A Rose and a Promise, page 20
‘Hence why he threatened poor Kitty,’ said Izzy.
Cadi leaned against the car. ‘So how do we play this to our advantage?’
‘I reckon you definitely tell Kieran that we’ve bumped into his brother,’ said Poppy. ‘Then, if Kieran looks worried, you can blackmail him into breaking things off with Daphne, as well as steering clear of the other women on the base.’
‘I like your thinking,’ said Cadi, ‘but what do we do about Paddy?’
Poppy shrugged. ‘Leave sleeping dogs lie. The less he knows the better.’
‘What a massive stroke of luck, though,’ mused Izzy, ‘because I don’t think you’d ever have persuaded Daphne to leave Kieran. But this should do the trick, with no harm done.’
‘She’ll be disappointed when he calls things off,’ conceded Cadi, ‘but better that than marrying a heartless pig.’
‘How do you intend to break it to him?’ asked Poppy curiously. ‘Cos I dare say he’s not going to take the news well, especially when you try to blackmail him.’
‘I haven’t been on car duty for ever such a long time,’ said Cadi, ‘but I can easily arrange to put myself down for the next run going that way.’
Poppy considered. ‘This is only a thought, mind you, but what if we’re barking up the wrong tree? What if it’s Paddy who’s trying to steer clear of Kieran?’
Cadi shook her head decidedly. ‘Paddy was looking for Kieran …’ She tailed off as Izzy picked up Poppy’s train of thought.
‘That’s certainly the way it looked, but who’s to say he wasn’t checking that Kieran wasn’t on the same base?’
Cadi cursed softly. That idea hadn’t crossed her mind, but if the girls were right she’d be shooting herself in the foot. What was more, he might threaten to marry Daphne there and then if she didn’t tell him where Paddy was. After a moment’s thought, she nodded. ‘I could swap information? Tell him of Paddy’s whereabouts once he’d broken things off with Daphne?’
‘But once he knows where Paddy is, he’ll be able to do what he likes. There won’t be a thing we can do to stop him from getting back on track with Daphne – that’s even if he does break it off, cos we’ll only have his word for it.’
Cadi tutted beneath her breath. ‘Why do these things always have to be so complicated?’
‘Everyone who knows the Finnegans suspects them of pilfering goods and selling them on through spivs,’ said Poppy. ‘If we could actually catch them in the act, we could get them out that way, with no harm done, as Izzy said.’
‘But that could take for ever,’ said Cadi. Falling into silent contemplation, she could almost hear Jez’s voice as his face came into her mind. ‘The Finnegans are a slippery pair of customers. Paddy’s the stronger of the two, and undoubtedly the brains behind the business, whereas Kieran’s more impulsive. If either of them has stolen money off the other, then Poppy’s right and it’s Kieran that’s nicked it from Paddy, which explains why Paddy’s looking for him. But once you’ve let the cat out of the bag there’s no putting it back, so you have to be sure you’re using the information where it’ll have most impact. Ideally you want the Finnegans out of your lives, and whilst Daphne might be head over heels about Kieran at the moment, she’s not altogether stupid. Give her time and she’ll work it out for herself, especially as you’ve already sown the seeds of doubt.’
Izzy nudged Cadi gently. ‘Penny for them?’
‘I was wondering what Jez would say if he was here.’
Poppy slid her arm through Cadi’s. ‘We could always rely on Jez to shoot from the hip.’
Izzy blinked as the sun came from behind a cloud. ‘So, what do you reckon he’d say?’
‘Give Daphne time to work things out for herself, and as for who’s hiding from who, it’s more than likely that Kieran’s hiding from Paddy, because he’s the weaker of the two. But keep shtum until you know for sure.’
Poppy nodded thoughtfully. ‘I think Daphne might see through Kieran’s lies – after all, she can be pretty devious herself.’
Cadi nodded slowly. ‘Takes one to know one.’
‘Exactly.’
Izzy grinned at her friends. ‘So, are we agreed?’
‘Sit on the information for now,’ said Cadi, ‘until we know what’s what.’
Poppy gave her the thumbs up. ‘Sounds good to me.’
