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Authors: Anne Baker
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behaviour.’
‘But it’s wrong. I feel she’s heading for disaster and she won’t listen to me. I’ve given her the Marie Stopes books Marigold gave me, so she must know the risks she’s taking.’
Rex sighed. He’d had to accept that Adam was part of Chloe’s life, and Helen must too. ‘You can take it that she does,’ he said. ‘She’s been going to his house for weeks. What they’re doing is probably no longer new to them.’
The months were passing quickly and Chloe was having the time of her life. She enjoyed her job and she adored Adam. Occasionally one of her colleagues at work got married, and the frequent discussions about bridal matters made Chloe long for marriage too. Aunt Goldie had dropped hints almost from the time she’d introduced her to Adam; now Mum was telling her outright that she should marry him. But Chloe had to wait for him to propose. It was convention that the bride should wait for the groom to ask her.
He made love to her regularly, and because she was spending one or two nights each week with him, it must be obvious to her family that she was allowing this. One afternoon she was lying in his arms, both of them replete with love, when she said simply, ‘Adam, why don’t we get married?’
She felt him stir. ‘There’s no need, is there? Aren’t you happy?’
‘Yes, but I’d like to be married. It’s getting on for a year now, and Mum keeps asking me when it’ll be. She says I’m your wife in everything but name.’
He moved away from her and propped his head up with his arm. ‘I suppose, yes . . .’
‘I am. So why not make it official?’
He sighed, ‘It means nothing, it’s only a ceremony and a piece of paper.’
‘It’s more than that. I’m embarrassed when Mum asks. How can I tell her you don’t want to? That sounds as though you don’t rate me highly enough. I’m OK as a mistress but would be lacking as a wife.’
‘Hey, Chloe,’ he was gathering her into his arms again, ‘it’s not like that and you know it. I do love you, I really do.’
She pulled away. ‘But not enough to marry me?’
‘Why don’t you move in here with me? That would be just like being married, wouldn’t it? I’ve asked you before . . .’
‘Many times.’ She was out of bed and pulling on her clothes.
His big brown eyes were beseeching. ‘Then why not?’
‘I’d have to leave my job. I . . .’
‘You’d have to do that if we got married. You could get another job here. What’s the difference?’
‘My family would be shocked. Terminally shocked. Aunt Goldie would never get over it.’ This was the first serious tiff they’d had, and all the warmth and love Chloe felt for him suddenly cooled. ‘I want to go home.’
‘Now? I’ve booked a table at the Lansdown for half seven. You said you wanted to go.’
‘I’ve changed my mind.’ She was tossing her belongings into her overnight bag. ‘I’ll take a bus to the station and catch the train home.’
‘Don’t be like this, Chloe. I’ll run you into town if you really want to go. I’ll run you home.’
‘The station will do.’
On the way, he never stopped pleading with her to forgive him and stay. He told her a dozen times he was head over heels in love with her.
Chloe arrived home to find the house empty, because her mother wasn’t expecting her back until tomorrow. She looked in the garage and saw Mum’s car was there, so guessed she’d probably gone out with Rex. She found some leftover soup in the fridge and reheated that for her supper.
When she heard the key scrape in the front door, she was slumped in front of the television, though unable to follow the plot of the thriller because her mind was racing with mixed emotions about Adam. She heard Mum and Rex laughing as they came up the hall. It made her feel very much alone.
‘Chloe, you’re home! That’s nice. I thought I must have left the light on. I’ve brought Rex in for a drink, we’ve been to the bistro for
‘But it’s wrong. I feel she’s heading for disaster and she won’t listen to me. I’ve given her the Marie Stopes books Marigold gave me, so she must know the risks she’s taking.’
Rex sighed. He’d had to accept that Adam was part of Chloe’s life, and Helen must too. ‘You can take it that she does,’ he said. ‘She’s been going to his house for weeks. What they’re doing is probably no longer new to them.’
The months were passing quickly and Chloe was having the time of her life. She enjoyed her job and she adored Adam. Occasionally one of her colleagues at work got married, and the frequent discussions about bridal matters made Chloe long for marriage too. Aunt Goldie had dropped hints almost from the time she’d introduced her to Adam; now Mum was telling her outright that she should marry him. But Chloe had to wait for him to propose. It was convention that the bride should wait for the groom to ask her.
He made love to her regularly, and because she was spending one or two nights each week with him, it must be obvious to her family that she was allowing this. One afternoon she was lying in his arms, both of them replete with love, when she said simply, ‘Adam, why don’t we get married?’
She felt him stir. ‘There’s no need, is there? Aren’t you happy?’
‘Yes, but I’d like to be married. It’s getting on for a year now, and Mum keeps asking me when it’ll be. She says I’m your wife in everything but name.’
He moved away from her and propped his head up with his arm. ‘I suppose, yes . . .’
‘I am. So why not make it official?’
He sighed, ‘It means nothing, it’s only a ceremony and a piece of paper.’
‘It’s more than that. I’m embarrassed when Mum asks. How can I tell her you don’t want to? That sounds as though you don’t rate me highly enough. I’m OK as a mistress but would be lacking as a wife.’
‘Hey, Chloe,’ he was gathering her into his arms again, ‘it’s not like that and you know it. I do love you, I really do.’
She pulled away. ‘But not enough to marry me?’
‘Why don’t you move in here with me? That would be just like being married, wouldn’t it? I’ve asked you before . . .’
‘Many times.’ She was out of bed and pulling on her clothes.
His big brown eyes were beseeching. ‘Then why not?’
‘I’d have to leave my job. I . . .’
‘You’d have to do that if we got married. You could get another job here. What’s the difference?’
‘My family would be shocked. Terminally shocked. Aunt Goldie would never get over it.’ This was the first serious tiff they’d had, and all the warmth and love Chloe felt for him suddenly cooled. ‘I want to go home.’
‘Now? I’ve booked a table at the Lansdown for half seven. You said you wanted to go.’
‘I’ve changed my mind.’ She was tossing her belongings into her overnight bag. ‘I’ll take a bus to the station and catch the train home.’
‘Don’t be like this, Chloe. I’ll run you into town if you really want to go. I’ll run you home.’
‘The station will do.’
On the way, he never stopped pleading with her to forgive him and stay. He told her a dozen times he was head over heels in love with her.
Chloe arrived home to find the house empty, because her mother wasn’t expecting her back until tomorrow. She looked in the garage and saw Mum’s car was there, so guessed she’d probably gone out with Rex. She found some leftover soup in the fridge and reheated that for her supper.
When she heard the key scrape in the front door, she was slumped in front of the television, though unable to follow the plot of the thriller because her mind was racing with mixed emotions about Adam. She heard Mum and Rex laughing as they came up the hall. It made her feel very much alone.
‘Chloe, you’re home! That’s nice. I thought I must have left the light on. I’ve brought Rex in for a drink, we’ve been to the bistro for
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