The Most Precious Thing (26 page)
‘You can bank on it. And what’s the betting they’ll have spent a fortune on Matt.’ David’s voice was resigned rather than annoyed and it suddenly irritated Carrie beyond measure. Probably because the conversation with Matthew was still burning in her mind, she turned abruptly.
‘Do you think it’s wise for them to come tomorrow? Margaret’s last miscarriage was only two weeks ago.’
David shrugged. ‘They wouldn’t come if they didn’t want to,’ he said, beginning to undress.
Wrong. ‘I’m not so sure Margaret wants to,’ Carrie said carefully, picking her words. ‘I think it hurts her to see Alec with Matthew and Veronica, and now Lillian’s expecting. Surely you can see that’s hard for her.’
‘That’s for them to work out together, lass.’ David stretched, hard muscle moving under his shirt. ‘You can’t do nowt about it.’
‘I don’t think they work things out together, David.’ She found she couldn’t leave it alone. ‘It’s more a case of Alec deciding what he wants to do and Margaret falling in line.’
‘That might be so, but it’s still something for them to deal with surely.’
David’s tone was so reasonable that for a moment Carrie wanted to throw the hairbrush at him. She was sure he still didn’t really like his brother although he would never admit it, not when Alec had got him feeling so sorry for both him and Margaret - and, more powerfully still perhaps, when he could relate to how Alec was feeling about wanting his own bairn. She had thought for some time that Alec was aware of how David felt, that he got some kind of enjoyment from the knowledge. It was all part of the game he was playing.
Not for the first time, Carrie thought, he’s dangerous, Alec Sutton. All that charm and attractiveness hid a heart that was as hard as nails. She knew he would never come out into the open and declare that Matthew was his, not while Mr Reed was alive anyway; he had too much to lose. But Alec could still hurt them all; in fact he
was
hurting them. If she was truthful, she knew David and Matthew would never be kindred spirits. Lots of fathers and sons weren’t, but she wasn’t imagining this deterioration in David’s relationship with her son since Alec had made it his business to see more of Matthew.
was
hurting them. If she was truthful, she knew David and Matthew would never be kindred spirits. Lots of fathers and sons weren’t, but she wasn’t imagining this deterioration in David’s relationship with her son since Alec had made it his business to see more of Matthew.
She kept her eyes on David as she said, ‘I think it would be better all round if we make it clear we don’t expect to see Alec and Margaret so often.’
Startled brown eyes shot up to meet unswerving blue.
‘They have lots of fancy friends and move in very different circles to us; it’s not as if they’re going to sit at home twiddling their thumbs. And all these presents for’ - she had been about to say Matthew, but changed it to - ‘Veronica and Matthew, I want them to stop, for Matthew at least. I don’t like it, David. It makes me . . . uncomfortable. If they do have a baby we’d never be able to reciprocate.’
David had stopped undressing and was sitting with one leg in his trousers and the other out. ‘What’s brought this on, lass?’ he said quietly, his eyes on her tense face.
‘Brought what on?’ She turned her head away to avoid his gaze. The tender concern in his deep brown eyes would prove her downfall one day, she thought painfully. She would blurt out more than she intended and in the process hurt David terribly. As the years had passed she had come to understand that David would be able to accept almost anyone as Matthew’s father, but not Alec. And she knew this applied more, not less, since Alec had made his grand overture and the brothers had become friendly.
‘This concern for Margaret,’ David answered. He kicked off his trousers and pulled on his pyjama bottoms, and then came over to where she sat. He took the hairbrush from her, placed it on the dressing table, and then knelt in front of her, taking her fingers in his warm hands. ‘Look, lass, it’s dreadful the way things have turned out and I feel bad for her, course I do, like everyone else, but you can’t take her problems on your shoulders.’
