Chapter Eleven

Sandy bounced onto Evan’s bed. He’d been like a toddler with a new toy since that afternoon, when he’d met Milo properly for the first time. After meeting Milo’s friends and parents, Evan had thought he should introduce Milo to someone he knew. And besides, he wanted his lover to meet his best friend. Sandy had been there for him since he’d moved to London, listening when he needed to talk and never judging him for liking men. He’d put up with Evan droning on about Milo for months, so the least he could do was to let them get acquainted.

They’d been to the Corner House on the Strand, and Milo had treated them to a slap-up lunch of melting Welsh rarebit followed by apple charlotte and cream. Milo had been on sparkling form and Sandy hadn’t stopped talking about him since.

“You’re a lucky man, Evan. Milo is such a nice bloke. Handsome and clever, and funny as well. And he’s crazy about you.”

“There’s no accounting for taste, I suppose.”

“You said it.” Sandy chuckled. “Seriously, though, thanks for inviting me. It was good to meet him after all this time.”

“You mean after me going on about him all this time.”

“Well, I understand why you went on about him now.”

Evan had been relieved and delighted that Sandy and Milo had hit it off. In fact, he’d struggled to get a word in once they’d started nattering. “I’m glad you like him, Sandy. It wouldn’t seem right if you two didn’t get on.”

“I didn’t know you held my opinion so dear.”

“Of course I do. You’re my best friend. You and Milo are the most important men in my life.”

“You soft so-and-so.” Sandy punched Evan teasingly on the arm. Then he sat for a while, running his finger in slow circles on the quilt. “Milo really does make you happy, doesn’t he?”

“Happier than I ever thought possible.”

“Why is that, do you think?”

“I know it sounds soppy, but I reckon we’re meant to be together.”

“You don’t think…” Sandy continued to make patterns on the patchwork quilt. “You don’t think it’s because you’re both blokes?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you think two men together are happier than a boy and a girl?”

“What are you on about? Are things not going well with you and Marge?”

Sandy shook his head. “Nor Clarrie, nor Ada, nor Lily before that.”

“You just haven’t met the right girl yet.”

“Maybe. Or maybe I should try something new. Like you and Milo. Evan, do you think Milo might match me up with one of his friends?”

“Bloody hell, Sandy. What’s brought this on? You never said you liked men before.”

Sandy shrugged. “There’s a first time for everything.”

“But I’ve seen the way you look at women. You can’t keep your eyes off them. And you’d have known a long time before now if you were that way.”

“Some men like both. I’ve heard about them.”

“That’s true, and if I genuinely thought you liked blokes I’d find you the finest, handsomest man I could. But you don’t really like men, do you?”

“I don’t know.” Sandy rubbed his hand across his eyes. “I want what you and Milo have. I want to meet a person I can’t live without, who makes me happy to be alive. I’ve never met a girl who makes me feel anything like that.”

“Like I said, you’ve not met the right girl yet. Be honest, Sandy. When you’re enjoying yourself on your own at night, which film star are you thinking about? John Gilbert or Marion Davies?”

“That’s not fair. You know I love all her films.”

“And I know you ripped a picture of her out of the paper to ogle while you’re having your fun. Sandy, you don’t like men. Accept it and be happy. Your life will be a lot more straightforward than mine.”

Sandy slouched back against the wall. “I’m being stupid, aren’t I?”

“No.” Evan smiled. “You want to be in love, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’ll happen, Sandy. Just be patient, and I bet in five years’ time, you’ll be married with a couple of kids who’ll be driving you mad and calling me Uncle Evan.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. Now, come here, you daft thing.” Evan pulled Sandy into a hug. “You are going to be a brilliant husband and father one day.”

Sandy laid his head on Evan’s shoulder. “You’re such a good friend, Evan.”

“And so are you. There’s not many friends who’d put up with a bloke mooning over another man.”

Evan stroked Sandy’s hair as they nestled against each other and was about to kiss him chastely on the cheek, when there was a loud knock at the door. They both froze as another knock rapped against the door, followed by Mrs. Grindley’s irascible voice.

“Mr. Calver? Are you in there? I want a word with you.”

