by Sonia Icilyn
“I want to be adult about this,” Kesse began, twisting her fingers as Avril closed the door behind them. “It’s the right thing to do.”
“The right thing to do was not to cheat on your boyfriend,” Avril contradicted sharply.
They both stared, more than a little awkward with each other. “Look,” Kesse continued with a hint of remorse. “I don’t know what else I can say except I’m sorry.”
“That’s a start,” Avril remarked without sympathy. “But that doesn’t cut it, does it?”
Kesse sighed. “What happened shouldn’t have happened, but it did.”
“And Rakeem?”
Kesse shrugged, hugging her cashmere coat around her body. “Just say what you want to say. Shout, holler at me. Tell me I’m stupid.”
“I’m waiting for you to do that,” Avril returned. “Or better yet, remind me who said that we all get feelings for someone, but that we shouldn’t wade right in and destroy other people’s lives? What about Delphine? Ring any bells?”
“Me,” Kesse admitted softly. “But you were behaving—”
“Like an idiot, I hold my hands up to that,” Avril agreed, solemnly. “I’m not going to take the moral high ground when I laid it all down about it being all fair in love and war, that I owed myself the right to be happy. Deep down, I knew it could never have happened, not with a man who doesn’t love me. Especially never with another woman’s man. Isn’t that what you said?”
“Yes.” Kesse nodded sheepishly.
“Then what changed?” Avril demanded.
Kesse threw her eyes wayward. “You saying that you were fond of Meyrick,” she suddenly blurted out.
“What!” Avril gasped.
But Kesse rushed right in. “You really rubbed me up the wrong way.”
“Are you saying you deliberately set your sights on Rick so that I couldn’t have him?” Avril inquired, astonished. She searched Kesse’s face, probed deeply into her eyes. “My God,” she paused on her enlightenment. “You were already seeing him, weren’t you?” The revelation was startling. “How long?”
“A few months,” Kesse confessed.
The tyranny of the weak, Avril thought sadly. No doubt there was a story to be heard. “You’d better come through,” she beckoned, seeing the torment in Kesse’s eyes. “What would you like to drink?”
Kesse shrugged. “I’m not fussed.”
Avril walked into the kitchen and clicked the kettle on. “So,” she began, as Kesse sat on the stool near the door. “Do you plan to tell Rakeem?”
“No!” Kesse answered, confused. “I’m not leaving him.”
“This isn’t a school yard,” Avril warned softly. “Meyrick Armstrong was never mine to take. Sadly, he doesn’t even belong to Delphine. He’s a stray soul, just like the abandoned animals whose causes he likes to champion. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to make a decision.”
“I’ve decided to stay with Rakeem,” Kesse nodded. “I wanted to tell you, but it’s been weeks since I last saw you. I’m glad we can now talk.”
Avril smiled. “Well, I’ve finally got my life together. The job’s going good and…I’m in love.” She wanted to scream it from the roof tops, too, but in light of Kesse’s problems, Avril contained herself.
“You’re in love with…”
“Dale Lambert,” Avril clarified, nodding emphatically. “We really seem to be on the verge of something real, not that any of it has been easy. This feels like the hardest and yet sometimes the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”
“I thought Philippa Fearne—”
“My mistake,” Avril relented, placing a hot cup of tea in front of Kesse. “I got it wrong with her. She’s engaged to be married.” She laughed. “To think I thought she was the mother of Maxwell’s baby.”
“I suppose you also know that the christening party at the Armstrong’s village church in Grantchester is not going ahead,” Kesse added.
Avril cringed. “You’re not going to believe that my brother has taken his wife back. Elonwy’s the mother, but I suspect you already know that.”
Kesse lowered her head. “I heard he got his job back, too.”
“That’s more than I know,” Avril chuckled. Then her brows rose suspiciously. “How did you know that exactly?”
Kesse struggled to find words. “I…overheard…”
“You were always a bad liar,” Avril breathed in disbelief. “Who sent you here?”
