To Simone’s dismay, when a car drew up outside her house, three people got out of it: two strangers who were, she assumed, Kit and Mags, and – no, it couldn’t be – but it was: Lance!
The look Mags shot at her father-in-law as they got out said that she wasn’t pleased to have him there any more than Simone was. He was wearing a bland smile and didn’t seem to notice how anyone else was feeling because he was too busy studying Simone.
As she went out reluctantly to greet them, he gave her a sneering smile which seemed to say he’d gained an advantage over her. That added fuel to the anger mounting inside her.
The younger man moved forward, hand outstretched. 197‘Simone? I’m Kit and this is Mags. I think you know my father already?’
‘Pleased to meet you, Kit. Mags.’ She looked at Lance, who moved forward and held out his hand to her.
‘Nice to see you. I said we’d meet again, didn’t I?’
She ignored his hand and took a step backwards, turning to the younger man. ‘I thought you and Mags were coming here on your own today, Kit.’
Lance moved closer. ‘Oh, I promise not to take up much space, Simone.’
It was his smug smile that was the final straw. That smile seemed to be declaring that he’d won this round and would win any others.
‘You aren’t going to take up any space, Lance, because I don’t want you in my house at all. We aren’t friends and we aren’t going to be. Perhaps you could wait for your son over at the hotel?’
Three people gaped at her, then Mags began to smile.
Simone was surprised at herself. Had she really spoken so bluntly? Well, she’d tried polite refusals to spend time with Lance and they hadn’t worked, so why not? She still felt the same instinctive distaste at being anywhere near him, so she had to do this to make sure he didn’t try to butt into her life and affairs again.
She also wanted to prove to herself that she could act decisively. She’d let people take advantage of her for too long, in big ways and small, for loving reasons and out of timidity. When he didn’t move, she added, ‘It’s only a two-minute walk and they serve good coffee at the hotel.’
His expression thunderous, Lance turned to his son. ‘I 198think we all need to leave if that’s how this woman is going to treat me.’
Kit didn’t move but threw a panic-stricken look at his wife, and it was Mags who said firmly, ‘You can do what you want but I’m not leaving. It’s very important to me to find out more about Australia.’ She turned her back to him and raised one eyebrow at her hostess. ‘Is it all right if I come into your house?’
Simone nodded and gestured to the door with one hand.
As Mags passed her, she whispered, ‘I can’t stand him either, but my Kit is a dear, not at all like Mr Slimey. You’ll like him, I’m sure.’
There was the sound of a man’s voice raised in anger, so Simone and Mags stayed where they were to listen.
‘Are you going to let that woman treat me so rudely?’ Lance demanded.
‘I did tell you she hadn’t invited you but you insisted she’d be happy to see you. Only you were lying to me again. There’s a hidden agenda to this, isn’t there? As usual with you, Father.’
‘What the hell do you mean by that?’
‘My guess is you’re sniffing around her in case she gets between you and your supposed inheritance.’
‘That’s telling him!’ Mags nudged Simone and gave her another quick grin.
‘Well, you can leave me out of your machinations, Father. I don’t need anyone else’s money and Henrietta can do what she wants with hers. I’m perfectly happy to earn my own way in the world.’
‘Look here! As your father I must insist—’
But Kit had turned away from him and was moving 199towards the door. The two women moved further inside and he followed them, shutting the door quickly behind him. He looked apologetically at Simone. ‘Sorry about that. I didn’t realise he was pushing his way in where he wasn’t wanted. I should have done. You’re not the only one who doesn’t enjoy his company.’
He moved towards the nearest window so that he could watch what his father was doing. ‘Oh good, he’s going across to the hotel.’
‘What did he do to upset you, Simone?’ Mags asked.
‘He kept pestering me to meet him when I’d made it plain that I didn’t want to. I don’t know why I don’t like him, I just don’t. He even gate-crashed a family gathering at Fern’s so that he could corner me there.’
Mags rolled her eyes. ‘She doesn’t get on with him either. She’d never have invited him, I’m sure.’
‘She said she hadn’t. I did as much as I could to make my feelings plain to him while staying polite but today was the final straw.’
‘Politeness doesn’t work with him anyway,’ Kit said bitterly. ‘He only sees what he wants and doesn’t mind who he tramples on to get it.’ He turned to his wife. ‘I hope you like the sound of Australia, Mags darling, because what he did today only makes me all the more eager to go there.’
Simone liked the loving way he spoke to his wife, as well as his open expression. ‘Do you want a coffee while we chat?’
‘No, thank you. Mags is on an early lunch hour so we have to be quick.’
