Flowers for My Love (19 page)

The evening passed without incident with everybody enjoying themselves. Music was provided by a record player and the buffet next to the room cleared for dancing was well attended, Davina wandered among the guests with Nick as champagne flowed freely. Darren, she noticed, was drinking his share. He was with Cheryl and a group of young people and Davina realised that she did not know half the guests while Nick appeared to know them all.

Darren and Cheryl left around midnight with Juleen and Jocelyn who were giving them a lift home. Darren was unusually merry and Davina caught his arm as he staggered to the car.

‘You’ll have a bad head tomorrow,’ she told him.

He shook her arm off roughly. ‘I bet you wilt too,’ he growled rudely. ‘Don’t forget—no babies.’

Davina was still trembling when the car had gone. Then Nick’s arm was around her.

‘Cold?’ he asked gently.

She laughed and shivered. ‘Not really. Just someone walking over my grave.’

He lifted a brow. ‘That’s a strange expression to use on our wedding night. Come on, let’s find Mother and Dad—it’s long past your bedtime.’

DAVINA opened her eyes to a room flooded with sunlight. The place beside her in the big bed was empty with only the indentation in the pillow to show that Nick had been there.

Nick! her heart cried out desolately.

It was some minutes before she could force herself to go through the events of the previous evening. Then step by step she went through it remorselessly. Most of the guests had gone when they met up with Nina and Jocelyn to say goodnight and to thank them for all they had done.

Nina had taken Davina aside for a moment.

She said warmly, ‘I’ve haven’t seen Nick look so happy for a long time. Thank you, my dear, for making him so.’

Tears forced their way beneath Davina’s eyelids as she closed her eyes. She liked Nick’s parents so much. Nick had got caught up with the last of the guests who were taking their leave when she went to bed.

In the quietness of the big pleasant room Davina prepared for bed, slipping on the pretty nightdress with its peasant-style stringed neck. She had slipped in between the cool sheets when Nick came up. She lay silent as he went into the bathroom and by the time he got into bed beside her, Davina was palpitating.

‘Darling,’ he had whispered, gathering her gently into his arms.

His kisses had been exploratory at first as leisurely he had untied the drawn neck of her nightdress in order to slip it down her recumbent form. It was then that Davina had stiffened in his arms. Feverishly it had seemed to her that she could hear Darren’s voice: No babies.

Nick had sensed her withdrawal instantly, but he was tolerant to a degree. In vain, he had tried to awaken a response in her. He had been in turn gentle and rough.

She was appalled at her own behaviour. Miserably she put an arm out to the side of the bed where her negligee lay on the back of a pretty velvet upholstered tub chair. Then swinging her legs out of bed she hastily shrugged into it. Her nightdress lay in a forlorn heap at the foot of the bed where Nick had thrown it, a symbol of her broken dreams.

A tap on the door sent her scurrying into bed as the door opened to admit Nick with a tray. He was fully dressed and looked his usual immaculate self.

‘Oh, Nick!’ she cried, pushing herself up in bed. ‘I feel awful. I ... I can’t explain ... I mean, I ...’

‘Forget it,’ he said, placing the tray on the bed. ‘I’ve brought you your breakfast.’

Her green eyes were swimming with tears as he sat down on the edge of the bed to face her and lift a gentle hand to her tumbled hair.

‘You look more a child than ever with tears in your eyes,’ he teased, ruffling the heavy waves of hair and dabbing the tears hovering on the thick, long lashes with his handkerchief.

‘There’s nothing to cry about—after all, nerves are quite common in emotional situations. You’ve been doing far too much at the shop and I might have rushed you into a marriage you weren’t ready for. How old are you, twenty-four?’ The smile did not reach his eyes. ‘Probably a late developer.’

Davina gave a beautiful misty smile and Nick settled himself against her charms. Fondling his clean-shaven chin thoughtfully, he said, ‘I think I’ll retract that last remark, because I don’t think you are.’

