Just Rewards. Barbara Taylor Bradford
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too.’
Gideon nodded but said nothing. He couldn’t help wondering if Angharad had caused the accident. But how could she have? She was at the other side of the desk … Evan had just told him that. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help thinking she was responsible in some way for Evan’s nasty spill.
‘When you fell did she come to help you?’ he wondered out loud.
‘Yes, she came over to me, but she was really terrified, you know, that I might have badly injured myself, and so she just stood there, asking me if I was okay. I’d felt a stab of pain in my stomach and so I’d brought my legs up, as if trying to protect the boys. Then suddenly Ruth appeared with the water I’d asked her to bring me earlier, and Mom and Linnet were with her. Mom ran to me, got down onto the floor next to me, and I told her to call the doctor.’
Evan now lay back against the pillows, her expression one of bafflement as she murmured, ‘I just don’t know how I could have been so careless, falling like that.’
‘You weren’t careless, sweetheart, it’s as you said it was, a freak accident. Thank God you didn’t injure yourself. Now, let’s get you dressed. Dr Addney says I can take you home, but you have to rest all day. And tonight. Tomorrow evening we’re going to Pennistone Royal instead of on Saturday.’
‘But I—’
‘No buts, Evan, and no arguments. That’s it. I’ve made the decision. The doctor told me you should start maternity leave now. So I’m afraid it’s no more Harte’s, not until well after the twins are born.’
‘Oh, don’t say that! I hope there’ll be lots more Hartes. Well, one Harte in particular,’ Evan said, smiling at him.
‘I certainly hope you’re referring to me.’
‘Of course I am, silly. Who else do I love but you?’
Little things kept coming back to her, things she had forgotten long ago. And yet they had been significant when they happened. Pushed resolutely to the back of her mind, they were now coming to the fore, clear and vivid as they took shape once more. And each memory was shaped and defined by one thing … Angharad’s jealousy and envy of her.
Evan lay under the duvet in the bedroom of Gideon’s flat. Their bedroom now, since she had moved in with him months ago. They had wanted to live together once she had become pregnant; this apart, Gideon’s sister Natalie had returned from her sojourn in Sydney, and because it was her flat Evan was occupying, moving out had become mandatory.
‘And why not live with me, your future husband?’ Gideon had asked, adding, ‘Come live with me, and be my love, and we will all the pleasures prove.’
‘What lovely words.’
‘Yes. But they’re not mine, Evan. They’re Christopher Marlowe’s. However, they truly do reflect my sentiments entirely.’
And mine as well, she thought now, pulling the duvet up around her shoulders, making herself comfortable. Both Dr Addney and Gideon had impressed upon her that she should rest all day and evening, and she knew they were correct. She was all right, no harm had been done, but she’d had a bit of a shock. Rest was the best medicine, just as they had said to her.
Angharad.
The name hung there, floating in mid-air before her eyes.
Evan had not failed to miss the distaste in Gideon’s voice when he had mentioned her sister earlier. And she completely understood why he had sounded that way. With the innovation of the platinum blonde hair and all that awful red clothing she had looked flashy, and just a little bit cheap. And especially when contrasted with their mother, perfectly groomed and turned out in a mélange of soft beiges, and Linnet in her smart black Chanel suit with its pristine white-satin collar and cuffs.
Evan cringed inside at the memory of all that dreadful red. Pretty though Angharad was, she had never looked worse than she did today. It was the hair as well; it did not suit her, was totally inappropriate. Unexpectedly, a thought struck her. Angharad had looked like Mrs Santa Claus in the red outfit and with her platinum blonde hair. Under other circumstances it might have been amusing and she would have laughed, but not today; her coming to the store dressed like that was embarrassing. And how mean-spirited she had been.
Then it came, a sudden flash of memory – and remembrances of a Christmas long ago. In Connecticut. She had been seven, or thereabouts, and Angharad around three and a half, and very jealous of her, competitive even then … It was the Christmas that Evan’s grandmother had given her a puppy, a beautiful chocolate-brown Lab with unusual green eyes. They had named him Hudson, after the river.
‘Gran, Gran, I can’t find Hudson! He’s disappeared,’ Evan wailed, worry ringing her face as she ran into the big family kitchen where her grandmother stood at the long oak table cooking for the Christmas holidays.
Glynnis was making stuffing for the turkey, giblet gravy, apple sauce and all sorts of other good things to eat.
Glancing over her shoulder at Evan, she said, ‘I saw him trotting after Angharad a few minutes ago. Try the solarium, lovey. Perhaps you’ll find them there, playing with his tennis ball.’
Rushing back out into the front hall, Evan now raced down the corridor in the direction of the solarium. When she came to the door which led into the room she was stunned to see Angharad pushing the puppy outside into the snow and then locking the door.
‘Angharad! What are you doing?’ Evan shrieked in alarm, her shoes clattering against the terracotta flagstones as she flew into the solarium. ‘It’s freezing outside, Hudson will die out there. It’s too cold for a little puppy. He’s only nine weeks old! You’re a bad girl, very bad.’
Evan pulled Angharad away from the door, pushed her out of the way roughly, glaring at her and exclaiming, ‘You’re very bad. Bad.’ Frantically unlocking the door, wrenching it open, she ran outside, glanced around, her eyes seeking the puppy. He was nowhere to be seen and her eyes filled up with tears.
‘Hudson, Hudson, where are you?’ she shouted, her voice quavering. He couldn’t be far away, surely not, she thought desperately.
Angharad had come outside and was standing on the steps of the solarium. ‘I’m not a bad girl,’ she yelled at Evan. ‘I hate that puppy. I hate you. It’s the dog that’s bad. It wee-weed in my room. So there, Miss Big Shot!’ She went back inside, banged the solarium door and locked it.
Evan paid no attention to her. She was far too worried about Hudson, intent on finding her puppy. Then she suddenly spotted the little paw prints in the snow, and began to follow them, pulling her cardigan around her shoulders, shivering in the icy wind, regretting she had not stopped to get her coat.
It didn’t take Evan long to find Hudson. The dog had sunk down into a snowdrift against the terrace wall, and was whimpering.
Bending over the snowdrift she almost fell into it herself as she reached down to retrieve Hudson. He was wet and cold, trembling with fright, and still whimpering as she took hold of him firmly and lifted him out.
‘Little Hudsy, here I am. You’re safe,’ Evan soothed. ‘I’ll soon have you warm,’ she whispered against his wet hair, bundling him inside her cardigan, wrapping it around him, cradling him in her arms. Holding him close to her body for extra warmth, she hurried back to the solarium.
Evan turned the knob only to discover that the door had been locked by Angharad. The child stood on the other side of the French doors, making faces at her; she stuck out her tongue, then laughed.
‘Open this door!’ Evan demanded, banging on one of the glass panes, filled with irritation. It was cold in the garden.
‘No, I won’t.’ Angharad put her tongue out again, swung around and ran away from the French doors.
Racing along the path, Evan went to the back door of the house which led straight into the kitchen. Stumbling inside, she brought a blast of cold air with her, which made Glynnis swing around.