Maggie Read online

  ‘Nothing, baby, do nothing, that’s what you should do,’ Eunice said forcefully to her son. ‘But you know that, don’t you, darling? Do nothing! You don’t want to upset your father, especially not when you’re in London with him on your own … Are you in the office or the flat?’

  ‘The flat,’ he whispered.

  ‘Now, I want you to stay up there and keep out of the way. This will blow over; it always does. These silly girls are forever throwing themselves at him. It’s part of his job, and it’ll be part of your job. Tomorrow the girl will be gone and everything will get back to normal. It’s nothing to worry about.’

  But you don’t understand! It’s Maggie, Maggie Wheaton …’

  There was a pause.

  ‘Are you still there?’ Andy asked in panic.

  ‘Yes, I’m here. Do you mean that young girl who used to live in the village?’ Eunice asked sharply as she realized what he was saying. ‘Whatever is she doing in your father’s office? Her parents are looking everywhere for her; they’re really worried.’

  ‘She wants to be a singer, and Dad’s managing her. He wants to make her a star, and he’s been helping her try and get her inheritance from Ruby and Johnnie. Dad said no one was to know where she was, and he’s given her one of the rooms downstairs. He’s trying to help her, he really is, but …’

  Andy’s voice faded, but Eunice Blythe didn’t answer. All her married life she’d watched from the sidelines as her husband Jack had affair after affair. In the beginning it had demoralized her, but at the same time it kept him happy, and that meant that her life was happy. She’d known from the start that her husband would never be faithful, it wasn’t in his nature, and if she wanted to stay married to him she would have to turn a blind eye. She had submitted to him on everything in their life to keep him happy, because she loved him and she loved her affluent lifestyle and didn’t want to jeopardize any of it, but at the same time she adored her precious only child with a passion she never knew she had.

  The day they’d moved into the Manor House, Eunice had felt as if all her Christmases had come at once. It was a beautiful house with extensive grounds, plenty of room for her sister to live with them, and just far enough away from London. The thought of Jack staying up in London during the week, every week, was the icing on the cake. The only downside was having her precious son living with Jack without any supervision, but although she worried about her husband’s influence over the boy she knew there was nothing she could do about it.

  ‘Mum? Are you there, Mum? What shall I do? She’s my girlfriend, and she’s only sixteen.’

  ‘What did Jack say when you went into the office?’

  ‘He didn’t see me … I didn’t say anything. I just left.’

  ‘What about Maggie?’

  ‘Mum, she saw me, and I didn’t help her! I just ran away. I’m so ashamed of myself.’

  ‘You did the right thing – the last thing you want to do is upset your father. Stay in the flat, go to bed, and if he comes up tell him you feel ill, you’ve got a fever, anything, but whatever you do, don’t let him know you saw him.’ She thought for a moment. ‘I’m on my way. Don’t say a word to anyone.’

  After she’d put the phone down, Eunice quickly got ready and then went into the orangery where her sister was sitting reading. ‘Lily, I have to go to London and get Jack out of another fix.’

  ‘What’s he done this time?’ Lily looked up and raised one eyebrow at her sister.

  Eunice gave her the outline. ‘So I have to get to London and rescue Andy. Oh, and I’ll probably have to pay the girl off. These stupid young women are costing me a fortune, one way and another. I hope Jack appreciates it.’

  Lily stood up. ‘I doubt he does for a minute. You’re a doormat, Eunice Blythe, and I’m ashamed of you. All you can think about is keeping that bastard happy and out of trouble. How would you feel if that was your daughter? Or, heaven forbid, your son? Jack doesn’t seem to be selective; they just have to be in the same room.’

  ‘That’s not very nice. You’re happy enough to live in his house!’

  ‘Because you want me here! Listen to me, Eunice. You can’t turn a blind eye to this. He’s taking advantage of her, and he’s trying to get her money.’ Lily looked her sister in the eye. ‘And let’s face it, Eunice, you and I both know it’s not the first time he’s fleeced some poor heiress either.’

  Eunice frowned. ‘We can’t afford another scandal. I’m going to go and persuade her to go home. I’m sure she’ll keep quiet for Andy’s sake.’

