THE RELUCTANT BRIDE (29 page)

One
day they were sorting through Ben Englands' private papers and
business files, several cases of which had been collected together
and stored in an empty boxroom when they moved into the house. “I
still don't understand why he wanted us to marry,” said
Gabriella. “Surely he could have safeguarded the company
without going to such extremes?”

“
He
never talked to me about it,” said Rod. “But you know how
he felt about Englands. He didn't want it ever to become a big public
concern. I think he trusted us to look after it and not to sell out.”

“
But
the marriage?”

“
Ben
had no relatives. Did you know he was a Barnardo Boy, by the way?”

“
No,
I didn't,” said Gabriella slowly. Poor Ben, always such a
solitary man. Not even any real friends that she had known about.

“
He
was fond of us both. I think we were the closest to a family that he
ever had and he wanted to keep it like that when he was gone.”
Rod snapped the string on a bundle of yellowed papers and
fanned
them out on the floor. “These should be interesting. 1955.
That's the year he started the business.”

He
set them to one side and sat back on his heels, pushing up his
sleeves with dusty hands. He glanced at her. “Did Ben know you
had problems?”

She
flushed. “What do you mean, problems?” Then answered
herself. “No, of course he didn't. At least,
I
never
told him.”

“
But
he could have known. He cared about you, that was obvious. Like a
father, almost. After all, he'd known you since you were sixteen,
hadn't he? I think he wanted to fix things so that I took over and
looked after you when he died.”

She
sprang to her feet. “My God, you're conceited! Ben couldn't
possibly – he had only to look at all the broken hearts around
the office -”

Rod
rose swiftly and gripped her by the wrists. Unable to escape she
kicked his shin but he only tightened his grip and glared down at her
through eyes narrowed with anger.

“
Ben
didn't share your opinion, Gabriella, and I'm damned if I'm going to
let him down, so no matter what you think of me and however much you
might dislike having me around, I
am
going to take care of you. I shan't run out on you like your father
did

All
fight leaving her she stared up at him, lips parted in astonishment.
“For – for five years?” she asked at last,
stupidly. She watched the anger disappear from his eyes, to be
replaced by amusement. The corner of his mouth twitched in that
mocking way of his.

“
Certainly
for five years,” he said lightly. “After that – who
knows?” He released her wrists. “Now run along and play,
there's a good girl, and let me clear up this mess.”

In
the days that followed his words returned to her mind frequently and
she puzzled on the reason behind them. Was it just that he intended
to take his responsibility to Ben's last wishes seriously@ Or could
it be that he cared something for her? Could it be that there was yet
another side to Rod for her to discover?

She
watched, seeking to know him, to understand this man that she had
started by hating and was now in serious danger of loving. At home
she noticed that he did not flirt with Alison, although the girl, now
hobbling about on crutches, clearly regarded him as her romantic
benefactor. At the office he was absorbed with further expansion
plans, and whilst he found time to be friendly with all the staff it
was plain that his new secretary, a well groomed married woman of
forty, had been chosen for her considerable secretarial skills and
that the relationship they enjoyed was no threat to Gabriella.

But
there was Sue. Although Rod never mentioned her there were still
evenings when he stayed on at Englands after hours and Gabriella
couldn't help wondering if he was really there until eight or nine
o'clock or if he had gone to visit his former secretary. She longed
to ask him but couldn't. Instead, feeling more than a little ashamed
of herself but desperate to find out more, she brought the subject up
with Jenny.

They
were lunching at the Exchange one Friday, following a week when both
had managed with a snatched sandwich at their desks as they worked on
the Company's quarterly figures.

“
This
is fantastic,” said Jenny, taking in the busy scene with lively
appreciation. “I love the waiters in their pinstripes Do we ask
for a bill at the end or a statement?”

Gabriella
laughed. “Rod and I brought Karl Werner here when he was
threatening to disown us. Do you remember?”

