Underbelly (63 page)

“
We have already told…” Grey said and he read that Tristan was in Maramont and had heard bizarre rumours. Grey and Germaine had told him, when he briefly visited them in Scotland after VE Day, that the Nazis had killed Yves, Claire and Carol without going into details. “Should I write and tell him to ignore what they say?”

Germaine paced the room as she considered this. “I think he deserves the truth. As unbelievable as it is, he deserves our honesty.”

“
The absolute truth? I’ll tell him everything if you want, even that I’m a medium, if you’re sure. I just don’t want to damage your relationship with him.”

“
No, I’ll do it.” She knew that Grey liked to do things for her to make her life easier, but it was something she had to do for herself, possibly cathartic.

“
Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I think I need to do it alone. I’ll cry on your shoulder when I’m done, I promise you that.” He left her alone to compose what would be a very hard letter and when she was finished she walked through to their lounge and saw that he had a silk handkerchief draped across each shoulder, which made her smile.

“
Which one do you want?” he said playfully before adding seriously, “Are you okay?”

“
Unbelievably, yes, I am,” she said, amazed at her composure. Even her nightmares had ceased while Grey’s were just beginning. Every night he dreamt of the Alieus, vivid, graphic nightmares that woke up Germaine due to his body’s violent jerking. It took him time upon waking to calm down, his whole body shaking while Germaine held him.

“
I’m sorry about this,” he said, pulling his pyjama top up and looking down at the dressing on his stomach as he spoke – it had really happened, but for a lucky breakthrough he would still be in the tomb with them being tortured.

“
James, you have nothing to be sorry about,” she said, pulling his head to her bosom and kissing his hair as she wrapped her arms around him protectively. “You’re here with me, safe. It’s usually me who has the nightmares and wakes you up and you look after me. Do you want me to get you anything?”

“
What I need is my faith in human nature restored.”

“
The depths that people will go to, the things that people will do to each other…People will go lower than dogs, while other people do kind acts of greatness, truly selfless things. Maybe it’s worth having those people at the bottom to have these people at the top,” Germaine said philosophically. “I can accept a world with creatures like the Alieus in it if that means I get you.”

Grey kissed her and said, “I’m unworthy of that praise but I’ll take it. Forget my powers – you’re the special one. No other woman would accept this, or me, like you have,” he said gratefully.

“
I’ve seen enough women in love with you at your shows to know that that isn’t true.” He couldn’t stop shaking and she said, ”The Alieus are dead, James. You’ve saved a lot of people by beating them.”

“
There’s something I didn’t tell you. I promised Clemence I’d bring her back.”

“
Her spirit?”

Grey nodded. “Making a deal was my only way of surviving.”

“
I understand that. You don’t have to honour it.”

“
I think I do. She’s in my head.”

“
Oh no, I didn’t know that! Are you okay?” Germaine said, concerned for him at the thought of that beast pestering him.

“
She’s changed. She’s penitent – not penitent enough really, she believes she had little choice. To be fair to her she doesn’t revel in it. Besides, a deal is a deal. She’ll have no powers and likely won’t remember her past.”

“
If you feel you have to, okay, but don’t release her spirit while I’m still pregnant.”

“
I don’t know how to do it yet so that’s not an issue. I promise you I’ll wait until after the baby’s born if that’s what you’d prefer.”

Germaine nodded and stroked his hair and said sadly, “I don’t envy you, James.”

“
There are perks to being me, chiefly that I get to sleep with you. There’s good and bad things about my gift but I would sooner die than live without it now, so don’t worry about me. This is normal to me. These bad dreams will pass,” Grey said optimistically. In time the nightmares would lessen, and he had reason to be thankful that that was all they were instead of his reality.

Grey and Germaine went to see Dora’s new show; Dora was once again working in the chorus where it was hard for her to make an impression with nine other girls dressed identically to her, with their make-up applied garishly, likely to make them less attractive than the ageing leading lady. After the show they took Dora out to dinner where she told them they’d missed her father, who’d paid her a surprise visit the previous night.

“
That’s a shame. I would have liked to have seen George,” Grey said, very disappointed, especially for Del who deserved a treat after how great a help he had been during his darkest hour.

“
He was sorry to have missed you. He’ll be back again another time. He understands that you have to tour. How was it?” Dora said, feeling an affinity with him as a fellow performer.

“
Let’s say that we’re glad to be back and talk about your show again. Box office looked to be good,” Grey said. “I don’t think there was any empty seats, was there, Gem?”

“
Maybe one or two, no more than that,” Germaine said honestly.

“
It’s still very early in the run so you would expect high turnouts regardless, even if the show is going to flop. Still, the reviews have been unbelievable. I’ve never been in a show that’s been this lauded. Poor Lotus’ show is falling apart at the seams. It’s doing well but the lead actor and the director are involved and in the process of splitting up which is creating a bitchy atmosphere, which has been mentioned in the gossip columns. They say it won’t last the distance,” Dora said, taking no satisfaction in Lotus’ probable failure. “She’ll come out of it better off though. You must go and see it. She has her own song as a vamp who makes a move on the hero and she is so confident up there.”

