Sinners and Shadows (27 page)

It wasn't as though he had forced Rhian to do anything she hadn't wanted to and they hadn't caused anyone pain by making love except perhaps Mabel, Joseph Evans and propriety. And it could be argued that Mabel and Joseph Evans deserved to be hurt. As for propriety, he'd never been one to live his life by the rules drawn up by narrow-minded church ministers and old wives. So why shouldn't their liaison continue?

Was it selfish of him to want a quiet life in these rooms with all the pleasures that Rhian could give him instead of the fraught life of Llan House? The only wonder was that he thought so little of his marriage vows to Mabel to break them so soon after taking them. But then he'd observed them when he'd been married to Amelia. And hadn't Mabel broken her vows first?
Love, honour and obey.
Mabel certainly didn't love him, he had seen no sign of honour, only contempt and she had never obeyed him in the bedroom.

‘Are you all right?' He looked at Rhian attentively.

‘Yes, sir.'

‘Given the circumstances, don't you think that you should call me Edward?'

‘That will be difficult after years of calling you sir, sir.'

‘And you will be happy to stay here and take both positions I offered you?'

‘Yes, sir.'

‘Are you sure?'

She plucked nervously at the bedclothes. ‘Yes, sir.'

‘And if your young man should want you back?'

‘I told you, sir, I would never go back to him, not after seeing him and Tonia together.'

‘Then, if you're sure, I'll see about getting stock for the shop. And if you feel up to going out, you could go shopping for clothes for yourself.'

‘I'd rather not, sir.'

‘You are going to have to leave here sooner or later.'

‘I know, sir. Just not today,' she pleaded.

‘I'll send up to Llan House and ask Mrs Williams to pack your things and give them to Harris to bring down here. I'll tell her that you are going to live here and run the shop for me.'

‘Please, sir. Not just yet,' she begged. ‘Can't I stay here just for a little while longer without anyone knowing where I am?'

‘I told Mrs Williams and the two Mr Evanses last night that you are safe and being looked after. I suppose we could keep it quiet for another day or two,' he conceded.

‘Thank you, sir.'

‘In the meantime, I'd better go back to work.' He left the bed, but he didn't stop looking at her even when he picked up his clothes. ‘When your things come, you can hang them next to mine in the wardrobe. There are two empty drawers in that chest, should you need more space …'

‘I won't, sir,' she interrupted. ‘I have very few clothes apart from my uniform.'

‘Then we'll have to get you more.' He bent over the bed and kissed her gently on the lips. ‘I would give a great deal to get back down there with you for half an hour.'

The painful memory of seeing Tonia and Joey in one another's arms had seared into her memory. Without hesitation she said, ‘Why don't you, sir?'

‘As I don't have any appointments until three o'clock, I suppose I could spare another half-hour.' He pulled the sheet back and exposed her naked body.

For a few seconds he saw her through his photographer's eye. He even went so far as to imagine the erotic picture she'd make in black and white. A perfect female nude. Alabaster skin lightly shadowed with pale grey, as if an artist had drawn a brush lightly below her curves to emphasize their perfection.

The stirrings of desire brought him crashing back to reality. His gaze lingered on her nipples, the triangle of curly golden hair between her thighs, the soft swelling of her breasts. He lay back beside her and touched the flat of her stomach. ‘You're cold.' He pulled the sheet over her.

‘No, sir …'

‘And no more sirs, Rhian. Not ever again. Why don't you call me Eddie?' It was a name no one had used since Amelia had died.

Chapter Fourteen

Thursdays and Fridays were the longest retailing days in Tonypandy. Gwilym James opened at eight, as it did every morning, but unlike the other four days it closed at ten not seven o'clock in the evening. Joey had been in the habit of taking a walk in the quiet hour after lunchtime or locking himself in the office to ‘do paperwork', which the staff knew was an excuse that enabled him to take a short nap, or time out to read the paper. But that Thursday he couldn't settle to anything. Even when he was forced to go into his office to answer the telephone, he left the door open so he could continue to watch the main door.

