by Jenny Lane
‘I’m sure she’ll turn up before long, don’t you worry.’
But the little cat still hadn’t returned by lunchtime and it was looking increasingly likely that she’d either wandered off and got shut in somewhere, or was hurt. Lyall had made a few enquiries, but he’d had to go off for an appointment and so, by mid-afternoon, Katie decided to pack away for the day and go in search of the cat herself.
She’d had an idea. On several occasions, she’d seen her go into the woods, in fact the animal had often accompanied Jack and herself for part of the way when they had taken a walk there. As she entered the woods now she began to call, hoping that Sheba might respond, but there was no sign of her.
After a while, Katie had exhausted all the usual paths and was not too keen to explore much further. She was just thinking about turning back when she recognised a narrow track which she dimly remembered led to a derelict cottage.
She made her way along it and, soon scrambled through a gap in the fence, scratching herself on some brambles in the process. A shudder ran down her spine as she surveyed the tumbledown place and she realised it had been a stupid idea to come here.
She was just about to retrace her steps when a sudden movement at a window attracted her attention. She whistled and, a moment or two later the door was cautiously opened and Jack stood there — Sheba in his arms. Katie was shocked at his appearance. He looked thinner and was unkempt.
‘I might have known you’d suss me out sooner or later!’
‘I was looking for Sheba. Aunt Alice is going spare. What on earth are you doing here, Jack? You’ve worried us all so much. Can I come in?’
‘You won’t like it. It’s not exactly the Ritz.’ He stood aside and Sheba jumped down, purring loudly.
Katie looked in disgust at the dirty room with its piles of rubbish. ‘However have you managed? This is no better than a pig sty. Come on, Jack, this is ridiculous! Come back home with me now. We can sort out whatever it is that’s causing you so much grief.’
‘Has Lyall Travis gone away?’ Jack demanded.
She shook her head. ‘Whatever is it with the pair of you?’
‘It’s better you don’t know. Anyway, that’s the least of my worries just now. I suppose you haven’t got any food on you?’
‘Just some nibbles — a chocolate bar and an apple.’
He stuffed some chocolate into his mouth ravenously.
‘How on earth could Lyall let you stay in such appalling conditions?’
Jack was busy brewing tea, boiling up some water on a small spirit stove. ‘He doesn’t know where I’m staying. He was good to me in the past, Katie, and I know I’ve disappointed him. He trusted me and I’ve let him down big time. Everything happened at once. I couldn’t cope with it.’
‘Don’t you think it’s about time you came clean about you and Lyall?’ She waited with bated breath, bracing herself for the truth, however unpleasant it might be.
He handed her a mug of tea. ‘Believe me you wouldn’t want to know about my past, Katie. There’s a lot of history, things I’m not proud of. Lyall took me in when I was destitute and I’ve abused that trust. When he turned up in Lyndhurst, I didn’t know what to do at first. He tried to persuade me to stay and I said I’d have to think about it.’
She looked at him in bewilderment.
‘But I don’t understand. Why would you have to leave just because Lyall had turned up?’
For a while he sat cupping his hands round the mug staring into space and then, at length, he said, ‘It’s complicated because it involves someone else besides Lyall. Please just bear with me for a bit longer, Katie. I’m plucking up the courage to try to put it right.’
She tried another tack. ‘But you didn’t go away immediately, did you?’
‘No. That weekend I went up to London and looked up some mates of mine. We had a wild time, partied— spent a lot of money. They planned to break into an off licence — more for a dare than anything else and asked me to keep a look-out, but I chickened out and came back here.’
If it hadn’t been so serious the pun would have been funny. ‘Go on,’ she urged.
‘Round about that time I got some news I’d been waiting for — about some friends of mine I’d lost touch with. They’re living in Ireland. I decided to go and see them and make a fresh start. I went to Lyall, asked him to lend me some money, said I’d make myself scarce, but he refused and said I should wait until after the exhibition. Gave me a lecture about loyalty.’