“
We’re back in town for good so we probably will. What a shame about George,” Grey said. “Did he enjoy his stay?”

“
Yes. He’ll be back for my birthday next month. How’s Conrad?”

“
He’s skiing at Sun Valley at the moment, trying out for the Olympic team.” Grey saw that Dora was taking him seriously and he added, “Not really, though knowing him it may happen. Skiing is one of many things Mr Overton claims he is without peer. Annoyingly he probably is great at it too.”

“
I would like to see him again, just to thank him for getting me the part. I’m interested in someone else now, don’t worry,” Dora said with a smile, assuring them that she wouldn’t be crying over him again and bore him no resentment.

“
Should I go off and have a smoke and leave you girls to talk alone for a bit?” Grey said, interested in what she had to say but wanting to give the two women a chance to talk alone.

Dora shrugged, unsure how to answer and Germaine said, “It’s up to you, James.”

“
Now that my legs are as good as new I think I should stretch them,” Grey said, walking across the exclusive restaurant to the private veranda where several other people, far more elegant and urbane than he, stood chatting and smoking. Grey leaned on the rail as he smoked and looked out across the city. It wasn’t Keokuk or Maramont or Ravensbeck and thankfully wasn’t Lichwood, but it was home, something about the place endearing it to both of their hearts. They were both developing a taste for the high life and Grey did not let on that treats like this seriously stretched their meagre budget. He would be a father soon and it was time to knuckle down and make some hard cash so that they could continue to enjoy the lifestyle they were growing accustomed to.

Grey answered the door, believing that it could only be Conrad at such a late hour (he knew that he was due back from his skiing/business holiday), and stood smoking a cigar in plain vest and striped shorts, his expression bewildered as he looked at Laura’s drastic new look; now she was a redhead with a short perm. Laura put his cigar out with thumb and forefinger and said, “I’ve told you a thousand times, they’re bad for you,” as she brushed past him.

“
Laura, this is a pleasant surprise,” Grey said. She breezed through the lounge to the bedroom, where she saw Germaine draped across the bed in fishnet stockings and a red strapless basque, still sexually alluring despite a prominent bump, and she looked embarrassed at being seen by this strange woman. As she realised it was Laura her embarrassment only diminished a little.

Laura was unsure if she had interrupted an intimate moment between them or if they were just relaxing after yet another ordeal; either way she wanted to give them space and she said humbly, “I am sorry for intruding.”

“
It’s no intrusion,” Germaine lied, grabbing her silky bathrobe as Grey pulled his trousers up.

“
Hey, you knocked,” Grey said affably. “We’ve got some drinks in the lounge, or we can ring down for room service. I can even go down and rustle you something up.”

“
Anything but that!” Laura joked. “You’ve landed on your feet. That must be your influence, Germaine.”

Germaine smiled and Grey said, “She’s too modest to admit the truth. What’s your poison?”

Laura walked through to the lounge with Grey while Germaine brushed her hair in the bedroom. Laura grabbed Grey’s arm and whispered in his ear, “Sorry, I didn’t realise.”

“
Two apologies in quick succession. Who are you?” Grey said, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinised her. “What are you drinking then, Nell?”

“
That alias isn’t working anymore. They rumbled me last month. Scotch of course, James, on the rocks.”

Grey poured out a drink and passed it to her as she took a seat and he went through to ask Germaine what she wanted before he returned and sat opposite Laura (to leave space for Germaine on the sofa next to Laura) and he said, “So can I call you Laura or...”

“
You already have. If anyone hears what we have to say here I’m fucked irrespective of what name you use, so yes, you can. You could have before really, I just...imagine what I was like when I used to still have that time of the month, James!”

“
That’s a bone-chilling thought. I’ve got to admit, I don’t know how they’re doing it. I know you, Laura, I know that if you didn’t want to be found you would be nigh on impossible to track and they’re managing it. You said that the two priests did something to you that might have been supernatural. Is there a chance that the reason for their seeming omniscience is from such powers?”

Laura sighed and said, “No, unfortunately it’s me. I kept my head down as Eleanor for a while and I went unnoticed. The problem with that was that I found out nothing in that time, except that life in America can be very bland. Not for you though. I know about the Alieus.”

“
How?”

“
The reverberations from their deaths were felt by myself and many others, I imagine. I was curious as to who was responsible for their deaths and I did a small rite and your name came up. That’s why I’m checking up on you now, to see that you’re unhurt, and to pick your brain a little. I have to say that I am very, very impressed by what you have done. That’s big game hunting. You defeated the dread sisters, two powerful creatures that belonged in a Bosch painting, that greatly predate you, and you stood up to them. That was the potential Georges saw, that was why he wanted you to lead the group.”

“
Thank you. I feel I could do that now. I would at least try to be leader, but I couldn’t have done it then.” She doled out praise so infrequently that when she did it had value and meant something to him.

“
You’ve grown up a lot. Have you been in communication with any spirits relating to Octavius?”

“
Just two. His lieutenant and one of his archenemies from a thousand years ago. This guy was outclassed completely by Octavius so I don’t know if he’ll be that much help but I’ll tell you everything. We’ll be up all night, mind, so it might be best done in the morning.”