He reached for the coffee pot and proceeded to fill the cups on the tray with steaming liquid. The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans filled the room, bringing with it a homely atmosphere which made Davina feel more normal.

‘You don’t think I’m what?’ she queried, accepting the cup he offered.

‘That you’re a late developer. Not when I recall how you’ve always returned my kisses,’ he answered, adding sugar to his cup. ‘In fact I would say you could be a real sizzler. So why the frozen mitt?’

Davina gazed at the tight curls on his head as he drank his coffee. How often she had dreamed of drowning in his arms on their first night and thrusting her fingers through those curls.

She sipped part of her coffee. There was nothing else for it, she owed him complete honesty. He had been honest with her.

She had to tell him, explain about Darren.

Her hands were trembling so much she had to put down her cup.

‘I was afraid,’ she burst out.

‘Afraid?’ Nick echoed as if he did not know the meaning of the word. ‘Of me?’

‘No, no.’ Davina shook her head emphatically. ‘Of the outcome. I didn’t want any babies ... at least, not yet.’

Nick put down his empty cup to stare at her incredulously.

‘And you thought I’d give you one on our first night? You are naive, aren’t you?’

She shook her head angrily. ‘No, I’m not. Don’t treat me like a child!’

‘Then don’t behave like one.’

‘I’m not. Don’t you see? I’m just as healthy and capable of feeling deeply as you are. Also I’m head over heels in love with my husband.’

He rose suddenly from the bed to stroll across the room to the window.

‘I wish I could believe that,’ he said, presenting his broad shoulders and the back of his well shaped head.

‘It’s true.’

‘Then why did you marry me if you didn’t want children?’

‘But I do want children, only ...’

He turned round slowly from the window to face her with his expression in the shade.

‘Only what?’ he insisted.

‘If you must know, it’s something to do with the shop and Darren. Naturally I’ve tried to do the best for Cheryl and Darren moneywise. I ... I wanted to go on a little longer in order to give them security if only in a small way. If you hadn’t come along I would have worked the shop up into something worth while.’

He said harshly, ‘You mean that Darren is demanding money from you. Has he got himself into debt? If he’s been blackmailing you I’ll tan the hide off him!’

‘It’s nothing like that. He would have been too proud to let you help him.’

‘So, in a way, he really did blackmail you into keeping on the shop? I’ve never heard anything so sickening in my life!

That settles it.’

He strode to the door and Davina called out, ‘Where are you going?’

He turned and his eyes were grey granite. ‘To put your affairs in order. That talk with your family is long overdue.’

He was half out of the door when she said quietly, ‘If you do what I think you’re going to do I’ll never forgive you.’

‘We aren’t exactly on matey terms as it is, are we?’ said Nick.

Davina sat for a long time staring at the closed door.

Thoughts were chasing each other in her head like demented hornets. Where would Nick go first, to see Cheryl or Darren?

Darren would be at the flat for the weekend. After last evening he could possibly be in bed nursing a hangover, which meant he would not be easy to manage.

Davina got out of bed quickly after putting the tray with the untouched breakfast at the bottom of the bed. She had to get to the flat as soon as possible. There was no knowing what would happen with Nick in his present mood and Darren.

The thought of transport from a house in the country did occur to her as she washed and dressed. Also an excuse was needed for her to explain her reason for going home.

Nina was crossing the hall as she went downstairs.

Her smile was fond. ‘Good morning, Davina. Nick said you were having a lie in this morning.’

‘I never could lie in bed in the mornings—besides, I have to go to the flat for something I want.’ She hesitated, relieved to see that her mother-in-law was not in the least curious about it.

Then she continued, ‘I suppose there are taxis, are there?’

Nina nodded. ‘What a pity you didn’t mention it to Nick—

he’s just left. However, Jocelyn has to go to the hospital this morning and John is driving up to go with him to see a new orthopaedic wing which has just been installed there. You can travel with your father-in-law. Isn’t that nice?’

