First Friends by Marcia Willett

Author:Marcia Willett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 1995-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

CASS HAD NO IDEA that she had received a reprieve. The weekend started with the Elliots’ party and then moved into an exeat which coincided with Oliver’s ninth birthday. He had had a party on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday the General had come to lunch. By the time the following weekend came round, Mark II’s remarks had been put to the back of Tom’s mind.

The next week, Cass herself had a narrow escape. Two things conspired to undo her. The first was the unexpected arrival of Stephen Mortlake. He came after lunch, just as Cass had put Gemma to bed for her afternoon sleep, and, seizing Cass in his arms, he had vowed his undying passion and begged that she reconsider her decision to stay with Tom. In the hope of quietening him down, Cass let him drag her clothes off and make love to her until he was too exhausted to talk. Relieved, she was about to get up again when she heard the kitchen door open and Saul’s voice calling her. She sat stock still for two seconds and then, leaping from the bed, dressed in record time, dragging the recumbent Stephen upright and trying to make him get dressed. It occurred to her that, now the situation had presented itself, he might consider forcing the issue by letting her children see him and she felt so angry that she caught him by the arm and dug her nails into his flesh:

‘If you let them suspect a single thing,’ she hissed, ‘I’ll never speak to you again, I promise. Get dressed!’

She left the bedroom and went downstairs as Saul was about to come up to find her.

‘Hello, darling,’ she said. ‘What are you doing home so early? Aren’t you well?’

Charlotte appeared in the kitchen doorway and Cass shooed them gently back into the kitchen, shutting the door firmly behind her.

‘He’s got a sore throat,’ Charlotte was explaining. ‘Mrs Beard asked if she should phone but I said that if you weren’t here we could go to Grandfather’s. I was looking for the gargling stuff you gave me when I had one.’

‘Poor Saul.’ Cass gave him a hug, one ear cocked for Stephen. ‘Did you look in the pantry?’

‘Yes, I did. I’m sure it’s not there. Oh! I know where it is.’ She whirled round. ‘It’s upstairs in the bathroom cupboard.’ And, before Cass could stop her, she was across the kitchen and opening the door. Stephen stood just outside. Charlotte gave a little squawk of alarm and at the same time, upstairs Gemma woke and began to grizzle loudly.

‘Hello, Stephen. What on earth are you doing here?’ Cass’s voice was light and social. Her eyes were cold and wary. She saw that Charlotte was staring at him, less alarmed than she might have been since he was in uniform, dressed in his navy jersey with his stripes on the epaulettes. ‘Go up and see to Gemma, darling,’ she said to Charlotte and turned back to Stephen. ‘I’m afraid Tom’s not here,’ she said in the same light, carrying voice.

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