Mistresses: Blackmailed With Diamonds / Shackled with Rubies. Robyn Donald
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idiot.’
‘All right,’ I said crossly. ‘I’ve tried to warn you but you won’t be warned. And when one of them has sold you a non-existent gold mine you’ll know I was right.’
‘I can add it to my other non-existent gold mines. Anyway, you never know. I might sell them one.’
‘I wish you’d be serious.’
‘Now you’re sounding like Grace. Does it occur to either of you that I’ve had enough of being serious? I’m ready to be something else. I’m just not quite sure what.’
He fell silent, and I had a feeling that he’d floated away from me. He was looking inside himself, or out at some far distant horizon. Or both at once. Certainly his voice had become dreamy in a way that didn’t sound like his normal self.
‘Well, at least when you’ve met them you’ll know the worst,’ I said.
‘Della, when will you understand that I don’t define you by your family? And you shouldn’t define yourself that way either.’
‘I don’t.’
‘You do, otherwise you wouldn’t make such efforts to hide them. They are what they are, and you are what you are, and it’s not the same. You’re innocent.’
‘I’m still facing a jail sentence,’ I pointed out.
‘Always assuming that it gets to court. The owners may be satisfied with having the bracelet back.’
‘Why should they be? They haven’t been so far. According to Mr Wendell they’re dead keen for the police to prosecute. He found out that they had something stolen before and the thief got away. So now they’ve got hold of me they’re not going to let go.’
‘They might still change their minds and withdraw the charges.’
‘Jack, it’s a crime to nobble witnesses. You could end up behind bars yourself.’
‘Nobble witnesses? What an extraordinary suggestion!’
‘I’m sorry. I thought that was what you were talking about.’
‘Not a bit of it. If I—That is, nobbling witnesses is very crude, and I prefer subtlety.’ Then he changed the subject abruptly. ‘What are you going to wear for the party?’
‘I’ve still got one of those cocktail dresses you bought me. It’s blue silk, very nice.’
‘Only I was thinking—’
‘I know, but there’s no need, thank you.’
There was a touch of desperation in his voice, ‘You won’t take anything from me, will you?’
‘How can you say that when I’m actually taking so much from you?’
He smiled, but it seemed forced. ‘Yes, you’re right. Let’s leave it.’
On the day of the party he was home early, and noticed me at a loose end.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘I’ve got nothing to do,’ I complained.
‘So I should hope. Leave it to the caterers.’
‘Anyway, Grandad’s happy.’
‘They haven’t let him touch anything, have they?’ he asked, aghast.
‘He’s being allowed to cut cheese, that’s all. As long as he’s busy he’s happy.’
‘Della, how long can you go on subordinating everything to his needs?’
‘I’ve told you—he deserves it.’
‘Yes, sure. He looked after you and you’re looking after him, but he didn’t come forward to get you out of this mess, did he?’
‘Because I told him not to.’
‘The hell with that. Do you think I’d leave you to rot because you told me to?’
‘Jack, it’s not fair to criticise him. He’s an old man—’
‘I’m not criticising him. He’s more than old, he’s scared stiff, or he wouldn’t have let it get this far. I don’t blame him for being too scared to do the right thing, but who looks after you?’
I didn’t answer.
‘It’s going to get worse, Della. It’ll happen again, and what will you do next time?’
‘I’ll think about that when it happens,’ I muttered.
‘I’m thinking of it now. Will you wake up and look ahead? He’s got the mind of a child. A loveable, crazy child, but the burden on you is going to get greater.’
‘It’s my burden and I’ll cope,’ I said crossly, remembering to add, ‘But of course I appreciate what you’re doing.’
He grinned at that hasty afterthought. To my relief he dropped the subject.
It was soon time to dress for the evening. I put on the blue dress, and when I’d pinned Charlie on the shoulder I looked quite presentable.
Jack didn’t say anything when he saw me, but he smiled and nodded. He was smartly but casually dressed, and looked as handsome as I remembered from the boat. His appearance had improved and he no longer looked ill these days.
Then I noticed his cufflinks. They were the shabby ones given him by Grandpa Nick. As though he was going to need good luck tonight.
He saw me looking at them, smiled self-consciously and pulled his jacket sleeves down to hide them.
‘Jack—’
‘They’ll be here in a moment. Are we ready?’
So he left me not knowing what to think, which was how it normally was these days.
Nobody was late. They all wanted to get a look at Jack. I had a busy time introducing them to him and him to them.
They were a good-looking bunch, I realised. Harry, his wife and two sons; Alec, sporting a black eye, his wife and grown-up son and daughter; Hetta with her three daughters, all beauties. Bill had no family, but he was a natural clown with a gift for making the party go. David and Ken were the other brothers, with five offspring between them.
I’d expected to hate it, but almost at once I knew that the party had the magic ingredient that would make it gel. In part it was Jack, who romanced every female in sight, from Hetta’s sultry daughter, Penny, to Lil, Alec’s stern-faced wife.
She had a lot to look stern about. Alec was fond of her, but he was a philanderer, and I guessed the black eye meant he’d been straying again.
Jack took personal charge of Lil—keeping an eye on her drink, joking with her, and looking deep into her eyes in a way that made her blush. I could see that she was forgetting everyone around her. Jack could have that effect on people.
Alec could see it too, and he didn’t like it. Leaving a group of men who were enjoying Jack’s finest single malt whisky, he edged forward until he was standing beside her.
‘Lil—’
She didn’t seem to hear.
‘Lil—’ He touched her arm.
She looked at him as if she’d never seen him before.
Alec was staggered. He was used to having Lil’s full attention, and to her letting him get away with anything because she loved him more than he loved her.
‘What is it?’ she asked.
‘Er—why don’t you come over here and talk to Bill?’
But Lil was enjoying the full blast of Jack’s charm and she wasn’t going to budge. I didn’t blame her.
‘I’ve known