With that decided, Izzy eyed Cadi curiously. ‘Do you often turn to Jez?’
‘Only when I need him most,’ said Cadi. ‘Bill was right when he said that we each carried a piece of Jez in our hearts.’ She smiled faintly. ‘I only wish that I could hold him just one more time.’
Standing outside the door to the register office, Daphne looked down at the small, and rather pathetic, bouquet of flowers that Kieran had managed to get for her. The day had not started off well, when she had telephoned her parents to tell them of her intended wedding. She had deliberately waited until it would be too late for them to join her, and her father had demanded to know why.
‘You can’t really blame them for being upset,’ said Kieran, ‘and in all honesty, I don’t know why you didn’t tell them sooner, especially when we set the date a month ago.’
Not wanting to upset or insult her fiancé, Daphne chose her words carefully. ‘He’s set in his ways, and can be very old-fashioned – not to mention bull-headed – when it comes down to it.’
‘All the more reason to invite them along, then,’ said Kieran. ‘Your father wants to meet the man his daughter is about to marry, and that’s only natural …’ He hesitated. ‘You’re not ashamed of me, are you?’
Daphne looked up sharply. ‘No. If anything it’s the other way round.’
Kieran stared at her. ‘Why would you be ashamed of your parents? From what you’ve told me, they’re both hard-working pillars of the community.’
She sighed wretchedly. ‘They are, but Dad’s fussy when it comes to the farm.’
Kieran tucked his thumbs into his trouser pockets. ‘I could’ve reassured him that the farm would be in safe hands; shown him that I’m willing to learn, and told him that I intend to build a better future for his daughter.’
She felt her tummy flutter. ‘Trust me, it’s better this way.’
Kieran had had doubts in the past that Daphne’s farm might not be all she’d made it out to be, and her hesitance to invite her parents to the wedding was reaf-firming his concern.
‘When you say your father has a farm, how many acres do you mean?’ He’d asked her the question before, and she’d been vague in her answer. Was there a farm at all, or had she made it up to impress him?
‘It’s complicated.’
Kieran cupped his chin between his forefinger and thumb. ‘How can it be complicated? Surely land doesn’t change in size?’
‘When war was declared, Dad was given more land to farm, but that might change when the war’s over.’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t know how much he farms now, because I haven’t asked.’
Kieran stared at her. ‘Nobody just gives their land away, war or not.’
‘Extended it then,’ said Daphne, ‘for the war effort.’
Kieran furrowed his brow. ‘You’re not making any sense. How do you extend your land?’
‘The landlord,’ said Daphne simply.
The crease between Kieran’s brows deepened. ‘I thought you said the farm was your father’s?’
She nodded. ‘It is – well, practically, anyway.’
‘How can it be his, when he doesn’t even own it?’ snapped Kieran. ‘Does he own the livestock?’
‘He’s an arable farmer.’
Kieran tutted irritably. ‘No wonder you didn’t want me to meet him.’
She eyed him accusingly. ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘You made it sound as though your father was all but gentry.’
‘I most certainly did not!’
Kieran – who had no intention of marrying a woman who had nothing to offer – walked towards the door that led out of the register office. ‘And you had the nerve to call me a liar.’
Catching hold of his arm, Daphne gaped at him. ‘I didn’t call you a liar, someone else did, and I merely told you what they’d said. And I never lied about my dad owning the land; you were the one who made that assumption.’
Kieran ripped his elbow out of her hand. ‘Thank God I learned the truth before I said “I do”, because I most definitely do not.’
‘Why? Because you thought I had money, or because you think I’m a liar?’
Kieran laughed sarcastically. ‘Take your pick. It still works out the same.’
Furious, she caught hold of his elbow again and yanked him round to face her. ‘Cadi was telling the truth, wasn’t she? You were only marrying me because you thought I had money – or rather my family did.’
‘Cadi is a nasty little liar, you said so yourself, and all I can say is it takes one to know one. If you want my opinion you’re all half-baked; quite frankly you deserve each other.’
But Daphne wasn’t listening. She’d been led to the altar by a man who’d lied his way into her life, then had the audacity to make her out to be the untruthful one. ‘That’s why you pushed for us to get married: cos you worried that I’d learn the truth from Cadi.’
