Glasses were raised for the second time, and everyone congratulated her.
All but Sheila, who skulked in her chair, loathing Susie as never before. She envied the girl her dogged determination to succeed in business; she resented her natural talent and skills, and the warm caring nature she had been blessed with. But mostly she envied her natural prettiness; with her gently-rounded figure, childlike features and soft shining hair, Susie was attractive in an unassuming way. Yet in spite of the fact that she was no striking beauty, Susie had caught the eye of many an admirer. As yet though, none of them had captured her heart.
To her lazy, ungrateful sister-in-law, Susie appeared to have everything, when all she had was a husband who lacked imagination and ambition. From the start, the loyal, hardworking and generous Thomas had never been enough for her. He knew that and because he loved her, he reluctantly accepted it.
Grudgingly accepting that for now at least, Thomas was the best meal-ticket she had, Sheila raised her glass to show willing. ‘Congratulations, Susie!’ she cooed. ‘I’m sure we all hope your luck will continue to hold out.’
No one missed the hidden meaning of her words, least of all Susie.
‘Thank you, Sheila,’ she said sweetly. ‘I, too, hope my luck holds out.’ And she did, because even though she worked hard and long, there had to be a measure of luck to bring it all together.
Her business was thriving, yes, but she was often lonely, especially at night-time when the day’s work was over and she could sit for a while before starting on the neverending paperwork. It was then, when she was relaxed and alone, that she would reflect on her hard-earned achievements and wish that somewhere along the way, she could have found someone to share her success with, to share her life and be there when she needed just to talk. Someone to come home to of a night; some kind and loving man who would help plan their future together.
But as yet, there was no sign of it, and Barney’s older daughter was beginning to wonder if she would ever find her soulmate.
Chapter 12
LEONARD MAITLAND SIPPED his wine and watched the family as they chatted, and he felt like a man blessed. Since coming back to Boston with Vicky and the children, he had known happiness of a kind he had never dreamed would be his.
Years ago, against his every instinct, he had made a promise to Barney that he would never reveal the real reason why Barney had deliberately driven his beloved family away. Through all the long years, even after Barney’s death released him from that promise, and in spite of many times being tempted to confide in Vicky, he had remained silent.
Now, his greatest fear had come true. A few days ago, a letter from England had arrived at his office. Deeply unnerved, he had left it unopened, his mind in turmoil as to who might have sent it. The postmark was smudged and gave him no clues. He did not recognise the handwriting.
There were only three people who might be writing to him from England. One was his solicitor. Another was Raymond Lucas, who had known the truth and with whom, over the years, Leonard had exchanged letters, which of course he had hidden away for fear that Vicky or someone else might inadvertently come across them.
The only other person who might have reason to write to him was Lucy Baker. She had been the closest to Barney after his family left.
In the early letters exchanged between himself and Dr Lucas, there had been much mention of Lucy, of how devotedly she had cared for Barney. He knew that some time after the family’s departure, Lucy had borne Barney’s child; the couple had moved away soon after.
Yet Lucy had not known this address, so how could she have written to him? Lately though, she had been in touch with Dr Lucas; he knew that much because in the last letter from the doctor, he had written of her visit to Liverpool. So, had the doctor given her this address – and, if so, why? What did she want with him?
In the mist of his thoughts, Leonard could hear the family laughing and talking, and his feelings were anguished. This was his family now, and had been for the past twenty years. Was Barney reaching out to take them from him? No! His imagination was running riot. Barney was gone. For their future security and happiness, Barney had willingly entrusted Vicky and the children to his care. So now they were his family, but the letter had made him fearful; was something about to happen that might take his loved ones from him? It was unthinkable. He couldn’t lose them. He must not!
Instinctively, his hand went to the letter in his breast pocket, and his heart pounded.
‘Are you all right, my love?’ Vicky’s voice filtered into his mind. ‘I called you twice,’ she said curiously. ‘You were miles away.’
Mentally shaking off his thoughts, Leonard looked up. ‘Sorry, darling. I must have dozed off.’
