Whispers of Love

by Whispers of Love (retail) (epub)

  Alex had always been a big earner, and a big spender. He liked parties and entertaining on a grand scale. If Kay developed a taste for their lifestyle it would make it more difficult for her to settle down to a quiet life again like she would have to do. More important still, there had already been far too many interruptions in her routine and, over the next few months, she would have to concentrate on her school work really hard if she was going to pass her exams.

  ‘Please say I can stay here,’ Kay pleaded. ‘Aunt Lilian won’t mind. She said at breakfast time that I was no trouble at all and that Marlene loves having me here.’

  ‘Kay, that’s enough. Put your aunt on the line, and leave me to talk to her.’

  ‘Don’t you worry about Kay,’ Lilian gushed. ‘She and Marlene get on famously. Marlene adores her and Kay’s enjoying herself.’

  ‘Yes, I’m sure she is! Remind her, though, that she will have to buckle down to some serious studying if she’s going to pass her exams.’

  Lilian laughed good naturedly. ‘You really are quite a slave driver, Chrissy.’

  ‘Not at all. I’m simply thinking about Kay’s future. Lewis isn’t able to pull strings whenever she needs a favour.’

  ‘Really, Chrissy, you make it sound as if Alex is some sort of wheeler-dealer!’

  ‘Well, isn’t he? Come on, admit it. Going behind people’s backs and arranging deals makes him feel he’s cleverer than the rest of the human race.’

  ‘He’s not in your good books these days, is he?’ Lilian commented with a smug laugh.

  ‘No, not really, and judging by the mood he was in over Christmas I don’t think I’m in his, either.’

  ‘I’d love to stay talking, Chrissy, if only I had the time,’ Lilian assured her. She gave an affected sigh. ‘When Alex is planning anything he needs as much looking after as a child. I have to make sure his clothes are laid out for him, his meal waiting, at whatever time he is ready to eat it, and, usually, I have to listen to him pour out all his problems before he can unwind from the stresses he’s encountered during the day.’

  ‘How terribly worrying that must be for you!’

  ‘Not being married, you wouldn’t understand,’ Lilian observed. ‘Knowing that Marlene has Kay to keep her company and doesn’t need me to be with her all the time is quite a relief.’

  Lilian was as devious as Alex these days, Christabel thought cynically as, with a gushing farewell, Lilian put down the receiver at her end without waiting for her to say goodbye.

  She really must have a serious talk to Lewis about Kay spending so much time with them, she thought worriedly as she went back into the kitchen.

  Tragedy struck before Christabel could have her discussion with Lewis. Two days later, while Kay was still in London, Lewis was knocked down on his way to work.

  He was rushed to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary and Christabel, as his next of kin, was informed that he was seriously injured and she should come right away.

  The weather was appalling. Thick fog shrouded the Mersey in grey, damp mist. It meant that the ferry boat was slow in crossing so the journey took much longer than Christabel had anticipated. The ear-shattering noise of foghorns and hooters from other boats on the river made her head throb and heightened her feeling of apprehension.

  When she arrived at the hospital and the ward sister took her into a side room and offered her a cup of tea, Christabel feared the worst.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Miss Montgomery, the doctors did everything they could, but despite all their efforts Mr Montgomery died,’ the sister told her. ‘Would you like to have a word with one of the doctors?’

  Christabel nodded. She knew it was pointless but she found it so hard to believe that he had walked out of the house so fit and well that morning and now was gone for ever. The thought of having to break the sad news to Kay filled her with anguish.

  As she waited for the doctor she even began to wonder if perhaps they’d made a mistake and that it wasn’t Lewis who’d been knocked down after all. She wished she’d thought to telephone the office to make sure he wasn’t at his desk.

  Her first words when the doctor came into the room were ‘Can I see him?’ ‘Yes, of course you can see your husband if you wish to do so, Mrs Montgomery. We did all we could; I’m so sorry that it wasn’t any good.’

