Act of Betrayal (23 page)

friends,' he added, after a pause during which Laura took a firm

grip on her self-control, 'one of yours was in here last night.

Guy called Alan.' 'Oh,' Laura said guiltily. butI have rather a

conscience about him.' 'Then you don't need to have,' Mike

assured her kindly. 'He was accompanied by a rather plump redhead

who was hanging on his every word. Beth said she would obviously

rather have been having him for dinner than any of our delicious

food. Looked incredibly pleased with himself,' he added

caustically. 'Then I hope it all works out for him,' Laura said

slowly. 'He…he was a nice person basically.' 'But not for you,'

Mike completed for her, and she smiled sadly. 'No, not for me.'

She was silent for a moment, then said with an assumption of

cheerfulness. 'Well, I can't sit here doing nothing. Let me write

out the menus for next week.' ' If you want,' Mike said amiably.

'Although I've no objection to you doing nothing. You do it very

decoratively.' He fetched the draft and the cards and the black

ink, and she sat, concentrating on producing a perfect italic

script. She was halfway through when Bethany's footsteps came

running up stairs. 'It's hell in town,' she announced as she

burst into the room. 'Hot and crowded.' She sat down, kicking off

her shoes. 'Feeling better?' Her eyes were fixed on Laura with a

shade of anxiety in their clear depths. 'How did that interview

go?' Interview, Laura thought puzzled, then her brain cleared and

she remembered Mrs Fitzsimmons and the sad old ladies. She

grimaced. 'Another disaster. Not that I should have let that

weigh with me,' she added.

'A job is a job, and I'm getting desperate. I'm going to take the

next one that offers, no matter what the snags.' There was a

pause, then Bethany said, ' If you really mean that, then perhaps

I could help.' 'You already have above and beyond the call of

duty.' Laura smiled at her. 'You know I can't work here on a

permanent basis. I've explained why … ' ' I didn't mean that,'

Bethany said. There was an odd note in her voice. T wasn't sure

whether to mention this or not—but it could be the answer for

you.' She took a breath. 'One of our customers has an elderly

relative—a grandmother who's looking for a cook housekeeper

right at this moment. The last one has had to leave in a

hurry—from what I can gather her father's had a heart attack

and she's needed to look after him, which has left this old lady

in rather a spot.' 'But how do you know all this?' Laura felt

bewildered. 'The grand-daughter was telling me about it last

night.' Bethany fiddled with her wedding ring. 'Asking me if I

knew of anyone. Apparently the old lady has arthritis quite badly

and has a nurse companion living with her, so there'd be two to

cook for most of the time, although she enjoys good food and

likes to give occasional dinner parties.' She hesitated. 'It

seemed heaven-sent, Laurie, so I — I took the address, if you

want it.' * She hunted through her bag and produced a slip of

paper. 'Near Warwick,' Laura commented half to herself. 'Well,

that should be far enough away. It sounds ideal.' 'Yes.' Bethany

was unhappy and showed it. 'Oh, Laurie, I hope I've done the

right thing by mentioning it. I'm so confused—but you look

so—so sad that I can't bear it.' Mike said to no-one in

particular, 'I'll make some fresh coffee,' and faded tactfully

out of the room.

'But this could be just what I need a fresh start,' Laura urged

persuasively, looking with concern at her friend's down bent

head. Bethany roused herself with an effort. 'Perhaps. I wish I

could be sure. But anything's better than this limbo you've been

occupying lately.' Laura stared at her. 'Anything? Do you know

something I don't? Is Grandma a tartar the terror of the

servants' quarters?' Bethany smiled a little. ' I don't think so.

Her present cook has been with her for fifteen years. It should

be a good sign. I …I didn't ask too many questions because I

didn't know how you'd react if you'd be interested.' 'I'm more

than interested.' Laura stowed the address purposefully in her

bag, 'I'll write as soon as I get home. Thank you, Beth.' Bethany

gave her a quick fierce hug. T don't want thanks. I just want you

to be happy. I only hope this is the way . . . ' Driving back to

the house, Laura thought that Bethany's qualms were quite

understandable. She was too lively herself to appreciate that

anyone could be happy burying themselves in the wilds of

Warwickshire with an arthritic and possibly demanding old lady.

She would think it a retrograde step, even as a temporary

measure. For herself, Laura hoped that this unknown Mrs

Chesterfield would be demanding. I hope she keeps me running, she

thought. I hope I don't have a moment to think. She parked the

car, and ran into the house, taking the stairs two at a time,

only to come face to face with Celia at the top. 'So you're

back,' her cousin said slowly, looking her over. 'As you see,'

Laura returned. T see more than you think.' Celia moved, blocking

Laura's path deliberately. 'Daddy may have been taken in by your

story of an old school friend, but I'm not. Where were you last

night?' Laura shrugged. T went for an interview for a job,' she

said. 'It was late when I got back so I stopped over with Bethany

and Mike. You can check if you want,' she added. 'That won't be

necessary,' Celia said sharply, but there was an underlying note

of relief there too. 'What do you mean a job? You already have

one here.' 'Not for much longer,' Laura said pleasantly. 'From

now on this house is all yours and Mrs Fraser's of course. I wish

you joy of each other.' 'Does my father know?' Celia demanded.