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’
She stared icily at him. ‘You’re right, I don’t, but I’m going to find out, because there’s more to you than meets the eye.’
Grabbing her by the arm, he dug his thumb into the crook of her elbow, causing her to cry out. ‘You’ve heard the expression don’t go askin’ questions, because you might not like the answers?’
She nodded as tears pricked her eyes.
‘Maybe you should heed that advice.’
Pushing her away, he had turned to leave when Daphne said something that stopped him in his tracks. ‘You may think you can bully me into silence, but you can’t bully Raquel.’
Kieran spun round to face her; his eyes glowing with anger. ‘What did you say?’
Swallowing, Daphne slowly walked backwards to the safety of the register office, which was full of another wedding party. ‘Cadi asked me to pass a message on from Raquel. That should you come causing trouble, she won’t hesitate to tell all.’
Kieran folded his arms across his chest. He couldn’t throttle Daphne with so many people nearby, but he could threaten her. ‘You’re playing dangerous games for someone so ignorant.’
‘Oh, I’m not playing. A lot of people knew we were getting married today, and they’ll want to know why we didn’t go through with it. I’m not having them believe your version of events when I know the truth, cos quite frankly, Micky, I’m glad I found out that you’re a dirty little liar, and God knows what else, before I tied the knot.’
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Kieran knew the saying, and he had no doubt that Daphne would make as much trouble for him as she had for Cadi and her pals. But what to do? If he treated her the way he had Kitty, he knew Daphne wouldn’t hesitate to shop him to his superiors. He glanced at a car which had pulled up beside the kerb, and a look of pure malice crossed his face as he turned his attention back to Daphne.
‘Considering you believe me to be some kind of gangster, you aren’t half throwing some stupid accusations around. I hope you take better care when you’re behind the wheel.’ His mouth smiled, fleetingly, whilst his eyes bored into hers. ‘Goodbye, Daphne. I think we’re best leaving each other alone, don’t you? Only I’d hate for us to fall out, in case you had a nasty accident afterwards.’
She gasped. ‘You wouldn’t!’
Kieran shrugged. He wore a puzzled frown, but his lips were smiling again. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
Daphne turned on her heel without saying another word. Cadi had said he could be dangerous, and she was right. Kieran had scared the living daylights out of Kitty, and whilst she didn’t know the ins and outs of his visit to the other girl, Daphne shuddered to think of the lengths he might have gone to in order to ensure her silence.
I’m glad I found out the truth before I married him, Daphne told herself. I only wish I’d listened to Cadi instead of accusing her of trying to cause trouble. She turned her thoughts to Cadi’s friend Raquel. Kieran had only turned really nasty when Daphne had mentioned that name. She wondered what the other woman’s connection was to Kieran, and what Raquel knew that he so desperately wanted to keep quiet?
With everyone knowing that she and Kieran were supposed to be getting married, Daphne decided not to return to base until much later that same day, and when she did eventually walk into the NAAFI she found a table far from the others, hoping to be left alone. It was no use: Abigail wandered over to see whether the rumours were true.
‘Kieran said you’d both had a change of heart. Are you all right?’
Daphne shot the other girl a dark glance. ‘I am now.’
Sitting down opposite her, Abigail placed her hand over Daphne’s. ‘Did you really both have a change of heart, or was it just Kieran?’
Daphne laughed without mirth. ‘Well, it was Kieran who called the whole thing off.’
Abigail sat upright. ‘You don’t seem upset?’
‘If someone stopped you from jumping into a fire, would you be upset?’
A look of doubt crossed Abigail’s face. ‘I’m confused.’
If Daphne were to tell Abigail what Kieran was really like, she knew she would be opening a can of worms, and she didn’t fancy facing the consequences. She smiled dismissively. ‘It’s nothing; we just weren’t right for each other. Good job we realised before we made a big mistake.’
Abigail stared at Daphne. Ever since Daphne had arrived at the station, she had been outspoken and forthright with her opinions. If she was opting to remain quiet, then Abigail would bet a pound to a penny that it wasn’t her choice. ‘Has he got you over a barrel?’