‘So that’s when you helped yourself to the money?’
He couldn’t meet her eyes. ‘You’ve no idea how bad I feel about that but, at the time, I was desperate to get away and Ireland seemed as good a place to go as any. The thing is, I’d let slide to my so-called mates where I was living and guessed they’d follow me down here sooner or later and cause trouble. I realised I’d ruined my chances here and let you all down, but it was too late so I thought it best to go right away.’
Katie was trying to get her head round all this. Jack looked so immature, so boyish and helpless. She wanted to believe him and to make sense of what he was telling her, but there were still so many unanswered questions.
‘Oh, Jack, what are we going to do with you? And did you know the workshop was broken into? Obviously those mates of yours.’
He looked genuinely shocked. ‘No! When was this?’
She told him briefly what had happened. ‘So did you get to Ireland?’
He nodded. ‘For a few days, but it didn’t work out as I’d hoped so I came back here. As soon as I can I’ll move on. It was good here whilst it lasted, but I’m a bit of a rolling stone.’
‘So what did you do with all that money you took? You told me, on the phone, that it was to pay off a debt, now you’re saying it was to finance your trip to Ireland.’
‘I used some of it for Ireland and the rest to pay off a long overdue debt and to help out a friend who was down on his luck. Now I’m afraid I’m virtually skint again, but I’ll pay you back as soon as I can, I swear.’
Katie got to her feet. It was obvious they weren’t going to sort things out that afternoon and, besides, she’d had enough of being in the cottage.
‘Look, let’s go and see Lyall, see if we can straighten out this mess you’ve got yourself into.’
He shook his head vehemently. ‘No. I’ve had too many chances. I should never have got involved with those guys again. I need some space, Katie.’
Katie practically lost patience. ‘And what about us, Jack? Come on, don’t you think we deserve some sort of explanation for your behaviour?’
Seeing his drawn, pale face she relented and said softly, ‘Come on, Jack. I thought we were supposed to be friends.’
He held his head in his hands and said in a low voice, ‘Lyall’s been a wonderful friend to me, too. I met him a few years ago when I was staying in a hostel where he was doing voluntary work. I’d got in with the wrong crowd and was a bit of a no-hoper ‘til he came along. He recognised I had some talent for pottery and encouraged me to develop it.’
He paused. Katie was listening intently, a sudden tide of relief washed over her as he confirmed that Lyall wasn’t responsible for driving him away. ‘Everything was going well. Lyall helped me find some work, even let me share his flat until I got back on my feet, but then he told me he was going to Australia for about a year and had to rent out his flat. He said I could stay on until the new tenants arrived, and then I’d have to find myself somewhere else to live. That’s when I…’
He looked up, his eyes bleak. ‘It’s no good. I can’t tell you the rest, Katie, not yet.’
Katie sighed. ‘Jack you disappoint me! OK, if you’re not prepared to tell me anything else then just explain why you sold Aunt Alice’s cigarette box.’
He looked shamefaced. ‘I didn’t. One of my mates pinched it off me when I was asleep. I wouldn’t have sold it for the world. I just wanted something as a keepsake.’
She didn’t know whether to b
elieve him or not. ‘There’s something else I don’t understand. Why did you come back here again after all that had happened?’
‘Two reasons. One, I wanted to put things right with you all, but I’m finding that more difficult than I’d expected.’
‘And the other?’ she prompted gently. ‘Aunt Alice has got some papers and other things of mine in her safe. My passport, birth certificate etc. I’d forgotten about them, but now I need them back. If you could ask her?’
‘No way! If you want them then you’ll just have to ask her for them yourself.’
A few minutes later she scooped up Sheba, promised to keep in touch and left.
* * *
Aunt Alice was tearful at being reunited with the cat. Katie decided not to mention her encounter with Jack for the time being and said she’d found her near the woods, obviously having been locked in somewhere.
She met Lyall in the lane and told him she’d seen Jack, giving him a watered down version of events. He accompanied her home and came inside.
‘So where exactly is Jack now?’
