‘We’ll call in on our way home tomorrow,’ Claire said, which seemed to satisfy Aimee.
‘We took Mam with us to see Margot,’ Ena said to Bess.
‘That’s good. I’ll get her to come up for lunch tomorrow, to meet Nancy. I might be calling on her to babysit during the week.’
Turning at the same time, Bess’s sisters looked surprised. ‘Long story, which I shall tell you about some other time, but Maeve has had to go Ireland. Only for a week,’ she added, for the benefit of the child, ‘so Nancy is staying here with Frank and me. Frank’s in Kirby Marlow now, picking up Nancy’s clothes. Then he’s taking Maeve to the station.’ She looked at her watch. ‘He should be back soon.’
‘Right, I’m parched. Who’s ready for tea?’ Ena called and, like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, she led the children out of the office.
‘Where does she get her energy?’ Bess said. Linking her arm though Claire’s arm they followed their youngest sister to the dining room.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The next morning after breakfast, Ena, Bess, Frank and Nancy, went outside to wave Claire and Aimee off. The sisters hugged and kissed each other. Claire said she’d let them know how long they’d be in France, and Bess and Ena wished her lots of love and luck.
While the grown-ups were chatting, Aimee and Nancy said goodbye. Aimee put her arms around Nancy and told her that she would see her soon. ‘Best friends?’ Aimee said, kissing her on the cheek as her mother had done to her sisters.
‘Best friends,’ Nancy reciprocated, kissing Aimee back.
Touched by the scene between the two children, Frank lifted Aimee onto the passenger seat of the car, tucked the car rug round her, and closed the door. Nancy reached up and took hold of Frank’s hand and, with Bess and Ena, they waved goodbye to Claire and Aimee.
Walking back into the hotel, Nancy gazed up at Frank. ‘Can I see the pony?’
‘Yes, if it’s all right with Auntie Bess. You didn’t have anything planned, did you, love?’
Bess shook her head. ‘Only a cup of coffee and a natter with Ena. See you two later,’ she said, following Ena into the hotel to the office.
‘What with one thing and another, I didn’t get chance to ask you how Margot was last night,’ Bess said, putting on the kettle.
‘Blooming. She’s bored of course, as you can imagine she would be. She says she wants to go home.’
‘What, after only a couple of days?’
‘Yes.’ Ena brushed the air with her hand, as if to flick the idea away. ‘You know what she can be like. The hospital won’t let her go home of course, it’s far too soon. Even if the baby hadn’t been premature it would be too soon.’
‘There isn’t anything wrong with her, is there?’
‘With Margot?’ Ena laughed.
‘No, the baby.’
‘She’s perfect. You said yourself, it’s because she was early that the doctors are monitoring her, Margot too. Hospitals keep new mums and babies in for a week, even if they go full term. Margot knows that. She’s worried that, because Natalie was three weeks early, they’ll make her stay in hospital until the date she should have been born.’
‘Natalie?’
‘Yes. Natalie Elizabeth Goldie. Elizabeth’s after you.’
‘Natalie is after Natalie Goldman, and Goldie is the name of her dancer friend who she helped escape from David Sutherland in the war. I wonder if Bill had a say in choosing the baby’s name?’
‘I don’t think he cares what she’s called. He’s so happy, he’d agree to anything.’
‘He’s a lovely man.’ Bess poured two cups of coffee and took them over to Ena who was sitting on one of the easy chairs by the unlit fire. ‘And what about your lovely man?’ she asked, putting their cups on the small coffee table and sitting down in the chair opposite.
A frown crept across Ena’s face. ‘I don’t know. He and Inspector Masters are somewhere up north on a job. That’s all he could tell me.’
‘As soon as there’s anything to report, I’m sure he’ll telephone you.’
‘That’s the worrying part. Henry always phones to let me know where he is.’ She picked up her cup and took a drink. ‘I shouldn’t be telling you this, but if I don’t tell someone I’ll go out of my mind with worry. You mustn’t say anything--’ Bess shook her head. ‘Sorry, I know you won’t.
