Secrets and Lies (12 page)

‘I’ve heard that he’s inside.’

Horrified, Minnie stared at him. ‘You shouldn’t associate with criminals.’

Ma shook with laughter. ‘You haven’t told her, then.’

Staring from one to the other, Minnie asked him, ‘Told me what?’

‘Shut up, Ma. It’s none of her business.’

‘She’s your wife and she’s got a right to know what she’s let herself in for. Wally’s been inside a couple of times . . . mostly for illegal bookkeeping, but also for taking part in a robbery. Mind you, he was young then, and easily led. John Teagan and his thugs used him as a lookout.’

Minnie gasped. The next moment she remembered the money he’d taken from Esmé, and knew her own behaviour had been just as bad as Wally’s in the eyes of the law. She should have insisted on him giving it back to her friend. Had Esmé reported her loss, the police would be looking for her, and would probably have caught up with her by now. Minnie intended to repay Esmé when she could, but it was still theft.

‘I haven’t done any of that stuff for years.’ Wally gazed at the floor and dug the toe of his shoe into the beer-stained linoleum, a sign that said he was lying.

‘So where did all that money come from?’

Without looking up, he shrugged. ‘Not that it’s any of your business, Ma.’

Ma made no bones about who was in charge of the conversation. ‘It will be if the cops come knocking on my door.’

Wally’s face was red when he finally looked at his mother and said a trifle aggressively. ‘Oh, all right . . . so I ran a book. I only did it to give Minnie and me a good start. My luck was in, so I went on to a poker game and put all we had on it, and I won a heap.’

‘Where did you get your stake from?’ Minnie asked.

His eyes flickered towards her and her heart sank. She didn’t have to ask to know where from.

‘Somebody on the ship . . . it was only a loan. Never mind, I’ll pay it back the next time the ship’s in port. Besides, it will be the last time.’

Ma’s eyes mirrored her scepticism. ‘Make sure it is then. You’ve got a wife to support, and I don’t want any trouble brought to my doorstep.’

It would be her own wage supporting them until they got established, Minnie thought, but she’d put something aside in a safe place each week, so eventually she’d have enough money to pay Esmé back.

They left early the next morning, a crate of fluffy yellow chicks tweeting in the back seat, a gift from Harry and Ma for Christmas.

Ma gave her a hug. ‘Goodbye, Minnie love. You’re more than our Wally deserves, and if you ever need help, you know where we are. I’m sorry about the baby, truly I am.’

‘Best of luck,’ Harry called out as they moved off. ‘Watch out for the snake, especially the trouser snake.’

Minnie turned to grin at them, and waved.

The pair was still cackling with laughter when they turned the corner.

‘They liked you,’ Wally said, his hand going to her knee and squeezing it.

She moved her knee away. ‘I liked them too. What’s the house at Saltshaker Lake like?’

‘It’s nothing fancy as I recall, but I haven’t been there since I was a kid . . . Well, for some time, anyway. My uncle had lots of plans for the place. Let’s see. Inside, there were two bedrooms and a living room. The kitchen is tacked on the back. There’s a tub and a pump. Oh yes . . . and a veranda. It’s a bit on the primitive side.’

The understatement of the decade, Minnie thought later, when she set eyes on it. The place was crude, a hovel built of wood, and with a brick chimney at one end. Half the roof was missing.

‘It probably blew off in a storm. I can see it over there.’ Wally pointed.

‘Where?’

‘That piece of corrugated iron hanging from the tree.’

‘But it’s rusty and full of holes.’ Minnie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so she did both.

He patted her on the head as though she was his pet dog. ‘It’s all right, love, the holes will give us some fresh air. The roof timbers and ceilings are still intact. I’ll fix it up for you with some tar paper and nails, and we’ll soon be as snug as bugs in a rug. I wonder where Uncle Jim kept his tools.’ He gazed around him, scratching his head as though they’d suddenly appear.

Her uncertain emotional state changed her ire into a definite giggle, and then uncontrollable laughter ripped from her.

He gazed at her, raised one eyebrow and grinned. ‘She’ll be right, Blondie, you’ll see.’

There was something totally irresistible about that grin of his, and for a moment Minnie forgot he was a con man, and that she disliked him.

Soon after they’d auditioned in London, Esmé and Liam were on the train to Dorset.

