by Karen Abbott
“But you’d like to?”
“I’ll take a check on that and see if he’s still speaking to me when I see him tomorrow,” she laughed.
“He is coming to the opening, then?”
“He’d better! I didn’t actually ask him! I truly will be annoyed if he doesn’t!”
“And upset,” Dani added quietly. “Do you wish I hadn’t told you what Marcel said?”
Lys shook her head. “No! Better now than some time later! Just imagine if I’d found out when other people were around! I would have felt utterly stupid!”
As it was getting late, the two girls bade each other goodnight and Dani drove back to Vertbois in a lighter frame of mind than she had left, feeling sure that when Xavier returned the following day, Lys and he would kiss and make up … one of the recompenses for a lovers’ tiff, she smiled wryly to herself.
They all awoke to a beautiful day. The sun was shining but there was enough breeze to make sure that Etienne would get his wish of officially opening his windmill with the wind turning the sails and not the new ‘highfaluting’ electric motor!
Etienne spent the morning making sure that all was as ready as it could be. He carefully greased the circular rail that the ‘chapeau’ roof of the windmill turned on, checked that the guivre, the stout rudder-pole, was firmly fixed and the martinet, the ‘anchor’, quite stable and its tethering rope and chain of the precise length and anchored securely to the martinet.
Madame Giraud was busy in her bakery, producing the last batches of rolls, pastries and cakes, which would be on sale after the ceremony.
Alex, with Christian in tow, helped some of the other willing helpers to adjust the tethering of the gazebos they had bought, and setting out the plastic tables and chairs under their shade; whilst Dani checked that she knew where everything in the craft shop was situated and initiated Suzie, Lys’s newly-appointed sales-girl, into their system of sales.
Lys busied herself overseeing everything … and keeping a watchful eye open for Xavier’s arrival. She was destined to be disappointed.
By the time the opening ceremony had been conducted by the local maire, Etienne had released the brake to set the magnificent sails in motion to the accompaniment of shouts and cheers, the visitors had made their tour of the windmill, and all but the crumbs of Madame Giraud’s excellent fare had been eaten, Lys had to admit that Xavier wasn’t coming.
Her smile was bright … and possibly only Dani and Etienne could see how brittle it was. To her grandfather, Lys excused herself as being uptight about all the arrangements going smoothly; and to Dani, she mouthed silently, “Don’t ask!”
Dani kept an anxious, watchful eye on her friend as they all worked together to tidy everything away at the end of the day, but knew better than to try to talk to her about Xavier’s non-appearance. She wondered if he had forgotten about it, in view of his difference of opinion with Lys … but didn’t think it very likely. Nothing else had been talked about for days and, if the number of uninvited visitors was anything to go by, the whole island knew about it!
Maybe it was her uncertainty over Lys’s future relationship with Xavier that, the following day, made Dani more acutely aware of areas of equal uncertainty in her association with Alex.
She had been helping Christian with some jigsaw puzzles and, when he was busy painting a picture of the windmill, she made a cafetière of coffee and carried a small tray with two mugs on it into Alex’s study. He had shown her into it on her first visit but it was the first time she had gone into the room whilst Alex was working on his computer.
Having the tray in her hands, she hadn’t been able to knock but had used her elbow to hold down the door handle and pushed the door open with a swing of her hip.
“Morning coffee time!” she announced brightly, placing the tray onto the edge of Alex’s desk where none of his papers were lying. “Sorry! Did I make you jump?”
At her unannounced entry, Alex had made a sound of annoyance and immediately blanked his screen with a flick of the ‘mouse’.
Dani leaned over his bent shoulders and slipped her arms around his neck, nestling her lips against his cheek, revelling in the aromatic scent of his after-shave.
“Oh, I’ve not made you lose your work, have I?” she exclaimed in dismay.
“No … but I always tell Christian not to disturb me in here … or to knock if needs must!”
His voice was affable and Dani only felt a mild reproof. She mischievously sat on his lap and pulled his head down towards her. He responded immediately, kissing her fervently, sending all thoughts of coffee out of Dani’s mind!
Eventually, he uttered a mild groan and lifted his head slightly.
“This isn’t getting my work done!” he growled at her, gently flicking his fingernail at her nose.
“No … but it’s so much nicer, isn’t it!” she grinned.
“My boss won’t think so!”
“Who is your boss?” Dani asked curiously. “What exactly do you do? I mean, I know you said that you manage a team of salesmen … but what do they sell?”
A closed expression flittered across Alex’s face, causing Dani to pull back with a start.
“I’m not prying,” she said hastily. “I just wondered, that’s all.”
Alex looked steadily at her face, glanced away and then turned back to her.
“I can’t really tell you,” he said slowly, as if considering his words carefully. “It’s not that I don’t trust you … it just involves too many risky details. It’s better that you don’t know.”
Dani frowned. “Risky? You mean dangerous? To whom? You? Or to others?”
Alex shrugged his shoulders slightly. “Both … me, others … maybe even you and Christian. No, not that! I’d never allow that!”
He cupped her chin in his hand.