Edward Larch had promised to deliver his letter to Rhian and he kept expecting her to walk in at any minute, or at the very least send a messenger with a reply to the heartfelt outpourings that had taken him all night to compose.

But as the morning wore on into the afternoon and finally the evening, and there was still no word, he didn't know what to think. Then, the idea came to him when he was closing the store and preparing the day's takings to put in the bank's night safe. She could have gone to his house! He seized on it because it was preferable to the alternative, that she still believed the allegations Tonia had made.

He locked up in record time, entrusted the takings to Sam for the first time since he had managed the store and ran all the way to his father's house. His spirits soared when he opened the door and heard voices. Rushing down the passage, he threw open the kitchen door.

‘Lloyd, Sali, Dad?' The disappointment was evident on his face when he looked around and saw no one else. ‘You've heard from Rhian?' he asked Sali, brightening at the prospect.

‘No, we hoped you would have. Dad said you were going to talk to Edward Larch.'

‘He won't tell me where she is.'

‘He wouldn't tell me either,' Sali divulged. ‘All he would say is that she's safe and being well looked after and she'll contact us when she's ready. I went up to see Mrs Williams at Llan House afterwards. She told me that Rhian had sent for all her things.'

‘She's given up her job?' Joey took off his hat and dropped it on the table.

‘Mr Larch told Mrs Williams that she wouldn't be coming back.'

‘I gave Mr Larch a letter for her. I hoped she'd answer it.'

‘But she hasn't?' Lloyd said shortly.

‘No.'

‘Bit of a mess all round,' Billy said superfluously.

‘It is.' Suddenly and desperately tired, Joey sank down on a chair.

‘All you can do is wait.' Lloyd laid his hand on his brother's shoulder. ‘If we can do anything to help, you know where to find us.'

‘Thanks,' Joey mumbled disconsolately.

Sali kissed Joey's cheek. ‘Just give Rhian time; she'll come round when she finds out the truth about you and Tonia.'

‘I hope you're right, Sali.'

‘And I hope it's in time for two weeks Saturday,' Sali said thoughtfully. ‘Otherwise there's going to be a stunning dress and an awful lot of wedding cake going begging.'

The next day was the longest of Joey's life. Expecting Rhian, or at the very least a reply to the letter he had sent her, to arrive in the store at any moment, seconds dragged like minutes, minutes became hours and hours crawled the length of days.

Unable to settle, he paced between the counters nearest to the front door until Miss Robertson asked if he was trying to wear out the floorboards.

He retreated to his office, piled suppliers' catalogues on his desk and pretended to study them, but he kept his door and the blinds on his internal window open. And every time an assistant or customer obstructed his view of the front of the shop, he leapt to his feet.

By closing time he was physically and emotionally drained with barely enough energy left to walk home. The last thing he felt like was company – apart from Rhian's – and when he saw Connie and Tonia sitting with his father in their kitchen he retreated before crossing the threshold.

‘Joey, you'll want to hear what Tonia and Connie have to say to you,' his father called after him.

He returned to the doorway and not trusting himself to look at Tonia, spoke to Connie.

‘Have you seen Rhian?'

‘No.' Connie gave her daughter, who was on the verge of tears, a warning look. ‘But we would like to talk to you.'

‘I said all I had to say to you yesterday morning.'

‘You mentioned that Mr Larch offered to give Rhian a letter from you. If he can deliver one, I thought he might be able to deliver another.' Connie handed him an open envelope. ‘Tonia's written to her to explain what happened in your office.'

Joey pulled a kitchen chair out from under the table and sat down. ‘Is this explanation anywhere close to the truth?'

‘Tonia!' Connie prompted brusquely. ‘Answer Joey's question.'

