The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (76 page)

When they were both on dry land he said, ‘I owe you for that wimp business.’

She gave him a cheeky grin and just then a raindrop landed on her nose. He said, ‘see, even the gods are with me.’

She laughed out loud and he joined in, they had almost reached the car when it began to rain in earnest. They both ran the last few yards, he opened the passenger door and she  hastily leapt in, he ran round to the driver’s side and threw himself in laughing, Adela was laughing too. She never thought when they had fallen out as they had earlier that they would both be laughing together a few hours later, that he had done to her what he had by the lake.

But then she never could have imagined when she began this holiday that the things that had happened would have happened. That she would have met someone like Sterling Hennessey, that she would have shared such fun and laughter not to mention intimacy with a man like him. That she would have met someone like Olivia, on the run from a sick, twisted, evil slave trader.

Thoughts of Olivia sobered her for a moment. Tonight she would tell
Sterling all about it and ask what he thought. Ask him if she had done the right thing in not calling the police, in leaving Olivia to make her own way in the world, afraid and alone. She now had no doubts about telling him, he would put her mind at rest, he would comfort and support her. She felt as though a great weight was slowly being lifted from her. Yes, she was doing the right thing.

She was brought out of her reverie by him saying, ‘penny for them?’

‘Sorry.’

‘Or are they worth more than that?’ Five million bucks? He thought.

Her voice was very soft as she answered, ‘oh I was just thinking that despite the rain it’s turned out to be a pretty wonderful day hasn’t it? Thank you, Sterling.’

He couldn’t prevent the frown from creasing his forehead as he looked at her. She had not even mentioned the Carters or the argument they’d had. She was so easy to please, so eager
too
please and this time the affection he felt was genuine and could not be denied. Once again he hated Glissando for being the devil and putting temptation in his way, and he hated himself for letting himself be tempted. But temptation seemed to be the theme of this macabre play, he was tempted by her, she by him, he by Glissando, Glissando by greed and revenge all coming round to meet each other in a horrible, vicious circle.

He didn’t have to fake the hoarseness in his voice as he replied, ‘yes, yes it has, wonderful.’

She smiled a bright smile and before he could stop himself he leaned forward and kissed her. He had meant it to be a fierce kiss that would have betrayed his frustration, but he found himself gently touching his own lips to hers. As he did so he couldn’t help the thought that came unbidden to him that this was how Judas must have felt. He pulled back abruptly, ashamed of himself, of his sudden weakness and now his self hatred was transferred to her for making him feel this way. As he settled back in his seat and switched on the engine he consoled himself that tonight he would know everything, he wouldn’t have to hurt her any more than was necessary, that was at least something he could be grateful for.

They were silent as they drove back to Eden, Adela thinking about that last kiss and how there had been something in it that had not been there before, something sweet and gentle, something significant. She wondered if he had been thinking the same thing she had that this was their last night together. She felt an overwhelming sadness envelope her. She didn’t want to say goodbye to him, she wanted him to stay with her, she never wanted to say goodbye.

Before she knew it they were in Eden and because it was still pouring down with rain he once again parked as close to the woods as he could get. He opened his door but she put her hand on his arm and said, ‘no don’t get out, there’s no need for you to get wet too. I’ll be all right from here.’

He hesitated, ‘are you sure?’

She smiled, ‘Yes, I’m sure; I’m not made of sugar you know, I won’t melt.’

He laughed and leaned behind him and picked up a raincoat that had be
en on the back seat. ‘Well I don’t want to take the risk so at least take this. Besides, I don’t want you calling me later and calling off the dinner because you’re drying your hair.’

She giggled and then very shyly reached over and kissed his cheek, her lips were as soft as a raindrop on grass. She said, ‘thank you,
Sterling, for a
lovely
day.’

‘Right
back at ya.’ She laughed, ‘I’ll see you at eight?’

‘Yes.’ She opened the door but once out looked back and said, ‘and don’t be late.’

