CHAPTER EIGHT

It was almost closing time when Rachael made her way out on to the street, laden with parcels and boxes she realised she should have had sent, but the car wasn't too far away in the city parking lot. The late edition of the newspapers had hit the stands and her eyes automatically ran down the red printed poster of the STOP PRESS.

CITY DRAMA

YOUTH GOES BERSERK

LEADING BARRISTER KNIFED

She knew, as she struggled frantically for some small change, that it was Nick. Nothing else could account for the icy feeling around her heart. She was sick to the point of fainting. There were no pictures, only a brief account. The incident had taken place outside the Courts. It was established that the premeditated and vicious attack had not been directed at Mr Dominic Retford, Q. C. as first thought, but Inspector George Lennox who had been walking with him. It was understood the youth had recently been detained in a psychiatric hospital, and witnesses confirmed from the youth's frenzied shouting that he had intended serious bodily harm to the Inspector. Mr Retford's alertness and presentiment of danger had averted a possible tragedy. Inspector Lennox had been shaken by the incident but not harmed. Mr Retford had been treated at St Vincent's Hospital for slashes to his right arm and shoulder from a flick knife and allowed to go home. His injuries had been sustained while overpowering the youth, who had been taken into custody and who would appear in the Magistrates' Court in the morning.

Rachael stood in the busy street, all her plans toppling around her. To her dismay she felt like bursting into tears. She couldn't stand it until she saw Nick herself. Jon, so close to his father, would be frightened and shocked. She would have to hurry back to him. Her feelings for Nick went too deep to worry about whether they were on speaking terms or not. She was far too frantic. It was almost as if his assailant had slashed at her, cutting her arm and her dress.

She ran to the car park, her heart pounding, her pallor pronounced. This could have been murder and it frightened her. There she had been for most of the day trying to buy warm clothing in the middle of summer, now this! It shocked and scared her. Jon would need her. He was a small boy, after all, even though he was a gallant little fellow. Mrs Stevenson would be there to comfort him, but they all knew Rachael and Jon were special friends and they saw one another every day. It was useless for her to tell herself Nick mightn't want to see her. She had to see him, otherwise she would have no peace at all.

Once in the car, Rachael struggled to get complete control of herself. The traffic was heavy. It was no time to let her mind wander. Once on the highway she put her foot down, reaching the limit. The sunlight bounced off the hood of the Mercedes. Behind her tightly controlled face was turmoil. She kept seeing Nick in danger. His image blotted out everything. She had seldom covered the distance in such a short time. She swung through the gates and continued on up the winding drive to the main house, parking the car near the tall banks of hydrangeas. Blue like Nick's eyes.

She stood still for a moment, staring up at the open front door, then she ran up the short flight of steps, for once blind to the beauty of the house. Nick took precedence over everything in her mind. Jon flew for. her like a small wild creature, burying his head in her skirt.

'Darling! ' Her heart twisted in her. Was the danger more real than she thought? Her own voice seemed to be coming from a distance. She looked down at the child, smoothing his hair with her hand. 'Where's Daddy? '

Jon's voice rose shrilly. 'He's been stabbed! Someone tried to kill him. '

'No, no, ' she said in distress. 'He's all right. '

'It isn't a secret, Rachael, it's in all the papers. '

'Miss Ross! ' Mrs Stevenson stood in the doorway.

'Where's Mr Retford? ' demanded Rachael.

'He's coming home. He's all right. I've tried to tell Jon, but one of his little friends got the story all wrong. '

'There! ' Rachael said to the child. 'Does that convince you? '

'Nothing will convince me until I see Dad, ' Jon answered, quite obviously frightened. 'Stay with me, Rachael. '

'Of course I will. '

'Does my grandmother know? ' Rachael turned her head to speak to Nick's housekeeper.

'Yes. She rang the house. She was very upset. Naturally I rang back immediately Mr Retford contacted me himself. He sounded just the same. '

'Let's sit on the front steps, Rachael, and wait. I feel sick, ' said Jon.

'Listen, darling, Daddy was very brave. He saved the other man's life and he rang to let you know he was safe and sound. '

'I just want him to come home, ' Jon said doggedly. 'I wouldn't know what to do without him. '

'Neither would I. '

'You mean you care about him like 1 do? ' Jon asked with no surprise.

'Of course I do. ' Rachael's topaz eyes sparkled with tears and she blinked them away. 'Here, sit beside me. Daddy's perfectly safe and soon he'll be coming home to you. '

She called back to Mrs Stevenson. 'Would you mind ringing the Lodge, Mrs Stevenson? Tell my grandmother I'm waiting up here with Jon. '

'I'll do that for you, Miss Ross. It's very kind of you to come up, ' Mrs Stevenson said gratefully. 'It's the first time I haven't been able to do a thing with Jon. He's been obsessed with the idea his father had been seriously injured. I felt sick with fright myself until I heard his calm voice. '

When Nick got home fifteen minutes later, he saw Rachael sitting with his son, both of them so pale and fragile, each with a comforting arm around the other.

For a moment they seemed to him two children who had been brutally shocked, but at the first sight of him standing quite steadily outside the car their faces broke into expressions of blessed relief. Rachael stood up and Jon raced like a hare down the marble steps.

'Dad, you're all right! '

'Large as life. ' Nick hugged his son, across the intervening space meeting Rachael's golden gaze. Her pride fell into dust. She even managed to laugh.

