I’ll need you to lie for me from time to time. As you say, it doesn’t do to upset Dan McCabe.’
Binnie doubted John would ever love anyone except himself but at the moment he needed to be discreet, just until he had thought the matter through. Damn John Pendennis! He was trouble for anyone he came in contact with. Binnie pitied the woman John was supposed to love.
The two men continued the journey in silence. Binnie felt he was stuck in a cleft stick: he would have to lie for John because the alternative was too dreadful to think about.
‘All right,’ he said, though the words almost stuck in his throat. ‘I’ll cover up for you but I’m warning you, don’t push me too far.’
‘Or what?’ John smiled. ‘You’ve got no choice in the matter, Binnie my man, you are really and truly in the mire!’
In that moment, Binnie Dundee knew what it was like to want to kill with his bare hands. Instead, he glanced at John. ‘I suppose there’s no harm in you having yet another affair, it will all fizzle out in time.’
‘No it won’t,’ John said. ‘The other woman is Melia, Josephine’s sister.’
Binnie looked at him aghast. ‘Are you mad?’
John did not reply. Binnie frowned. Why on earth would John begin an affair with Melia? He could have married her in the first place if he had wished. But it was nothing to do with him; he had better keep out of it. The less he knew about the affair the better.
All the same, there was a bitter taste in his mouth. His future happiness, the life he treasured with Hortense and his sons could all be ended by one word from John Pendennis. The thought was like the knell of doom and Binnie turned his face away from John, ashamed of the tears that were blinding his eyes.
CHAPTER FOUR
Llinos was missing Joe so badly that she felt she would die of a broken heart if he did not come home soon. She was sitting in the dining room having a late breakfast with Charlotte and attempting to make bright conversation.
‘It’s a bit warmer today,’ Llinos said. ‘I think Lloyd will enjoy his walk.’
‘Lloyd’s gone out then?’ Charlotte said, helping herself to more toast. ‘I think it’s a bit cold myself but my bones are old bones.’
‘Nonsense!’ Llinos refilled her cup with tea. ‘A walk will do Lloyd good, he’s indoors too much. Anyway, I suppose Eira finds it educational to show him the old buildings in the town.’
‘She’s a very careful girl, I’ll give her that,’ Charlotte said.
‘Or else she’s got a sweetheart,’ Llinos said. ‘I think the visit to the park later is not to feed the ducks but to meet up with a young man.’
The door opened and Watt peered round it anxiously. ‘Am I too late to share some of that gorgeous smelling bacon?’
Llinos smiled. ‘You’re quite safe, we haven’t eaten it all.’
He sat beside her and frowned in concern. ‘You’re looking a bit pale, Llinos, are you all right?’
‘I’m fine, don’t worry about me.’ The truth was she felt tired this morning. No, not tired, worried sick about Joe. She longed for him to be back home with her. Until she had him safely in her arms she could not be sure she would ever see him again.
‘More to the point, what’s wrong with you, Watt?’ She could read him like a book and recognized the line between his brows.
‘I think you’d better stop Eira taking Lloyd out for walks, at least for a while.’ He took a large helping of bacon and eggs; his worry, whatever it was, did not seem to put him off his food.
‘Why?’
‘You know the people who used to work for Eira’s father, well the little girl has caught the whooping cough and it can be dangerous, especially to young children.’
Llinos felt a sharp pang of fear; Eira had been taking goodies to the family on a regular basis and she obviously intended to go visiting the family today.
‘Whooping cough! Are you sure, Watt?’ Llinos tried to swallow the dryness that was in her throat. She glanced at the
Binnie doubted John would ever love anyone except himself but at the moment he needed to be discreet, just until he had thought the matter through. Damn John Pendennis! He was trouble for anyone he came in contact with. Binnie pitied the woman John was supposed to love.
The two men continued the journey in silence. Binnie felt he was stuck in a cleft stick: he would have to lie for John because the alternative was too dreadful to think about.
‘All right,’ he said, though the words almost stuck in his throat. ‘I’ll cover up for you but I’m warning you, don’t push me too far.’
‘Or what?’ John smiled. ‘You’ve got no choice in the matter, Binnie my man, you are really and truly in the mire!’
In that moment, Binnie Dundee knew what it was like to want to kill with his bare hands. Instead, he glanced at John. ‘I suppose there’s no harm in you having yet another affair, it will all fizzle out in time.’
‘No it won’t,’ John said. ‘The other woman is Melia, Josephine’s sister.’
Binnie looked at him aghast. ‘Are you mad?’
John did not reply. Binnie frowned. Why on earth would John begin an affair with Melia? He could have married her in the first place if he had wished. But it was nothing to do with him; he had better keep out of it. The less he knew about the affair the better.
All the same, there was a bitter taste in his mouth. His future happiness, the life he treasured with Hortense and his sons could all be ended by one word from John Pendennis. The thought was like the knell of doom and Binnie turned his face away from John, ashamed of the tears that were blinding his eyes.
CHAPTER FOUR
Llinos was missing Joe so badly that she felt she would die of a broken heart if he did not come home soon. She was sitting in the dining room having a late breakfast with Charlotte and attempting to make bright conversation.
‘It’s a bit warmer today,’ Llinos said. ‘I think Lloyd will enjoy his walk.’
‘Lloyd’s gone out then?’ Charlotte said, helping herself to more toast. ‘I think it’s a bit cold myself but my bones are old bones.’
‘Nonsense!’ Llinos refilled her cup with tea. ‘A walk will do Lloyd good, he’s indoors too much. Anyway, I suppose Eira finds it educational to show him the old buildings in the town.’
‘She’s a very careful girl, I’ll give her that,’ Charlotte said.
‘Or else she’s got a sweetheart,’ Llinos said. ‘I think the visit to the park later is not to feed the ducks but to meet up with a young man.’
The door opened and Watt peered round it anxiously. ‘Am I too late to share some of that gorgeous smelling bacon?’
Llinos smiled. ‘You’re quite safe, we haven’t eaten it all.’
He sat beside her and frowned in concern. ‘You’re looking a bit pale, Llinos, are you all right?’
‘I’m fine, don’t worry about me.’ The truth was she felt tired this morning. No, not tired, worried sick about Joe. She longed for him to be back home with her. Until she had him safely in her arms she could not be sure she would ever see him again.
‘More to the point, what’s wrong with you, Watt?’ She could read him like a book and recognized the line between his brows.
‘I think you’d better stop Eira taking Lloyd out for walks, at least for a while.’ He took a large helping of bacon and eggs; his worry, whatever it was, did not seem to put him off his food.
‘Why?’
‘You know the people who used to work for Eira’s father, well the little girl has caught the whooping cough and it can be dangerous, especially to young children.’
Llinos felt a sharp pang of fear; Eira had been taking goodies to the family on a regular basis and she obviously intended to go visiting the family today.
‘Whooping cough! Are you sure, Watt?’ Llinos tried to swallow the dryness that was in her throat. She glanced at the
Similar Books
