by Janet Woods
‘You make everything sound so simple.’
‘There’s nothing simpler than two people who have the hots for each other. Start thinking with your body instead of your mind, Janey. Most men carry their brains between their legs, and I very much doubt if Griff’s balls are made of wood.’
He grinned when she started to laugh. ‘That’s better. Right – now I’ve sorted you out I’d better find Wendy before she starts giving me hell. Now, there’s a woman who gives as good as she gets. She’s coming to the USA with me next month. I might propose to her if she plays her cards right.’
‘Oh Dev, that’s wonderful. Congratulations.’
‘Don’t be premature. She might say no.’
‘She’ll be mad if she does.’
His smile became an ironic self-mocking slice. ‘Will she, Janey?’
Her foot nudged against the easel. Time to change the subject. ‘Do you know Drifter’s address?’
His eyes came sharply to hers. ‘I might ... why do you ask?’
She waved her arm at the parcel in the corner. ‘I thought you might like to take Mistral with you.’
‘My pleasure.’ His arms came round her in a brief hug.
‘Thanks, Dev. You’ve made me feel heaps better. You’ve missed your vocation, you should have been a psychologist.’
‘I was one before I became an art dealer.’ He began to chuckle as she stared unbelievingly at him. ‘I guess it came in handy.’
‘What made you give it up?’
‘I got crapped off by people who blamed their problems on everyone else. Life’s too short to waste time being miserable.’ His eyes swept over her paintings again and he smiled. ‘Keep on painting, you’re a bloody knock-out.’
Wendy arrived to take possession of him. ‘Are you going to be much longer, Dev. It’s nearly midnight and I’ve got work in the morning?’ She did a double take at the paintings. ‘Hey, did you do all these? You’re not bad.’
‘Not bad!’ Devlin’s face assumed a pained expression. ‘I’m going to have to educate you, my sexy little witch. She’s sensational!’
After they’d gone Janey went back to her studio to gaze at the painting of Griff and Saffy.
She was still smiling when she went to bed.
Chapter Twenty
Janey chose a time when Griff was at work,
‘He looks just like his Ma,’ Phil said, smiling as he gazed at the painting. ‘She was a bonny, lass – right, bonny. She’d be proud of him now, I reckon.’
‘It’s you who raised him. She’d be proud of you, too.’
The compliment brought an abashed grin. ‘There ain’t nothing to raising a young un, Janey. It’s like growing a plant. Give it the right food and plenty of attention, make sure its roots are firmly established then prune it back hard if gets out of hand.’
The thought of Griff getting out of hand made her chuckle. ‘How often did you have to prune Griff back?’
‘Oh, he had his moments.’ Berry bright eyes slid her way. ‘He can be right stubborn when he sets his heart on something he wants, but in a quiet sort of way, so a body never notices until it’s too late.’
Her cheeks bloomed in a confusion of pink.
‘Damn me, if you ain’t as pretty as a border full of peonies,’ he cackled. ‘If I had a bit more spring in my step I’d be after you meself.’
He was still laughing when she left.
She sat at home and waited for Griff to call. One day, two ... a week went by. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She had to talk to him, had to explain. She picked up the receiver and dialed his number.
‘He’s gone out,’ Phil told her, speaking loudly because the telephone was still an unfamiliar novelty to him. ‘He’s on the hill to watch the bats.’
He was waiting for her.
She whistled for Gypsy, then throwing a cardigan her shoulders called out to Pamela. ‘The kids are asleep so I’m taking the dog for a walk. I might drop in on Dad, so don’t wait up.’
The undersides of the clouds were bordered with fiery magenta fading into shades of purple and pink. She watched it shift and change as she walked, the red tones assuming a gentler blush, the purple darkening into grey. Soon the sky would be clothed in darkness, the creation of time displayed in all its mystery and splendor.
She quickened her step. Griff was waiting for her and she could feel the pull of him as if they were attached by invisible thread. Her journey had brought her to him.
‘The tide comes in and goes out,’ she murmured. Her own tide was running high, racing through her body like waves rolling in to shore. She couldn’t doubt its force as it carried her towards the shore that was Griff.