Evan and Sandy looked at each other, then spluttered into laughter.

“Blimey, Evan, what have you done now?”

“God knows.” Evan got up from the bed and straightened his hair with his fingers. “I probably forgot to clean the sink last time I had a wash.”

“You dirty blighter.” Sandy grinned. “You’ll be on cleaning duty again.”

“And you can flamin’ well help me if I am.” Evan chuckled as he opened the door. “What can I do for you, Mrs. Grindley?”

Their landlady’s face was as stony as he’d ever seen it, and Evan tried to wipe the smile from his face.

“Is everything all right, Mrs. Grindley? Is there a problem?”

“There most certainly is, Mr. Calver. You will come down to the dining room immediately.” Mrs. Grindley peered past Evan to where Sandy was sitting on the bed, and her look changed from one of coldness to barely suppressed disdain. “I might have known you’d be in there, Mr. Wallace. You’ll come downstairs now with Mr. Calver.”

Evan frowned as Mrs. Grindley turned and stalked away across the landing.

“What do you think she wants, Sandy?”

“She’s certainly got a bee in her bonnet about something. Maybe somebody’s broken one of her precious porcelain vases.”

“You’re probably right. It doesn’t take much to rile her. We’d best go and see what heinous crime has been committed.”

They went downstairs and were still giggling over the misdeeds they might be accused of when they ambled into the dining room. Mrs. Grindley was over by the window, standing straight as a poker and looking more forbidding than the strictest headmistress. Evan had never seen her look so grave and guessed that something had been stolen.

“What is it, Mrs. Grindley? Neither of us has done anything wrong, I swear.”

Mrs. Grindley pursed her lips, as though stopping herself from saying something unbecoming to a lady.

“Mr. Calver, Mr. Wallace, I want you both out of this house by the end of the day.”

Evan stood open-mouthed, unable to believe what he’d heard.

“But why, Mrs. Grindley? What have we done? We both pay our board on time. You’ve no reason to—”

“I have every reason, Mr. Calver, and unless you want me to take those reasons to the police, I suggest you pack your bags and leave.”

“But, Mrs. Grindley,” Sandy sounded as shocked and confused as Evan, “we’ve done nothing against the law.”

“I have it on very good authority that you have, and I will not have persons of immoral character under my roof.”

A fearful heat surged through Evan’s body as he realized just what they were being accused of, but Sandy continued regardless.

“Immoral character? What are you talking about? And on whose authority, exactly?”

“That is my business, but suffice it to say, I will not provide refuge for those who go against God’s law. All the evenings this one spent with his ‘friend’. And the nights too. I can’t bear to think about it. And you, Mr. Wallace, are worse than him. Pulling the wool over our eyes, pretending you were courting all those girls. It’s disgusting, it is.”

“Mrs. Grindley, you’ve—”

“Sandy, don’t.” Evan took a long, deep breath and turned to Mrs. Grindley. “I’ll go, but don’t throw Sandy out. He’s not like that. He’s not like me.”

“You admit it, then.”

“I’m admitting nothing, but I’ll go without a fuss. Just don’t involve Sandy. He’s done nothing wrong.”

When Mrs. Grindley hesitated, Evan hoped she might have a change of heart, but her face hardened once more.

“He can have until the end of the week, but that’s all. I’ll not have those in my house who consort with degenerates. I have a reputation to maintain. And you, Mr. Calver, I want you out now. Or I will report you to the police, mark my word.”

“Please don’t, Mrs. Grindley. I’ll go, but don’t do this to Sandy.”

“Don’t bother yourself, Evan. I’m off. I’ll not stay where you’ve been treated like this.”

“I’m pleased to hear you’re being reasonable.” Mrs. Grindley strode briskly toward the door. “And Mr. Calver, I want you out of this house before dark.”

Mrs. Grindley disappeared into the hallway and Evan turned helplessly to Sandy.

“I’m so sorry. I can’t believe she’s thrown you out like that. What will you do?”

“Don’t you fret about me. I reckon it’s time I went home to Crieff anyway. I need some clean Scottish air in my lungs. But what about you? Where will you go?”

