Ivory Innocence (20 page)

He turned away and disappeared into the shadows of the wood. For a moment Ivory watched him, aware that the final ties with the old life had been broken by that visit to Mrs. Mead. The past was unimportant. Even Rob was part of the past now, and if he had started seeing someone else, then she need no longer feel guilty about him. She must think only of the future, which meant building a real life with Matthew and Janey.

As she walked along the path by the church, she was dismayed to see the Mercedes, with Matthew at the wheel, sweep out of the drive from the Hall and turn up the lane. She held the jars of honey in one arm, waving the other as she ran out into the road, calling, "Matthew! Matthew, wait!"

He must have seen her in the rear-view mirror. But the car snarled up through the gears and was gone, up the hill past the old Meldrum cottage and over the brow. Despairing, Ivory trudged back to the house.

"Did my husband say where he was going?" she asked of Mrs. Barnes, who was just taking her cakes out of the oven, golden brown and smelling delicious. "I saw the car leaving."

The housekeeper set the hot pans on a grid, her tongue caught between her teeth in concentration.

"Didn't he find you, then? Well, I can't understand that. He knows where Mrs. Mead lives. That is a shame. I'm afraid he's been called away again, to London. He packed and then went to find you, to tell you about it, but a few minutes later he was back. He just threw his things into the car and went off. Must have been in a hurry."

"Yes, it seems like it."

She went upstairs to take off her raincoat and sat on the end of the big bed with her head in her hands. Matthew had gone—again—after promising to spend more time at home. Just when she had wanted to talk to him seriously. It was so unfair. If he had set out to find her, then why…

A heavy sigh escaped her. Had Matthew seen her with Rob? Oh, no!

Despairingly she stared at the thick brown carpet, arguing with herself. Matthew was impossible. He had gone off to Carla only two nights before, hadn't he? He didn't expect her to object to that. But she wasn't even allowed to speak to an old friend. When he came back, she must make him see that they couldn't live like this. Marriage needed trust on both sides.

But Matthew did not come home. Nor was there any word from him.

After two days, Ivory looked up the Drummonds' number, and discovered from Nancy that Matthew was staying at a hotel in the city. She phoned that evening, only to be told that Mr. Kendrake was out. She tried again the next day, with the same result, so she left a message for Matthew to call her when he came in. She suspected he had told the hotel switchboard always to say he was out if his wife called. If he was deliberately preventing her from contacting him, then what was she supposed to do? Or was he going out every evening, in company with some attractive female?

The month of August drifted by amid sunshine and showers. Toward the end of the month Ivory woke feeling ill, as she had done several mornings. She had not been eating well and Matthew's continued silence depressed her. It was no wonder she felt ill at times.

Then Janey rushed in, waving a letter. "It's from Daddy!" she cried, leaping onto the bed.

Ivory took the letter with a wave of hope and relief. "Darling, please don't bounce on the bed. Why don't you go and have your breakfast? I'll tell you what Daddy says later."

"Okay," Janey agreed, and skipped out in the highest spirits.

Tearing the envelope with overeager hands, Ivory saw the black, definite handwriting slanting across the page. It filled her with joy, until she read the message:

My dear Ivory,

I have now had time to think things through and have decided that the best thing for us all would be for me to return to Australia. Janey will be happiest with you. You may stay at the Hall, which is what you wanted, I believe. As you know, I do not believe in divorce, but after a certain amount of time the law will allow you to break the ties without my cooperation, as you probably know. I believe it's five years. You're young enough to wait and doubtless Rob Garth will be around to keep you company.

For myself, two disastrous marriages have convinced me I shall never wish to take the risk again. I shall probably be in London from time to time on business, should you wish to contact me through the Drummonds. I shall make all necessary arrangements regarding finance, etc. You may safely leave the running of the estate to Angus Firth. All I ask is that you take good care of Janey.

Matthew

Ivory stared at the letter. The jagged writing blurred through her tears. How cold and efficient it sounded.
He
had decided. Didn't she have any choice in the matter?

Suddenly her stomach churned and she ran for the bathroom, doubled up with nausea. He couldn't do this to her. He couldn't!

This time it was Ivory who shut herself in the study, using Matthew's spare keys since she now knew where he kept them. Fumbling in her haste, still feeling queasy, she found a file relating to Kendrake Enterprises and the phone number.