“I’m only trying to help,” Kesse exclaimed suddenly. “There’s concern in the Armstrong household that Reuben Meyer is investigating the opinions expressed by a few residents living in this apartment block. I mentioned that I might ask you if you’re part of collating that information because I knew you’d taken a job with Reuben Meyer.”
“Why?” Avril pressed, knowing fully that she’d just been handed a very incriminating piece of evidence.
“I swear I don’t know,” Kesse answered. “All I know is that the Armstrongs have a stake in this building.”
“Who sent you here?” Avril repeated sternly.
“I’m trying to be a friend by asking you to be careful,” Kesse sighed in earnest.
Avril had heard enough. “You’re still with him aren’t you?” she admonished madly. “Meyrick sent you and you’re continuing to silently cheat on Rakeem behind his back. I don’t know you anymore, Kesse. I don’t know where you draw the moral line, or maybe you just don’t have one.”
Kesse’s head tilted slightly, regarding her friend from beneath heavily mascaraed lashes that shaded her guilt. “Avril—”
“I’m with a man who’s seen the best and worst of me,” Avril declared tersely. “He watched me yell at my brother, scream at my sister-in-law and cause damn near catastrophe in my own mother’s house. Believe me, I was worried that he’d turn it off and walk, but he didn’t, just like Rakeem didn’t with you. And there was a time when I envied you for what you had.”
A muscle began to work at the corner of Kesse’s mouth. “But Meyrick—”
“Isn’t worth it,” Avril interrupted. “Neither is his brother. It’s in their…marrow to cheat and play games. So if there’s any dirty business going on that is causing a misery to the inhabitants in this block, I fully intend to expose it and flush it out. Make sure the Armstrongs understand that message.” She motioned Kesse toward the door and parted company.
“Dale,” Avril said, heart in her mouth as he arrived at her apartment. He moved protectively toward her, dropping his briefcase to pull her into his arms. It was an infinitely comforting gesture. He lowered his head and kissed her, heatedly and briefly, a promise of more to come later.
Avril pulled away at the last nip of his lips. He looked ruggedly handsome in a tailored dark blue suit, white shirt and an expensive silk gray tie.
Avril wondered how the jury could take their eyes off his twisted dreadlocked hair, stylishly tamed and framing his crown while his solitary stud twinkled at them, as it did at her now.
Her heart agonized with pure delight as his brooding expression lapped up the pair of cerise-colored trousers and red jersey that she was wearing before it fell on her hair, pulled back with a pink headband. The colors were far too bright for the autumn season, but Avril didn’t care. Deep down, she was happy, even amid the ugly revelations that had surfaced like dead wood floating in a turbulent river.
“How was your day?” she asked, preparatory to telling him about her own.
“I closed,” Dale informed her, as she led the way ahead into the living room. The table was prepared with lit candles and a small vase of flowers. Dale smiled. “What’s the occasion?”
Avril shrugged. “Just a small gesture to celebrate the fact that we’re holding it together,” she said with a smile. If she could hold on to him through next fall, they might celebrate their first anniversary, she told herself.
“Is the food as good as that smile?” Dale asked, coolly charting her face as he tried to forget the tortuous hours or days that lay ah
ead awaiting the jury’s verdict.
Avril laughed. “It is,” she stated firmly. “You can relax, take off your shoes and I’ll go get the dinner. Then,” she added with a hint of intrigue, “I’ll tell you about my day.”
Over dinner, she did precisely that, outlined the entire sorry mess Maxwell Armstrong had got himself in. Not that she truly believed in retribution, but Avril sensed a gut feeling of satisfaction that he’d received his just deserts. Then her efforts were focused on Kesse and her mental defectiveness in siding with Meyrick.
Dale didn’t seem the slightest bit moved. He continued to cut into his medium-rare steak and sip from his glass of red wine with a play of amusement dancing from his lips.
