Make Love Not War (18 page)

“Don’t be so flippant. This is a serious matter,” his mother put in.

“Don’t you think I know that? Damn it all, I’ve agreed to do what you want, so let the matter drop. Have you got a whiskey?” he asked his father. “I need it. You should have a small one, too. I’ve got something I want to tell you. We’d better discuss it in the study.”

“Now, look here. Your father isn’t to be upset. I don’t want you burdening him with business problems.”

“I know what I’m doing. Please don’t interfere.”

His father awkwardly levered himself out of the chair. Should he offer to give him a hand? The old boy was fiercely independent and wouldn’t thank him for treating him like an invalid.

“You all right, Dad?”

“Yes, I’ve just got to take it easy.”

They made their way to the study. Bryce saw his father into his favorite armchair before going to the drinks cupboard and pouring out their whiskey. He handed his father a glass. “Are you allowed to drink?”

“No, but a small one won’t hurt.”

“Look.” Bryce cleared his throat. “I don’t know whether I should be telling you this or not. Part of it will come as a shock, and some of it will be one of your dreams come true.” He grinned ruefully. “You remember Caroline Dennison?”

“The girl who was your secretary? Up and left you in the lurch, didn’t she? Jolly shame, I liked her.”

“Remember when you said the surname rang a bell, but you couldn’t think from where?”

“Yes, yes.”

His father was intrigued now. “How about from school?” Did you go to school with a Dennison?”

“Dennison! Yes.” He slapped the arm of his chair. “Drew Dennison joined the army. We all did. Second World War, you know, but he got killed a couple of days before the armistice. Tragic because his
older
brother Eddie was shot down over
Germany
in 1941.”

“Well, Caroline’s got a brother Andy, short for Andrew, I presume.” Bryce’s lips curled in remembrance. “Hot-headed young fool.”

“Drew’s name was Andrew.”

“Well, this Andy has recently graduated from the army officers’ school. He went to Melbourne Grammar, years behind me, though. Caroline attended the girl’s college.”

“Ah, so that’s it. I thought there seemed something familiar about her. She’s got her father’s eyes. I remember those big blue eyes now. He could get away with murder. Stared at the teachers all innocent like and got off, while the rest of us copped a caning.”

“This is the part I don’t know whether I should be telling you. I’m going to ask Caroline to marry me.”

“What’s wrong with that?” His father sounded amazed he should even ask.

“You don’t mind? Mother will be furious she doesn’t belong to the right social set.”

“Rubbish, you’re marrying the girl, not your mother. So, you’ve fallen in love at last, son.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t? But you said you’re going to marry her.”

“I am. That is, I’m going to ask her. Whether she accepts or not is a different matter. When she resigned from work she gave me some flimsy excuse about wanting a change, or some such rubbish. I spoke to her last night.”

“You missed her and realized you wanted to marry her.” His father beamed.

Bryce lit a cigarette. “Not exactly. Today, right in the middle of our department heads’ conference, the door flies open and an enraged young army captain confronts me. He called me a bastard. I’ve never seen anything like it. I half expected him to challenge me to a duel, pistols at fifty paces.”

“Why? Did he go berserk? Some army lads suffer mental problems. They can’t take the discipline. Of course, if he’s been to Vietnam, he might be suffering battle fatigue.”

“It’s nothing like that. He was spitting fury because he said I dishonored his sister.”

“You what?” Alexander went to stand up.

“Don’t get up. He told me, well, he said I got her pregnant.”

“You what? Did you deny it? Threaten to sue?”  Alexander thumped his fist on the arm of his chair.

“How could I sue him? It was the truth. I did get her pregnant.”

“You shouldn’t joke about things like that. It isn’t decent.”

“I’m telling you.” Bryce thrust his fingers through his hair
. “
I got Caroline pregnant. Remember the night of the staff Christmas party, when I took her home? Well, we went to my apartment and she stayed the night.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. Young women these days are in and out of bed at the drop of a hat. Free love they call it, I think. She didn’t look the hippie type.” 

Blue tinged his father’s lips and Bryce wondered whether he was doing the right thing. Too late now, he was in so deep he couldn’t do anything except press on.

“She’s not the type. I’m not a complete fool. I’d had a fair bit to drink, but I wasn’t too drunk to know she hadn’t been with a man before.”

“You seduced her, when you knew?” His father looked mortified.

“No, of course I didn’t. I wouldn’t have taken her to my apartment if I’d known. God, what do you take me for?  By the time I realized, well, it was too late.”

“My boy, I don’t know what to say.”

“She was in love with me, and I got her a bit tipsy. That’s why she left work. Didn’t want me to know. Didn’t even tell her brother. Her crazy shrew of a friend told him, and he came charging in ready to fight me to the death. She never even bloody told me,” he said savagely. “I had a right to know. It’s my child too, isn’t it?”  He completely disregarded the fact he hadn’t wanted anything to do with it earlier in the day. “I saw her before coming here, as a matter of fact.”

“You offered to marry her?”

“No. I didn’t want to get married, you know that. I told her I’d be responsible for her expenses and give her an allowance, that type of thing. She called it conscience money. Said she didn’t need my charity. As for that freaky friend of hers, she hates my guts and doesn’t bother to hide it.” He clenched his fist. Each time he thought of the shrewish Kerry his blood boiled.

“Well, I don’t blame the girl. You can see her side of it.”

“Why? What about my side of it? I did the right thing. I offered to take care of everything,” he answered self-righteously. God, what was wrong with him?

“Now you’ve suddenly decided you want to marry her,” his father put in astutely.

“No, well, yes. You’ve got your heart set on an heir, and there’s one on the way. It would be the best solution all round.”

“You said you didn’t love the girl,” Alexander put in. Bryce started to think his father was enjoying his discomfort.

