The Talisman (75 page)

‘Who’ve you got over there? Anyone I know?’

‘No one, it’s just me. Don’t push me, Alex, start adding up the figures of what I’ve just handed to you from Mexico. I’ll never rip you off, you should know that by now. You can trust me, Alex, just like I trust you . . . Pity we sold out on the club, looks like a gold mine. I would still like to have a hand in it but, well, that was down to you . . . Right, I’m off. Take care, give my love to Barbara.’

Alex could say nothing. He knew that Edward had discovered he still owned shares in the club.

‘Yes, say hello to Harry and Jinks for me.’

‘Okay, and you say a big hello to your son, to Evelyn.’

Alex looked up, but the door had already closed behind Edward. Almost in an involuntary move he ran his finger round his collar and pulled at the gold chain, as if it was cutting into his neck. He reached for the files on Mexico. His hand rested a moment on the covers, then he rang through to Miss Henderson.

‘Get me anything you can find on perlite mining, would you, in South Africa.’

He flipped off the intercom button. Opening the files he tried to concentrate, but could not get rid of the strange feeling, as if Edward remained in the room. He looked to the closed door.

‘What are you up to now, Eddie? What?’

Harriet had not read any of the newspaper reports about Edward. She was enjoying life at Haverley Hall, relaxing and growing vegetables in the garden. At seven and a half, Jinks was an unusually quiet child, and still wore her glasses. She was getting taller, but was painfully thin and nervous. Mavis was still with them, but Harriet knew it would soon be time for her to leave – Jinks was already at primary school. Harriet had kept Mavis on as she had become a good friend, but she had a boyfriend now and her own life to lead.

Jinks seemed unconsciously aware of how to deal with her mother, often behaving as if she were the child. Harriet continued to have her schemes, her hobbies, but had settled down much more as she approached middle age. She looked a little eccentric, with her hair in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. She wore loose, flowing garments to disguise the fact that she had put on considerable weight, due partly to lack of exercise and partly to her medication.

Harriet was weeding the garden, unaware that Edward had been standing watching her for nearly fifteen minutes. He had always been aware that she looked like his mother, but now the resemblance was uncanny. When she looked up and flashed him that wonderful smile he couldn’t help but feel good. It was always the same – away from her he could forget her, but as soon as he set eyes on her again he felt that rush of emotion. He opened his arms for her as she ran to him, and swung her around. ‘My God, you’ve put on weight, nearly put my back out.’

Calling for Jinks, Harriet led Edward around her vegetable patch, pointing out the lettuces and showing off her tomato plants with pride. Jinks came shyly to the door. She was a timid child, and had always been slightly afraid of her father.

‘Look who’s here! Surprise, surprise, it’s Daddy.’

Edward held out his arms and she went to him, gave him a small peck on the cheek and promptly stood back, looking down at her feet. Edward lifted her chin to look into her eyes, and she blushed.

‘Your mother’s given you a complex, you’ve got wonderful eyes. Come here and let me see – they’re green, well, well, Jinks has got green eyes.’

‘It’s because Ma makes me eat so much of her lettuce.’

Edward laughed at her attempt to make a joke, then they all went inside for tea. Jinks still would not meet her father’s eyes, but hung her head at the table until he grew angry with her. He started to argue with Harriet, and Jinks left the table.

The next morning they drove back to London. Jinks hated the dark rooms of the manor, and always had nightmares. She was also highly nervous about starting her new school, and even when told she would at least know someone, as her cousin would be there, she pursed her lips in identical fashion to Harriet. ‘I’ve never met him.’

‘Oh, you will, darling, you two are going to be friends. You can invite him back for tea and things like that.’

Harriet snorted, ‘Oh God, if he’s anything like his mother she won’t. And speaking of Barbara, this arrived this morning, it must have slipped by her. I’ve been invited to this luncheon . . . She’s chairman of Save the Animals, Save the Whale, and God knows what else – look, it came yesterday. Shall I go? It’ll be a laugh, don’t you think?’

Examining the embossed invitation, Edward agreed she should go. He thought no more of it until he walked into his office one morning a few weeks later.

Alex buttonholed him. ‘Barbara is absolutely furious with Harry – you know she turned up at a Save the Wild Animals lunch with a fox fur wrapped round her neck?’

