The Lie (25 page)

‘I just hope he is all right,' Emily said, her eyes clouding. ‘He and Alice had so little time together and she thinks the world of him, doesn't she?'

‘Yes, well, it's the same for all of us,' Frances said. ‘I worry about Marcus too, you know.'

‘Yes, of course you do,' Emily agreed. ‘But you're so lucky, Frances. You always have been. Nothing will happen to Marcus; it can't, because you won't let it.'

Frances laughed, laying her hands on her swollen belly. ‘Well, if wishing and praying will keep him safe, we're doing our best.'

Emily smiled. Frances looked more beautiful than ever, even though she hadn't got much longer to go until her baby was born – but it couldn't be any other way for her. Lady Luck always smiled on Frances.

Daniel sat in his tent writing his letter to Alice. It was the fourth he'd written to her, though none of them had been sent yet, because they were too busy settling into their new surroundings. He chewed the end of his pencil, wondering how he could tell her where he was without having the censor blue pencil it out. They had all been wrong, and the guesses they'd made had been wildly out. He wasn't in Africa or Malaya, but it
was
warmer than at home because this was Greece, and so far it was fine. The locals were friendly, and he'd been to a taverna with some of his mates a couple of times of an evening.

It's much better than I imagined
, he wrote at last.
Not at all what we were expecting – pleasant, in fact. So don't worry about me, darling. I shall be as safe as houses here. The worst bit is missing you.

He smiled as he finished his letter, tucking it into his kitbag with the others. He would send them all together very soon. He looked up as a soldier entered the tent, something about his manner alerting Dan that all was not well.

‘We're on the bloody retreat,' the soldier said. ‘Orders are to pack up and move out and look smart about it.'

‘We've only just got here,' Daniel said. ‘I thought the Greeks were beating the Italians?'

‘They were but the flaming Jerries are invading and we ain't got enough men to do much about it. So get your kit together and look sharp. We've got to fight our way out of this or the buggers will 'ave us too.'

Daniel thought about the letter he had just written to Alice, a wry smile on his face. By the looks of things he might have been better off if they had gone to Egypt!

Emily stared out of the long window in the small back parlour. The view of the park was just as beautiful as the first time she'd seen it, but she was restless, unable to settle to anything. It was all the uncertainty, the sitting around and waiting. It hadn't been too bad when Frances was here, but she was at home now, and her baby was due at any time. In fact Frances thought she was late and had begun to get a bit fidgety.

Emily knew her sister was being well cared for by her husband's family. She had promised to visit as soon as the baby was born, but she thought she might go for a visit sooner, because she wasn't doing much good here. She wished she had been allowed to continue her work for the fire service, but Lord Vane had made it impossible for her.

‘It is your duty as my son's wife to be here to support him,' he had told her when she had mentioned that she might return to work after a few weeks' leave. ‘I do not know how you can contemplate such a thing. Simon needs you.'

If Simon
had
needed her it wouldn't have been so bad, Emily thought, but he didn't. His father was in charge of his treatment, and she wasn't included in the discussions with the doctors. It would be too painful for her and it wasn't her decision was the message she'd received, though not in so many words. But words weren't needed in this case. Lord Vane intended to pull every string available to him to get the best treatment for Simon, and he didn't need her advice. Not that she would have been able to help – Emily was honest enough to admit that – but she would have liked to be consulted, to be treated as his wife and not just a guest. She realized that was the way she had always felt – a guest in their house. The Vanes were pleasant and friendly, but she didn't feel as if she belonged here.

‘I know he looks a bit of a mess now,' Vane had told Emily when she had been allowed to see her husband for the first time after the heavy bandages came off. ‘But these chaps can do miracles these days. You'll see, we'll have him looking nearly as good as new before you know it.'

‘He doesn't look too bad,' Emily said. Simon had a nasty burn covering the left side of his face, but he hadn't been anywhere near as badly disfigured as Maura's boyfriend. ‘I've seen worse burns, sir. Simon was lucky considering.'

