by Anna Jacobs
‘I’ve brought you a car. And no, you don’t owe me anything for it. I got it very cheaply.’
She froze and was about to tell him to take it away again when he held up one hand.
‘Don’t refuse it, Lara. It’s only a little runabout and you must need a vehicle. I presume that hire car outside is yours?’
‘Yes.’ She felt as if she was choking, and whether it was with annoyance or gratitude or some other emotion, she didn’t know. Only she couldn’t say no, simply couldn’t refuse such a gift. She took the coffee across to him, then brought her own and sat down opposite. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Say you’ll take the car and tell me more about what happened. Did that accountant steal much from you?’
‘Nearly everything.’ She closed her eyes and fought for control, achieving it – but only just.
‘Oh hell, that bad! Lara, I’m so sorry.’
He really meant that. She felt something inside her soften still further. ‘It wasn’t only me he ripped off. There were several other clients involved, apparently. The police have got Interpol working on it with them but they don’t hold out much hope of catching him.’
She watched Guy take a sip and try not to grimace, but didn’t dare pick up her own mug of tea to do the same or it’d have betrayed how her hands were shaking.
‘That’s even more reason for me not taking no for an answer. Look, I really want you to accept the car. It’s not an expensive one, for heaven’s sake, and I can easily afford it.’
She surprised herself by saying, ‘Well, all right, then. It’ll be a big help. Thank you very much. If you’re quite sure.’
‘I am. It’s four years old and not a luxury model, but it’s got low mileage and as far as my chief mechanic can tell, the engine’s in good working order. It even has a satnav installed already, an older type but it still works OK.’ He looked at her warily as he added, ‘I’ve arranged for insurance and organised the licensing and stuff.’
‘Generous indeed.’ She swallowed hard, watching him take another sip of coffee and stare down into his mug.
When he looked up, he asked softly, ‘Do you have any money left at all?’
‘Yes. Luckily I had a redundancy payout when I left the company and I hadn’t added that to my superannuation account, even though Crichton urged me to, because I knew I’d need money to set up in this house. It’s enough to tide me over till I can find a job.’
‘Good.’ His look was sympathetic but thank goodness he didn’t push for more information. She’d already told him more than she’d intended. But somehow, today, he was more like the old Guy, the one she’d fallen in love with and married all those years ago.
‘You’ll need to drive me back home, if you don’t mind, Lara. I’ll go over the car with you first, show you what’s what and then you can see how it drives.’
‘Thank you.’
He gave her one of his wry looks. ‘I think I’d feel more comfortable if you shouted at me. I’m not used to this quieter you.’
One of the tears she’d been desperately trying to hold back escaped and left a cold trail down one cheek, but she made no attempt to wipe it away, hoping he hadn’t noticed. ‘I’m not used to it either. Only, what good would shouting and wailing do? What I can’t get over is how kind people are being to me, complete strangers even. That’s really surprised me.’
‘People can be kind as well as nasty, even ex-husbands.’ After another gulp of coffee and a barely concealed grimace, he changed the topic firmly. ‘What do you think of young Minnie?’
Safer ground. Lara could deal with talking about their granddaughter. ‘She’s gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. I’m so sorry I missed the first few months of her life.’
His expression softened. ‘I saw her when she was a few hours old. My goodness, she could cry loudly, even then.’
Silence fell and Lara searched in vain for something neutral to say.
He had another drink of coffee before looking across at her with his usual shrewdness back in place. ‘Let’s look over the car and take it for a spin, then I’ll shout you lunch.’
She shook her head. That was a step too far in her present fragile state. If they talked for much longer she might break down in front of him. ‘It’d be a waste of your money. I don’t have much appetite at the moment.’
‘Then we’ll take a rain check on it.’ He unfolded his long legs and stood up, taking his coffee mug over to the kitchen area and tipping the remaining third down the sink. ‘And you and I will live in family harmony from now on.’