Deep in thought, the cowshed remained unnoticed until something rustled the undergrowth. Her feet suddenly became lead as she was jolted out of her reverie, anchoring her to the ground. She hadn’t intended to come this way.
The limestone blocks looked like bleached bones in the dusk, the windows dark hollow eyes watching her. Eddie Renfrew had stood unseen behind those eyes, waiting like a venomous snake. His poison had found its mark. She could feel it inside her still, drying her mouth and throat, squeezing her lungs until her heart lunged with panic.
I’m going to have to learn to live with this. Devlin’s truth is easier to speak than face. Now is the time to say boo to your ghosts!
Brave words, only it wasn’t daylight. It was dusk with its unseen terror. She shuddered. Had his revenge been sweet? Had he gloated over her father all those years when he’d been imprisoned for a crime he hadn’t committed?
Eddie Renfrew’s dead.
She took a deep breath. Yes, he’s dead, but whilst this is hanging over me I’m half-dead too.
* * * *
From the top of the hill Griff had watched Janey make her way up the lane.
He knew she’d come eventually.
It had been the longest week of his life. He gave a wry grin. So much for ego; he shouldn’t have let his pride get in the way of phoning her.
A smile illuminated his face as he squinted into the rapidly descending darkness. The painting was her way of telling him she loved him – had always loved him.
A puzzled frown replaced the frown. Why had she’d stopped? She seemed to be staring at the cowshed? God, no! Heart in his mouth, he uncoiled to his feet and began to run.
Hand against her heart Janey spun round to face him as he burst through the doorway, her face contorted with fear in the yellow glare of a torch. Instantly, the torch was turned against him, the beam becoming a weapon to blind him. A tiny, relieved sigh reached his ears.
‘Oh, it’s you, Griff! You scared me.’
The daddy of an understatement! If he never saw that expression on her face again it would be soon enough. ‘Turn that damned thing off!’ White dots danced in front of his eyes when she aimed it at the floor. ‘What the hell are you doing in here?’
‘Saying boo to ghosts.’
‘Don’t be so bloody flippant. You should have had somebody with you.’
‘Why are you so angry, Griff? I did have somebody with me.’ Her hand closed around the wooden medallion. ‘You’re with me every minute of every day, as you always have been.’
‘I care for you, that’s why, and if you think some stupid juvenile carving will protect you from harm you need your head examined.’
Her snort of laughter pulled him up short. ‘I’ve been analyzed adequately by Devlin. He said I can’t change what happened so I’ve got to learn to live with it. I haven’t been able to pass this place without getting a panic attack so laying this particular ghost to rest was a priority. I had to face it alone.’
‘And the next priority?’
‘It might be harder,’ she admitted. Her teeth chewed on her bottom lip for a second. ‘You might decide I’m not worth loving ... and to lose you would be unthinkable now.’
‘Damn it.’ He was unable to keep the gruffness from his voice. ‘Are you saying you love me, Janey?’
&nb
sp; He felt the smile in her as she threaded her hand in his. ‘I might be, but not here. The memories are too sordid. Let’s go to the hill and watch the bats. I need to explain something to you?’
They talked as they walked. About her quest to clear her father’s name, about the adoption of Justin and the reason she’d given Linda the money.
‘I know you might think her awful for doing such a thing, but she was badly affected by what she saw as a child. She can’t help how she is, Griff. She doesn’t want or love Justin. I know I was wrong to pay her, but I was so frightened I’d lose him. He needs to be loved so much.’ When they reached the top of the hill she turned to face him. ‘When Robert Pitt told me the lawyer said I’d stand a better chance if I were married, I just couldn’t tell you.’
He pulled her down on the grass beside him. ‘Tell me what, Janey?’
‘How much I cared for you. You might have thought I was trying to catch myself a husband for Justin’s sake.’
‘Uh-huh!’ He began to smile. ‘Putting all that aside, how much do you care for me?’
She wondered if the dusk concealed her blushes. Did he have to make her say it? A red neon sign with I love Griff Tyler written all over it would be less obvious. ‘You know how much.’
