Authors: Janet Woods
Secrets and Lies
| Secrets and Lies |
| Janet Woods |
| Severn House Publishers Ltd (2012) |
A destructive secret is guarded by a network of lies...until they begin to unravel. 1933. Esmé Carr travels to Australia with her best friend in search of adventure. Left behind is Esmé's adolescent niece. Meggie Elliot has an imaginative and independent frame of mind, but there is mystery surrounding her birth—one she intends to unravel, despite her mother's warnings to leave the past alone. When the truth surfaces it's not what Meggie wants to hear, and Esmé must reconcile the rift between mother and daughter.
Table of Contents
Recent Titles by Janet Woods from Severn House
AMARANTH MOON
BROKEN JOURNEY
CINNAMON SKY
THE COAL GATHERER
EDGE OF REGRET
HEARTS OF GOLD
LADY LIGHTFINGERS
MORE THAN A PROMISE
PAPER DOLL
SALTING THE WOUND
SECRETS AND LIES
THE STONECUTTER’S DAUGHTER
STRAW IN THE WIND
TALL POPPIES
WITHOUT REPROACH
The author invites comments from her readers
via her website:
or by post:
PO Box 2099
Kardinya 6163
Western Australia
Janet Woods
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
First world edition published 2012
in Great Britain and in the USA by
SEVERN HOUSE PUBLISHERS LTD of
9–15 High Street, Sutton, Surrey, England, SM1 1DF.
Copyright © 2012 by Janet Woods.
All rights reserved.
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Woods, Janet, 1939–
Secrets and lies.
1. English – Australia – Fiction. 2. Family secrets –
Fiction. 3. Love stories.
I. Title
823.9'2-dc23
ISBN-13: 978-1-78010-292-4 (Epub)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7278-8181-6 (cased)
Except where actual historical events and characters are being described for the storyline of this novel, all situations in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to living persons is purely coincidental.
This ebook produced by
Palimpsest Book Production Limited,
Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland.
Welcome
Dallas O’Connor
Latest and much loved addition to my family.
Arrived on earth
June 2011
Poole, Dorset
Esmé Carr adjusted the pleated knee-length skirt of her dress and cast a critical glance over the portions of her body reflected in the small mirror held by her room-mate, Minnie James.
‘It’s not too short, is it?’
‘It will be if Matron sees it.’ Minnie set the mirror back on the chest of drawers. ‘Pale pink looks good on you, and I like the crystal beading. You’ve got long legs to show off.’ She sighed, ‘I wish they were mine . . . your hair, as well.’
Drawing a brush through her brown curly bob, Esmé laughed. ‘Funny . . . I always wanted to be a blue-eyed blonde, like you, and you have lovely fair skin to go with it. It’s a pity we couldn’t do a swap now and again.’ Stretching her lips into an oval, Esmé outlined them in light rose to match her nails, and then rubbed them together. It felt good to be out of her starched uniform and be able to dress up. ‘Chad was quite taken with you when he met you. I do wish Matron had allowed you to come.’
Minnie blushed. ‘Oh, don’t be silly, Esmé. Chad isn’t interested in me. He has his training to do and it takes years to become a doctor. I was flirting with him, that’s all. He’s so sweet, dependable, and too stodgy for me, like a favourite teddy bear. Besides, I want to go to Australia.’
Esmé was sceptical. ‘We’re in the middle of a depression.’
‘There’s always work for nurses,’ Minnie scoffed. ‘Come to Australia with me.’
‘What about my family? I promised Chad I’d work for him after he’s fully trained.’
‘We don’t have to stay abroad forever. It would be like a long holiday with a sea voyage at either end. Think of all that sunshine and the beaches, and lounging on the deck between ports, while the crew lust after us.’
It sounded tempting, if the end bit was left off. Esmé had no intention of being gossiped about, and she doubted if Minnie would enjoy it, either.
‘To be honest, I’ll be relieved when my brother finishes medical school.’
And not least because her twin had dominated her life since they’d spent several years in a London orphanage together. He’d taken on the job of being her protector then, and it had become a habit. Between Chad, her brother-in-law, sister, and the matron, sometimes Esmé felt
managed
, as though she had no mind of her own.
She rolled her stockings up and attached them to the suspenders dangling from her garter belt. ‘Seams straight?’
‘Perfectly. Are those stockings silk?’
‘They are. They were a Christmas present from my sister. There’s another pair in my drawer if you want to borrow them.’
‘Don’t tempt me.’ Minnie opened the cupboard door. ‘Wedge heels or T-strap?’
‘T-strap.’ Esmé pulled on her coat, hat and scarf then thrust her feet into a pair of silver shoes that Minnie dusted off and held out to her. ‘What’s the time?’
‘Time you were gone. You know how punctual Dr Elliot usually is.’
