He could hear the children in the back garden and he went to the side gate.
‘Deeder.’ Emma shrieked with delight, seeing him first.
Then he was nearly knocked off his feet as both children threw themselves at him.
‘Give us a push, Daddy.’ Danny dragged him towards the swing.
It was hard to dismiss from his thoughts the scene he had nearly walked in on. All Angie’s denials that there wasn’t anything between her and the Colonel could no longer be believed. He had seen their love for each other with his own eyes.
He wasn’t allowed to brood, though. Not with two lively youngsters claiming his attention.
‘Emma.’ Sally peered over the gate. ‘Come in now. We’re going to see Grandma. Hello, Dieter.’
‘Ow, Mum, Deeder’s only just come,’ Emma protested. ‘He’s gonna play with us.’
‘Another time.’ Sally held out her hand. ‘We mustn’t be late.’
Giving a dramatic sigh, Emma went obediently.
When they were alone, Danny said, ‘You were going to show me your badges, Daddy. That was a long time ago. Have you lost them?’
‘No, they are in my room. I’m sorry, Danny, there has been so much going on that I forgot all about them.’
‘Can we go and see them now?’
‘I do not see why not.’ Dieter hesitated, wondering if he should knock and tell Angie where they were going. His mind conjured up a picture of what she might be doing, and he decided against it. If he carried Danny, they would be at the farm and back within an hour. She wouldn’t even know they had left the garden.
‘You’d better go to see Danny while I make some tea.’
Angie watched Bob walk out and shook her head in amusement. Colonel Robert Strachan was a real handful, but she couldn’t have a better friend, which was all he could ever be to her. Singing to herself, she filled the kettle with water.
Bob came back into the kitchen. ‘He isn’t there.’
‘Oh, he’s gone into Emma’s, then. I’ll go and get him.’
‘I’ll come with you and say hello to Sally.’
They went to the front and Sally answered when they knocked. ‘Hello, Bob, nice to see you. I’m afraid we’re just going out.’
‘We’ve come for Danny.’ Angie smiled at Emma, who was being swung in the air so she could hug Bob.
‘Danny’s with Deeder,’ Emma informed them when she was on the floor again.
Although it was a warm day, Angie went cold. When she had been fooling around with Bob, she thought she’d heard the click of a door closing. Had Dieter arrived, seen them and drawn the wrong conclusion?
‘Don’t look so worried, Angie,’ Sally said. ‘Perhaps they’ve gone for a walk. He’s quite safe with his father.’
Somehow Angie managed a smile, although she felt sick and faint. If Dieter had seen them, he might think that he was about to lose his son. Was this her worst nightmare come true?
Rushing back indoors, she spun round to face Bob, who was right behind her. ‘He saw us kissing and has taken Danny.’ She tore up the stairs just to make sure, then tumbled back down again. ‘He’s taken him!’
‘Calm down.’ Bob spoke firmly. ‘You don’t know that for sure.’
‘I do, I do! He would never take Danny anywhere without telling me first, unless he didn’t want me to find them.’ She was shaking so much it was difficult to talk. ‘Have you got a car?’
‘No, but –’
Angie was already running out the door and up the street.
In a few loping strides, Bob caught her up. ‘Where are you going?’
‘To the farm. We need John’s truck in case Dieter is heading for the station.’
Bob caught her arm to stop her headlong flight of panic. ‘He wouldn’t take Danny away from you, and where the hell would he go?’
‘To his sister in Germany.’ Tears were flowing unheeded down her face. ‘If he does, I’ll never get Danny back. I can’t let that happen!’
‘It isn’t that easy –’
But she wasn’t listening. All she could think about was that she might have lost Danny. She was in a panic, incapable of being rational. Shaking herself free of his grip, she ran full pelt again, her hair flying in a bright mass around her head.
Not being so agile, Bob was a way behind when he reached the farmhouse.
‘John, John.’ She was calling frantically, running towards the large barn. ‘John, I must have your truck!’
Her shouts had brought both John and Hetty into the yard. Badly out of breath, Bob joined them, bending over and gulping for air.