‘I'm sorry I said what I did to Rhian, Joey,' Tonia mumbled. ‘I didn't want everyone pitying me because Geraint had run off with Julia Larch.'

‘I was the only one who knew about you two,' he reminded her bitterly.

‘I thought if I had a husband it would prove to Geraint that even if he didn't love me, someone did.' Her eyes welled, but a glare from Connie stayed her tears.

‘And any husband would do,' Joey observed acidly. ‘What have I ever done to you, to deserve what you tried to do to me?'

‘Nothing,' Tonia whispered.

‘And Rhian? Didn't you spare a thought for her? We're engaged and just about to get married and you tell her that you're having my baby! For God's sake, Tonia, the most I've ever done is kiss you on the cheek in front of people!' Joey clenched his fists in an effort to contain his anger. ‘When I think that you would have palmed Geraint Watkin Jones's baby off as mine –'

‘I took Tonia to the doctor's this morning. There is no baby,' Connie broke in. ‘But given what happened in Gwilym James on Wednesday afternoon, Tonia's reputation is in tatters.'

‘As is mine,' Joey pointed out coldly.

Connie couldn't resist the jibe. ‘You didn't have one to begin with.'

Joey left the chair and turned his back on her.

‘Joey, please, what I meant to say is that there's no point in trying to salvage Tonia's reputation. And she wants to make amends for the trouble she's caused.'

Joey turned around and held up the envelope. ‘Can I read this?'

‘That's why we left it open.'

‘Did you or Tonia write it, Connie?' Joey asked.

‘Tonia, but I helped phrase it.'

Joey extracted the single sheet of paper. Tonia must have been crying when she had written it; the paper was crinkled and blotched with stains that had made the ink run, but he could decipher the words.

Dear Rhian,

I am sorry for what I did to you and Joey. Joey saw Geraint Watkin Jones and me making love in the stockroom in Gwilym James and I made him promise that he wouldn't tell anyone. When I heard that Geraint had eloped with Julia Larch I didn't want anyone pitying me because I'd been jilted so I went to Joey's office to try to trick him into marrying me. I picked Joey, because of his reputation. I thought no one would believe him if he tried to tell the truth. I unbuttoned his trousers when he was trying to stop me crying. He didn't even notice what I was doing. I thought … I didn't think. You don't have to forgive Joey, Rhian, because there's nothing to forgive him for. He's never even tried to hold hands with me, or kiss me properly. That's the truth. I'll swear it on the Bible if you want me to,

Tonia

Joey had never backed down from a confrontation when he was growing up, despite the best efforts of his father and brothers to teach him to control his rage. But his fights had always been with boys and men his own age or older. He had never felt angry enough to want to harm a woman – until Tonia had told Rhian that they were lovers. And then, he'd been too concerned with running after Rhian to think of his cousin. Now Tonia looked so cowed and miserable he almost pitied her.

Connie was as tough in her private life as she was in business and, given the uncompromising tone of the letter and Tonia's dejected state, he suspected that she had meted out as much, if not more, punishment than her daughter could take. He folded the sheet of paper back into the envelope.

‘Where are you going?' ‘Billy asked when he replaced the chair beneath the table.

‘To deliver this to Edward Larch's office.'

‘You must be hungry, boy.'

Joey shook his head.

‘You look as though you haven't eaten or slept in a week,' Connie said solicitously.

‘That's hardly surprising given the circumstances, Connie. Don't worry, Dad, I'll be straight back.'

Tonia burst into tears when they heard the front door close.

Connie growled, ‘Shut up!'

Tonia covered her face with her hands and fell silent.

‘I hope Rhian gets that letter and reads it.' Connie picked up her handbag and adjusted her hat.

‘So do I,' Billy said feelingly.

‘Uncle Billy –'

‘There's no point in talking what's happened to death, Connie,' Billy said wearily. ‘What's done is done. All we can do now is see what tomorrow brings.'

