I shivered. “Don’t, Bob.”
Inspector Nevil patted my arm. “It’s over now, you must try not to think back.” He gave a little cough. “I think that clears everything up satisfactorily. You and Mr. McDonnell will of course have to put in an appearance at the inquest, but we’ll try to keep it out of the papers as much as possible. I shall want you both in my office tomorrow morning to settle the final details. About eleven shall we say?” Bob and I agreed to this, and he rose to go. I tried, very poorly I’m afraid, to express all the gratitude I felt. He hushed me quickly, refusing to listen. “I’m only thankful that we were able to be of some use at the moment. Goodnight Miss Lennox. The doctor left these tablets. He wants you to take two tonight. They’ll help you sleep.” He smiled kindly in parting. “Tomorrow everything will seem different Miss Lennox. Again. Goodnight.”
He closed the door leaving Bob and I alone. I turned to him eagerly, but before I could say a word there was another knock at the door. Bob answered it. Johnson’s massive form loomed up.
“Excuse me Sir, but there’s a young man down here asking for Miss Lennox. Says his name’s Stephen Lane.”
Bob called out, “It’s Stephen, do you want to see him?”
I didn’t. All I wanted was to be alone with Bob, but I could hardly say so. “I suppose you’d better tell him to come up,” I said rather ungraciously.
He came back into the bedroom. I felt his eyes rest on me questioningly but I said nothing and soon Stephen joined us.
Stephen was worried and anxious. He had met Inspector Nevil downstairs and heard a brief outline of everything that had happened. Now his one concern was to get me to his mother’s.
“But you’re all fixed up Stephen,” I protested weakly.
“My dear Rosemary, I can’t allow you to stop here alone. We’ll think of something,” he insisted, brushing this aside.
Suddenly everything was too much for me. I didn’t want to go or be argued about. All I wanted was a little peace. Stupidly and for no real reason I began to cry. Bob and Stephen looked at me helplessly.
It was Bob who settled the matter. “Look here, I think she’ll be just as well off in her own flat as with strangers. I’ll get someone to stay with her and later, when she’s stronger, she can come to you.” There was a lot more arguing, during which Bob slipped out to the phone.
“It’s all fixed,” he announced on his return. “A friend of mine, Freda Ellis, is coming. Rosemary knows her, don’t you pet? She’ll be here in ten minutes.”
I sobbed even louder at this, but no one luckily knew my feelings towards Freda and it passed unnoticed. Stephen and Bob sat talking quietly, while I lay back in my bed. I kept my eyes shut, but I was acutely aware of them. I supposed I would marry Stephen in the end, and Bob would marry his wretched Freda never knowing how much I loved him. The tears began to trickle down my cheeks again at this thought and Stephen came over to comfort me. An ironic situation.
Freda Ellis arrived a few minutes later, breathless and clasping a weekend case in her hand. She and Bob murmured together at the door and I tried shamelessly to hear what they said. I caught Bob’s murmured “ — completely unstrung, reaction of course — ” and her soft “ — poor kid, leave her to me — ” but I missed the rest. After a bit the men withdrew tactfully and I was left alone with Freda. I stared defiantly, determined to be difficult.
She made it very hard for me. Instead of the gentle sympathy I expected, she bustled round preparing a meal, ignoring my protestation that I couldn’t touch anything. Before I knew where I was she had me sitting in the kitchen, cautiously swallowing a little piece of my pie. To my surprise I found I was hungry. The stiffness had gone from my throat.
Freda smiled. “Nice cooking Rosemary. Somebody’s going to be a lucky husband.” I flushed and said awkwardly, “I’m glad you like it.”
She laughed teasingly. “No need to be shy with me. I suppose it was that good looking man who was here when I arrived.” Not waiting for a reply she continued cheerfully, “If you get tired of him, let me know! He’s too nice for general circulation and I’m all ready to be swept off my feet.”
I kept my eyes down. “I thought you had Bob all lined up.”