‘They’re hunting down Hawksley’s associates; the chain of command that’s in place along the route to South America. It’s a massive organisation of seemingly innocent businessmen who are Nazi sympathisers. They each bring something different to the group. Some have safe houses, others are forgers, or arrange the forging of documents like birth certificates and passports. Many speak foreign languages. There’s even a couple of high-powered bank managers among them who are able to hide large amounts of money to dish out when necessary.
‘If MI5 and the Metropolitan Police are successful in capturing these people, the organisation will be shut down forever. If they don’t succeed, and they’re caught-- Well,’ Ena inhaled deeply, ‘it doesn’t bear thinking about. Fascists are not the kind of people to say “Gotcha, now be good lads and skedaddle.”’
Ena pushed herself out of her chair and stretched. ‘I need some fresh air. Blow my worries away. I’ll walk down to see Mam. Bill’s parents are going to the hospital this afternoon, so shall I tell her that we’ll take her in tomorrow or Tuesday?’
‘Yes. Bring her back with you, will you? Claire was going to tell her to come up for lunch when she called in with Aimee. I’ll make a start on this week’s book-keeping while you’re gone.’ Ena left the office and Bess went over to her desk. She took a pile of receipts from one drawer and the accounts ledger from another. But before she had time to take out her pen, Ena was back.
‘Bess, there’s someone here to see you?’
The look on Ena’s face told Bess that she was shocked by the arrival of the unexpected visitor. Bess flashed Ena a questioning look, but before she had time to introduce the person with her, Katherine Hawksley stepped cautiously into the room.
‘I’m disturbing you,’ she said nervously, her eyes flitting from Bess to the paperwork on her desk.
‘Not at all, Miss Hawksley.’ Bess made a wide arc with her arm dismissing the papers. ‘Accounts are my husband’s domain. I was only filling in time. It can wait.’ Bess walked round the desk and offered Katherine Hawksley her hand. The young woman shook it. She was trembling. ‘Won’t you sit down, Miss Hawksley?’
Katherine perched on the edge of the chair that Ena had vacated, and Bess returned to the chair that she had been sitting in.
‘I’ll leave you two to talk,’ Ena said, opening the door.
‘Would you take Nancy with you to Mam’s, Ena? Tell Frank not to worry about the accounts. And tell Jack to take a message if anyone rings for me.’
Smiling goodbye to Bess and including Katherine, Ena left the office, closing the door firmly behind her.
Katherine Hawksley sat with her head down and picked at the edge of her handkerchief. She was physically shaking. ‘It’s chilly today,’ Bess said, taking a box of Swan Vestas from the shelf at the side of the fireplace. Striking a match, she put the small blue flame to the newspaper beneath the kindling in the grate. The paper caught instantly, igniting the dry wood, and Bess soon felt warmth emanating from it. ‘Would you like a hot drink?’ Bess asked, replacing the matches. Katherine shook her head.
Katherine leaned nearer to the fire and stretched out her hands, while Bess busied herself pouring a cup of coffee, which she took back with her. After taking a couple of sips, Bess put the cup on the shelf next to the box of matches. Whatever it was that had brought Katherine Hawksley to see her at the hotel, against McGann’s wishes, must be important Bess thought.
‘Feeling warmer, Katherine? I can call you, Katherine, can’t I?’ With her gaze fixed on the flames devouring the wood and licking around the coal, the girl nodded. ‘And you can call me Bess.’
‘
Bess,’ Katherine repeated.
Bess didn’t want to push Katherine for fear she would clam up, but she could tell by her troubled expression that the poor girl was weighed down by something painful that she needed to get off her chest. ‘Would you like to tell me what is making you unhappy, Katherine?’
‘Yes,’ she whispered. She looked at Bess through red-rimmed eyes. ‘He used to come into my room at night after my father had turned in and lay on my bed.’
‘Who did, Katherine?’ Bess asked, fearing she knew the answer to her question.
‘David. At first it was just that. He would just lie next to me. Then,’ she held her breath and buried her head in her hands.
‘Take your time.’ Bess reached out and gently touched Katherine’s arm.
