Deceit of Angels (40 page)

“Well
done!” said Margaret from the doorway.  “You should be very pleased with
yourself.”

“I
really enjoyed it,” smiled Anna.  “There’s no more now until March, but after
that they come thick and fast.”

Margaret
came further into the room.  “I’ve just had a call from Jason.  He’s decided to
take Hollie on a trip to Florida, to visit Disney World for two weeks.”

“Sounds
lovely.”

“So,
how about you phoning your family and asking them to visit?”

Anna
could hardly speak with surprise.  “I would love to see them.”

“Then
it’s decided.  It’s about time you saw your sons again.”

Anna
was suddenly filled with doubts.  “Please don’t tell them about the baby.  I
want to tell them in my own time.”  She bit her lip hoping that Margaret
wouldn’t be offended, but all she received was a complacent nod. 

The
second weekend that Jason and Hollie were away, Anna’s mother, sister and two
sons arrived at the Grange.

Her
mother and sister were impressed with the Grange and Anna spent hours showing
them round and telling them about her work.  Enquiries about Jason made the
situation a little uncomfortable, since obviously they wanted to meet the new
man in her life after hearing so much about him from the boys.  But Anna kept
her secret and said that he was out of the country, which was the truth. 
Thankfully, no further questions were asked.

The
talk round the dinner table that first evening was convivial at first.

“Why
are you working here now?” asked Martyn, glancing round the impressive dining
room, decorated in soft creams and beige.  “Not that I begrudge you, it’s a
beautiful place.”

His
mother smiled.  “I’m helping Margaret sort out the weddings.  She has lots to
do what with the business seminars and such like.”

Margaret
grinned at the boys.  “And while your mum is here you must come and visit any time
you wish.  You’ll always be welcome.”

The
twins nodded in appreciation.  But then the conversation turned to their
parents’ divorce.

“How
long do you think it’ll be?” said Chris.  Martyn had already told her that of
the two of them, Chris was taking the divorce a little harder. 

Anna
grimaced.  “I’ve been told it will be over by the summer.”  She put her arm
round her younger son and brushed the blond hair from his forehead forgetting
that he was nearly nineteen.  His expression told her how sad he felt and her
heart ached.  “I’m sorry to have to put you through this.”

“But
you still did!” laughed her mother sarcastically.

“Mum!”
said Elaine sharply.  “We agreed it would be a pleasant visit and no bad
feelings.”

Her
mother shrugged.  “It needs to be said.”

Anna
turned on her.  “Elaine is right.  Please don’t spoil your visit.  And besides,
I did what I thought best.”

Her
mother grimaced.  “I know you’re enjoying this new life of yours, Anna.  And I
can see why.  But I think it’s better to persevere with a marriage.  It’s for
better or worse, you know.”

Margaret
felt she ought to intervene.  “But sometimes it’s better to end a marriage that
makes a woman unhappy and it’s worse for the children if she struggles trying
to make it work.” 

Anna cast
her a warm smile.

“Dave’s
not a bad husband,” insisted her mother.  “He’s always been a good provider and
she’s never done without.  She didn’t need to work!”

“Mum,
I told you.  He’s a womaniser,” whispered Elaine.

Her
mother gave an exaggerated sigh.  “Well, it was different in my day.  You just
got on with it no matter what your husband was like.  A woman was happy just to
have a husband what with the war and everything.”

Anna
was glad when Margaret suggested driving the boys and Anna’s mother to see the
farm and she was able to have a peaceful chat with Elaine.  Since Elaine was a
midwife and they had always been close, Anna decided to tell her about her
pregnancy.  They were walking round the garden when she made her confession.

“I’m
due at the beginning of September, but I haven’t told Mum or the boys yet.”

“But
you must tell her.  She’ll love being a grandma again.”

“Perhaps,
but she’s not pleased about my divorce and I can’t imagine her being delighted
about me having a child out of wedlock.  It will be too much like the first
time!”

Elaine
gave a gentle laugh.  “Mum can be old fashioned that way.”

“I
wondered if you’d tell her, but a little later on?”

Elaine
squeezed her hand.  “Of course.  I can’t wait to meet this new man of yours.” 
A thought suddenly occurred to her.  “I suppose you’re going to have to
postpone your wedding if you’re pregnant?”

Anna
nodded not wanting to get into any conversation about Jason.  “I’ll be going
for a scan in April, so after that you can tell Mum.”

“Are
you going to ask the sex of the baby?” said Elaine, her eyes shining.

“I’m
not sure.  Probably not.”

“Oh
well, keeps it a surprise I suppose.”  She studied the Grange and gave a low
whistle.  “Mind you, if it’s a boy, he’s going to inherit one hell of a fortune
when he grows up.”

Anna
smiled.  “Perhaps.”  She swallowed hard at the thought of how things should
have been.  “I’d like to have the baby here.”

Elaine
turned abruptly to face her.  “No, Anna!  You need to be in hospital.”

“I’ll
be well looked after, better than any hospital.”

“You
haven’t had a baby for a long time so your body is starting from scratch. 
It’ll be like having a first baby again and the doctor won’t know what’s going
to happen.”

Anna
was adamant.  “I know it will be OK.”

Elaine
shook her head.  “You’re risking your baby’s life as well as your own!  You’re
a lot older now, there might be complications.”

“Can
you come down and deliver it?”

Elaine
smiled and linking her arm through Anna’s, they carried on walking.

“I
can’t I’m afraid.  I’m not authorised to deliver babies down here.  You’ll have
your own midwife.”

“Sister
Davenport is very good, very competent.”

“And
the doctor?”

“Doctor
Orchard is wonderful.  He’s a friend of the family.”

“Then
I suggest you talk to him and see what he suggests.  But I reckon he’ll advise
you to book into a hospital where there’s the facilities in case anything goes
wrong.”

