by Sharon Booth
'You poor thing. No wonder you didn't want to help.'
Their animosity was obviously forgotten, and Eden tried to push down the guilt she felt for lying to them. She had a worse task to do, after all. 'I'd rather you didn't mention it to your dad,' she said. 'He'd think I was being stupid.'
'No, he wouldn't,' Ophelia assured her. 'You should tell him. Maybe he could help you get over your nerves.'
Eden seriously doubted that, but she smiled at the girls and took out the brochure. 'I was thinking. About the open day ...' Her voice trailed off. How could she do this? What sort of person had she become?
'Dad won't let us go,' said Libby with finality. 'So, that's that, really.'
Ophelia took the brochure from Eden's hand. 'There is a big wheel. I knew it. Now I'm proper fed up.'
'Well … Eden took a deep breath. 'Maybe you could still go? I mean, I know your dad said no, but that's only because he can't take you. You have me now, and I'll look after you.'
Libby put down the brush and turned to face her. 'But if he says no, what can we do?'
Ophelia's eyes brightened. 'Are you going to let us go, Honey? Without telling him?'
'Of course not!' Libby glared at her sister. 'We can't do that.'
'I don't see why not,' said Ophelia.
Eden had suspected she'd be up for it. She'd been whining about how unfair it all was for days and had made it quite clear that she considered the ban to be a massive injustice. Now she needed her to help persuade her sister. Dear God, how low had she sunk?
'What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over,' Ophelia said.
'Where on earth did you hear that?'
'I heard Granny Allen say it once. I think it means, what Dad doesn't know can't hurt him.'
Eden shook her head. The child was a one-off, which was probably a good thing.
Libby chewed her thumbnail. 'But if he found out —'
'We'll have to make sure he doesn't find out, then, won't we?' said Ophelia cheerfully. 'Besides, it will be too late by then. We'll have a right good time on the rides, and we'll bring him something nice home to eat, and he'll be that pleased, he'll forget to be cross.'
'Dream on,' muttered Libby.
Eden decided it was time to step in. 'Look, I'm not usually one to encourage disobeying your father. I just think, well, it's a little open day. No big deal. It's in the garden of your friend, Mr Fuller. We'd be home before your father finished work. There's no need to worry him about it. I think he's just afraid you'd get lost, or hurt yourselves, but that won't happen. I'll keep an eye on you. After all, you haven't seen your friends since school term ended, and it would be good for you to meet up with them and have some fun. Of course, it's entirely up to you. I'm not trying to influence you, one way or the other.'
Libby looked deeply sceptical, and Eden hoped the children couldn't see her blushes in the gloom of the stables.
'It's a no-brainer, isn't it, Libby?' squealed Ophelia. 'I can't wait!'
'I don't know.' Libby looked thoroughly confused, and Eden wanted to give her a hug and tell her to forget the entire thing. 'Dad won't be happy.'
'Oh, come on, Libby. You heard what Honey said. Why should we miss out? Besides, don't you want to see our friends? I'm sick of riding round the farm, aren't you? And think of the fairground rides! How often do we get to go to a fair? It will be fun! Say yes.'
'There's no pressure, Libby,' said Eden gently. She meant it. She wished she'd never brought the subject up. Damn James Fuller.
'Libby, stop being so wimpish,' said Ophelia. 'I think you're scared!'
'I'm not scared,' protested her sister. 'I don't want to upset Dad.'
'How can we upset him? He won't even know. And if he does find out, he won't be able to say we could have been hurt, because we won't have been, so that will be a pointless argument.'
Eden could well imagine that Ophelia would be the image of Honey in ten years' time. That was just the sort of logic she applied to arguments with Cain.
Libby sighed. 'All right, then.'
'Yay! I'm going on the big wheel. Do you think there'll be dodgems, too?'
'I don't know. I haven't seen the brochure.'
'I'll leave it here with you,' said Eden. 'I'd better go back to the house, in case George wakes up. Remember, not a word.'
Ophelia giggled. 'Our secret.'
Libby nodded hesitantly. 'Okay.'
