Deceit of Angels (19 page)

This
time was very different from the previous one and very different from anything
Anna had ever experienced before.  Jason murmured endearments as he made love
to her and she cried out with the emotion that made her tremble with ecstasy. 
For the first time, Anna reached the height of sexual arousal and afterwards,
Jason stroked her hair and kissed away the tears that spilled onto her cheeks. 
Anna couldn’t believe that she had been a married woman for nineteen years, for
that night she might as well have been a young girl in the throes of her first
love affair.  She now knew the true meaning of being loved and as she fell
asleep in Jason’s arms, the world was wonderful and life worth living.

 
CHAPTER
NINE

T
he following day, everyone awoke to a
heavy, leaden sky filled with rain.  The sun made a valiant effort to put in an
appearance whenever a gap opened up in the clouds, but it seemed that the end
of summer was determined to enter into battle with the start of autumn.

Anna
tied up her hair with a band, lowered herself into the hot water, lay back and
relaxed.  She closed her eyes and smiled as the bubbles tickled her chin.  How
she would miss this wonderful bathroom when they left the Grange on Sunday. 
Her thoughts drifted back to the night before when she had gone to Jason’s
room.  The feelings he had awakened in her had been unbelievable; emotions that
she had never known existed.

She
opened her eyes and held up her left hand, moving her fingers so that the water
ran over her wedding ring.  Why in all the years she had been married, had she
never experienced an orgasm with her husband?  And yet she knew the answer was
simple, she didn’t trust him.  And the distrust didn’t just stem from his
suspected infidelities.  She was anxious for her sexual health.  Although she
had visited the clinic regularly and thankfully had been reassured that all was
well, advice that her husband should use extra protection went unheeded.  Dave
was furious, telling her it was unnecessary and an insult, since it insinuated
his guilt. 

Anna
sighed. Why had she persevered for all those years?  Jason had made her see
sense and when he looked at her, she felt like a desirable woman, a woman to be
cherished.  If it hadn’t been for her boys and the need to give them a stable
home, she would have left Dave years ago.  Suddenly she felt angry and tore the
ring from her finger flinging it across the room.  She heard it clatter into
the sink and wondered if it had gone down the plug-hole.  Never mind, she
thought, the sewer was probably the best place for it.

Jason
had woken her in the early light of dawn, kissing her eyes and lips and throat. 
His love making that morning had been gentle but much more ardent and Anna had
responded with a passion that seemed almost frenzied.  Afterwards, she had felt
embarrassed at her loss of control but he had whispered his wonderful words of
love and reassured her that it was nothing to be ashamed about.  He had not
wanted her to leave when the time finally came, but Anna still hadn’t the
courage to stay and be discovered by the others.  He had let her go
reluctantly, catching her hand and kissing her fingers as she left his bed.

There
was a gentle knock on the bathroom door.  Anna sat up, startled out of her
reflections.

“Sweetheart,
are you in the bath?”

“Yes,
I’ll be with you in a moment.”  She went to stand up and then realised with a
grin that Jason was familiar with every part of her and it would be silly to be
shy in his presence.  She sank back down into the bubbles.  “You might as well
come in.  The door’s unlocked.”

He
came in and gave a cheeky smile.  “Now, that’s what I call a lovely sight.”  He
bent to kiss her.  “I’ve come to tell you that my solicitor wants to see me.  I
guess about Kiera’s will.”  He sat down on the edge of the
bath.                  

“I
thought that was all sorted.”

“Kind
of.  But Kiera had shares in the company and she’s probably willed them to me. 
I’ve just had a phone call from Nigel Barnes.  He’s an old school chum and also
my solicitor.  He wants me to go and see him.”  He stared down at her.  “Fancy
coming with me?”

Anna
smiled but then gave a sigh.  “Will you be gone long?” she asked.

He
shrugged.  “A few hours perhaps.  You could shop while I pop into his office.”

She
suddenly felt cold.  “Could you pass me a towel, please.”

Jason
went over to the rail by the sink and brought back a large bath sheet.  Anna
stood up and he wrapped it round her and steadied her as she stepped out onto
the mat.  His arms came round her.

“Dear
lord!  The things you do to me,” he murmured, kissing her wet shoulders.

She
made a decision.  “No, I won’t go with you.  I want to tell the others, Jason. 
While you’re away, I want to tell them my true situation and why I had to leave
my family.”

“Are
you sure?  It can wait.”

“I
don’t think it can.”

“Would
you like me to tell them?  I can explain it from my point of view and then it
might sound more rational.”

“No,
I must do it and it must be done today.”

“OK,
but I know they’ll take it well.”

“If
they don’t, then I’ll escape in my new car!”

He
grinned and chucked her under the chin.  “As long as it’s only as far as Bishop
Sutton.”  He contemplated her for a few moments.  His voice was hesitant as he
added, “If you’re going to spill the beans, then perhaps I should speak to
Nigel about starting divorce proceedings?  I could pave the way for you.  You
don’t have to do anything yet, it’s just….” 

She
smiled at his difficulty.  “Yes, do that, please.  In fact, make an appointment
for me.”

He
sighed with relief and then he was gone and Anna was left to get dressed. 
Before she made her way down to breakfast, she searched the bathroom for her
wedding ring.  It wasn’t in the sink or on the floor.  Oh well, she thought,
someone in the sewage works will get a surprise when they find it.

No
one was about in the dining room and Anna ate her breakfast alone.  Fran
bustled in carrying a pot of fresh coffee.

“Where
are the others?” Anna asked.

“Oh,
they’ve gone to the farm, miss.  Farmer’s just bought some heifers and Madam
has gone to look them over.  They said they’ll be back about ten.”