‘Only too well.’ Picking up her bag Esmé headed for the door.
‘Have a nice time,’ Minnie called after her. ‘Think of me swotting away for my midwifery exam while you’re sweeping all the young men off their feet on the stroke of New Year.’
Esmé grimaced. ‘It will mostly be older men. I might be able to find one for Matron.’
Minnie giggled. ‘
He
would have to be a hero. She told me I should have paid more attention to the lectures, and if I fail the exam a second time I won’t be given another chance.’ She shrugged. ‘That would be a pity, because I love delivering babies, and that’s what I wanted to specialize in. They’re so sweet and helpless. I suppose somebody has to be on duty and look after the patients over New Year, though.’
Esmé didn’t add insult to injury by telling Minnie the matron was right. All the same, she felt sorry for her friend.
Outside the nurses’ quarters it was cold. A silver crescent of moon was diffused in the misty air. Longfleet Road was deserted in both directions, except for a man on a bicycle. He rang his bell noisily at a cat padding across the road. Instead of running, the cat went into a crouch, and froze, forcing the man to divert. He swore as he turned the corner, the handlebars wobbling.
It seemed odd going home on a Thursday evening, even if it was New Year’s Eve, and it was an unaccustomed luxury to have the whole weekend off. She supposed her brother-in-law had pulled a few strings, and she felt guilty.
The hedge outside the building across the road was rimmed by frost. From a lit window over a shop came the faint, catchy song of
Ain’t She Sweet.
Giving in to impulse, Esmé stood under the street light and did a tap dance to keep her feet warm. Perhaps she should have become a showgirl. She grinned as she thought of the scandal that would have caused.
When she was young she’d wanted to make dancing her career, and had imagined herself gracefully flitting across the stage on points, wearing a tutu, or leaping into the arms of a young muscled god. A year of dancing lessons convinced her she didn’t have the strength or dedication required. She wasn’t bad at tap though, and she enjoyed ballroom dancing.
If she couldn’t be a famous dancer, then she’d have liked to live on a farm surrounded by animals to care for. She’d thought of becoming a vet, but nobody had taken her suggestion seriously, not even her sister, Livia.
Chad had taken it upon himself to point out what she already knew . . . that they had no money of their own, and besides, they’d long ago decided that he’d be a doctor and she a nurse. Both were good, solid professions, and their sponsors, Livia’s first husband, the late Richard Sangster and her second, Denton Elliot, had provided the means to ensure they were educated properly to that end.
‘We can’t let them down now, can we?’ Chad had said, sounding horribly stuffy and responsible, and . . . well, as Minnie had said, slightly teddy-bearish. And she giggled at the thought.
She heard the sputter of the engine of her brother-in-law’s Morris Oxford and did several ragged pirouettes on the spot, thinking, Matron would give her a good dressing-down if she saw her.
She flopped into the seat next to Denton when he drew up beside her. ‘You’re late.’
‘Sorry, I had an emergency, so got myself a quick bath and shave at the hospital afterwards. I’ll only have to change into my dinner suit when we get home.’
Her nose wrinkled. ‘Ugh . . . no wonder you smell of carbolic soap.’
He grinned at her. ‘There are worst things to smell of. Why the hornpipe on the pavement?’
‘It was to keep myself warm whilst I waited. I also wondered what Matron would say if she saw me, and was hit by a sudden burst of rebellion. So I flirted with danger, found the nearest limelight and kicked my heels up a bit higher.’
‘It’s a gaslight . . . not lime.’
‘You’re being terribly correct. I’m going to stay out of your way tonight.’
‘I can’t help it, poppet. I’ve been conditioned since birth to be dogmatic.’
‘Woof,’ she said.
He suddenly remembered Minnie. ‘We’ve forgotten your friend?’
‘She failed her midwifery exam, so Matron wouldn’t let her come. She has to work on the mater ward and swot in her spare time.’
‘Is Matron that bad?’
‘She can be a bit fierce, but she has to be, I suppose. It will be nice to be out from under her eagle eye for a short time, and I’ve earned my belt buckle, at long last.’
Denton produced a bit of a smug grin. ‘You have your specialist certificates, as well. I’m proud of you Es. Matron turns out well-trained nurses.’
‘She’s diligent, I’ll give her that. My friend, Minnie, is a good practical nurse, and she loves the midwifery side. She finds written stuff a bit difficult. Most of us daren’t put a foot wrong with Matron, and sometimes, having you for a brother-in-law is a decided disadvantage. If I do something wrong she purses her lips, stares down her nose at me and then goes “tut-tut”, like a hen about to lay an egg. Then she says, “I wonder what our esteemed colleague, Mr Elliot, would say to
that
if he saw you.” As if you’d be interested when I dropped a kidney dish on the floor. You’re not interested, are you, esteemed colleague?’
Denton laughed. ‘Not in the least.’