Eden left them poring over the brochure and headed back to the farmhouse, thinking she was a horrible person, and if Eliot did find out, she wouldn't blame him in the slightest if he sent her packing immediately. James Fuller was as bad as Honey, using information against her to make her do things she should never have done, both of which involved lying to the man she wouldn't want to deceive in a million years if she had any choice in the matter. That was the problem, though. She didn't have a choice.
****
Lavinia threw down the Jackie Collins novel and rolled over onto her back. The late morning sunshine was already getting too hot, and the sun lounger was uncomfortable. She was sick of having to shade her eyes, and she'd missed a bit on the back of her leg when she'd smothered herself in lotion yesterday, with the result that she had a very red, sore patch on her calf. Gregorio was getting on her nerves with his constant demands, too, and she was completely cocktailed out. Between the two of them, they'd practically drunk the well-stocked bar in the villa dry.
She adjusted her sunglasses, checked her watch, and gave a big sigh. Gregorio was still asleep. He would no doubt wake up at around lunchtime, feeling horny.
She shifted uneasily and reached for her bag. Time to add more lotion. Her gaze fell on the novel, and she sighed. The trouble was, Gregorio didn't do it for her. He may have been young and gorgeous, but he didn't have the effect on her that Crispin had. She missed him. How terribly inconvenient it was to actually fancy your own husband. She was the only one in her circle of friends with that problem. They often told her how much they envied her. If they only knew the truth.
When the phone rang, her heart leapt momentarily, hoping to hear his voice, telling her he loved her, even if it was a lie. She tried not to feel disappointed to see her father's name displayed on the screen. Then she felt a twinge of nerves. What was he ringing to tell her?
'Sweetheart.'
'Hello, Daddy. How are you?'
'Well, since you ask, I've been suffering all bloody week.'
'Suffering?'
'My hip. It's no use pretending any longer. I reckon I'll be booking myself in for a hip replacement soon. I can't carry on like this.'
Lavinia thought of the amount of time her father spent on the golf course. His hip didn't bother him when he was striding towards the nineteenth hole, laughing and clapping his cronies on the back because he'd beaten them yet again. Now wasn't the time, however. 'Sorry to hear that, Daddy. What's the news?'
'Ah, well, that's what I'm ringing to tell you. There is news. Big news. We've got the little bitch this time.'
Lavinia sat up straight — not easy on a sun lounger. 'What do you mean?'
'She went into town yesterday, and I followed her. She ended up in this tatty little café on the seafront, and I sat at a table not far from hers.'
'I hope she didn't spot you.'
'Well, she did, but so what? She had no idea who I was, and besides, she had more important things going on.'
'Oh? Meaning what?'
'Meaning, she met up with some fella.'
Lavinia felt a frisson of excitement. 'A man? Are you sure?'
'Jesus Christ, Lavinia, I may be getting on and ready for a hip replacement, but I'm pretty sure I know what a man looks like.'
Lavinia pushed down her impatience. 'I meant, are you sure he was that sort of man? You know, someone she was involved with romantically? He could have been a friend, a relative. Who knows?'
'I know. They were flirting like mad, and then, the best bit of all, she took him back to the cottage.'
'What? You
're not serious!'
'Oh, yes. While Crispin's away, the demonic little tart will play.'
Lavinia lay back and closed her eyes. So, Crispin's bit on the side had a bit on the side of her own. How ironic.
'He stayed a few hours. Saw him move in front of the bedroom window a couple of times. No doubt what's going on there. I reckon they've been involved for a while.'
'What makes you say that?'
'I'm almost sure I've seen him before. There's this red Mini, you see, that's been parked round the corner from the cottage on a few occasions. I'm almost certain he's the driver. I think he's been hanging round, waiting for Crispin to leave. I must have missed him the other times. I mean, I may be wrong, but ... Anyway, point is, she's cheated on Crispin, and all you have to do is ring him up and tell him, and that will be that.'
'Ring him and tell him? Are you insane?'
'Well, what are you going to do, then? Let her get away with it?'
'Of course not! But this can't be blurted out over the phone. I need to think about this. Plan a strategy. I don't want him to shoot the messenger, after all.'
