Promise Made (20 page)

‘No, I shouldn't think so,' Alice said. ‘She said Muriel was looking after Charlie this morning. Apparently, he has a bit of a cold.'

‘Most children get them at this time of the year,' Daniel said. ‘It's December, Alice. Danny had a bit of a cough last week. Frances fusses too much.'

‘I suppose Charlie is all she has to think about these days,' Alice said. ‘I hadn't seen her for ages, Dan, and she looked a bit strained. Do you think I should ask her to come to dinner on Sunday?'

‘It wouldn't hurt,' he said and smiled at her. ‘Connor won't be here. He and some of his friends are going to London for a week. They are switching the Christmas lights on again this year, and they want to go to some of the shows.'

‘Really?' Alice was surprised. ‘Can he afford it? I thought he was broke last week.'

‘Well, I gave him a few pounds when I sold that car I had been working on,' Daniel told her. ‘He doesn't earn much but he works hard – and it will do him good to get away and enjoy himself.'

‘Yes, I expect so,' Alice said. ‘He has settled down since he came back from staying with Emily, hasn't he?'

‘We had a talk the other day,' Daniel said. ‘I think it upset him when he thought I had been killed, and then I was in that camp . . . We talked about that and he seems to understand. I think he has grown up a lot these past months.'

‘I agree,' Alice said. ‘He's happier living with us, Dan. He never did get on well with Frances.'

‘Well, like I said, he won't be here this weekend. Have Frances to dinner and it will give us a chance to talk. I am sure she must be lonely, but I don't like to think of her going off somewhere on her own. I suppose I ought to pop in and see her more often, but I don't get a lot of time these days.'

‘Of course you don't,' Alice said. ‘She told me she has taken a couple of driving lessons. I was surprised after the way . . .'

‘After what happened to Marcus?' Daniel nodded. ‘Yes, it surprises me a little – but I think it is a good thing. If she could drive she could come and visit you. Perhaps I ought to teach you, Alice? Would you like to learn?'

‘I'm not sure,' Alice said. ‘I'll think about it, Dan. I don't really get much time, though it would be a help when I wanted to do my shopping. You wouldn't have to meet me off the bus.'

‘But I like meeting you,' he said and drew the van into their yard. He grinned at her, and aimed a kiss at her cheek. ‘I'd better go and see if Connor has fed the pigs yet. Any chance of a cuppa in twenty minutes?'

‘Yes, of course,' Alice said. ‘I bought some fresh cream in Ely and I shall be filling that sponge I baked this morning before I went out.'

‘Make it fifteen minutes,' Daniel said and grinned at her as he set off across the yard.

Alice was smiling as she went into the house. She had felt a bit bothered about Frances when she saw her that morning. She would ring her later that evening and ask her to dinner. They were all so busy with their own lives, but it really was time that she made an effort as far as her sister-in-law was concerned.

Daniel drew his van into the drive of Cley's house in Chatteris. He could see that his brother had had new guttering put up and the windows had all been painted. It looked as if Cley was doing all right for himself, and it was about time he paid him some more of the money he owed him.

Cley was out in the back yard chopping wood. He came towards his brother, still carrying the axe he had been using.

‘What are you doing here?' he asked, his tone aggressive.

‘You know very well why I'm here,' Daniel said. ‘I paid Margaret two thousand pounds to keep you out of trouble, and so far you've given me five hundred. I want the rest of it, Cley – and you can put that axe down. Unless you're willing to do murder rather than pay up?'

Cley flushed an angry red. ‘Damn you! You know very well I wasn't threatening you. I told you I hadn't got much to spare.'

‘This house looks as if you've spent money on it, and I happen to know you've just bought a new tractor and there's a new barn on your land. All I'm asking for is what you owe me.'

‘Cley . . .' Dorothy had come out into the yard. ‘Aren't you going to ask Daniel in for a cup of tea? It's ages since we saw him.'

Cley looked at him, and then called out to his wife. ‘He can't stay. He has to get back for Alice.' He turned to Daniel again. ‘All right, I can find four hundred next week – and that's it, Dan. I'm not going to pay you a penny more. It's take it or leave it this time.'

