The Darkest Hour (41 page)

He was staring down morosely at his empty bottle. ‘Somehow I’ve messed all this up,’ he said at last.

‘Indeed.’

He looked up at his mother and gave a wry grin. ‘So, tell me what to do.’

‘You don’t mean that.’

‘Don’t I?’

‘No. You have always gone your own way. Just think before you act.’ She stood up and went to find a second bottle for him. ‘Do you think your uncle George would know what’s going on?’ she called over her shoulder.

Mike thought for a moment then he shook his head. ‘I’ve no idea. I haven’t seen him for years. He and Dad didn’t exactly get on, did they?’ He scrambled to his feet and followed her. ‘Is this all to do with the inheritance, d’you think?’

She nodded slowly. ‘That’s my guess. There is a lot of money at stake here, and if Evie becomes famous, properly famous, suddenly, anyone who has one of her paintings will benefit.’

‘You mean Lucy?’

‘I mean Christopher. He appears to have cornered the market.’

‘So, wouldn’t you think he would be pleased about the publicity?’ Mike perched on the arm of a chair. ‘Would you go and see George?’

‘No.’

He looked at her in astonishment. ‘No?’

‘No, Mike. I told you, he and Johnny didn’t really get on and we saw very little of him, considering they were brothers. I found him very standoffish and difficult. He’s never so much as sent me a Christmas card since Johnny died. If you want to go and see him, that’s up to you, but leave me out of it.’

The sound of the phone ringing broke the silence that followed her outburst. They both looked at it, then Juliette picked it up.

‘It’s Charlotte,’ she said, passing it to him.

Ralph had driven Tony out to the Old Ship Inn at Bosham. It was his favourite pub. He carried the two pints back to the table in the window and set them down.

‘Still no sign of the Hun this morning!’

Tony shook his head. ‘They are focusing on poor old London. I wouldn’t be there for the world.’ He reached for his drink. ‘How is Evie?’

Ralph took a long swig from his pint and put it down with a firm bang on the table. ‘She’s all right.’ He studied the contents of his tankard with unnecessary concentration then after a few moments he looked up.

Tony was watching him warily. ‘So, you’re going to tell me to give up on her,’ he said at last. ‘Everyone else has.’

Ralph sighed. ‘You know who is behind all this effort to split you both up, don’t you?’

‘I’ve guessed. It’s your dad.’

Ralph was silent for a moment. ‘Partly, yes. Daddy is against all the sneaking around at night. I heard about that.’ He gave Tony a searching look. ‘But if your intentions are honourable and you mean to marry Evie then I don’t think he would have any problem from that point of view. Look, Tony, I’ve been thinking about this a lot and there is something you need to know. A family secret. I’ve told Evie and I made her promise not to tell you, but this is all getting out of hand and it’s not fair on either of you if you don’t know what is going on.’ He took another gulp of beer. He glanced round the bar, which was smoky still from the previous night’s drinkers but which at this hour was empty save for the barmaid who, her back to them, was drying glasses and returning them to their places on the shelf.

He lowered his voice still further. ‘I’ve been talking to Mummy. She dislikes Eddie intensely but she pretends to welcome him for Evie’s sake. He takes advantage of the fact that he is the gateway to the War Artists Advisory Committee and she thinks Eddie is in love with Evie. Really in love.’ He glanced up at Tony. ‘He is a strange man. Very clever. Very manipulative.’ He paused again, reaching into his pocket for a packet of cigarettes. He passed one to Tony and brought out his lighter. ‘I think he could be quite unscrupulous.’ Flipping the lid on the lighter open he stroked his thumb across the wheel and held out the light. ‘She only knows half the story. Eddie lent Daddy some money,’ he went on gravely. ‘To get him out of debt. And now he is threatening to tell the whole world and shame him, if Daddy doesn’t throw you out. He is blackmailing him, trying to make him force Evie to forget you.’

‘He wants to marry her himself?’ Tony’s voice hardened.

Ralph nodded. ‘I assume so. To keep his interest in the money with her share of the farm. I don’t know how much it was he lent, but I suspect it was more than my dad has admitted. It must be. He wouldn’t sell his daughter unless –’

‘Unless he was desperate.’

Ralph gave a grim nod. ‘I don’t think Eddie is interested in getting the money back, even if we had it. He’s a wealthy man. But this gives him one hell of a hold over my father. Eddie doesn’t like being thwarted, I know that much about him. And he will not put up with any competition.’