‘Indeed?' Lord Vane looked at her as if he thought she was mad, then nodded his head, apparently deciding to approve. ‘That's it, Emily. Stiff upper lip. I knew you were made of the right stuff when Simon brought you home that first time. Told him to marry you. You can always tell good blood – and I didn't want him making my mistake. A lot of girls would have bolted faced with something like this. I am glad you know your duty.'

Of course it was her duty to be there for Simon. Not that she had much choice in the circumstances. Nor would she have thought of leaving him if he needed her at all, but she couldn't see that he did. Even when she visited him at the hospital he had little to say. He didn't tell her to go away as Maura's boyfriend had, but he wasn't interested. Most of the time he lay with his eyes closed, feigning sleep. She might have been a part of the furniture for all he noticed her. And there was absolutely nothing for her to do in this house, she thought, except sit here twiddling her thumbs like a useless dummy.

‘Oh, there you are,' a voice said from behind her, and she turned to see her father-in-law watching her, a frown creasing his brow. ‘Are you bored, Emily? I know there isn't a lot for you to do here, and you must be worried about Simon.'

‘Yes, I am worried about him,' Emily admitted, because she did care what happened to Simon. Her feelings for him were confused, but even if she wasn't in love with him, she felt upset by the thought of him being in pain and distress. ‘But I wish I had something more to do.'

‘My project doesn't interest you, I suppose?'

‘Not really, sir,' Emily said, deciding to be honest. ‘I would like something more – to do something for other people.'

‘That's what I thought,' Lord Vane said. ‘And I think I've found the very thing for you, Emily.'

Emily wasn't sure she wanted her father-in-law to solve her problems. ‘I'm not certain what you mean, sir.'

‘I wish you would call me Vane,' he said, a note of irritation in his voice. ‘You are a part of the family, Emily, not a servant or a visitor.'

‘Am I?' She couldn't help sounding bitter. ‘Apparently you didn't consider it necessary to tell me the moment you heard Simon had been shot down – and he hardly cares whether I visit him or not.'

‘That is ridiculous,' Vane said, looking grim. ‘I was contacted as Simon's next of kin and thought it best to see how things were going before I got you here.'

‘But you aren't, are you?' she said, angry in her turn. ‘I am Simon's wife. Why wasn't I told first? Or let me guess – I'm just a woman, hardly important unless I produce an heir to carry on the family tradition.'

‘This is really rather childish,' Vane said. ‘Simon obviously forgot to update his details. He filled in my name when he joined up and didn't get around to changing it that's all. And I was merely trying to protect you from unnecessary shock and pain.'

‘Just in case I was pregnant, I suppose? The child would have been all important, wouldn't it – especially if it happened to be a boy?'

‘What nonsense is this?'

‘Isn't that why you told Simon to marry me? So that I could provide an heir for the estate?'

‘Naturally I hoped—' Vane's mouth pulled into a thin line. ‘Simon married you because he loves you. You must know that, Emily.'

‘I thought he did,' she said, ‘but I don't know any more.'

‘Are you making this up simply as an excuse to leave him?'

‘No, of course not. I wouldn't leave him while he needed me – but I'm not sure that he does.'

‘Of course he does. Stop all this nonsense, Emily. You are upset and bored with nothing to do but sit and worry, which is why I thought you might like a new job.'

‘What kind of a job?' She looked at him warily.

‘I have given one of my houses as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers,' he said. ‘It has been standing empty for a while but I've kept it in good repair. The government requires us all to do our bit in this war, Emily. We are not the only ones being asked to make sacrifices. Almost every large house in the country is being considered, because we need all the available space we can get. There will be nursing staff on hand, naturally, though most who come here will be through the worst of it. They are likely to be long-term patients, and it will be their home rather than a hospital.'

Emily's interest was caught, but she didn't speak, waiting for him to continue, to tell her what he wanted from her.

