Homecoming (39 page)

‘For pity's sake, Brian, I was engaged to the man for eighteen months, and he never lifted his hand to me once in all that time.'

‘Or shouted at you.'

‘Of course he shouted at me.'

‘Then he was halfway to hitting you.'

‘If you believe that, then most of the couples I know are heading for the boxing ring. And for your information, every time Sam shouted at me, I probably shouted at him – and longer and louder.'

‘So you were both driven to the point of violence.'

Seeing a glint in his eye that had nothing to do with anger, she pulled her dressing gown high around her throat. ‘Neither of us was violent until you appeared on the scene.'

‘So now it's my fault that Sam hit me?'

‘You were the one who said Sam sensed the way we felt about one another, even when neither of us would admit it.'

‘And you think that gave him the right to hit me?'

‘Of course not, but look at the situation from Sam's point of view. Yesterday morning I was engaged to him and last night …' Colour flooded into her cheeks.

‘Was perfect.' He pulled her close and kissed her throat below her ear. ‘Wasn't it?'

‘You know it was,' she murmured, her resolve to ask him to leave melting beneath his touch.

‘Then what's the problem?'

‘If we're to have any more nights …'

‘If?' he broke in, alarmed by the thought that there might not be.

‘Before
there can be any more nights, I have to see Sam and finish what little is left between us, hopefully in a way that will leave Sam with his dignity intact and both of us with some self-respect. Although that is doubtful; however you go about cancelling a wedding, it's bound to look as if one of us didn't know our own mind.'

‘As long as you know your own mind now.' He kissed her again.

‘Enough to allow Sam to paint me as the wicked siren who abandoned him for another man.'

‘As opposed to the faithful fiancée, seduced by an evil, conniving bastard, who only wanted to have his lecherous way with her.'

Summoning every ounce of strength and determination, she pushed him away from her. ‘I love you, Brian Powell, but you really do have to go.'

‘I love you too, snookems.'

‘Snookems!'

‘It's what my father used to call my mother. She never objected.'

‘That doesn't mean I won't. Do you want me to cook for us tonight?'

‘Yes, but we'll discuss what when I meet you at two.'

‘Frogs and snails.'

‘Perhaps.' He smiled, took the letter and finally left.

‘And how are we feeling this morning?' The matron set a blood pressure gauge on the bed that the staff had carried into the treatment room and lifted Lily into the previous evening.

‘Tired, a bit fuzzy. As if the world is not quite in focus,' Lily answered.

‘That will be the drugs we gave you to try to stop you miscarrying. From the report I received after you were washed this morning, the treatment seems to have worked. There's been no more bleeding since last night?'

‘No.'

‘Are you glad?' The matron cleared a clutter of papers and instruments from a small table jammed between the bed and the filing cabinet and set the gauge on to it.

Lily looked the matron in the eye. ‘I am very glad. I want this baby.'

‘I was surprised to discover that your husband didn't know you were pregnant. Most married women inform their other halves as soon as they suspect a baby's on the way. You are nearly four months pregnant. You must have known your condition for at least two months.'

‘I was waiting for the right time to tell him,' Lily said defensively.

‘And there hasn't been a right time in the last two months?' The matron lifted Lily's hand and checked her pulse.

‘Martin worries about money. He's gone into the garage business with a friend. They've only just opened.'

‘And you need your salary to make ends meet until he starts earning enough to pay the bills?' The matron scribbled on a chart then reached for the gauge.

‘Not really. I inherited a house and some investments so we don't have to worry about paying a mortgage or rent and if worst comes to worst we can cash in the investments to see us through until the garage starts making money.'

‘So what's the problem?' The matron rolled back the sleeve of Lily's borrowed nightgown in readiness to take her blood pressure.

‘Martin – he hates using what he sees as my money, although I keep telling him that it's ours now.'

‘So, you pandered to his male ego and allowed him to think that he could go into business without dipping into the funds you inherited.'