‘My God, she can run,’ he gasped.
‘What’s the panic?’ Hetty looked alarmed.
Angie ran towards them. ‘Dieter’s taken Danny. Where’s the truck? We’ve got to get to the station before he does.’ She was spinning round and round. ‘Where’s the truck?’
‘It’s in the garage for repairs.’ John caught hold of her. ‘What’s all this nonsense about Dieter taking Danny?’
‘I haven’t got time to explain. Must get to the station.’ She tried to run, but John held her firmly.
‘Let go!’
‘Angie!’ Hetty stepped in front of her. ‘Danny’s here. He’s upstairs with Dieter and quite safe.’
As the news penetrated her frantic mind, Angie went absolutely still. The fear inside turned to relief, and quickly to anger – blazing fury. With a growl of rage she went into the farmhouse and thundered up the stairs. Bob only just managed to stay with her and stop her at the top of the stairs.
‘Easy. You’ll frighten Danny if you go in there like this. Stop and think.’
But she was beyond thinking. After shoving him away, she stood with her head bowed and fought for control. Her hands were clenching and unclenching as if she needed to get them round someone’s neck.
It took a couple of minutes before she lifted her head and spoke to Hetty, who was now next to Bob. ‘Will you go in there and take Danny downstairs, please?’
‘I could take him out to see the pigs,’ Bob suggested.
The look she gave him would have withered a lesser man. ‘You’ll stay right where you are!’
Hetty knocked on Dieter’s door, entered, and soon came out with Danny.
‘Auntie, Uncle Bob.’ The child was beaming. ‘I’ve been looking at Daddy’s badges. He’s gonna teach me to talk like him.’ He giggled as he took Hetty’s hand. ‘You won’t know what I’m saying then, will you, Grandma?’
‘No, I won’t, but I don’t always understand you now.’
Danny gazed up at Angie and held something out for her to see. ‘Daddy’s given me one of his badges. Look, Auntie.’
‘That’s lovely, darling.’ Angie managed to control her voice only with extreme effort. ‘Go and help Grandma with the tea and we’ll be down in a minute.’
‘Okay.’ He went, oblivious of the row about to erupt.
Dieter was standing in the doorway. She pushed him back into the room, dragged Bob after her and kicked the door shut with her foot.
‘Angie –’
‘Don’t say a word! You’ve just frightened the bloody life out of me. Didn’t it enter your head I’d be worried sick? Didn’t you realize that I would be frantic when I couldn’t find him?’ She bunched her hands into fists, knowing it wouldn’t take much to make her lash out at someone in the room. ‘How could you be so thoughtless? I trusted you. Damn you for putting me through this. Damn you!’
‘Take it easy …’ Bob stopped when she turned on him like a feral cat.
‘Shut up! I’ll deal with you later. First Dieter will tell me why he took Danny out of the garden without telling me. And it had better be good. Then I’m going to beat Dieter to a pulp,’ she raged, stepping forward until she was toe to toe with him, tipping her head back to look up into his face. ‘’Well, come on, I’m waiting.’
‘He asked to see the badges … and as you were busy I didn’t think you would miss him for an hour.’ The expre
ssion on Dieter’s face showed that he now regretted that decision very much. ‘That was wrong of me. I am sorry.’
‘You’re sorry?’ She fairly spat the words out. ‘What did you think I was doing? Did you think I was going to jump into bed with Bob while the children played in the garden?’
She glared at the man in question, who was leaning against the door, arms folded and a wry twist to his mouth. When he looked as if he was going to say something, she snarled, ‘Don’t you say a word! I think you’ve enjoyed playing games with us and making Dieter jealous. I’m sick and tired of the pair of you. Ever since you came into my life, you’ve caused nothing but trouble.’
Dieter reached out to touch her arm.