Tony leaned forward and drew on the cigarette. ‘So you are telling me he could be dangerous?’

‘I’m telling you to be careful.’

‘The CO told me the same thing,’ Tony said carefully. ‘But with no names.’

Both men smoked quietly for a while. ‘Should I go and confront him?’ Tony asked at last.

‘No!’ Ralph spoke out loudly and raised his hand to the barmaid as she looked round, startled. He pushed back his chair and stood up. ‘I’ll get us another one. When are you rostered on?’

‘Tomorrow. More sweeps, I suspect. I wonder what the Hun are up to.’

Ralph nodded. ‘Don’t say anything at the moment, especially not to Evie. She has a very complicated relationship with Eddie. He told her you were dating another girl, but she didn’t believe him. She didn’t say anything though. She knows her career rests with him, or she thinks it does. I suspect that is what he has told her. She’s painting again.’ He went over to the bar to pick up the fresh drinks. ‘I wasn’t sure if you knew she had stopped, but the committee asked her to do some more of the street scenes in Southampton after the bombing. She was there during a raid and it affected her very deeply. You can imagine, it is very hard to stand by and make sketches when people have been so terribly injured and their homes destroyed.’

‘And that is our fault. We let the bastards through.’ Tony clamped his jaw shut.

‘We do our best.’ Ralph sat down again. He rubbed his face wearily. ‘In fact we do more than our best. When you think how many of them there are. Those great formations of bombers coming in over the coast, heading for London.’ He shuddered. ‘I shall dream about them to my dying day.’

‘So, if you don’t think I should go and confront Eddie, what do you think I should do? I have already been warned to watch my tail.’ Tony sounded bitter. ‘I can’t just sit there in my plane and wait for some low life in Eddie’s pay to take a pot shot at me when they should be trying to take down a Junkers 88!’

‘No.’

‘Does Evie still love me?’ Tony leaned forward towards Ralph suddenly. ‘Does she ever talk about me?’

Ralph looked evasive. ‘I’ve never encouraged her to, to be honest. Besides, I’ve hardly been home, and when I am there are other people there.’

‘I tried to ring her. Your mother answers every time. She didn‘t pass on my messages. Does she know about all this?‘

Ralph shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. Daddy told me not to tell her. But she is very loyal to my dad. If she thinks he is against you –’

‘You said he wasn’t, not if I plan to marry Evie.’

‘That was before Eddie started tightening the screws.’

Tony sighed. He reached for another cigarette.

‘And what did Evie say last time you discussed it with her?’ Ralph asked curiously.

‘She loves me, Ralph.’ Tony shook his head, clearly bewildered. ‘She wants to get married, but there is always something in the way. She doesn’t want me to go up there or phone any more. Now I know why. She must be completely torn in two.’

‘She is, poor kid.’ Ralph downed the rest of his pint and stood up. ‘Come on, we’d best be getting back. I’ll drop you off on the way past the Mess. There is a young lady near here I need to see before I go back to Tangmere.’ He gave a coy wink. ‘I don’t know what you should do, Tony. Just be bloody careful.’

‘Would you speak to her for me? Tell her I know and I understand it’s difficult. Tell her I love her.’

Ralph held the door for him as they walked out into the village street. He nodded reluctantly. ‘Of course I will. But I may not get the chance to get up there for a few days and if I do I may not get the chance to speak to her alone. I’ll do my best.’

It was bitterly cold with a sharp wind blowing. Both men pulled up their collars.

They climbed into the Morgan. ‘If she asks I will tell her you would make a great brother-in-law,’ Ralph said with a laugh. ‘God forbid that Eddie should step up to that position!’

Lucy was on duty in the gallery the next day; Robin was looking after Phil’s bookshop in North Street and Phil had gone to Brighton to visit a friend in hospital. The gallery was quiet and Lucy was taking the chance to catch up on checking the books and ordering some more greetings cards. When the door opened she looked up and, not recognising the man who walked in, bent once more to the computer screen. The sound of card hitting glass, however, made her look up again. He had flipped the open/closed sign over and he was bolting the door.

‘What are you doing?’ She was shocked by his sudden action and not a little apprehensive.

‘I take it you are Lucy Standish?’

