A Vengeful Reunion

by Catherine George

  Leonie thrust the document in her pocket, feeling suddenly so miserable she hated the thought of the questions awaiting her. But after one look at her face her mother said nothing by way of reproof when she let her in. ‘For heaven’s sake get in a hot bath and dry that hair, Leo. No doubt you had your reasons for chasing up there, but whatever they are they’ll keep until morning. Or indefinitely, if you prefer it that way.’

  In other words no one was going to demand explanations Leonie was reluctant to give.

  ‘Sorry to keep you up, Mother,’ she said penitently.

  ‘Want some tea?’

  ‘No, thanks.’ Leonie managed a smile, then kissed her mother goodnight. ‘All I want is a bath and bed.’

  Leonie had hoped to fall into oblivion the moment her head touched the pillow, but the revelations of the night kept her tossing and turning most of the night. It was light before she slept, and when she woke the morning was half over. She rushed through a shower, pulled on jeans and sweater and ran downstairs to a boisterous welcome from Marzi. Mrs Briggs got up from the table immediately, dusters and polish at the ready.

  ‘At last, darling,’ said Frances, smiling. ‘We’ve been drinking coffee until you surfaced.’

  ‘As long as you had a good rest, dear,’ said Mrs Briggs placidly. ‘All that flying about must be very tiring.’

  ‘Not only the flying about, Mother,’ said Leonie wryly, when they were alone. ‘Sorry to be so late, though. I didn’t even hear Fenny and Kate get up.’

  ‘I managed to restrain Fenny, because you were sleeping so soundly it seemed a shame to disturb you.’ Frances poured coffee. ‘Want something to eat?’

  ‘Not for the moment; I’ll wait for lunch.’ Leonie met her mother’s eyes with remorse. ‘Sorry about last night. Quite by accident I found myself eavesdropping on you and Dad, and heard that Jonah’s company had made the offer for Friars Wood. So I charged up there to bawl him out.’

  Frances rolled her eyes. ‘I thought so! How did he take it?’

  ‘He wasn’t ecstatic to find me hammering on his door and throwing wild accusations at him, that’s for sure.’ Leonie hesitated. ‘Will Mrs Briggs be up there for a while?’

  ‘An hour or so at the very least.’ Frances Dysart smiled encouragingly. ‘Something to get off your chest?’

  ‘Last night Jonah told me who’d fathered Rachel’s child,’ said Leonie baldly. ‘Did you know?’

  Her mother blenched, then heaved in a deep, unsteady breath. ‘Yes, darling, of course we did.’

  ‘I thought you must have.’ Leonie sighed despairingly. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

  ‘But we couldn’t, darling. Rachel swore us to secrecy about it, because Richard Savage’s wife was still alive. But Jonah obviously knew. And if he’s told you I suppose there’s no point keeping it a secret any longer.’ Frances shivered. ‘Oh, Leo, that was the most horrible time. Soon after the shock of your break-up with Jonah I got an urgent call for help from Rachel. Imagine my reaction when I found she was not only pregnant but in the throes of pneumonia, which had brought on premature labour. I rang your father immediately, and he arrived at the hospital shortly before Fenny was born.’ She got up and tore off a piece of kitchen paper to wipe her eyes. ‘Thank God he was there in good time. At least Rachel died in the knowledge that Tom and I would bring her baby up and cherish her like our own. Which has been no hardship, heaven knows.’

  ‘No. Fenny’s easy to love,’ agreed Leonie huskily. ‘What did Rachel die of, exactly?’

  ‘There were a lot of medical explanations. Apart from the pneumonia Rachel was undernourished and anaemic, from dieting to hide her pregnancy, and at an age when birth was more of a risk. Then when Richard died she worked harder than ever to combat her grief.’ Frances sighed deeply. ‘But in my opinion she simply died of a broken heart. Rachel was one of those rarities, a one-man woman. I believed Rachel when she told me Richard Savage loved her. But he loved his wife, too, and with Helen disabled divorce was never an option. Nor, Rachel assured me, did she want that. So when Richard died so suddenly I think the light just went out of Rachel’s life.’

  ‘You knew beforehand?’

  ‘I knew Rachel had loved someone for years, but not who he was. When you and Jonah got engaged it was an added complication she hadn’t bargained on, believe me.’