She glanced at the tumbler in his hand. ‘How many glasses of wine did you have?’
‘Three, I think.’ In truth he’d had only one.
Vicky was horrified. ‘Oh Leonard! You know how wine affects you … giving you such bad heartburn you can’t sleep.’
Somewhere in the back of her mind she did not altogether believe him. She had not seen him take more than one glass of wine. Moreover, just now when she was calling him, he didn’t appear to be asleep. Instead he seemed to be in deepest thought. ‘Are you sure you’re all right?’ Although Barney was always with her, Leonard had earned a part of her heart, and she had come to love her second husband dearly.
‘I’m fine now.’ Getting out of the chair, he rested his head for a moment on her shoulder. ‘Why were you calling me?’
‘Susie wants to know if you would do her the honour of opening her new shop, when it’s ready?’
Leonard was thrilled. ‘Of course I will.’ Raising his glance to the far side of the room, he saw Thomas and Ronnie talking, and over by the drinks cabinet, Sheila was helping herself to a measure of brandy. There was no sign of Susie. ‘Where is she?’
‘She must have gone outside,’ Vicky said. Giving him a little push, she suggested, ‘You’d best go and find her.’
Leonard found his stepdaughter seated on the bench by the pond. It was pitch black now, and the wind was freshening. ‘Fancied a quiet spell on your own, did you?’ Sitting down beside her, he took hold of her hand. ‘Mom says you would like me to open your shop when it’s ready.’
Susie smiled up at him. ‘If you don’t mind?’
Beaming from ear to ear, he said, ‘Why ever would I mind? I’m flattered you’ve asked me, though I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve the honour.’
‘You saved me,’ she murmured. ‘When we came here, you saved us all.’
In the twilight Susie observed this man who had been their salvation, and a great surge of love filled her heart. When she was just a child, frightened and confused, he had taken her under his wing, and where her beloved daddy had caused her pain, this kind and gentle man had healed the wounds, though the haunting memories could never be erased.
Leonard sensed her emotions. ‘You’re lonely, aren’t you, sweetheart?’
She gave a wry little smile. ‘Sort of. Sometimes.’
‘You won’t always be lonely,’ he said assuredly. ‘One day, sooner or later, there will be a certain someone for you, I just know it.’
She smiled at his words. ‘Do you?’
He nodded. ‘A bright young thing like you, I know you’re not meant to live your life alone. There’ll be someone somewhere, just as lonely, looking for a lovely young woman like you to share his life. Fate will bring you together. You must believe that, my dear.’
They hugged for a moment, then he walked her back to the house.
One by one, the family left, until only he and Vicky remained. ‘It’s been a wonderful evening, don’t you think?’ she said dreamily.
Vicky began to clear away the dinner plates. ‘And wasn’t it nice to have Ronnie here? Just like old times.’
‘I shouldn’t pin too much on that,’ her husband warned. ‘Don’t forget, it was Susie who dragged him here. And remember how he’s twice tried
to live in the family fold. It didn’t work out for him then, so there’s little reason to think it might work out a third time.’
‘I live in hope,’ Vicky answered confidently. ‘I’m just relieved that Susie gets through to him, where no one else can.’
‘Yes – but you mustn’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t happen.’
Brushing aside Vicky’s protests, Leonard helped her clear away the dinner things, then helped to wash them up and put them away. Afterwards, while Vicky made him hot milk and honey to help him sleep, he sat up in the drawing room, listening to her moving around in the kitchen and pondering about the letter in his breast pocket. ‘Should I open it?’ he muttered. ‘Or should I burn it?’
Sliding his fingers into his pocket he took out the letter and stared at it for a moment, his anxious eyes scanning the handwriting:
Mr Leonard Maitland,
Office of Farming and Land Management
Number 16, Roiter Place,
Corner of Derwent and Launceston,
BOSTON,
U.S.A.
