Precious Bones (8 page)

Chapter 22

Constance and Pippa lay snuggled together under the down coverlet trying to keep out the chill of the room.  They were not lighting the fire anymore to save money.  The days were getting warmer, but the nights were still chilly.  Pippa had come home for her day off, and she wanted to hear every detail of her sister’s evening at Court.  After Connie had recounted for the third time what the ladies wore, how the gentlemen behaved, and what the Queen said, she asked for news of Pippa.  She knew Pippa well enough to know she had some news of her own.  Pippa reached down inside her nightdress and pulled out a chain with a ring dangling on it.  Connie studied the ring more closely finding it to be a ruby encircled with tiny seed pearls and diamonds. 

“
Anthony gave it to me,” whispered Phillipa.  “He called it a promise ring.”

“A promise of what?” 

“He is married Connie, but his wife is very sickly and he doesn’t think she will last the summer.  Once she is gone, he promised to marry me.”  Pippa looked radiant with her happiness and Connie tried to come up with a tactful response.

“Pippa, you cannot build your happiness on the misery of someone else.  His wife is still alive and she might recover.  It’s a very beautiful ring, but you
should not have accepted it.”

“You accepted the bro
och from Carlisle,” said Pippa defensively. 

“That
is entirely different and you know it.  Carlisle is not married, and I made it clear that it was a token of friendship, not a symbol of love.”  Pippa looked up at Connie and laughed.  “Is that what you really believe, sister?  The man is besotted with you.  He doesn’t want friendship.  He wants your maidenhead, and the sooner the better.” 

Connie was shocked to hear her sister speak like that.  She might have a point about Richard, but for a sixteen
-year old girl, that was a very vulgar comment.  Suddenly realization dawned, and she looked at Pippa more carefully.  “You are still a maiden, are you not?”

“Of course.  Stop fussing.  You are worse th
an Tom.”  With that Pippa turned away and feigned sleep.  Constance lay awake listening to her even breathing, thinking about what they had been talking about.  She didn’t know what would happen, but she felt sure nothing would be the same again.

**

They celebrated Sunday Mass at the Hortons with Father Francis leading them in prayer, and then adjourned to the dining room for a Sunday dinner.  The Hortons felt it was safe to have them all to dine, and it was nice to be out in the open for once.    Jane was there with her family, but Connie detected a slight chill between her brother and his intended.  Jane looked anxious and sad, and Tom drank more than usual, his eyes turning glassy and unfocused.  After the meal, they escorted Pippa back to the Miltons and set out for home.  By the time they reached the house in Carter Lane, it was well after dark and Tom had begun to sober up, if not cheer up.  He lit the fire in the hearth, while Connie changed out of her best gown into a homespun frock.   Tom was sprawled in a chair in front of the fire with his hand over his eyes when she joined him in the front room. 

“Tom, is
something wrong?  Is it Jane?”

Tom just shook his head and stared into the flames.

“Tom, I am worried about Phillipa.  Sir Anthony Babington has given her a promise ring while he is still married.  Maybe you should have a word with Mr. Milton about the propriety of the situation.”  Constance watched Tom as he continued to stare into the fire.  He finally turned, looking tired and defeated.

“Constance, I would love to be high
-handed and righteous and do the proper thing, but I am not sure I can afford to.   I haven’t met Babington, but I know of him.  He is handsome and rich, and his wife really is very sickly.  She lives in the country somewhere.  If he wants our Pippa, then we are better off keeping him on the hook in case his wife dies.  Married to Babington, she will be well provided for and a Lady to boot.  Jane and I quarreled.  She is getting impatient, and I don’t know how much longer I can put her off.  She wants us to marry soon.  I cannot afford to start a family while I am still supporting both you and Phillipa.   Her wages help, but not nearly enough to allow me to marry Jane.” 

“Tom, you must marry Jane soon,” said Constance thinking of her broken engagement to Henry.  Tom must not lose Jane because of her and Phillipa.  “You two love each other and
that is all that matters.  We will find a way.  I will take in some sewing, and we can cut back on firewood and candles with the summer coming.  Go to her and set a date.”