“What’s the matter?” Avril asked, noting the amusement that reached the chocolate depth of his eyes.
“You’ve done your homework,” Dale acknowledged. “You’d better give that letter to Reuben Meyer and recommend that he gets himself a good lawyer.”
“What?” Avril asked, aghast.
Dale swallowed his mouthful of steak. “It’s obvious. Maxwell Armstrong is skimming the profits from the housing association through the rent increases. He deliberately targeted minority tenants who, in all likelihood, do not know their rights or how to navigate the system in this country and Reuben Meyer stands to be incriminated.”
“Even though it’s likely he doesn’t know what’s going on?” Avril questioned, not realizing the implications.
Dale shrugged. “Someone has to take responsibility for the negligent use of public money,” he said. “All the investors could potentially be tarnished.”
The idea that a fraud had been perpetrated sent shock waves down Avril’s spine. “I should call Reuben Meyer,” she said, squelching any notion to wait until their meeting.
“Perhaps it’d be easier if I briefed you first,” Dale advised, sipping more wine. “You’ll probably need to make a statement for the record. The public and police will want both sides reported.”
“A statement!” she gasped.
“To check on any crucial omissions,” Dale finished in his gravelly tone. “Don’t worry,” he added, seeing the grimace mar Avril’s face. “I’ll support you through it. You haven’t done anything wrong. In fact, I’m proud of you for digging up the dirt.”
Her brows rose. “You are?”
“Let me amend that,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’m impressed and that’s one of the reasons why I love you.”
And sure enough, Dale proved it to her that night.
Maybe it was the fact that his case was coming to an end or the fact that he’d shared his deepest emotion, Avril was not sure. What was evident was that their lovemaking was more intense than it had ever been. She had been consumed with hot, sweltering passion and she’d been positively burned.
As Dale’s body inched deeper into her and the pleasurable pressure began to build, she wanted to tell him how much she loved him, too. But Avril was frightened. Fearful that it would slip beyond her grasp. Afraid that his love would eventually rush away at an inhuman speed. Gone. Lost. Unrecoverable.
An essential part of her would be missing and she knew she would lack the capacity to deal with it. Yet she needed him. Avril wanted to hold on, not in the same way as she’d watched her mother with both her divorced husbands, nor in the same futile way she’d been with Maxwell. What Avril wanted was some promise of greatness to come.
Only then could she make her own declaration. Until then, she would wait. And as she reached against Dale’s heated limbs with the full strength of him inside her, she screamed out her contentment in the peaceful knowledge that she would not be waiting for too long.
Chapter 15
The newspaper headlines were both revealing and competed for space.
“Love Rival Is Cleared Of Murder,” was smeared on one column, while “Tenants Will Have No Say In Keeping Their Homes As Fraud Investigators Move In” claimed the other.
Reuben Meyer and his entire empire was up in arms.
“That’s what that little shit meant when he said one day, when I least expect him, he’ll be right there,” he told Avril as she contemplated him in the chair opposite his desk. “He’s trying to ruin me. I should never have brought him in on this project.” He slapped his desk hard with the palm of his hand as though he was berating himself. “You did the right thing not marrying that man,” he appended. “I would have felt responsible if you had and should never have insisted on being there to watch the wager go down.”
Avril squelched the thought. “I’ve been worried that this is all my fault because he couldn’t cover the cost of our botched wedding,” she said sympathetically.
“Your fault?” Reuben breathed on a thunderous breath. “Listen, Maxwell was in debt long before he landed his eyes on you. He’s a betting man. Always has been. A big spender and gambler. Lord knows he owes me plenty and I’ve been a fool playing along with some of his wild wagers.”
Avril suspected he enjoyed the adrenaline rush and though she had once been a subject of one of Maxwell’s bets herself, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for them both. “What are you going to do?” she asked, as she stared at Mrs. Allen’s letter, the very one she’d handed to Reuben one week ago, now on his desk.
“I’m going to need a lawyer,” Reuben stated tersely.
