The Tender Flame (11 page)

As if answering her thoughts, Linda said: ‘Hugh would have made a wonderful father. He dotes on children. But he's much too intelligent to wallow in that sort of unprofitable “if only it could have been” nonsense. As for me, I honestly don't know. I've never decided whether I'm not maternal enough, or too maternal. I could never have been a part-time mother. I would have had to give up my work and devote myself wholeheartedly to my children, but I would have felt cheated and bitterly denied if I hadn't had my career. It was a lucky day for me when Hugh came into my life and I swept him off his feet. He thinks it was the other way round and I'm wise enough not to disillusion him and let him go on thinking he did the sweeping.' Her happy mood restored, she gave Jan a long twinkling look. ‘You could crack it with David, if you wanted to. He wouldn't know what had hit him. Why don't you let me do you over, Jan? You're an incredibly pretty girl. With just a whisper of help, a slightly more sophisticated
hairstyle,
a smudge of eyeshadow to bring into play the true loveliness of your eyes by deepening the colour of your irises, you could be a ravishing beauty.'

‘I don't want to ravish.' Pride and humour were gently balanced in Jan's eyes. ‘It wouldn't seem honest. If ever I do crack it with David, I'll do it off my own bat and by being me. But thank you for the offer. It's appreciated.'

‘I'd appreciate it if instead of dismissing it out of hand you'd bear it in mind for possible future reference. Remember, if ever you change your mind, help is at the other end of a telephone.'

Jan said, ‘Thank you,' knowing she would never call on Linda for this sort of help. To change the subject she said: ‘Did you know it was in David's mind to buy the cottage next door?'

‘Oh yes. He began negotiating the deal while Annabel was still alive, because he thought that two adjacent cottages would be a better investment than just the one. That, of course, was long before he got the idea of knocking the two cottages into one to make a sumptuous home for himself.'

Linda had voiced what had never been put into words but which Jan had always felt, that David had never intended to live at Larkspur Cottage with Annabel. But there was a point here that demanded to be queried.

‘Investment? Isn't that an odd term to use?'

Linda
replied unwarily with an inflection of surprise in her voice: ‘What's odd about that? Why else would he buy a house for Annabel to live in?'

Jan found herself gasping in disbelief. ‘I should have thought because she was his wife.'

Linda looked helpless as she attempted to keep a cool head and a low profile.

Jan leapt into the pause this hesitation created. ‘I'll grant that they never lived together as man and wife, but she was his wife and so he was surely obligated to house her?'

Linda lifted her eyes to Jan's. She spoke very clearly and with a dogged determination that forbad interruption. ‘You've achieved the rare distinction of putting me on the spot. I'd dearly love to argue the ethics of the situation with you, Jan, but I can't. My tongue is tied by my stupid loyalty to David, even though I consider him to be a quixotic fool. I had wondered, but I couldn't be sure. However, it now seems obvious that he hasn't been as forthcoming about his affairs as I have been about mine. I'm not ducking the issue, I'm merely saying the decision to talk or not to talk is a very private thing and that it is, and must remain, David's business.'

‘I didn't mean to pry,' Jan said in a penitent voice.

‘I know you didn't.' Linda's eyes were warm and understanding. ‘Shall we see if there's anything worth watching on television?'

*
* *

Linda was the perfect hostess, with an amazing insight into what little girls like to do best. She dreamed up so many interesting, diverting things to do that the time passed with unbelievable speed.

Tatty Bear managed to be reasonably good. He didn't fall in the river on the afternoon they went boating. He didn't get up to any truly naughty pranks, and only committed slight misdemeanours, like spilling Stephanie's glass of milk all over Linda's clean tablecloth. It would have been a very relaxing break if Jan could have chased away the ‘accident waiting to happen' feeling. When the worst happened, it didn't help that she felt it was her fault because of her lack of vigilance.

It was Friday. David had phoned to say he was on the point of leaving and would be with them very soon. Stephanie was playing in the sun-drenched garden, a flitting butterfly in her yellow dress, if lacking its delicacy and lightness as her feet trampled Linda's vegetable patch. Inside, Linda and Jan were enjoying the quiet of the lounge, and a companionable chat over a cup of coffee, when both their heads shot up.