‘Right, I want seven hundred and we'll call it quits,' Daniel said. ‘There's a bit of land going I want. If I get it I shan't ask for the rest.'

‘All right, damn you,' Cley said. ‘I'll bring the money to you. Don't come here. Dorothy will want to know why and if she finds out . . . you'll whistle for the money.'

‘All I want is that seven hundred,' Daniel said. ‘It's in your interest to pay up, Cley.'

‘When I have we're finished,' Cley said. ‘I don't want to see you again.'

Daniel shrugged. ‘Suits me,' he said and turned his back. At the gate he looked over his shoulder. Cley was still standing there watching him. ‘Next week without fail . . .'

He got into the van and drove off. The extra land would make things easier. He hadn't really been able to afford to give Connor that twenty pounds for his holiday, but he had wanted to see the lad happy and his friends were going. Connor hadn't asked, but he'd known he wanted to go with the others.

Daniel owed Sam Danby a hundred pounds for some feed and an old tractor and trailer that he'd bought from him. If Cley paid up he could settle his debt – and next time he wouldn't take anything on tick, even if Sam pressed him. He wasn't sure why, but it had made him uncomfortable owing the money to Frances's father-in-law. He wouldn't do it again.

Frances opened the door to her mother-in-law. She was a little surprised, because it wasn't often that Rosalind came to visit her. It was annoying that she should choose this day to start visiting, because Charlie hadn't been well that morning and Muriel hadn't come in, so the house wasn't as pristine as usual.

‘You didn't let me know you were coming,' Frances said, leading the way into the sitting room. ‘Charlie has a cold. He is in bed at the moment . . .' As if right on cue, her son let out a wail of distress. ‘Excuse me, I must go to him. I'll put the kettle on when I come back.'

She ran up the stairs, because Charlie had been sick twice that morning already, and she didn't want to have to change the bed again. However, when she got there, she discovered it was too late. He had been violently sick on the sheets she had put on fresh less than an hour ago.

‘Oh, Charlie . . .' she sighed. ‘Why didn't you call me? I changed those sheets only a half an hour ago. Well, I can't do them again just yet. I'll just clear up the mess and . . .' She sensed something behind her and turned to see Rosalind watching her from the door. She was annoyed that her mother-in-law had followed her upstairs, but there wasn't much she could say. ‘I'll be down in a minute, Rosalind. Charlie has been sick again. I'll just clear up and come down.'

‘Aren't you going to change his sheets?'

‘This is the second clean set this morning,' Frances said. ‘He will have to put up with it for a little while. I'll do them later.'

‘I'll give you a hand,' Rosalind offered. ‘We can't have you left in this nasty mess, can we, Charlie?'

Charlie shook his head wanly at his grandmother. He was feeling dreadfully ill and his mother seemed cross. ‘Charlie feel sick,' he said and promptly threw up again just as Frances was bending over him, splashing the bile on to her dress and the floor.

‘Oh, Charlie,' Frances said, distressed but sounding annoyed because she was under pressure. ‘Whatever is the matter with you today?'

‘That is what I should like to know,' Rosalind said, laying a hand on his forehead. ‘He feels hot and damp, Frances. Have you telephoned for the doctor yet?'

‘No.' Frances frowned as she admitted it. ‘I thought it was just a bilious attack. I was going to see how he was and then phone this afternoon if he was no better.'

‘I think I should ring for him now,' Rosalind said. ‘I'll leave you to put the clean sheets on, Frances. I do think the doctor ought to see Charlie immediately.'

‘Yes, all right,' Frances agreed. ‘He might come out more quickly for you than me, Rosalind. I'll clean Charlie up – and give him some water to rinse his mouth.'

Frances stripped the bed and changed Charlie's pyjamas. She gave him a glass of water to rinse his mouth and he drank a little afterwards. She placed her hand on his forehead. It was true that he did feel a little over-warm. She kissed his cheek, settling him back against the pillows as Rosalind came back, turning to look at her once more.

‘Did they say how long the doctor would be?' Frances asked, feeling anxious now.

‘He is out on a call, but they will give him the message when he gets back,' Rosalind said. She gathered the dirty linen up in her arms. ‘I'll take these down and put them in the copper for you. Muriel will see to them when she comes in, I expect.'

