The Runaway Woman

Devastated, she turned to leave, wiping away her tears, but then a swell of rage flooded through her and shock turned to anger. No! She had to see them together. She needed each of them to look up and see her standing there. Only then would she be completely certain.

Lucy knew that if she ran away from the truth now, she would live to regret it.

Her mind was set. Whatever shocking images she might discover, and however painful it might prove, she would rather know the truth than be forever wondering.

And so, on nervous legs she continued on up the stairs, and along the landing. The bawdy laughter drowned out the sound of her approach.

In that first, hesitant moment when she entered the bedroom, Lucy was sickened by what she saw.

They lay in the bed, exhausted … coupled together. The sheet was crumpled part-way down, their naked bodies entwined. Paula had her hand on the back of Martin’s head, her fingers caressing his hair, and Martin was lying over her, his face nuzzling her breasts.

For the longest moment, they remained blissfully unaware that she was in the room, watching them, unable to move forward, or flee from the room. Lucy saw her husband and her sister, as close and together as any man and woman could be, and she realised that as long as she lived, the image would stay with her.

A wave of coldness folded over her, and she began to sob, silently at first; then, as the pain intensified, the sobs became uncontrollable.

Martin looked up, his eyes wide with shock. ‘Oh my God … Lucy!’ Tearing at the sheet, he covered his nakedness and ran across the room towards her. ‘Lucy … I’m sorry … I’m so sorry!’ he screamed after her as she ran down the stairs. ‘Lucy … please … wait!’

Behind him, Paula was nervously giggling; though tears were not far behind.

As Lucy ran out of the front door and down the street, Martin ran back into the bedroom. ‘I need to go after her!’ he gasped, snatching up his clothes and quickly dressing. A moment later, he was fleeing down the street after Lucy.

Even now, he was arrogant enough to expect her forgiveness.

Lucy, though, was long gone. Bitter tears clouded her vision as she fled, half running, half stumbling, her mind filled with what she had seen. ‘How could they?’ she kept asking herself. Even though she had seen them together with her own eyes, Lucy found it difficult to believe they could both betray her so cruelly.

Having taken a short cut home, Mary Taylor arrived just as Lucy was walking up the alley towards Paula’s house. She saw Lucy go in, and now she saw her running away.

She heard Martin calling out, ‘Come back … please, Lucy … we need to talk!’

Lucy gave no answer, nor did she look back. Instead, she ran on blindly, tears streaming from her eyes.

Watching from the window, Mary saw how distressed Lucy was, and she blamed herself. ‘You interfering old woman!’ She banged her clenched fist hard on the windowsill. ‘Why couldn’t you have minded your own business, and left well alone?’

Falling into her armchair, she cried bitterly.

A moment later she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. ‘Don’t upset yourself.’ The soft, kindly voice soothed her troubled mind as Peter held her to him. ‘It was only a matter of time before Lucy found out anyway.’

‘Oh, Peter, I feel so ashamed. I should never have interfered. You were right to warn me against it, but I couldn’t bear to see how she was being made a fool of.’

Peter’s own feelings were much the same. ‘I’ll admit, when you told me what you’d done, I was angry. But after thinking it through, I believe you did the right and proper thing. Like you, I feel for Lucy, but at least she knows now. You’ve done what you can, and now we must take a step back. It’s up to Lucy as to how she deals with it.’

Greatly relieved, Mary wound her hand into his. ‘You’re such a blessing to me,’ she said softly. ‘I do love you so.’

Holding her to him, Peter smiled contentedly. ‘I know you do, sweetheart. I also know what a very fortunate man I am.’

CHAPTER FOUR (#ulink_bb3da51f-3f74-533c-866d-5f38e64c1611)

WANDERING THROUGH THE quiet streets, Lucy made a forlorn figure.

The late April showers had now developed into a heavy downpour, but she didn’t even notice. Instead, she pressed silently on, deep in thought, not knowing where she was or how far she had walked.

Try as she might, she could not shut out the image of Martin and Paula, lying together in her bed, the two of them stark naked and unashamed.

She recalled how natural and easy they were together. It must have been going on for a long time, she quickly realised. They were too comfortable with each other, laughing and teasing like long-time lovers; wickedly at ease together.

The more she thought of it, the more she realised the depth of their deceit. Martin’s work van had been nowhere to be seen. So had he hidden it? Was the whole thing planned right down to the last detail?

She had so many unanswered questions. How could Martin do this to her … and with her own sister? Martin was her whole life. The man she had loved and trusted all these years, and like an idiot, thought he loved her too.

When the rain spewed down and blinded her so she could hardly see where she was going, Lucy ran along the street and took refuge in a nearby bus shelter.

Completely drenched, she curled up on the wooden seat at the back of the shelter, hoping that there she might be left alone.

Dark was closing in. The street was empty, and the light by the shelter was flickering, creating ghostly shadows to unnerve her.

In that desolate moment, she felt like the loneliest person in the world. She put her hands over her face and sobbed, her heart broken. She had given Martin her whole life – and this was what it had come to.

A short time later, she caught snatches of conversation between two people nearby; seemingly a man and a woman. They were approaching quickly, and then they were running to escape the rain, their rhythmic footsteps clipping over the pavement, every second bringing them closer.

Convinced that they were making for the shelter, Lucy pressed herself closer to the back wall, hiding in the shadows. The last thing she needed right now was for strangers to see her there.

As they approached the shelter, their raised voices became more distinct. Now they were laughing aloud at something the woman had said.

‘The place at Littleton is the answer,’ the man told her. ‘It’s absolutely perfect for you.’

Suddenly the woman lost her footing, crying out as she stumbled. ‘Dammit! I should never have worn these new, high-heeled shoes. What was I thinking?’

Lucy froze when the woman leaned against the opening of the shelter. ‘Stand still!’ The man’s voice was kindly but firm. ‘Hold on to me, Nancy.’

Though they had not yet realised Lucy was there, she could see the two of them clearly. The man was tall and smartly dressed. He held the woman steady while she took off the offending shoe.

‘All right, are you?’

‘It serves me right,’ she replied, ‘but I dare say I’ll live … thanks, Dave.’ Gently rubbing her foot, she chuckled. ‘Nothing broken,’ she reported, ‘except for my stupid pride!’

Lucy cowered back, swiftly wiping the tears from her face.

Just then the man glanced up, to see Lucy squashed into the corner of the bench. ‘Good Lord, you gave me a fright!’

‘What …?’ the woman followed his gaze. On seeing Lucy, she quickly slid her foot into the shoe and stood up straight. ‘Whatever are you doing here … in the dark, on your own?’ She glanced about as though expecting to see someone else there.

Realising that these two were not thugs who might attack and rob her, Lucy scrambled off the bench and made her way towards them. ‘I got caught out in the rain,’ she explained. ‘I dived in here to try to dry off. Now that the rain seems to have stopped, I’d best be on my way.’

The man was concerned, and his kind eyes took in her bedraggled appearance and tear-stained face. ‘I don’t know how long you’ve been curled up in this damp place, but you must be feeling cold to the bone. Look, we were just popping into the pub across the street. You’re very welcome to join us.’

Lucy saw the woman’s surprise at her companion inviting a complete stranger to join them, but she said nothing. The woman was indeed taken aback by his generous invitation. Normally, Dave Benson would not be so reckless.

The woman, Nancy, now regarded Lucy, thinking her attractive in a gentle, homely kind of way. Not at all the kind of confident, well-groomed woman Dave might be drawn to. Nancy was both bemused and interested. This quietly spoken, wet and bedraggled woman had clearly stirred compassion in Dave. It was obvious that he was loath to leave her there alone.