Memories of the Past

by Carole Mortimer

  As she had thought would happen, she had looked after Sam more than her father had, her father seeming to think he only had to play with the little boy a couple of times a day and that he would amuse and look after himself the rest of the time. Admittedly it was a long time since her father had had a young child in the house, but he seemed to have forgotten all the other things there were to taking care of one! If he had ever known. Helen seemed to recall that her mother had done most of the looking after when she was young; before his early retirement last year her father had been kept busy with the clothing store he had owned and run in the nearby town.

  After only three days of running about after Sam Helen was exhausted, dropping down tiredly into one of the armchairs.

  ‘Yes, he is, thank good—’ She broke off as the telephone rang, groaning at the thought of getting up to answer it. ‘Would you?’ she asked her father wearily.

  He glanced at his wristwatch. ‘It will only be for you,’ he said derisively.

  If one of them didn’t answer it soon then neither of them would need to!

  ‘It’s eight o’clock,’ her father added pointedly, teasing humour in his eyes.

  She stood up with an impatient frown in her father’s direction.

  ‘Cal doesn’t telephone at eight o’clock every night to talk to me,’ her father taunted as she went out into the hallway to answer the still ringing telephone.

  ‘He’s checking on Sam,’ she turned briefly to snap irritably.

  ‘Of course he is,’ came her father’s taunting reply as Helen picked up the receiver.

  ‘Everything all right?’ came Cal’s anxious voice down the line.

  Her father was right about these calls; they had come regularly at this time for the previous two evenings too. He was also right that Cal didn’t call to talk to him; he always enquired after Sam in great detail, but he also made it obvious that he wanted to hear her voice too.

  ‘Fine,’ she answered lightly, going on in some detail about the events of Sam’s day. ‘He wants to know when you’re coming home.’ Those deep blue eyes had filled up with tears today when Sam had asked where his uncle was. And she had to admit, though not because she was tired of looking after Sam, that she would be interested in knowing herself when Cal intended coming back. Much as she hated to admit it, she had missed him.

  ‘Tomorrow,’ Cal answered with some relief. ‘I’m not absolutely sure what time. But everything is sorted out with Enid and Henry at last.’

  ‘Without—’

  ‘Yes, without that,’ Cal confirmed dismissively. ‘Enid has been suffering with her nerves for some time, and I finally managed to persuade Henry to get her doctor to advise her that rest and no pressure are what she needs now. Henry has never wanted to interfere in Sam’s custody anyway, so he was only too pleased to try and calm the situation down; it was just a question of seeing him on my own for a time and sorting out a plan of action. I’m not saying Enid won’t still be a pain, but I think she’s finally been convinced that she isn’t strong enough to take care of a very young child.’

  It also meant that Enid Carter had a very valid excuse, for herself as much as anyone else, for not pressing to have Sam with her. None of that really mattered as long as Sam could now be left in peace to settle down to life with the uncle he obviously adored.

  ‘I’m glad.’ And they both knew she didn’t just mean the custody of Sam, that she was also relieved that it hadn’t been necessary to use Susan’s letter to achieve the armed truce that now existed between Cal and Sam’s grandparents.

  ‘Can you take Sam back to the house tomorrow?’ Cal’s voice was husky, knowing exactly what she had meant by her statement.

  Daniel was at the house. She had seen him about the estate several times when she’d taken Sam down to the beach, had studiously avoided actually being close enough to have to acknowledge him.

  ‘Couldn’t you pick him up from here?’ she suggested tautly.

  ‘I’m really not sure how early or late I’ll be,’ Cal answered in a preoccupied voice. ‘But if there’s a problem with your going to the house—’

  ‘There’s no problem,’ she cut in sharply. ‘As long as you make sure we’re expected.’ The last thing she wanted was to run into Daniel unexpectedly; there was no telling what his reaction to seeing her again might be, and it might be done in front of witnesses!

  ‘I’ll ring the housekeeper and confirm that with her,’ Cal instantly assured her. ‘How are you?’ His voice was husky now.