  ‘He’s my brother, not my husband,’ she corrected him.

  There was a moment’s silence before the doctor spoke then he exclaimed in an astonished voice, ‘Christabel? Christabel Montgomery! Good heavens, we were at Hilbury together. I was a very junior doctor in those days and you were a trainee nurse. You’ve probably forgotten me by now.’

  For a moment Christabel stared blankly at the tall, wide-shouldered man in front of her. He was in his early fifties with thick fair hair, a lean, good-looking face, and deep, intelligent brown eyes. He was wearing a flawlessly cut charcoal-grey suit, a crisp white shirt, and a tie with dark-blue, grey and white stripes.

  ‘Mark Murray? Yes, of course I remember you.’

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  After she’d viewed the body and identified that it was that of her brother, Christabel felt daunted by the enormity of the task in front of her. As Mark Murray pulled the dark green sheet back over the inert figure she looked at him blankly. She couldn’t think what to do for the best. She knew she had to break the news to Kay but she wasn’t sure how to do it.

  ‘What am I expected to do next?’ she asked in a slightly bewildered voice.

  ‘Are there any other relatives that you have to inform?’ Mark asked.

  She looked at him and nodded. ‘Lewis’s daughter, Kay. She’s almost fifteen and at the moment she’s staying in London with my sister Lilian.’

  She stopped abruptly. ‘Why ever am I telling you all this? I’m sure you don’t need to know,’ she added with a deprecating shrug.

  ‘Perhaps you would like me to phone and tell them?’ he suggested.

  ‘No,’ she shook her head firmly, ‘thank you, it’s something I must do myself. And I don’t think it would be a good idea to tell Kay over the phone because it will be a terrible shock for her and it’s only about four years since she lost her mother.’

  ‘I see; and you have taken her mother’s place, is that right?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, I’ve been living with Lewis and looking after Kay ever since Violet committed suicide.’

  ‘Suicide!’ There was surprise in his voice. ‘That must have been very hard for a young girl to cope with.’ He looked thoughtful before continuing. ‘I think you are quite right, you should wait until she comes home and then tell her. She will need you and, for that matter, I imagine you will need her.’

  Christabel nodded. Making an effort she pulled herself together and held out her hand. ‘Thanks for listening and for your advice. I mustn’t keep you any longer.’

  ‘Are you sure you are going to be able to manage on your own, Christabel? Here,’ he pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her, ‘this is my home telephone number. If I’m not there I will be here at the hospital. Feel free to ring me at any time if you think I can help or if you want to talk. Promise!’

  ‘It’s very kind of you, Dr . . . I mean Mark. I hope you don’t do this much for all your patients, or your wife must get very fed up,’ she said with a wan smile.

  ‘My wife died about four years ago,’ he said quietly.

  ‘Oh, I am so sorry; your poor children. When you were at Hilbury you told me that you had two boys, if I remember correctly.’

  ‘That’s right and now they are grown-up men. One is a dentist and the younger one is still at university and hopes one day to be a doctor.’

  Christabel travelled home in a daze. Despite the fact that it was a bitterly cold January day, as soon as she boarded the Royal Daffodil she went up to the top deck and walked around. The mist that had shrouded the Mersey earlier on had cleared and she hoped that the strong winter breeze would dispel the fog in her mind and help her to get to grips with wha
t she ought to do for the best.

  She wanted to be the one to break the news to Kay but, on reflection, she thought she owed it to Lilian to tell her what had happened first.

  Lilian was almost hysterical when she heard the news and agreed immediately that it was Christabel’s place to tell Kay.

  ‘I’ve decided that the best thing to do is to have Lewis cremated at Landican, so if you let me know when you can be in Liverpool, we can arrange a date for the funeral service,’ Christabel told her. ‘Afterwards, I’ll arrange for his ashes to be put into the family grave which is what mother would want.’

  Lilian said she was too upset to think of anything like that but she agreed that Christabel must do whatever she thought was best.

