Deceit of Angels (16 page)

“Well,
she was delighted with it and she’s looking forward to going with Sarah
Orchard, they’ve been friends for years.”

Anna
paused a moment before saying, “Have you finished speaking to Deborah?”

Her
strained voice told him everything and he sighed.  “That woman is evil and I
rue the day I ever set eyes on her!”

“Margaret
said you had a thing about her once.”

“Mother
told you that, did she?  Well, yes, I did go out with her when I was at
university.  After Kiera left, we started seeing each other again.  But then I
realised what a fool I was and finished it.”

“Did
you ever think of marrying her?”

“Everyone
seemed to expect it.  Said we made a lovely couple, or some such rot.  However,
I knew she was a leech.  Takes a man for everything he has.  There’s no giving,
with a woman like Deborah. You know she’s had two husbands already?”  Anna
nodded.  “One is now bankrupt and the other is in a psychiatric hospital.”

“But
that might not have been Deborah’s fault!”

“Anna,
you’re too understanding.  Anyway, I don’t want to spoil the day by discussing
that dreadful woman.”

The
gong sounded for lunch.

The
table looked marvellous, gleaming with bright silver cutlery and cut glass
goblets. Flowers and candles decorated the centre making the whole array a
dazzling invitation.

Jason
took Anna’s hand.  “I sit at one end and Mother at the other.  And you’re
sitting next to me.”

The
diners took their seats and the first course was served.  Anna felt relieved to
see that Deborah was down at the far end of the table, which meant there was no
danger of having to make conversation with her.   She felt uneasy in her
presence and for some inexplicable reason, she knew it was more than the fact
she was Jason’s former lover.

Anna
turned her attention back to Jason who was engrossed in conversation with a
certain Lady Manville who had been seated on the other side of him.  She smiled
to herself at how the elderly woman would often reach across and pat his hand.

She
caught Anna’s eye.  “I’ve known this boy since he was born, my dear.  He’s a
credit to his mother and late father and I’m so delighted to see that he has
such a charming young lady in his life.”

Jason
nodded.  “I can’t believe my luck, Lady Manville.  Anna arrived just when I
needed her.  Perhaps it was our destiny to meet since she travelled a fair
distance to come and work for me.”

“Only
three hours by train, Jason,” said Anna, laughing.

“It
still meant a complete change for you.  A different life.”  He winked at her. 
“And a life that I hope will bring you a great deal of happiness.”

“Yes,
I hope so too,” she whispered.

Lady
Manville watched them for a few seconds, her brow creased in a frown.  “My
dear, I was told that your husband died?  And you nursed him for many years?”

Anna
took a large gulp of wine to steady her nerves.  “I was married…for quite a
long time.  My husband…”

Jason
interrupted her.  “Lady Manville, I don’t think Anna wants to be reminded of
what she’s been through.  Not today of all days,” he said kindly.

“Of
course not.  Oh dear, how unfeeling of me.  Do forgive me, my dear.”

“It’s
OK,” said Anna.  “It’s all in the past.”

She
glanced uneasily at Jason and tried to smile.  She had told the most terrible
lies about her husband and the day of reckoning would come sooner or later. 
How was she going to explain everything?  Suddenly, she felt tempted to tell
Lady Manville that she wasn’t a widow at all.  She wanted to stand up and tell
everyone, to clear the air and set everything straight.  But in her mind’s eye
she saw the horror on the faces of Margaret, Ben and Mrs Wilby as they learnt
the truth.  But worst of all, was that she knew Deborah would lap it up.  She
would enjoy seeing Jason’s new girlfriend falling from grace.  Anna pressed her
lips together and slipped her hand under the table, caressing Jason’s leg.  And
when he reached to squeeze her fingers in response, she took in a huge breath
and smiled.

Margaret
rising to her feet and banging a spoon on the table, interrupted everyone’s
conversation.

