Wanderlust (48 page)

Please be so kind as to tell her it's her husband. He smiled sweetly at the girl and she looked totally amazed. No one had ever told her that Mrs. Parker-Scott had a husband. She just assumed that she was widowed or divorced, but now she hurried into Charlotte's office to tell her that her handsome husband had returned from the war. She was thrilled to deliver the good news, much more so than Charlotte was to receive it. And the secretary emerged, red-faced, to explain that Mrs. Parker-Scott was busy, and would he please be good enough to call for an appointment. Of course. He smiled at her and walked to Charlotte's office door as the girl gasped.

No ' no ' you can't!

It's all right. He closed the door quietly behind him, and stood looking at Charlotte.

Hello, Charles. She sat coolly behind her desk, glancing at his crutches and then his face. Wounded?

Worse luck for you. Only slightly.

I never wished you any harm. She looked as well coiffed and perfectly groomed as ever.

I'm not quite sure I'd agree with you on that score. He approached and sat down awkwardly across from her, never taking his eyes from hers. I've come to talk a little business with you.

She looked briefly annoyed and shrugged. It won't do you any good, if you mean what I think you do. Or do you want to discuss your books?

Hardly. I handle that with your father, as you know. No, I thought we'd talk about our divorce.

Don't waste your breath, Charles. There won't be one.

No? He smiled malevolently at her. Don't your friends object, Charlotte? I should think it would annoy them that you're married.

Her eyes glittered with suspicion. What do my friends have to do with it?

I don't know. You tell me. Actually, I think it's rather interesting that you're so anxious to cover your homosexuality with the cloak of a respectably married woman. If he had dared, he would have laughed. She looked as though she were going to choke as she sat there, and she half rose out of her chair, her face first white and then red, as she sat down hard again.

How dare you suggest such a thing! How dare you! You and that dreadful woman you've been living with for all these years, how dare you try to smear me that way ' . But she looked extremely nervous.

Not at all. He remained calm. I don't think it such a shocking thing. I'm surprised you're not more honest about it. Then again, you never have been terribly strong at that, my dear, have you?

Get out of my office! She stood up and pointed at the door, but he wasn't moving.

I'm afraid not, Charlotte dear. I'm not going anywhere until we settle this.

You have no proof ' . She was beginning to falter, and he moved in for the kill, with a lie even bigger than one of hers.

I'm afraid I do. I've had you followed for the last year, and ' well, you know the rest ' . He met her eyes and they were hard as steel, as she reached across the desk as though to grab him, but he avoided her easily and grabbed her arm hard.

You pig! She was crying, but he didn't feel sorry for her. She had tried to ruin his life, and he was not going to let her ruin Audrey's.

Why don't we get to the point, Charlotte. I'm not enjoying this any more than you are. I want a divorce. Now!

Why?

That is absolutely none of your affair. But you have a great deal at risk here. And if you don't cooperate, I shall begin by telling your father, in fact I will be happy to show him whatever reports I have, she paled at his words, and then I will smear it all over London.

That's slander!

Only if it's a lie ' and it isn't! Suddenly she deflated like a dying balloon and she stared across her desk at him with hatred.

You're a rotten son of a bitch ' . Her voice trailed off and he shook his head.

I think I've been a terrific sport about this for years actually, but the game is over now, Charlotte. He stood up, pulled his crutches into place and looked down at her coldly. Are we quite clear? May I have my solicitors call you?

I'll think about it. But she was bluffing and they both knew it.

I will give you until tomorrow morning. After that, I will come in to see your father ' with my reports ' .

Get out of my office! She was shaking from head to foot, and he inclined his head to her with a bitter smile.

With pleasure.

He smiled at the secretary when he left, and went back to his own empty house, which he hadn't seen in a year and a half. He called Audrey that night and promised to be back the following afternoon. And he slept well that night, until the sirens began. The air raids were particularly vicious just then, and he heard that several blocks of houses had been destroyed and the loss of life had been high. And when he returned to his own house, he found several windows broken. He boarded them up, and then bathed and dressed and went back to see Charlotte.

