by Jonker, Joan
‘I’m not afraid,’ Evelyn told him, thinking a few compliments wouldn’t go amiss. ‘Not when you are here to protect me.’
When they reached the top of the stairs, Philip led her towards one of the four doors she could see leading off the landing. ‘In here, my lovely, and I’m happy to say the fire is still glowing.’
It took all of Evelyn’s willpower to stop her jaw from dropping at the sight of the luxurious furniture in the huge room. She knew Philip’s family must be well-to-do because of his clothes and his air of confidence, but had never expected to see such opulence in the apartment he said he seldom used. ‘It seems a large place for one man,’ she said. ‘Or do you share with another person?’
‘Good heavens, no!’ he said, taking her cape from her. ‘I could never share with anyone, certainly not a man anyway. Besides, I have no need to. My father owns the whole building.’
‘You are very lucky, Philip.’ Evelyn lowered herself on to the huge brown leather couch. ‘I’m surprised you haven’t been snaffled up by now, you must have had plenty of chances.’
He chuckled as he walked towards the massive mahogany sideboard where there were four bottles standing on a silver tray. ‘Many, many chances, my dear Evelyn, but the right one never came along. Now, what would you like to drink?’
‘You choose,’ she told him, while crossing her legs and making sure she showed more than a little of her slim ankles. ‘But not a full glass, please, Philip. I have to find my way home, remember.’
‘Not for several hours, my lovely Evelyn, for I intend to start unravelling the mystery that surrounds you. And I need my senses intact to do that.’
‘There is no mystery surrounding me, Philip, I promise you. What you see is what I am.’
He sat down beside her and handed her a glass half filled with deep red wine. ‘I like what I see, my lovely, but surely there is more to your life than you admit? Perhaps something too hurtful for you to talk about?’
‘I have told you about my husband and how he was killed. What I haven’t told you is that although we had courted for a year or two before the war, I only saw him a few times after he joined the Army when he was allowed home on leave. When he learned he was being shipped out, he was given three days’ leave and we were married by special dispensation on his last day. I never saw him again after he went back to join his unit.’
Philip placed his glass on a mahogany side table before putting an arm across her shoulders. ‘Oh, you poor darling, how very sad. It must have been heartbreaking for you, and I can understand why you have no wish to talk about something that must still cause you great pain and sadness.’ He pulled her close. ‘And has there been no one else in the years since then? No one to hold you close and soothe your aching heart?’
‘I didn’t want anyone else. Oh, there were chances, several suitors came along after my hand in marriage, but I could not feel anything for them.’ Evelyn was lying so well she actually thought that what she was saying was the truth. So she stretched her made-up story further, for she had an idea Philip was going to delve deeper into her past. ‘In fact, because I turned away several men my parents approved of, and they were eager to get me off their hands, it caused a rift between us and I am no longer in touch with them.’ Her wide brown eyes stared into Philip’s and he could feel his heartbeat quicken. ‘How could I marry a man who didn’t excite me or make my heart flutter at the sight of him? No, I preferred spinsterhood to marriage to a man I didn’t love.’
And Philip believed every word she said. She had solved, for him, the mystery of why she had no family, and he never thought for one second she wasn’t telling the truth. ‘Oh, my poor darling Evelyn.’ He pressed her head to his shoulder and kissed her brow. ‘D’you think the time could come when the sight of me might cause your heart to flutter?’
‘We hardly know each other, Philip.’ She was clear enough in the head to keep to her plan. And that didn’t include giving in to him quickly. Anything easily obtained is quickly tired of. ‘I am fond of you already, it would be hard not to be, but it would be silly to jump into saying things one might regret within weeks. We will be working together every day from Monday, and that will be the testing time. You may find I am not the sweet woman you obviously think I am. So shall we give it a couple of weeks, Philip, and see what our thoughts are then?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘I am looking forward to seeing you each day, I will walk to the office with a spring in my step. But I want to see you outside work as well. We can work together as diligently and efficiently as ever my Uncle Simon and Miss Saunders did. I have every intention of applying myself to my new job with the same zest and energy I did in my previous firm. But I can’t for the life of me see why we shouldn’t meet as friends outside the office, can you?’
Evelyn ran a finger down his cheek. ‘You are very forceful, my dear, and obviously used to having your own way. But I too am quite stubborn, so our relationship should be a very interesting one. I will give in to you as far as seeing each other outside work, but only for the next two Saturdays. As I have told you, my wardrobe is not what it used to be, and it will take me a while to save for suitable clothes.’
‘I have already decided to increase your wages by a pound a week. That should help a little until we come to some other arrangement.’
‘I can’t take an increase in pay beyond the one I have already received, which is what a qualified secretary is entitled to. Any extra and the other staff would not be happy. Apart from the fact that it would set tongues wagging and they would see me as a painted lady.’
Philip chortled. ‘A painted lady! Oh, I do like that description of you. If only it were true we would not be sitting here all sedate and respectable, we would be much more intimate.’
Evelyn slapped his hand playfully. ‘I can see I’m going to have trouble keeping you in order, Mr Astbury. Now, you can be a good host and show me around this bachelor flat of yours which I find most interesting.’
