Arian (49 page)

Arian’s husband had been working for Sarah Frogmore last time Eline had heard of him. It was quite obvious that Arian didn’t want anything to do with him, didn’t even want to speak of him. What a pity Arian seemed destined to be alone. Eline had William, she was so fortunate, life would have been empty without him.

‘So now you are respectably married to William,’ Arian said as if she had read Eline’s mind. ‘It must be a wonderful feeling to be with the man you love. That’s something I’ll never experience.’

‘I know a bit of what it’s like to be tied to a man you don’t love,’ Eline said quickly. ‘When I was married to Calvin, I was so unhappy, so guilty that I didn’t love him.’

‘At least Calvin Temple was no crook, no maniac either.’ Arian said briskly and then, as if she regretted her hasty words, she rose to her feet.

‘I’m glad we’ve sorted out the business,’ she said smiling warmly, ‘but I really have to get on and do a bit of work otherwise I’ll have my reporters revolting.’

Eline put down her cup. ‘Arian, if ever you need a friend, you know where I am. I accept that you’re an independent woman, that you like to sort out your own problems but sometimes it does help to talk, mind.’

‘I’ll bear it in mind.’ Arian led the way back downstairs and towards the front door, but as Eline left the building she turned back briefly and caught sight of Arian’s pale face looking out of the window, and it was as if she was trapped there, within the glass like a fly in amber.

Arian opened the envelope that had been delivered to her offices by hand and there, inside, she found a roll of banknotes and a letter. She smiled. It was a gift from Eline and Will, their payment to her for her share of the profits from the catalogue business.

She shook her head. ‘Obstinate devils, the pair of them.’ But she put the money away in the heavy safe with a warm feeling of gratitude. In return for their generosity she’d put a series of advertisements in the newspaper; she would make Eline’s catalogue service famous throughout the town.

‘Going out?’ Mac looked up at her enquiringly as she moved through the front office. She nodded briefly.

‘I’m going to see Gerald,’ she said, her voice matter-of-fact. ‘I want to divorce him.’

Mac frowned. ‘I’d like the bastard to rot in hell,’ he said in a low voice and Arian smiled.

‘Language, Mr Brown, one of our customers might hear you.’ He didn’t apologize and she hadn’t expected him to; Mac was a law unto himself. In any case, she was inclined to agree with him. Pity Gerald Simples couldn’t just vanish off the face of the earth.

The new young trees at the gates of the Frogmore estate were fresh and green and the ornate front entrance smelled strongly of pine needles. Gerald was certainly being kept in style.

She asked the maid who opened the door for Mr Simples and was invited into the hallway.

Sarah Frogmore bustled out of the drawing room, her face flushed, her shoulders tense. She looked at Arian with open hostility.

‘I blame you for this,’ she said gesturing towards the staircase. ‘He was all right when he left me. What did you say to make him so sick?’

‘He’s sick? I didn’t know that.’ Arian stared at Sarah’s angry face. ‘I came here to ask him to divorce me.’

‘Well you’ve chosen a fine time to make up your mind to that,’ Sarah said, ‘but perhaps he’ll talk to you. Come upstairs, we’ll see what he says.’

It was obvious that Arian’s words had surprised her, the set look on Sarah’s face had vanished, to be replaced by a pleased smile.

On the landing Sarah paused. ‘Why now, why didn’t you ask him for a divorce when he came to see you the other day?’ she asked and for a moment Arian was tempted to tell Sarah the truth – that Gerald had tried to force himself on her, had struck out at her like a madman.

‘He was angry,’ she said, ‘very angry. It didn’t seem the right time to talk about divorce.’ She shook her head. ‘What else do you expect me to say?’

Sarah stared at her furiously. ‘You never loved him, never wanted him. I bet you wish he was dead.’

Did she? Arian asked herself. Did she wish Gerald dead? But no, she wanted to be free of him, of course, but she couldn’t wish anyone dead.

Sarah led the way into the opulent bedroom. The rich drapes were half closed across the windows, shutting out most of the light. As if hearing their voices, Gerald stirred. He looked firstly at Sarah and then turned beseechingly towards Arian.

‘Help me,’ his voice was desperate. ‘I’m not well, Arian. I need a doctor, a good doctor. I’ll go mad if I don’t get help.’

Arian felt a chill run through her. He seemed pathetic somehow, his arrogance vanished. She leaned forward and touched his hand.

‘I won’t allow that to happen.’ She tried to smile encouragingly. ‘You’ll be all right, Sarah will look after you.’