“I’ll go to Milo’s for tonight, then… Maybe I’ll go home as well, but God knows what I’d say to my parents.”

“Evan, you can’t leave Milo. You love him. Damn it, this is so unfair.” Sandy gave the dining table leg an irate kick. “I wish I knew who’d told Mrs. Grindley, so I could give them a bloody good hiding.”

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than footsteps approached outside and Dennis appeared at the dining room door. At first he looked curious to know what was going on. Then his mouth curled into an unrepentant smirk. Evan shook his head in disbelief, but Sandy’s reaction was more forthright.

“Dennis, you vicious swine, I’ll have you for this.” Dennis took a startled step back as Sandy launched himself toward him, but Evan grabbed Sandy’s arm.

“Sandy, leave him. We can’t cause any trouble.”

“Speak for yourself. I don’t mind a night in the cells for teaching that little shit a lesson.”

“Sandy, we can’t have him going to the police.” Evan looked imploringly at Sandy. “I can’t have him telling the police.”

Sandy’s arm slackened beneath Evan’s fingers, and Dennis broke into a smug smile.

“Too right you can’t. Mrs. Grindley doesn’t want the coppers involved, but if either of you lays one finger on me, I’ll be down the station before the blood’s dried.”

“There’ll be no need for that.” Evan released Sandy from his grasp. “But why did you do it, Dennis? What have we ever done to you?”

“Nothing.” Dennis shrugged. “Apart from you being a filthy poof and using me to give your excuses when you’re off with your boyfriend. And don’t deny that’s what he is. There’s only one reason a toff like him would want to spend time with a grocer’s boy, and it’s not to talk about tins of soup. Besides, I’ve seen the little looks he gives you, all soppy like he was your sweetheart. It makes me sick to my stomach, and I’ve had enough. I’ll not live under the same roof as so-called men like you.”

“Think what you like about me, but Sandy’s not like that. Why would you think he is?”

“Because I’ve heard pretty boy here coming out of your room at all hours. Don’t tell me you’re just talking in there.”

“That’s exactly what we’re doing. It’s all in your imagination.”

“Maybe it is, but I’ll feel a lot safer with both of you out of the house. So the sooner you’re gone the better.”

With a last scornful sneer, Dennis went out into the hall, and the front door slammed a moment later. Sandy gave the table another hefty kick, rattling the plates already set for breakfast.

“The spiteful bastard. You should have let me thump him.”

“You know I couldn’t let you do that. If the police get involved, they’ll find out about me and Milo, and I can’t risk him going to jail. It would kill him. I’ll leave for his sake, but I’m so sorry you have to go too.”

“Like I said, I reckon it’s time I went home. Mum will be glad to have me back anyway. I’m more worried about you and Milo. What’ll happen if you have to leave London?”

“I don’t know.” Evan’s stomach clenched at the thought of not seeing Milo every day, of not being able to kiss or make love to him. “I’ll try and see him when I can, but I suppose this was bound to happen sometime. The life we’ve got can’t last forever. We have to live in the real world.”

“Don’t say that.” Sandy wrapped his arm around Evan. “You’ll work something out, I know you will.”

Evan wished he could believe Sandy’s words, and that he could stay with his friend a while longer, but his time at Beston House was almost up. He went upstairs and packed his belongings, then trudged to Milo’s with the old leather case he’d brought with him to London three years ago. When he rang the bell to Milo’s flat, Evan was certain his day couldn’t get any worse, and he could have burst into tears when Milo appeared, wearing a raincoat and evidently on his way out.

“I’m sorry, Milo. I didn’t know you had plans.”

“It was nothing important. I just thought I’d go to the pub.” Milo looked down at Evan’s case. “What are you doing with that? Are you going to see your parents?”

“I wish I were. It’s Mrs. Grindley. She’s thrown me out.”

“Thrown you out? Why?”

Milo took his case and ushered him inside, but Evan didn’t answer his question until they were safely upstairs in Milo’s flat.

“She knows about me. She knows that I’m… And she thinks the same of Sandy, the stupid old… Bloody hell, Milo, what am I going to do?”