  Her cheeks felt hot. ‘Very well.’ Better than she had expected, actually; Sam was a joy to have around rather than a constant reminder of Ben, as she had thought he might be. Sam brought with him only joy and laughter, whereas any joy and laughter she had known with Ben had been tinged with the knowledge that he would be with them for only a short time; Sam was bright sunshine, whereas Ben had been like a bright star in the sky. There was no comparison.

  ‘I’m glad,’ Cal said softly. ‘Will you have dinner at the house with me tomorrow night?’

  Daniel was there, she reminded herself once again, although the hunger to be with Cal again warred with that knowledge.

  ‘There won’t be anyone there but the two of us.’ Cal seemed to guess—if not necessarily for the right reason!—her reluctance to see Daniel at the house again. ‘Daniel isn’t returning from town until Monday morning.’

  Daniel hadn’t gone to London with Cal, but he must have returned there for his weekend off. His absence took away any last lingering doubt she might have had about having dinner with Cal.

  ‘I’d like that,’ she accepted softly.

  ‘I’ve missed you, Helen,’ he told her huskily.

  She had missed him too, although there was no way she was going to admit as much, even if he couldn’t actually see the blush to her cheeks. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow some time,’ she answered briskly.

  Cal gave a husky laugh, seeming to guess how she felt without her actually having to speak a word. ‘Give Sam a kiss for me,’ he said lightly. ‘And take one for yourself too,’ he added softly before ringing off.

  ‘Cal OK?’ her father looked up from the newspaper to enquire.

  ‘Did I say the call was from him?’ She hadn’t forgiven him for his earlier teasing yet!

  ‘Only one person I know can bring that flush to your cheeks,’ he mocked with affection.

  Helen gave an impatient sigh. ‘You’ll be pleased to know that Cal is coming home tomorrow.’

  ‘And are you pleased?’

  ‘Daddy—’

  ‘Strike that question.’ He put the newspaper down to hold up his hands defensively. ‘I can tell by your face that you’re pleased,’ he added teasingly, giving her a cheeky grin as she threw a cushion at him, catching it neatly in his hands. ‘I’m pleased the two of you are getting on so much better.’ He sobered, putting the cushion down. ‘It was what I had hoped for.’

  Helen gave him a considering look. ‘What do you mean, it was what you had hoped for?’ she questioned slowly.

  He shrugged. ‘I thought the two of you would get on together.’

  ‘Yes?’ She was very still now.

  ‘There’s nothing wrong with that,’ he said defensively at her accusing look. ‘You’re my only daughter, and I happen to like Cal very much.’

  ‘Yes?’ she prompted again, more than a little wary now.

  ‘Nothing else.’ He stood up agitatedly. ‘I just wanted the two of you to like each other.’

  ‘We like each other,’ she admitted slowly, a suspicion suddenly hitting her. ‘Daddy—’

  ‘That’s good then, isn’t it?’ he dismissed lightly.

  ‘That depends,’ Helen said consideringly.

  Her father was starting to look uncomfortable. ‘I don’t know—’

  ‘Just how far were you prepared to go in order for Cal and I to “get on”?’ she cut in in a hard voice.

  ‘Helen—’

  ‘How far, Daddy?’ she repeated with firm determ
ination.

  He stood up agitatedly, pacing the room, not at all happy with the turn the conversation had taken.

  ‘Daddy—’

  ‘Oh, all right,’ he snapped impatiently. ‘So I exaggerated a little about wanting to sell Cherry Trees to Cal, but it turned out all right in the end, didn’t it?’ He faced her defiantly.

  She couldn’t believe he had done this to her, didn’t want to believe he was capable of such a thing, and yet she knew that he was.

  No wonder Cal was so stunned by her attacks on him for wanting to buy this house; the sale hadn’t been his idea at all, he hadn’t really been interested in buying it!

  She could see it all now, knew exactly what her father had done, realised that he had brought her down here in the first place under false pretences, in anger if that was the only way to achieve his objective; he had wanted her and Cal to ‘get on’. But for what purpose?

  ‘Did it?’ she rasped hardly.

  ‘Now look, Helen—’

  ‘I’m trying to, Daddy.’ She nodded slowly.

  ‘Cal’s a good man,’ he defended stubbornly.