‘Who me? Never.’

She giggled
, ‘bye, Sterling.’

‘Bye.’

She put the raincoat over her head and after giving him one last wave she ran into the woods hoping and praying that she wouldn’t meet the Carters.

Hennessey watched her go his mind racing with thoughts of tonight and what was it meant to him, he tried very hard not to think what it would mean to her.

When she had told him all he wanted to know he would just do it, no mess, no fuss, no explanations, nothing. He would not tell her what he would do with the information or why he was doing what he was doing. He would not tell her what Glissando had told him to tell her about Desi. He would let her keep her faith and trust in him, that he was a genuine, caring, charming southern guy. He would not tell her what he was; he would not disavow her of the belief that he had liked her, that he felt affection for her, that he had been as close to her as he had been to any woman in his entire life. He owed her that.

CHAPTER 26.

        
Adela had not seen the Carters, or anyone else for that matter, on her way back to her cabin. She had dried herself out and changed into jeans and T-shirt and was now looking in the fridge and cupboards for something to cook for that night. She had some beef in the freezer which she took out and set ready to defrost in the microwave. She also had frozen vegetables, potatoes, carrots, broccoli and peas. She would do an English Sunday roast complete with Yorkshire puddings. She had milk and eggs but no flour.

She wanted to make an English trifle for desert too. She looked in the cupboard, she had custard in a carton, that would do, but nothing else with which to make a trifle, no cream or jelly, or anything to put on top, like chocolate buttons. Never mind, she would get those things and the flour from the store after she had prepared everything else. She put the beef into the microwave to defrost and put the potatoes and carrots broccoli in saucepans ready to be cooked and the beef in the oven on a low heat to cook.

She looked through the window it was still raining but not as torrential as it had been. She looked at her watch and saw it was 6.30, plenty of time to go to the shop and then get ready for 8.00clock, ready for Sterling.

She picked up the raincoat Hennessey had lent to her, she smiled as she did so. He was so thoughtful, so considerate of her welfare. This brought her mind to this afternoon, not their argument but afterwards, the picnic, the walk by the lake and the swans, but of course mostly how he had made love to her. Her skin prickled with Goosebumps as she recalled the sensations he had aroused in her. She had read about people making love, even some very graphic love scenes, but never did she think she would ever feel the way those fictional people did, she thought that was all it was fiction.

But now she knew differently, now she knew what it was like to feel exquisite pleasure, that fierce heat of enchantment, that warm glow of absolute satisfaction and contentment. Now she knew what it was like to be touched intimately by a man of experience and skill. She put her nose to the material of the raincoat and breathed in, it smelt of him and her heart did a flip and wetness appeared between her legs. She shook herself, embarrassed even though there was no one there.

She slipped on the coat which was a mile too big, but as stupid as it was it gave her a feeling of comfort. She picked up her phone and slipped it into the pocket of the coat, she wouldn't normally take her phone just to go to the shop but
Sterling might call and she didn't want to miss him if he did.

As she made her way through the woods into the town, she once again hoped she wouldn’t see the Carters she didn’t want to get into a confrontation with them. She knew she should apologise to them for Hennessey’s behaviour, but that felt somehow like betraying him. If he was sorry he could say so himself, it was not for her to apologise on his behalf. And
she
had nothing to be sorry for, she had done nothing wrong. Still, she felt awful and guilty about what had happened, they were nice people, decent people, and she liked them very much. She would do everything she could to make it up to them, maybe invite them out to dinner tomorrow, all of them, whirling dervishes and all. She smiled, but then the smiled slipped as she remembered that tomorrow he would be gone, gone from Eden, gone from Mississippi, gone from her life forever.

She chastised herself; she knew this would happen, knew he would leave eventually, and even if he stayed she knew
she
would leave eventually.

But what had happened to sensible Adela Anne Faraday, she seemed to have left her behind in the
U.K.