“
Could
I forget! He's not exactly forthcoming at any time but that day he
was positively icy. Even the chocolate biscuits didn't melt him. But
that seems a long time ago. A lot has happened since, hasn't it? To
you anyway.” She sighed. “Nothing ever happens to me.
Althought,” she added, brightening, “I do have a new
boyfriend.”

“
Oh
yes? What's he like?”

“
Mr
Macho himself. Weightlifting, jogging, skiing, surfing, hang gliding
– all terribly boring!”

“
He
doesn't sound your style.”

“
Oh,
he isn't but at the moment I'm quite happy just to gaze at him. He's
very beautiful.” She grinned impishly. “It's his birthday
next week, I'm giving him a book.”

“
A
book?”

“
I'll
give him a couple of weeks and then catechise him on it. If he hasn't
read, digested and understood, I'll probably finish with him.”

Gabriella
laughed again. “Poor man. You're cruel, Jenny.”

“
Well,
I expect I'll be bored with looking at him by then. Easy come, easy
go, as they say.” She dipped a fork into a plate of devilled
kidneys. “Mmm. Delicious.”

“
Talking
about people going,” said Gabriella, still smiling, “D'you
ever see anything of Sue Langdon now?”

“
Oh
yes, I saw her two weeks ago. I thought she'd recovered from the
miscarriage really well.”

Gabriella
took a sip from her glass of Perrier and forced it down her throat.
“I'm glad to hear it,” she said and marvelled at how
natural her voice sounded.

“
Well,
having the baby would have made life difficult for her, especially
not having any parents of her own, so it must have been a relief in a
way.”

“
Yes,
of course.”

Popping
another kidney into her mouth, Jenny spoke round it. “She's
starting a new job in Slough soon, a company we've just started
dealing with, actually. She's looking forward to it.”

“
Well,
I'm glad it's all worked out for her,” said Gabriella. She
stared at the table, Jenny's words as impossible to swallow as the
veal escalope on her plate, and wished she had never mentioned Sue.
Wished that she had never had to find out. “I don't think I'm
going to eat this, it's rather tasteless. Would you like a pudding?”

“
Yes,
please!” said Jenny, forking the last kidney into her mouth
with obvious relish.

Gabriella
wondered if she would ever be able to eat again.

She
went straight to Rod's office after lunch. She found Marion Birch,
Rod's new secretary, seated at his desk entering appointments into
his diary.

She
looked up in surprise as Gabriella burst into the room. “Mr
Nicholson's gone to Wolverhampton,” she said.

“
Did
he say when he would be back?”

“
Just
that he would go straight home, Mrs Nicholson.”

Now
she would have to wait, and waiting was unbearable. “Which
company is he visiting?”

“
I
don't think he's calling at any of the regulars. He said something
about making some 'spec' calls.”

I
bet! In other words he's taking the opportunity to see Sue. “I
need to speak to him urgently, Marion. If he calls in would you
transfer him?”

“
Of
course. Is there any way
I
can
help?”

“
Thanks,
but I'm afraid not.” Nor anyone else, Gabriella thought
bleakly. Rod had gone too far. Nothing could heal the breach between
them now.

At
four thirty he called her. Marion said you wanted me. Something
wrong?”

Her
heart was pounding so loudly that it seemed to drown the sound of her
own voice. “Something is very much wrong.”

A
surge of crackling distorted his next words.

“
What
did you say?”

“
I
said, can we talk about it on the phone?”

“
Hardly.”

“
Well,
I'm about to leave. Shall I come back to the office or would you
rather meet at home?”

“
Neither.
We need some privacy. What about your apartment?”

“
I
don't think that's a good idea,” he said after a short pause.

She
gripped the phone, knowing the reason even as he spoke. “Sue's
there, isn't she?”

“
As
a matter of fact, yes. Just for a few weeks.”

“
How
soon can you be back?”

“
An
hour?”

“
All
right. I'll meet you at the Tapps Hill roundabout. We can drive
somewhere.”