Freda shook her head and poured out the tea expertly. “No, I’m not Bob’s type, worse luck. We’re just friends.”
Accepting the proffered cup, I sipped it thoughtfully and said with elaborate casualness, “I wonder what his type is?”
She glanced at me. “Who knows? He’ll fall when the right girl comes along, they all do. Anyway, what are we doing wasting our time discussing men. I promised those two gadabouts that I’d have you tucked up in bed by nine o’clock, and it’s half past already. They’ll give me a bad reference.”
Thus admonished, I finished my tea and obediently swallowed two of the doctor’s tablets. Freda had run my bath, scenting it liberally with bathsalts, and I relaxed in it thankfully. I could hear her singing gaily in the kitchen as she cleared away the things. Since our conversation I wondered why I had ever disliked this girl who was so sweet and kind.
She wanted to sleep on the couch but I wouldn’t allow that. My bed was pretty roomy so in the end we shared it. The tablets were strong. My head seemed barely to touch the pillow before I was asleep, and knew no more until the morning.
The sound of the curtains being drawn back awakened me at last. I turned over, stretching blissfully, and Freda smiled down at me. “Morning, Rosemary.”
I smiled back. “Morning, Freda. Oh, how lovely. The sun’s shining.”
She handed me my dressing gown. “Up you get sleepy head. It’s ten o’clock and breakfast awaits you.”
I scrambled out of bed. Yesterday’s horror seemed like a bad dream in the bright sunlight. For the first time in days I felt safe and normal.
Freda was sitting at the table wearing one of my aprons. “No need to ask if you slept well,” she chuckled. “You look a different person.”
“I feel different. I can never thank you enough for being so kind last night. I was just about ready to give up.”
“You’ve been through a terrible experience, Rosemary,” she said seriously. “I’m only too glad Bob called me, so skip the thanks and let’s forget it. Eh? Now, breakfast.”
Bob had arranged to pick me up at a quarter to eleven, and I was ready and waiting at twenty to. It wasn’t going to be a very pleasant morning, but the thought of seeing him again filled me with a bubbling happiness that nothing could suppress.
Freda answered his knock and I turned to greet him, my heart thumping so loudly I was convinced he must hear it.
“Hello Rosie, feeling better?” he asked.
“Fine thanks,” I returned. “Are you ready to see Inspector Nevil?”
“I certainly am,” he said cheerfully. “Never thought I’d go to a police station so willingly. Has she been a good girl, Freda?”
Freda nodded. She had watched me closely since Bob came into the room, her eyes understanding. “Yes, an excellent patient. Come on now, it doesn’t do to keep the police waiting. I’ll see you in a moment.” At the door she squeezed my arm and gave me such a saucy look that the hot colour dyed my cheeks, and I ran after Bob blushing like a schoolgirl.
Inspector Nevil welcomed us kindly into his official looking room. After everything was dictated and signed legally, we sat chatting for a while.
“I see the papers are playing it down Sir,” Bob said, stretching his long legs towards the gas fire.
“Yes they’ve co-operated well. We shall be able to bring in a verdict of unsound mind at the inquest T trust, and so let the whole matter die away. There’s been too much publicity altogether. I’m sure you’ve both experienced it.”
He bent towards me. “I’m glad to see you looking so much better Miss Lennox. None the worse for your frightening experience, I hope?”
“Oh no,” I replied eagerly. “I’m just thankful it’s all over. I’m not going to think about it anymore.”
He nodded. “Going down to your young man’s home for a rest, I believe. Do you good, to get away from everything for a while.”
I let this pass. To tell the truth I hadn’t given it a thought since last night. Stephen deserved a wife who loved him. Not one whose heart was with someone else. Perhaps he would marry his Shelia, the girl who always popped in and out. His mother would certainly approve of that match.
We talked a bit longer and finally rose to take our leave. It seemed strange to think that apart from the inquest, this was probably the last time we should see the Inspector. He had become such a familiar figure in our lives. We said goodbye, shook hands and left him to yet another case.