‘Yes.’ She tipped most of her own drink down the sink, had been having trouble swallowing it.
Once outside, she listened to the instructions about the controls, then gasped as she had a sudden idea. ‘Oh! I’ve just thought of something. Could you spare me another half hour or so, Guy?’ At his nod, she explained, ‘If I phone the car hire people, and you don’t mind a small diversion, I can return the hire car to their depot in Swindon and get some of my money back. I’ve already checked that with them.’
‘Good idea. Monday’s a quiet day for sales and the team won’t expect me to spend long at the yard, so I can spare as much time as you need.’
‘Thank you. That’ll be a big help.’
‘I’d better drive your new car. I won’t be insured on your hire car.’
After that, everything went so smoothly, she was amazed.
When she finally dropped Guy off, she realised he was living in a flat and stared at him in surprise. ‘I thought you hated flats.’
‘I hate gardening more. I could pay someone, I know, but there’s a large, sheltered balcony outside my flat, as big as a room, and I thought it’d be OK when I want to sit outside. Since Julie dumped me, I don’t entertain at home, but take people out to restaurants.’
She didn’t say she was sorry about his breakup. She’d been glad when she heard about it from Darcie three years ago, and if that was mean of her, well, so was the way Guy had dumped her when she wouldn’t give up her travelling job.
Water under the bridge now, she reminded herself. I have to move on. She realised he was holding something out and took it automatically.
‘I’m at Flat 10, if you ever need me. Here’s my card with my personal phone number and email address on it.’
‘Oh. Right. All I have is a mobile phone at the moment. I haven’t got round to having business cards printed, let alone getting an Internet connection.’ Only then did it occur to Lara that she wouldn’t need that sort of card now – unless she got a job that required them.
‘Give me your number.’ He entered it into his phone.
She took a deep breath and found it easier than she’d expected to say, ‘Guy – thank you. I’m very grateful.’
‘My pleasure. Really it is. And Lara … I’m glad we’re no longer at odds. Life’s too short.’
She was determined to wait till she was home to let the tears fall. They’d been threatening since he gave her the car.
Strangely, the urge to weep faded as she drove away from him. The car was easy to handle; she even liked the colour. Who’d have thought it of Guy?
Miracles still happened, it seemed. As well as disasters.
She’d start work the following day on helping clear out the house next door, if that was all right with Ross. That would get her a decent bed without spending money.
Today she still had time before the shops closed to buy some paint, sandpaper and whatever else she could think of to do up the furniture she’d bought. She could work on that gradually.
She had a moment’s panic as she came out of the hardware store, when she couldn’t be sure which car was hers. How stupid not to memorise the number! Thank goodness for remotes that made the car lights flash at you when you clicked them. This time she stood and learnt the number before she got in.
She had to get a grip on things, had to stop being so emotional.
When she got home, Lara decided to sand down the two bookcases fi
rst and then paint them. That would be a straightforward job to get her hand in with do-it-yourself stuff.
She had to soak off various labels and stickers first. Who would put such things on bookcases? They must have belonged to children. It took her ages.
Keeping busy helped. A little.
But she cried later as she lay in bed, trying vainly to get to sleep. She couldn’t stop sobbing for a long time. Her eyes were swollen by then and they’d still be red the next day. Well, who was there to care whether they were puffy or not?
It felt as if she’d stepped from one world into another since she’d arrived in England, and she didn’t know how things would work out in her new personal situation or where she was heading long-term.
A word came into her head. Fragile.
Yes, that was the way she felt: fragile. And she didn’t like it. She had always prided herself on being a strong, modern woman.
The next morning, which was a Tuesday, Lara woke early, feeling hungry. She realised she hadn’t eaten a meal last night, just had a cup of drinking chocolate and a biscuit, so no wonder.
She dressed in her oldest jeans and a faded tee shirt, ready to start work next door. Well, she would be starting if Ross turned up and wanted her.
She was just finishing a boiled egg and contemplating another piece of toast when the phone rang.
