The Silent Touch of Shadows (34 page)

‘Yes, Father.’

He made an angry noise. ‘Well get yourself gone from my sight. And make yourself useful for a change.’

Sibell didn’t say a word in her defence at this groundless accusation. She simply turned on her heel and strode out of the room with another, ‘Yes, Father’, which goaded him into picking up a pewter tankard and throwing it after her. It hit the door with a loud clang just after she shut it quietly behind her, but she ignored it.

‘Damn the girl for defying me!’ he bellowed.

Sibell smiled.

Up to her eyebrows in the Tylson family tree once again, and feeling very guilty for having neglected it lately in favour of her own search, Melissa was in her office when her mobile rang. She picked it up absently while she continued to go through a census record she was checking.

‘Hello, Melissa Grantham.’

‘Mellie, it’s Steve.’

She dropped her pen in surprise and bent to retrieve it. The Tylsons were all forgotten in an instant. ‘Steve! What a surprise to hear from you. I thought you only communicated via your solicitor these days.’ Her unnaturally cheerful voice grated even on her own ears and she could picture him grinding his teeth.
Well good!
She ignored his deliberate use of a pet name he knew she hated and asked sweetly, ‘What can I do for you?’

‘I, er, well, it’s been a while and I thought perhaps Jolie would like to come for a visit. I’m sorry but
 
… things have been a bit tough.’ He sounded embarrassed, and so he should, Melissa thought vehemently. It had been weeks since he’d seen his daughter. She was amazed he even remembered he had one.

Their divorce had granted her sole custody of Jolie, but Steve was allowed to visit her any time. Melissa had made it clear she wanted her daughter to keep in close touch with her father, but for quite a few weeks now he hadn’t bothered. Since he persisted with his claim that he wouldn’t be paying child support any longer, Melissa had told herself she didn’t care. But it wasn’t fair on Jolie.

‘I’ll have to ask my solicitor. If you’re not intending to pay for your child, then I don’t know why you should want to see her.’

‘Melissa, for Christ’s sake, I told you I can’t afford the payments. It’s not that I don’t want her. Come on, be reasonable, you know I love her. She is my daughter, too.’

‘Precisely.’

‘Look, all I’m asking for is a short visit. She, umm, she has a new sister she hasn’t seen yet and I thought
 
… oh, I don’t know. Maybe it was a bad idea. Her last visit wasn’t exactly a success.’

Melissa stared out of the window, her thoughts running round in circles. So Daisy had given birth already, another daughter for Steve. Why hadn’t he told them?
He could at least have informed Jolie of the birth.
And presumably that meant he’d soon be getting married too, wasn’t that what he’d said when he first rang about the payments? Melissa closed her eyes, expecting to feel hurt, but found that she couldn’t summon up anything other than mild irritation. In fact, she couldn’t care less any more what he did. She’d moved on.

But was he telling the truth about the money? He certainly sounded frazzled enough, but she supposed that with two small children to cope with, he probably wasn’t getting much sleep. Could his finances really be that bad? Still, it was the principle of the thing.

‘I’ll tell you what – if you write a letter to your solicitor saying that you’ll agree to start paying for Jolie again as soon as you can afford to, you can see her. But I don’t want any slippery excuses. The moment you’re solvent, you pay. Is that clear?’

‘All right, fine, but I still don’t think it’s fair. There you are with your big house and rich relatives
 
…’

‘For the last time, Steve, this is
not
my house and even if I were to inherit it one day, it won’t make me better off financially. Quite the opposite. The damned thing practically eats money, the running costs are astronomical. Besides, Jolie and I have to survive on what I earn, which barely pays for food, clothing and petrol. Dorothy has sent a sworn statement to the lawyers to say she’s not subsidising me in any way, so I’m sure you’re fully aware that I am no better off now than I was before. The only difference is that Jolie is happy here and doing well at school.’

Steve sighed. ‘Okay, okay, I’ll send the damned letter. Now, when can she come?’

‘I’ll have to ask her. Did you have any particular date in mind? She breaks up from school on Thursday.’

‘This weekend would be good. Could I pick her up on Saturday morning and bring her back Sunday? Friday would be a bit difficult for Daisy
 
…’ His voice sounded strained and she wondered if he was having trouble with his partner as well. That thought didn’t cheer her up the way it would have done only months ago, and she realised she was well and truly over Steve at last.

‘I don’t see why not.’ Jolie may not want to go, but Melissa would make her. It was only right she should have some contact with her father, even if it was sporadic. ‘See you Saturday, then.’

‘Mu-uum! Do I really have to go?’ Jolie wailed, a petulant expression on her face, her amber eyes dark and stormy.

‘Come on. Why wouldn’t you want to?’ Melissa hugged her daughter close. ‘You haven’t seen your dad for ages. He’s been rather busy with work and the new baby, but now he has more time,’ she lied. Like a small child, she crossed her fingers behind her back in compensation. ‘And be nice to your father’s, umm
 
… girlfriend.’

‘But that’s just it – I don’t want to see his girlfriend or their brats. I hate them!’

‘Jolie, of course you don’t hate them. Those “brats” as you call them are your little sisters. I thought you liked babies? Last time you went, you said Tess was cute.’

‘I do, but it’s all their fault we’re not a family any more.’

‘No, Jolie. Listen to me. What happened between your dad and me would have happened anyway, whether he’d met Daisy or not. You mustn’t blame her, even though I admit I did too, at first. It takes two to tango, as they say – it was as much your dad’s fault as hers in that case.’ She sighed. ‘And you know what? I realise now that your dad and I weren’t really suited to each other, and
 
…’

‘Then why did you get married?’ Jolie shouted, her hands fisted at her sides.