She took one step away from him, breaking the contact. ‘I told you time and time again that I would never take Danny away from you, but you didn’t believe me, did you? You were still jealous of Bob, although there was no reason for it. I gave you my word, Dieter. I don’t lie! You must have known I’d be out of my mind if Danny disappeared without a word. All you’d needed to say was that you were bringing him here. I wouldn’t have objected. I trusted you. Now I’m changing the rules. You will not see Danny unless I am there. You can return my key, as you are no longer welcome in my house unless I invite you.’ She held out her hand, not caring that it was shaking. ‘The key!’
He unhooked the key from his ring and handed it back to her. ‘Did you really believe I would take Danny away from you?’
‘Yes, I did! God forgive me, but I did. I’ll make sure you are never alone with him again.’ The terror wouldn’t leave her and she was completely out of control. She knew it, but could do nothing about it.
‘He is my son. You cannot do that,’ he protested.
‘Just you watch me!’ Having finished with Dieter, she rounded on Bob. ‘You can’t mess with people’s affections and then laugh it off as a joke. It isn’t a joke! I wish I’d never met either of you.’
Bob pushed away from the door at that remark, anger just under the surface. ‘You’ve had your say, now drop it. No harm has been done.’
‘No harm …?’ She couldn’t believe he’d just said that. After giving him a contemptuous glance, she turned back to Dieter. Oh, how she longed to hammer some sense into the pair of them. ‘Is that how you feel as well?’
When he began to speak, she stopped him. ‘No, don’t bother. I don’t want to hear your excuses. But I’ll tell you what harm has been done. I love that little boy with all my heart, and when Jane died I took him on willingly, even though the thought of bringing him up on my own was daunting and rather frightening.’ Her voice faltered. ‘You have just betrayed and destroyed my trust. That is the harm that has been done. But it’s worse than that, Dieter. Not only did I trust you, but I also fell in love with you. That is what’s tearing me apart.’
There was a stunned silence as he stared at her in disbelief. She knew she had said the wrong thing. Damn. Her blind fury had made her say things that should never have been said. Once she really calmed down she was going to regret some of this, but she couldn’t think about that for the moment. They deserved to be on the receiving end of her fury.
She didn’t fail to miss Bob mutter under his breath, ‘At last we have the truth.’
Keeping her gaze fixed on Dieter, she spoke more reasonably now but still with firmness. ‘Don’t think that lets you off the hook, because it doesn’t. The new rules stand.’
Then she turned and left the room before bursting into tears. Tears of fright and tears of crushing hurt that the man she had come to love had put her through this. She was still shaking, but the anger had burnt itself out.
‘She loves me.’ Dieter could hardly get the words out.
‘Of course she does.’ Bob, who was mopping his brow in mock relief, grinned. ‘That was an explosive performance.’
‘I must talk with her.’ Dieter was on his feet and heading for the door when Bob caught his arm.
‘Whoa there, I wouldn’t go after her yet. Let her cool down first.’
‘She was very angry, and rightly so. She didn’t mean half of what she said.’ Dieter stuffed his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders, calling himself all kinds of names for being so stupid.
‘She meant it when she said she was in love with you, but I thought she was never going to admit it. A fright and blazing anger finally brought it to the surface. I’ve had my suspicions since the New Year.’
‘What do you mean?’ Dieter frowned.
‘I saw it in her eyes when she looked at you, but I think she feels that your affection for Jane is a shadow between you.’
‘But that was quite different. My feelings for Angie are much deeper, stronger.’ Dieter sat down again, as it didn’t seem as if his legs would hold him. Oh, God, she loved him and he might have thrown away the chance of happiness with her.
‘Thought so.’ Bob nodded. ‘So, do you love Angie?’
‘Yes, of course I do, but I did not believe she could ever feel the same about me. That is why I have not said anything to her.’ He eyed the Colonel with suspicion. ‘You always were a devious bastard. Knowing this, you would have still claimed her for yourself?’
‘Ah, you know me so well after your years in the camp.’ Bob became serious and held Dieter’s gaze. ‘I want to make one thing clear, Dieter. I never set out to hurt you or Angie, whatever she may have said. I really was attracted to her, and did for a while seriously consider marrying her. She is a fine mother to Danny and would make a good wife. I’d have settled for affection and respect, but I’m not quite the bastard you believe. There are too many involved in this charade, too many to get hurt, so I’ll settle for friendship and being an uncle to Danny.’