‘Sit down then and ask away. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.’200
They asked all the usual questions as if it was a colony on the moon. How did you deal with hot weather? What sort of social life was there? Mags wanted to know what the houses were like. She was tired of living in a flat, it seemed, however conveniently situated.
As the conversation continued, Simone could tell that Kit was nothing like his father. Well, the way he smiled lovingly at his wife had told her that right from the beginning and the way he truly listened to what she told him only confirmed it. As for Mags, she was a delightful, lively person with a gurgling laugh. The two of them would probably fit in well in their age group in Western Australia.
Once she felt fairly sure she’d got their measure, Simone offered to introduce them to her daughters and their families in Perth and they eagerly accepted. They were about the same age, she’d guess.
In the end, she asked, ‘What makes you hesitate to go to Australia, Mags?’
‘The fact that I’d have to give up my job.’
‘What do you do?’
‘I’m in IT. I know it’s supposed to be easy to find jobs in my area, but I really like the project I’m working on at the moment and I get on well with my colleagues.’
She mimed holding her nose because of a bad smell and added, ‘Mr Slimey has changed my mind today, though. Now, what I want more than anything is to get away from him and never live anywhere near him again.’ She turned to her husband. ‘I think you should take the job offer, love. And if we like it, we might even stay there. If we’re allowed, that is.’
He let out a happy yell, pulled her towards him and 201plonked a smacking big kiss on each of her cheeks, then on her lips. ‘I’ll do all I can to make sure you don’t regret it, my darling.’
It was lovely to see them together, Simone thought, and waited quietly for them to turn back to her. Who’d have thought that man could have produced such a nice son?
Seething with fury, Lance walked across to the hotel, unable to believe how that ghastly woman had just treated him. Did she know nothing about good manners? Clearly not.
And his son had let her get away with it. If Kit had any family loyalty, he’d have left in support of his father. Well, he was going to regret that, by hell he was! There would be a way to teach him a sharp lesson. There was always a way.
But he’d not regret it as much as that woman. She was going to be sorry she’d come to England to try to steal the inheritance that rightfully belonged to Lance.
He smiled at one thing. He’d fooled his son again and been able to come here with them. And his daughter-in-law hadn’t been able to prevent it. Not the brightest spark in the fire, Mags. Her company must be employing some real thickos, if they’d promoted a woman like her. Well, fancy promoting a woman anyway. Didn’t they have any good men? Political correctness had gone too far, much too far.
He’d been amazed a couple of years ago when Kit turned up with Mags and introduced her as his wife. He’d said they didn’t want a fussy wedding but why the hell had they got married so secretly? She must have pretended to be pregnant. Women still did that, however liberated they claimed to be.202
It was letting the side down to bring such a woman into the family. Not only ugly but brought up by a single mother who didn’t even have her own house to leave them one day. With his good looks, Kit should have waited and found a woman with money and good family connections to help mend the Pennertons’ fortunes. As Lance had told him several times.
Things had to be worse financially at Pennerton House than Henrietta would admit, damn her, or she’d not be planning to hand it over to the National Trust. If she wanted to hand it to anyone, she should hand it to him.
He stood in front of the hotel, scowling at the row of houses with more new homes being built at the far end. It was the longest street and this place was in the middle of nowhere. How the hell was he going to get home? There would be no public transport out here and a taxi would cost a fortune. Unfortunately Lady Luck hadn’t been on his side and he was short of money this week. He’d even hit his credit card limit.
He’d have to go and beg for help from Henrietta. She’d told him last time there would be no more money from her and he was to consider that he’d had all his inheritance in advance. Ha! She’d said that before and he’d always managed to charm some more cash out of her. He’d find a way to do it again.
He still had to get home today, though. He wondered if Kit would simply drive past him if he stood near the hotel entrance and pretended to thumb a lift? Surely not? He’d have to try it. He was too old to hitch-hike.
How long would those two spend with that woman? He glanced at his watch. He’d have time for a quick drink, 203surely? After that, he’d have to go and wait near the entrance to the car park to waylay Kit.
He didn’t think his son would have the nerve to drive straight past him. Mags might, the hard-faced bitch, but not his soft touch of a son.
He sorted through the change in his pockets. He’d have to limit his drink to a measly half-pint of beer, not his usual tipple. And he had to make it last for half an hour while he flicked through a crumpled newspaper someone had left lying around because there was no one to chat to in the bar at this time of day. The guy behind it was busy stacking up the shelves and hardly looked at him.
After half an hour had passed Lance walked outside again, moving slowly across the nearly empty car park to wait near the exit to the road. Good thing it wasn’t a hot day. It was muggy, though. He wiped his forehead. Weather like this always gave him a headache.
So did spending time with his damned daughter-in-law. And he’d have to be polite to her on the way back. That would make the headache worse.