‘Because we loved each other then, but people can fall out of love too, you know. If you fall in love with the wrong person, then eventually things will go wrong, with or without interference from others. And they did.’

‘You said he walked out on us.’

‘I was upset at the time and I still loved him then. Now I don’t, I can see he was right to go.’

Jolie struggled with this in silence for a moment, then buried her face in her mother’s shoulder. ‘I still don’t like it.’ Her voice, muffled by Melissa’s T-shirt, sounded small. Melissa stroked her back and held her close.

‘I know, sweetheart, but sometimes things have to be difficult for a while before they can work out for the best.’ She took her daughter’s face between her hands. ‘We’re happy here, aren’t we?’ Jolie nodded. ‘And your dad is happy with Daisy and the babies, so you see, everything’s okay now.’

‘You’re not sad any longer? You cried so much for a while.’

‘I’m fine now.’ And Melissa realised with surprise that she really was all right. It didn’t hurt to think of Steve with someone else and all her anger had worked its way out of her system. She had learned so much during this past year and she was a person in her own right now, strong and independent. Her relationship with Jake was so different from the one she’d had with Steve. It had helped her to see that staying married to Steve would have been a disaster. Their teenage infatuation had been forced into something else by the birth of Jolie, but it couldn’t possibly have lasted, she could see that now. What she’d felt back then was a mere shadow of the feelings she had for Jake.
And Roger
, the little voice inside her insisted. She ignored it.

‘So what do you say, Jolie? Do you want to go? It’s only for two days. You want to see your new baby sister, don’t you?’

‘I guess. And Tess was very sweet when I met her last time.’ Jolie sighed. ‘Oh, all right, I’ll go. But if I don’t like it, you’ll come and get me?’

‘Of course. Just call me. But, Jolie?’

‘Yes?’

‘Promise me you’ll try and see things in a different way this time, okay? I think you’re old enough to be mature about this. I’m sure Daisy must feel as awkward as you do when you’re there. Situations like this are never easy for anyone.’

‘All right, I’ll do my best.’

Steve arrived shortly after nine, a heavy scowl marring his features as he surveyed the manor house.

‘Nice little pad,’ he commented.

‘Yes, it’s not bad, is it?’ And if that wasn’t the understatement of the year, Melissa didn’t know what was. There was no need to add that if he hadn’t been such an idiot he could have shared in her good fortune. She could see from his face he’d worked that one out for himself. ‘Have a nice time.’ She kissed Jolie goodbye and shooed her in the direction of the car. ‘Try to behave yourself.’ She winked at her daughter to show her she was joking.

‘Yes, Mum.’ Melissa hid a smile as Jolie sank into the front seat of Steve’s BMW, one perk he could obviously still afford.

‘So you couldn’t cope with living on your own then?’

Melissa knew he was trying to hint that she couldn’t cope without him, but now she finally could, his remark no longer had the power to annoy her. She smiled.

‘Actually, I could. I was going to rent a cottage nearby, but Dorothy needed some company, so it seemed crazy not to accept her offer to stay here. This has worked out well for both of us. And I never have to worry about leaving Jolie all alone.’

‘I see.’ He looked surprised she hadn’t risen to his bait. A year ago they would have been in the middle of a screaming match by now, but Melissa didn’t feel the need to defend herself. It was a liberating discovery.

Steve looked at his ex-wife and opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something else, then seemed to change his mind. She wondered if he had any regrets, but if he did he didn’t show it. She knew he wasn’t a sentimental man and wouldn’t cry over spilt milk. He had made a new bed and would lie in it. He turned abruptly.

‘See you tomorrow night, then.’

Chapter Twenty-Seven

‘Maude, are you here? There’s a matter I must broach with you and
 
…’

Sir Gilbert put his head round the door to the solar and stopped in mid-sentence, his mouth open. ‘By all the saints, what is the meaning of this?’

Sibell had pulled her head away from her husband’s shoulder the moment Sir Gilbert began to speak, but Roger still held her hand. They were sitting as close to each other as two people possibly could in the window seat. It had been days since they’d seen each other, but at last her father had relented and allowed her a short visit to Idenhurst. Maude, kind as always, had arranged a private meeting.

‘Well, we
 
…’ Sibell didn’t quite know how to explain, but she was spared having to answer when Maude came bustling up the stairs, entering the room after her husband.

‘Really, Gilbert, if you wish to speak to me you have but to send for me,’ she said. ‘Do come in and sit down and stop towering over everyone.’ He obeyed, although reluctantly, a frown settling on his brow. ‘Now, what did you wish to discuss, husband?’ When he hesitated, Maude added, ‘I have no secrets from these two, so please speak plainly.’

‘Very well, I suppose that’s just as well since it concerns this young man.’ He nodded in Roger’s direction and Sibell felt Roger stiffening slightly. She squeezed his hand and Sir Gilbert cleared his throat. ‘When Sir Roger arrived, he spoke to me about a private matter and at the time I didn’t feel able to help him. I have given it much thought, however, and believe it’s my duty to try after all.’ He looked at Maude, a shadow of fear in his eyes. ‘But I am reluctant to do anything that would hurt you, my love.’

‘I know you would never willingly hurt me, husband dearest.’ Maude’s voice was soft and soothing and this appeared to encourage him to go on. He took a deep breath.

‘You know we were betrothed at a very young age and there was a time when, as a young man, I thought to rebel against my father’s decision?’