‘I had a hard time persuading him to use the money. I knew he was worried about paying it back. I didn't want to burden him with any more problems.'

‘Like he was about to become a father.'

‘I was going to tell him soon.'

‘But not before it became obvious.'

‘It wouldn't have been long, he'd already noticed that I was putting on weight.'

‘And he didn't guess the reason.' The matron shook her head disparagingly. ‘Men! Sometimes I think they are born without brains but more often than not I am convinced of it. How have you been feeling since you became pregnant?' She narrowed her eyes, giving Lily the impression that she already knew the answer to her question.

‘A bit tired,' Lily admitted guardedly.

‘I am not surprised if you have been working full-time as well as running a house and looking after your husband.'

‘Martin does his share of the housework,' Lily remonstrated.

‘But he would have done a lot more if he had known that you were pregnant.'

Lily was loath to concede the point. ‘I suppose so.'

‘So, you risked your own health and that of your baby in an attempt to preserve your husband's pride.'

‘It wasn't like that!'

‘Are you afraid of your husband?' The matron removed the gauge and reached for the chart.

‘Of course not,' Lily countered indignantly.

‘It sounds like it to me, if you wouldn't even tell him you were pregnant.'

‘You don't understand. Marty is loving, kind, caring – too caring. He had a terrible upbringing and he worries about everything …'

‘And you thought he'd worry less about you and the baby if he didn't know you were pregnant?'

‘Yes.'

‘Roll back the sheet. I'm going to check the baby's heartbeat.' The matron reached for a stethoscope and sat on the chair next to the bed. ‘I wasn't always Matron of this place. I had twenty years of happy, fulfilling marriage before I came here and if there's one thing I learned during those years, it's that in order for a marriage to grow, you have to share everything. That means the bad as well as the good. No matter how dreadful your husband's childhood, I'm sure he wouldn't want you to try to protect him at the expense of your own or your child's health.'

Lily thought about what the matron had said while she examined her. ‘The baby …'

‘The heartbeat is still strong.'

‘You're right. I should never have kept this pregnancy from Martin.'

‘I know I'm right because I never saw a man as distraught as your husband was last night when he came here. It was difficult enough for him to accept that you were ill without discovering that you were pregnant and hadn't told him.'

‘It must have been a shock.'

‘That, young lady, is something of an understatement.' The matron gave her a small, rare smile. ‘You get somewhat cynical about men, working in a place like this. But you have a good husband. He deserves your full trust. Remember that in future.'

‘I will.' Lily smiled back at her. ‘And thank you for looking after me.'

‘My pleasure. It makes a change to have someone like you to care for, but as I told the doctor yesterday, we can't allow you to stay with us too long. The residents have enough problems, without coping with a happily married pregnant woman on the premises.' She rose to her feet as one of the kitchen staff came in with a tray. ‘Set it down here, Evans, before you lift it on to the bed,' she ordered brusquely, picking up the gauge from the table.

‘Yes, Matron.' The girl did as she asked.

The matron studied the plate of bacon, scrambled eggs and toast with a critical eye. ‘Eat it while it's hot,' she advised Lily. ‘If you need anything, ring the bell.'

‘I will and thank you.'

‘Right old battleaxe that one,' the girl muttered, spreading a napkin over the sheet before lifting the tray on to the bed. ‘You comfortable, Miss … sorry, Mrs Clay?'

‘I'm fine, thank you, and the matron really isn't so bad when you get to know her.'

‘I'll take your word for it, but if it's all the same to you, Mrs Clay, I'd rather not get to know her any better than I do now.'

Martin woke with a start. Opening his eyes, he stared at the unfamiliar surroundings before the events of the previous day came flooding back. Cold, shivering, he threw back the bedspread and sat up. He felt frozen stiff, uncomfortable and grubby after sleeping in his clothes. He glanced at his watch. It was half past seven and it would only take him ten minutes to drive to the hostel. Taking a threadbare towel from a rail in his bedroom, he went in search of a bathroom.

‘Breakfast, Mr Clay?' the landlady asked when he walked downstairs.