Carrie blinked. ‘No, I suppose not.’ She felt as though he was heaping coals of fire over her head. But she
did
feel deeply for Margaret when Alec was romping about with Matthew and Veronica, she told herself silently by way of exoneration. In fact, sometimes it had crossed her mind that Alec was being deliberately cruel to his wife when he made a fuss of the two children, punishing Margaret for being unable to present him with bairns of their own. ‘But I would still rather we didn’t see them so much.’
did
feel deeply for Margaret when Alec was romping about with Matthew and Veronica, she told herself silently by way of exoneration. In fact, sometimes it had crossed her mind that Alec was being deliberately cruel to his wife when he made a fuss of the two children, punishing Margaret for being unable to present him with bairns of their own. ‘But I would still rather we didn’t see them so much.’
He pulled her to her feet and took her in his arms. Stroking her hair he said softly, ‘If that’s what you want, I’ll have a word with Alec. I don’t want to upset Margaret any more than you do, love.’ He kissed her brow, his body hardening against hers and telling her of his need.
‘I know you don’t.’ David didn’t have an unkind bone in his body. ‘If they just came occasionally rather than every Sunday it’d be better. I don’t want the one day you don’t work tied up with visitors all the time.’
His lips left her skin. ‘There’s more than one day in a week I don’t work, lass,’ he said bitterly.
Carrie said quickly, ‘Oh, David, I didn’t mean - I wasn’t rubbing it in.’
‘I know, I know.’
But the moment had gone sour and they both knew it.
Long after David had fallen asleep, Carrie lay wide-eyed in the darkness. She felt drained and she was dreading the next day.
David stirred once or twice, muttering something that sounded like her name and increasing her feeling of despair. He was born to have bairns of his own so why hadn’t it happened? She just didn’t understand it. Once or twice when she had been late her hopes had soared, only to plummet again within a day or so when she discovered she wasn’t pregnant. There were folk like David’s mam and da who had never really got on from the moment they were wed and yet could churn out babies like clockwork. She would give anything to be able to say to him, ‘You’re going to be a da.’ She so wanted David’s baby.
She twisted restlessly in the bed, her heart sore. She knew David’s mam thought both she and Renee had decided to have just the one bairn because of their respective jobs. Olive had all but challenged her on it more than once, only backing down when she’d given her short shrift. Perhaps her own parents thought the same, but they would never interfere by saying anything. And it was ironic that in Renee’s case, Olive was probably spot on. Certainly Walter had hinted to David more than once that things weren’t right in the bedroom. But things were grand between her and David in that way, so why,
why
hadn’t it happened?
why
hadn’t it happened?
She was no nearer an answer when she drifted off into a troubled sleep just as it was growing light.
Chapter Twelve
‘It’s good of you, man, don’t get me wrong, but I’d have preferred you to clear it with me before you bought him the bike. His mam and me had told him he’d got to wait till he was older, that’s the thing.’
‘David, I had no idea.’
No idea. Carrie stood just outside her front door listening to David and Alec’s low voices beside her as she waved to Matthew, who for the umpteenth time had just fallen off the brand new bicycle Alec had given him for his birthday. No idea, her hat. He’d planned this, probably for some time, and thinking back to last night she felt Matthew had had a jolly good idea what the ‘grand’ present was going to be too.
‘Margaret and I just had this brainwave of getting a bike for Veronica and David’s next birthdays.’ Alec’s voice went still lower as he said, ‘I think it was because of the last miss, you know? She’s beginning to accept she’ll never have a bairn and this is her way of enjoying yours and Walter’s, I suppose.’
‘The bike was Margaret’s idea then?’ It was rare Carrie spoke to Alec directly and now, as she turned and met his eyes, hers icy blue, she saw he was taken aback.
He rallied immediately, smiling as he replied, ‘I don’t actually remember now.’
‘Because that was what it sounded like,’ she said, still unsmiling.
‘Like I said, Carrie. I don’t remember.’
Aye, and there were snowballs in hell.
