Deceit of Angels (27 page)

Anna
couldn’t help giggling.  “That would be confusing.”  She gave it some serious
thought before saying, “Yes, I’d love to move in with you.”

He
bent forward and kissed her.  “Wonderful,” he murmured.

Back
in her room, Anna packed the last of her things.  Then she made her way down to
breakfast.  Ever since her phone call with Dave, she had been filled with
resignation.  There was nothing to do but see it through and hope that her husband
would put aside his bitterness and realise that their marriage was over.  She
really wanted to get on with the process of ending it once and for all and she
prayed that Dave would see his solicitor as soon as possible and not cause any
hindrance to her plans.                         

After
breakfast, there was the hustle and bustle of bags being collected and taken
out to the cars.  The realisation that she really was leaving the Grange made
her sit on the top step of the staircase and lean her head against the
banister, deep in thought.  Jason came through the main entrance and started up
the stairs.  He stopped when he saw Anna sitting at the top.

“Everything’s
loaded and we’re ready to go.  Ben and Mrs Wilby are just saying goodbye to
Mother.”  He grinned.  “I used to sit there when I was a small boy.  I liked to
watch all the comings and goings.”

“It’s
a nice place to sit,” murmured Anna.

“May
I join you?”

Anna
nodded and shuffled over to give him room.  “I’m just collecting my thoughts
before we set off.  I feel that this is a new beginning for us.  We’re going
back to Bishop Sutton changed people.”

“Why’s
that, sweetheart?” he said, glancing around.

“Exactly
that.  When we left you weren’t calling me sweetheart.”

“I
guess not.”

“And
I wasn’t wearing your ring.”

“It
was on my mind, though.”

“And
we weren’t lovers.”

“And
that was definitely on my mind.”

Anna
took in a breath.  “I used to sit on the stairs when I was a little girl and
wait for my dad to come home from work.  And when he came through the door I
would run down and throw myself in his arms.”

Jason
smiled and put his arm round her.  “I can just imagine you doing that.  To lose
your dad at twelve years old seems too much to bear. ”

She
gave a sad smile.  “But even after he’d gone I would sit there, waiting.  Part
of me knew he wasn’t going to come home any more, but part of me wouldn’t
believe it.  I thought that if I just sat there long enough he really would
come through the door again.”

Anna’s
reflections brought a lump to Jason’s throat.  “I lost my father two years ago,
but I was lucky to have him for so long since his health was very poor for
years.”  He gave a grimace.  “But I don’t know how your family coped.”

“We
had no choice.  Dad used to call Elaine and me ‘his little women’.  He was such
a good man, so kind and gentle.  I never knew him to be angry.”

He
squeezed her shoulder trying to bring some comfort.  “You’ve been through a
lot, but I promise that you’ll be happy from now on.  I’ll do all I can to make
you happy.”

“I
know I shall be happy with you, despite having to go through a divorce with a
despicable man.”  She remembered her phone call to her husband.  “When I asked
Dave for a divorce I could almost feel his hatred, even though he was hundreds
of miles away.  I felt afraid and I was so grateful I wasn’t in the room with
him.  I hope to God that Nigel can do what’s necessary without me having to set
eyes on Dave again.”

“Your
husband wouldn’t dare hurt you, not while I’m around,” said Jason, his eyes
turning dark.

She
grinned.  “My hero.”

He
grimaced and then burst out laughing.  “Oh dear, is it old-fashioned now for a
man to want to protect his lady?  Perhaps it smacks too much of chivalrous
knights and damsels in distress.  And you’ve proved how strong and self-reliant
you can be.”

“I
don’t thing I’m a damsel in distress, but every woman dreams of a knight who
will fight for her honour.”

He
smiled with her.  “Now, are you ready?  Ben is champing at the bit to be gone.”

The following
morning, Anna rang Nigel Barnes and gave him the information regarding her
husband’s solicitor.  He reassured her that once they had made contact, events
would start moving.  However, he wanted to make another appointment for her for
the following week.

And
there was a great deal to do during the following week.  Anna soon moved her
things into Jason’s room and made herself comfortable.  Not only was it the
largest bedroom in the house but also boasted a king’s size bed and huge
built-in wardrobe that Anna loved on sight.

They
had arrived back to a mountain of mail that included a wedding invitation from
Sharon.  She was to marry just eighteen days before Christmas Day and everyone
was invited just as she had promised before leaving.  Anna sent an immediate
acceptance and included a short note telling her that the invitation might be
reciprocated in due course.  She smiled as she put the stamp on the envelope
knowing that Sharon would be agog with speculation.

Working
together again turned out to be exciting as well as exhilarating.  They soon
fell into their normal routine and Jason’s life picked up once more with his
endless meetings and trips abroad.  But there was one marked difference and
that was their time in the office was punctuated with the occasional kiss and
caress.

“You’ve heard
nothing?” said Anna in dismay.

Nigel
leaned forward in his chair and put his forearms on the desk.  “I would have
expected something from your husband’s solicitor by now.”

“I
don’t understand.  That was the name he gave me.”  

“We
can only wait until the paperwork arrives.  I’m sure it’s on its way,” he said,
smiling with confidence.  “Are you sure he said he would file for divorce?”

“He
told me to forget the idea of divorcing him, so I assumed he would file.”  She
squeezed her hands together.  “Can’t you write to them and ask them to hurry
up?”

He
grinned.  “I’ve often had those thoughts myself but unfortunately it’s
unethical.”

“What
do you mean?”

“Your
husband might have decided to choose another firm of solicitors.  And if he is
filing for divorce then his solicitor must approach me first.  I’m afraid my
hands are tied until I hear something.”