As she thought this she recalled how he had used her middle name, she had no recollection of telling him what it was, although she must have. She would ask him later.

In the town she headed for the grocery shop which she knew remained open until late. As it was she didn’t see the Carters in fact there was hardly around at all, maybe because most of the shops were closed or because it was dinner time, not to mention it was raining. She walked along the pavement past the shops and as she passed Dean’s book shop she slowed her pace, the light was on and the door slightly open. She didn’t really want to linger but she didn’t want to pass by Dean’s shop and not say hello, she hadn’t seen him, not to speak to anyway, since the day she’d gone to his shop and he had warned her about Sterling. She hesitated by the door and was about to enter when she heard voices from the back of the shop, she went in. She was about to call out Dean’s name when she froze as a voice she knew very well came to her, ‘you don’t have to answer that, Maxwell, I already know the answer, you’re jealous.’

‘Jealous?’ Adela heard Dean say. ‘Of what exactly? You?’ He accompanied this question with a derisive laugh.

‘Yeah, me.’ Sterling Hennessey answered, ‘you were to chicken to go for it yourself, you hummed and hawed, and procrastinated. You probably had to look it up in one of your musty books, see what the old literary genius’s would have done. You’d probably have to look up in a book what to do with a woman in the first place.’

She heard Dean say, ‘is that why you came in here, to insult me, to get some kind of perverse pleasure out of riling me?’

Hennessey laughed, ‘well a guy has to get his fun somewhere don’t he.’

‘You’re a nasty bastard.’

Hennessey guffawed, 'maybe, but a lucky bastard, luckier than you that’s for sure, I got her didn’t I?’ I saw how you looked at her, how you watched her walk along the street, your tongue was almost on the floor, and I bet you had to use one of those little paperbacks over there to cover your hard on.’

Adela gasped then covered her mouth with her hand. She waited expecting any moment to see them both come through the door and see her there but they didn’t.

She stood there shocked and appalled at the way they were talking about her. She moved towards the back of the shop.

There was a silence in which Adela was rooted to the spot her mind racing. What was
Sterling doing here arguing with Dean and being so sarcastic and horrible? She knew they didn’t like one another so what was Sterling doing in the shop of a man he despised?

Nothing good by the sounds of it. She walked slowly and cautiously forward hoping the floor boards didn’t creak. When she reached the back of the shop the two men had gone outside where she knew Dean had a little yard where he kept his bike and other things like tools etcetera, she had seen it that first day when she had looked around.

She heard Dean’s voice although it was too low for her to catch what he was saying, but whatever it was his tone was cutting. She heard Hennessey reply and although she couldn’t make out the words she had heard that tone before, it was chilling and contained a warning. A warning Dean obviously decided to ignore because he said something else in an even more biting tone this time accompanied by a derisive little laugh. Then the amusement went from his tone and his next words, although unintelligible to Adela, sounded contemptuous and nasty. She jumped backwards as a loud crashing sound came to her from the direction of the yard. Without thinking she dashed through the back of the shop out the door and into the yard.

What she saw made her pull up sharply; Sterling Hennessey was leaning over Dean Maxwell who was lying on top of his bike bleeding from his nose and mouth. He attempted to get up but Hennessey raised his hand and punched him again and again, two very quick punches to the nose and mouth.

Adela leapt forward and grabbed Hennessey’s arm just as he was about to strike Dean again. Hennessey hardly seemed aware of her or the grip she had on his arm. He shrugged her off as a though she was nothing more than an irritating bug and bending down picked Dean up by his shirt collar and when he was upright hit him again and again. Dean fell back onto the bike again and Hennessey leaned over him and was about to hit him again when Adela once more grabbed his raised arm yelling, ‘Sterling, what are you doing? For God’s sake stop.’ He reacted instinctively he turned quickly and with his free hand pushed her very hard, she stumbled trying to stay upright but tripped and fell heavily onto the concrete.