Katherine looked up, her eyes wide, tears falling onto her cheeks. ‘Then,’ she took a juddering breath, ‘one night he-- touched me.’ She fell silent as if the words were too distressing to say. ‘The next night,’ she said at last, ‘he came to my room again. He got into bed with me and he touched me again. He asked me if I liked it. I said no. I told him to stop, but he laughed. He said when a woman says no, she means yes. I said if he didn’t stop I’d scream, and he said there was no one to hear me. I told him Daddy would hear me. I said my father would come in and throw him out, but he laughed again and said, your old man’s drunk, he won’t hear anything until the morning.’
‘Did you tell your father in the morning?’
‘No. David said if I told him he would say that I had gone to his room and asked him to come back to mine. He said he’d tell him that I’d led him on, teased him, and that it was me who wanted--’ She lowered her gaze and whispered, ‘sex.’
‘Surely your father wouldn’t have believed him over you, his own daughter.’
‘David said he was a hero, a respected officer in the Association, and that everyone would believe him over a silly girl.’
‘Association?’
Katherine caught her breath and put her hands over her mouth.
‘What is it Katherine?’
She shook her head. She had clearly said something she shouldn’t.
‘I’ve said too much. I’ve got to go.’ Katherine jumped up. ‘I shouldn’t have come here, but I wanted to tell you that I was sorry about - what he did to you - in London before the war.’
‘He told you that he raped me?’
‘Yes, on New Year’s Eve. He didn’t use that word. He said you had wanted him to do it. He said you were asking for it, like I was. It was then that I knew he’d raped you, because I didn’t want him to do it to me, but he did it anyway. He raped me, Bess, and he said it was my fault.’
Bess stood up and wrapped her arms around the girl. ‘It was not your fault, Katherine. None of it was your fault.’
‘I’ve got to go.’ Easing herself out of Bess’s arms, Katherine took a step backwards. Her eyes searched Bess’s face, as if she was wondering whether she could trust her. Bess was sure Katherine wanted to tell her more, but the frightened girl ran to the door.
‘You know where I am if you want to talk again, Katherine.’ Bess called after her.
Katherine’s steps faltered and she turned and faced Bess. ‘You saw me, didn’t you?’
‘When, Katherine? When did I see you?’ Katherine didn’t answer. She had the frightened look of a cornered animal in her eyes. The same look that Bess had seen on the day Katherine ran in front of the car on Lowarth High Street.
Afraid that she would run away again, Bess went to her and slowly led her back to the chair next to the fire. When they were both seated, Bess said, ‘Are you referring to the day you ran in front of the car, or to New Year’s Eve?’
‘New Year’s Eve.’
‘What did I see on New Year’s Eve, Katherine?’
‘Me, kill David Sutherland.’
Bess heart almost leapt out of her chest. ‘I did see you on New Year’s Eve, Katherine, but you didn’t kill David Sutherland.’
Tears fell from the tormented young woman’s eyes. ‘Mrs Burrell saw me too, and that American.’ Bess had to stop and think who the American was. Then the penny dropped. The American was a Canadian, her brother-in-law, Mitch. Bess didn’t correct Katherine about the man’s nationality. She hadn’t told McGann about him when he questioned her on New Year’s Eve. It would look suspicious if she acknowledged his presence now.
‘Yes, Margot and I both saw you. You were running away from David Sutherland.’
‘That was afterwards.’ Katherine took a deep breath that made her thin frame shudder. ‘Before that he said he was going to give me what he’d given that snotty bitch in there.’ Katherine looked embarrassed repeating Sutherland’s words. ‘He meant you,’ she whispered.
‘I know,’ Bess said, nodding sympathetically in an attempt to ease Katherine’s discomfort.
‘He grabbed hold of me and pulled me to him. I was so frightened I kicked out and the toe of my shoe caught his shin. He cursed and slumped, but he didn’t fall down, so I hit him as hard as I could with my handbag and I ran.’
‘But you didn’t see him go into the water, did you?’ Katherine shook her head. Looking at the thin frightened girl before her, Bess found it difficult to believe that she could hit anyone hard enough to knock them off their feet, let alone send someone the height and weight of David Sutherland flying into a frozen lake. Bess needed the poor girl to understand that. ‘So,’ she said, looking into Katherine’s face and waiting until Katherine looked into hers, ‘You can’t be sure it was because you hit Sutherland that he fell into the lake and drowned. Well, can you?’