Try as he might, he could not recognise the handwriting; it was not the hand of his solicitor, and certainly not the almost indecipherable scrawl of the doctor. In fact, he began to wonder whether he had got it altogether wrong in thinking it might be from Lucy.
With newfound confidence, he decided to take a peep inside. First though, he listened, making certain that Vicky was still busy at her tasks. Satisfied, he took the letter between his fingers and began to open it, almost leaping out of his skin when Vicky suddenly rushed in through the door.
‘I’ve made a whole jug full,’ she told him as he hurriedly thrust the open letter into his pocket. ‘It’s been such a hectic day, I thought a mug of honey and hot milk might help me sleep, too.’ She placed the tray on the small table before him.
For a while they sat and talked, of Ronnie, and Thomas and Susie. ‘I’m proud of them all,’ Vicky said. ‘Thomas has taken to helping you manage the estate like a duck to water.’ She cast her mind back, as she often did, more so as she grew older and the memories sharpened. ‘Mind you, he had good training with his dad,’ she said fondly. ‘Though managing a small farm is different from managing a vast estate like this.’
Leonard nodded. ‘It is,’ he agreed. ‘But when you get right down to it, the principle is the same: you plough the land, set the seeds, and reap the harvest.’
He gave a contented smile. ‘I’m fortunate to have a man like Thomas working with me,’ he admitted. ‘I have good people in the office, but outside in the fields I can leave it all to Thomas and know everything will be taken care of. He works hand-in-hand with the office, orders the right machinery for the job, brings in the right mix of seed, and oversees the working of the land. He’s good with the men, and has an instinct for the seasons. Moreover, he knows every machine inside out; there’s nothing he can’t fix and he’s always ready to pass his knowledge on to the men. Matter of fact, I don’t know what I’d do without him.’
After a while, Vicky shifted the conversation to Ronnie. ‘I only wish that lad would settle down. He doesn’t seem to have the heart for anything.’
Leonard was philosophical where his other stepson was concerned. ‘He’s still coming to terms with life’s disappointments,’ he said kindly. ‘Give him time, he’ll come round.’
‘Do you really think so?’
‘Yes, I do. Like Thomas, he’s a good man.’
‘Lonely though?’
‘Well, yes, there is that. But some people like their own company.’
For different reasons, all of her children worried Vicky. There was Thomas working all hours God sent, with a wife who thought only of dressing herself up and trawling the most expensive shops. She wanted for nothing, she had a husband who doted on her, and still she wasn’t satisfied and, if Vicky’s instinct served her right, Sheila was in the throes of yet another affair. ‘Sometimes, I wonder if Thomas ever suspects that his wife sees other men?’ The words were not meant to be said out loud, but they just popped out.
Leonard was not surprised. ‘So, you think the same as me, do you – that she’s being unfaithful to him?’
‘I’m convinced of it.’ Vicky told him of her fears. ‘I think she’s had several affairs. If Thomas knows, he must love her so much, he can’t bring himself to confront her in case he loses her – though if you ask me, that might be the best thing all round.’
‘Well, I don’t think she would leave him, whatever he said to her.’
‘No, you’re right!’ she conceded angrily. ‘Why would she leave him, when she has everything all her own way … a husband who adores her, money to fritter on clothes and fancy furniture, a house she helped to design. Anything she asks for she gets – holidays, jewellery – and on top of all that, whenever she fancies a fling, she just goes out and finds herself a man.’
Clenching her fists, she almost spat out the words. ‘Sometimes, Leonard, I feel like pinning her against the wall and making her confess what she’s been up to. I hate what she does to Thomas. I despise the way she takes advantage of him and gives so little in return!’
Seeing how upset she was becoming, Leonard reached out and closed his hand over hers. ‘It’s up to them,’ he reminded her. ‘They’ll sort it out between them. One day, Thomas will wake up and realise what she is. When that happens, he’ll deal with it in his own way.’
‘Oh, I do hope so!’
‘Trust me. For now, he’s taking a beating, because he loves her. He probably knows what she’s up to, but Thomas is nobody’s fool. He won’t put up with it forever.’