  ‘I’ll ask Alex to bring Kay home tomorrow,’ she promised.

  ‘Won’t she think it strange that you’re cutting short her stay?’ Christabel said worriedly.

  ‘I’ll tell her that he has to come to Liverpool on business and that she can come again soon. Perhaps she could come back with us after the funeral; that might help to take her mind off matters.’

  ‘Perhaps. It depends, we’ll have to wait and see.’

  Christabel found it was very upsetting telling Kay what had happened.

  ‘We’re both going to miss him so much,’ she murmured as she hugged her close and tried to console her.

  ‘I’ve lost both my mum and my dad now, so I am an orphan with no one to love me,’ Kay sobbed.

  ‘No, no that’s not true, Kay; you’ll always have me to love you,’ Christabel assured her.

  Christabel found she missed Lewis dreadfully. Without him to talk to and share things with there was a void in her life, but it didn’t seem to be the same with Kay. Kay seemed to retreat into a shell, refusing to mention her father’s name or talk about him in any way.

  Ever since Lewis’s funeral Christabel had been regretting that she’d agreed with Lilian that letting Kay spend some time in London with them and being with Marlene would be a distraction for her. She’d thought Lilian had meant for a few days immediately following the funeral, not every weekend. It had started a routine Christabel didn’t approve of and which she found difficult to stop.

  It was as if the exciting social scene that Lilian and Alex enjoyed had given Kay a taste of the high life, and consequently she not only found it difficult to settle down again when she was at home during the week but she also didn’t even seem to want to try.

  The weekends became a constant battle; Christabel thought she ought to stay home at and study, but Kay wanted to go to London to spend time with Marlene.

  ‘We can’t afford it these days, Kay, surely you can understand that,’ Christabel would repeat time and time again. ‘I have to budget very carefully to manage on the money your father left.’

  ‘It doesn’t cost me anything to stay at Aunt Lilian’s,’ Kay would argue, ‘and if Uncle Alex is too busy to come and collect me in his car then he always sends me the money for the train fare.’

  ‘I am aware of that and I don’t like him doing it!’

  ‘Why ever not?’ Kay’s eyebrows shot up questioningly. ‘He’s loaded! Marlene says it’s his idea; no one asks him to do so.’

  ‘Apart from that side of things, going off to London so often is interfering with your studies. You should be spending every minute you can revising.’

  ‘Aunt Chrissy, I keep telling you that swotting went out with the ark. You either know it, or you don’t.’

  ‘In your case it will definitely be “not knowing” it and I’m not prepared to stand by and see that happen!’ Christabel told her sharply.

  ‘I tell you what,’ Kay said in a wheedling voice, knowing she was about to lose the argument, ‘if I stay home and study every weekend from now until half-term, then can I go up and stay with Marlene for the whole week?’

  ‘That will depend on how your Aunt Lilian feels about having you there for that long.’

  It established a new pattern; one which Christabel still didn’t like. Kay did stay at home most weekends, and she studied in between long phone calls with Marlene. At Easter she spent a full week with Marlene, and then persuaded Marlene to come back to Wallasey with her for a further three days, by which time the new term was about to start.

  In the weeks leading up to Kay’s exams, however, Christabel put her foot down. No trips to London, no telephone calls, and no visits from Marlene.

  Kay gave in with a good grace and Christabel thought her problems were temporarily over. She concentrated on making sure that Kay had adequate sleep, a well-balanced diet, and spent every moment she possibly could studying.

  Exams over, Christabel allowed Kay to relax. Marlene now had a part in her father’s new film so she hadn’t as much spare time as before, but Kay still spent a great many weekends in London.

  When Kay’s exam results came through at the end of August, they were better than Christabel had anticipated.

  ‘This confirms my opinion, Kay, that if you work hard you’re quite capable of getting to university,’ Christabel told her.

  ‘That means staying on for another two years at grammar school!’ Kay groaned.

  ‘Well? You will still only be seventeen.’