  ‘But you said her parents are looking for her. Shouldn’t you tell them she’s safe?’

  ‘So long as she goes home they’ll be happy, and Jack will just think she’s gone off. Same as they all do, eventually, once I’ve had a little word.’

  ‘And Jack’ll pounce on the next poor girl that goes through his door all starry-eyed. Come on Eunice, you can’t keep digging him out of the shit.’

  ‘He’s my husband, and—’

  ‘And Andy?’ her sister interrupted her. ‘He’s your son. Do you want him to turn into his father? Do you want that lovely sweet boy to behave like him? He’s a good boy, but it wouldn’t take too much for him to follow in his father’s footsteps.’

  ‘Andy’s his father’s heir. We can’t have him upsetting Jack and losing all that, can we? Now, I’m going to London. The taxi will be here in a minute, and if I hurry I’ll just catch the next train. I’ll ring you later.’ She smiled and kissed her sister on the cheek. ‘Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. It always is. These silly girls just don’t realize that you can’t lead a red-blooded man on like that and not expect trouble. Jack just reacts.’

  When the phone rang, Ruby snatched it up quickly, hoping against hope that it was Maggie.

  ‘Hello.’ The voice on the other end was tentative. ‘Is that Ruby Riordan?’

  ‘Yes, it is. Who’s calling?’

  ‘This is Andy Blythe’s Aunt Lily. Eunice Blythe’s sister. We met in the summer when Maggie Wheaton had her little accident in our garden? Well, I understand you’re looking for her. I know where she is …’

  ‘Johnnie, I know where she is,’ Ruby screamed at full volume. ‘Quick, we’ve got to go to London as soon as we can.’

  Johnnie ran down the stairs to where his wife was standing with the receiver still in her hand. ‘Tell me!’

  ‘Seems she ran away to London to be a singer. She’s staying at that agency place that Jack Blythe owns, where Andy works. That was Eunice Blythe’s sister on the phone.’

  Johnnie looked at his wife for a moment as he tried to understand what she was saying.

  ‘She said Maggie’s too young to know what she’s letting herself in for …’

  ‘They lied to us, they all lied to us! I knew there was something wrong about that bastard.’ Johnnie clenched and unclenched his fists, his anger and frustration written all over his face.

  ‘I don’t think Eunice or Lily knew she was there until just now,’ Ruby said. ‘Lily rang as soon as she did. Andy lied, that’s certain, but that doesn’t matter; we know where she is now. Lily gave me the address, but we need to hurry before Maggie finds out we’re on the way and disappears again.’

  Ruby and Johnnie looked at each other fearfully for a few seconds before jumping into action.

  After calling Gracie and Isobel to hold the fort at the house and the hotel, Johnnie and Ruby jumped into the car and raced straight up to London. The traffic was reasonably easy, so Johnnie put his foot down and they got there in record time.

  ‘There …’ Ruby pointed. ‘That’s the place.’

  Johnnie screeched to a halt outside the office and just left the car where it was. ‘Where is he?’ Johnnie demanded as they both ran into the office.

  ‘Who?’ the receptionist said, looking nervously around the room.

  Johnnie noticed her eyes linger for a split second on the door behind her. ‘Forget it. I’ll find him.’ With a cricket bat in his hand, which he’d gra
bbed from the hall before they left, and Ruby hot on his tail, Johnnie went straight round the back of the desk and through the door.

  They raced up the stairs and spotted the open door to the studio.

  ‘Blythe? Where are you, Blythe?’ he shouted as they looked around.

  ‘What’s going on here?’ Jack Blythe came out of his office and looked calmly at the couple standing in the doorway to the empty studio. ‘Who are you, might I ask, and how did you get up here?’

  ‘Where’s Maggie?’ Johnnie snarled. ‘We know she’s here! Where’s my daughter?’

  ‘I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,’ Jack Blythe said calmly, although there was a beading of sweat forming on his upper lip. ‘I don’t appreciate being interrupted when I’m mid-audition, so please leave or I’m calling the police. You’re trespassing.’

  ‘Where’s Andy? Is he with her?’

  ‘He’s not here, and she’s not here … Look, what is going on? What’s this all about …?’