“I’m seriously thinking of changing my job. But, I can’t; not just yet. I’ve got to finish what I’m involved with right now. It wouldn’t be fair to my colleagues to pull out now. But I will, as soon as I can!”
“And then will you be able to tell me what it’s all about?”
Alex hesitated.
“Maybe. Probably not all the details … but I’ll tell you as much as I can without betraying confidences. Will that do?”
Dani felt slightly disturbed. She couldn’t imagine what secrets Alex might have … secrets that could lead him … and possibly Christian and herself … into danger. She thought of the clown outfit that hung in his cupboard and her previous disturbing thoughts about that. Had his light explanation of being a clown in the Carnival procession been the truth? The whole truth?
Suddenly, she felt unsure and she slid off his lap before her doubts showed on her face.
“It’ll have to, for now,” she murmured lightly. “I’d better get back to Christian. I’ve left him on his own long enough.”
She poured their drinks and picked up her mug, leaving his alone on the tray.
“I’ll let you get back to your work.”
She left him with her heart uneasy, wondering where their earlier carefree rapport had vanished to. She realised that she felt like Lys did about Xavier … a bit let-down by Alex’s lack of openness and trust, and wondered if his feelings for her could be as strong as she had thought they were.
Chapter 10
Alex was already up and dressed when Dani emerged from her room the following morning.
“I’ve been called away again,” Alex announced with regret in his voice. “It might even be overnight. Can you cope with that? I hadn’t meant to be away so soon but it can’t be avoided.”
“The nature of the job!” Dani surmised, hoping his summons didn’t portend danger.
Her remark drew a sharp look from Alex.
“I have to go!”
Dani shrugged.
“Yes. I’m sorry. The details of your job aren’t any of my business.”
“I’m hoping they will be. That’s why I’m thinking of making this my last operation.”
His voice held a note of appeal and Dani immediately regretted her tone of pique. Alex didn’t know how she had spent much of the previous night worrying over many scenarios that were probably more the result of her over-active imagination than based on any facts or commonsense.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated.
She moved towards him and lifted her arms to encircle his neck. Alex’s lips immediately sought hers and they kissed each other hungrily. When they parted, Dani, her hands still entwined around Ales’x neck, searched his face seriously with her eyes.
“I can’t help worrying about you,” she said quietly. “It’s worse not knowing what the dangers are! At least if I knew what you are facing, I could forget about all the other dangers.”
“Like man-eating tigers and getting drowned in the rapids?”
“Idiot!”
At least it made her laugh and defused the tension.
“Anyway, off you go! I’ll see to Christian. We’ll probably go to the beach again this morning, whilst it’s still cool. It’ll be too hot to go there this afternoon. I might take him for a walk in the forest. We could collect some pinecones and have a barbecue tomorrow. I was going to ask if I could nip over to speak to Lys … but I’ll phone her instead.”
“Is there a problem there?”
Alex was picking up his car keys and his attaché case as he spoke.
“Not really. Didn’t you notice that Xavier missed the opening ceremony yesterday? He hasn’t been in touch since they had a little … not exactly a row … more a difference of opinion … the previous day … and he’s taken himself off!”
Alex’s eyes flickered with interest.
“Has he left the island?”
Dani wondered why his interest was so sharp.
“No, not as far as we know. He said he was going off to the northern end of the island, ostensibly to get some different sketches. It’s probably all and nothing … but I just thought I’d like to know if he’s been in touch this morning.”
Her answer seemed to dispel Alex’s surprising concern and he leaned forwards to kiss her lips.
“As you say, you can phone Lys instead. Let me know how they got on, though I’m sure everything will be all right.”
Christian suddenly appeared, still in his pyjamas.
“Are you going away again, Papa?”
“Yes. Be a good boy for Dani. I hope to be back tomorrow.”
With another kiss dropped onto his son’s head, Alex left and Dani encouraged Christian to have his early morning wash and get dressed and she did the same. After breakfast, she phoned Lys, wanting to catch her before she was busy at the windmill.
She could tell at once by the happier tone of Lys’s voice, that Xavier had been in touch.
“There was a text message on my phone when I looked,” Lys confessed with a laugh. “Apparently, one of the paintings that was stolen from his studio soon after he came here has been seen in a house on the mainland near Poitiers and the police asked him to go along with them to formally identify it! They wanted him to go straightaway, so that it didn’t hold up their investigations, so he had no option but to go! It seems I was worrying over nothing!”
For some unknown reason, the mention that Xavier had left the island brought back to Dani’s memory Alex’s unexplained interest in his whereabouts … but she dismissed the notion as nonsensical. She was imagining an interest where there had only been polite enquiry, she was sure.
After a few more comments about the previous day’s ceremony, Dani ended the call and gave her full attention to Christian’s needs.
Their day went as planned … the morning on the beach, digging another sandcastle, paddling and jumping in the sea and gathering some small clams to make into a simple risotto for their main meal later on in the day.
Christian helped to winkle out the tiny creatures from their shells after they had been cooked in a pan of water for a few minutes and watched with interest as she prepared the rest of the ingredients in preparation for later.