Tom looked up
, a hopeful smile on his tired face.  “Do you really think we can do it, Connie?  Jane’s father is a butcher, so we won’t starve,” he added with a chuckle.  “What about you, Connie?  You are going to be twenty soon.  You must be wed.”

“It doesn’t seem to be in the stars,
brother,” said Connie with a sigh.  “I will be the maiden aunt to your children and help run the household.”

“Don’t lose hope.  Something will turn up.  Let’s start saving on those candles and go to bed.  I am tired.  I will go see Jane tomorrow.”
  They walked upstairs, each lost in their own thoughts.

Chapter 23

May 2010

I dialed Tristan’s number again, but after a couple of rings the call went straight to voicemail.  Where could he be?  It would be lunchtime in New York now
, and it being a Saturday he wouldn’t be with his clients.  Maybe he was taking the opportunity to do some sightseeing.  This was Tristan’s first time in New York and he was probably just taking in the sights and playing the tourist.  I knew I was trying to calm myself down. 

Tristan and I hadn’t spoken since Thursday
, and it wasn’t like him not to call me for two days.   He always found a moment to call me from his business trips, even if it meant staying up to all hours to account for the time difference.  I felt listless and cranky and dialed Joanna.  Maybe we could meet for dinner or see a film.  Since Joanna split with Mark she was usually at home on Saturday nights.  She’d had one or two bad dates and swore off men for a while, saying she wanted to reconnect with herself before getting embroiled in another relationship.    I dialed her home number, but she didn’t pick up and I tried her mobile.  No answer.  I left a voicemail and called my school friend, Claudia. 

“Hey, Claud.  How have you been?  How is little Lucas?”

“Cass, I’m exhausted.  Lucas is teething and he’s up half the night screaming.  I let Gary sleep, since he has to get up for work, you know, so I am on baby duty 24/7.  How are things with you?”

“I bought a new house.  Actually, it’s an old house
, a very old house, but it’s new to me.  It was on the news.  It’s where they found the skeleton.”

“How very eccentric of you, Cass.  Will you be
acquiring several cats?  I believe that’s the next step to being a reclusive writer with a haunted house.”  Claud was laughing at her own joke and I joined in.  Maybe a cat wasn’t such a bad idea.

“I was actually wondering if I could come round.  I haven’t seen you since Lucas
was born, and I thought we might catch up.”  I sounded desperate even to my own ears. 

“I
’m sorry, Cass.  I would love to, really I would, and it’s just that Gary’s mum comes over on Saturday evenings to let us out for a few hours.  All the other moms tell me how important it is to reconnect as a couple after you have a baby, so we’ve scheduled date nights.  I look forward to them all week, not so much because I long to see Gary, but because no one is drooling on my shoulder for a few hours, and I can actually chew my food instead of just swallowing it whole.  If you’re free, you can come by tomorrow for lunch.  Gary’s going to play football with his mates and I’ll be alone with Lucas.”

“Thanks, Claudia, but I already have plans tomorrow afternoon.  We’ll have to get together soon though.”  I didn’t actually have plans, but the thought of spending an afternoon with fussing Claudia and drooling Lucas held little appeal. 

“Ladies night out soon.  I promise.”  With that Claudia rang off and I was back to square one.  I called my sister, Camille, in Brighton, but got her answerphone.  She and Ken usually went out on Saturday nights either with or without the children.  I was suddenly feeling lonely and sad, and I longed for some company.  I reached for my mobile when it rang.  Hoping it was Tristan returning my call, but I was surprised to find Adrian Turner on the end of the line.

“Hello, Cassandra.  It’s Adrian.  Hope I
’m not disturbing you.”

“No, you
’re not actually.”

“I know this is terribly short notice, but I have two tickets to a play in the West End and my date just bailed on me.   You mentioned that Tristan would be out of town, so
I thought you might be free.  Any chance you’d like to go with me?”