Wary of the bill he had been presented with the night before, he muttered, ‘No thank you.'

‘It's in the price.'

He glanced at his watch again.

‘Full English breakfast,' she coaxed, as though she wanted to make amends for the extortionate amount she'd charged him for his sandwiches.

‘I'd appreciate a cup of tea and some toast,' he said gratefully.

‘And a couple of rashers of bacon. They are already cooked if you are in a hurry to see your wife.'

‘In that case, yes please.'

‘I'll bring it through to the lounge for you in a few minutes.'

The odour of stale beer and even staler cigarette smoke wafted towards him when he opened the door of the lounge bar. Before he could sit at a table, the telephone rang. Without waiting to be given permission, he picked up the receiver.

‘Could I speak to Mr Clay?' barked an officious voice he recognised as the matron's.

‘Speaking.'

‘I thought you'd like to know that your wife had a restful night, Mr Clay.'

‘She is better?' he asked tentatively.

‘Much, and the baby's heartbeat is still strong. If you meet the doctor here at nine o'clock, he will be able to tell you more.'

‘Lily is awake?'

‘Yes.'

‘Tell her I love her and I'm on my way to see her.'

‘I will do that, Mr Clay.' As he replaced the receiver, he wondered if he'd imagined the sympathetic note in her voice.

‘Have you heard from Martin?' Brian asked, walking into the kitchen where Jack was breakfasting.

‘He phoned a few minutes ago. Apparently Lily had a good night and the baby has a strong heartbeat.'

‘That's good news.' Brian picked up the teapot and reached for a cup.

‘That is one hell of an ugly shiner.'

‘I feel sorry for you having to look at it,' Brian said dryly.

‘Did you get that cut stitched?'

‘No. I had more important things to do.'

‘Who is this mysterious friend you spent the night with?'

‘Ask no questions and I'll tell you no lies.' Brian had eaten half a dozen slices of toast at Judy's but he was still hungry. He foraged in the bread bin and pulled out a packet of crumpets. ‘Want one?'

‘No thanks. If I don't get a move on, the boss might fire me.'

‘The boss says you've time for a crumpet.'

‘Still, no thanks.' Jack carried his cup, saucer, knife and plate to the sink.

Brian pushed a couple of crumpets into the toaster. ‘I'm getting married.'

‘Anyone I know?' Expecting one of Brian's jokes, Jack ran hot water into the sink.

‘Judy.'

Jack's eyes widened. ‘Christ! No wonder Sam punched you yesterday.'

‘He didn't have anything to punch me for – yesterday.' The toaster popped and Brian extracted the crumpets. Reaching for the butter, he spread it lavishly over the holes allowing it to sink through to the base.

‘Have you set a date, or are you happy with the one Judy fixed with Sam?'

‘You cheeky bugger!'

‘Might save yourself a few bob if you go for it,' Jack grinned.

‘It's going to happen as soon as we can organise it.' Brian demolished a crumpet in three bites. ‘And if you're good, you'll be invited. Now get your coat. I want that garage open by ten to eight.'

‘All the signs are good,' the doctor told Martin. They sat facing one another across the desk in the matron's office.

‘How soon can I take her back to Swansea?'

‘Now there, I do urge caution. If your wife doesn't develop any other symptoms and if she remains quiet and rested until Friday and you can arrange transport –'

‘That's no problem,' Martin broke in eagerly.

‘The journey to Swansea will have to be slow and steady.'

‘It will, I promise you.'

‘And as soon as she gets there she will have to see her own doctor and at the first sign of a recurrence of anything like this she will have to be admitted to hospital.'

‘Of course.' Martin was prepared to agree to almost anything as long as it meant that he could have Lily home.

‘Your wife tells me she works in a bank.'

‘As a secretary, yes,' Martin confirmed.

‘She will have to give up her position immediately. You will want to discuss this with your own doctor but in a case of threatened miscarriage I recommend total bed rest until the birth. You have someone who can care for your wife?'