Only when she had the door shutshe was on the inside and he was on the outsidedid she pause to take stock. He hadnt so much as tried to kiss her, much less ask her out again! Not that shed have gone out with him again if he had asked, she firmly decided. But then all thoughts of Trent de Havilland were momentarily taken from her mind when the stair light came on and her sister came hurrying into view.
Has he gone? Maxine whispered, leaning over the bannister rail, either because of the possibility of Trent de Havilland still being around, or because she was scared of waking one of the children.
Yes, just, Alethea whispered back.
Shall I make you some hot chocolate?
By the sound of it, Maxine wanted to talk. Lovely, Alethea accepted, and the two of them went quietly into the kitchen.
It was there that Alethea soon realised that her sisters need to talk did not stem from a loneliness of spirit, as she had supposed, but from an urgent need to have a discussion that would not wait until morning, when there was every chance they would be interrupted.
For, without so much as enquiring, Did you have a nice evening?, Maxine launched in to ask, Do you know who Trenton de Havilland is?
Alethea stared at her. Trent had introduced himself to Maxine and their mother as Trenton? But she concentrated on Maxines question. Alethea knew that Trent was a nifty Viennese waltzer, was interesting, not to say stimulating to go out with, and also that he was a friend of her employer. But Maxine had asked if she knew who he was. Who is he? Alethea queried.
He didnt tell you that he owns Science Engineering and Consulting? Maxine pressed.
I know he has his own company, Alethea answered, feeling slightly perplexed and wanting to know what Maxine was getting into a state about, for she was certainly growing more and more agitated by the second. He told me he was in science engineering, but... Alethea broke off suddenly, remembering how Trent had only had to mention his name for it to mean something to her mother. Are you saying that, like Mother, you know of his business?
I should doKeith works for him!
Keith... Alethea stopped, horrified, Science Engineering and Consulting suddenly clicking in her head to be SEC, who had suspended her brother-in-law while investigations into his honesty were taking place! Oh, my stars, her brother-in-law was employed in a trusted position by Trent and had abused that trust. Does Trent know Keith works for him? she asked, alarmed.
Heavens, no. Keiths not that far up the corporate tree that his chairman would know of his existence!
That was some small relief to Alethea. She felt she would never have survived the embarrassment had Trent known all the time he had sat opposite her this evening that her brother-in-law, his employee, was a crook who had robbed him. Mother knew all about Trent being the man who pays Keiths salary, though, didnt she?
She saw Keiths letter today from SEC. It had the name of the chairman and directors on it. You know Mothers sharp brain. Shell have filed away all that information without even realising she was doing it.
Oh, grief! Alethea exclaimed, and remembered how both her mother and sister had looked when she had come into the sitting room at a minute before seven that evening. Mother seems to be permanently bitter about men. But is that why you looked a degree or two more sour when Trent was here? Because...
How else could I look? Maxine asked tearfully. Here am I stuck in this house which, since Mother insisted I bring everything that wasnt nailed down so that some other woman couldnt have it, is so crammed full you cant move without tripping over, and there were you, all dressed up to go out for a fun evening with a man who Id just realised could be ultimately responsible for bringing a court action against my childrens father!
Oh, Maxine! Alethea exclaimed as her sister started to cry. Men, men, rotten men, she fumed as she hurried over to her.
Alethea wasnt sure that she meant all men as she tried to comfort her sister. When Maxine was a little calmer, she made her the drink which Maxine had offered to make her. And when, half an hour later, she and her sister were upstairs and in their rooms, one thing was set like concrete in Aletheas mind. Maxines disclosures about who was in charge of SEC made it well and truly settled. Even if Trent de Havilland did make contact to ask her for a second date, now that she knew that, ultimately, he was the man her brother-in-law had stolen from, there was no way she could ever go out with him again!
CHAPTER THREE
WEDNESDAY and Thursday passed uneventfully, although Alethea found that thoughts of Trent de Havilland were slipping into her head far more frequently than she would have expectedgiven that she was never going to go out with him again, even if he did ask...which he wouldnt.