‘Say it, Janey.’ She could hear the laughter in his voice. ‘It’s only three words.’
‘I love you.’ Her whole body seemed to become one big smile and she laughed aloud. ‘I love you.’
The bats came flying out of the hill with a suddenness that made them jump. The air was thick with an untidy whirl of black squeaking shapes against she moon before they swooped off into the darkness in search of food, with Gypsy chasing excitedly after them.
She laid her head against Griff’s shoulder when his arms came round her. ‘I’ll adopt both the kids, and we’ll have a couple more when the time’s right.’
‘Griff I don’t know. I don’t think I’m much good at ... relationships.’
His lips traced a path across her cheek, coming to rest against her ear. His breath was a soft shivering whisper. ‘I guess there’s only one way to find out?’
If she failed him she wouldn’t be able to bear it? ‘Griff I’m so unsure about this?’
‘Close your eyes.’
Her eyelids drifted shut as his mouth touched hers, loving her, filling her to the brim with longing. She thought, listen to your body. It’s singing a different song. We’re one mind, one heart, we always have been.
Her mouth was a soft exploration against his and there was fire in the touch of his fingers, cool against his flesh in the evening air. His skin touched against hers silk against silk, his mouth was warm and honey moist.
She needed him, needed his loving to make her whole again.
How did he learn to be so tender ... so exquisitely loving?
Stop thinking, experience.
Her body was alive, a sculpture shaping to his caress, breasts smooth, moonbeam pale, hips curving to his touch, thighs satin soft. Her hair was strands of liquid silver spread upon the grass, upon his face, binding him to her with threads of love.
Night dark eyes absorbed the sky of hers. Her mouth accepted, took from his, sought, gave. His voice was whispered, urging.
Listen to your body now!
There was a wild, turbulent song in her, as if the earth, the sea and the sky had come together as one. Her body pulsed with it, a bittersweet poignancy that had her drowning in a sea of sensuality.
Hear your body sing ...
This is how it should be, abandoned and wild, bodies and minds exchanging an exquisite loving, passion at one with the rhythm of nature.
The world began to turn upon its axis, faster and faster. Her fingers curled into the grass, anchoring her body to the earth when the rest of her spun off into an infinity.
She and Griff were one voice, one heart, one body and one love.
The moist night air kissed her buttocks as she lay against his chest. His heart was an erratic beat under her ear, his breathing tumultuous, as if he’d just run a race. Gradually, they tuned into a gentle unison.
Above them the sky was an arc of stars, the moon an incandescent crescent. Beneath, the earth was solid again, turning them towards dawn.
Her finger traced the moon curve of his smile, the pulsing skin that protected his heart. ‘Say something nice to me, Griff.’
His chuckle was a trickle of warm honey against her ear. ‘The Greeks didn’t discover Aphrodite. I just did. I adore you.’
‘How on earth did you manage to graduate from anatomy class, Griff Tyler? Allow me to demonstrate the difference between myself and Venus de Milo ... see I have arms and fingers.’
‘So I notice, and if you don’t stop doing that ...?’ He rolled her over on her back and pinned her arms to the ground above her head. ‘I’ll be forced to do this.’
And how wonderfully he’d done it, she thought a little later when she let herself into the house. She’d never felt so fulfilled, so loved, so in tune with everything around her.
Pamela glanced up and smiled at her when she crept into the kitchen to make herself a drink.
Immediately she became aware of her disheveled state, her hair tangled with grass, her blouse creased and hanging outside her skirt. Her feet were bare because she’d lost a shoe in the darkness.
‘I thought you’d be in bed.’
‘Gypsy came back by herself so I was a bit worried. I rang your father and he said you weren’t there. Then I rang Phil, and he told me you were with Griff on the hill. I hope you don’t mind me waiting up. I wanted to be sure you were safe. Gypsy brought home one of your shoes.’
She’d forgotten about Gypsy. She blushed as she tucked in her blouse, how alive she felt and how supremely happy. She must share it with the woman she regarded as her mother.