  ‘And then you’ll want me to spend a further three years studying at university to try and get a degree? By that time Marlene will have starred in at least four films!’

  ‘Possibly, but remember it will probably be the only job she can get without a proper education or any qualifications,’ Christabel pointed out rather tartly.

  ‘Uncle Alex said he is going to do a commercial next, and that I can have a part in it.’

  ‘No!’ The fury in Christabel’s voice startled Kay. ‘Any nonsense of that sort and you won’t be going up to London to see Marlene ever again.’

  ‘He only meant during the school holidays. He thought I’d like a chance to earn some pocket money. And I jolly well would!’ Kay added rebelliously.

  Christabel wondered if she should explain her reasons to Kay; tell her how Alex had tried to lure her into the glamorous world of films. Instead, she said, ‘If you’ve any energy to spare, then how about helping to redecorate your bedroom?’

  Kay pulled a face. ‘What’s the point? I only go in there to sleep. It’s all right as it is.’

  ‘I thought you might like to get rid of some of the clutter, like the dolls and books that have been sitting on the shelves for years. Why not clear them out and smarten your room up?’

  ‘Yes, I would like to do that,’ Kay agreed, ‘but I’d also like to go and stay with Marlene and since I did so well in my exams I thought that would be a nice reward.’

  The argument went on for several days and eventually Christabel capitulated and agreed that Kay could spend a fortnight in London with Marlene before she returned to school for the start of the autumn term.

  From then on, although she worked hard during term time, Kay spent more and more of her holiday breaks with Marlene in London. When she returned home she always looked worn out from all the excitement and late nights.

  Christabel would try questioning her about what they did, and where they went, but she was not very forthcoming. Apart from paying for Kay to go out to theatres and dances, she suspected that Lilian and Alex were also buying her clothes which she was keeping at their place in London. Kay didn’t deny this, but she glossed over the details and admitted that she often borrowed things belonging to Marlene. There was such a difference in their ages that Christabel knew this couldn’t possibly be true.

  ‘Look, Aunt Chrissy, I’m keeping to my part of the bargain. I don’t go up there at weekends, I hardly ever talk to Marlene on the phone, and I’m working hard at school.’

  Christabel had to admit this was true. Even so, she felt she was losing her and this was confirmed the following summer when Lilian came to stay for a few days and said they would be returning to America quite soon and would like to take Kay back there to live with them.

  ‘Oh, no!�
�� Christabel tried hard to keep the despair out of her voice, even though the suggestion horrified her. If Kay was persuaded to go she knew there was nothing she could do about it, and she would be absolutely heart-broken.

  ‘We would see she completed her education when we got back to America and when she graduates Alex will make sure that she finds a really worthwhile job.’

  ‘Lilian, I’ve given up the last seven years of my life in order to look after Kay. Why should I hand her over to you now, and be left on my own?’

  ‘She won’t stay with you for ever, you know!’

  ‘I’m aware of that. I wouldn’t want her to, but I’d like to finish what I started. We will know her exam results in August, and she will be off to university in September. After she graduates I know she will probably want to leave home and have her own life. When that time comes we can decide what to do, but until then her place is here with me. It’s what Lewis would have wanted and it’s what I want,’ she added forcibly.

  ‘I always think it’s tempting fate to make such set plans,’ Lilian told her.

  Christabel shrugged as she poured boiling water into the teapot. ‘I like an orderly life! Anyway, I would have thought you had enough problems of your own to worry about.’

  ‘Really? What’s that supposed to mean?’

  The two sisters stared at each other belligerently. Both were now in their thirties yet the animosity between them was as forceful as it had been when they were children.

  Lilian had put on a great deal of weight, and since she had always been much shorter than Christabel she was now very plump. Her fair hair framed her round face like a frothy halo. She still chose pastel-pinks, and powder-blues, and was never without her big rings, lavish necklaces, and earrings.

  Christabel was far more restrained. Her dark hair was neatly styled, and she favoured tailored clothes that suited her tall, slim figure.