Linda identified the noise that had shattered the peace. ‘Breaking glass.' And they both unfroze and started to run.

‘Look
what naughty Tatty Bear has done,' said Stephanie, pointing to the upturned handle of the garden rake, resting at a most peculiar angle in the cold frame.

‘Take a deep breath, Jan,' Linda's voice urged. ‘It helps. And bear in mind that it could have been worse. It could have been the greenhouse.'

‘That's the trouble, Linda, I bear too many things in mind. It's a point of contention between me and David that by not punishing Stephanie I'm turning her into a spoilt child. I agree there's nothing more unlovable than that, but how can you punish a child who has been so punished by life?'

‘It does add to the problem,' a deeper voice than Linda was capable of producing admitted, ‘but the circumstances you are in sympathy with make it imperative not to shelve it. Children, even those as young as Stephanie, soon pick up what tune to play. Sympathise if you must, but don't let it show. And kindly move out of the way. If you can't act, I will. I won't stand by and see a sweet child completely ruined.'

‘David!' As Jan swung round to face him, her chin went up. He'd picked his moment to arrive, she thought dolefully. ‘If you must punish someone, let it be me. I'm the one to blame for leaving Stephanie to her own devices for too long.'

‘I might just take you up on that later. For
the
moment, you will have to wait. To be effective on a child, the medicine's got to be immediate. Now, out of my way before I put you out.'

Jan knew she couldn't block him for ever; she'd thought to stand in front of him to deter him long enough for his temper to subside. Only, as usual, she was the one in a temper. David was cool and enviably calm as he picked her up, put her out of the way, and went charging after Stephanie who hadn't lingered long enough to hear any of this adult conversation and was hiding somewhere in the tangle of weeds that Linda hadn't got round to clearing.

He came back with his fingers wrapped round Stephanie's wrist. Little fingers know how to wriggle free, wrists don't. He looked mountainous beside her diminutive figure.

‘Not my fault,' Stephanie hiccuped mutinously. ‘Tatty Bear did it.'

‘You are sticking to that?'

‘Tatty Bear did it,' she repeated tearfully.

‘Then Tatty Bear will be punished, not you.'

Jan had absolutely no idea what was coming. In a moment of wild and stupid relief, she actually thought that David had sought a diplomatic way round the problem. Tatty Bear could take a slapped leg, and Stephanie would be on hand to comfort and kiss the disciplined toy bear better.

To her horror she heard David say: ‘Garden
rakes
must not be thrown into cold frames. It's solitary confinement for Tatty Bear. That will give him time to think about his naughtiness.'

‘If you forgive him this time, I'm quite sure Tatty Bear won't do anything as naughty again,' Jan interjected.

Ignoring her, David said: ‘Linda, may I borrow Hugh's study for the purpose?'

Looking every bit as anguished as Jan felt, Linda nodded helplessly.

As she explained to Jan afterwards, what else could she do? Everybody had been too lax with Stephanie and she was getting completely out of hand, and she couldn't undermine David's authority as he seemed to be the only one capable of straightening her out. And the punishment did fit the crime. Stephanie couldn't sail through life getting away with murder by blaming Tatty Bear for her misdeeds. Deprivation of her beloved toy would make her think twice next time.

But he was more than a toy. He was her comfort and her solace, her confidant and even the sponge for her tears. It was cruel of David to shut him away from her in the forbidden bounds of Hugh's study.

And yet she didn't know why she was surprised. His cavalier treatment of Annabel had told her what an inhuman beast he was. Well, her attitude towards him might have softened for a while, but that was fragile history now. She was on her guard, and she
would
make sure she didn't weaken again, not even if he tugged his ear right off in that little-boy habit of his when he was unsure of his ground or embarrassed.

On the principle of what can't be cured must be endured, Jan buckled down and told a red-eyed, sulky-mouthed Stephanie a made-up story about a foolish little bear who had been very naughty, but who turned out to be a brave little bear who took his punishment on the snout with the courage of a lion.