  ‘I know all about you, you dirty bastard. Maggie is a child, she’s our daughter, and you’re taking advantage of her. You’re trying to screw a child? I should break your fucking neck.’

  Jack Blythe stood his ground, but as the colour drained from his face, Johnnie knew that it was all true.

  ‘Look, the girl wants to be a singer. I was helping her. You signed the agreement. You gave consent. She just asked us not to tell you she was here.’

  ‘Consent? Never in a million years have we signed consent for anything.’

  ‘Well, I’m sorry, but you did. I’ll get it …’ Jack Blythe went back into his office and came out with a slim folder. He pulled out a piece of paper. ‘Here … You’ve happily handed me quite a lot of authority over the girl you claim to be worried about.’

  Ruby snatched it from him and studied it carefully. ‘This isn’t my signature,’ she said, staring at him.

  ‘Prove it.’ He smiled. ‘Oh, and here’s another one – Maggie Wheaton declaring she wants me and my wife to be her legal guardians. Now, I have work to do, so if you’ll excuse me? I’ve had enough people wasting my time.’

  Johnnie took a step forward.

  ‘Don’t, Johnnie, don’t! Let’s find Maggie first.’ Ruby paused and looked at the man in front of her. His suit was expensive, his tie probably cost more than the average wage and he was groomed to perfection. He looked like a movie star. ‘Then you can beat the bastard to a pulp.’

  As Jack Blythe grinned and turned to walk away, Ruby heard a movement out on the landing. She ran out and saw Andy crouched on the stairs looking terrified.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he muttered.

  ‘Where is she?’

  ‘Downstairs.’ He stood up slowly. ‘I’ll show you.’

  ‘Andy! Andy, you keep out of this, out of it, or you’ll regret it,’ Jack Blythe bellowed at his son. ‘This is all your fault. You brought her here! You wanted me to help her. You brought that little prick-teaser here …’

  ‘This way,’ Andy said, ignoring his father. He led them back to the stairs and to the floor where the bedsits were.

  ‘I think she’s in here; she ran away from him. Again …’ he said, his eyes focused firmly on the floor.

  Ruby tried the handle, but the door was locked. ‘Maggie? Are you in there, Maggie?’ she shouted. ‘It’s me, Ruby. Let me in. Please? We just want to know you’re alright.’

  Slowly, the door opened, and they realized that the girl had moved the tallboy over to block the door.

  Ruby slid through the gap and grabbed Maggie with both arms. Her daughter.

  For a few moments, no one said anything.

  ‘You’re freezing cold. Here, put this on.’ Johnnie took his coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders. ‘You go down to the car with Rubes; I’ve got something I must do.’

  Ruby looked over Maggie’s shoulder and shook her head. ‘Don’t do it,’ she mouthed.

  But instead of going after Jack Blythe, Johnnie grabbed Andy by the scruff of the neck and spun him round until he was hanging head-first over the banisters. ‘Tell me what Maggie was running away from. Tell me!’

  ‘Please don’t! It wasn’t my fault …’

  ‘TELL ME.’

  ‘From Dad. She was running from Dad. He tried to—’

  At that moment there was a clatter of feet on the thinly carpeted stairs, and two policeman appeared. ‘We had a call from the office downstairs. There’s a disturbance, we understand?’ one of them said, looking carefully, trying to assess the situation.

  Johnnie let go of Andy. ‘Nothing for you to bother about … eh, Andy?’

  Andy’s shoulders dropped as Johnnie let go of him. ‘No,’ he said.

  ‘This is our daughter, officer, and we’ve just come to take her home. She had a barney with the boyfriend, this young man here. I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it.’

  The policeman looked at Andy. ‘Well?’

  Andy looked at his feet, the ceiling, anywhere but at the officer standing on the landing. ‘Yes, I’m Andy Blythe, and this is my father’s building.’

  ‘And you, miss? You are?’ the young policeman asked Maggie.

  Throughout the exchange Maggie had said nothing, but then it was as if she shook herself back to life. ‘I’m Maggie Wheaton. These are my parents, who have come to collect me. Andy is my boyfriend. My ex-boyfriend. Jack Blythe is his father; he’s upstairs in his office if you want to ask him anything.’

