Deceit of Angels (9 page)

There was so
much to do the following week after Kiera’s death that Anna could hardly
remember what happened from one hour to the next.  Jason spent the next few
days at Kiera’s apartment, helping her parents sort out the furniture and
private effects.  Kiera had requested that most of her jewellery be returned to
Jason, since they had been his gifts and it was one morning, shortly after
Jason had completed all the arrangements for Kiera’s funeral, he came into the
office and went straight to Anna.  He placed a box on top of her desk.  Anna
picked it up and stared at it. It was a square shaped jewel box, with a plush
pale blue covering.  It had the name
Tiffany & Co
embossed on the
front.

“What’s
this?” she asked in surprise.

“Why
don’t you open it and see.”  She did so and let out a gasp of delight. Inside
was a gold bracelet of small diamonds and sapphires.  “It’s for you.  Kiera
wanted you to have it,” he said, watching her lift it out of the box and hold
it up to the light, so that it sparkled in the rays from the sun.  She knew it
was very expensive, the name on the box told her that.

“But
I don’t understand why,” she said puzzled.

“I’m
guessing they’re a ‘thank you’ for being a friend.”

“I
was hardly that, Jason!  We talked together and I visited her in the hospital. 
I can’t accept something as expensive as this!  Besides, didn’t you say you’d
bought Kiera most of her jewellery?”

Jason
nodded.  “Yes, that was my wedding present to her.”

Anna
couldn’t hide her horror.  “Then I can’t possibly take it!  What will Ben and
Mrs Wilby say?”

“Does
it matter what they say?  Kiera wanted you to have it and I’m OK with that.”

Anna
shook her head.  “But...!”

He didn’t let
her get any further, but took the bracelet from her and clasped it round her
wrist.

“Take
it, Anna, I want you to wear it.  It seems so right for you.”

She
couldn’t answer; her thoughts were so confused. He smiled at her bewilderment
and continued holding her hand. Suddenly he raised it to his lips and softly
kissed her fingers.  It was the first intimate contact they had had and the
gesture made her heart jump into her throat.  She knew that Kiera had a good
reason for wanting her to have Jason’s wedding present.

The days leading
up to the funeral proved a very difficult time for Anna.  She thought of her
sons constantly, pinning their postcard from Ibiza next to the one from
Romania.  Their photo, in a wooden frame, stood on her desk and Anna would
often stop working to stare at it.  It was her favourite one showing them with
their arms round each other and sporting cheeky grins.  Martyn, with his dark
hair and hazel eyes looking so like his father, while Chris, blond and
blue-eyed, took after her.

She
missed them terribly and sought refuge in keeping her promise to Kiera and
helping Jason with Hollie, even taking the little girl to the florist and
allowing her to choose the flowers.  

Hollie had had
her bath and was sitting at the dressing table in her room while Anna brushed
her hair.

“What
will it be like tomorrow?” the little girl asked seriously.

“How
do you mean?”

“Is
it going to be very scary saying goodbye to Mummy?”

Anna
stopped her brushing and put her arms round her.  “No, it won’t be scary. 
You’ve worked very hard to make it a special day.  The flowers will be lovely.”

“But
Mummy will be in a coffin and people will be crying.”

“Yes,
people will cry because that’s what happens at a funeral, but they’re crying
because they love the person who’s died and it’s a way of showing that love. 
And yes, I know your mummy will be in a coffin but that’s only her body.  Her
soul has gone to heaven.  She’s happy now and she isn’t sick any more.”

“But
I miss her.”

Anna
hugged her closer.  “I know you do.”  She paused, remembering.  “You know,
Hollie, my daddy died when I was just a bit older than you.  I was twelve and I
missed him so much.”

“Was
he very sick too?”

“No,
he died in a car accident.  It all happened very suddenly.  My mum and my
little sister and me were left on our own.  It was very difficult to be without
him but we managed and we never, never stopped thinking about him or loving
him.”

“Even
though he wasn’t there any more?”

