Anna Jacobs (13 page)

“Thank you, Gerald. Can you do it now? I’ll serve it on him first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Right. If you’ll wait a moment or two, I’ll have it drawn up.” He rang a hand bell and gave some quiet orders to his clerk, than looked back at Serena. “I’m sorry, Miss Fleming. I’m afraid there’s nothing else I can do for the moment to help you. Are you all right for money and somewhere to stay? Good, good . . . Now, I have another piece of business I need to discuss with Mr Redway. I wonder if you’d mind sitting in my waiting room for a few minutes?”

She went outside to sit in an armchair stuffed with horsehair, which might be hard-wearing but was prickly to sit on. Her thoughts were just as prickly.

Justin came out to join her ten minutes later. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Will you come back to my rooms for a few moments? There are a few bits and pieces we need to sort out, and I need your signature on a couple of letters giving me complete authority to act on your behalf. My clerk can witness them.”

“All right.” She felt strange and distant, so upset about the way things were turning out that she could have lain down and wept. She was quite sure her so-called father had stolen the money from the row of cottages, not to mention the annuity money, and didn’t know what she was going to do if she had no income. But after years of long practice at holding in her feelings she didn’t give way, just concentrated on walking beside Mr Redway, setting one foot in front of the other until the turmoil of fury and disappointment inside her had subsided a little.

At Justin’s rooms he quickly wrote two letters of authorisation and she read them through carefully before signing them in front of his clerk. Then he asked for more sample signatures, in case he needed them, so she wrote another column of them on a clean piece of paper. Again, this was witnessed by the clerk.

After agreeing to do nothing until she heard from him, she took her leave.

He came to the door. “I’ll escort you back to join Vic and Marcus.”

“No need. Vic is waiting with the cab at the bottom of the street and it’s only a short stroll.”

Justin escorted her to the door, went inside again and couldn’t resist peering out of the window just to make sure she was all right. She’d looked so pale, her whole body stiff with disappointment, but she hadn’t complained once. You had to admire her fortitude.

As he watched, he saw a man who’d been lounging in a doorway across the road move out of it and follow her. There could be no doubt of what he was doing because his eyes were fixed on her with a kind of gloating look, and anyway she was the only other person in that part of the street.

Suddenly feeling more than worried, Justin rushed out of the door, by which time she’d turned the corner at the bottom of the street and the man had speeded up to run round it after her.

* * * *

Just as Serena rounded the corner at the bottom of Bridge Lane, a large motor car pulled up and Fleming jumped out. Without a word he grabbed her arm and tried to drag her into the back of the vehicle. The chauffeur sat looking straight ahead, as if nothing untoward was happening. Serena began to struggle and call for help, scratching and kicking.

A passer-by hesitated and Ernest yelled, “She’s my daughter and she’s lost her senses. Stay away. She’s dangerous.”

The man walked on, shaking his head, even though Serena yelled, “It’s not true!
Help me!”
She bit the hand Ernest tried to put across her mouth so hard that he yelped.

Then someone yanked her head back by the hair, growling, “Shut up, you stupid bitch!” and she saw out of the corner of her eye that Hudd had joined them. He and Fleming tried to shove her into the car, but she managed to slow them down by bracing her feet against the running board and screamed again.

Suddenly Justin appeared beside them, yelling, “Let her go!” Hudd muttered a curse and shoved him back so hard he fell over, but by then Vic had reached them and he squared up to the bigger man.

The latter grinned. “I can deal with these two, Mr Fleming. You get your poor deranged daughter home again.”

Then Marcus appeared, thrusting past Hudd to drag Serena from her father’s grasp. “What the hell’s going on?” He pushed her behind him and braced himself, raising his clenched fists as if expecting a fight.

“I’m trying to rescue my daughter,” Ernest said, his voice as cold and chill as ever, “before she does herself harm. And
you,
Graye, are interfering in something that doesn’t concern you.”

Justin was on his feet by now and went to stand beside Marcus, straightening and dusting off his clothing. “You were trying to kidnap her. We intend to make a complaint to the police about that.”

