Deceit of Angels (52 page)

Dave
frowned.  “What’s all this!  What kind of game are you playing now?”

“No
game, I’m deadly serious.  He’s all yours so you don’t have to bother applying
for access.  I’m not going to fight you any more.  You can have all his
things.  I’ve started feeding him myself, so you’ll have to buy bottles and
milk from a supermarket.”

Jason
groaned as if in pain.  “Oh God, someone please tell me this isn’t happening.”

Margaret
held him by the wrist.  “Wait,” she whispered.

Dave
and Anna stared at one another and suddenly strength surged through Anna’s body
like an electric charge.  Fate had brought her this far and for good or ill she
had to let fate decide the next step.  She had to have faith and finish this
once and for all.

Suddenly,
the baby opened his eyes and Dave’s expression changed to one of complete
surprise as he stared down at the child in his arms.  For Anna, an eternity
seemed to pass.

And
then her ex-husband gave a lopsided grin.  “There’s no doubt who fathered him. 
I don’t think a DNA test is necessary.”  He crossed the floor and placed the
baby in his mother’s arms and then took a step back, studying her.  “Pam would
be livid if I brought home a new baby for her to care for,” he said, laughing
with amusement. 

Jason’s
expression showed utter contempt. 

John
appeared from the kitchen stairs followed by a figure that was red-faced and
panting painfully.

The flustered
farmer gasped for air.  “Oh, I’m sorry, sir.  I really am.  I had no idea!”

“Is
everything OK, Mrs Harrington?” asked John, as he scrutinised everyone standing
in the hall.

Margaret
stepped forward.  “Yes, John.  Everything is fine, but this gentleman needs to
be shown off the premises once more.”

John
clicked his tongue.  “You’re like a bad penny, you are.”

Dave
could only smirk at the absurdity of the situation.  He turned to the farmer. 
“You couldn’t give me a lift to my car, could you?”

Mr
Durrant nodded.  “Aye, but no funny business.”

“And
I’ll go with you and make sure you leave this time,” said John.

The
three of them turned to descend the steps to the kitchen.

Jason
came to Anna’s side and put his arm round her shoulders.  “You’ve just taken
ten years off my life!”

“That
was an incredibly brave thing to do, to call his bluff,” said Margaret softly. 
“I doubt I would have had that kind of courage.”  She followed John, determined
to see their unwanted visitor gone from her property.

Fran
had remained close by, her hand over her mouth.  “Shall I take the clothes back
upstairs, miss?” 

Anna
nodded. 

Jason
picked up the Moses basket and they went into the parlour.  Anna lay the baby
down and carefully tucked a blanket round him.  She made herself comfortable on
the couch. 

Jason
sat beside her.   “What made you do that?  He might have taken him!”

Anna
smiled and shook her head.  “I knew that once he saw Thomas and how like you he
was, then he would change his mind.”

He
blinked hard at the horror of it all.  “Well, I hope he’s gone for good.”

“Oh,
I’m sure he has.  He’ll not bother us again.”  She paused slightly before
adding, “Please don’t ever tell the twins what happened at Christmas between
their dad and me.  Or what happened today.”

“Now,
this is a secret I understand.”

She
nodded.  “It’s bad enough that they know he was unfaithful to me, never mind
the other.  Despite the way he is, they love him and I don’t want to set them
against him.”

Jason
took her hand and kissed her fingers.  “You have a good heart.”  And then he
smiled mistily at the sleeping child.  “I can’t believe he’s finally here and
he’s really mine.”

She
put her arms round his neck.  “He’s ours.”

He
held her face between his hands and kissed her lips tenderly.

Suddenly
there was disruption in the hall as their visitors burst in.

“Where
is he?” yelled Hollie, dragging Martyn by the hand.  “Where’s our little
brother?”

THE
END

ALSO
BY JULIA BELL

A Pearl Comb for
a Lady

Songbird

Preview of
A
Pearl Comb for a Lady
:  

This
story is a romance through time.
Christabel
is
feisty with an
overactive imagination.  Aged 18 and living during the Battle of Waterloo, she
is in love with a soldier who only wants to use her to advance his military
career. 
Victoria
, 25, living in the mid-nineteenth century is sweet-
natured but haunted by the loss of her child.  Finally there is
Jenny
,
35, a 21st Century career woman who is unable to sacrifice her pride and
forgive the man she loves.

The
pearl comb weaves its way through the centuries as though trying to find its
true owner. And although these three women come into possession of the pearl
comb, only one will wear it at her wedding.

Preview of
Songbird:

Isabelle
Asquith
has
only one ambition in life and that is to become an opera singer.  To do this
she must attend The Royal Academy of Music in London and become classically
trained.  Isabelle is a widow and has a young son to support and the fees for
the academy are beyond her means as a music teacher.  Her only recourse is to
apply for the annual scholarship.

In
the summer of 1885 after losing the scholarship for a second time and eager to
earn more money, she decides to answer an advertisement.  This simple act and
the meeting of a mysterious man called ‘Karl’ will change her life forever. In
the coming years, Isabelle is destined to discover not only her true potential,
but also the lengths she is willing to go to realise her ambition.

******

A NOTE FROM THE
AUTHOR

Dear Reader,

Thank you so
much for choosing to read
Deceit of Angels
.  I love writing but having
my books read makes them come alive.  Until they are read, the characters are
only in my imagination and they need to live and be enjoyed.  So, I hope you
enjoy reading all my novels and you’re able to spare a little time in telling
me about it.

You can do this
via email or by leaving a review on Amazon and progress can be followed on
Twitter using @JuliaBellRF or via email on
[email protected]

Julia Bell