Davina hugged her. ‘It’s so nice having you for my relations. I’m sure Cheryl and Darren will feel the same. I’m ready to go when Father is.’

John Tabor drove the big car with the same ease of manner used by his son.

As they sped along the countryside, he said, ‘We were beginning to think Nick would never marry. See, what is he, six years older than you, which makes him thirty. While he’s had affairs he never seemed inclined to settle down. He has this bachelor flat in London and he spent most weekends when he was at home with us.’

He chuckled so much like Nick that Davina wanted to hug him.

‘He liked to keep us guessing about whether his affairs would end in marriage. We had an idea that one day he would just present us with a bride he’d married in some registrar’s office. He was always a happy child, full of devilment but always taking his punishment like a man. He was never cruel.

On the other hand he would never compromise.’

Listening to him, Davina had the feeling of having failed Nick and Darren, but this was no time to wallow in self-reproach; she had to prevent a confrontation between her husband and her brother.

She turned to gaze over familiar scenes and realised that they were not far from the flat. Her tone was quiet and introspective.

‘I’m lucky to have a husband and in-laws whom I like as well as love.’

‘You’re a romantic,’ he teased.

‘Most women are,’ she returned lightly. ‘Some men are, too. I think you are.’

‘You’re right, I am,’ he replied ironically. ‘I’m still very much in love with my wife.’

Davina wanted to say that she was very much in love with Nick, but they had nearly reached the flat and her companion had to pull up short to allow an ambulance to pass at speed.

Suddenly Davina shivered at some unknown fear and the next moment she was clutching her father-in-law’s arm as they neared the flat above the flower shop.

Her voice sounded hoarse with shock. ‘That fire engine ahead,’ she croaked. ‘It appears to be outside the shop.’

‘I’m afraid it is,’ John Tabor replied in level tones. ‘Don’t worry, they seem to be concentrating on the rooms above the shop.’

‘That’s our flat! ‘ she cried. ‘Do hurry, please!’ He pulled up as near as he was allowed to and Davina was out of the car. A thick grey plume of smoke was coming from the flat and the firemen were playing their hoses on it.

‘You can’t go up there, miss.’

One of the firemen spreading out the hose on the ground straightened to catch hold of her arm as she made for the side entrance by the shop window.

‘But my sister and brother are up there. I must go up to them!’ she cried, trying to free herself.

‘Not any more they’re not,’ the man replied. ‘They’ve gone to the hospital.’

‘Both of them?’ she gasped.

‘There were three of them, including the young chap who carried them out.’

Davina was hardly conscious of her father-in-law coming to join her. She swallowed on a deadly fear.

‘Are they badly ... hurt?’ she asked.

‘Suffering from fumes, I’d say. Lucky the young chap who gave the alarm came along when he did. He did a very brave thing. He’d already got them out when we arrived.’

Davina could have fallen against her father-in-law, but somehow she managed to stand on quivering legs.

‘And ... and they all three have gone to hospital?’ she said.

The fireman nodded. ‘Overcome with fumes they were.’

Davina looked at Nick’s father. His face was an angular mask.

‘I ... I’m sorry,’ she told him. ‘Will you take me to the hospital?’

With unwonted gentleness he placed an arm around her shoulders and led her back to his car.

He said as he started the car, ‘I don’t think much damage has been done to your flat. The roof was intact and the men appeared to have the fire under control.’

Tonelessly, she said, ‘It doesn’t matter, does it, not against the lives of three people?’

‘No, it doesn’t, my child,’ he agreed. ‘Let us pray that we find them unharmed.’

His studied calmness did not deceive Davina, who knew that he was worried sick about Nick. As for herself and her own feelings, she did not dare to think about any of them.

The girl on reception at the hospital directed them to a corridor where a Sister came to meet them on whispering feet.

Her smile at Davina was kind. ‘Mrs. Tabor, you can go in to see your sister—she’s in a side ward here. Mr. Tabor, you’re to come with me.’

Davina was shown into a ward and she caught the Sister’s arm in anguish.