  She had come round to that idea herself, even more so since she had realised the lengths he was prepared to go to, the insults he had been willing to put up with, in order to avoid hurting Enid Carter. The man she had first thought Cal to be wouldn’t have cared whom he hurt as long as he achieved his objective.

  Cal hadn’t said a word either to disabuse her of her belief that he was after Cherry Trees in an underhand way, by using his friendship with her father. Now it turned out that her father had been using the friendship to try and matchmake between the two of them.

  Had Cal realised that?

  If he had, why hadn’t he put her firmly in her place when she had begun to insult him?

  She remembered the things he had said to her earlier, the times she had been in his arms. What did it all mean?

  She was afraid to hope.

  ‘I’m just beginning to realise how good,’ she reproved her father. ‘He must have realised long ago what you were up to.’ She shook her head disgustedly.

  ‘It didn’t put him off, did it?’ he said with satisfaction. ‘On the contrary,’ he added pointedly.

  ‘Well, now that we both know what you’ve been up to you can just stop it,’ she snapped in her agitation. ‘Forget about selling Cherry Trees and just stop your interfering,’ she said warningly.

  ‘I was only thinking of you, Helen—’

  ‘Were you?’ she cut in derisively.

  He had the grace to look slightly uncomfortable. ‘Maybe not completely,’ he admitted ruefully. ‘Maybe I am being selfish in wanting you to be happy, with a family of your own. But I wanted it for you as much as for me.’

  ‘You’re assuming rather a lot.’ Her cheeks were hot with embarrassment.

  ‘You can’t blame me for trying,’ he reasoned imploringly.

  No, maybe she couldn’t blame him for that. She just wished she had been more aware of what he had been up to from the first, then she possibly wouldn’t have made such a fool of herself over Cherry Trees. Cal must think she was a shrew.

  But that hadn’t stopped him wanting to be with her, taking her in his arms, that little voice in her brain kept persisting.

  ‘Couldn’t you have just introduced the two of us and left the rest to chance?’ she sighed.

  ‘You’re always so defensive with men, keep them at such a distance, that Cal would probably never have got past that wall you put up around yourself,’ her father explained. ‘This way, you were both thrown slightly off guard.’

  He was right; she knew he was right. But even so…

  ‘Just don’t ever do anything like this again,’ she cautioned.

  He eyed her speculatively. ‘Will I need to?’

  Helen didn’t even bother to answer him, starting to collect up Sam’s toys ready to take him home tomorrow.

  Would he need to?

  * * *

  ‘Well, well, well,’ drawled a mocking voice. ‘So you’ve brought the little cherub back, have you?’

  Helen spun round from unpacking Sam’s toys in the nursery—the baby was asleep in the adjoining bedroom—getting up to gently close the door between the two rooms before answering Daniel’s taunting remark.

  She had returned to the house mid-morning, having lunch with Sam downstairs before putting him down for his afternoon nap. Daniel had obviously returned from London earlier than Cal had expected!

  He seemed to be working, dressed in a suit and pristine white shirt, his golden hair meticulous. He left Helen cold.

  ‘Sam is back home, yes,’ she replied in a controlled voice.

  Daniel strolled further into the room, his gaze flickering over her insolently, the pale yellow sun-dress she wore and her loosened hair obviously finding approval as his gaze warmed speculatively.

  ‘I must say you’re a dark horse, Helen,’ he taunted. ‘No wonder I didn’t get very far with you—you were saving yourself for a much bigger fish!’

  Two spots of angry colour darkened her cheeks. ‘Don’t judge everyone by your own standards! It’s almost six years since I knew you; if I were as mercenary as you’re implying I would have found someone rich by now!’

  Daniel shrugged, strolling carelessly round the room. ‘Maybe you weren’t in a hurry.’

  ‘And maybe I wasn’t looking for anyone rich at all!’ she snapped contemptuously.

  ‘But you seem to have found him,’ Daniel drawled pointedly.

  ‘Cal is a friend of my father’s—’

  ‘Oh, come on, Helen,’ Daniel scoffed. ‘I saw the two of you together the other evening.’