‘I’d rather not tell you that for the moment. He’s in a dreadful state and I don’t want him to take off again.’
Lyall frowned. ‘I knew when Jack’s e-mails ceased whilst I was abroad, that things had deteriorated, but didn’t know quite what to expect when I returned to England. Certainly not this. Perhaps you can persuade him to meet me somewhere. Here, maybe. Jack has a habit of running away from awkward situations, but he’s a survivor, Katie, and, after all, he’s considerably better off than when I first knew him. He’s got a change of clothing, a little cash and transport.’
‘Transport?’ she queried, puzzled.
‘Yes, he nicked Aunt Alice’s old push bike. Didn’t she tell you? Just between you and me, she was glad to be rid of it!’
He caught her eye and suddenly they burst out laughing and the tension was gone, but there were still things bothering her.
‘Why won’t either of you tell me what it was he did. Surely it can’t have been that bad?’
‘It’s Jack’s story and he must tell you himself when he’s ready, Katie.’
‘OK, and was it really a coincidence that you turned up here in Lyndhurst or did you come looking for him? Why should I trust you any more than Jack? I’ve known him longer than I’ve known you and, until this happened, we were getting on just fine.’
For an answer, he pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her protesting lips. It sent shock waves through her.
‘I appreciate that trust has to be earned, and hope I’ll soon have done that. I promise I’ll speak with Jack and try to sort things out one final time, but, at the end of the day, it’s down to him, Katie. Now, regretfully, I must leave you because I’ve got a dinner engagement.’
She ought to be used to him playing havoc with her emotions by now, she told herself bitterly. She supposed he was going out with the sultry Olivia.
After a solitary supper, Katie went to see Dylan and Faye to ask their advice about Jack. ‘It’s odd, isn’t it?’ Faye mused. ‘It’s almost as if Jack wanted to be found, otherwise why would he hang around here?’
Dylan, always level-headed, suggested, ‘Why don’t we speak to Aunt Alice and persuade her to look through Jack’s possessions to see if there’s anything of significance.’
Katie shook her head. ‘I don’t care what he’s done, Dylan. I just want to help him and persuade him to come home.’
The following morning, Shelley startled her friends by announcing. ‘Jack’s back in the vicinity. Kevin saw him at the farm-shop.’
They filled her in and, after a bit, she put down the brooch she was working on. ‘If he comes back here, I’m going to find it hard to forgive him.’
‘Well, I for one don’t intend to give up on him,’ Katie said and, picking up her jeweller’s hammer, began to flatten a piece of metal, releasing some of her pent-up feelings.
By the end of the afternoon, she had finished most of the exhibition work and turned her attention to making a few items for the Finches’ garden party.
Because of the time factor, she knew they would have to be simple, just examples of what she could do.
That evening, she was tempted to go to see Jack again but decided to leave it for a couple of days to give him time to think things through. She had just returned to Lavender Cottage when Lyall turned up.
‘How about coming out to dinner with me tonight?’
She stared at him, taken unawares.
‘I’ve already got my dinner – lamb chops.’
He sniffed, ‘but you haven’t cooked them, have you’? Come on, we can make it partly business and discuss the arrangements for Saturday week and the exhibition too, if you like.’
Reluctantly, she agreed and, soon they were sitting outside a restaurant by a river, savouring the evening sunshine.
For a while, he discussed the charity function at the Finches’. Apparently they’d been friends of his family for many years and he’d looked them up on his return to England, having met up with their niece recently in Australia.
Over dessert, he turned the conversation back to herself. ‘So have you thought about your long-term plans for the workshop?’
She spooned up the last mouthful of hazelnut meringue. ‘Not yet. We’re just taking each month as it comes and not looking too far ahead. We’ve had one or two quite successful projects and the London exhibition is probably the most ambitious so far. We’d naturally like our little enterprise to become such a success that we can expand, but Shelley and I just love being creative and, until recently, we were actually beginning to see a small profit margin.’