Looking at her, Arian knew that Sarah was like a leaf in the wind – when there was any sign of trouble, of Gerald being sick with a serious illness, she would simply drift away.

‘Here Gerald, drink this. You know the doctor told you to take it regularly.’ Sarah held a glass of coloured fluid in her hand. ‘Come on, Gerald, be a good boy now and take it quietly, won’t you?’

Gerald’s eyes were angry but he took the medicine and swallowed it and the look he gave Sarah was one almost of dislike.

‘I think she’s trying to poison me,’ Gerald glowered. ‘Can’t you take me away from here, take me back home to our house?’

Arian looked at him helplessly and then glanced at Sarah who was frowning in irritation.

‘He doesn’t know what he’s saying half the time.’ Sarah slammed the glass onto the table. ‘I wish to God he’d buck up. Go on, tell him what you came for, while he’s still awake.’

Arian bit her lip. How could she speak sensibly to Gerald when he was in this state? Even while she stood there, he seemed to be drifting off to sleep and with an exclamation of annoyance, Sarah marched from the room.

Arian followed Sarah outside. ‘It’s up to you,’ Sarah said before Arian could speak. ‘Why don’t you go ahead and divorce him? He’s not in a fit state to do anything about it, is he?’

Arian shook her head. ‘I’ll think about it. In the meantime, don’t you think you’d better have the doctor take another look at him. He doesn’t seem right, to me.’

Sarah sniffed. ‘He’s malingering. He’s a baby, like most men are when it comes to sickness. If he’d only pull himself together, he’d be all right.’

Arian moved to the door. ‘Well, it’s up to you but I don’t think he’s malingering. I think there’s something badly wrong with him.’

She heard the door slam behind her and, with a sigh, Arian began the long walk down the hill back towards the town.

It was a week later when Sarah walked into the offices of the
Swansea Times
and asked to see Arian.

‘He’s worse,’ she began without preamble. ‘I can’t cope with him any more. It’s about time you took a hand – he’s still your husband isn’t he?’

Arian stared across the counter at her in silence. The cheek of the woman left her speechless.

‘I suppose you think I’m abandoning him?’ Sarah lifted her chin. ‘But he’s not my responsibility, not really, is he?’

‘I should tell you to go to hell your own way,’ Arian controlled her voice with difficulty, ‘but I’ll see if Eddie Carpenter can call up to your house. He’s a wonderful doctor.’

‘You should come and take him out of my house altogether.’ Sarah’s voice was hard. ‘He’s mad. I’ve had enough of his nonsense, I can tell you.’

‘Forget it.’ Arian’s voice was just as hard. ‘I’ll get you the doctor and that’s all I’ll do. You took Gerald on, you deal with him.’

Sarah seemed defeated. ‘I’d better go, then.’

Arian stared her out, feeling slightly sorry for Sarah. She was an overblown siren and yet she was still a woman who wanted only to be loved, and Arian suddenly felt a kinship with her.

‘Look, I’ll see what Eddie says and then we’ll talk some more, right?’

‘I suppose so, but make it soon. I can’t stand him and his tantrums for much longer. Thinks I’m out to harm him and me doing all I can for him, it’s just not fair.’

Arian watched her leave with a sense of disquiet. Everything had seemed so clear cut. A divorce would be a scandal, a sin in most people’s eyes. Look what had happened to Eline; she’d been driven out of Swansea. But it would have been preferable to remaining tied to a man she hated. Now there were complications. Gerald was sick, perhaps very sick, and Sarah all set to cast him aside.

‘Come in here.’ Eddie Carpenter appeared troubled as he welcomed Arian into his office. ‘Sit down, we’ve got to talk.’ He indicated a chair near his desk. ‘It’s not good news, I’m afraid. You look pale, Arian. I’m sure you’re not taking good care of yourself.’ Eddie sat on the edge of the old desk and stared down at her, his eyes full of sympathy. ‘Gerald is a sick man but you know that, of course.’

Arian nodded. ‘I want the truth, Eddie. What is it and will he get better?’

Eddie pursed his lips. ‘Better, yes. Full recovery, it’s doubtful. In any case, he needs to go into hospital. For a time at least, he will have to be placed somewhere specially suited to such cases.’

‘Specially suited? What do you mean?’

‘I mean his sickness isn’t of the body but of the mind. It’s complicated, Arian.’

‘You want to put him in an asylum?’ Arian’s voice was unsteady. She saw Eddie pick up some notes and study them in silence for a moment and she knew he was giving himself time to think.

