The Golden Anklet

by Beverly Hansford

  ‘Thanks a million. I’ll be back in a jiffy,’ and with that Jane got out of the car.

  Bob watched her disappear into the hotel lobby. He was intrigued by his newly found companion. She was quite attractive with her slim figure and clear complexion. He liked her practical approach to everything as well. He had felt obliged to help her, in spite of the fact that normally he wouldn’t have taken his old car out in snowy conditions. The way she had dealt with walking on the slippery road surface had surprised him. Many women of his acquaintance would have merely whinged, but she had suffered discomfort to solve the problem. He wondered whether she was married. She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but in this day and age that meant nothing.

  His pondering was broken by her reappearance. She was looking a bit glum. ‘The hotel is completely full. They’ve got a conference on or something,’ she announced as she opened the passenger door and looked in at him.

  Bob received the news in silence. He thought for a moment. ‘There is another place in the village – a sort of bed and breakfast place.’ He spoke slowly as if he were still thinking. In the same breath and with a voice engaging more vigour, he suggested, ‘I could take you there.’ He looked at her enquiringly.

  ‘Oh, please. Would you do that?’ She was already slipping back into her seat and clipping on her seat belt.

  Bob nodded his assent. ‘I’ll take you there. It’s not far.’

  They returned the way they had come, their conversation limited, Jane concerned that she was putting her saviour to a lot of trouble, and Bob concentrating on his driving. The road was quite drivable but it demanded care.

  As they passed Bob’s house, Jane voiced her concern. ‘I feel I’m putting you to a great deal of inconvenience. I’m beginning to feel quite bad about it.’

  ‘It’s not every night I get to play knight gallant.’ He laughed.

  Jane made no reply. She wondered if there was a hidden meaning in his remark. Perhaps not, she thought.

  Within a few minutes Bob had stopped the car outside a large house with a bed and breakfast sign in the front garden. A quick glance told them all they wanted to know. A second notice was displayed: ‘No Vacancies’.

  The shock of this created a few moments’ silence between them. It was Jane who spoke first. ‘Oh, no!’ she exclaimed, looking at Bob, who appeared to be deep in thought.

  Suddenly he turned to her. ‘I can provide you with a bed for the night,’ he announced.

  Chapter 2

  For a few seconds Jane felt stunned. Bob’s suggestion had created the worst possible scenario for her. It was a fear that had been at the back of her mind since she had first accepted his assistance, but desperation had forced her to put it aside. He had appeared quite genuine, anxious to help her and not the sort of man who would take advantage of the situation. Now, however, she was faced with a problem: how to extract herself from an awkward predicament. She hastened to find suitable words to use – kind but firm.

  She turned to him and forced a brief smile. ‘Well, thank you for the offer, but I’m not really a one-night-stand girl.’

  As soon as she observed his reaction she knew she had made a terrible mistake. His face coloured slightly and he struggled to get his words out. ‘Look, I’m terribly sorry… I didn’t mean it that way… It’s just… Well, it’s just that I live on my own and I have a spare room you can use.’ He paused for a second and then he added a bit miserably, ‘You can even lock the bedroom door.’

  It was Jane’s turn to be embarrassed. She had got it all wrong. Somehow she had to try to rectify an awkward state of affairs. She placed her hand gently on his arm. ‘I’m so sorry. I really am. I got your suggestion completely wrong, but you know a girl has to be careful.’ She spoke more softly. ‘And if your offer of a room for the night is still there, I’ll be pleased to accept it, providing there are no strings attached.’

  Bob recovered quickly at her words. He smiled at her. ‘That’s fine. Sorry I didn’t phrase my invitation better,’ he offered, as he put the car into gear and they moved off again.

  For a couple of minutes there was silence between them. It was broken by Bob. ‘Just for the record, I’m not a one-night-stand guy either. I like to get to know women before I invite them into my bed.’ He spoke without looking at her.

  Jane was a bit taken aback by the remark, but given the circumstances she felt that she deserved it. After all, men had feelings as well.

  It was a case of responding gracefully. ‘I know what you mean. Thank you for telling me,’ was her reply.