‘It doesn’t matter now anyway,’ David said hurriedly. ‘And it’s a beauty, Alec, but next time you’re thinking of getting him a present as dear as that--’
‘I’ll check with you first,’ Alec finished smoothly.
‘I’m getting the hang of it now, Mam, aren’t I!’ Matthew had no skin left on his knees or his elbows, but his face was one wide grin as he limped towards Carrie, pushing the bicycle. ‘It’s canny.’
Carrie forced a smile. The bike was smooth and sleek and fancy, the gears, saddle and brakes the latest design. The paintwork was blue with silver lines and squiggles, and even the leather saddlebag looked as though it had cost a small fortune. Her da, along with Ned, Walter, Billy and the twins, were all standing at strategic points down the street, the idea being that the men were going to catch Matthew before he fell off the bike. None of them had succeeded so far. With this in mind, Carrie said, ‘You’re doing very well but don’t you think it’s time to have tea? Your grandas look as though their tongues are hanging out.’
‘Aw, Mam, can’t I stay out a bit longer? Veronica hasn’t had her turn yet anyway.’
‘You go in, lass, and start the ball rolling. We’ll be in shortly.’ David looked at her and smiled, his eyes saying, let it be for the minute, lass. Let’s just get through the day.
‘Just ten minutes then.’ Carrie turned and stepped into the hall, and saw Renee at the bottom of the stairs.
‘Shut the door, lass.’ Renee waved at the open front door and whispered, ‘I want a word.’
‘What is it?’
All the other women were talking in the kitchen. Renee took her sister’s arm and drew her into the front room which was set out ready for the visitors. She closed the door behind them. ‘If Walter mentions anything to you about me being bad Thursday afternoon, just say something like you’re glad to see me back to meself today. All right?’
Carrie stared at her sister. ‘You were bad Thursday afternoon? ’ she asked in surprise.
‘No, no, that’s what I told Walter.’ Renee’s tone was impatient, and Carrie’s hackles rose.
‘If you weren’t bad, why did you tell him you were?’
Renee moved her shoulders, saying under her breath, ‘I took the afternoon off work, that’s all, said I had to go home ’cos I felt ill with the monthly, but as luck would have it Walter saw one of the women I work with on the way home and she said she hoped I was feeling better. I got in after him and luckily I clicked on straight away he was up to something when he asked me if I’d had a nice day at work. He’s never asked me that in me life. So I said no, not really, ’cos I’d felt bad and gone early but instead of coming home I’d called in to see you for a cup of tea and we’d got chatting.’
Carrie’s voice was as low as her sister’s when she said, ‘What’s going on, Renee?’
‘Can’t you guess?’
‘I’m asking.’
‘I wanted the afternoon off, all right? I work hard enough when all’s said and done.’
‘What did you do?’ Carrie persisted.
‘You mean who was I with?’ Renee tossed her head. ‘Well, if you must know it was Hughie.’
‘Hughie? Not . . . you don’t mean Hughie Fleming from the factory?’
‘Aye.’
‘But . . . he’s married.’
‘So am I, in case you’d forgotten.’
‘No, I hadn’t,’ Carrie said tightly. ‘Walter is David’s brother, in case
you’d
forgotten.’
you’d
forgotten.’
‘And you’re my sister so I should come first with you.’
This was Renee at her most brash, and now anger was replacing shock as Carrie stared into her sister’s defiant face. ‘Look, Renee, what goes on between you and Walter is nothing to do with me but how you’ve got the cheek to involve me like this I don’t know. He’s David’s brother, family, and if you want to carry on that’s up to you, I couldn’t stop you no more than anyone else could when you’ve made up your mind to do something, but I won’t be a party to it or lie for you.’
This was clearly not what Renee had expected. She swallowed twice. ‘Don’t be like that, lass.’ She sounded agitated now, the cockiness she’d displayed so far disappearing. ‘I’m not exactly asking you to lie--’
‘That’s exactly what you’re asking,’ Carrie interrupted furiously.
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