  ‘We’d better, just to be sure. Where did you say his office is?’

  ‘Through the studio and then the door straight in front of you, but I think you’ll probably bump into him on the stairs,’ Maggie said.

  She looked at Andy, staring straight into his eyes for a few seconds before shaking her head and looking at Ruby. ‘I’m so sorry, Ruby. I’m really sorry. I believed him. I believed both of them.’ Again, she stared at Andy.

  ‘I’m sorry too,’ Andy said. ‘I didn’t know what he was going to do, truly I didn’t. I thought he wanted to help you, and you said you wanted him to help you. It’s not my fault.’

  ‘Yes, it is, because when you did know, when you saw what he was doing, you didn’t help me, did you? They were right – you are just a spoilt little boy. Daddy’s office boy.’

  ‘I did try to help. I phoned …’ He paused and looked around to see if his father was somewhere listening.

  Maggie smiled for the first time and shook her head. ‘You’re such a drip.’

  Throughout the exchange, Ruby could see Johnnie itching to join in, itching to get to Andy and his father. But he didn’t.

  Maggie looked away from Andy. ‘Can we go now, please? I want to go home, if you’ll have me.’

  Johnnie put his arm around her shoulder. ‘Home it is; I’ll get your things.’

  ‘Don’t forget the fairy. I must have the fairy …’

  As they walked out of the front doors, Eunice Blythe, wearing a fur coat and lots of perfume, was wafting in. She frowned. ‘Is everything OK? I was just going to go and see young Andy; he said he’s not well.’

  Ruby stared at her. ‘You knew exactly what was going on in there, but you lied to us. As a mother, how could you?’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about …’

  ‘Do you know what, Mrs Lady of the Manor? I envied you. You’re beautiful, you have a beautiful house, and I thought you had a beautiful life, but I wouldn’t swap with you for a million pounds.’

  Again Eunice frowned. ‘I don’t know what you mean, darling.’

  ‘Yes, you do, and I despise you for letting your son think that this is the way to behave. Now, excuse us, we’re taking our daughter home. You should close your eyes and thank God that we got here in time or your husband would be coming out of there in a wooden box.’

  Eunice smiled and shook her head. ‘You’re wrong, you know. Jack’s a good man, really. He just lets himself get taken advantage of sometimes.’

  As Maggie, Ruby and Johnnie climbed into the car
parked outside, Andy came to the door. His mother kissed him on the cheek, and they both walked in arm in arm, for all the world as if nothing had happened.

  Ruby looked over her shoulder at her daughter, huddled in the back seat against the door. ‘Are you OK? There’s a travel rug beside you; put that over your knees. It’s a long drive home, and it’s blooming freezing today.’

  Maggie shivered and pulled her coat around herself. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘That’s OK. Wrap it tight around your feet as well.’

  ‘I didn’t mean the rug. I meant thank you for rescuing me.’

  ‘That’s what families are for.’ Ruby smiled and then looked at her husband. ‘Isn’t it, Johnnie?’

  ‘It sure is … I just wish I’d got one swipe with the bat round his smug face before the police got there.’

  ‘Don’t talk like that.’

  Johnnie looked in the mirror and Maggie locked eyes with him.

  Then they both smiled.

  Epilogue

  A few weeks later

  ‘I feel a bit old to be here,’ Ruby said, looking around the crowded ballroom at the Kursaal.

  ‘Nonsense!’ Gracie laughed. ‘But blooming heck, this place brings back some memories. Seems like only yesterday I was working my fingers to the bone in those hotel rooms upstairs.’

  ‘Before Aunt Leonora rescued you and introduced you to a life of leisure in the classy little joint up the road.’

  ‘Oh, leisure, my eye!’ Gracie shook her head and pulled a face. ‘Slave-drivers the both of you!’

  At that moment Johnnie and Edward arrived back from the bar with a tray of drinks.

  ‘Well, here we are,’ Johnnie said holding his glass of beer up. ‘The beginning of new times for everyone. Cheers.’

  ‘Cheers. I was starting to think it would never happen after all the delays, but we’re finally going. Just three more days and we’ll be sailing past the Thamesview en route from Tilbury docks …’