Live the Dream (7 page)

'Good night, my love.' Leaning over, he whispered assurances with the softest of kisses before, collecting the supper plate, he left the room as softly as he had arrived.

Once outside on the landing, he made his way to the bathroom; a large converted bedroom with high ceilings and stripped wooden floor, it always struck him as strangely cold and bleak.

Setting the supper plate on the cupboard, he went to the basin where he splashed a handful of cold water over his wrist, then another over his face. After hours of talking business he was wearied. The shock of cold water felt refreshingly good.

When, eyes half closed, he turned to find the towel, she was suddenly on him like a fiend.

'YOU'VE BEEN WITH
HER
!'

Shrieking like a demented soul she grabbed the cheese knife; lashing out, wanting to hurt him, needing to maim him, just as she felt maimed. 'You don't want me any more. I'm no good to you…don't lie to me!' With one swipe of the knife she caught him down the cheekbone. When the blood spurted out she lunged at him again, but this time he caught her arm to fend her off.

'Sylvia! Drop the knife! Sylvia, please!'

'Let me go, you bastard…I HATE YOU!' There was no stopping her now. Raising her arm she brought it down, the small curved blade targeting his face. He ducked, grabbed her by the waist and, drawing her towards him, pinned her arms by her sides. 'It's all right, Sylvia,' he gasped. 'It's all right. There is no one else in my life but you.' He struggled to regain his breath, to ignore the blood he could feel oozing down his face.

Her dark eyes calmer now, she looked up. 'Promise me?'

He nodded, his forced smile seeming to settle her fears. 'I promise.'

When she began sobbing, he gently took away the knife and, at that moment, something made him glance towards the door. Shocked to see Georgina leaning against the doorjamb, he asked harshly, 'How long have you been there?'

Smiling triumphantly, she replied, 'Long enough.' In fact she had witnessed the whole thing.

'Did you wake her?' Suspicion trembled in his voice.

'Shame on you, Luke.' Her small, mean mouth opened in disbelief. 'Do you really believe I would do such a thing?'

His voice hardened. 'I
know
you would…if it suited your purpose.'

Just then, a plump woman of homely face and grey hair appeared.

'Is Mrs Hammond all right, sir?' She was obviously distressed.

Relieved to see her, Luke reassured her. 'Yes, Edna, she's all right.'

Clinging to him, Sylvia looked up at her husband. 'I'm tired,' she said wearily. 'Can I go back to my bed now?'

Kissing her tenderly on the forehead, Luke nodded. 'Come on…I'll take you back.'

As he moved forward, she saw the blood trickling from his cheekbone. A look of astonishment came over her features. 'Your face is cut!' Horrified, she reeled from him. 'I want Edna.' Her voice rising to a shriek, she demanded, 'Edna! I need
you
to take me back. Please, Edna…"

Like a frightened child she entreated the older woman, and the older woman loved her as she would her own flesh and blood. 'You must calm yourself, my dear,' she said soothingly. 'O' course I'll take you back.' She shifted an inquisitive gaze to Luke. 'If it's all right with Mr Hammond, that is?'

Luke gave the nod she needed, and now, as Sylvia went to her with open arms, Edna quickly but gently led Sylvia back to the safety of her bed.

Reaching out for the towel, Luke dipped a corner into the wash-bowl and dabbed at the blood trickling from his wounds, but all the while his wary eyes were fixed on Georgina. 'If I thought you'd woken her,' he warned, shaking his head, 'I would have to think twice about banning you from this house.'

'You couldn't do that! I'm her sister.'

'And I'm her husband—so I could, and I would. My only concern is for Sylvia.' His voice thickened. 'My God! If I knew you'd deliberately upset her…'

Afraid now, she stepped forward. 'I
didn't.
I love her!' There was a measure of sincerity in her voice. 'I would never hurt her…you must know that.'

Using what she considered to be her best card, she taunted, 'If you thought me capable of hurting her, you would never trust me to stay with her on a Tuesday.'

Taken aback, Luke spoke firmly. 'And you think it would bother me if I didn't have my Tuesday freedom, do you?'

'I know how much you treasure your Tuesdays, that's all,' she retaliated. 'Or am I wrong?'