  ‘You didn’t see anything,’ she dismissed hardly.

  He shrugged. ‘Maybe if I had delayed my entrance a little longer I might have done!’

  ‘That’s disgusting!’ she gasped with distaste for the unpleasantness of this man’s mind. Had she really once found him attractive? She found that impossible to believe now, although she hadn’t really seen this side of him until she had thwarted his intentions towards her almost six years ago—up until that moment he had been nothing but charm and warmth.

  ‘Oh, don’t be such a prude, Helen,’ he derided impatiently. ‘We don’t have to play games any more; you’re out for what you can get out of life and so am I.’ He shrugged. ‘I have a healthy respect for anyone who doesn’t mind admitting that.’

  Helen eyed him with dislike. ‘There’s nothing healthy about having that attitude towards people,’ she scorned.

  ‘I told you, you don’t have to play games any more,’ he chided softly. ‘And who knows, maybe we can have a little fun together as well?’

  She stiffened. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You can’t be that näive,’ he mocked, moving towards her, taking her into his arms. ‘I always wanted you, Helen.’ His arms tightened as she struggled against him. ‘I think it’s all this cool “don’t touch me!” beauty that does it,’ he added appreciatively.

  ‘Let go of me!’ She pushed against his chest. How dared he touch her in this way?

  ‘I told you,’ he murmured softly. ‘You don’t have to pretend any more.’

  ‘I’m not pretending the disgust I feel for you!’ She still pushed against his chest, although couldn’t manage to free herself completely.

  His face hardened. ‘Let’s put it another way, Helen,’ he said with soft menace. ‘Neither of us wants Cal to realise we knew each other six years ago, but I only have a job to lose…’

  Helen became very still, looking up at him disbelievingly. ‘Are you trying to blackmail me into going to bed with you?’ She was incredulous at the idea of it.

  ‘Blackmail is a little too strong a word,’ he dismissed lightly. ‘I—’

  ‘I don’t think it’s too strong at all,’ rasped a familiar voice from the open doorway into the hallway.

  Helen turned to look at Cal with open horror, not having been aware of his presence in the house because o
f her argument with Daniel.

  CHAPTER TEN

  BY THE time Cal had come further into the room, his eyes a cold metallic blue in his anger, Helen had released herself and moved as far away from Daniel as she could possibly get, her legs trembling, her hands shaking.

  She couldn’t believe this was happening. Could it really be?

  Cal glared at the other man with cold fury. ‘I want your things packed and you out of my house in half an hour.’

  ‘Half an hour?’ Daniel gasped indignantly. ‘But—’

  ‘Think yourself lucky I’m giving you that long,’ Cal bit out tautly, obviously controlling himself with effort. ‘If it weren’t for the fact that I don’t want any reminder of you left in the house I’d make you go right now and send your things on to you.’

  ‘Look, Cal—’

  ‘Will you just go?’ he rasped. ‘Before I do something you’ll regret.’ The physical threat was obvious. Cal looked at the other man with open contempt. ‘I certainly wouldn’t regret it.’

  ‘Helen and I are old friends,’ Daniel persisted cajolingly, ignoring her outraged gasp as he looked at the other man for understanding, finding only a cold stare in return. ‘I realise it must have sounded bad to you when you arrived, but—’

  ‘It didn’t sound bad, Scott,’ Cal bit out between clenched teeth. ‘It sounded exactly what it was, and I don’t even begin to deal with blackmailers. Now get out.’

  Daniel looked at the other man for several seconds, finally realising that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with him, throwing Helen a vindictive look before turning back to Cal. ‘Helen and I were lovers long ago—’

  ‘That isn’t true!’ she cried out desperately, looking to Cal to believe her. He still looked at Daniel, his expression enigmatic. ‘It isn’t true,’ she repeated lamely. ‘We did know each other, but—’

  ‘Would you leave, Helen?’ Cal instructed in an even voice, still not looking at her.

  He didn’t believe her. Oh, lord, this couldn’t be happening!

  ‘Cal, please,’ she choked, looking at him imploringly.

  ‘Helen, leave,’ he told her through gritted teeth.

  She felt sick, running from the room with a choked cry.