  ‘So she wasn’t matchmaking!’ Leonie smiled a little.

  ‘On the contrary. Rachel was always worried that Jonah would find out.’

  ‘But she was forced to tell him the truth in the end.’ Leonie described Jonah’s rescue, when he’d taken Rachel home. Then took the plunge and described the misunderstanding responsible for the broken engagement.

  Frances Dysart sat motionless for some time, obviously having trouble digesting this new revelation. ‘I can’t believe it!’ she said at last. ‘All these years you’ve thought Fenny was Jonah’s daughter?’

  ‘It may sound unbelievable to you, Mother, but if you’d been there in Jonah’s flat that day you might have made the same mistake,’ said Leonie defensively.

  ‘No, I wouldn’t, because I’d have marched out and confronted them,’ said her mother roundly, and shook her head in wonder. ‘Why did you never say anything? I could have put you right in seconds, my girl, deathbed promise or not.’

  ‘How could I, Mother?’ said Leonie passionately. ‘Think about it! We all adored Rachel, Dad most of all. After she was dead, no matter how much Fenny resembled Jonah, I couldn’t spoil Rachel’s memory for everyone.’

  ‘No. I can understand that.’ Frances sighed. ‘Not that I see any resemblance to Jonah myself. I think Fenny looks like Kate. Lord, what a tangle. Anyway, it’s out in the open now. I can even tell you that Adam won’t have to pay anything to Fenny when he inherits. She was very generously provided for by Rachel, her entire education included.’

  ‘Thank heavens for that!’

  Frances paused, then gave her daughter a searching look. ‘Leo, forgive me for prying, but if you and Jonah had all this out last night has it changed things between you?’

  ‘You mean did he sweep me into his arms and tell me all was forgiven?’ said Leonie flippantly. ‘Afraid not, Mother. Jonah was violently angry. He made it very plain that it was too late to heal the rift.’

  ‘I’m so sorry.’ Frances looked at her searchingly. ‘And how do you feel now you know the truth?’

  ‘Depressed.’ Leonie smiled forlornly. ‘I made a complete mess of things, one way and another, didn’t I? I’m only thankful Rachel never knew I broke with Jonah.’ Her eyes widened in sudden dismay. ‘You didn’t tell her?’

  ‘No, darling. By the time I reached Rachel there was no time to think of anything but the matter in hand. All my energy was given over to comfort and reassurance about her baby.’ Her eyes filled with tears. ‘I was very fond of her, you know.’

  ‘It was mutual.’ Leonie put out a hand to cover her mother’s. ‘Rachel once told me you were more to her than any sister could have been.’

  ‘Did she really? How lovely.’ Frances scrubbed at her eyes again and stood up. ‘Come on. We can’t let Mrs Briggs find us in floods of tears. Let’s take Marzi for a walk while we have thoughts about dinner. Your father’s got a busy day today. The contents of a minor stately home are going under the hammer.’

  Dysart’s was a respected auction house which had flourished in Pennington for three generations, and specialised in furniture, porcelain and silver, and some occasional fine art. Leonie’s father was the current chairman, and employed a large, skilled staff, some of them left over from his father’s day, and every one of them heart and soul in the business. Adam, to his father’s infinite pleasure, had shown interest in the family concern since he was a small boy. These days he acted as porter in his vacations, revelling in the excitement when bidding grew frenzied over some sought-after item, and already skilled at nosing out bargains at the antiques fairs that were part of Dysart life.

  That night Tom Dysart came home in
celebratory mood after a successful day, and Fenny was allowed to stay up to hear about the sale before Leonie took her off to bed to read to her for a while.

  Looking down from time to time at the shiny dark head against her shoulder, Leonie was assailed by so many emotions it was hard to keep her voice steady as she read. For years her belief about Jonah had kept her from seeing much of Fenny. Now she knew the truth she bitterly regretted the years of self-imposed exile. If she’d come right out with it and faced Jonah with her accusations at the very beginning they would have been married by now, with children of their own.

  Fenny looked up, smiling, as Leonie came to the end of the chapter. ‘Will you read to me tomorrow night, too?’

  ‘Every night until I go, darling.’

  ‘I wish you didn’t have to go at all,’ said Fenny, snuggling down with her usual clutch of soft toys for company.