Her fingers shook as she turned the dial and heard it ring. There was a click and a female voice said, "Kendrake Enterprises."

"I'd like to speak to Mr. Kendrake, please," Ivory said.

"Who's calling?" the voice asked.

"It's Mrs. Kendrake. His wife."

The voice told her to wait one moment. Ivory sat hunched in the swivel chair, wondering exactly what she was going to say, but yet another woman's voice came through, low and sexy.

"Mrs. Kendrake? This is Sheila Farrell. I'm afraid your husband's in a meeting. I can't possibly interrupt him at the moment. May I take a message?"

"No. No, thank you. I'll try again later." She put the phone down, her head aching with unshed tears as she wondered what the owner of that husky contralto looked like. Her imagination conjured images of a willowy brunette to match the voice. She ought to have known that the way to Matthew would be barred by receptionists and secretaries, at least during office hours. And after?

But this time she wasn't going to let herself be blocked; it was too important. She dialed the Drummonds' number. A few moments later, Nancy Drummond answered her.

"Nancy!" Ivory said hurriedly. "This is Ivory Kendrake again. I'm trying to reach Matthew but he's in a meeting or something. I haven't been able to reach him at the hotel, either, and—"

"Oh, he's moved out of that hotel," Nancy said. "He's staying with us. It seemed crazy for him to be all alone when we've got ample room here. Ivory, is there something wrong between you two? Forgive me for asking, but he's been so tense lately, and now this talk of going back to Australia—"

"That's what I want to see him about," Ivory replied. "Nancy, I know it's an imposition, but would you mind if I came down for a couple of days? I've got to talk to Matthew and I can't do it over the phone."

"You'd be welcome. Yes, do come. I've a feeling you're the only one who can snap him out of this black mood he's got himself into. And we're fond of him, you know."

Ivory took note of the address, thanked Nancy, and rang off. Going to London herself, to make Matthew listen to her, was the only course she had left. If it didn't work… But she mustn't be defeatist. It had to work.

She told Janey and Mrs. Barnes that she was going to join Matthew for a few days and hoped to bring him back with her.

Throwing some clothes into a case, she set off. "Good luck," had been Mrs. Barnes' farewell to her, and Ivory knew the housekeeper sensed that something was badly amiss.

Not bothering to stop for a meal, she drove through the outskirts of London and on into the lovely county of Kent. The Drummonds lived in a little village not far from Maidstone, in what proved to be a large modern house built on a hillside and fronted by sloping lawns and shrubberies.

"You look dreadful," Nancy Drummond said frankly, greeting her at the door. "I wasn't expecting you for ages yet. You must have driven straight through. No lunch?"

"No. Not much breakfast, either. Nancy, what time do you expect Matthew back?"

"Not before seven. Maybe later, if this board meeting is as complicated as they were expecting. You'll have time to get freshened up and have a rest. You look as though you need it. Tell you what, you get settled in and I'll fix you a sandwich and a nice cup of tea. And take your time, Ivory. You don't look at all well."

She installed Ivory in the room Matthew was using, a guest room with its own bathroom. Ivory was comforted by the sight of her husband's belongings. But the mirror told her why her hostess was so concerned about her: her face was pale as death, with deep circles caused by strain lying under her eyes.

She took a cool shower and some aspirin for her headache, then put on a light cotton dress and went downstairs.

"Better?" Nancy inquired, pouring tea at a low glass table on which stood a plate of sandwiches.

"Much better, thank you. I only hope I'm doing the right thing. He might be annoyed that I've come."

"He'll be worried that you nearly killed yourself getting here, but he'll be glad to see you. I'm not going to ask what's wrong, Ivory, but I do know that Matthew's been miserable ever since he left Hedley Magna. Last time he was here—when he had to desert you on your honeymoon—he talked of nothing else but you. He kept showing everybody that picture he's got."

"Picture?" Ivory said blankly.

"That sketch he's done. Haven't you seen it? It's a very good likeness, though he kept saying it doesn't do you justice. I expect you know he loves you a great deal, more than he's prepared to admit, probably. He's not one to wear his heart on his sleeve."