Regaining her composure, Vicky sighed. ‘Susie’s doing well, isn’t she?’
He nodded. ‘She’s a born businesswoman.’
‘Do you think she’s lonely?’
‘Maybe.’
Vicky was sad about that. ‘The trouble is, she works such long hard hours, she never has time for a social life. So, she never meets anyone outside of work.’
‘Well now.’ Leonard had also given it a lot of thought. ‘Maybe when she meets her man, it could be the very one she’s been working alongside all the time. It’s been known to happen.’
Vicky smiled. ‘So, that could be any one of about ten.’
‘There you go!’ Somehow, Leonard always managed to say the right thing. ‘She’s got a healthy choice right there on her doorstep.’
The couple sat quiet and content for a time, their faces pink and warm in the heat from the cheery fire. In the background, the grandfather clock struck eleven, and Leonard began to nod off. ‘Hey!’ Vicky gave him a nudge. ‘That milk and honey seems to be working well, but don’t go to sleep yet,’ she said. ‘You lock up, and I’ll put the guard in front of the fire. Then we’ll away up the stairs and into bed.’
‘You go,’ he said. ‘I’ll be along shortly.’ He needed to stay down for a while. He needed to think.
Vicky put the guard in front of the fire, gave him a kiss, and made her way upstairs. She thought nothing of him not going up with her. Often Leonard would work in his study long after she’d gone to sleep.
Upstairs, she made her way to the bathroom, while downstairs Leonard remained in the armchair, his hand spread over his jacket pocket where the letter was safely tucked away.
He wanted to open the letter and read it, but his every instinct once more urged him to throw it into the fire.
After a time, common sense took over. He knew he should read the letter, if only to make sure it contained nothing that could harm himself or his adopted family. And if it was a threat, he might need to deal with it as quickly as possible.
Taking out the letter he glanced towards the door; he could still hear Vicky pottering about in the bedroom upstairs. He got out of his chair and went across the room, where he quietly closed the door.
Returning to his chair, he sat a moment, the letter in his hand, his gaze mesmerised by the flames dancing in the coals. ‘Come on, old man,’ he chided himself. ‘Open the damned
thing and see who it’s from!’
With trepidation he opened the letter, surprised to find another envelope inside, which was simply addressed to Vicky.
Unfolding the accompanying letter, he thought he might have recognised the sweeping scrawl, but that was not the case. Instead his fears were made tenfold by what was written there:
Dearest Leonard,
I hope you will not think badly of me for writing to you after all this time, but lately my conscience has been troubling me, so much so that I feel compelled to make contact with you.
I’ve spoken with Dr Lucas, who very reluctantly gave me your address in Boston, but please don’t blame him for that. I can be very persuasive when needs must.
All I ask of you is that you give Vicky the enclosed letter. It tells of the tragic circumstances that made Barney send his family away. I know from Dr Lucas that you have faithfully kept the promise you made to Barney, and I respect you for that, as I realise what a heavy burden you have had to carry alone.
Now though, before the truth is lost forever, I believe it is time to tell Vicky and the family. If you give her my letter, in which I have written about Barney and the way it was, you will not be breaking your promise.
I could have addressed this letter to Vicky and sent it via your office; the doctor stopped short of giving me your home address. But I believe it is right for me to send the letter to you, and leave the choice to you and your conscience. If you decide not to give her the letter, I will of course accept your decision and I will never again contact either of you.
However, I am hoping that over the years you have been tempted to tell her, and were not able to because of your promise. This way, if you do give her the letter, it will be me who tells and your promise will remain intact.
I believe the time is right for Barney’s family to learn that he never stopped loving them. For the remainder of his short life, he talked of them, and longed for them, and his heart remained broken up to the day he lost his fight to live.
I can imagine you reading this letter now, and being torn in two by it, and I am deeply sorry for that. You may pass the letter to Vicky, or you may dispose of it, and she will never know. Please, Leonard, don’t be rash in your judgement.
Journey's End Page 13