He was fairly short, about forty, good-looking, with neat dark hair and a smart expensive suit. His eyes were hard as flint.

‘Christopher Marston?’ It was an easy guess. The man radiated hostility.

‘Are you surprised I’m here?’ He walked towards her and came to a standstill some four feet away, folding his arms as he looked at her.

She stood up and felt better, nearer his height. ‘I was expecting you to come in person in the end.’ Adrenaline was coursing through her body but she managed to keep her voice steady. ‘I’m glad. We need to talk. Please, sit down.’ She indicated the armchair.

He ignored her invitation. ‘I want you to stop interfering in my family’s business. I give you two days to return to me any papers or articles which belong to my grandmother’s estate and if you do not comply with my wishes I will take out an injunction against you. Is that clear?’

Lucy looked at him, stunned. ‘I have taken nothing without the permission of the current owner, your cousin Mike. I don’t believe anything I have belongs to you.’

‘As a senior member of the family I have the right of veto. There will be no biography.’

‘I believe your father, George Marston, is the senior surviving member of the family,’ Lucy said, thinking fast. ‘Are you acting with his authority?’

Christopher narrowed his eyes. ‘My father knows nothing of this whole débâcle! He is not well. He is not to be bothered by any of this.’

‘I see.’ Lucy paused. ‘I am sorry to hear he is not well.’ Her brain was racing. ‘I will consult my solicitor about your request and your desire to veto the biography. You do understand that I have academic backing for it, and considerable interest has been shown by a great many people. The biography doesn’t need authorisation by anyone.’ She was pretty certain that was true.

She saw two red patches appear just below his cheekbones and realised too late just how angry he was becoming. He leaned forward and seized her arm, twisting it up behind her. She heard herself gasp as the pain knifed through her shoulder. ‘I suggest you do as I say,’ he hissed in her ear. ‘Don’t underestimate me, Mrs Standish; I am accustomed to being obeyed. Is that clear?’

She was incapable of replying.

‘Do I make myself clear?’ he repeated. He jerked her arm up a little further.

Her scream seemed to come from some distant place far inside herself, and it was sufficiently loud for him to drop her wrist. ‘This is what you do to your wife, is it?’ she gasped. ‘You’re a vicious bully but you have made a big mistake taking me on.’ She wasn’t sure where the words were coming from. ‘Don’t you dare threaten me! Go!’ She pointed to the door. ‘Go now. I have activated the security alarm. The police will be here in less than two minutes and it won’t look good if you are arrested for attacking me.’

To her astonishment he seemed to believe her. He gave her one more furiously angry glance, then turning on his heel he strode towards the door and drawing back the bolt he pulled it open and walked out, leaving it swinging to and fro behind him.

For several moments Lucy just stood there incapable of moving. The pain in her arm and shoulder was excruciating but worse than that was the shock at what had just happened. She couldn’t think what to do. She wanted to ring Robin but that wasn’t fair. He was busy. She should shut the door and lock it in case Christopher returned. The voice from the doorway made her jump painfully.

‘Lucy, are you all right?’ It was Maggie Redwood. ‘I was in Chichester today so I thought I would call in passing and make sure you were OK. My dear, what on earth has happened?’ As she walked in Lucy burst into tears.

They relocked the door and they went upstairs.

‘We should call the police.’ Maggie was immediately practical. ‘He can’t get away with this.’

‘No.’ Lucy shook her head. ‘I did something stupid. I let him know that I knew he beat his wife.’

‘Then it’s even more important we report him.’

‘She will never admit it and there is no proof.’

‘You are proof, my dear.’ Maggie took Lucy’s arm and gently pushed back the sleeve. ‘Look at the marks on your wrist. I know someone in the police who will handle this sensitively –’

‘No! Please.’ Lucy walked over to the sink and ran some cool water over her wrist. As she was patting it dry on a towel they heard a loud crash coming from the studio. Both women looked towards the door, startled.

‘Oh, no.’ Lucy paled.

‘Stay out here.’ Maggie went over to the door and pushed it open. She glanced in and then disappeared into the room.

The door banged behind her.

Lucy watched in anguish for a moment then taking a deep breath she went over and reached out to the handle. It refused to budge. ‘Maggie!’ she called. ‘Are you all right?’

There was another crash from inside the room. And then she heard the sound of splintering wood. ‘Maggie!’ she screamed. She dragged at the handle and this time the door opened.