  It was only a short time before Bob drove the car into his driveway and parked neatly in front of the garage. They both got out, and Bob ushered Jane into the house, turning on the light as they entered.

  Jane looked around her with interest. They were in a small hall, empty except for a coat rack and a side table with a telephone.

  Bob dropped his rucksack on the floor and took off his anorak and hung it up. This short interlude gave Jane an opportunity to study her companion more closely. He was quite nice-looking, really, she thought, perhaps an inch or two taller than she was, even though she was wearing high heels, and he had a mop of sandy hair that was quite attractive.

  Her brief scrutiny was interrupted by Bob speaking to her again. ‘Come into the kitchen,’ he invited. ‘It’ll be warmer in there.’

  Jane followed him into a fairly large bright and cheery room.

  ‘Do sit down,’ he said.

  She chose a convenient chair close to the kitchen table. She felt a bit awkward.

  Bob started to fill a kettle. He turned to her, hesitating. ‘I usually make myself a drink – cocoa or something like that. Will you join me?’

  ‘I’d love to. Cocoa would be fine,’ enthused Jane. She still felt cold, and the thought of a hot drink to warm up was inviting.

  Bob clicked the kettle on to boil as he announced, ‘I’ll just quickly get your room ready. Can I leave you for two minutes?’

  ‘Off course you can. I’m fine.’ Jane smiled at him as he rushed past her.

  She sat alone in the kitchen. She could hear some movement upstairs and wondered what sort of accommodation she would have for the night. She glanced at her watch. It was already past midnight. She still felt a bit bad about misinterpreting Bob’s suggestion and she hoped he hadn’t taken offence. He did seem quite nice and really rather handsome. With his slim build and pleasant smile, he would be eyed up by many women as a potential partner.

  The click of the kettle turning itself off ended her musing. She wondered if she should try to start making their drinks, but at that moment Bob reappeared. He grinned at her. ‘That’s done. Now for the cocoa.’

  ‘Can I help?’ She was anxious to do something instead of just sitting there and being waited on.

  He shook his head. ‘No. You’re a guest,’ he replied, smiling. He was busy for a few minutes making the cocoa, pausing once to enquire whether she took sugar – which she did not. He placed the two mugs on the table and slipped into one of the chairs opposite her.

  Jane clasped her hands around the mug, enjoying the heat. ‘You appear to live very well and be well organised,’ she said, looking at him and then around the neat and tidy kitchen.

  He smiled. ‘That’s really down to Mrs McGinty. She came originally to do some cleaning for me, but now she does everything: washing, the lot. She even tells me when I need a new toothbrush.’ He ended with a little laugh.

  ‘It’s nice to have somebody like that,’ Jane agreed politely.

  They chatted over the cocoa, beginning to feel a bit more relaxed with each other.

  ‘What do you do for a living, Bob?’ Jane asked the question she had been pondering since they met.

  ‘I’m a photographer,’ he replied, looking at her as if enquiring how she would receive the announcement.

  ‘That’s interesting.’ She looked at him encouragingly, inviting more details.

  He continued. ‘I do a lot of magazine work and I also
have an interest in a studio in London. I’m usually there several days a week. I also have a photo stock library.’ He thought for a second. ‘I do a bit of writing as well.’

  ‘Gosh, that’s quite a lot!’ Jane exclaimed, smiling at him.

  ‘It keeps me busy and a roof over my head,’ he replied. His remark was accompanied with one of his grins. He took another drink of his cocoa and studied his guest. He was keen to know more about her. ‘What about you? What exactly do you do?’ He looked at her enquiringly.

  She responded immediately. ‘Do you know ‘Discerning Woman magazine?’ she asked.

  Bob nodded. He remembered that it was an upmarket glossy publication for women.

  Jane continued. ‘I’ve worked for it for about three years now. I’m the features editor. We’re just a small team.’

  ‘I think you used one of my photos once,’ he remarked thoughtfully, trying to remember what the photo was about.

  ‘That’s quite possible. We do use photo libraries from time to time.’

  ‘And you interviewed Angus Pike.’ He chuckled.