Outside the sun was shining in all its glory. It was such a lovely morning. One of those rare days that come to cheer us, with the promise of Spring ahead. “Let’s walk through the park,” Bob suggested. “We can get a coffee at that little place in Kensington.” He tucked my arm in his and we set out, walking briskly.
I tripped along by his side, glowing with happiness. Darling, darling, darling went my heart. The awful suspicion and my fears for him were gone. I could have laughed aloud from sheer joy. He was the first to speak. “When are you going down to Stephen’s?” he inquired.
I came back to earth with a bump and earnestly wished the Inspector to the nether region for mentioning the subject. “I’m not,” I said flatly. It was a relief to say it and make the decision.
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why?”
This was getting a little out of hand and I made no reply. “Why don’t you want to go?” Bob repeated clearly.
“Oh for goodness sake, stop asking questions Bob. I’m not going and that’s an end to it.”
We had left the park and were walking along the tree-lined avenue leading to the Serpentine. We continued in silence for a while. “Freda’s an awfully nice girl,” I said carefully.
He grinned. “I’ll bet you women have been gossiping about Stephen and myself. My ears burned all last night.”
This was a little too near the mark, but I couldn’t resist the subject. “I suppose you two will be settling down one day?” He shrugged. “I suppose so, but not with each other.”
“Oh,” I said, trying to quell the rush of exhilaration this plain statement gave me.
“How about you and Stephen?”
“Nothing like that about us,” I lied cheerfully. “We’re just good friends.”
There was another silence.
“Rosie?”
“Yes Bob?”
“Why did you upset yourself, and not inform the police about those buttons and everything else you’d cooked up against me?”
I nearly walked into the Serpentine at that one. Frantically I racked my brains for a plausible answer but none came.
Bob stopped walking. Putting his hand under my chin he tilted my face up to his. For a long breathless moment we looked at each other. His eyes were very gentle, but behind was the wicked glint I knew so well. I caught my breath as an unbelievable hope assailed me.
“Remember that evening, when you thought I was Stephen, and I kissed you?”
“Yes, Bob.” My heart thudded violently now.
He looked at me quizzically. “I’d like to do it again but you made such a scene last time. I’m half afraid to.”
If I’d been in my right senses, I could have made some witty casual reply, but I was far removed from all sense. I was bouncing joyously on a pink-edged cloud and witty remarks had nothing to do with my feelings. In a small voice I answered meekly: “I wouldn’t make a scene, Bob.” He pulled me to him. His strong arms came round me and for a dizzy wonderful moment we clung together.
“Darling,” he gasped shakily. “Oh, darling I love you.”
I touched his cheek with a trembling hand “And I love you Bob, so much.” He kissed me again, a long passionate kiss.
People were passing giving us amused, rather startled glances, but little we cared. The trees had suddenly burst into blossom, a heavy perfume hung in the air, and all the church bells in London seemed to ring gaily for us. At last I knew what love was.
Bob leaned back against a tree, rumpling my curls, and laughing a little. “We had to come to it, Rosie. I think I must have loved you from the first moment I saw your impudent red head peeping round the door.”
“It was the same with me, darling — but we argued and wrangled so, I never realized it. Oh dear, what a lot of time we’ve wasted.”
His eyes glinted wickedly. “Let’s not waste any more.”
Twisting imaginary whiskers he made a theatrical plunge at me, I side stepped, and ran laughing through the trees until he caught me. “Rosie Lennox,” he said severely. “If this is how you treat me now, what will it be like when we’re married?”
Delirious with happiness I could only cling to him. I knew what life was going to be from now on. Wonderful!
If you enjoyed Lonely Road Murder check out Endeavour Press’s other books here: Endeavour Press - the UK’s leading independent publisher of digital books.
For weekly updates on our free and discounted eBooks sign up to our newsletter.
Follow us on Twitter and Goodreads.
Lonely Road Murder Page 10