As they drove away from the house after their talk, Mags said suddenly, ‘There’s your father. I bet he’s going to have the cheek to try for a lift back with us. Don’t stop for him! Leave him there. For once, let him face the consequences of trying to trick people.’
Kit slowed down at the near end of the car park. ‘I can’t do that this time. We did bring him here, after all. Why did you even mention our visit to him, Mags?’
‘I met him in the car park at work when I nipped down to get my sunglasses.’204
‘What was he doing there?’
‘Who knows? That didn’t occur to me till afterwards. I assumed at the time he was going to see someone in the building. There are people coming and going all the time in a ten-storey building. I tried to get away with a quick hello but he was in affable mode and fooled me … again. He asked if I’d met the long-lost Aussie relative and I said I was going to do that later this morning. You know how information just seems to slip out when you talk to him.’
‘Don’t I just! I’ve always been glad he mostly didn’t pay me much attention when I was a kid. No wonder Mum left him.’
‘How a man like him fathered a son as nice as you, I’ll never understand.’
He’d often wondered how he came to have such a father. He gestured to Lance, who was still standing waiting, staring across at them with a near-pleading expression on his face. ‘I’ll have to give him a lift back.’
‘You’re too soft-hearted. Don’t chat to him. He’ll try to worm out what Simone told us. Not that she told us any of her family secrets, but still, it’s none of his business. And don’t tell him we will be agreeing to go to Australia. I want to just vanish. End of.’
‘I’m happy to keep quiet. I don’t want to speak to him at all.’ He set off across the car park, muttering, ‘How does he manage to upset so many people?’
‘It’s his one skill.’
At last! Lance watched Kit’s car set off again and come towards him through the hotel car park. They must have been discussing their visit. He’d like to hear how it went.205
As he’d expected, when he stuck out his thumb, his son stopped the car.
‘Can I get a lift back with you, Kit? I, um, forgot my credit card, so I’ve no way of getting home again if you don’t take me. After all, you did bring me here.’
Mags scowled at him from the front passenger seat, but he ignored her and concentrated on his son. He saw by his change of expression that Kit was going to do it.
‘Get in, then.’
‘Thank you.’
As they drove along, Lance couldn’t resist asking, ‘Have a nice time with Mrs Dumbo Down Under, did you?’
‘You’d better speak politely about her if you want to stay in this car,’ Mags said sharply. ‘She’s a very nice person. Actually, I’d be happiest if you kept quiet altogether from now on if you want to travel in a car with me. You never have anything positive to say about anything.’
So Lance didn’t speak, though only because he desperately needed this lift. Hen-pecked, his son was, which meant he’d do as Mags said if she demanded he chuck his father out of the car.
When they got to his block of flats, Kit still didn’t say anything to him.
‘Thanks for bringing me back, son. See you soon.’ Lance waited for a reply but none came so he sighed and got out. He was tempted to leave the car door open but it would be stupid to anger them further, so he closed it quietly and walked towards the entrance to the building.
He stopped when he was inside and out of their sight. They hadn’t set off yet. What were they doing?
He watched them sit talking for a few moments, then 206drive away again. He could tell they’d been arguing. There was no mistaking the body language, hands waving, heads wagging.
Good. He wished they’d argue themselves out of the marriage altogether.
After Lance got out of their car, Mags and Kit watched him stand, look back at them for a few moments, then turn and walk into the block of flats.
Kit didn’t set off immediately. ‘You did mean what you said, didn’t you, Mags?’
‘About what?’
‘About us going to Australia.’
‘Yes. It’s the best way I can think of to get away from him.’
‘I agree.’ He gave her a high five and she slapped his hand then shoved him in the shoulder, so he did the same to her.
‘Stop grinning!’ she said.
‘I can’t help it. I really, really want to go to Australia. I’ve always liked the sound of it, ever since we studied it at school. And with my mother and stepfather living mainly in Spain, there’s nothing much to keep me here. Except you.’
He glanced sideways and said quietly, ‘There’s still time to change your mind if it’s too much to ask, though. Your happiness is more important than anything else to me, as I hope you know.’
‘I meant it, darling. We might try for a baby while we’re there. It’d fit in quite well, don’t you think?’
‘Brilliant idea! A little girl who looks just like you.’
‘Our baby had better not take after its grandfather, though.’
‘We won’t let him.’207
‘Or her.’
She laughed and added provocatively, ‘Or them. You do know that twins run in my family?’
‘If they’re all like you, I don’t mind having triplets.’
She shuddered. ‘That’d be a step too far, thank you very much.’ Then she smiled at him in that special way she had as she added, ‘I do love you, darling.’