“Ladies
and gentlemen, could I have your attention please.”  Having assured herself
that all were listening, Margaret continued. “I’d like to thank you all for
coming to my birthday lunch and I do hope you’ve enjoyed yourself as much as I
have.  Goodness, am I really seventy?  The staff have worked very hard and I’m
sure you’ll agree with me when I say they have surpassed themselves in making
this a wonderful day for me.”  Everyone clapped and cheered.  She went on, “As
you know the village is holding a special fete today in honour of my birthday
and some of you have expressed a wish to attend.  So if those of you who would
like to go would assemble in the drive after lunch, we can all go together.”

“Would
you like to go?” Anna whispered to Jason.

“I’ve
got other plans for us,” he whispered back.

“What
are they?”

“Wait
and see,” he smiled.

She
grimaced and glanced down the table.  Deborah’s hostile eyes met hers and she
shivered.

CHAPTER
EIGHT

A
fter
lunch, the guests milled about, some taking the opportunity of thanking
Margaret, before starting their journeys home.  The rest collected together for
the excursion to the village fete.  Jason disappeared upstairs.  Anna went to
find her jacket from where she had placed it after returning from their trip to
the lake.

While
she was slipping it on, Deborah walked through the hall, her expression
breaking into a sardonic smile when she saw Anna.  Her voice resonated off the
oak-panelled walls like gunfire.

“Are
you going to the fete?”

Anna
shook her head.  “Jason has something special planned for us but I don’t know
what it is.”

Deborah
pursed her lips.  “Yes, I remember his surprises.  Watch yourself with a man
like Jason, you might find yourself out of your depth.”

Her
advice was not well-intentioned and anger boiled up in the depths of Anna’s
stomach. She was tempted to answer with an equally vindictive retort and opened
her mouth to speak.  But then she remembered her father telling her that dignity
is always maintained with silence and pressed her lips together.  But she
couldn’t help raising her index fingers and putting them in the sign of a cross
as Deborah disappeared through the door.

“What
are you doing?” said Jason, grinning.  He had just appeared at the bottom of
the stairs and had witnessed Anna’s strange action.

“Just
warding off the evil eye,” laughed Anna.  He shook his head in exasperation,
knowing exactly what she meant.  She noticed he was carrying a bag containing
golfing irons.  “We’re going to play this afternoon?” she said in amazement. 
“Is there time?  The party’s at eight.”  

“I’m
sure there’ll be time.  For half a round at least.  And if I’m on top form, we
should be lucky enough to get round the entire course.”  He didn’t notice
Anna’s smug smile.

His
mother appeared hauling along another bag of clubs.  Jason hurried across and
took them from her.

“I
think these should be OK for you, dear.  They’ve served me well for many a
year,” said Margaret.

Anna
smiled and took out one of the irons.  She balanced it in her hands and then
took a firm swing at an invisible ball.

“These
will be wonderful.  I should be able to do them justice.”

Jason
took the bags out to the Volvo and put them in the boot.  Within minutes they
were on their way to the golf club, a distance of about eight miles. They
didn’t speak for several minutes, until Anna decided to bring up the subject of
his former lover.

“I
don’t think Deborah likes me and I can’t work out why.  I’ve hardly spoken to
her since we met.”

Jason
sighed.  “She thinks you’ve come between us.”

“Oh,
no, have I?”

“No,
you haven’t!  There was nothing there, for you to come between. That’s why she
cornered me in the parlour before lunch. She wanted to know why I wasn’t
answering her e-mails or returning her phone calls. I told her it was because I
wasn’t interested in her and hadn’t been for the last ten months.”

“Did
you love her, when you were interested in her?”

“If
you’re asking if I enjoyed sleeping with her, the answer is yes.”

“You’re
very honest with your answers.”

“In
this instance, it’s better to be honest. Besides if we’re to have any kind of
relationship, then it’s better if we know the truth about each other.”

“She’s
very beautiful.”