“Nothing
is going to go wrong.”

“Well,
let’s hope not!”

After
her family had left, Anna had to reflect that the visit hadn’t gone as she had
thought.  She had not realised that her mother would be so hostile to her
divorce, or Elaine so against her having a home birth.  On the subject of her
giving birth at the Grange, she knew everything would be fine.  But more than
that, she had convinced herself that if she had the baby in Jason’s boyhood
home, then Jason would turn out to be the father.  

“I think it
definitely looks like a boy,” said Margaret, bringing the car to a halt at
traffic lights.

“How
can you tell?” laughed Anna.  “It could be just as much a girl.”

“No,
it’s the way he’s punching the air with his fist.  Reminds me of Jason at
school when he won an event on sport’s day.  He used to do just that.”

Anna
smiled and looked down again at the scan picture.  The trip to the hospital had
gone very well and the radiographer had confirmed that she was expecting a
healthy child with nothing to worry about.  But she had declined his offer of
knowing the child’s sex.  That could wait until the birth.

“I
want the baby at the Grange,” she said quietly.

This
sudden statement caused Margaret to grind the gears.  “But I thought you were
booked in at the hospital?”

“I am
but I’ve told Doctor Orchard and the midwife that I want a home delivery.  The
hospital is only a precaution in case anything goes wrong during my pregnancy.”

Margaret
stayed silent for a good thirty seconds.  “I really don’t like that idea,
Anna.”

“Well,
you’re not the only one.  Doctor Orchard and Sister Davenport felt just the
same.”

“I
don’t blame them.  In fact, I can imagine Colin being very reluctant.  It was
his father who tried to deliver my first child and we all know how that went!”

Anna
was more positive.  “Ah, but the sister finally agreed that I’m having a text
book pregnancy and I’m very healthy.  She had to admit that she couldn’t see
any problems with having the baby at the Grange and she told Doctor Orchard
that.”

“So,
Colin agreed?”

“Not
exactly.  He said he’s not going to promise anything until two weeks before the
baby is due.  If everything is OK then, he’ll make his decision.”  She thought
for a moment.  “And you mustn’t forget I’ve given birth to two babies in the
past and I was fine with them.”

“But
I’m sure you didn’t have the twins at home.”

Anna
shook her head slowly.  “No, I didn’t.  But they could have been born at home,
labour and birth were very much straightforward.”

“You
sound as though you’ve made up your mind.”

Anna
stroked the coin now hanging round her neck on a silver chain.  “I really would
like this baby at the Grange.  But I want you to be happy about it.”

Margaret
gave a sad sigh.  “My little Christina didn’t live long enough to draw her
first breath.”

Anna
looked down at the photo again.  “I realise that.  But that was over fifty
years ago and it’s different now.  Doctors are better trained.  And besides,
it’ll only happen if my pregnancy gives no cause for concern.  That’s Doctor
Orchard’s very words.”

Margaret
smiled.  “It would be nice to have a baby born at the Grange.  And a boy!”

“You’re
obsessed with boys,” giggled Anna.

Margaret
hesitated for a moment before saying,  “You’re still wearing your engagement
ring.”

“Can’t
get it off.  My fingers have swollen a little.”

Margaret
gave a half-smile.  “Any more thoughts about telling Jason?” she said, after a
minute of silence.

Anna
looked out of the window watching the people rush by on their various errands. 
She decided to answer a question with a question.  “Does he ever mention me
when he visits?”

“Never. 
Although Hollie talks about you constantly.”

Anna
smiled.  “I miss her so much.”

“And
Jason?”

Anna
glanced at Margaret.  How could she admit that she missed him with a longing
that drove her crazy?  That she ached for the man she loved and yearned to feel
him close, especially at night when she was alone in bed.  How could she
explain how much she had wanted to run into his arms every time he had visited
and confess everything?

“He
still thinks I had an affair.”

“But
he never speaks of it.  Perhaps he’s had second thoughts.  Perhaps he’s
realised that he misjudged you terribly. ”

“Somehow,
I don’t think so.  If he’d changed his mind, then he would have said something
to you.”

“I
might be his mother, but he doesn’t tell me everything.”

They
had reached the gates of the Grange and Anna smiled as they passed through.
Spring had arrived, the bluebells and primroses carpeting the meadows and
woodlands, the daffodils and tulips blooming either side of the drive and in
the garden.  All around her the world was bursting into life, the trees just
starting to bud with cherry blossom.  But then her smile faded at the thought
that Jason had put her into the past along with Kiera.  He thought her a
faithless woman and he would never forgive her.

“You’ve lost
another one!”  Graham studied his business partner with concerned eyes, this
state of affairs couldn’t go on for too long.

“I’m
sorry, I did my best,” said Jason dryly.

“I
don’t think you did.  You’ve not been right since Christmas.  In fact, not
since you and Anna separated.”

“Anna
has nothing to do with it!  It’s more difficult to win contracts now.  There’s
more competition.”

Graham
knew he was making excuses.  “That’s not the case!”  He checked the computer. 
“We’ve lost three contracts in as many months.  If this carries on, we’ll all
be looking for new jobs.”

“We’ve
got the Singapore contract.”

“Thank
goodness for that!  But it won’t keep everyone occupied.  The last thing we
want is to start laying people off.”

Jason
was sitting in Graham’s office.  The trip he had just come back from had been
an unmitigated disaster.  He had not clinched the deal and worse than that,
their main competitor had won it instead.  He glanced through the glass
partition separating Graham from the main office.  The employees of Harrington
Rhodes Shipping Agents were going about their business as usual.  He knew most
of them by name and his heart sank at the thought of them losing their
livelihoods.  They depended on him and he was letting them down.