“Just calm down.” Milo sat Evan down on the bed. “Now, is Sandy all right? Did she chuck him out too?”

“He’s got until the end of the week, then he’s off back to Scotland.” Evan slumped miserably against Milo. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t go home and I can’t stay here. I’ll have to go away somewhere, but where on earth can I go?”

“You’re not going anywhere. You’ll stay here with me while we sort something out.”

“I can’t do that. What if Mrs. Grindley tells the police? She knows about us, Milo. That bastard Dennis told her. It’s too dangerous for me to stay around here.”

“I doubt Mrs. Grindley would go to the trouble of reporting us. But if she did, you don’t need to worry.”

“We could go to jail, Milo. Do you have any idea what that would be like, what they’d do to people like us?”

“I know exactly what they would do, and it almost makes me ashamed to be English that men are treated so appallingly in this country for simply being different. I would change the law tomorrow if I could, but as it is, I can only take care of myself and those I love. You see, my uncle is a High Court judge with a great deal of influence. He would not allow either of us to be imprisoned, so you have nothing to fear.”

As Milo folded his arms around him, Evan thought of the man who’d been jailed for immoral acts in Derby. He’d had no rich relations to call upon. He’d probably had no one at all. Evan felt guilty and lucky in equal measure as he nuzzled against Milo’s shoulder, but he knew his problems weren’t over.

“I can’t stay here forever, though. Even if we managed to stay out of jail, people would start to talk.”

“I’m sure they would.” Milo eased away with a curious smile. “Look, I’ve been wanting to suggest this for a while, but I haven’t found the right moment. Evan, what would you say to living with me at my family’s house in Sussex? My parents hardly ever go there, so it would practically be our home.”

“I’d say you were stark staring mad. Whether it’s London or Sussex, two men can’t live together like that. It’s not possible.”

“It would be if you were my employee.”

“I doubt I’d be a very good valet, if that’s what you had in mind.”

“I was thinking more of an assistant. A secretary, if you like. You would deal with my correspondence and financial affairs. I’ve had more pieces commissioned than I have time for since the prize at the Royal Academy, and I have to give up teaching if I’m to take my art seriously. What’s more, the flat is too small to serve as a proper studio. I hope we’ll buy our own house in time, but for now this seems like the best option.”

The idea of owning a house with Milo was too fantastic to contemplate, and Evan fixed his thoughts on the current proposal.

“What about your parents? I know they don’t mind that we’re together, but they wouldn’t let us live in their house.”

“My dear, they were the ones who suggested it. They hate to see the house empty so much of the time, and they’ve seen how happy you make me.”

Evan was still amazed that such people as Mr. and Mrs. Halstead existed. His parents had always been good to him, and he helped them out in return, but he couldn’t imagine their reaction if they discovered his relationship with Milo, or when he told them about his new job.

“What will Mother say when I tell her I’m secretary to a famous artist?”

“I’m not famous yet, darling, and you’ll only be a secretary some of the time.”

“And what will I do the rest of the time?” Evan grinned and drew Milo to him. “Will I be providing for your physical needs?”

“If you like.” Milo chuckled. “But I thought you might like to spend some time in the grounds and give your gardening idea a go. The place could do with a bit of sprucing up, and it would be good practice. You can see if it’s what you really want to do.”

“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

“I suppose I have, but they’re only suggestions. If you want to do something different or go somewhere else, I don’t want to force you into anything.” Milo smiled uncertainly. “I only hope that wherever you go, you’ll take me with you.”

“Milo, I don’t care where we are as long as we’re together. If you want to live in Sussex, we’ll live in Sussex. I’ll go to bloody Australia, if it means I can be with you.”

Milo laughed and rolled Evan back onto the bed.

“I think Sussex is far enough for the time being.”

As they kissed and cuddled, then made love, Evan didn’t dare picture his future with Milo. He couldn’t imagine Milo’s house in Sussex, or the gardens he might be allowed to tend, and as for being Milo’s secretary, taking care of the practicalities of his artistic career, Evan didn’t know if he was capable of such responsibility. But he was more excited by the prospect than he could say, and Evan knew he’d be happy if he was with Milo, wherever they were and whatever life threw in their way.