I sank into a chair feeling utterly pathetic.  He must think I had absolutely no life if he would call me at 6pm on a Saturday evening after his date canceled on him.   Either that
, or he didn’t have anyone else to ask. 

“Why did your date cancel?”  I asked stalling for time.  I still hadn’t decided if I wanted to go.

“She opted for an early night in front of the telly, and told me to go play with someone my own age.”  I could hear him smiling on the other end and I wondered if he was laughing at me.

“How old is this woman?”

“She’ll be eighty-five next month.”

“Adrian, are you having me on?”  I was getting upset
, and he rushed to explain, realizing I was about to hang up.

“I
’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to upset you.  I was going to take my grandmother because she simply adores Ralph Fiennes and wanted to see him in this production, but she wasn’t feeling up to it, so I’m stuck with these tickets and I’d like nothing more than if you were to come with me.  I could pick you up at seven.” 

“All right.  Seven it is, but only because I like Ralph Fiennes as well.  I have to go get ready.
”  I put down the phone and smiled to myself. 

Chapter 24

I looked at Adrian over my menu.  “Thank you for taking me, it was a wonderful play.”

“Thank my grandmother,” he said taking a sip of his wine and caressing me with his eyes.  There was something of the wolf in him even when he was smiling, and I found it oddly attractive. 

“The truth now.  Why did you call me tonight?”  I didn’t believe this story about the grandmother for a second.

“I told you, because my gran pulled a fast one on me.”

“Adrian, I said the truth.”

“Oh, all right,” he looked at me sheepishly.  “I’m the one with a mad crush on Ralph Fiennes.  It’s really embarrassing.”

I made to pick up my purse and get ready to leave.

“All right, all right.  I just really wanted to see you, and I hoped you would take pity on me and come to the theater tonight.”

I sat back down.  “And gran?”

“Gran was on standby the whole time in case you refused, but I’m very glad you didn’t and I am sure so is she.  She really does prefer telly to live theater.”

I took a sip of my wine.  I wasn’t sure how to feel about Adrian’s confession.  I had to admit I was flattered by his desire to see me, but was I reading too much into it
?  This was the second time he’d lured me out, and it felt suspiciously like a date.  I’d made it clear to him before that I was involved, but some men took no notice of minor inconveniences like a boyfriend.  It was just another obstacle that added to the thrill of the chase.  I could feel his eyes on me as I looked at the menu, warm and admiring.  I knew he found me attractive, and if I was honest with myself, I found him attractive too.  There was a certain edge to him I didn’t find in most of the men I knew.  It might’ve been the fact that he’d spent a decade in places torn by conflict and war, but there was a ruggedness beneath his urban veneer, and I suddenly wondered exactly what he was capable of.  He was witty and flirtatious, but I’d seen a different side of him earlier, and I wondered which was the real Adrian. 

We had a pleasant meal discussing the play
, then moving on to politics and our favorite books and movies.  Adrian seemed very happy and relaxed, and I realized that I felt comfortable in his company.  Whatever his intentions were, he was being the perfect gentleman.  After all, a man and a woman should be able to spend an evening together without it being a date.  Shouldn’t they?  I wondered if there was a woman in the picture, but he hadn’t mentioned anyone and I didn’t dare ask. 

By the time we left “The Bistro” it was well past midnight and Adrian hailed a taxi, giving the driver my address.   I could feel his thigh brushing against
mine in the close confines of the cab as several shameful thoughts surfaced in my mind before I sternly told them to go away.  The driver pulled up and Adrian got out first, opening the door for me.  He instructed the driver to wait and walked me up the path to my door.  This was the awkward part.  I fumbled for my keys while Adrian waited patiently.

“Well, thank you for a lovely evening, Adrian.  Tell your gran that Mr. Fiennes was in fine form tonight. “

I expected him to say something polite and appropriate, but Adrian bent down and kissed me.  The kiss wasn’t passionate.  It was tender and sweet, and I still tasted his lips on mine as he walked toward the waiting cab and disappeared into the night.

“Maddening man!” I mumbled as I let myself into the silent house.