  Leonie tucked her in, frowning thoughtfully as she realised she no longer had any reason to renew her contract with the school, unless she wanted to. Deferring thought about that until later, she kissed the upraised face lovingly. ‘I’ll stay longer next time,’ she promised. ‘Goodnight, sleep tight.’

  Leonie left Fenny’s door ajar to let in the landing light, then went along to Kate’s room to find her sister at her desk, deep in revision. ‘Don’t you ever let up?’ she asked, ruffling the wild dark curls.

  ‘Not if I want good grades,’ muttered Kate, then looked up with an absent smile. ‘I’ll take time off tomorrow night, Leo.’

  ‘I’ll bring you a hot drink later. Don’t work too hard.’

  When Leonie went downstairs she made a detour to the scullery to rummage in the pocket of the jacket she’d worn the night before, then joined her parents. ‘By the way, Dad, just to complete your day of triumph, I’ve got something for you.’ Smiling, she handed her father the yellowed document Jonah had given her.

  Tom Dysart’s eyebrows shot up as he studied the deed. ‘How the devil did you come by this?’

  ‘Mother’s probably told you why I went barging over to Brockhill last night. Jonah gave me this before he brought me back,’ said Leonie, flushing a little at the look her father gave her.

  ‘We thought you were in bed,’ he pointed out, looking over his glasses. ‘If you feel the need for nocturnal ramblings in the future, Leonie, let us know first. It was hellish embarrassing to learn your whereabouts from Jonah.’

  ‘Sorry, Dad,’ she said in remorse. ‘That was a one-off. It won’t happen again.’ She exchanged a glance with her mother. ‘And on the plus side my visit to Brockhill cleared up a lot of misunderstandings last night.’

  ‘So your mother tells me.’ He shook his head. ‘We could have cleared them up for you long since if we’d known. Though how you could imagine we’d have let Jonah in the house if you’d been right, I fail to see.’ He turned back to the deed, studying it for a while, then grinned at her. ‘Actually, I think Jonah was getting his own back, showing you this.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ demanded Leonie.

  ‘A later document nullifies this one, darling. My father bought the extra bit of land when he took over Friars Wood.’

  ‘Now, Leo, don’t go flying off the handle again,’ said Frances in alarm.

  Leonie calmed herself with effort. ‘Jonah told me the land was worth some vast sum,’ she said tightly.

  ‘But he gave it to you anyway?’ Tom Dysart chuckled. ‘Didn’t he demand something in exchange?’

  ‘Not my body, if that’s what you’re thinking,’ she snapped, then bit her lip. ‘Sorry, Dad. He just wanted my reasons for breaking our engagement.’

  ‘An expensive bit of information at present-day valuation,’ commented Frances.

  ‘But does he know about the later transaction?’ said Leonie, incensed to find she’d been conned.

  ‘Of course he does.’ Tom patted her hand. ‘It’s bound to be there in the records for Brockhill, same as ours for Friars Wood. I’m afraid you were had, Leo. Just be thankful it was only information Jonah wanted in return.’

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  KNOWING she deserved her father’s teasing made it no easier to bear. Leonie sat with her parents for a while, then, too restless to sit still any longer, volunteered to make tea, and take some hot chocolate up for Kate. ‘By the way, when Kate had the interview what did Trinity College ask by way of A-level grades?’

  ‘Two Es,’ said her father proudly.

  ‘Wow! They must think she’s a genius.’ Leonie pulled a face. ‘Good thing we’d got one academic in the family.’

  ‘You got a very good degree yourself,’ protested her mother.

  ‘They demanded much higher grades from me at my hall of learning,’ said Leonie wryly. ‘Good thing Adam graduates this year. A bit of a strain on the finances to have them both in college together. Or will it be more expensive to pay Adam a wage at Dysart’s?’

  ‘Actually, no. A couple of people are retiring shortly. There’ll be a shuffle up the ladder, and Adam will slot in at the bottom, just as I did in my day.’ Tom smiled. ‘And don’t tell him I said so, but Adam’s not only better at the business side of things, he’s already got a better nose for a find than I had at his age. Answer that for me, darling,’ he added as the phone rang.

  When Leonie picked up the receiver in the hall she was flooded with guilt when she heard the husky tones of Roberto Forli, conscious that she’d hardly given him a thought during the hectic time at home. She assured him that all was well, and that she was missing him, and told him a little about the party. She was deliberately vague about the date of her return, and when he assured her that if she was away too long he would fly over to see her she agreed with enthusiasm, hoping Roberto couldn’t tell it wasn’t as warm as it might have been.