“So what? I don’t think I’m in love.” He threw his hands in the air. “How do I know? I’ve never been in love before. Let’s face it. I’d rather have her for a wife than some of those scheming bimbos mother keeps lining up for me. There’s no guarantee they would or could give me a child, but this way it’s a certainty.”  The more he thought about the idea, the more he liked it.

“What will you tell your mother?”

“The truth, I suppose. I thought I might let you break the news to her.” Bryce grinned for the first time in hours. “She won’t carry on so much if you tell her. I’ll go and see Caroline tomorrow. If she’s agreeable, I’ll contact Russ. Remember Russell Stevenson? I went to school with him. He’s the school chaplain now. He’d marry us without any fuss or bother. That’s another thing. I don’t want mother interfering. I want to get married as quickly and painlessly as possible. All I’ve got to do is persuade Caroline.”

“Well, you did treat her rather shabbily. It will serve you right if she turns you down flat. The fact that she’s pregnant ought to help you, though, I guess.
Then
again, pregnant women can be quite unpredictable.”

Bryce grimaced. “I’ll have another whiskey.” He went over and filled his glass. “You’re not too upset?”

“Upset? No, I’m pleased. My only worry is that she might turn you down. I think she’ll make an ideal wife. When did you say the baby was due?” He rubbed his hands together in what looked a gleeful manner.

At least someone’s happy, Bryce thought bitterly. The old man would probably be the only one. The whole situation was a mess.

“How would I know when it’s due? I didn’t even try to work it out. I’ve had a hell of a day. I’ve got too much on my mind to worry about crap like that.” He could feel the anger welling up inside him again. It was a miracle he hadn’t had a nervous breakdown.

“Well, everyone else will, you can be sure of it. Nothing they’d like better.” Alexander chuckled.

“It’s not a laughing matter. Not that it worries me, but mother won’t like it.” If things weren’t so drastic it would be almost funny. He could just picture his mother trying to invent some excuse to her friends over their morning cocktails.

His father must have thought along similar lines because he burst out laughing. “She’ll have to tell everyone it’s premature. Too bad if it’s a ten-pound baby.” Alexander laughed again. He suddenly looked twenty years younger.

Bryce stared at his father, hoping his mouth wasn’t hanging open.

“I’m off. I’ll see mother on the way out.”

“I’ll come with you, son. Pity you can’t be here when I break the news.” He laughed again. Surely his father wasn’t drunk. He’d only had half a glass of whiskey.

They walked back to the sitting room, where his mother waited. It wasn’t a laughing matter. Marriage didn’t appeal to him one little bit. He’d probably be a lousy husband, and as for what kind of father he would make, it just didn’t bear thinking about. How the old man could be so cheerful was a mystery. The whole situation was a bloody nightmare.

“Well, you’re certainly cheerful, Alexander. Has Bryce made you another million or two?”

“No, no, better than another million, I’m going to be a grandfather.” He positively beamed.

Bryce, watching his mother, saw her lips compress, and he wished his father had waited until he’d gone before saying anything.

“What are you raving about? You weren’t in that study drinking, were you?”

“No, dear.” Alexander laughed again. “Bryce is going to become a father in, um, about September. See, I worked it out.”

His mother was struck speechless for a moment. “You are joking, naturally.” Her voice became frigid.

“I’m quite serious, Iris. This is the best news I’ve heard in years.”

“I’m off. I’ll leave you to explain everything. Good night.” And with that, Bryce scurried out of the room like a rat leaving the proverbial
sinking ship.

“Come back! What is going on? I demand to know.”

He ignored his mother and fled the house. I won’t forget this day in a hurry. He climbed into his car and slammed the door.

Chapter Thirteen

After Bryce left the apartment, Kerry came
into the bedroom with a cup of tea for Caroline. “You shouldn’t have told Andy. You promised.”

“I had to tell him. I’ve been worried sick about you. I couldn’t have it on my conscience. Boy, I wish I’d been a fly on the wall when Andy burst into Harrington’s office. Bet he gave Mr. High-and-Mighty the shock of his life. I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping while he was here, but I couldn’t help it.”

“He offered me money. Did you hear that?”

“No, I didn’t listen all the time, but why shouldn’t he support you?  It’s his fault you’re in this mess.”

“I turned him down. No way am I going to accept his grudging charity,” Caroline said bitterly. “He thought he could pay me off.”

“You’re mad.”

“I can’t blame him entirely. It takes two to tango. I love him. I should hate him for what he’s done, but I can’t. I’m not taking money from him. I’d rather starve. He said he would come back and discuss things again when I became more reasonable. He expects me to be reasonable.” She snapped a biscuit between her teeth.

“You’re priceless, you know that? We’ll have to ring Andy. I’ll bet he’s dying to know what happened,” Kerry went on. “Gee, was he mad.”

“He’ll worry now. I wish you hadn’t.”

“He had a right to know. He’s your only relative. Actually, he got upset because you didn’t confide in him.”

Caroline dragged herself out of bed for work the next morning. She had been crying half the night and looked it. Her face was pale and blotchy and she had bags under her eyes. Bryce didn’t love her. Andy was upset about her predicament. And, if she could believe the papers, he would soon be on his way to Vietnam. No wonder she couldn’t stop crying long enough to get any sleep.

She listlessly pushed the toast around on her plate but drank the tea Kerry had made for her.

“Eat up.” Kerry stood over her like a demented general. “You’re not leaving here until you do.”

She forced the toast into her mouth, wondering why she didn’t gag on every mouthful. Don’t think. Chew and swallow. It was imperative that she snap out of her malaise, and she would. Surely she was entitled to a few days of self pity, though. Plenty of time to be strong and brave. Once she felt her baby’s movements her strength and determination would return. She could take on the world and win.