Careful to avoid eye contact, Daphne removed the engagement ring from her finger and thrust it into her pocket. ‘Not me, no.’ She glanced up at Abigail. ‘I’ve had quite a day of it. Do you mind if I sit on my own for a bit?’
Abigail got up from her seat. ‘If you ever need to talk, you know where I am.’
‘Thanks.’
As Abigail walked away, Daphne mulled over Cadi’s words of warning, and whether she, too, would warn another woman if Kieran made a play for someone else. Not without finding out the facts first, Daphne told herself. No one’s going to listen to you when you’re only giving half the story. That was the problem with Cadi; had she been straight with me, I would never have let things get this far. Only how could she speak to Cadi without letting the other woman know that she’d been right all along? She breathed out wearily. Cadi didn’t need Daphne to tell her something she already knew.
She glanced up as two Waafs entered the NAAFI. One of them looked in Daphne’s direction before giggling and nudging her friend, who responded the same way. Daphne got up from her seat. She had no idea what, if anything, Kieran had said, but she wasn’t about to sit waiting to be judged by others. As she had no idea where Cadi was based, she would telephone Kitty at RAF Little Snoring, and find out exactly who Kieran O’Connell was.
Kitty was in the kitchen rolling out the pastry for the officers’ mince pies when she was hailed by a Waaf who had come in through the back door.
‘You’ve a phone call in the NAAFI – someone by the name of Daphne.’
Wiping her hands on her apron, Kitty looked to the cook, who heaved a sigh. ‘But don’t be long,’ she warned as Kitty followed the Waaf outside.
Kitty shot the Waaf a sidelong glance as they made their way to the NAAFI. ‘Are you sure she said Daphne?’
The other girl nodded. ‘Why, don’t you know her?’
Kitty pulled a face. ‘I only know one Daphne, and I can’t think why she’d want to speak to me; unless …’ She hesitated as she opened the door to the NAAFI. Thanking the Waaf, she headed for the phone.
Picking up the receiver, she spoke tentatively. ‘Hello?’
‘Is that Kitty?’
‘Speaking.’
‘It’s me, Daphne. Look, I’m really sorry – about Kieran coming to see you, I mean. I had no idea he was going to do that …’ Daphne went on to explain how Kieran had said and done all the right things to pull the wool over her eyes, and how things had come to a head when she told him that her father didn’t own the land he farmed. ‘It was like someone lifting a veil. Everything became crystal clear, and I realised that Cadi had been telling the truth all along.’ She blew her cheeks out. ‘You should’ve seen his face when I called him Micky. Talk about angry – he was livid. It was bad enough when I passed on Raquel’s message, but the straw that broke the camel’s back was when I told him I was going to find out the truth: that’s when he really flipped his lid. He told me in no uncertain terms that I was not to go asking questions because I might not like the answers.’ She paused before continuing. ‘He also said he’d hate for us to fall out in case I had a nasty accident; but he was smiling when he said it.’
Kitty hissed inwardly. ‘He never!’
‘I’m afraid so, which is why I need to know exactly what it is he’s done, so that I can have the same leverage as Raquel.’
‘I agree with you, but it’s really not my place to say,’ said Kitty.
‘Surely you can tell me what he used to do for a living?’ pleaded Daphne. ‘I’m not going to go blabbing, but I’d like a bit of ammunition in case he threatens me again.’
Having been on the receiving end of Kieran’s wrath, Kitty felt she was in no position to deny Daphne the right to defend herself. She drew a deep breath. ‘He used to run a brothel, amongst other things.’ Her heart hammering in her chest, she continued, ‘To cut a long story short, he had to flee Portsmouth, which must be why he joined the RAF, because I’m sure he wouldn’t have dreamed of signing on otherwise.’
Daphne was left temporarily speechless as she took it all in, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. ‘It certainly explains why he’s so obnoxious, surly and bad-tempered. I know the fellers on the base can’t stand him. They’re always saying that he’s lazy, and that he shouldn’t be here, but I put it down to jealousy, because he’s so popular with the girls.’ She gave a brief, sarcastic laugh, ‘A ladies’ man! If only they knew.’