The same secretary was sitting there with a stupefied air, and she looked at him with dismay when she saw him coming. God only knew what Charlotte had told her to tell him. He knew all her ruses by now.

Mrs. Parker-Scott is expecting me. It was only a half-truth, but the girl shook her head with a look of terror.

She can't see you.

I'm sure. He advanced on the door as he had the day before and she ran to where he stood, shaking her head.

You can't go in there. Mr. Beardsley is in there ' .

It's all right. He's my father-in-law. He beamed at her, and let himself in, hobbling in as quickly as he could with his crutches. He knew that her father's presence would unnerve Charlotte still further, and she would agree to what he wanted even more quickly. He had a briefcase under one arm, to convince her that he did have the reports he had mentioned.

But Charles wasn't prepared for the scene that met him in Charlotte's office. She was nowhere in sight, and Beardsley himself was sitting behind the desk with his head in his hands. And Charles suddenly wondered if she had told him, for fear that he would do it for her. Beardsley looked up at him and his eyes were bottomless pools of despair and for an instant, Charlie felt sorry for him.

Hello. Charlie didn't know what else to say as their eyes met and the older man nodded.

I didn't know she had an appointment with you. He glanced at her calendar as though it made a difference. I had them call everyone else.

Is she ill? Charlie looked surprised.

You mean you didn't know? He shook his head dumbly. She was killed last night, in the air raid. Her damn dog ran out of the house, and she went to find him, and a beam pinned her down. He began to cry and Charlie pitied the man. However rotten she may have been to Charles, her father had adored her. They took her to the hospital as soon as they could, but ' He looked pitifully at Charlie. She died this morning.

I'm very sorry.

Beardsley nodded. What did you want? I didn't think you two spoke to each other anymore.

It's not important now. He was suddenly embarrassed ' it's nothing, I just came to blackmail your daughter, sir ' he felt slimy and anxious to get away. But he had been so anxious to sever his ties with her. It just seemed so ugly now, and so unimportant. He hadn't been fond of her, but he had liked her once, a long time ago, and it was that memory which came to him now. I'm sorry, sir. Is there anything I can do?

Beardsley shook his head, and then looked at Charles pensively with the tears still on his cheeks. I never understood what happened between you two. I was very angry at you at first, but she always said it wasn't your fault. Decent of her, I thought.

Very, Charles agreed, choking on the word, but saying it for his sake anyway. It was something just between us. Her father nodded. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I'll leave my number with the girl at the desk. Beardsley nodded again, and Charles exited from the room, looking pale when he emerged, and his eyes met those of the young secretary.

I tried to tell you ' .

It's all right. He jotted his phone number at Lord Hawthorne's on a scrap of paper, and took a taxi back to the station, and by nightfall, he was back in the country, and quietly walked into the large, baronial living room, wondering where everyone was. It had been a long, quiet ride for him on the train, thinking back to when he had married her, and why, and when she had lied to him about the baby. After so many years of hating her, suddenly he had no more malice. He only wanted to put it behind him and marry Audrey, and he was very sorry for old man Beardsley.

Charles, is that you? Lady Vi came out of the library wearing an apron, and holding a Christmas ornament in one hand. The children have been decorating the tree, it looks lovely. And then she saw the tired look around his eyes. Something wrong? She was always worried about James, always worried that someone would hear something before she did. But Charlie was quick to shake his head.

It was just a long boring journey from London.

She nodded, relieved, and offered him a cup of tea.

I'd love it. How's Audrey?

She's fine. She actually took a nap this afternoon. After I threatened to tell you if she didn't. He followed her into the kitchen and found Audrey there, and when she looked into his eyes, she knew that something had happened.

What's up?

Nothing. Why?

You look tired.