“Oh,
Hollie.  You never stop thinking of someone just because you can’t see them any
more.  They’re here.”  She put her hand over the little girl’s heart.  “And
that means they’re always with you every single day of your life.”

“And
I can look at her photo,” she said, pointing to the silver frame on her bedside
table.

“Of
course you can.”  Anna kissed the top of her head.

Jason
suddenly appeared.  “Are you ready for a story?”

Hollie
jumped into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.  “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

“So,
what story do you want,” he asked, walking over to the bookshelf.

“
The
Selfish Giant
,” yelled Hollie.

Jason
gave a groan.  “Oh, not again!  I’ve read it hundreds of times!”  Anna kissed
Hollie good night and made for the door.  As she past Jason, he gave her a
grimace.  “Oscar Wilde has a lot to answer for.”

Anna
settled down for the evening, curled up on the couch, reading a magazine. 
Jason came into the room and took a seat next to her.

“Thank
you for talking to Hollie about tomorrow.  I really appreciate it.”

Anna
gave him a bright smile.  “She told you about it?”

“No,
I was listening outside the door,” he admitted with a grin.

“You
were eavesdropping!”  She hit him playfully with the magazine.

He
blew out a breath.  “Couldn’t help it really.  I was just coming to her room
and I heard you talking and I just had to stop and listen.”

“Well,
it’s a good job we weren’t talking about you!  You might have heard something
you didn’t want to hear.”

He
gave her a sidelong glance.  “That’s true, but it would have served me right.” 
He paused slightly before adding, “I’m sorry about your father.  I didn’t know
he’d died.  I assumed your parents were divorced.”

“Why
should you have known?  I never told you, because I didn’t think you’d be
interested.”

“I’m
very interested in your life.” He tilted his head to one side.  “You never talk
about your husband.  What did he do for a living?  I mean, before he fell ill.”

Anna
swallowed hard.  “He was a structural engineer.”  She tried to go back to her
magazine, but knew his eyes were still on her and although she tried not to
meet his gaze, she found she was compelled to look up once more.  He was
smiling. 

“I
know how it feels to have your heart broken.  I don’t blame you for not wanting
to talk about him.” 

She
was alarmed to recognise something in his gentle tone, his soft expression that
made her think that he knew the truth about her.  But how could he?  She
absorbed herself in her magazine, convinced that she had imagined it; he was
making polite conversation that was all.      

The day of the
funeral dawned and it seemed the weather was going to be kind.  Throughout the
next few hours, Hollie positioned herself between her father and Anna, holding
their hands firmly.  Her courage astonished Anna and it was only when the
curtain finally swished round the casket that Hollie needed a gentle hug from
her father.  

While
they were standing outside the crematorium, Anna noticed an elegant woman,
sporting a large hat and sunglasses.  She wondered if she was a relative or
perhaps, a family friend.  Whoever she was, Jason would probably introduce her
when they all went back to the house.  Then Anna remembered Kiera’s lover,
Peter, and guessed he must be somewhere about.  Surely he would want to attend
the funeral, even if the situation might be a little awkward between him and
Jason.

The
wake afterwards was pleasant and Anna helped Hollie to pass round the plates of
food.  Again, Anna searched for the woman she had seen outside the crematorium,
but she obviously had not wanted to come to the house.  Also, there didn’t seem
to be any sign of the mysterious Peter.  She sighed despondently.  Poor Kiera,
after everything she had been through, he couldn’t even be there for her. 
Thank goodness she had had Jason at the end.

A few days
later, Jason collected Kiera’s ashes.  It was nearing the end of August and
Jason had made arrangements with his daughter’s headmistress that she should
accompany her grandparents back to Vancouver and spend a few weeks with them.

It
was a cloudy day as they made their way up the hill to where they had spent the
picnic.  Since it was Hollie’s favourite place, it had been decided that that
was where they would scatter the ashes.  Anna, Mrs Wilby and Ben walked with
Jason, while Hollie and her grandparents went on ahead.  And it was these three
only that took part in the actual act of finally laying Kiera to rest.  Even Jason
stood back, knowing that this was a very private moment. 