  She didn’t want Roberto to come. Not right now. Not with Jonah Savage in the vicinity. Besides, if Roberto were invited to visit her family he might read more into it than intended. She liked him very much. But, charming, sophisticated and attractive though he was, she didn’t love him. Like Rachel, she thought bleakly, she was a one-man woman. Only the man didn’t want her any more.

  Leonie clenched her teeth as she remembered how easy Jonah had found it to con her. One mention of Friars Wood and the suspect land and she’d been up in arms, just as he’d intended. Not that he’d needed to resort to blackmail to hear the truth from her a last. From the moment they’d met on the train all the old pain and anger had come rushing back, and in the end she’d raced over to Brockhill to hurl her accusation of infidelity and revenge at him. But her volley had backfired, and left her squarely in the wrong. To be fair, she thought, staring out at the stars, he’d been entitled to his joke with the deed. And she had a depressing idea that if she expected him to ring her and ask to see her again she’d be disappointed. Just as she had been earlier, when she’d found her caller was Roberto Forli. Not Jonah Savage.

  Next morning Leonie was up early, in time to meet her father on his way in from the morning ritual of throwing a ball for Marzi, and to share family breakfast before Tom dropped Kate and Fenny off at school on his way into Pennington. Leonie waved them off outside the Stables, promising to drive to pick the girls up in the afternoon, then decided a long walk would do her good. And benefit Marzi at the same time.

  ‘Where’s the dog, Mother?’ she asked.

  Frances emerged from the morning paper, looking about her vaguely. ‘I’ve no idea. Tom always leaves him to make his own way back in the mornings. Wasn’t he outside with you?’

  Leonie shook her head and went out into the scullery, frowning when she found Marzi’s bowl of food untouched. ‘He hasn’t had his breakfast,’ she reported. ‘I’d better look for him.’

  She pulled on a jacket and ran out into the garden, frowning as she whistled and called. Marzi’s appetite was at its height in the mornings, and he usually came running in from his first walk of the day to wolf down his meal. Leonie hurried along the cliff path to the Eyrie, the gazebo which gave a panor
amic view of the Wye Valley. She hung as far as she dared over the pierced stone balustrade, peering down the steep drop to the river with growing concern, picturing the retriever injured and terrified after a fall down the cliff. When she was sure he wasn’t visible anywhere she carried out a systematic search of the garden and checked every inch of the blue-bell wood, which was a favourite haunt of Marzi’s due to badgers, rabbits and the occasional fox scented there. Leonie shouted for him so much she was hoarse by the time she got back to the house.

  ‘Has he come back?’ she panted, bursting into the kitchen.

  ‘No, he hasn’t,’ said her mother, alarmed. ‘Where on earth can he have gone? Wait a minute—’ She smiled in sudden relief. ‘He had such a good time with the Morgan dogs at the weekend he’s probably taken off down to the farm.’

  ‘Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?’ Leonie ran for the phone, but got Denzil Morgan’s recorded message. ‘They’ll all be outside, working. Can I have your keys, Mother? I’ll nip down in the car.’

  Leonie drove as fast as she dared down the steep, winding lane to Springfield Farm, and drew up in the yard to a welcoming chorus from the farm dogs. Chris Morgan emerged from a barn, wiping oily hands on a rag.

  ‘Haven’t seen him, Leo, but I’ve been in here, wrestling with a tractor,’ he said in response to her urgent enquiry. ‘I’ll tell everyone to keep their eyes peeled for him. He can’t be far.’

  ‘Thanks, Chris. I’ll search through the lanes, see if I can spot him anywhere.’ She pulled a face. ‘I just hope I can find him before Fenny gets home.’

  Leonie drove slowly through the interlinking lanes round the farm, but there was no sign of a frisking yellow dog. Eventually she gave up and drove back to Friars Wood, praying Marzi would be there to greet her when she got in.

  ‘No sign?’ said her mother anxiously. ‘Where on earth can he have gone?’

  ‘Ring the police, while I go out in the garden again,’ said Leonie. ‘Better safe than sorry. Someone might have seen him, or picked him up, even.’