    Anna glanced
over to the window and watched two pigeons strutting on the ledge.  This was
the second time she had sat in Nigel’s office and she had hoped this
appointment would just be a formality since she had told him the information he
required.

“What
happens if I file?”

“Then
I could approach this firm of solicitors.  Do you want me to do that?”  Anna
licked her lips.  “Unless you can talk to your husband once more and find out
what his plans are?”

She
shuddered at that request.  “Oh dear, I don’t fancy doing that again.”

“It
would move the situation along a bit if you could summon up the courage.”

She
pulled a face but then became more practical.  “What would happen if you didn’t
hear from any solicitor?”

Nigel
sat back in his chair.  This was an awkward question.  “Then I will write to
the one you gave me and say you’re filing for divorce.  However, I think we’d
have a long battle on our hands if your husband denies adultery.”

“And
I wouldn’t get my divorce.”

“Well,
you could still go for unreasonable behaviour.”

Anna
grimaced.  “I’ll have to think about that one, it just seems so much more
complicated.”  She gave a sigh.  “I suppose I could wait the year out.”

He
nodded, understanding.  “I would start proceedings as soon as the year was up,
if you are willing to wait.”

Anna
considered this for a while before saying,  “That could be what he’s after. 
He’s already told me that I’m not going to get a penny so making me wait sounds
just like him.”

“You
have a right to a share of the property.”

    Anna left
Nigel’s office with a heavy heart.  What on earth was Dave up to?  Was he so
vindictive that he would fight her every inch of the way?  As she walked
towards the car she wondered if she could pluck up the courage to phone him
once more.  But she winced at the thought of giving him another opportunity to
insult her.

If Anna thought
her appointment with Nigel was disappointing then this turned out to be insignificant
compared to the news she received just five days later.  Chris phoned to say
that they had to cancel the proposed visit at the end of the month.  It seemed
that both the boys had decided to move into halls that weekend in preparation
for their first term at university and since their lives were so busy at the
moment, he suggested that they postpone their visit until Christmas.  Anna
tried to take it bravely, wiping the tears from her cheeks with a firm hand. 
She understood perfectly that they would need to settle in and if they didn’t
have time to see her then so be it, she had walked out of their lives and it
was unfair to expect them to accommodate her.  But she had looked forward to
them meeting Jason.  Then she wondered if a visit to Wakefield would be in
order, to catch them before they left.

“Sweetheart,
I’m up to my gills in work too so I can’t take you at the moment,” said Jason
sadly, when Anna asked him.

“I
suppose I could travel up there and visit them myself.  I could stay with Mum.”

“What
about your husband?  Is there any chance of your paths crossing?”

Anna
glanced up at him and saw the worried expression in his eyes.  Since their
conversation on the stairs at the Grange, he had become very concerned about
her safety. 

“I
don’t think he would hurt me,” she said. 

“I
wouldn’t like to give him the opportunity,” he replied tersely.

She
didn’t want to cause Jason any worry and decided to wait until Christmas.  

There was one
thing they didn’t have to wait for and that was the arrival home of little
Hollie.  Ben had travelled to Vancouver the weekend the boys should have come
to visit and spent the next four days there before bringing her home.  She
bounded into the house carrying a huge bag of presents and telling everyone a
month’s worth of news in five minutes.  She gave everyone a big hug and then
ran upstairs to see that her room was OK.  Their meal that evening was more
chaotic than they were used to as Hollie told them about Ben’s promise to build
her a Wendy house in the garden.  It seemed that she had played in the one her
mother had had when she was a girl and had taken a serious liking to it.  In
fact, the entire visit had been a great success and Hollie had visited many of
the places linked to her mother’s childhood.

After
the household had calmed down, Jason told his daughter that very soon she would
have a stepmother.

“But
not a wicked one!” laughed Anna.

“Are
you really, really going to get married?” said Hollie, her eyes sparkling with
surprise.

Anna
nodded.  “We’ve decided to get married at the Grange.”

“When?”
she asked.

Taken
aback by the question, Anna turned to Jason for help.

“We’re
not sure yet, sweetie.  There’s lots to sort out,” he said.

“But
Grandma Harrington says it’ll be OK?”

“Oh,
yes.  It’s just that we’ve not set a date yet.”

“Is
everyone invited?”

Ben
answered with a sharp retort.  “Do you think we’re going to stay away?  Not
likely!”

Mrs
Wilby agreed wholeheartedly without taking her eyes from her knitting.

“Can
I be a bridesmaid?”          

Anna
felt startled.  “Goodness, I’ve not thought of that.”  She studied Hollie for a
moment as if pondering the matter.  “What do you think?” she said winking at
Jason.

“She’ll
scrub up OK,” he said nonchalantly.

Anna
held out her arms to the little girl.  “Of course you can.”  Hollie ran to her
and Anna held her in a tight hug.  “Now, I wonder what colour your bridesmaid’s
dress will be?”

“Pink!
Pink!”

“What
a surprise!” said Anna.

Anna didn’t feel
so gleeful when they went to bed that night. 

“Sometimes
I wonder if we’ll ever get married,” she said.

“Now
what’s brought this on?”

She
let out a sigh.  “Nigel said he’ll phone me when he gets the paperwork from my
husband’s solicitor.  But I’ve heard nothing yet and the waiting is killing
me.”

Jason
rolled over and raised himself on one elbow, looking down at her.  “Impatient
to be my wife, eh?” he chuckled.  “Even if things don’t start moving until the
summer, we can still get married next year.”