  His remark prompted a smile from Jane. ‘Just by accident, really. My colleague Amy, who was going to do the interview, rang in sick, so the task fell into the lap of yours truly. That’s how I came to be completely unprepared for this weather.’ She glanced down at her business suit.

  ‘How did you get on with him?’ asked Bob. ‘He’s got quite a reputation for being unsociable.’

  Jane made a face. ‘An awful person to deal with,’ she announced. She sipped her cocoa. ‘Trying to get his co-operation in the first place was quite difficult. We were at it for twelve months. Then when he finally agreed, he kept changing the date.’

  ‘But you made it in the end,’ Bob interjected.

  She nodded. ‘But not without some aggravation. First of all the appointment was supposed to be for two in the afternoon, then when I rang up to confirm, he wanted to make it six-thirty this evening, so I had to come straight from the office.’

  ‘What was he like to interview?’ Bob asked.

  ‘We didn’t get off to a good start. When I arrived his housekeeper let me in and took me into his studio, where he was still working. He had a model posing for him. He just told me to go and sit down and be quiet until he had finished.’

  ‘Whew. That was some greeting,’ Bob sympathised.

  ‘I know. I had to share a settee with a large, smelly dog. I must have sat there for over an hour and he hardly said a word.’

  ‘What happened then?’ By now Bob was completely intrigued.

  Jane smiled as she recollected her interview. ‘That’s the odd part,’ she explained. ‘When he had finished working, he became quite friendly. He wanted to show me some of his paintings and then he insisted on me staying to supper. That’s when he talked about himself a bit and allowed me to take some notes.’

  She was silent for a few minutes, drinking her cocoa and recalling her time with the eccentric artist. She remembered his appearance, dressed in a dirty pullover and paint-spattered jeans. His mass of grey hair and untidy beard, together with sandals and no socks, had added to his air of eccentricity. In his studio there had been paint everywhere and she had been worried about getting it on her clothes. Her recollections were interrupted by Bob, who was eager to know more about Angus Pike.

  ‘You don’t see a lot of his work in this country.’

  Jane shook her head. ‘No. I think he fell out with the art world here ages ago. He sells most of his paintings abroad, particularly in America. I think he makes quite a lot of money. Some of his work is specially commissioned.’

  ‘His paintings are rather erotic, aren’t they?’ Bob asked, draining the last of his cocoa.

  Jane grinned at him. ‘That’s right. A lot of them have a fantasy theme and feature women in some predicament, usually without clothes. He had a nude model posing for him this afternoon.’

  Bob smiled as she finished speaking. ‘I know. I’ve seen some of his paintings,’ he commented. ‘But you got your interview in the end.’

  ‘Absolutely. I’m really pleased with myself over that. It’s a scoop, because he has flatly refused in the past to be interviewed by the media.’

  ‘You must have charmed him.’

  Jane paused for a few seconds, then she casually remarked, with a slight smile, ‘He ended up by asking me to model for him.’

  ‘Will you?’

  She shook her head. ‘I said I’d think about it.’ She added with a grin, ‘I won’t say no until after the article is published.’

  Bob laughed. ‘Good for you.’

  His remark prompted another smile from Jane.

  There were a few seconds’ silence between them. Bob was becoming attracted to his guest. He still wondered whether she was married. She was surely in some sort of relationship, particularly as she was clearly well into her twenties. He plucked up courage to ask the question that had been at the top of his agenda since they had started chatting. ‘Are you married, Jane?’

  She shook her head. ‘I was. I lost my husband three years ago in a plane crash.’

  A wave of sadness appeared to come over her, and Bob immediately regretted asking the question. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said. ‘That’s a raw deal.’ He felt in the circumstances that his reply was a bit inadequate.

  Jane appeared to want to elaborate. She gazed down at the table for an instant, as if deep in thought, and then continued. ‘I was completely devastated at the time. We were very much in love and had only been married two and a half years.’

  Bob was about to say something, but she changed the subject. She glanced up at the clock on the wall and then at her watch. She turned to him with that smile again. ‘It’s lovely chatting, but it’s morning already and I have to be at work by nine. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll turn in now.’