“Now
what are you trying to say?”

“Oh,
that you’re able to make comparisons. I just wondered what score out of ten I
would get from you.”

He
smiled at the idea.  “I don’t give scores to the women I’ve slept with.”

“Have
there been many?” she asked quietly.

Jason’s
smile faded as he pulled the car over to the side of the road, stopped and
pulled on the handbrake.  Anna glanced out of the side window.  She shouldn’t
have asked him that, but she had felt compelled to know.

Jason
touched her cheek gently.  “What’s this all about?”

She
turned to face him and was surprised to see his concerned expression.  “Sorry,
I had no right to ask you that.”

He
pursed his lips.  “I disagree.  Why shouldn’t you know how many women I’ve
slept with.”  He thought for a moment.  “Well, I did have a few girlfriends
before I married, but I don’t think it was excessive.  I was totally faithful
to Kiera while we were living as man and wife, then I had a brief affair with
Deborah after my wife left.  I didn’t keep count, but at a rough estimate I
should say about seven, no perhaps eight relationships in all and that includes
my wife and Deborah.  Now, does that put your mind at rest?”

Anna
felt uncomfortable.  “Thank you for telling me, but it’s none of my business
who you’ve been out with in the past.”  She grimaced.  “Except you can make
comparisons.  If Deborah and your wife are anything to go by, you’ve chosen
some very beautiful women to share your life.”

Jason
smiled, aware that Anna didn’t realise what she had just said.  He decided to
have some fun at her expense.  “Oh, and you can’t understand why I’ve now
chosen a plain Jane?  Well, I guess I’ll just have to grin and bear it.”  She
widened her eyes in surprise and he continued, “Anna, I’m not making any
comparisons. Deborah might be beautiful, but she’s rotten to the core.  I shouldn’t
have got mixed up with her in the first place.  And as for Kiera, I had a few
years of happiness and then it evaporated.  You’ve given me more joy and
contentment in two months than I’ve known for a long time.  You’ve helped me
through a very difficult time and I love you for it.”  He grinned cheekily.
“And the minute I get the chance, I’ll show you how much!”

“If
last night’s anything to go by, you might have a difficult job.”

“Last
night was different.  You had a great deal on your mind, but now you’ve
unburdened yourself from your guilty secret, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t
be very happy.  Come here, you silly girl.”  He enclosed her in a warm embrace.

She
gave a sigh.  “I’m afraid Dave was my first and last boyfriend.  I got married
because we were careless and I found I was pregnant.  I was so naive.”

Jason
began to laugh and pulled Anna closer to him.  “It looks like the sooner you
can make a comparison, the better it will be for both of us.  Perhaps we can
plan something for tonight?”

“No way! 
I’m going to sleep! These last forty-eight hours have been too much for me.”

Jason
feigned disappointment and then holding her tightly, he lightly brushed his
lips against hers, before pressing down with passionate intensity, forcing her
lips apart with his tongue. His hand crept up her body and slipped inside her
jacket, resting gently on her breast.  Anna felt herself sinking into that void
of abandoned pleasure that Jason always seemed to arouse in her. 

When
they finally parted from the kiss, she held her face against his shoulder and
groaned.

“Oh,
God! You make me ache in places, I have no right to!”

“We
could always forget the golf and climb into the back seat,” he murmured into
her hair.

“Yes!
Oh, yes,” she murmured in reply. Suddenly, she realised what she had said and
opened her eyes in fright.  Pushing him away she countermanded it sharply. “Not
on your life! I did that when I was eighteen and it got me into a great deal of
trouble. I’m old enough to know better now. Let’s go and play some golf!”

Jason
shook himself back to reality.  “Yes, ma’am.”

They
finally arrived in the car park belonging to the golf club.  It was an
attractive, modern building, two storeys high with large windows and white
painted walls.  Jason signed her in as a guest and the receptionist gave her a
bright smile and welcomed her.