“You’ll leave well alone, if you know what’s good for you, Redway!” Ernest’s gaze went to Serena. “Look at her! She acted like a wildcat just then, as my two men will bear witness. That’s not reasonable behaviour.”

“Only because of what you were doing,” she said.

Justin made a sign to her to be quiet and said in a more normal tone of voice, “Miss Fleming is my client and she’s of age, not a child under your control. What you were doing was illegal—
sir.”

“She clearly lost her senses and since she’s
my
daughter, it’s only right that I look after her—as the court will agree. After all, there is no one else to do it. And since I’m taking her to see our doctor, you can hardly call it kidnapping.”

Realising she’d been cowering against Marcus’s chest, Serena pulled herself together, sucking in a shuddery breath then straightening her shoulders. “I would never have believed that even you would treat me like that,” she told Ernest, her voice steady and her tone as icy as his. “You know perfectly well there’s nothing wrong with me. Shame on you!” She turned to the three men who had saved her and said, “Thank you for your help, gentlemen.”

“You should sue him for assault,” Justin pointed out.

“I just want him to leave me alone!” Her voice wobbled in spite of her efforts to stay calm.

“We’ll take out a magistrate’s order to make sure he does,” Justin promised. He looked at Vic. “You saw what they were trying to do. Will you testify to that?”

“I’d be delighted to.”

The look Fleming gave him said he’d regret that.

Vic looked back at the older man and said pointedly, “I didn’t fight for the freedom of our country during the war to stand by and let things like this happen in England itself. There’s no threat you can make which will stop me testifying.”

Fleming brushed his hands down the front of his coat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t threatened you in any way. I’m simply a father, doing the best I can for my daughter.”

He smiled then, a cruel curve of thin lips that made Serena’s blood run cold. “And as her closest living relative, I have certain rights in that respect once I’ve proved my point . . . which I shall do very soon. This matter is only postponed and you know it, Redway.”

He turned to her. “Serena, you’ve already made a big mistake in leaving the security of your home. Don’t compound it.” He got into the car, gestured to Hudd to join him and they drove off.

Serena let out a long, shuddering breath and Marcus turned to her, offering his arm. “I think we’d better get you home, Miss Fleming. Vic, will you fetch the cab?”

“Yes, of course.”

Justin looked from one to the other. “He
has
got certain rights as your father, or would have if you were proven to be of unsound mind.”

“But I’m not!”

“Doctors have been bought before. And he’s very friendly with Tolson.”

She felt as if the earth were shaking beneath her feet. “What am I going to do, then?” she whispered. “I have no other close relatives and very little money to hand. If he can have me locked away, he’ll be able to take everything I own.”

“Why does he want your money so badly?” Marcus asked. “Have you any idea?”

“No. He always seems to have plenty of his own. Unless it’s what you told me before, the gambling.”

Justin looked from one to the other. “It’s well known that a lot of money has changed hands at the club in the past year or two. There were some members who wanted that looked into, then suddenly they stopped agitating. I wonder . . . ”

“He’ll have threatened them,” Serena said in a flat voice. “I’ve overheard him boasting that he always gets what he wants. He doesn’t do it in an outright way, but he makes sure people are afraid for something or someone they value.”

“What if he’s been losing heavily?” Marcus asked. “You told me you had an annuity that brings in five hundred pounds a year. He could sell that or use the income from it. It all depends on how desperate he is. And if he
is
desperate, you’re in real danger.”

Justin was looking from Marcus to Serena, but they didn’t seem to be aware of him, were staring at each other as if they were alone. He smiled and then had to clear his throat to gain their attention. “There’s one way to make sure he can never get his hands on her.”

“What?” Serena asked eagerly. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”

“If you were married, your husband would be your next of kin, not Fleming.”

“Oh.” Her eager expression faded and she looked down at herself with a scornful laugh. “Who’d marry me? I’ve worked all my life to be plain and unattractive, not to mention boring.”

Justin looked at Marcus and raised one eyebrow.