Relaxing against the cushions, Ivory nibbled a sandwich and thought that her husband's heart was securely locked up and the key had been thrown away. But it was strange that he should have a sketch of her. Of course she had seen him scribbling on occasion, but she had always thought he was making business notes.

"Have you told him I was coming?" she asked.

"On a board-meeting day?" Nancy laughed. "My dear girl, when the board is in discussion nobody, but nobody, can get in touch with them, short of a real crisis. That dragon Miss Farrell sees to that."

"She didn't sound like a dragon over the phone," Ivory said dubiously. "I suppose she's beautiful and sophisticated—"

"What, Sheila Farrell? She's fifty if she's a day. But she's very efficient. Harry often says he doesn't know what they'd do without Miss Farrell. What have you been thinking, that Matthew was spending his time with other women? Oh, really! He hasn't looked at another woman since he met you. He's not the womanizing type."

"What about Carla Forsythe?"

"What about her? I can assure you, she's the one who did all the running. Do you know, she even flew out to Australia to corner him there a couple of years ago?"

"I heard he invited her," Ivory said.

Nancy snorted. "Then your information's wrong. He's spent most of his time trying to avoid her. He eventually got rid of her by telling her he'd never divorce Andrea. And then there was all that trouble over Janey. Andrea kidnapped her. I expect you know about that."

"Yes, I do."

"He came over here nearly out of his mind with worry," Nancy told her. "And do you know, Carla even had the gall to come here, to this house, when she heard he was back in London? Luckily he wasn't here. He'd gone off on that wild-goose chase to Devon, that time he hurt his hand, you know?"

Ivory shook her head. "He didn't tell me about that. He only said he tangled with some barbed wire."

"Typical! He nearly kills himself saving some stupid teenager, and then makes light of it. He'd heard a rumor that Andrea and Janey were in Devon, so he went down there to look for them. Some boys were messing about on a cliff and one of them slipped. He fell onto a ledge and Matthew climbed down to help him, sending the others to fetch help. It seems there was some barbed wire around—supposed to have been a fence but some vandal had wrecked it. Anyway, the boy was frightened and slipped again. He'd have fallen to his death if Matthew hadn't hung onto him. But he got his other hand caught in the barbed wire and couldn't let go or both of them would have fallen. Then the coast guard arrived and rescued them. But Matthew's hand was a mess. They said he was lucky not to have severed a nerve; as it was, he lost a lot of blood. And then only a few weeks later he got that blackmail note from Andrea, and soon after that there was the car accident. It was an awful time for him. Awful!"

Knowing that she had only made things worse for him, Ivory burst into tears she could no longer contain. Her stupid wish for revenge had ruined everything.

Nancy fussed round her, making her lie down, bringing a cold cloth to soothe her brow. "It's no good taking on so," she said worriedly. "You won't do yourself any good, or the baby."

Ivory opened her eyes, startled. "Baby?"

"Well, didn't you know? I could tell as soon as I saw you. You've got that peaked look some women have in the first few weeks. I expect you've been having morning sickness, haven't you?"

Closing her eyes tightly, Ivory reviewed the past few weeks. Yes, she had felt queasy some mornings, but she had put it down to worry. She couldn't be pregnant— unless it had happened that very first time, beside the fire in the cottage on the moors.

A baby! Matthew's baby, growing inside her. The thought made her feel fiercely protective, but it frightened her, too.

"You mustn't tell Matthew," she breathed. "Not yet. I don't want him to stay with me just because…"

Nancy resumed her seat, frowning. "It's really as bad as that, is it? Isn't he planning to take you to Australia with him?"

"He says not," Ivory croaked. "But he must give me a chance, Nancy. He must!"

When the phone rang, Nancy glanced at her watch and said, "That will be Harry, to tell me they're on their way. It usually takes about an hour. You lie there and relax, my dear. Everything's going to be fine."

She went out into the hall to answer the phone, and Ivory made herself relax, a hand over her eyes. In an hour's time she would know whether she was going to be given a chance of happiness, or whether her future would be a bleak void without Matthew, with only Janey—and the baby. The first Kendrake child to be born at the Hall; perhaps it would be a boy, a son for Matthew, born of a Meldrum. It might have seemed ironic, if it hadn't been so heartbreaking.