‘Mum? It’s me.’
‘Darcie. How lovely to speak to you. When did you turn into such an early bird?’
‘When I had Minnie. She thinks the day begins at five o’clock and since her majesty is in charge here now, Carter and I join her. Look, I found that photo you wanted last night. I know you haven’t set up your Internet yet, so all right to text it to you instead?’
‘Yes. That’d be great.’
There was the faint sound of clicking.
‘There. I’ve sent it. And Mum – did Dad get in touch?’
‘Yes. He gave me a car.’
‘Gave it to you, not sold?’
‘Yes. Wasn’t that kind?’
‘Very. I hoped he would sell you one cheaply but this is far better.’
‘Did you ask him to find me a car, Darcie?’
‘Of course I did. He’s very comfortable financially and he’s in the car business. Seemed a no-brainer to me. I’m glad you didn’t refuse it.’
‘Part of me wanted to, but hey, if someone holds out a great big olive branch, it’d be wrong to knock it away. I think we’ve, well, you know – buried the hatchet.’
There was a loud groan of relief. ‘Oh, good. That means I can ask you both round to tea at the same time.’
‘Darcie …’
‘Got to go, Mum. It’s a real rush here in the mornings.’
Lara sat staring at the phone. Surely Darcie wasn’t trying to get her and Guy together again? That relationship was water under the bridge. She could never trust her life and happiness to him again, whatever he said or did. And he needed a different sort of woman from her.
She’d have to make that plain to Darcie and to him, too, if he showed any signs of wanting them to get back together. No, surely he wouldn’t do that. He had been the one to end their marriage, after all.
She hesitated, dreading looking at the photo of John Crichton, and was glad when the sound of a car outside indicated that Ross had turned up. She waited for him to get out and start to heave more boxes into the house. He must be bringing a lot of things with him.
As he was closing up the car, she went out to ask, ‘When are you moving in?’
‘Today. This is the last load. The people hiring my house needed it ASAP, you see, and they were paying well, so I got out quickly. Did you finish your urgent jobs yesterday?’
‘Yes. And my ex has given me a car.’ She indicated it and added, ‘He has a dealership. Wasn’t that kind of him?’
‘Very kind.’
That was enough of talking about her. ‘Do you want me to start on your aunt’s things today or will you be too busy unpacking?’
‘I was hoping you could make a start because I want to sleep in her former bedroom from now on, so it’d help if you could clear it right out before I unpack my clothes. Is that OK with you? We’ll call the bed payment for clearing my aunt’s room, but I wouldn’t mind your help after that on some other clearing-out jobs. Molly suggested a suitable hourly rate.’ He named a figure and stood waiting. ‘All right with you?’
‘Yes, that’d be fine.’ She hadn’t earned so little since she was in her twenties, but hey, beggars couldn’t be choosers, and a day’s work would cover her food and some of her other expenses for two or three days. Brilliant!
He was still looking at her as if uncertain of how she really felt, so she added, ‘To tell you the truth, Ross, I’ll be glad of something to occupy myself with, so I’m available for as long as you need me. I’m only hanging around waiting for the police to see if they can trace my so-called financial advisor. I’m not sure whether to go out looking for a permanent job or not yet. I won’t need to if they get my money back, but if they don’t, I’ll have to find something. Look, I’ll come round in ten minutes or so, if that’s OK?’
‘Fine by me. I’ll start unpacking the mugs and kitchen oddments while I’m waiting, then I can offer you a cuppa as needed. My aunt had some fine old china tea sets, but the cups don’t hold enough for me and I always used to be afraid of damaging them – well, I still am, they’re so delicate.’ He stepped back. ‘Sorry. You don’t want to know all that. See you in a few minutes.’
She went inside her own home again, steeling herself to open the photo of John Crichton that Darcie had emailed, scowling at the sight of him. It was a good likeness, though. How could such a wicked man look like an amiable grandfather? She hoped this photo would help the police to catch him – oh, how she hoped that!