“Mr. Meyer,” Avril smiled suddenly. “I know just the person.” She pointed at the handsome picture of Dale Lambert in the newspaper on his desk.
“The ‘Wolf,’” Reuben picked up the paper and pondered the name. “Any good?”
“He’s just won his latest case,” Avril informed him proudly. He’d won her heart, too, but that was something Avril wanted to keep to herself and couldn’t wait to tell Dale in person. Now that she had finally admitted it, that was another fear conquered.
“Have him call me,” Reuben requested.
Avril made a mental note to do just that, although she was going to suggest that Philippa handle the case so that Maxwell would no longer be a part of their lives. “Is there anything else?” she asked, rising from her chair preparatory to leaving.
“I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ for all you’ve done,” Reuben stated on a professional note. “Given the way I’ve behaved, I’m indebted to you.”
“You gave me the opportunity I needed,” Avril told him, mindful of how truly sorry he was. “And it’s all worked out for the best, so we’re even.”
“I’d like you to stay with the project, at least until I can sort this mess out,” Reuben said with a hint of encouragement. “It’s going to be a rough ride. I’ve heard a rumor that Maxwell Armstrong has already sold his shares in the housing association, so I’d like you to try and allay any fears that the residents may have.”
“It’d be a lot easier if you were to go along with their suggestion and hold a public meeting,” Avril suggested. “A little personal touch to talk to them direct would help. I can organize that if you wish?”
Reuben considered. “Let me think on it and get back to you,” he said. “I need to talk to some of the other investors and,” he winked at her, “seek legal advice.”
“Okay,” Avril nodded, affirming a solemn handshake with Reuben before she departed his office.
Her mind was focused on seeing Dale and she couldn’t wait to make her way over to his Finsbury Park office. They’d agreed to meet for lunch to celebrate his winning such a major court case. Avril was dressed suitably in a navy blue skirt and jacket with a white blouse that displayed a high collar.
She felt more confident and sure of herself than at any point in her life. With her hair pulled back into a new style and three-inch black shoes on her feet, she sensed a certain shifting of her role from a woman very much uncertain of her life to someone who’d reached maturity. In some ways, she’d evolved. Much of that she attributed to her hard work and holding a pageant title that she’d made her own. But part of her self-growth was also due to the fact that she was in love.
But this was the day, she told herself. It felt right. She felt right. She wanted Dale to know how much she loved him.
The receptionist recognized her immediately the moment Avril stepped through the door. “He’s in his office,” she said with a hearty smile. “Go right through. He’s expecting you.”
Avril held her breath and entered to find Dale standing with his associates and a number of his colleagues, sharing jokes and drinking champagne. A babble of noise and laughter filled his office and she felt happy to see the smile dancing on his lips.
She sucked in her breath when her nut-brown gaze absorbed the formal navy blue suit and white open-necked shirt he was wearing, though Dale had loosened the tie around his neck to suggest he would not be working for the rest of the afternoon.
Avril smiled. “Hello everybody!”
Dale’s eyes locked on her immediately. He could not imagine a better sight to behold at that moment than seeing Avril in his office. He was by her side in an instant, offering her a glass of bubbly. “Did you see the newspapers?” he asked jubilantly.
“Yes,” Avril said, nodding. She lowered her voice. “Can I talk to you?”
Dale’s brows rose speculatively. “What is it?”
Avril felt her nerves falter. “It’s nothing. It can wait.”
“No, it can’t,” Dale answered, his brows dipping with concern. He quickly glanced across his office, seeking a quiet place where they could talk. The hubbub of voices celebrating his victorious case had risen slightly, making it difficult for him to concentrate on finding a spot. “Let’s go into Philippa’s office,” he suggested.
Avril quietly nodded her agreement and took a fortifying swallow of champagne before Dale deposited both their glasses on one of the three silver trays on his desktop and took a hold of her hand. “I’ll be right back,” he hollered at his colleagues before departing.