‘This is a privately funded home, Emily. I offered to provide and run it independently of government funding – and my offer has just been accepted. I thought you might like to take charge of the day-to-day running. Not the nursing – as I said, that will be provided – but there will be accounts, ordering, overseeing that everything runs smoothly – and that the men have everything they need. You'll need to provide visiting access for friends and relatives, help with writing letters for those who can't manage it – numerous things I haven't even thought of. Amelia has her hands full with this house and the horses – but I thought you might like this project as your own.' His gaze narrowed, holding her fast. ‘You will need something to occupy you until Simon gets on his feet again.'

He was offering her a bribe to keep her here, Emily realized. It seemed that he knew her well enough to understand that she would not be content to be idle, and this was his way of holding her. Perhaps he knew that she was telling the truth about Simon not needing her; he understood that she was unhappy. For the first time she felt as if they were communicating – that he saw her as a person and not just as the means to an end.

If she agreed, it would mean she would have to stay here for a long time, perhaps years, because she couldn't just turn her back on something like that and already she felt a stirring of excitement, a feeling of purpose. He was right. She had to be here in case Simon needed her one day – and this would help her to feel that she was doing her bit for the war effort.

‘Do you think I could manage something like that?'

‘I shall be here if you need to consult me.' His brows rose, challenging her. ‘You seem a sensible woman to me, Emily. I wouldn't have thought it beyond your capabilities.'

‘What about the construction work, the necessary plumbing and proper furnishings?'

‘I can see you are already on top of it,' Vane said, a smile playing briefly across his mouth. ‘I have had plans drawn up in readiness and the work is about to begin. If you wish to review the plans with me, your suggestions will be looked at and acted upon if they improve on what is already decided. I daresay you can sort out the beds and things from what is already there or here in the house. We have attics bulging with stuff we don't need, or you can raid the spare bedrooms if you prefer. The idea is to make it a home, Emily, not a hospital, so we want it as much like a country house as possible, though of course there will be certain medical requirements for some of the men. We shall be inspected before the first guests come, and there will be meetings before that. The first is set for early next week.'

He was looking at her, waiting for her decision.

‘This is very sudden,' she said. ‘May I have a little time to think about it?'

‘Of course. Shall we say tomorrow morning? If the idea doesn't appeal I must look for my matron elsewhere.'

Emily knew that she was going to agree. She thought that Vane knew it too, but she would keep him waiting at least until the morning.

‘All right,' she said. ‘I'm going to drive over to the hospital and visit Simon now. I'll think about what you've said and let you know tomorrow.'

‘Thank you, Emily,' he said. ‘Please believe that I am sincere when I say that I hope you will accept – and if I have offended you over this business, it was unintentional. I didn't realize that you had not been told immediately, and then I thought it best to wait until he had been moved nearer home. You see, I couldn't be sure that you would stand by him.'

Emily felt her cheeks flame. He
had
guessed that there was something not quite right between her and Simon!

‘I couldn't leave Simon while he needs me,' she said, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. ‘But that doesn't mean I shall stay for ever.'

‘I am not the autocrat you imagine, Emily,' Vane said, with an odd smile. ‘Simon needs you at the moment whether you believe that or not – but nothing is for ever, my dear. The young always think that today and now mean everything, but one day you will understand that life is full of endings and beginnings.'

She was silent as he inclined his head, and then turned and walked from the room, leaving her to her thoughts.

Emily parked the car she had borrowed from Amelia in the grounds of the hospital. She thought how lucky they were that Vane seemed to be allocated more petrol rations than most people, but that was because his job was considered important. He never spoke about the meetings he went to every few days and she supposed they were hush-hush. He was a busy man and also very generous. She imagined he supported the hospital in which his son was receiving treatment. It was a small, discreet place, privately run and in pleasant surroundings. Even before the war it had been one of the foremost hospitals in the country for treating burns, and since then those patients fortunate enough to be referred here were certain of getting the best treatment available. However, Lord Vane remained determined to send Simon to America when he was feeling well enough to travel.