Evidence that Trent de Havilland was not thinking of her so frequentlyif at allwas plain from the fact that her phone at home stayed silent. Not that she was at all bothered, of course. It saved her from looking for some excuse to give him. How could she go out with him when her sisters husband had cheated his firm out of money?
Life at home, however, seemed to be growing incneasingly difficult. Her mother was forever badgering her on the subject of Trent de Havilland, even though Alethea had stated that she had no intention of going out with him again. No need to tell her mother that chance would be a fine thinga girl had her pride.
The children have been up in your room, her mother greeted her when she arrived home from work on Friday.
All of them? Alethea asked faintly.
Just Sadie and Georgia. I looked after them after school while Maxine took Polly to the doctor. I dont think they did any harm.
How is Polly?
Its just a bit of a cold. The doctor said theres nothing to worry about.
Bracing herself, Alethea went upstairs to her room. Oh, grief! she muttered as she went in. Someone had added an extra table to the room, which was already filled to capacity, and her wardrobe door was ajar. Her clothes had been gone through, garments tried on and then crumpled by the inexpert attempts of shorter persons to hang them back on the rail. Her dressing table was a disaster area. The idea of having an apartment of her own had more and more appeal. Her mother would have a fit if she suggested leaving home, she knew that in advance, but...
Sadie and Georgia, of course, had no school the following day and were allowed to stay up a little laterif they were quiet. But they seemed to be noisier than ever that evening. Alethea joined in the general sigh of relief when at last all three girls were in bed and silence reigned.
Then the telephone rang. Most peculiarly, for there was not the smallest reason why, Alethea felt her heartbeat quicken. She looked across at Maxine. Its for you, I expect, she commented, but Maxine was already halfway out of her chair.
Shes far too soft with him! Eleanor Pemberton stated abruptly as Maxine disappeared into the hall to take the call in the alcove under the stairs. What she wants to do is She broke off as Maxine came back into the room.
Its for you, Alethea, Maxine informed her.
Who is it? their mother wanted to know.
Trent de Havilland, Maxine answered, and Alethea felt her face go a warm pink.
Trent de Havilland, Maxine answered, and Alethea felt her face go a warm pink.
I thought you werent going to go out with him again! Eleanor Pemberton snapped.
Im not, Alethea answered, and went out into the hall. Why on earth she felt the need to swallow before she could pick up the phone and say, Hello, she had no idea.
Lucky I caught you in! Trent responded. Was he being funny?
Youre on your way out yourself, I expect, she commented lightly, hoping hed think that was the way it was with her, too, and that the sun never set for her on a Friday night.
Im just back after a few days in Italy, he drawled easily, and, getting down to the point of his call, he continued, Im having some people round tomorrow eveningany time from eight to midnight. Can you make it?
He did want to see her again! She wasnt going, of course, but, she realised, she felt much better for being asked. Im sorry, she began, useless when it came to telling lies, but striving hard to think up some excuse.
It was a long shot, he cut in pleasantly. I hardly expected youd be free.
You know how it is, she murmured, wondering why she didnt tell him outright that she was not going to see him againprobably because she was certain to receive a very short and sharp answer for her trouble. Or perhaps it was solely good manners that held her back.
Of course, he answered blandly, but straight away he went on to astonish her by adding, Perhaps youll make a note of my address. If you and your date are in the area, both of you might like to drop in.
She hadnt found his address on file at the office. So, like the efficient assistant PA that she was, Alethea automatically had a notepad before her, a pencil in her hand, as Trent dictated his address. Dont hold your breath, she thought sourlyclearly Trent de Havilland didnt give a button that she had a date with someone else tomorrowand he wasnt to know that she hadnt, was he! Not that she wanted him to give a button anyway! Ill see what I can dothank you for asking, she said prettily, and knew, as she was sure Trent knew, that his small get together tomorrow evening would take place without her.
She said goodbye nicely and, tearing the slip of paper from the notepad, she put it in her pocket and went back to the sitting room.
You were a long time, her mother accused her.
Was I? Alethea thought she hadnt been speaking with Trent for more than a few minutes.
What did he want? Eleanor Pemberton demanded.
Alethea didnt want to tell her. Somehow, she just knew it: the fact that Trent de Havilland had invited her out for a second time would be all her fault.