Would they retrieve any of her money, though, or had he got it stashed away somewhere untouchable offshore? She sighed. Don’t go there, Lara!
She sent the photo off to Donald so that he could share it with Interpol, then went next door to start her new job. The busier she kept, the better.
The living area of Ross’s house was crammed full of furniture and looked even worse than her own. There was not only a lot of furniture but also what seemed like hundreds of ornaments. She’d never seen so many in one house. Empty cardboard boxes filled what was left of the floor space. She saw his grimace as he gestured to the room.
‘It’s a mess, I know, what with my stuff as well as my aunt’s, but we’ll work on her bedroom first. I can’t move my boxes of clothes and personal stuff till I have somewhere to put them and the house is as cluttered upstairs as down.’
This house was the mirror image of hers in design, with a main bedroom that was light and airy, or would have been if it wasn’t so heavily over-furnished. It contained a double bed with a very pretty bedspread and as many ornaments and trinkets as the downstairs room. They paused in the doorway to study it.
‘My aunt was an avid collector all her life, right till the end. She could never resist a pretty ornament or piece of silver and luckily she had enough money to indulge herself. Her money’s gone to another relative, but the house and contents are mine.’
His voice sounded soft with love. Lara liked the way he talked about the old lady. ‘Do you want to keep all this furniture in the bedroom?’ She asked that cautiously, still not knowing him well enough to guess.
‘Heavens, no! I think the best thing to do first would be to take the bed I’m giving you next door to your place, which will clear some space for storage of this stuff in the second bedroom. Is that all right with you?’
‘Good idea. And look, if you want somewhere to store any boxes of things, there’s plenty of room in my third bedroom.’
‘Thanks. That’s kind of you.’
‘Well, you’re being kind to me.’
They smiled at one another for a moment or two, then he said, ‘Come and try the bed out.’ He led the way to the second bedroom where she dutifull
y sat on the bed and had a bit of a bounce, then lay down. As if she’d have refused it even if it was as hard as a rock! But it felt so comfy she beamed at him. ‘It’s great.’
It was easy enough to get a double bed next door and he helped her take her present single bed into the bigger spare bedroom.
When they got back to his house, they began removing ornaments from the tops of small tables and fancy little chests of drawers in his aunt’s bedroom, and taking them into the next room. It didn’t take her long to realise something. ‘Do you realise that some of these small pieces are quite valuable, Ross?’
That stopped him in his tracks.
‘Are you sure? I got a guy to look at clearing the house and he said there was nothing particularly valuable and even the price of silver had dropped. He didn’t offer me nearly as much as I’d expected and my cousin Fiona said I’d get far more by clearing the place out myself and selling the better items on the Internet.’
‘Some of the ones that are more collectible should probably go into specialist auctions, where you’d get more for them. This one, for instance.’ She stroked an eighteenth-century chest of drawers with her fingertips. ‘Look at the beautiful patina on that mahogany, and it’s got the original handles, too. This isn’t the sort of thing you send to the local salesroom.’
He looked at her in surprise. ‘You sound as if you know about antiques.’
‘It’s been my hobby for years, but I still have a lot to learn. That’s what makes it so interesting. I watch antiques shows on TV whenever I can and I learn a lot from them. They were showing all the main British shows in Australia on the free-to-air channels.’
Another pause while she picked up a couple of pieces of china and studied the marks underneath them. ‘Some of the china is quite valuable and I love this 1930s figurine. I think it’s bronze, not spelter, so it’ll be valuable too.’
She couldn’t resist stroking the lithe young woman with her uplifted arms and graceful pose. ‘I know how to find information about it online. I have a few pieces of my own that I’d stored at my daughter’s house and I found a few more in Australia, which I brought back with me in my hand luggage.’ She’d travelled business class, which she regretted now that her money was gone, but at least she’d been able to bring back more luggage that way.