‘Griff and I ... we’re in love.’
‘Oh, Janey.’ Pamela’s arms came round her in a big hug. ‘I’m so happy for you, darling, but I can’t say I’m surprised. Griff’s such a nice man.’
‘Just like his father.’ Her smile widened when Pamela avoided her eyes. ‘I’ve got the feeling you might end up being my mother-in-law as well as my mother.’
‘Well ...?’ Pamela gave a funny, embarrassed sort of grin. ‘Who knows, you might just be right.
* * * *
‘Sarah Wyman is dead. Listen to this.’
The body of the Countess was discovered amid the mangled wreckage of her car. It’s believed she said goodbye to friends at a nightclub in the early hours of the morning and was on her way to join her husband in Kent. The Earl is being consoled by close family friend, Mrs. Linda Pitt.’
There was a picture of a tragic-looking Linda being assisted into a car by a middle-aged man. A wry smile twisted Pamela’s lips. It was hard to equate this smart looking stranger with the child she’d once known.
‘No-one round here will miss her, I’ll be bound.’ Ada’s fist punched into a bowl of dough and buried itself to the wrist. ‘That Sarah was a bad-un all right. The way she treated a fine gentleman like Sir Charles ... it just wasn’t right.’
‘My father used to work for Sarah Renfrew once.’
Ada flicked Susie a glance. ‘Little pitchers have big ears.’
‘I’m not a little pitcher,’ Susie said indignantly.
‘As far as I’m concerned, you are. Now you just polish that silver properly, miss. Just because I said you could work today instead of tomorrow morning doesn’t mean you can take it easy.’
Turning the dough out on to a floured board Ada grumbled as she began to knead. ‘I don’t know what’s so all-fired important that you have tomorrow off, anyway. Is there something going on I should know about? The pair of you have been as jumpy as fleas on a dog lately.’
Pamela exchanged a grin with her daughter when Ada hardly paused for breath.
‘Like I was saying before I was interrupted, nobody’s going to miss Sarah Wyman. I remember the time ...’
The tragedy was d
iscussed over a pint in the Thatcher’s Arms by the men, and tossed back and forth over fences by the village women.
Sarah was forgotten when a juicier bit of gossip replaced it.
Pamela and Phil Tyler had become man and wife.
‘Just upped and did it without telling anyone,’ Mrs. Higgins huffed. ‘Last Saturday, mind you. Off to the registry office, and her not even widowed a year yet.’
‘Marry in haste, repent at leisure,’ George answered in the tone of one wise after the event, and then pulled on his boots. ‘I’m off. I’ve got work to do on my motor bike.’
‘You can weed the vegetable patch first, George Higgins. I don’t know why you bought that noisy, smelly thing, anyway. They saw you coming if you ask me. No wonder Tim Brown donated it to the white elephant stall.
Pamela didn’t let the gossip worry her.
Ada had been put out at first but had soon come round with: ‘I suppose it couldn’t be helped, him being part gypsy and all. A secretive lot them gypsies. It’s in their nature.’
She was still living with Janey. She and Phil had pooled their money and were negotiating to buy one of the bungalows nearby. It wasn’t grand, but more convenient than the estate cottage Phil had always lived in. If all went as planned they’d be living in their own home by the beginning of September.
* * * *
Janey hadn’t seen much of her father over the preceding few weeks. Every spare moment had been spent with Griff or her children.
At her insistence he’d dropped in for dinner that week, but he hadn’t eaten much. He’d fallen asleep in a chair at the table. Struck by how pale and exhausted he appeared, she asked him if he felt all right when he woke.
He brushed aside her concerns with an irritated comment that he was perfectly healthy, and would she stop fussing.
Tears sprang to her eyes. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.’
He rose to his feet and hugged her close. ‘It’s me who should be sorry. I didn’t mean it love. I’ve been working too hard of late and I’m a bit tired. Once the boat’s finished I’ll be able to ease off. I’m putting her into the water this week. Why don’t you come and look her over on Sunday. We could drive in together and then visit Mary and Douglas for lunch.
