than that, was the humiliation she would feel when his eyes
told her he was disappointed and hurt by her deception.  She knew he regarded
her highly and she couldn’t bear the thought that his respect would disappear
with one swift blow.

Anna
licked her lips and tried to answer calmly.  “I thought I might go back up to
Wakefield, to visit my boys when they get their exam results.”

“Well,
if that’s what you want to do, then you must do it,” said Jason.

She
scrutinised their faces for reassurance and found it.  She turned to Jason. 
“But that’s not until mid-August and there would be no problem seeing your home
and meeting your mother before that, if you don’t mind me coming.”