Marcus stared back, his mouth falling open in shock as he realised what the other man was hinting. Then he looked at Serena, remembering how she had nestled so comfortably against him, how attractive she looked with her hair loose, how his body reacted to her. He too smiled, then nodded at the other man as if accepting his challenge.

“It’d need to be done quickly,” Justin warned.

Serena looked from one man to the other, puzzled by their expressions.

Marcus took a deep breath. “In that case, perhaps you would consider marrying me, Serena? That should keep you safe.”

She gasped in shock and had to clutch him to keep her balance.
“Marry you?”

“Yes.”

“But—we hardly know one another. We only met yesterday. And besides . . . ” He was a kind person and she liked him, but all her worries about a loveless marriage came rushing back at her. She looked desperately from one man to the other, trying to explain. “I always swore I’d only ever marry for love after seeing how unhappy my mother was. Though I’m grateful for your offer, Mr Graye, of course I am.”

“Well, I don’t blame you for refusing me. I’m not much of a catch now.” His hand went up in a gesture that took in his scarred face.

Her voice softened. “It’s got nothing to do with your face. What does that matter? Those scars were gained in defence of your country and they can be worn with pride.”

“They’d matter to some women.”

She felt torn both ways, wanting to reassure him and yet afraid she’d be tempted into accepting him. “Not to me.”

Justin said, “I don’t think you have much choice but to find someone to marry, my dear.”

Fear warred with temptation and won. “Could I—take a few days to think about it?”

“I doubt you have that long, Serena.” Justin looked from one to the other. “You’ve just seen the lengths your father will go to and—”

So she told him. “He
isn’t
my father!”

Justin gaped at her. “What do you mean by that?”

She explained.

“Good heavens! But can you prove it?”

She thought for a moment then shook her head. “No. I know my mother wouldn’t lie to me, though, not when she was dying.”

“Then that information is no help in your present dilemma, though it must be a great comfort to you, knowing what he’s like.”

“Yes.” She turned to look at the man beside her. “You must think I’m being very foolish, Marcus.”

“No, I don’t. It’s a big step. But I really would like to marry you.”

“You would? Why?”

His solemn expression softened into a smile, “Because you make me feel like a man again, which I haven’t for months. Because you’re pretty—or you could be. Because . . . I’m lonely.”

“Oh.”

She didn’t know what to say, couldn’t think straight, because she had suddenly realised that she rather liked the idea of marrying him. Any woman would. He was attractive, even with the scars and beard. And he was kind, too. That was so important.

“I won’t conceal from you that your annuity would make a big difference to me, but if it’ll make you feel any better, I’d agree to postpone consummating our marriage until we knew one another better and
you
felt the time was right.”

She could feel herself blushing and was grateful when neither man spoke for a moment or two as she tried desperately to think about Marcus’s offer. She thought he would make a decent husband, but how did you know for sure? And if she didn’t have to go straight into his bed, could first get used to her new self and life, to being with him . ..

Suddenly the woman who had voted, who had planned an escape from Ernest Fleming’s clutches, who had been hiding behind a mask for so many years, urged her to take a chance, perhaps the only real chance she’d get, of staying free of Ernest Fleming. The words were out before Serena had even realised she was going to say them, “Thank you, Marcus, then. I will marry you under those conditions, if you’ll agree to be patient with me.”

Justin stepped forward and gave them each a big hug. “Excellent. This might sound silly, but I feel you two will suit one another. Now, we need to arrange for a wedding. By special licence, I think. Don’t want to give Fleming a chance to get up to more of his nasty tricks, do we? We’ll get the licence tomorrow, Marcus.”

“Yes.” He turned to Serena. “Here comes Vic. Let’s go home now.”

Home,
she thought, and it seemed as if the day was much brighter suddenly. Whatever happened about her inheritance, she would have a home again. And a husband to share it with.

She sat next to him in the cab as it pulled away, staring down at her tightly clasped hands, feeling shy now.

“You’re sure about it?” he asked. “I don’t want you to feel forced to do something you’ll regret.”

She looked up then and it was the way his eyes crinkled at the corners with the faint hint of a smile, the innate kindness and warmth of the man that clinched the matter for her. “Yes, I’m sure.”