The Vow (14 page)

‘
Can I take a rain check on that, Dad? What with my work here and Marcus, there’s not a lot of time left,’ Lucy replied.

‘
Fair enough. Talking about Marcus, Sarah tells me there’s a knighthood in the offing and that gossip columnist has been giving you a hard time.’

‘
Mmm, horrible man, but there’s not much I can do about it.’ She changed the subject, ‘Not long now to the wedding, are the arrangements going okay?’

Kit smiled.
‘Oh yes, you know how organised Sarah is, she’s got lists all over the place and seems to have everything under control. She’s taking next week off work so she’ll have plenty of time for any last minute hitches.’

‘
Are you looking forward to it?’ Lucy asked.

‘
Yes, the wedding and being married again. I like being married. I’m just not very good at it.’

‘
Perhaps you don’t try hard enough,’ Lucy suggested dryly.

‘
Well, I shall try very hard this time. Four wives are enough for any man!’

‘
Marcus and I have bought you a splendid wedding present,’ she told him excitedly, then corrected herself. ‘To be accurate, Marcus suggested it, I chose it and he paid for it.’

Laughing, Kit said,
‘That sounds like a good way of doing things. If you’re going to be pilloried in the press you may as well be having some fun at the same time.’

‘
That’s pretty much what Marcus says too,’ agreed Lucy. Then looking more serious she went on, ‘You will try to like him, won’t you, Dad?’

‘
If you like him then I’m sure I will too. Why wouldn’t I?’ He looked at her enquiringly.

‘
I thought you might have a problem with him being rich and old.’

Catching the look on her father’s face she quickly said,
‘Older, I meant to say.’

‘
Lucy, I’ve never found being rich a reason not to like someone, and remember, I was nearly twenty years older than Ellen when we married. And before you say anything, I know it didn’t work out but that had nothing to do with the age gap. I can promise you that I will meet Marcus with a completely open mind.’

Lucy sighed.
‘I’d like to think that everyone will but somehow I doubt it.’

‘
Do you mean your mother, has she been on at you about it?’ he asked.

‘
Yes and no. She’s been quite restrained for her, but I can tell she has reservations. And there’s Catherine.’

Kit raised his eyebrows.
‘Catherine? What’s she been saying?’

‘
Oh if you listened to her you’d believe Marcus was the devil’s disciple. She reckons he’s got where he is by bribing and blackmailing his way there.’

‘
Does she now? Well, as I always understood it big business is a bit like that, people use anything they can to give them an edge and keep them ahead of the game. I don’t think it’s a world for the faint-hearted,’ said Kit at the same time thinking he would have to give Catherine a call to see what this was all about.

Lucy was looking much happier.

‘That’s just what I think.’

As he got up to leave Kit told her,
‘I like your hair like that.’

He gave the long shiny plait a gentle tug.

‘Makes me think of your mother when she was young. It’ll be good to see her again, it’s been a while. We talk often of course, mainly so she can lecture me on my life of dissipation. Such a joy!’

~

Ellen rang on her return from Paris, but only to say she was flying out again almost immediately for a photo shoot in Barcelona. Lucy wouldn’t now get to see her before the wedding and she was disappointed. There were things she wanted to talk over with Ellen who always seemed to understand her concerns and be able to put them into perspective.

‘
Will you bringing Angelo?’ she asked.

‘
No, darling, that’s all over. He really was cramping my style. I shall be alone, perhaps there will be someone interesting amongst the guests,’ Ellen told her, adding teasingly, ‘Maybe I’ll make a play for your Marcus!’

‘
Why not?’ Lucy sounded weary. ‘I’m sure you’re much better equipped to deal with a rich and powerful man than I am.’

‘
Don’t be silly, Lucy,’ said Ellen lightly. ‘What’s wrong? Marcus isn’t being difficult is he?’

‘
No, he’s not the problem, it’s everyone else!’

‘
Well, you know what your trouble is Lucy, you take far too much notice of what other people say.’

Lucy suddenly remembered her promise to herself that she would start living her own life and in the way she wanted. Ellen was right as usual, she had to start making her own way.

~

‘
Hi there, Kit. What can I do for you, changed your mind about Sarah and want to marry me again?’ Catherine’s husky forty a day voice came down the line.

Kit laughed.
‘I may be getting older, Catherine, but I haven’t yet gone insane.’

‘
Charming!’ she replied, but without rancour.

‘
It’s sort of about the wedding that I wanted to talk to you. I think Lucy is a bit worried about the reception you might give Marcus. I understand you’ve had some strong things to say about him.’

‘
Kit, it’s your wedding, a social occasion, I shall be charm itself,’ she assured him, and then added, ‘Even if he is a dangerous bastard.’

‘
Do you want to fill me in?’

‘
Kit, Marcus Delacroix is ruthless, manipulating and without mercy. We’ve being picking up whispers about exactly how he does business for some time now; threats, blackmail, ruining people’s reputations, he has quite a repertoire. Obviously I can’t tell you the details but I’ve recently been told of a woman official whose life he has just about ruined to keep himself out of the shit. Believe me you’d be horrified if you heard the story.’

‘
And you’ve told Lucy all this?’

‘
Not quite like I’ve just told you, but I have warned her, yes. She wouldn’t have it though, said all powerful men have enemies who will spread lies about them and told me I didn’t have any proof.’

‘
And do you?’

‘
Oh come on, Kit, you know how it goes. You don’t keep hearing this sort of thing without there being some truth to it. The poor sods he’s leant on are too frightened to speak out publicly, he still has stuff on them or they themselves can’t prove what he’s done. He’s good at covering his tracks. He’s powerful and influential, it would take a lot to bring him down.’

