Katy's Men by Carr Irene

Author:Carr, Irene [Carr, Irene]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Published: 2014-04-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

MONKWEARMOUTH. MARCH 1914.

‘Matthew! Matthew! Aahh! Matthew!’ Fleur let out a shuddering, rapturous sigh. She lay naked in Matt’s arms. She had taken him into her bed some months ago, all part of her plan for binding him to her. At first she feigned being shy and virginal, but soon became adoring and passionate. Fleur pretended innocence but knew exactly what she was doing and how to avoid consequences. An elderly struck off doctor with salacious tastes had schooled her in that when she succumbed to his advances — at a price. The affair was ended by the heart attack which killed him, leaving Fleur to find another bedmate.

Now she lay spent in Matt’s arms. On these occasions her mother was dispatched to the theatre. Mrs Ecclestone went reluctantly because of her increasing ill health, but she was too weak to argue with her daughter.

Fleur murmured, ‘It isn’t long to our wedding day. Then we’ll always be together, my darling.’ She had named a day in June, had waited this long because she wanted a place in society so her wedding would be handsomely attended and recorded. Fleur knew the places to be seen and the people with whom to be seen. With Matt as her escort and his money to pay their way, they now moved in the town’s social circles.

Matt had come a long way in a little less than two years. Since the Spargos left, his haulage business had expanded rapidly. Fleur knew he had five lorries — or was it six? She was not sure but always said, ‘My fiancé runs a fleet of lorries.’ She was sure he was making a lot of money and that she had been clever to select him and cultivate him. It was a bore when he talked about his work, but her best investment by far.

By the time Fleur’s mother was due to return they were seated decorously in the sitting-room, as she had left them. Fleur asked of Matt, ‘Have you been to the house lately, darling?’ She smiled sweetly and stroked his hand because the house had almost caused a rift between them. Fleur had asked for a place in Ashbrooke, one of the best parts of the town, a house much larger and more expensive to rent than Matt was prepared to pay for. He had earlier insisted on buying the freehold of the yard and its buildings and was adamant he could not afford to take on such a big house. Fleur had seen his determination and silently cursed, but settled for another house, still in Ashbrooke but smaller and so at a lower rent.

‘No,’ Matt replied now, ‘I’ve not been there since the decorators moved in.’

‘I wish you would, darling,’ cooed Fleur. ‘I called in yesterday and the fat man with the big moustache—’

Matt put in: ‘The foreman.’

‘Yes. He said some of the things we wanted done were extra to the original agreement. He said they would cost more. That’s really too bad. Some of these tradesmen think of nothing but money.

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