They
looked on from a distance as her grandparents took Hollie to the brow of the
hill and kneeling down they allowed her to lift the lid off the small silver
urn and then helped her shake the ashes into the wind.  Everyone watched as the
grey flakes drifted and danced in the light breeze to join the elements and
return at last to the earth.

“Goodbye,
Mummy,” whispered Hollie.  “I hope you like living in heaven.”

Anna
was standing next to Jason and she felt him suddenly tense.  She glanced at him
and noticed the muscles in his jaw tighten and realised that this was the
hardest part for him.  She knew it wasn’t sorrow for Kiera, but for his little
daughter who now was without her mother.  What made Anna do the next action she
couldn’t imagine, but suddenly she slipped her hand into his and was surprised
when he responded by clenching it tightly as if he never meant to let it go.

Two days later,
Jason drove Hollie and her grandparents to Heathrow to board the flight for the
long journey to Vancouver.  After they had left, Anna joined Mrs Wilby in the
kitchen.

“Well,
I suppose that’s that,” said the housekeeper taking a sip of her tea.

“It
went well and I thought Hollie was so brave,” said Anna.

“Yes,
such a determined little soul.  But now we have to think of the future,” said
Mrs Wilby.  “We’re going to the Grange soon for Mrs Harrington’s belated
birthday celebrations.  So, we must go into Bristol and buy you a lovely
evening dress for the party.”  All the conversation since the funeral had been
about the delayed visit to Jason’s boyhood home. 

The
telephone started ringing in the office and Anna stood to answer it.  Yes, she
thought grimly, it was time to tell Jason about her husband and the dreadful
state of her marriage.  But how she would explain everything she couldn’t
imagine.

CHAPTER
FIVE

A
few
days after Hollie had left for Canada, they all piled into the Volvo Estate and
set off for the Grange.  Ben drove and it was hoped that the journey would be
trouble free.  They travelled first through heavy city traffic and then into
the countryside.  It was going to be a hot day and as they drove along Anna
insisted on winding down the windows even though Ben complained that that
wasn’t necessary since the car’s air conditioning was in good working order. 
Anna would have none of it.  She didn’t want to be closed in on such a
beautiful day and wanted to feel the breeze in her face.  Her excitement at
spending time at Jason’s childhood home had made her feel carefree and
contented as a small child and she had decided to enjoy herself.

The
journey took longer than expected, as they were forced to stop while a farmer
and his herdsman rounded up about a dozen cows that had escaped from the field
and had wandered onto the road.  The cows seemed to want to go anywhere but
back to the meadow, the antics of the two men causing a great deal of amusement
for the people waiting patiently in the car.  Until one beast attempted to push
its head through Anna’s window causing her to squeal. 

Finally,
they reached the gates that stood tall and proud at the end of the drive and
Jason jumped out to swing them open.  As the car passed through, Anna’s mouth
nearly fell open in surprise.  She had assumed that Jason’s childhood home was
just a large house called the Grange, but it was obvious that it was much, much
more.  She noticed the wonderfully entwined leaves in the elaborate ironwork of
the gate and then the drive up to the house.  Closing the gates after them, Jason
got back in the car and they drove up the drive and into the forecourt at the
front of the house.

It
was an impressive building, in the style of an Elizabethan manor with ivy
growing along the walls.  But the most wonderful adornment was the boxes and baskets
filled to capacity with lobelia, geranium and chrysanthemums.  The main
entrance was set back in a substantial porch-like structure, above it three
more storeys, with windows of small panes of glass.  But to the left and right
of the main door the building extended a good hundred metres in each direction
as three storeys, until finally becoming four storeys again at each end.  Anna
smiled as she surveyed its expanse and wondered if it had changed much since it
had been built.  Somehow she felt very little had been done to the external
structure except for the necessary repairs and maintenance.