‘No, but--’
‘No buts, Katherine! I think you should go home now, but first I want you to promise me that you won’t tell anyone what you have just told me.’ Lines appeared on the young woman’s brow. She looked confused. Bess couldn’t tell her that Sutherland had also been stabbed, because when Henry told her, he had sworn her to secrecy. Even so, Bess felt it was her duty to make Katherine understand that she had not killed David Sutherland.
‘Katherine, hitting a man as big as Sutherland with a handbag would have at worst knocked him off balance. He may even have slipped down the bank into the water. But a blow from you would not have knocked him unconscious, so that he drowned. He was a strong man, he’d have been able to climb out of the lake in seconds. Believe me, Katherine, you did not kill David Sutherland.’
Bess saw the worry noticeably lift from Katherine’s shoulders and relief spread across her face in a thin drawn smile. ‘Thank you, Bess.’
‘There’s no need to thank me, Katherine. That man put you through a terrible ordeal. Added to which, for nine months you believed you had killed him. I wish you had talked to me sooner.’
‘I wanted to tell you that day at the bus stop, in the spring. I was desperate to tell you, but my father and Sergeant McGann had forbidden me to speak to you.’
‘I understand.’ Bess wanted to ask Katherine about her mother, but feared asking her outright would upset her more. She waited a moment, and then said, ‘Do you have any one to talk to, other than your father? An aunt, perhaps, or a female friend?’
Katherine shook her head. ‘My aunts abandoned us when my mother died. Dad said they had never liked him. He said they were jealous because he was rich. Once, when I asked him about my mother, he said she had only married him for his money, and if it hadn’t been that she got pregnant with me, he would have divorced her.’
Bess saw in Katherine Hawksley’s eyes the years of sadness and the pain that her vile fascist father had caused her by saying such wicked things. She watched helplessly as huge tears fell from them. ‘Dad said my mother never wanted me.’
Bess could stand it no longer. She leapt out of her chair, knelt in front of Katherine and clasped her hands. ‘I want you to promise me that if you are ever frightened, worried, or just need someone to talk to, you’ll come and talk to me.’ Katherine nodded and with a sad, lost look in her eyes, sniffed back her tears.
<
br /> Bess left Katherine by the fire and went over to her desk. She lifted the telephone. ‘Would you put me through to Clarke’s taxis, please, Jack?’
‘Hello, Mr Clarke, this is Bess at the Foxden Hotel. Do you have a taxi available?’ She waited. ‘One passenger to be picked up here and taken to Kirby Marlow. Thank you.’
As they walked out of the hotel the taxi was coming up the drive. Bess gave Katherine one of the hotel’s cards with her telephone number on it. ‘Telephone me anytime,’ she said, pressing the small white card into Katherine’s hand. ‘And,’ she added, ‘forget about David Sutherland.’
The taxi pulled up in front of the hotel and Katherine started down the steps. Halfway she turned and ran back to Bess. ‘I told my father I thought I’d killed David and he told Sergeant McGann.’ Katherine held Bess’s hands so tightly her fingernails dug into the soft flesh of Bess’s palms. ‘My father would kill me if he knew I had told you this, but--’ Katherine faltered. Bess held her breath in case she changed her mind and didn’t tell her what was so important that she feared retribution from her own father. ‘Beware of Sergeant McGann. He is a wicked man.’
‘What do you mean, Katherine?’
‘He said it didn’t matter that I had killed David Sutherland, because he was going to pin the murder on you.’ Bess felt a wave of heat like a knife slice through her and the sickly taste of bile rise from her stomach to her throat. She swallowed hard. ‘He said he had a way to make it stick. But don’t worry,’ Katherine said, her expression one of stubborn defiance, ‘I won’t let him blame you. I won’t let anyone blame you.’
Bess’s stomach turned into a sea of nausea and cold sweat trickled down her back. The innocent daughter of the head of the Fascist Association in England was prepared to put her life in danger for her. Bess couldn’t let her do that. ‘I appreciate you telling me this Katherine, but you must now stay out of it. Do you understand?’
Katherine nodded and ran down the steps. ‘Be careful!’ Bess called, as she got into the taxi.
Foxden Hotel (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 5) Page 18