‘So now you ought to be looking long term for a healthy profit margin. Anyway, we’ll see what transpires after the exhibition, shall we?’
She longed to ask him what his future plans were, but something made her hold back. They lingered over coffee, talking about the theatre and music. When he saw her into the cottage he gave her a light kiss which filled her with longing.
To Katie’s relief, Jack was still at the cottage when she called the following afternoon.
‘I’ve made some decisions,’ he told her. ‘I just needed a bit of space, to clear my head. I recognise what a fool I’ve been, but now I’m prepared to face up to what I’ve done and try to put matters right. I need to talk to Aunt Alice alone and try to explain things.’
He sounded so genuine, so remorseful. Katie thought hard for a moment. ‘Supposing I told you Lyall’s going to be away for most of Saturday and Shelley and I will be at the workshop from mid-morning onwards? I could have a word with Aunt Alice and tell her to be on the lookout for you.’
Hoping she was making the right decision, Katie told him she’d go and see Aunt Alice straight away. Realising there was something else she could do first, she marched off to the cafe to have a word with Dylan. He listened intently as she outlined her plan.
He rubbed his chin. ‘So you’d like me to go round to Aunt Alice’s and be there when Jack arrives, but to keep out of the way? You wouldn’t ask me to do this if you weren’t just a bit worried about what might happen, would you?’
Katie swallowed. ‘Perhaps it was a mistake to have suggested it. I don’t want Aunt Alice to be upset. She’s had enough problems, as it is, without anything else happening. I’d feel responsible if, if anything went wrong.’
‘And you’ve absolutely no idea what it is Jack wants to say to her?’
‘No. Only that he wants to speak to her on his own.’
Dylan poured her a large coffee and then went to discuss things with Faye who was in the kitchen. When he returned he said briskly, ‘Look, how about I have a word with Aunt Alice now and find out if she’s happy about seeing Jack. I’ll explain I’ll be around in case of any problem.’
Katie felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her. ‘Oh, that would be such a relief, Dylan.’
Aunt Alice seemed puzzled by all the fuss, but agreed. She suggested he stayed in th
e back room within an earshot, although she couldn’t imagine that Jack would pose any threat.
At around one o’clock on Saturday, Dylan put in an appearance. ‘Mission accomplished successfully,’ he informed them.
‘Oh, thank goodness! Is he coming back to the flat?’ Katie asked.
‘Not yet. He realises he needs to talk to the rest of us before then. He wasn’t aware I was in the cottage and I don’t know what he said to Aunt Alice, but she seemed quite happy. I’m afraid that’s all I can tell you.’
Eight
It was early evening when Lyall returned. ‘Mrs Mason said I’d find you here. She’s told me about Jack’s visit. A very admirable lady your Aunt Alice, so where to from there, I wonder?’
Katie shrugged. ‘I’m prepared to give him another chance, but he’d have to pay us back and prove his worth.’
Lyall spread his hands. ‘Well, we’ll just have to wait and see then, won’t we? In any case, he’s lost his chance of taking part in the exhibition and it’ll depend on Dylan and Faye as to whether they let him have the flat back again. I gather he removed one or two items, so he’ll have to replace those.’
She shook her head. ‘What a mess some people make of their lives!’
Katie saw Aunt Alice at church the following morning and was promptly invited to lunch. ‘Lyall’s out, so I’ll be eating alone if you don’t join me.’
‘So how did the visit go, yesterday?’ she asked her old friend, carefully.
Aunt Alice’s face lit up. ‘I intended to tell you over lunch. Jack’s OK, a little thinner and very scruffy, needs a haircut and a shave, but other than that he’s the same old Jack. Anyway, we had a good old heart to heart and then I had another with Lyall last night. I feel so much happier about things, dear.
‘Anyway, I knew most of what Jack had to tell me already. I’d worked it out for myself. Actually, I’ve got a bone to pick with you, young Katie. You knew where Jack was hiding out all the time didn’t you?’
‘Oh, so he told you, did he?’