He pulled her to her feet. ‘Your wish is my command. We shall start off with the kitchen.’
It contained every modern appliance possible, and was an eye-opener to Evelyn after her own tiny kitchen with its huge chipped sink and only one cold water tap. She found the sheer luxury of the bathroom breathtaking. Of course the electric lighting was a novelty to her, for she was only used to gas. ‘Very nice,’ was her only comment. She was determined not to let him see how surprised she was, and would be bitterly ashamed if he ever saw where she lived.
However, when he threw open the bedroom door she couldn’t help but gasp. It was magnificently furnished, and the huge bed with its rich drapes and covers was the largest she had ever seen as well as being the most luxurious. But what struck her most forcibly was the masculine style which had been so noticeable in every room. Not a trace of anything female here. ‘You have a very beautiful apartment, Philip, I feel quite jealous,’ she said softly.
‘My dear, the apartment is at your disposal whenever you feel the need of privacy. When you decide you would like our friendship to progress further, we can spend many a pleasant night in each other’s company here.’ He squeezed her shoulder and smiled down into her face. ‘You have no need to pull away from me, my love, for I spoke in hope, not as a threat.’
‘I didn’t pull away from you, why should I? I would only pull away from someone I was scared of, and I have no fear of you.’
‘Come, let us go back and relax on the couch with our glasses refilled. We can talk until the wee small hours of the morning, then I shall see you safely into a taxi before returning to this room which will hold no pleasure for me without you to grace it.’
Evelyn was feeling the effects of drink by now, and though she was not quite tipsy enough to be careless of what she was saying, she was happy to appreciate the compliments and the nearness of this very handsome man who also happened to be very rich. It was so long since she’d been flattered and pampered, she could feel herself basking in the attention. ‘You are spo
iling me, Philip, and while I should resist you, and start on my journey home, I feel too snug and warm to move.’
‘Why should you move when you have no reason to? No one is watching the clock, waiting for you to come home. No one will be there to welcome you, and no fire to greet you. Make me happy and stay for a while, I want you by my side. Close enough to touch, to smell the sweetness of you.’
A lock of Philip’s hair had fallen over his forehead. Evelyn reached up to push it back. ‘Oh, you are very tempting, dear, but I’m trying to control myself. This is not the time for flattery. I have had far too much to drink to think clearly.’
He caught her hand and held it to his cheek. ‘Are you saying that when Monday comes, and you are stone cold sober, perhaps you will find me unattractive?’
‘Good grief, no! I was stone cold sober the first time I saw you in the office; and even at first glance I found you a very attractive man. Never for one second did it enter my head that you were a bachelor, not with your good looks.’
‘And not for one second did I think I would ever be sitting in my lounge with the beautiful creature I first saw tapping at a typewriter. Fate has stepped in, my lovely, so let us take advantage of our luck.’
Wrapped in Philip’s arms, Evelyn didn’t want the evening to end as she revelled in the luxury of her surroundings, and the sweet words being whispered in her ear. They talked and kissed, and never once did Philip overstep the mark. He wanted to – oh, how he wanted to – but he was afraid of frightening her off. After all, hadn’t she told him she was only married for one day before her husband was sent overseas? And she’d implied there had been no other men in her life, so she would be a novice when it came to love making. He would have to be patient until the time was right, and she came to him of her own free will. Then he would need to be gentle and tender.
It was the grandfather clock on the wall striking the hour of four that brought Evelyn out of her dreaming. Pushing Philip gently away from her, she said, ‘I really must be going, my dear, or like Cinderella my coach will turn back into a pumpkin.’ She kissed his lips with the softness of a butterfly. ‘Ring for a taxi for me, Philip, please.’
This wasn’t to his liking. He was besotted with her and wished she was as free with her favours as some of the other women he knew. But he dismissed that thought before it took root; he didn’t want her to be like the other women, he wanted her to be special. ‘I will ring now, my love, although it will break my heart. I would like you to stay here with me forever.’
Evelyn was fastening her cape. ‘The easiest and quickest way to tire of someone is to be in their company too often. And I don’t want you to tire of me, Philip, not when we are just getting to know each other.’
‘You promise you will come here again, very soon?’
‘I promise. Now ring for a taxi, please.’
‘What address will I tell him to take you to?’
She tapped his nose with a forefinger. ‘There are some mysteries I would like to retain, my dear. I will give the driver the address when he comes.’
Philip dialled a number, gave his address, then after replacing the receiver, told Evelyn the taxi would be there in ten minutes. He reached for his coat which had been casually thrown over the back of a chair. Taking a wallet from the inside pocket, he slipped his hand inside and brought out a five-pound note. ‘This will help towards your taxi fares. I will instruct the driver to make sure you reach home safely.’
‘Philip, I can’t take money from you!’ Even while she was speaking, Evelyn was thinking what she could do with so much money. ‘Besides, the driver wouldn’t be able to change that, he’d think I was mad. I have a few shillings in my purse, that should be enough to cover the fare.’