‘
Are you thinking of trying?’

Catherine gave a short laugh.
‘No, I’m not. My days of one-woman crusades are over and anyway it’s not within the remit of this magazine. My publishers would just love it if I got them slapped with a huge lawsuit! No, I’m just worried about Lucy. He’s not the sort of man I like to think of her with.’

There was a short silence before Kit said,
‘Well, we don’t know that this sort of behaviour tips over into his private life but we do know Lucy. Give it a few weeks or months and she’ll probably have found someone new.’

‘
Let’s hope so.’

‘
Catherine, I’d rather you didn’t mention any of this to Amelia. You can just imagine her response. She’ll keep on and on at Lucy who will dig her heels in even harder and it will just prolong the whole thing.’

‘
Yes, I think you’re right. We’ll just have to bide our time. Still, I’m looking forward to the wedding. Try not to be late, as I seem to remember you were for ours. And Kit, I do wish you all the best. I hope you’ll both be very happy.’

~

Friday morning another of Marcus’s friends, this one much more welcome, dropped in to see Lucy. Diana, the plump little wife of the minister, arrived looking hot and bothered.

She collapsed into a chair and said with a big smile,
‘Hello, Lucy dear. Gosh, isn’t it hot? Shouldn’t complain of course but I do feel the heat rather. Ought to lose some weight, I suppose. Yes, a coffee would be lovely, thank you. How are you, missing Marcus I expect? I rather like it when Richard has to go away; gives me the chance to catch up with things and have some time to myself. But then, we’ve been married twenty-five years, we’re not a couple of lovebirds like you two! Isn’t it wonderful news about the knighthood? The PM thinks so highly of Marcus, we all do of course. We saw him just before he went to the States and he seemed so happy. Richard and I said wasn’t it lovely for him, a knighthood and meeting you!’

Lucy smiled fondly at this kind friendly woman and thought how nice it would be if everyone thought the same. They sat chatting and it wasn’t until half an hour had passed that Diana remembered the reason for her visit.

‘It’s Richard’s sister’s birthday next week and I thought one of those darling little notepad holders you make would be perfect for her. Can you put her initials on it as well? And I’ve just bought a new suit for a big constituency bash later this month, the dress has rather a plain neck, needs something to jolly it up a bit.’

Not long after she had left, Spyder put his head around the door and asked in an awed tone,
‘Was that who I thought it was just leaving?’

‘
Diana Featherstone do you mean?’ Lucy asked.

‘
Yes, Richard Featherstone the Foreign Minister’s wife. I only saw her on the telly last night, going to some banquet with him. Well, you’re certainly putting us on the map, Lucy!’

~

Earlier in the week, Lucy had heard from a shop in Covent Garden that used to stock some of her designs on a sale or return basis. The manager had seen her photo in the paper and realising she must be back in London had contacted her with a view to re-establishing the arrangement. Lucy had to admit to herself that there obviously was some truth in the saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”. This, along with the recent spate of orders, meant her workload had increased substantially so she decided to work late that evening.

Around eight she
stopped to share a Chinese takeaway with Zoë who was still there too, working on a commissioned piece. They discussed in detail Zoë’s and Spyder’s first night out together which had included breakfast. No time wasting going on there! Lucy went back to do a couple more hours’ work before heading home.

It was just after eleven when she boarded the tube and took a seat by the window, facing the front of the train. The carriage was more than half full, but over the next two stops everyone else got off and no new passengers joined her. She found herself alone and when the door to the carriage ahead opened and three youths, seemingly the worse for drink, burst in noisily she immediately felt threatened. She shrank down into her chair trying to become invisible but the youths were obviously looking for a bit of sport.

‘Hello, darlin,’ the tallest one said to her. ‘You’re pretty, can I come and sit with you?’

Lucy said nothing.

One of his mates, with lank hair and bad skin, chimed in, ‘I reckon she’s shy Karl, give ’er a kiss.’

The third one, small, skinny and with a baseball cap on back to front, giggled drunkenly and agreed,
‘Yeah, Karl, give her a good snog!’

Together they advanced towards her and Lucy was close to panicking then suddenly she realised they were no longer looking at her but over her head into the space behind her. Then she heard the deep voice she was coming to know well.

‘I hope you are not bothering this lady.’

The three backed away in unison. The one called Karl put his hands up and muttered,
‘No, mate, just a bit of fun.’

They scrambled through the door, pushing and shoving one another in their eagerness to get away from the huge intimidating black man, and disappeared back up the train.

Standing up, Lucy turned around to face her rescuer and said, ‘Hello Saule, where did you spring from?’

‘
I was in the next carriage back. I could see what was going on through the window in the connecting door. Are you okay, Miss Weston?’

‘
Lucy. Yes, I’m fine and thanks, you have a habit of turning up just when you’re needed.’

Saule smiled but said nothing. They both sat down and Lucy asked,
‘Have you been out for the evening?’

‘
I’ve been visiting friends,’ he told her. ‘And you?’

‘
Working late.’

One of them had more reason to believe the other.

~

Lucy worked all day Saturday but returned home early evening not much fancying the Underground late at night again. She joined Amy and Alex for a drink at the pub down the road and had an early night. Sunday was spent catching up on washing and ironing plus some sunbathing. She hadn’t heard from Marcus again and didn’t really expected to but Monday morning she answered her mobile to hear a pleasant female voice say,