Edward gave him no more than a cursory shrug of the shoulders. Nothing ever surprised him where his wife was concerned.

In an abrupt change of subject, Alex commanded all Edward’s attention. ‘I want to ask your advice.’ Alex never asked for advice, he usually offered it. ‘It’s Evelyn, he’s becoming a hell of a handful for Barbara. And, well, I put him down for Eton and Harrow. You don’t know anyone who has any influence with one of them, do you?’

‘You’re asking me? Me? Listen, your dear wife wouldn’t even let him come over to our place for Jinks’ birthday party last year, how come I can suddenly play a part in his education?’

‘Well, I’ve got enough contacts of course, but . . . Well, he isn’t what I’d call academic. Give him a rugger ball and he’s happy as a lark, but he won’t study, he’s way behind.’

‘So, what can I do?’ Edward couldn’t help smiling. All these years he had wanted some contact with his son, and now it looked as though he was going to get it.

‘Well, I just thought, with all your Cambridge friends, you might be able to pull a few strings.’

‘Can’t Barbara?’

‘She’s trying, but I’d like a second opinion. He’s only nine and she wants him boarding, it would be for the spring term, after Christmas. I doubt if he’s as bright as we were, remember the scholarships we both won? Anyway, if you’d ask around I’d be grateful . . . she can’t get rid of him soon enough.’

Edward agreed to do what he could, and to Alex’s amazement he seemed quite pleased to be helping out. But when Alex told Barbara she hit the roof, demanding to know, of all people, why did he have to choose Edward?

Of late they had not been getting along at all well. Barbara attended so many functions he saw her rarely, and her lack of participation in Evelyn’s upbringing drove him to distraction. She had no time for the child, and had even missed his sports day at Hill House. Evelyn had won four races and was so popular and outgoing that Alex had been as proud as Punch.

He had sat with Harriet, who moaned to him that Edward was off on one of his trips. She even said, laughingly nudging Alex, ‘And we all know what he’ll get up to. You know, it used to destroy me, but . . . Well, now I must close my eyes, ignore it. If it makes him happy then so be it, and he has settled down. He’s stopped drinking, did you know?’

Alex knew about Edward’s liaisons, his so-called business trips, and he gave Harriet a small smile. Through all the upheavals in their lives they had remained friends, even if they did see each other rarely.

Harriet watched as Jinks came in second to last in the egg and spoon race, and grimaced. ‘Well, at least she’s brainy although not very well co-ordinated, is she? But then, it’s her eyes, she squints, did you notice it at all, Alex?’

‘Not really. Does she have to wear those terrible glasses? Why don’t you get her a better pair?’

‘Oh, I can’t be bothered, really, and of course she won’t have to wear them all her life, you know. It’s just to straighten out her eye, it’s the left one, goes right into the side – terrible affliction.’

Meanwhile, Evelyn was getting into a fight on the other side of the field. Alex sighed. ‘God, he’s a handful. You know he tied Barbara’s bathroom door closed and she was trapped for hours? It was the servants’ day off, all hell broke loose, as I’m sure you can imagine. Anyway, I gave him a good talking to, but it just drips off him like water.’

‘My father always used his old military belt. He made us run up the stairs like soldiers, with our socks down, and he whopped us with it. We got big red welts on our legs. You know something funny, I’ve never thought of it before – but you don’t think that’s why Allard’s such a big poofter, do you? Have you ever met him? He worked for you on and off, with Dickie Van der Burge in South Africa. You hear anything of Skye Duval at all? I often wonder about him . . . Ah well, years go by.’

Alex had been listening with only half an ear until South Africa was mentioned.

‘Who is Skye Duval?’

‘He works for Edward. Right, that’s it, tea time.’

Alex remained sitting on the bench, deep in thought, while Harriet marched across the field to collect Jinks. He had come to the conclusion that Skye Duval was some sort of alias Edward used from time to time, but now it was quite clear he actually did exist.

Harriet waved to Evelyn, and he turned and grinned back. She was already busy collecting her daughter’s plimsolls and gymslip.

‘Well, darling, you did very well, at least you weren’t last.’

Jinks was gazing across the field at her handsome cousin. He had hardly ever said two words to her, and unlike her he was extremely popular. She had once tried to make friends, but he had stuck out his tongue then crossed his eyes, mimicking her, so she had never tried again. She trailed after Harriet, who appeared to know everybody, and kept stopping to chat. She was laughing with Jinks’ teacher, as outgoing as ever. She patted her daughter’s odd pigtails.