  Bob jumped up immediately. ‘Of course. I’ll show you your room. It’s all ready.’

  He led the way into the hall. Jane noticed that he had changed into house shoes. She slipped off her own shoes before following him up the stairs.

  On the tiny landing, Bob threw open a door, turned on the light and stood aside to let her pass. ‘Here we are,’ he announced.

  Jane was impressed. The bedroom was small and simply furnished, but it had a homely feel. What took her immediate interest were the articles neatly placed on the single bed. A clean white towel and what looked like a pair of pyjamas were placed side by side. On top of the towel was a new toothbrush in its wrapper.

  Immediately she turned to Bob. ‘Gosh, what room service!’ She gave a little laugh as she spoke, but then became more serious. ‘But I feel I’m putting you to such a lot of extra work.’

  He shook his head. ‘Not at all. My sister Cissy comes to stay with me from time to time and the pyjamas are hers. She’s about your size, and I’m sure she won’t mind you borrowing them. And Mrs McGinty will do the necessary afterwards.’

  ‘I really appreciate your kindness. Thank you very much for all your help.’ Jane really meant what she said.

  ‘It’s been my pleasure. What time would you like a call?’ he asked, adding, ‘I’m usually up and about early.’

  ‘So am I,’ replied Jane. ‘And I’ll have to catch quite an early train.’

  ‘If I don’t hear you about by seven, I’ll give you a knock,’ he offered.

  ‘Marvellous. And thank you again.’ She held out her hand.

  Bob grasped it and, with ‘Good night and sleep well,’ he turned to leave her.

  ‘Good night,’ Jane called after him from the landing as he retreated down the stairs.

  She went back into the bedroom. She picked up the pyjamas and shook them out. They looked as if they might be a bit big, but so what? It was better than sleeping in underwear. She smiled to herself, thinking of Bob’s care and attention to her. He would make a good catch for someone, she thought. She wondered what had caused his divorce. Perhaps he would tell her.

  Her thoughts turned to mor
e practical matters. She could hear Bob pottering downstairs in the kitchen. She took the opportunity. Grabbing the towel and the toothbrush she dived into the bathroom across the landing. Five minutes later she was back in the bedroom. She closed the door and then silently turned the key in the lock. It just gave her that extra feeling of security.

  She undressed quickly and put on the pyjamas. She had been mistaken with her first appraisal of them. They were not as big as she had at first thought, and they fitted her reasonably well. What a nice gesture on Bob’s part to let her use them.

  She turned out the bedside light. She heard Bob come up the stairs and go into the bathroom. For a few seconds she lay back in bed and went over the events of what was now the previous day. First Amy ringing in sick, making her obliged to do the interview with Angus Pike, with the subsequent delays. Achieving her goal, and then missing the last train. If Bob hadn’t turned up, where would she have spent the night? Before she reached an answer she was asleep.

  Chapter 3

  The first spots of rain were starting to fall as Jane emerged from the Underground station. She hesitated for an instant, debating whether she should extract her umbrella from her bag, but quickly dismissed the idea. The Discerning Woman offices were no more than three or four minutes’ brisk walk away.

  She hurried along. She was already running late due to delays on her train. The rain became heavier towards the end of her walk and she was glad to reach her destination. She pushed open the heavy door and climbed the stairs to the first floor. Margaret, the receptionist, was already seated at her desk.

  ‘Good morning, Margaret,’ Jane greeted her cheerfully.

  Margaret looked a bit glum. Her reply was equally flat.

  ‘Good morning, Jane.’ She looked at Jane for a second and then added in a subdued voice, ‘Queen Bee’s back. She’s been asking for you already.’

  Jane grinned. ‘Thanks for the tip. I’ll make myself a coffee and go and see her.’

  Margaret said nothing. Jane smiled to herself. She was aware of how some of her colleagues viewed the magazine’s editor-in-chief. Brisk and domineering, Annette Burrows had a tendency to ruffle a few feathers from time to time. ‘Queen Bee’ was the name the staff called her behind her back.