One blessing. Jan was relieved of the unpleasant necessity of having to make polite conversation with David by his insistence on making good the damage. He disappeared into the garden to measure up, and then went into town to buy the replacement panes of glass, and was busily employed fitting them into the cold frame.

The telephone rang and Jan heard Linda say: ‘Oh no, Hugh! Of all the times to be delayed. What's that? A snag? You think David might be able to help? Yes, he's here. Hang on a moment.' Linda turned round and said to Jan: ‘Did you catch that? Hugh wants a word with David. Be a love and give him a shout for me, will you? I might as well talk to Hugh until he comes.'

Jan couldn't very well refuse. She found David totally absorbed in his task. He'd cleared away the broken glass and had already fitted one new pane in. She hadn't visualised
him
in the role of handyman and was surprised to see he was making quite a competent job of it.

‘Hugh is on the phone. He wants to speak to you,' she said stiffly.

He didn't tug his ear; he just looked grim. ‘I'll come right away.' He straightened up and wiped his hands on his handkerchief. It wasn't just grime he transferred, but a spreading circle of blood.

‘You've hurt yourself!' she gasped, her heart taking a giant leap into her eyes.

‘It's only a scratch.'

‘See you clean it up,' she said briskly collecting herself, ‘to save the risk of infection.'

‘I will. Nice to know you care.'

‘Care? I don't care. I was taken by surprise that's all. I didn't think werewolves bled.'

David turned on his heel without saying a word. With a haughty walk, Jan followed him into the house.

David could help, and so Hugh safely promised to be with them in time for dinner.

There was no question of their going before Hugh arrived as the whole point of her stay had been to meet him, but Jan realised they were going to have to keep Stephanie up long past her normal bedtime to make the homeward journey.

‘You must stay for dinner,' Linda said. ‘It seems a bit silly to dash off straight afterwards, so why don't you make the weekend of it?'

David
made noises of disinclination, which Linda brushed away, and a compromise was arrived at. They would stay the night and travel the short distance home the following day.

‘That's wonderful,' said Linda, but she added with a doubtful smile: ‘The problem is, Hugh and I didn't intend to eat in. We've got a table booked at Danielle's Den. Danielle really is the name of the proprietress, Jan, and what she doesn't know about cuisine isn't worth knowing. Why don't I phone her and make it a reservation for four?'

‘For three,' Jan said. ‘I'll stay here with a sandwich on a tray and listen out for Stephanie.' She was glad of the excuse because she could think of nothing worse than a cosy foursome if David was to be one of the party.

‘I hadn't forgotten Stephanie. There's a Mrs. Miller who lives two doors away whom I know would be happy to come and sit for her.'

‘I honestly don't mind,' Jan insisted.

‘But I do,' Linda said, equally insistent. ‘I wouldn't dream of going out and enjoying myself and leaving you all alone. If you stay, then we all stay. I'll phone Danielle and cancel.'

Jan knew that Linda meant well. She thought that a night out in convivial surroundings would lighten the atmosphere between her and David. Jan also knew that kind-hearted Linda wouldn't enjoy herself if
she
thought that Jan was left behind to mope. She was over a barrel and she knew it.

With as much grace as she could muster, she said: ‘All right. If Mrs. Miller will accommodate.'

David's quick frown could have meant either, or both, of two things. Her enthusiasm was so markedly lacking that it wouldn't have fooled anyone, and certainly not someone as astute as Linda. Or, he was equally unenthusiastic and had counted on her to get him out.

* * *

Hugh was very much as Jan imagined him to be. Big, genial, vague, lovable. He obviously adored Linda.

‘Hello, Jan,' he said. ‘Thank you for staying and keeping Linda company. It was kind of you.'

Jan replied with absolute truth: ‘The kindness was Linda's for having me. She's given me a fabulous time.'

He smiled. ‘We'll have chance to get better acquainted later.' He tapped his briefcase and sent a sheepish smile in Linda's direction. ‘I must get the contents of this sewn up while it's still fresh in my mind. Don't worry, Linda, I know what time the table is booked for and I promise I won't make us late. David,' he said, his voice moving into crisp authority. ‘Have
you
a minute?'