‘Well, she can’t be top in everything. It’s her glasses, you see, I’m sure without them she would run like the wind, wouldn’t you, darling?’

‘Honestly, Mother, it’s got nothing to do with my glasses, I just can’t run very fast.’

‘Well I know that, darling, but you might at least have won the egg and spoon race. When I was at school we used to stick ours to the spoon, but everyone’s so honest these days.’

Alex tried to discuss Evelyn’s prowess in the sports events with Barbara. Uninterested, she continued writing her diary, reminding him that they were dining out that evening.

‘I said he won . . .’

‘Yes, I heard you, but perhaps you should encourage him to do his homework. It’s all very well winning prizes for running, but that won’t get him into Eton or Harrow, which is your fault, you should have put his name down. There’s a waiting list, I couldn’t believe my ears . . . waiting list for a school, sometimes this country is ridiculous, it really is. Now I’d better start dressing, I’ll tell Scargill to run your bath, was there something else?’

Alex shook his head, but she had already walked out without waiting for his reply.

When Alex went upstairs to change, he passed his son’s open door. He was lying across his bed, still wearing his sports kit, and his face was filthy.

‘You eaten? Evelyn? Have you eaten?’

‘No, I’ll get Scargill to fix me something when you two have gone out.’

‘You have any homework?’

‘No, Father – in case you hadn’t noticed, we broke up, it’s the Christmas hols . . . Ma said she’d give me a tenner.’

Alex put his hand in his pocket and handed over ten pounds. His son grinned and pocketed it fast. Alex gave him another, saying it was to go towards Christmas presents.

‘Can I go out on my bike?’

‘No, Lyn, it’s dark, and you’ve no lights. Ride it in the morning.’

‘Okay.’

When his father had gone, Evelyn got out his A – Z of London, and began to plot his route. He had no intention of staying at home and not riding his bike.

Alex had changed for dinner, and he found Barbara in her room painting her nails.

‘I suppose we should get a tree, for Lyn, but I just hate the needles dropping everywhere . . . He’s going to spend the actual holiday with the Hope-Swindowns, so perhaps I won’t bother this year. I think it’s rather a good idea as Charlie Hope-Swindown is that bit older and very clever. His mother’s on the board for the Mentally Handicapped, she’s related to . . .’

Alex interrupted, ‘Christ, it’s Christmas, you know I like him around then. And what’s a few pine needles? You don’t have to clean the place.’

‘Well, I won’t be here! Oh, Alex, we’ve discussed this how many times? You know I have an arrangement, I’ve told you all about it. It’s just a small operation, and well, Christmas seemed an ideal time to have it done. Then I’ll go to a health farm for a few days, are you listening?’

‘Fine, fine, I’ll go to New York.’

Barbara’s eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. She screwed the top of the nail varnish on carefully, gave herself the once-over in the mirror and admired her firm jawline, courtesy of the best plastic surgeons in the country. She was going to have her breasts lifted, and to avoid anyone finding out, she had said she was going abroad for Christmas. She licked her perfectly glossed lips and stood up. She caught Alex looking at her.

‘You look beautiful.’

‘Thank you, darling . . . It’s so rare nowadays you even notice me.’

Alex sighed as she swanned past him. He followed her downstairs, passing Evelyn’s room. The lights were still on, the comics littered the floor, but there was no sign of him.

Evelyn pedalled over Westminster Bridge in pouring rain, his A – Z stuck in the handlebars of his bike and getting soggier by the minute. He had the twenty pounds he had conned out of his father in his pocket, and he was off on a well-planned adventure. He was going to spend Christmas with his Uncle Edward, the man Mother always referred to as the ‘Big Bad Wolf’.

Standing at the top of the ladder, Dewint was having such a good time, lavishly decorating the tree with coloured balls and glitter. Harriet stood beside the tree, bellowing instructions and waiting to hand him the bedraggled fairy she had brought from her old home. The tree reached almost to the ceiling, and around its base were piles of gifts wrapped in brilliantly coloured paper. Harriet had spent hours making paper chains, linking them all together until the whole house was festooned. The fire blazed in the lounge grate, candles glowed, and twinkling fairy lights had been added for effect.