'No, you're not wrong.' Once more wiping the towel over the wound on his cheekbone, he reminded her, 'However much I treasure my little freedom, Sylvia will always be my first concern.'

A moment passed while Georgina silently considered his answer. She knew that, in spite of the way things were, he was speaking the truth, and to her mind it was a shocking waste of a man's devotion. Deep down she resented the love he felt for her sister. 'On these Tuesdays, when I come over to take care of her, where do
you
go?'

'That's my business.' He gave her a warning glance. 'We've had this conversation once too often, Georgina. Make this the last time, will you?'

Not being a woman who gave in easily, she persisted, 'I know you don't go to the factory.'

Angry and worried, he demanded, 'And how could you possibly know that?'

'Ah! I have my ways and means,' she said with a sly little grin. 'But don't worry. I won't give your secret away.'

'Do what you think fit,' he advised casually. 'It makes no difference to me.'

She took a step closer. 'I really am curious. What do you do? Where do you go?'

Throwing the towel into the washbasin he told her, 'That's enough talk for now!'

'All right. Like you say, it's none of my business.' She wisely backed off. When he had that look about him she knew it was impossible to get answers so, instead of riling him, she changed tack. 'I meant what I said, though. I do love Sylvia and, whatever you might think, I would never hurt her.'

Luke nodded. I don't know why, but I'm inclined to believe you.'

He knew there had always been a measure of love between the two sisters, but: 'All the same, I wish I could be certain of you.'

'Oh, but you can!' Tears swam in her dark eyes. 'You really can.'

He nodded, but made no move towards her. One thing he had learned about her was that she could turn on the tears at will.

She bowed her head. 'I know there are times when you don't trust me, but it's just that…I'm saddened by what's happened to her, and there's nothing I can do about it. Sometimes, it cripples me…' she tapped her chest, '…inside here.'

He understood how that felt, and deep down, where the pain lived, he felt a kind of sympathy with her. 'Oh, look, I'm sorry if sometimes I seem unfeeling.' Ashamed, he reminded himself of the hours he and Georgina had spent together at the hospital, not knowing whether Sylvia would live or die. It had been the worst time of his life and she had been there for him when he needed her. 'But she's so precious to me. I can't risk her being damaged again…not by
anyone
!'

Unmoved, she gave another glimpse of her cruel nature in her comment: 'What
about
Arnold Stratton?'

He gave her a withering look. 'I don't want to hear that name.'

'Will you tell me something?' There was a look in her eye that disturbed his peace of mind.

'Depends?' Just when he was beginning to trust her she made him wary as always.

'
Why
did you never go after him?'

For a long, awkward moment he remained silent; the past swirling through his mind, taking him back to a place he did not want to be. 'I
did
go after him.'

'What!' She stepped forward, her eyes wide with astonishment. 'I never knew
that
!'

He smiled, a sad, telling smile that showed the scars inside. 'That's because I never told anyone.'

'Not even Sylvia?' There was no end to her cruelty.

'
Especially
not Sylvia.'

Excitement trembled in Georgina's voice. 'What happened?'

'Nothing. I went there with the intention of tearing him limb from limb…"

The telling brought it all back with a vengeance, and he walked across the room, his fists rubbing one into the other as though they were itching to hit something, or someone. 'The police got there before me. When I turned the corner he was being arrested. After that, it was out of my hands.' His features stiffened. 'More's the pity! A ten-year gaol sentence is so little for what he did.'

Needing to end the conversation, he swung round on her. 'What are you doing here anyway?'

'I was worried about Sylvia.' Venturing closer, she lied, 'I couldn't sleep. I got to thinking how that bastard Stratton beat her so bad she almost died. As it was, he damaged her brain so much she'll never be whole again.' Her voice dropped to a baby whine. 'Is it her punishment, do you think…for having relations with him…cheating on you, when you've always been such a wonderful husband?'

'That's enough, Georgina. I think it's time you went.'

'Oh, Luke, I'm sorry. I know how painful it is for you to think about what happened.' Making the sign of the cross on herself she whispered solemnly, 'I promise I'll never speak of it again.'

'I'd appreciate that.'