‘Yes, she couldn't manage it today,' Frances said. ‘I think I'll sit with Charlie for a while if you don't mind?'

‘Please don't worry about me,' Rosalind told her with a smile. ‘I'll make a cup of tea and bring it upstairs. Charlie needs his mother with him at a time like this.'

‘Thank you,' Frances replied, thinking that it was the first time she had ever felt close to her mother-in-law. ‘You have been very kind. I am glad you came, Rosalind.'

‘Well, I don't expect to make a habit of it,' Rosalind said. ‘I wanted to ask you if you will come to us for Christmas Day, and . . . to talk to you because Sam said you might move – but now isn't the time. It will keep for another day.'

‘Yes, of course,' Frances said. She thought that if Rosalind had always been this approachable they might have been friends long ago.

Rosalind went downstairs. Frances sat by the bed stroking Charlie's head. She thought that he felt a little cooler now and he certainly seemed to have settled. He was lying with his eyes closed breathing easily.

By the time Rosalind returned with a tray of tea, Frances was ready to leave him. She went to the door of the room, a finger to her lips.

‘I think it will be best if we leave him to sleep,' she said. ‘That last bout of sickness seems to have got rid of whatever it was in his stomach. I am glad you telephoned the doctor, though. I shall feel better if he has a look at Charlie.'

‘Yes, of course,' Rosalind said. ‘Children often have fevers and sickness and most of the time they come to nothing – but just now and then it can be more serious, Frances. It is always a good idea to either call the doctor or take him to the surgery if he is sick, because you never know.'

‘Yes, of course,' Frances said. She was almost sure now that it had all been a storm in a teacup, but she smiled at her mother-in-law. ‘I wouldn't think of neglecting him, Rosalind.'

‘No, I am sure you wouldn't,' Rosalind said. ‘After all, he is all you have now – isn't he?'

‘Yes . . .' Frances looked at her. ‘How are you feeling now? I know you were terribly upset over Marcus . . .'

‘Yes, of course, as you must have been, Frances.'

‘I still can't believe he isn't coming back.' She took the tray from the older woman and carried it down to her parlour. ‘I listen for his car and I catch myself thinking that he will be home soon.'

‘Yes, I know what you mean,' Rosalind said. ‘I saw a car like his the other day and my heart stopped. For a moment I thought it was Marcus.'

Rosalind had tears in her eyes. Frances hesitated and then went to put her arms about her. ‘I'm so sorry,' she said. ‘I didn't stop him visiting you, believe me. I think he was afraid that he might meet his father and . . .' She broke off, wondering how much her mother-in-law knew about Sam.

‘Marcus quarrelled with him over the London property,' Rosalind said. ‘Neither of them would tell me exactly why, but I've suspected something for a long time. Sam is doing something illegal, isn't he?'

‘Marcus didn't tell me,' Frances said. ‘I know he was angry and upset – but he didn't tell me why.' She wasn't going to tell Rosalind what she knew, because it was one of her holds over Sam. He obviously wouldn't want his wife to know what went on at that apartment block!

‘You don't have to tell me anything,' Rosalind said. ‘I'm not a fool, Frances, and I know that you have discovered something. Sam is furious with you. He doesn't tell me much, but little things slip out. It was another reason I came to see you. Be careful. He can be ruthless. You can push him so far and then he becomes dangerous.'

Frances turned away, avoiding her eyes. ‘I am not afraid of Sam. I've told him that I want enough money to set me up in business at the sea somewhere, and I need some spare capital until I can make it pay. I don't think it is too much after . . .' She broke off because she couldn't tell Rosalind all of it.

‘I know he is a brute,' Rosalind said. ‘Believe me, I would have left him long ago if it hadn't been for Marcus – and the money. Sam wouldn't tell you, but my money started him. I don't see why I shouldn't have my share of it. If he would let me have the house and an income I would be satisfied for him to go off to London and never come back – but he won't do that, you see. He enjoys being Sam Danby. He is a big fish in a little pool and people look up to him here. In London he would be nobody – just a small-time crook, I imagine.'

Frances heard the bitterness in her voice. ‘I didn't know you felt like this, Rosalind.'