Hes having a smallorparty tomorrow night. He asked if Id like to go along.
Youre not going? It sounded more of a statement than a question.
Wondering what her mother would do if she said yeshave apoplexy on the spot, she wouldnt wonderAlethea merely answered with a dutiful, No.
I should think so. You tell him next time he rings not to bother you again.
Alethea gave more thought to leaving home as she lay wakeful in her bed that night. Her mother usually kicked up a fuss whenever she asserted her right to go out with someone if she so wished. But, since Trent had called for her last Tuesday, Mother had seemed to carp non-stop.
Alethea knew that her mother had endured a hard time, and she was sorry about that. But, unlike Maxine, who was having trouble getting any maintenance money from Keith, her father had seen to it that his wife kept their house and had a good monthly allowance. Though, thinking about it, her mother would have had lawyers sitting on his doorstep night and day had he attempted to do otherwise.
Alethea stopped herself right there. Grief! She was sounding as bitter as her mother! Quite when her thoughts had become a touch on the sour side, she couldnt have said. But suddenly Alethea knew without question that the time had come for her to cease merely thinking about leaving home. If some of her mothers bitterness wasnt to rub off permanently on to her, she had to do something about it now. The trick would be to find the nerve to tell her mother what she had in mind.
Saturday dawned early. Sadie, with a sleepy-eyed Georgia in tow, came into Aletheas bedroom and woke her up. Im bored, Sadie announced.
And me, Georgia echoed.
Looks as though were in for another fun-filled Saturday. Alethea struggled to sit up. She knew that there was not the remotest likelihood that they were going to allow her to go back to sleep again. We could go down and have breakfast, she suggested.
Yes! they whooped in unison.
The morning that had started off noisily grew progressively worse. Lunch ended in a pitched battle with Sadie being sent to her room yelling, Its not fair! and with Georgia smiling cheerfully at the outcome.
Alethea, who had been hoping at some time during the morning to find a tactful way of telling her mother that she had decided to find somewhere else to live, accepted then that she wasnt going to get the chance of a quiet talk until all three of Maxines offspring were tucked up in bed.
Sadie was unusually silent upstairs. It was a silence Alethea didnt trust. She went upstairs and found Sadie in her bedroom experimenting with her lipsticks.
Suits you, she murmured faintly. Guessing they were all in for an afternoon of hell, she added, If I can square it with your mother, do you fancy a walk.
Past the sweetshop?
Into it if you like.
Only just did Alethea manage to avoid a sudden and impetuous kiss from her heavily lipsticked niece.
Polly was still a little poorly, so it only took half an hour to clean up Sadie and get her and Georgia ready.
In all, Alethea had them out of the house for around three hours. But, at least, thanks to a nearby playground with slides and swings, plus a mile-and-a-half long ramble, when they returned with sweet bags in hand, they were looking fit, healthy and cheerful, and even managing to talk at a less than high-pitched level.
If the two girls were looking cheerful, however, it was more than could be said for their mother. Maxine looked extremely worried and as ifbut for the presence of her daughtersshe would be in floods of tears again.
Alethea gave her a questioning look; Maxine shook her head. Clearly she did not wish to discuss the fresh crisis which had presented itself while the children were around. Alethea could make a fair guess at who was at the root of Maxines present upset, though, when her mother coldly let fall in passing, He called!
Alethea had to wait until the children were upstairs in bed, and she and Maxine were in the kitchen tidying up, before she heard anything of why Keith Lawrence had that afternoon braved his mother-in-laws house.
He was, it seemed, to be prosecuted. SEC, Trent de Havillands company, had decided they now had sufficient evidence to have him tried for diverting some of the companys funds into his own bank account.
Oh, Maxine, Im so sorry! Alethea gasped, realising that it hadnt taken the powers that be very long to have a case against her brother-in-law all neatly tied up. Is he sure it will come to thatprison, I mean?
Hes positive, Maxine answered shakily, adding, in obvious distress, Wed just started to agree that any money left over from the sale of the houseonce hes paid everything backI could have. But, unless someone can put in a good word for him, it will mean... She started to cry. It will m-mean that my girls will have to bear the stigma of having a jail-bird for a father. Oh, I cant bear it!