Georgina was a strange person, he thought. And he could never fathom her. Sometimes she couldn't do enough for himself and Sylvia, and other times she seemed to take satisfaction in torturing him.

Walking to the door he expected her to follow. Instead she went on talking. 'It was just as well I got here when I did,' she assured him. 'By the time I arrived, Sylvia was already being difficult. Ask Edna, if you don't believe me. Between us, we managed to calm her and get her to bed. Edna insisted on going in to check on her, but I wouldn't let her. I sent her home instead.'

A thought occurred to her. 'What was she doing here just now? I told her not to come back. I told her I was going to have a word with you—that it must have been her who upset Sylvia in the first place, otherwise why was she in such a state when I got here? And just now, how did she get into the house? You can't get into the house without a key.'

Luke enlightened her. 'Edna has a key. And before you say anything, she will continue to have a key. For Sylvia's sake I need to know that Edna can let herself in at any time.'

Georgina saw her opportunity. 'Think about it, Luke! I have some experience of looking after sick people. I nursed my mother when she was ill—and the doctor said I would have made an excellent nurse.'

'And you would,' Luke agreed. 'I've seen how gentle and good you can be with Sylvia.'

'There you are!' she cried jubilantly. 'So, why don't I sell my house and come to live here? Then you'd have no need of Edna.'

He swiftly dismissed her idea. 'Thank you all the same, but I really don't think that's necessary. Besides, Edna might be a little slower than she once was, but she's more than capable and, as well you know, Sylvia trusts her implicitly.'

'She trusts me too. I mean, on Tuesdays when Edna has her day off and you're away working on your "secret" project…' she waited for an explanation, and when there was none, she continued, '…well, she always enjoys my company. We get on well together. We always have.'

'Yes. I know that.'

He had seen how the two of them laughed and chatted together, about their childhood and other things that women were interested in, such as the latest fashion designs and favourite film stars.

They really did seem to enjoy each other's company, and on the one occasion when Sylvia had a bad turn, Georgina quickly got the doctor out and everything was under control.

She was a sensible, intelligent woman. That was the reason he was content enough to leave them together while he enjoyed his own company on that one special day.

All the same, his small, sneaking distrust of Georgina remained. Now, though, he thought it best to remind her of something. 'Just now, when Sylvia saw what she'd done to my face, she was upset. But did you notice, it wasn't you she turned to? It was Edna. No, Georgina, it's kind of you to offer, but it's best we leave things the way they are.' His instincts told him it would be a very bad idea to have Georgina in the house at all times.

Opening the door, he offered, 'I'll have a word with Edna…see if she wouldn't mind me running you home.'

But Georgina would not hear of it. 'No. I'll get a cab. I'd prefer that.'

'All right,' Luke conceded, 'if that's what you want.'

Going to the hallstand, he took down two coats: a long dark, woollen coat with belt and deep pockets, and a black astrakhan three-quarter one with black bone buttons and fur collar.

First helping her on with the astrakhan, he then shrugged on his own coat. 'I'll walk you to the bottom of the street. We'll flag down a cab there.'

It was a matter of only five minutes or less, before a cab pulled over. 'Mind you go straight indoors once you get home.'

'It's all right,' she answered with the sweetest of smiles, 'I know how to look after myself.'

Helping her into her seat, he kissed her dutifully on the cheek. 'Good night, Georgina.'

Before settling back into her seat, she clung to him a moment longer than he was comfortable with. 'Good night, Georgina!' Taking her by the shoulders he gently but firmly pushed her away and closed the door. 'Eighteen, Park Street.' He thrust a handful of coins into the driver's hand. 'There's a bit extra there,' he pointed out. 'Mind you wait until she's safely inside.'

A smile from her, a wave and she was gone.

Somewhat dejected, Luke made his way back to the house. I'll never understand it,' he muttered. 'How could two sisters be so different?'

But then he reminded himself of how Sylvia had been having an affair with Arnold Stratton, before they found her beaten and battered in the alley.

It had been the worst shock of all, and even now Luke found it hard to believe that she had deceived him with another man. He had adored Sylvia since the first day they met; with every fibre in his body. Without question or reservation. Time and again, she had told him how she never wanted or needed anyone else, and he'd believed her.