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       I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest opportunity.

       Yours sincerely,

       Justin Lovatt, Attorney-at-Law

      Leonard knew the letter word for word, for hadn’t he read it umpteen times since receiving it? Tomorrow, he must make arrangements to travel.

      ‘What’s that you’re reading?’ Patricia’s voice shocked him, invading his thoughts.

      ‘Pat! Good God – I didn’t hear you come in.’ He swiftly folded the letter and slid it into his pocket. He hadn’t heard the taxi pull up in the driveway.

      Crossing the room, she slid her arm through his. ‘Is it something I should know about, darling?’

      He gave a nervous laugh. ‘Why would you think that?’

      ‘Because just now when I came in, you looked so worried, and as I’m soon to be your wife, I should know what is bothering you.’

      ‘Really?’ He tested her. ‘And if I were to tell you that I might have to make a difficult choice – a life-changing choice – what would you say to that?’

      ‘It would depend.’

      ‘Why’s that?’

      Growing flustered, she dislodged herself from his embrace. ‘Well, for all I know it might change my life, and I don’t know that I would be too keen on that.’

      ‘Not even if it meant you and I would be together? Isn’t that all that matters when a man and woman are in love?’

      Something in his manner, in the way he was looking at her, made her nervous. ‘No,’ she answered defensively. ‘Being in love isn’t all that matters. What matters is that we both should be happy.’

      ‘Yes,’ he agreed, although he felt her resistance and was unnerved. ‘But what if the choice I have to make is not really a choice at all, but something I feel obliged to do?’

      She considered that for a moment, then like a child who wasn’t sure of how to respond, she used her wiles and going to him, slid an arm round his waist. ‘I think you had best tell me what you were reading, just now,’ she wheedled.

      ‘I’d rather not, Patricia. It isn’t altogether settled, and it may not come to anything anyway.’

      ‘Hmh! You’re not about to do anything that would make me unhappy, are you, my darling?’ she pleaded prettily. ‘I mean, you will let me have my say in this choice of yours, won’t you?’

      Holding her at arm’s length, he answered wisely, ‘Of course you will have a say. But, like I said, there may not even be any choice to make. I won’t know that, until I return from America.’

      ‘America?’ At once she was all smiles, confident that she would be going with him. ‘I knew if I kept on at you long enough, you would take me away, but America!’ She laughed excitedly. ‘What an adventure that will be! When do we leave?’

      Seeing her pleasure, Leonard was half-tempted to take her with him. He thought that if she saw the vast and beautiful land outside Charlestown and the sprawling house his grandfather had built over the years, she might grow to like the prospect of moving there. But commonsense prevailed, and he said merely, ‘I’m sorry, Pat, but I shall be tending to important business. I can’t take you with me this time. It’s deuced inconvenient as it is, leaving Comberton at this time of the year.’

      ‘Oh, come on, Leonard! What business do you need to tend that means I can’t come along? We are to be married after all, aren’t we?’

      ‘Of course we are, but I simply can’t take you, not this time. Look, when I get back, I promise we’ll see about a weekend in Paris – would that suit you?’

      ‘No, it would not.’ Giving him a frosty look, she turned on her heel and stalked towards the door. ‘I have shopping to do in Manchester. I imagine I’ll be gone for at least four hours. That should give you plenty of time to decide whether I come with you or not.’

      When he heard the front door slam, Leonard walked to the window, from where he could see Patricia climb into the taxi. She did not look back, but somehow that did not concern him.

      Instead, he took out the letter and read it through again.

      ‘No, Patricia,’ he said aloud. ‘I won’t take you with me.’ His mind was made up. The reason he was going to America was too important. This wasn’t just about him and Patricia.

      Thrusting his hands into his pockets he began to pace the room, his thoughts and loyalties all churned up. The decision was something he had to make by himself. If it turned out that there was, after all, no choice to make, then so be it. But if it came to a head, then he had to think of others who would inevitably be affected.

      The people who had been loyal to him over the years, these were the people uppermost in his mind right now. He thought of Barney, that good man, and his heart was sore. Then he thought of Vicky, of maybe never seeing her again, and the prospect was unbearable. He found himself searching for a way that would allow him to take the Davidsons with him, but at the moment that seemed quite unrealistic.

      His thoughts then flew ahead, and his heart sank. Whatever the outcome of his visit across the Atlantic, there was still Patricia.

      And so far he had not decided what to do about her.

       Chapter 11

      ‘YOU’RE THIRTY-NINE years of age and you still have the body of a young girl.’ Having climbed into bed, Barney leaned on his elbow and watched his wife undress. It wasn’t often she undressed in front of him; for some reason she preferred the light out, and whenever he came upon her naked, she would blush and hide, and scamper into bed. ‘You need never be ashamed of your body,’ he told her now. ‘You should be proud.’ His voice dropped to the softest whisper. ‘You’re very beautiful, Vicky. You always were.’

      Having finished brushing her hair, she slithered into bed beside him. ‘I’m not beautiful,’ she protested, though with a smile. ‘You only think that, because you love me … like I think you’re handsome, because I love you.’

      Tenderly he placed a finger over her lips. ‘No,’ then with his other hand he stroked a stray lock of hair from her eyes. ‘You really are a lovely-looking woman, my darling. You may not see it, but I do, and so does every other man who looks on you.’

      ‘Stop it, Barney.’ She went rosy with pleasure. ‘What will you say when I’m old and toothless, and bent like a willow tree?’

      His answer was to take her in his arms and hold her as close as any man could hold the one he loved. ‘None of that would matter,’ he answered honestly, ‘because you will always be beautiful to me.’

      In the halo of moonlight shining in through the window, she could see in his eyes the depth of his love for her, and she was deeply moved. ‘I love you so much,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘I love our children and I love the life we lead, but it would not be the same without you.’

      He could feel the tension in her body, and he was shocked. ‘Hey!’ Lifting himself up, he looked into her sad face and was afraid – not for himself, but for her. ‘You mustn’t talk like that. We have each other and, God willing, we’ll have each other for many years to come.’

      ‘Do you promise?’ she whispered. ‘Do you promise never to leave me?’

      Barney saw the tears rising in her pretty eyes, and was deeply moved when one plump, watery tear spilled over her cheek. ‘I can’t promise,’ he answered, wiping away the tear with the tip of his thumb.

      ‘Why not?’

      ‘You know

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