‘We don’t know very much about the mind,’ he said at last, ‘but we have learned a little bit.’ He paused. ‘Gerald is suffering from an illness which I believe to be inherited, never mind the name, it’s long and complicated and it doesn’t really matter what you call it, the man is sick.’

‘Are you telling me he’s dying?’

Eddie shook his head. ‘No, on the contrary. Gerald could live a normal span of life.’ He paused. ‘But, he will be unstable, always.’

‘You can give him medicine?’

‘Yes, I can do that and so long as he takes it, his moods will be contained, I say
contained
, not cured.’ He leaned forward and touched her arm.

‘Let go, Arian. You can’t cope with this, it’s too much to ask of anyone.’

‘He
is
my responsibility, he’s my husband. You know I can’t just let him rot in an institution.’ She shuddered.

‘He will be dangerous,’ Eddie said. ‘If he fails to take the medication, he could harm himself or someone else, think of that, Arian.’

She felt her breath dragged inward. ‘Is he dangerous now, right now?’

Eddie hesitated. ‘I don’t think so, the illness hasn’t progressed too far but it could be accelerated by anything.’

He shrugged. ‘We know so little. I can’t give you firm assurances of anything.’

Arian rose. ‘Thank you for taking so much trouble, Eddie.’

‘Give yourself a few days to think this thing through.’ Eddie rose too and stood beside her, resting his hand on her shoulders. ‘He left you for this Sarah woman, it’s her problem now. In any case, you must consider every angle before you make a decision.’

Arian left Eddie’s office and set out towards Sarah Frogmore’s house. She had to talk to her, warn her about Gerald’s illness. She had no doubt what Sarah’s reaction would be; she would wash her hands of the matter without compunction.

Sarah was sitting in the drawing room with Gerald seated opposite her. He appeared his normal self, his eyes were bright and alert and there was no sign of him being anything but normal.

‘I wanted to talk to you, Sarah,’ Arian felt uncomfortable. Sarah was smiling as though nothing was wrong.

‘I don’t see any point, now that Gerald is better. We have nothing to talk about.’

‘But Sarah,’ Arian lifted her hands in exasperation, ‘we have a great deal to talk about.’

‘No. Please leave. We don’t want you here, do we Gerald?’ Sarah rose and pulled at the silk bell-rope. Gerald stared at Arian with a strange expression in his eyes.

‘Sarah told me what you wanted,’ he spoke suddenly, his voice harsh. ‘If you’d had your way, you would have put me away in a mental institution, don’t deny it.’

Arian looked at Sarah, who shrugged. ‘Well you didn’t want him, did you? Went to the doctor about him. Thank God he’s got me, that’s all I can say.’

Arian tried again. ‘Sarah, it would be better if we could talk in private.’

It was Gerald who answered. ‘Get out of here and don’t come back, do you hear me?’

Arian left the house and without a backward glance made her way down the hill and into Swansea. Sarah was a fool to herself. Did she know what she was taking on? Arian doubted it. Well, for the moment, there was nothing else she could do; Sarah would just have to find out her mistake in her own way.

Mac was furious when she told him what had happened. ‘Too good you are, Arian, too good by far. Leave them to it, the pair of them. Both mad as hatters if you ask me and don’t deserve your help, either of them.’

‘Never mind,’ Arian squared her shoulders. ‘Let’s talk about something else. What have we got for tonight’s leader, Mac? Anything interesting?’

Soon she was caught up in the business of the newspaper and Arian felt the blood flow through her veins with renewed vigour. She had this, her work; the words had become her life-line. Getting the story on the page and the page to the press, was an excitement. It took the place of love in her life and Arian realized that, for the moment at least, she was content to leave things the way they were.

‘Throw that old medicine away,’ Sarah stood looking down at Gerald as he lay in her huge bed. ‘Makes you dull, that does. Stops you being the randy devil that I know and love.’

Gerald smiled and put down his glass. ‘Come on then, it’s about time I remembered I’m alive.’

He pulled her down beside him and carefully took off her bodice, his hands going to her breasts, his mouth hot on hers. Sarah sighed. This is what she wanted; her man, strong and wonderful, making her feel so desirable, so good. She put her hands on his cheeks and lifted his face from hers.

‘They don’t know what they’re talking about those doctors. There’s nothing wrong with you, Gerry. They’re a lot of fools, just out to get money from suckers like that Arian. Well let her be taken in, she deserved it. Me and you will have our fun and to hell with the lot of them.’