‘What did your friend say?’ Esmé asked, for the auditioning agent had taken Liam to one side and they’d spoken together, their backs turned towards her.

Liam hesitated, then said, ‘I’m to contact him in a few days.’ He’d been preoccupied on the train, gazing out of the window as though he had something on his mind.

She sympathized with him because she knew how badly he wanted to dance, certainly more passionately than she did. The thought of dancing back and forth across the North Atlantic wasn’t all that appealing to her, now she’d been confronted with the constant closeness of perspiration, aching muscles and blistered feet, and the dictate that she be perfectly groomed at all times when she was on the passenger decks.

She’d rather stay on firm ground. Even the thought of Hollywood held very little appeal. That was Liam’s dream, one he’d had since before she’d come on the scene. He was certainly good-looking and talented enough. But then, Rosemary Mortimer, who’d been married to Major Henry, had also been good-looking and talented, and had possessed a wonderful singing voice. She’d gone to Hollywood with dreams of fame and fortune, and now her name was hardly ever mentioned.

March winds buffeted them as they stepped on to the crude wooden platform at Creekmore Halt. Liam gazed at her as the engine puffed off, asking for the second time, ‘Are you sure your family won’t mind me coming home with you?’

Head to one side she slanted a smile at him, hiding her own uneasiness. ‘If we’re to be married you’ve got to meet them sometime, Liam. My sister will probably be relieved because I haven’t been carried off by pirates or eaten by cannibals.’

‘We could run away and get married . . . tell them afterwards.’

‘It would hurt their feelings terribly. They’re my family, Liam. I love them, and I want them to be at my wedding. You’ve been gloomy ever since the audition. What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing . . . I’m nervous, that’s all. I’ve never contemplated marriage before.’ He slid his arm around her waist and held her against him as they walked. A few minutes later he began to sing his own lyrics to the latest routine they’d used in the audition.

‘
Dance . . . dance . . . dance, Lady Esmé, dance with me . . .
’

Out of habit they skipped together in the right place, dropped their bags and went into the routine. Soon they were doing the foxtrot in the middle of the road and singing at the top of their voices. When he lifted her by the waist, twirled her round and set her down, they were breathless. They collapsed on to a fallen log and gazed at each other, laughing.

‘I love dancing with you, and I love you,’ she said, surprising herself, because she didn’t really know if she did, or not. Instantly, she wished she could take the words back, for the statement seemed to make things more permanent.
It would be permanent!

His smile widened, and then faded. ‘You mean that, don’t you, Es? It sounded as though you were trying to convince yourself.’

‘Would I have said so if I didn’t?’

‘No . . . I suppose not. We haven’t known each other very long, and for that reason alone I don’t think your family will approve of me.’

The reluctance in his voice was marked; as if he was as uncertain as she was now that their union was close.

She touched his face. ‘They don’t have to approve of you, but it would be nice if they did. They won’t, unless they’re given the chance to get to know you. Are you getting cold feet?’

‘I don’t want to alienate you from those you love. Family is important to you.’ The small touch of yearning in his voice reminded her that he had no family to welcome him home.

‘Yes they are. They’ll grow to love you when you become one of us. Our children will have cousins and aunts and uncles.’

Doubt filled his eyes. ‘I don’t know how I’ll function in such an environment. I’ve always been a bit solitary, and thought you would become my family, not the other way round. As for children . . . I hadn’t given them much thought at all.’

Neither had she given any thought to children, just took it for granted that there would be one or two.

‘Except for a short time with my brother, I can’t remember ever being part of a proper family.’

They should have discussed all this in advance, and Esmé didn’t quite know how to handle it. ‘Then it’s about time you were. Wait till you meet my niece, Meggie. She’ll want you to teach her all the dances. I showed her how to dance the Charleston before I left. She couldn’t figure out how to coordinate her hands and knees without knocking them together.’

There was something strained about his laughter. ‘She got herself in a tangle, did she?’

‘My nephews are typical boys, and my brother-in-law is a well-respected surgeon. He loses his doctorly dignity when he’s home. He eggs the boys on, usually when it’s their bedtime. My sister pretends to get cross with him, and Denton pretends not to notice. He adores Livia.’

Taking her face between his hands, he gazed into her eyes. ‘And I adore you, my darling Esmé. You’re my best friend, and I’ve never thought of any woman as that before.’