Philip folded the five-pound note three times then slipped it down the front of her dress. ‘I insist you take it, my darling. I cannot allow you to pay for spending an evening with me, especially when you have delighted and charmed me with your presence. Please take it, my lovely, and put it to whatever use gives you pleasure. If you need anything … new clothes, jewellery, perfume, or anything else you desire … you only have to ask.’
Evelyn knew she had him in the palm of her hand now, and felt safe in saying, ‘That would make me feel like a kept woman, Philip, and I’m afraid that wouldn’t sit well on my shoulders.’
He shook his head. ‘Not at all, I would never think that of you. I have had many fleeting romances, none of which were serious, and have always been generous with the women concerned. I can assure you, not one of them has complained about my generosity. I wasn’t buying them, I was merely giving them a gift because I like to please the opposite sex. There is nothing sinister in that.’
As though on impulse, Evelyn kissed his cheek. He wasn’t to know it, but the kiss was to thank him for enabling her to accept his money. ‘How could there be anything sinister in anything you do, my dear? I will keep the money in the spirit it was given. Thank you sincerely, and I apologise if I have displeased you.’
Philip was all smiles again. ‘I think we must go downstairs now, the taxi should be waiting for you. I will count the minutes until I see you in the office on Monday, and we can arrange to meet here again next week.’
Evelyn turned to wave to Philip out of the back window then leaned towards the glass partition that separated her from the driver. ‘I need to pick up something from Exchange Station, driver, so would you kindly take me there first, please?’
‘There’ll be no one there this time of the morning,’ the driver growled in a husky voice. ‘The place will be deserted.’
‘I have a key to a left luggage locker so I don’t need the services of station staff. You can drive into the station and I’ll be less than five minutes.’
‘Yer’ll have to pay extra for the waiting time.’ The driver couldn’t stand these poncey people who had more money than they knew what to do with while thousands of families in Liverpool were living below the poverty line. ‘It’ll cost yer an extra tanner.’
‘You will be paid for your time, my good man, have no fear.’ Evelyn stepped out of the taxi and shivered. The station was deserted and eerie. She lost no time in opening the locker and taking out the bag with her working clothes in it. She got into the back of the taxi with it, placing it on the seat next to her. When she spoke next it was an order, not a request. ‘Take me to Newsham Street, driver, and drop me off halfway down. And please be as quiet as you can, I don’t want my neighbours complaining.’
There was a look of disgust on the driver’s face as he set the taxi in motion. She must be a good-time girl, this one, been out to make herself a few bob. She was dressed to kill, but her clothes didn’t go with the address she’d given him. He knew the area well, and they were two-up-two-down houses. Not that there was anything wrong with living in a two-up-two-down house, for he lived in one himself and his neighbours were the salt of the earth. They never put on airs and graces and pretended to be something they weren’t. Not like the one he had in the back of his cab now, giving orders as though she was the Queen of bloody Sheba. She must think he was born yesterday, telling him not to make a noise ’cos she didn’t want her neighbours complaining. More likely she didn’t want them to see her all dressed up like a scarlet woman.
As the taxi turned into her street, Evelyn asked, ‘How much is that, driver?’
‘I’ll tell yer when I’ve stopped the cab, and checked the mileage and the waiting time.’
‘Stop here, please.’
The tone of her voice rubbed him up the wrong way and he carried on past several more houses. When he heard her knock on the glass, he growled, ‘If I’d pulled up sharp, the brakes would have woken the whole bloody street, missus, so yer can’t have everything yer own way.’ Normally the driver was a pleasant man who would jump out of his taxi to help a passenger. But not this one, talking to him as though he’d crawled out from under a stone. She could get out of the cab under her own steam. ‘That’ll be three bob, missus.’
&
nbsp; That was all the money Evelyn had in her purse, and it would leave her without any change to buy food from the corner shop for her and Amelia. Still, she comforted herself with the thought of the five-pound note nestling between her breasts. The corner shop wouldn’t be able to change it, but she could borrow on the strength of it from her neighbour. ‘Here you are, and please try not to make a noise as you drive away.’
Evelyn’s mistake was in not closing the passenger door behind her. She tutted angrily when she heard the driver slam it shut before driving away. She got herself in so much of a dither, trying to open the front door quickly in case any nosy neighbour had been woken, that her hand was shaking and she had a problem fitting the key into the lock. Once inside, she leaned back against the door and breathed a sigh of relief. She’d got away with it, thank God, but she couldn’t go through that again, she’d have to make other plans in future. Far better to stay the night at Philip’s and come home at a respectable time when she wouldn’t be so noticeable. That could easily be arranged if she was able to leave several changes of clothes at his apartment. The only thing that stood in her way was her daughter. But she’d find a way around that when she’d had a few hours’ sleep and her head was clear. At least she hadn’t been found out.
However, the banging of the taxi door, and the noise of the engine, had been heard by Evelyn’s next door neighbour. Bessie hadn’t been able to drop off to sleep, had spent hours tossing and turning. The reason for this unrest was her neighbour, and the manner in which she treated her daughter. Also, Bessie hadn’t believed the tale Evelyn had told her about visiting an old friend she hadn’t seen since school days. The words didn’t ring true. And while Bessie didn’t care what her neighbour got up to, she worried it might in some way affect Amelia.