I am tired. He waved his crutches as he sat down. These don't make life easy. And they both knew it would be months before he could give them up. His sciatic nerve had been affected by the shrapnel, not permanently they said, but it would take a long time to heal. In some ways, she was glad. She wanted him with her until she had the baby.

But she was still looking at him searchingly as he drank his tea. What aren't you telling me, Charles? She was worried that it might be another spy mission, yet with his wound it didn't seem likely.

He laughed at her persistence. Mata Hari. And then he decided to tell her. Vi was busy with the children again, and they could tell her later. Charlotte was killed last night.

For an instant, Audrey looked stunned, not fully absorbing the implications. How do you know?

I went to see her yesterday.

What for?

What we talked about before. To be blunt about it, I went to blackmail her into giving me the divorce. I pretended to having had her followed for the last year. He wasn't proud of it now, but had she lived, it would have been his only way out of their marriage.

What did she say? Audrey spoke quietly, still shocked at the news.

She was livid, and she would have agreed to the divorce of course. She said she needed to think about it, which was a bluff, and when I went back today, I found her father in her office and he told me ' . Audrey reached out a hand and took his, she correctly guessed that he felt awful at what he'd done, and yet he'd had no choice. It was different only with hindsight. Who could have known she would have died that night? He was terribly upset and I felt like a complete bastard.

She nodded. It's all right, Charles ' you couldn't help it. Is that why you went to London?

Yes. He sighed. The end result is the same in any case, actually as awful as it sounds, this is better. It's quicker. I want to marry you right away. He smiled and so did she.

Is that proper?

Are you serious? Under the circumstances, it would be ridiculous if I pretended to be in mourning. I barely knew her, and she did everything possible to ruin my life. I hardly owe her a day of mourning. Although he felt sorry for her anyway, or her father at least. He looked deep into Audrey's eyes. Will you marry me, Aud?

You know I will.

When? He didn't want to wait a moment longer.

Now ' tomorrow ' next week, whenever you want to. She smiled.

They waited for James to come home, and got married the day after Christmas. Both Lord Hawthorne and James stood up beside Charles, and Vi was the matron of honor. Molly was their flower girl, and Alexandra and James stood by as part of the wedding party. It was a lovely wedding on a crisp, cold sunny day, and Audrey borrowed a beautiful white challis dress from Vi, which was a trifle too big for her and covered the bulge of her growing tummy perfectly. And that night, Audrey and Charles lay side by side, thinking of how far they had come, and how much they loved each other.

They lay whispering in the dark, and after they made love, Charlie put an arm around her, and they lay looking at the moonlight, grateful to be far from the air raids in London.

I want you to stay here until the baby comes. She didn't like the way he spoke of the war, and she looked up at him worriedly.

Aren't you staying too?

I will for as long as I can. But sooner or later they'll want to send me back, to Cairo or somewhere.

Just tell them to wait six months.

Just relax. No matter what, I'll be here. It was a promise he hoped he could keep. He didn't want her to go through anything without him again, and with luck, the baby would come just at the end of his sick leave. He didn't want to be home for much longer. What'll we call him, by the way?

What about Edward, after my grandfather?

He liked the sound of it, and pulled her closer to him. I like that. And what about Anthony after mine? Edward Anthony Parker-Scott.

Edward Anthony Charles ' She added with a smile, and drifted off to sleep in his arms. It felt so wonderful to be married.

After Christmas, the days seemed to drag, but Audrey felt healthier than she had in years. They went for long walks in the countryside, and Charles seemed to be getting stronger. He had to report to the nearest military hospital once a week, but they seemed to be pleased with his progress. And the baby seemed to be well established. She was getting larger every week, and in the spring, he teased her about how awkward she was becoming. She had hardly anything to wear, and he took her to London once or twice, to check on their house and Ws, and buy some clothes she could wear as she got larger. And when they came back, they always brought treats for Molly and the other children. Molly was a beautiful little girl, and she was excited about the baby that was coming that summer.