‘Don't move, Uncle Billy, we'll see ourselves out. Tonia!' Connie called her daughter to heel like a dog. Head down, hands folded in front of her like a novice nun, Tonia followed her mother out of the room.

Rhian stared at the words. Scarcely daring to believe what they said, she read them a second and a third time.

You don't have to forgive Joey, Rhian, because there's nothing to forgive him for. He's never even tried to hold hands with me, or kiss me properly. That's the truth. I'll swear it on the Bible if you want me to …

‘There's no stamp. It must have been delivered by hand last night after the office closed.' Edward picked up one of the fresh bread rolls he had bought from the baker's that morning and buttered it.

‘It's from Joey's cousin, Tonia.' Rhian volunteered the information because she sensed that although Edward was curious, he wouldn't ask her for it. She folded the letter, lifted the teatowel she had pinned around her waist because she didn't have an apron and pushed it into her skirt pocket.

‘The girl in his office? The one he was having an affair with?'

‘According to this, they weren't having an affair. She tricked him,' she divulged.

‘Why on earth would she do that?'

‘Because she'd been jilted by another man, and wanted a husband to prove to him and herself that she could get one. I know it doesn't make sense, but when a woman thinks she's in love, she tends not to think straight.'

‘I won't argue with you. Not after the way Julia's behaved.'

Edward had told her how unhappy he was at his daughter's choice of husband. The last thing Rhian wanted was to make him even more miserable by revealing that Geraint Watkin Jones had been having an affair with another girl right up until the day he had eloped with Julia. She forked four pieces of bacon on to Edward's plate.

He frowned at her. ‘This letter changes everything.'

‘It changes nothing,' she contradicted.

‘Yes, it does. You still love Joey Evans.'

‘And for a thousand and one reasons, most of which have nothing to do with this girl,' she brushed her hand against the letter in her pocket, ‘I won't marry him. And that is why I said yes when you asked me to become your mistress.'

‘I should never have propositioned you. I feel as though I've ruined your life.'

‘You've probably saved me from a disastrous marriage.'

‘Rhian –'

‘Please, I don't want to talk about it. Unless that is, you're unhappy with my being here and want me to leave.' After an afternoon and a night spent in his bed she was confident of his reply.

He laid his hand around her waist and pulled her to him. ‘I haven't been happier in over a year.'

She poured the tea and sat at the table. After only three meals together, they had earmarked two of the four chairs as ‘theirs', his on the right nearest the door, hers on the left in front of the fireplace.

‘Are you going out today?' He deliberately changed the subject.

‘No.'

‘You can't stay here cooped up for ever.'

‘I know, but I can stay here for a little while longer. I have some serious thinking to do. I need to sort out what I'm going to say to Joey when I do eventually face him.'

‘I only want your happiness, and for us to always be honest with one another,' he said earnestly. ‘Promise me that when you do meet Joseph Evans, whatever decisions you make will be for yourself alone without any consideration for me. I may not want to, but I will survive without you if I have to.'

‘Thank you …' She hesitated, still finding it difficult to call him anything other than ‘Mr Larch' or ‘sir'. ‘I would be lying if I told you that I was happy right now. But I will try to be once I've talked to Joey and settled things between us.'

‘You won't be bored while I work?' he asked.

‘How could anyone be bored in this room?' Her eyes were suspiciously bright and he couldn't bear to look into them, knowing he'd caused her another problem. ‘When I've finished my thinking, there are some marvellous books on those shelves that I've never read.'

‘If you make a list of the things you need, I'll get them delivered. Mrs Ball can take them in so you don't have to see the errand boys.'

‘Groceries?'

‘Anything, clothes, groceries, whatever,' he offered generously.

‘Will you be eating your meals here?'

‘All of them,' he smiled. ‘Unless you object. And if you don't feel like cooking, Mrs Ball will have them sent in from the White Hart.'

‘I like cooking.' She returned his smile. ‘After we've finished breakfast I'll plan some menus.'