Laura nodded. 'Yes.' 'Well.' Celia gave a short laugh. 'You seem

to have it all cut and dried. Perhaps you're wise too. It can't

be very nice for you to have to watch while the man you were once

married to falls in love with someone else.' Laura lifted her

brows satirically. 'Is that what's happening?' Celia gave her a

venomous look. 'Yes, it is. Jason and I are going to be married,

and I think we'd both prefer it if you were not around. You do

rather tend to be the skeleton at the feast, sweetie, even if you

don't care about him any more. I think it would be less

embarrassing for everyone if you were to take yourself off.' 'I'm

sure you're right, and that's exactly what I intend.' Celia's

malice made her cringe, but Laura maintained a smiling front. 'So

if you'll excuse me . . . ' 'Of course.' Celia gave ground

gracefully, her expression reflecting her satisfaction. She moved

towards the stairs then halted. "There…I almost forgot. Daddy

rang not long ago asking for you. He said, when you came in you

were to join him at the factory. Apparently today's the make or

break meeting with Tristans. No doubt he wants you to soften

their hearts with a delicious lunch. Have fun.' She went on

downstairs, and presently Laura heard her car driving away. She

fought a brief inner battle, then went down to the hall and

telephoned the works, asking for Fergie. ' I hear I ' m wanted,'

she said, when she'd been put through. 'What is it? Another last

minute lunch?' 'Oh, Laura.' Fergie sounded harassed. 'No it's

nothing to do with food, as far as I know. Mr Caswell wants to

see you as soon as possible, he says. Can you come at once?' ,

Laura sighed. ' I suppose so,' she said resignedly. 'What's it

about?' ' I wish I knew,' Fergie moaned. 'This meeting with the

Tristan board started at nine and adjourned about half an hour

ago. They're all having coffee in separate offices at the moment.

They all look very grim and I can only think it's going badly.

Your uncle looks really ill. And we've had the newspapers on

asking if we'll have to close down if we lose this contract.'

'Good God.' Laura was appalled. She made up her mind. 'I'll be

straight over.' She put down the receiver and thought for a

moment. If she didn't write her letter, she would miss the post.

On the other hand, the address slip which Bethany had given her

did have a telephone number. Nothing ventured, she thought, and

dialled. A woman's voice answered, firm and pleasant, and Laura

asked for Mrs Chesterfield. 'She's resting at the moment,' came

the reply. 'I'm Miss Bishop, her companion. Is there anything I

can do?' Rather haltingly, Laura explained. T would have

written,' she concluded. 'But I got the impression from my

informant that the matter was urgent.' 'It certainly is,' Miss

Bishop sounded brisk. 'My cooking skills are confined to a

hundred things to do with an egg, and we miss Marjorie dearly.

Would it be possible for you to come for an interview tomorrow.

Naturally, your expenses would be paid. Shall we say two

o'clock?' 'That would be fine,' Laura said. 'I'll bring my

references.' 'You do that, said Miss Bishop. 'And if they're

satisfactory, be prepared to stay on and cook dinner for us.

We're in dire need of a square meal,' she added plaintively. In

spite of everything, Laura found she was smiling as she put the

'phone down. Miss Bishop didn't sound the sort of woman who would

work for an ogress, she told herself optimistically. She would

pack her case and take it with her, in case they wanted her to

start at once. She could always send for the rest of her things

later. As she drove into the factory car park, she remembered

that this was how it all began. Suddenly, unbelievably Jason had

been back in her life, upsetting everything, destroying the

fragile security she thought she had found. Arriving at the floor

where the executive offices were sited, she found Fergie waiting

restlessly for her. 'Thank heavens you're here,' she exclaimed as

Laura emerged from the lift. ' I f he's asked for you once, he's

asked a dozen times. The meeting's due to start again in a few

minutes, and he's sitting in his office refusing to take any

calls. I've.never known anything like it.' Laura heard her in

dismay. Uncle Martin had always coped with each and every crisis

as it arose. But he was no longer a young man, and clearly the

stress and strain of the past weeks had taken its toll of him as

well. He wasn't at his desk as she went into his office. He was

occupying one of the big leather easy chairs reserved for

visitors, his body slumped. For a moment he looked at her as she

spoke his name, as if he didn't know who she was. Then he said in

a thin voice. 'Sit down my dear child.' She knelt instead beside

him, taking his hand in hers, feeling with alarm that he was

shaking. She said gently, 'You're not well, darling. Shall I tell

these people to come back another day?' 'No,' he said with

something like his old force. 'Laura you told me you intended to

take a job away from here. Have you succeeded in finding anything

suitable?' She could hardly believe it. She said levelly, I think

so, Uncle, but this is hardly the appropriate time to talk about

it. We'll discuss it tonight, if you wish . . . ' 'It has to be

now,' he said heavily. 'Laura, I don't wish to see you dependent

on strangers for your living. It was your father's wish indeed

it's my wish to see you provided for from this company.' 'But I

already am.' Laura began to feel she was living in a dream. 'I've

had an income ever since I was eighteen.' 'But only a pittance by

today's standards.' He looked down at the floor, not meeting her

gaze. 'It has to be increased so that you have enough to live on

comfortably if this job you take should turn out to be

unsuitable. And there's a lump sum too, for you to invest.' Laura

tugged at his sleeve. 'Uncle Martin I don't want this money. I

don't need it. I'm capable of earning my own living, and I have

no intention of becoming a Caswells' pensioner. Besides, the way

things are the company can't afford to be paying .me that kind of

money for nothing.' 'But when the contract is signed, everything

will be different,' he said. 'You must take it, Laura. For your

father's sake, if nothing else. It's what he intended, after

all.' She said gently, 'Daddy wouldn't have wanted me to sponge