'Oh, Nick, what a bad time you've given us! '

He reached her, his arm wound around Jon, touching her cheek, his blue eyes filled with the most profound tenderness, whether for his son or her or both of them she didn't know. 'I suppose you read the story in the papers? '

'Yes. I was in town. Jon heard it at his friend's place. '

'That was bad. I might have known you'd rush to comfort him. '

Mrs Stevenson came to the top of the steps and he smiled at her. 'All in one piece, Stevie! '

'Oh, Mr Retford! ' She was obviously trying not to cry.

'I'll change my shirt, if you don't mind. '

'I'll lay one out for you. ' She bustled away, anxious to do something. He was still wearing his jacket and she could imagine what state his pale blue shirt was in. Jon and Miss Rachael were clinging to him like two children so recently desolate they still couldn't get their colour back.

Nick looked down at the girl beside him. 'I've never seen you so pale. You look like a beautiful waif. '

'Rachael loves you just as much as I do! ' Jon said with the unthinking ardour of a child. 'We were worrying frightfully. '

'Do you, Rachael? '

She looked back at him, gone beyond all pretending. 'Yes, I do. Try living with that one, Nick Retford! '

'Then how are you going to account for taking that world trip? '

'I thought you wanted me to go? '

He shrugged his injured shoulder. 'Let's go inside so you two can sit quietly. I've never seen such a pair of white faces. I'll have a quick shower and change my clothes—I've got the hospital all over me. '

'Can I come with you, Dad? '

'No, you stay here and keep Rachael company. You'll stay for dinner, won't you, Rachael? We'll have it early. One way or the other I missed out on lunch. '

'You will, won't you, Rachael? ' Jon asked, visibly brightening.

'Yes, of course I will. Let's go and ring Gran. You can speak to her and tell her your father is safely home again. She'll be pleased. '

Nick smiled at them and gave them a solemn bow; then he walked up the stairway, leaving them with a rage of love and relief in their hearts.

The whole evening the three of them spent together, but Rachael could only guess at Nick's thoughts. She went up with Jon when it was time for bed and rearranged his pillows, then she bent and kissed his wide forehead.

'Sleep well, young man. '

'Isn't it funny, I'm tired out. 'Night, Rachael, and thanks for caring about Dad. '

Rachael laughed. 'You know perfectly well you can include yourself, but remember your father has lots of ardent admirers. I'm just Rachael, not old enough to be wise! '

'Don't give up! ' Jon opened his eyes to say surprisingly.

Downstairs again Rachael felt bothered by extreme shyness. She had given her heart away, but she couldn't brood about it. She had experienced a great deal that day. The fact was she had loved Nick right from the beginning and hadn't known it. She entered the living-room quietly, but Nick wasn't there. She moved outside on to the terrace where the breeze carried the scent of the flowers. Then she saw him. He was leaning against the balustrade, his head turned towards her.

'What are you doing? ' she asked.

'Waiting for you. '

A flame of wonder overcame her. His blue eyes seemed to be offering her ecstasy. She made a funny little articulate sound and ran towards him, encircling his tall frame with her two arms, trying to avoid his bandaged arm and shoulder. 'Just being with you is a pleasure beyond enduring, ' she said, and laid her head against his chest. 'I'm not hurting you, am I? '

'Don't be silly. You couldn't hurt me this way. Rachael? ' He grasped a handful of her hair and tipped her head back, searching her eyes. 'There's only one thing that might get me down. You're not going on this trip, are you? '

'Possibly. '

'I won't let you, though I know I'm being damned selfish! By the way, I am not going to marry Vanessa, as you seem to have been spreading around. '

'Not me, Mr Retford, though I thought she'd make you an ideal wife. '

'Haven't you noticed I happen to love someone quite different? Very different, in fact! '

'Is it me after all? '

'Brilliant, the way you express yourself. Yes, it's you, Rachael. Before all. '

'Are you sure you're not looking for the right stepmother for Jon? '

'I'm thinking of myself. As it happens Jon will benefit as well. '

'Then why have you been giving me all these headaches? '

'Forgive me. ' He looked down into her eyes, challenging her a little. 'Perhaps I thought you should suffer a bit! '

'You brute! '

'Close your eyes. Sometimes I think you're the only woman I've ever known. '

'How do you know I'm not marrying you for the Swan? ' she whispered.

'I'm much too clever for you. Besides, I haven't asked you yet. '

'Ask me now. '

'Marry me, Rachael, ' he said in a voice she had never quite heard from him before. 'Nothing less will satisfy me and it has to be soon. '

'I think it would be the best thing, ' she murmured, looking so beautiful and vital that he had to restrain himself from picking her up there and then and making her part of him. Instead he took her glowing face into his finely shaped hands and lowered his head.

'I pledge you anything you want! '

'Just kiss me. I don't want one empty space left in me for doubt! '

Inside, the phone had to ring insistently to part them.

Rachael drew back, smoothing her tumbled hair. 'You'd better answer it! ' she stammered softly, still disorientated from the touch of his mouth.

'No, you, ' he smiled at her. 'It's your house as well as mine. '

There was a little silence between them and she looked at him, loving him. 'Absurd I ever fought you. '

'Yes. Now you're bound to me with a thousand chains. '

'It's all I want! '

She turned and ran into the house to answer her grandmother. Miracles did happen at Swans' Reach, and her grandmother didn't even catch her breath.

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