‘But I saw you kissing each other.’ The picture was still vivid in his mind. Seeing the woman he loved in another man’s arms had hurt.
‘What you saw was us fooling around. I gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek.’ Bob raised an eyebrow. ‘As you would have seen if you’d stuck around.’
Dieter bowed his head. ‘I cannot take this all in.’
Bob’s shoulders shook as he laughed. ‘Magnificent, wasn’t she?’
‘That is not the word I would choose. I would not have believed she could erupt like that.’
‘Just a mother protecting her young. Puts you off, does it?’
‘No.’ Dieter stood up. ‘I always knew she would guard my son with her life. I have hurt and frightened her, and do not think she will ever forgive me. How do I make her believe that I love her?’
‘You’re going to have to court her.’ When Dieter still looked puzzled, Bob slapped him on the back. ‘Give her flowers; things like that. If you play your cards right, you’ll soon get her back.’
‘What is this – play my cards?’
Laughing, Bob opened the door. ‘Don’t worry about it. Just convince her, and I’ll expect an invitation to the wedding.’
When they reached the kitchen, everyone was waiting for them.
‘Ah, you’re here at last.’ Hetty put the kettle on the stove. ‘Tea’s all ready, so sit yourselves down.’
‘Have a good talk, did you?’
‘Very enlightening.’ Bob winked at Angie, then smiled at Danny. ‘How is the swing going, young man?’
‘Lovely, and we’d like a see-saw now.’ Danny’s hopeful gaze whipped from Bob to Dieter.
‘Then we must see what we can do. I’m here for a couple of days.’ Bob handed Dieter the butter. ‘We’ll build it together, shall we?’
He nodded. ‘Should be easy enough.’
‘Yippee.’ Danny jiggled up and down in his chair. ‘Wait till I tell Em.’
As Bob and Dieter began to discuss plans for the see-saw, Angie muttered under her breath. ‘The best of pals now. Look at them, a picture of innocence.’
Dieter pulled a face at Bob. ‘She’s still furious with us.’
‘Give her a couple of days.’ He studied her expression for a moment. ‘Perhaps three or four, Die
ter.’
‘Is that days or years?’
37
The next day Angie and Sally watched Dieter and Bob working hard in the garden to construct a see-saw. They had been at it for nearly three hours without a break. The children watched in fascination as it took shape.
Angie’s gaze rested on Dieter and she cringed with embarrassment about the way she’d blurted out her feelings for him.
‘That should be sturdy enough.’ Sally gurgled with amusement when she saw Joe join them, rolling up his sleeves to help mix concrete to secure the main structure.
‘Well, I hope they pack up soon, or our Sunday lunch will be overcooked.’ Angie looked in the oven. ‘I’ll give them another half an hour.’
‘Those two kids of ours can’t wait to try it out.’ She gave Angie a knowing smile. ‘There will soon be three of them.’
‘Hmm?’ Angie was busy at the stove. ‘Three of what?’
‘Children.’
Angie spun round to face her friend. ‘You’re expecting again?’
‘Yes, isn’t it wonderful?’ Sally did a little jig of delight. ‘He’s due early October.’
‘He?’ Angie laughed and hugged Sally. ‘You’re determined to have a boy.’
‘Yep.’ She patted her middle. ‘I’ve told it to make itself into a boy.’
‘I hope it does, but another girl wouldn’t be so bad, would it?’
‘No, of course it wouldn’t.’ Sally gazed at her pretty daughter in the garden. ‘We’ll be happy with either, but it would be nice to have one of each.’
The children suddenly sprang into action and tore into the kitchen.
‘Daddy said they’ve nearly done, Auntie.’
‘Good.’ Angie turned on the tap for them. ‘Wash your hands and sit at the table.’
There was a tussle between them for the soap as they stood on tiptoe to reach the running water.
‘I’m starving.’ Emma sat down next to Danny. It was becoming almost impossible to separate them.
Fighting with Shadows Page 34