“When Papa makes a risotto, it comes out of a packet!” Christian exclaimed. “I didn’t know you could make it like this. Is it more … more … healthier like this?” having been told that too many pre-packed foods weren’t necessarily the best.
“Probably! At least we know exactly what’s gone into it, don’t we?” Dani replied, finding his intelligent questions and desire for knowledge stimulating.
It wasn’t a hard job to care for him and she was finding him more and more endearing as each day passed … and, even though it was only her second day living in with Alex and Christian, she felt so much at home as to believe that there was no foundation to her fears that she wouldn’t be able to manage to take a full place in the small family. If only she didn’t have so many niggling doubts about Alex’s job!
What were its dangers? And why should those dangers be threatening to Christian and herself? They didn’t even know what Alex did … and never came into contact with any part of his work, except by seeing him at work on his computer. And even that was behind a closed door!
It was altogether too mystifying!
Again as planned, after a light lunch of sandwiches and small salad, Dani took Christian into the forest that bordered the coastal dunes. There were walking paths and wider, sandy tracks for equestrian use crisscrossing the forest and there was no danger of getting lost in it as the sea bordered one side to the west and a coastal lane ran parallel along the other edge.
It was cool beneath the shade of the branches and Christian happily ran hither and thither collecting large pinecones and dropping them into Dani’s sack. She knew they would add a distinctive flavour to the food cooked on the barbecue she hoped they would have the following day … if Alex had returned by then. If not, they would keep until he was back again … and Dani was determined not to worry any more about his whereabouts! And certainly not to become a nagging girlfriend!
Back at the house, Christian asked if he could watch a video whilst Dani was getting their meal ready. Knowing that this would keep him pleasantly occupied, she readily agreed.
“Shall I help you to put it on?” she asked, hesitating on her way towards the kitchen.
“Papa lets me do it myself,” Christian assured her.
So, she left him to it, happy to get on with the meal preparations that she had started earlier. The warmth of the day had taken its toll and she felt tired enough to be thankful of the chance of an early night. Looking after a young child took more energy and concentration than she had thought! How did mothers go on when they had three or four children? Or did it become easier with practice?
She realised that Christian was calling something to her and, wiping her hands on a hand-towel, she went through to the lounge.
“It’s bad men again!” Christian told her. “Look! More guns going bang-bang!”
Dani sighed in exasperation and frowned at him.
“You know Papa doesn’t like you watching the news programme, Christian. Switch over to the video programme, like you said you would, there’s a good boy.”
“No clowns, this time,” Christian remarked, moving towards the television set and reaching out his hand to switch over the programme.
“Wait a minute, Christian!” Dani said sharply. “Leave it a moment!”
Her ears had picked up the name of the town where the shoot-out was taking place. It was Poitiers. Wasn’t that where Xavier had gone yesterday?
The commentator was speaking of a daring raid by a gang of criminals on a large country home, a beautiful Château set in lovely grounds. Apparently, tipped off by an informant, the police had been lying in wait for the thieves … but the under-cover operation had gone wrong when hostages were taken and part of the armed gang had barricaded themselves and the hostages in an unassailable part of the building.
A couple of police officers and maybe one of the armed raiders had been injured during the shoot-out and at least two of the gang had managed to get away in a stolen vehi
cle. Mention was made of other such unresolved raids in the previous few months and the possibility of a link between this raid and those carried out by a gang dressed as clowns was being considered.
Dani’s blood ran cold. She gripped the back of the nearest chair and took a few deep breaths. There was only speculation about the connection … and everyone knew what newscasters were like about stirring trouble like a swarm of hornets! There was absolutely no need for her imagination to run riot again, simply because an eager young newscaster wanted to inject a bit of spice of intrigue and conspiracy into what might have been a humdrum stalemate!
Even so, she couldn’t help feeling more than a little disturbed.
“Are the clowns there again, Dani?” Christian asked anxiously.
“No, dear. The newsreader is only thinking they might be. You can’t see any clowns, can you?”
“No.”
“There you are, then. Now, switch over to the video programme and I’ll get on with our meal. The rice is already cooked, so it won’t take long. I’ll call you when it’s ready!”
Dani watched Christian switch over to his video programme and left him to it. As she passed by the foot of the stairs, she paused, the vision of the clown’s outfit bright in her mind.
It would be there! She knew it would! There was no point in going to look! Even so, she slowly made her way upstairs. She wasn’t proud of herself. What little faith she had in the man she thought she loved enough to marry him and become the step-mother of his son!
Nevertheless, now she was here, she may as well prove to herself just how unworthy was her suspicion! She swiftly crossed over to the cupboard and pulled open the door.
The clown’s outfit wasn’t there!
She opened the next door … and the next! She rifled through drawer after drawer … but the clown’s outfit had been removed. Why had Alex taken it? Was it in case it was needed during the raid?
She sank onto the edge of a chair and dropped her head into her hands. Was Alex mixed up in the despicable series of crimes? Surely not! Surely he had so much more about him that he could have chosen from any number of occupations and careers! But it did seem very co-incidental that he should be away and taken the clown outfit. If it proved to be true, could she love such a man?