There was a silence for a moment, then her father's voice replied, 'I suppose you're right. I mean, if he's in love with her, he's not going to want to hear it, especially from you.'
Lavinia felt a knife through her heart. In love with her? He couldn't possibly be. An infatuation, perhaps. That was bearable, even understandable, given her youth and beauty, but love? No, she was far too young, too selfish, too stupid. Crispin couldn't possibly love her. Could he?
'I need to think things through,' she said. 'I'll be in touch. Keep watching, Daddy. And thank you.'
'Well, think things through pretty damn quickly,' he said. 'I'm bored stiff in this dive, and the sea air is very harsh on the joints. Don't be too long, or I may just confront the pair of them myself.'
Chapter Nineteen
It was the morning of the open day at Thwaite Park, and Eden felt sick with nerves. She'd tried to tell herself it was all perfectly harmless to take the children, at first. After all, it was just a local get-together with some rides and stalls. She understood that Eliot was protective of his children, but there was such a thing as being overprotective. They were precious to him, and she totally got that, but they had to have a life outside of the farm. Why shouldn't they join in with the other children and have some fun with their friends? When school resumed, why should they be the only ones who hadn't been to the fair? It would single them out again. It seemed very unjust to Eden.
Anyway, Beth and James were friends of Jemima's, and she was sure that if Jemima had been around, she'd have taken her children herself. She was only doing what their mother would want her to do, surely?
No matter how much she tried to justify it to herself, however, she knew that what she was doing was wrong. She wished she hadn't agreed to take the children to the open day without Eliot's knowledge. It seemed a horrible betrayal of his wishes.
Libby was barely controlling her nerves, as they waited for Eliot to finish his dinner and head out for the afternoon. He'd spent the morning drystone-walling and seemed in no hurry to finish his meal and resume work, even asking for an extra cup of tea, before pushing his plate and mug away and announcing it was time for him to get off.
'Right,' Eden said, as he finally rode out of the yard on the quad bike, with Lug running behind him, 'let's get you ready. Are you absolutely certain you want to do this?'
It wasn't like Libby to go behind her father's back. Eden wanted her to be certain that she knew what she was doing. If the children decided they didn't want to do it, she would drop the whole idea. James Fuller would have to do his worst.
'Your dad won't like it, you know,' she continued. 'If he finds out, there'll be hell to pay. Are you sure you want to go ahead?'
Libby looked nervously at Ophelia. 'What do you think?'
Ophelia stared at her, dumbfounded. 'Are you changing your mind?'
'No, but ... Dad won't like it.'
'Dad won't know, so it doesn't matter,' said Ophelia. 'Or are you scared?'
'Scared? Of what?'
'Of going on the rides and chucking up in front of all those people.' Ophelia giggled.
'Of course I'm not. I just don't want to upset Dad.'
'Who's going to tell him? And anyway, I'll bet he won't be mad when you come home with a candy floss, or something, for him. I bet he'll be chuffed to bits. You know he gets scared that we'll hurt ourselves, but we won't. Don't be a wimp, Libby.'
'I'm not a wimp!' Libby glared at her then shrugged. 'Fine, we'll do it.'
As she put George's shoes on him and combed his hair, Eden wished with all her heart she hadn't agreed to the event. It felt sneaky and sly. As if she hadn't fooled Eliot enough by pretending to be someone she wasn't, she was now helping his children lie to him, too. It was all wrong. But she could hardly back out now, could she? They'd be so disappointed. And, besides, she wouldn't put it past James Fuller to open his mouth. He'd left her in no doubt that, as nicely as he put it, he wouldn't hesitate to drop her in it if she didn't give him what he wanted. She tried to tell herself it was only because he cared about his wife's feelings, but she couldn't help feeling uneasy. What if he decided there was something else he wanted her to do? How far would she have to go to keep his silence?
By the time she'd washed the dishes, tidied the kitchen, and brushed and tied back the girls' hair, it was time for them to set off. She fastened George into his car seat and loaded the buggy and a bag containing a comb, purse, phones, keys, drinks, tissues, spare clothes for George, nappies and baby wipes, into the boot.