Mindful they were on a public road, however remote, potholed and stony it was, his kiss was light against her lips, and without much passion . . . but then, she only had Leo Thornton’s kiss to compare it to, and Leo had an unfair advantage. But then again, she’d probably never see the Australian again . . . and there was probably more to him than just being good at kissing.

They’d just moved apart when a car came rumbling towards them. It skidded to a halt in a cloud of dust. A heap of people tumbled out and swept Esmé into their midst.

Livia said straight away. ‘Before you say anything, I’m sorry I was such a bad-tempered wretch the last time I saw you. Forgive me or I’ll never speak to you again.’

Esmé’s laughter was carried off by the wind. ‘Is that a promise? Of course I forgive you, Livia, as long as it’s reciprocated. I’ve missed you so much.’

‘Now you’re home I’m never letting you escape again.’

Esmé flicked Liam a glance, but he was gazing warily at Livia, as if he thought she might set about him.

Her glance moved on to Meggie next. ‘Hallo Meggie Moo. You must have grown three and a half inches taller since I last saw you.’

Meggie cast a doleful look at her budding breasts, then folded her arms over them and hunched her shoulders. ‘I loathe growing up.’

‘It’s better than growing down.’

‘You might grow roots if you did,’ Luke said.

‘Or have branches growing out of your head with a bird’s nest on top,’ Adam added.

The boys howled with gales of laughter at the stale joke, which was borrowed from their father, and was one of his less impressive efforts.

Dropping a kiss on Meggie’s head Esmé exchanged a sympathetic smile with her sister. ‘I don’t suppose males can help being like that, can they?’

Meggie giggled. ‘Who wants brothers. They’re dire creatures . . . honest.’

Nevertheless Esmé loved them to pieces. She gave them a quick hug and kiss before they realized her intention.

‘Disgusting . . . germs!’ Adam said, and Luke grabbed at his own throat and made strangling noises.

‘I’ve missed you, Meggie, come and give me a hug.’ Her glance went to Livia’s flat stomach. ‘Have you had the baby then?’

‘I lost it . . . him . . . It was shortly after you left.’

A small surge of guilt stabbed at Esmé. ‘Oh Livia, I’m so sorry.’

‘I’m over it now. It wasn’t anyone’s fault . . . something to do with the placenta being in the wrong place and becoming detached.’

Meggie’s gaze wandered to Liam and she whispered. ‘Who’s that man with you?’

Esmé had almost forgotten about Liam in the pleasure of being home again. ‘His name is Liam Denison. Liam’s my dancing partner, and . . .’ Her eyes met his and she smiled to reassure him of his worthiness. ‘He’s also my fiancé.’ Holding out her hand she drew him into the circle. ‘Come and meet everyone, Liam.’

‘Goodness . . . that’s a surprise.’ Livia gazed at him, a frown wrinkling her forehead. ‘You seem familiar, Mr Denison. Are you from these parts?’

‘I grew up in London.’

‘How long have you and Esmé known each other?’

Esmé experienced a withdrawal in Liam, as though he’d closed a door on himself.

‘We’ve known each other for a few weeks,’ she said. ‘Now, can we get home. I take it you’re going to offer us a bed each for the night.’

‘Yes . . . yes, of course.’ There was something cool about her sister’s manner now. ‘We might be a bit crowded because Chas and his friend will be home for the weekend. You remember Leo Thornton don’t you, Esmé? You met him at the New Year’s Eve weekend party. He’s heading home to Australia next week. A pity. I rather liked him, and he fitted in so well.’

Esmé absently touched her fingertips against her mouth and tried not to grin. How that man kept popping into her thoughts! Leo wasn’t the type to go unnoticed, even when he wasn’t present. ‘Yes, of course, I remember Leo.’

‘Aunt Es can sleep in my room with me,’ Meggie said. ‘I can use the truckle bed. Liam can sleep in her room, and Leo can bunk in with Chad.’

‘They’re grown men, Meggie, and grown men take up a great deal of room.’

Liam was apologetic. ‘We should have telephoned you first. If it’s inconvenient I can stay at a local hotel.’

‘There isn’t a local hotel. I imagine we can fit you in somewhere though. The couch in the small sitting room might have to do, but I daresay you’ve slept on worse.’

‘Haven’t we all, Mrs Elliot,’ Liam murmured, diverting what seemed to be a deliberate slight by her sister with a light laugh, though there was something unsure about it.