Anna
decided to walk round the garden, her thoughts on what she would say to them
when they returned.  She must be clear and logical, she told herself firmly,
they would understand if she explained it all in an intelligent manner.  The
sky was still very grey, but now and again the sun would break through making
the various shades of green shimmer.  She passed the flowerbeds of pink and red
bizzy lizzys and blue lobelia, the colours vivid.  By the time she went back to
the house, she had perfected her speech word for word. 

Fran
was bringing the tray of crockery from the kitchen in readiness for morning
coffee, so Anna settled herself in the parlour.  When she finally heard the
front door open and a draught of chilly air swept through the room along with
the noise and laughter of the others returning, she took in a huge breath.  She
was ready and after it was done, she would set the wheels in motion to end her
awful marriage.

Jason sat back
in his chair and stared at his friend in disbelief.  He was in the office of
Nigel Barnes, his solicitor, and he had just listened while Nigel had read from
the document in front of him.

“Kiera
didn’t leave the shares to me?”

“I’m
afraid not.  It seems that she left them to Peter Shelby.”

Jason
blinked hard.  “Why, on earth would she do that?”

“I
drew up this will for her when she was planning to marry.”

“But
he left her!  The bastard didn’t even stick around to help her through it.”

“And
her illness was quite short, mercifully.  It could be that she simply forgot
about the shares.”

Jason
shook his head in resignation.  “Well, there wasn’t many, if I remember
rightly.”  Nigel looked uncomfortable.  “Is there more to this?”

Nigel
nodded.  “I’ve heard that Shelby is planning to sell them.”

“That’s
his prerogative!”

“And
I’ve also heard that Deborah Gilbert-Hines is keen to invest in your company.”

“Never
knew she was interested in stocks and shares.”

“Well,
she’s become very interested in Harrington Rhodes Shipping Agents.”

Jason
couldn’t help smiling.  “Investment is a good thing and can only help the
company grow.  As long as Graham and I have the major shareholding, I don’t
care what she does.”

“Yes,
but be warned.  She might attend the shareholders meetings and make a right
nuisance of herself.”

Jason’s
smile turned into a grin.  “As long as she gets her dividend, I’m sure she’ll
have no quibble with us.”

Nothing
more could be discussed and Jason decided to take his leave.  The two men stood
and Nigel walked round the desk to shake Jason’s hand.

“I
was sorry about Kiera.  She was a lovely woman.”

Jason
sighed.  “Yes, it was a sad loss to her family and especially for Hollie.”

“How
is the little monkey?”

“She’s
gone to Vancouver to stay with her grandparents.”

“Oh,
good.  Well, when you see her next, tell her it took me ages to get the talcum
powder out of my car!”

Jason
couldn’t suppress a smile.  “Sorry about that.”

“I
also hear you have a new lady in your life?”

“News
does travel fast!”

“I
also hear she’s a widow.  Annie is it?”

“Anna. 
And about her being a widow, well, that’s not strictly accurate.  Actually, she
is married, but now wants a divorce.”

Nigel
raised his eyebrows.  “And she wants me to act for her?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then
we’ll make an appointment for her on the way out.”

After
Jason had left, Nigel went back to his desk.  He had known Jason Harrington for
twenty-five years and had never known him to back out of fight in his entire
life.  Nigel smiled as he remembered his first meeting with Jason.  They were
at school although Jason had been in the year above him.  Bullying had never
been allowed at their boarding school and could be severely punished by
expulsion.  However, Vickers didn’t seem to care if he was expelled and had
picked on the weaker, younger boys mercilessly.  Not that Nigel had thought
himself as weak, it was just that his height and slight stature had made him a
target for Vickers and his sadistic ways.

Nigel
had been cornered in the prep room one afternoon and Vickers had held him up
against the wall in a vice like grip that could have squeezed the life out of
him.  He had done his best to punch and kick his assailant but Vickers was too
big and strong for it to have any effect.  Suddenly, Nigel had dropped like a
stone to the floor and had watched in surprise as his tormentor was dragged
backwards and then sent flying across a table as a fist hit him full in the face
with a resounding crack.  And that’s how he and Jason had first met.  They had
become firm friends after that and Vickers was shipped back home.  It was Jason
who had encouraged Nigel to take up kick boxing as a means of self-defence. 
And he had done well at it, achieving black belt second dan standard by the
time he was in his late teens. 

He
lost touch with Jason after they had left school and it was years later that
they met up again, in a restaurant, when Kiera was heavily pregnant with
Hollie.  And so they had resumed their friendship and Nigel had become Jason’s
solicitor.  Nigel closed the file in front of him and sighed.  It was sad about
Kiera, but there again, Jason had found someone else and seemed quite smitten. 
Nigel thought over what his friend had told him.  Her name was Anna and she
wasn’t a widow after all.  He shrugged indifferently.  Stories along the
grapevine always became distorted.  

The others
joined Anna in the parlour for coffee.  She listened to their happy banter
about their visit to the farm and smiled when they mentioned how the rain had
made the smells more pungent forcing them to leave earlier than expected.  And
then came a lull in the conversation.                                 

“I’ve
something to tell you all,” said Anna, putting down her cup and noticing that
her hands were shaking.  Three pairs of eyes turned in her direction.  “And I
really, really hope that when I’ve finished you’ll understand.”

Margaret
smiled and raised her hand as if to stop her.  “My dear, if it’s about you and
Jason, and the fact you’ve…well, fallen in love and intend to get married. 
Then we already know.”

Ben
jerked his head round to her.  “Since when did we know?  I didn’t know!”

Mrs
Wilby gave him a playful slap on the hand and told him to ‘shush’ since now he
did know.  Anna felt as though her heart had stopped beating with the shock.