AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Then she saw David.
‘How could you bring a stranger into our home at a time like this?’ Her voice shook with injury and outrage. ‘You always did take after your father’s side of the family, Caitlin. Totally insensitive!’
‘I know you haven’t met David, Mum...David Hartley...but you do know I’ve been working for him and he offered to help.’
‘How can he help?’ her mother snapped. ‘No one can help. Your father is off hiding somewhere. I’ll find him. Have no doubt about that.’
‘We’ve been talking to Dad, Mum. Everything...’
‘Where is he?’
More carrots fell to the steady tempo of the deadly weapon.
‘Not far from here.’
A flurry of accelerated blows.
‘So, you’re not going to tell me. It’s a conspiracy, is it?’
‘Mum, I’m trying to sort this out. Find out what went wrong.’ Caitlin closed in on her mother. ‘Give me a hug.’
‘Watch the knife,’ David warned.
Eileen Ross threw David a glare of scornful contempt.
Caitlin managed to sidle into her mother’s embrace. ‘We all love you, Mum.’
A strangled cry of distress. ‘Don’t remind me of it, Caitlin. Your father is a rotter. That’s all the thanks I get for thirty years of devoted service!’
‘Dad doesn’t mean it.’
‘Of course he means it.’
‘If you forgive him this...uh...temporary lapse, everything will be all right.’
‘No, it won’t,’ he
r mother declared with determination.
‘Please calm down, Mum.’
Her mother did not calm down. Caitlin did manage to persuade her into stopping the carrot-cutting and sitting down. The three of them sat around the kitchen table in a semblance of togetherness, but that was all Caitlin managed. It didn’t matter what she said, or tried to say, her mother’s fury with her father remained unabated. Not even for the sake of appearances would she accept her husband back for the party. He had walked out. He was in the wrong. The wound to her feelings was so great she couldn’t—wouldn’t—see past it.
Caitlin was getting nowhere. She looked at David for inspiration. He raised an eyebrow. She lifted both hers, and her shoulders, as well. He seemed to take it as some kind of cue.
‘Caitlin, we need action,’ he stated decisively.
It wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
‘I think we should leave,’ he went on.
‘You’ve only just got here,’ Mrs Ross stated in surprise. ‘Why would you want to leave?’
‘Because you’re wasting Caitlin’s time. You’re wasting my time,’ he continued uncharitably. ‘Most of all because you’re wasting your own time, Mrs Ross,’ he said more significantly, his dark blue eyes simmering with more than impatience.
David rose from the chair on the other side of the kitchen table, strode around to Caitlin, took her hands in his and drew her to him. Caitlin was so depressed and depleted of energy that she limply allowed him to press her hands against his chest.
‘You’ve done your best, Caitlin,’ he assured her with throbbing conviction. ‘No one could have done more. I’m impressed.’