Music came from the grounds of Thwaite Park as they approached. Eden's stomach churned with nerves. What if Daisy was there? Someone was bound to mention to Eliot that they'd seen them at the wretched open day. Why hadn't she thought of that before? There was no way this would remain a secret. Sooner or later, she was going to have to come clean and admit she'd gone behind his back. She wondered if it would be better if she told him tonight, before anyone else got in there first.
The entrance gates had been strung with bunting, and there were signs advertising free parking. Inside a wooden kiosk that had been set up inside the driveway, an elderly man was selling tickets to the event. They were five pounds each for adults and two pounds for children, with under-threes free. Eden reached out of the car window, paid the money, and took the tickets, before heading slowly up the drive while admiring the large Regency house ahead of them. She followed the signs for the car park, where she unloaded the buggy and strapped George in, hooking the bag over the handles. Then they all headed off in the direction of the music.
'Well, hello. You came!'
Eden tried not to smirk, as, walking past the entrance to the house, they were greeted by James Fuller.
Dressed in a tweed suit, in the style of a nineteen-thirties country squire, he looked, frankly, a complete pillock. 'I'm so glad you turned up,' he said, bending down and pinching George's cheek. 'You made the right decision. Eliot needs to loosen up. He does like to keep the children closeted away up at Fleetsthorpe, doesn't he?'
'Not at all,' Eden said, lying through her teeth. 'If he knew how much it meant to them, I'm sure he'd agree.'
'Really? You got his permission, then?' James smirked, seeing Eden's obvious embarrassment. 'Thought not.' He smiled down at the children. 'So, what are your plans? Do you want a guided tour of the house?'
Ophelia pulled a face. 'I want to go on all the fairground rides until I'm at the point of hurling.'
'That's the spirit,' said James.
'Ah, the Harland children,' said Beth, rushing towards them, a fixed smile on her face. She wore a summer dress and looked incredibly elegant.
Eden had put on one of Honey's dresses but didn't feel anywhere near as smart as Beth. Beth was one of those women who made it look effortless — a bit like Honey herself. Eden wondered how they managed it.
'I wasn't sure you'd make it,' Beth added.
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Another one who'd been convinced Eliot would refuse permission. Apparently, his reluctance to let his children out of his sight was well known. It only compounded Eden's conviction that she'd made a huge mistake by giving in to James's blackmail. But what choice had she had, really?
'We're going on the big wheel,' Ophelia informed Beth, who smiled.
'Are you? How wonderful. Don't make yourself sick. There's a tea tent and they're selling rather lovely cream teas.' She glanced down at George. 'He's growing,' she said. 'His face changes every time I see him. He's not like his sisters, at all, is he?'
'Well, thank God for that, darling.' James laughed. 'It would be pretty awful for him, if he looked like a girl, wouldn't it?'
'Well, in a way, he does. He's got a strong look of Jemima,' she said. She bent down, tilting George's face up and staring at him intently.
Eden almost pointed out that he wasn't in a showing class and didn't need inspecting, but then she realised that George was the closest thing Beth had left to her friend, so she shut up.
'Can we go on the rides now?' demanded Ophelia.
'Of course, of course. It's a pound a ride, which is rather good value, and all for charity, of course. What about you, Honey? Are you up for a tour of the house?'
'Maybe later,' said Eden, uncomfortably. 'I want to stick close to the girls, make sure they're okay.'
'Of course they'll be okay. They'll have the time of their lives,' said James.
'Perhaps we should leave them to it, darling,' said Beth. 'Enjoy yourselves, children. Maybe we can meet up a little later and share a cream tea?'
'Who shares a cream tea?' demanded Ophelia. 'I want one to myself, thanks very much.'
'Ophelia, you're such a pig,' admonished Libby.
Her sister shrugged and pulled on Eden's hand. 'Come on, Honey. Let's go.'
Eden gave the Fullers an apologetic smile and headed towards the fairground, from where loud music and excited shrieks could be heard. No doubt most of the girls' classmates were there enjoying themselves, too.
