Chapter 22

Monday 1st to Friday 5th February 1971

One consequence of the exposure of the lying photos and report was that Connie and Penny became much closer and spent more time with each other. I was happy that Connie was getting out and that now she had a sister to talk with as well as my friends.

What I didn’t realise, of course, was what they were talking about and planning at that early time. I assumed it was girl stuff, and that I was well out of it.

Another consequence was a more careful watch over Mr Kieran Walsh. What were the chances of two lawyers in the Manchester area having the same name. I looked up the register. There were two Smiths as one might expect but only one Walsh. From what was said, namely that he organised the PI to watch me, even if he didn’t fabricate the evidence, it was likely that he was scheming to do me some damage.

I confided in Zena what I knew.

“Well,” she said, “It’s common knowledge that he thinks you’re a womaniser, and that he hates that. I think you’re right to be aware of him.”

“D’you think he’d fabricate a PI’s report?” I asked her.

“I doubt it,” she said. “Though if he were to do it, his secretary is completely devoted to him. She’d do anything for him, and she’d never tell a soul, so you’ll never know for certain. It could be the PI, you could make enquires there.”

I arrived home on Monday 1st February to find Penny and Connie in the living room. Penny looked uncomfortable, as if she’d been caught out, but I wandered over to her and gave her a hug, before getting buried in Connie’s arms.

As I emerged, Connie said she had news.

“Derek phoned to tell us that Dad was back home last Friday. We told him what mother had been up to, and he promised to help us.”

I looked enquiringly. Help them?

She went on, “I phoned the house and Mother answered. I asked to talk to Dad and she put the phone down. We got back to Derek and he got through to talk to Dad. So now we’re waiting for Dad to ring us.”

I invited Penny to eat with us and Connie said there was enough for three, so she stayed. It was after nine and Penny had left to do her marking or lesson prep, when the phone rang. Connie nodded at me to answer it.

“Hello Graham,” he said. “Derek phoned; said Connie and Penny wanted to talk.”

“Yes, apparently Lucy wouldn’t let Connie talk to you, which doesn’t surprise me, in view of what she’s done.”

“Oh hell!” he swore. “What is it now?”

“I take it you left on business shortly after taking Connie back home?’

“Yes. I had to go to the States; just got back.”

“it may interest you to know that after she left here, Connie made no contact with me for two weeks. It was a repeat of Penny’s behaviour, but Connie can fill you in.”

Connie then took the phone and gave a concise account of all that passed.

Then she listened.

“Yes, Dad, she concocted some doctored pictures to discredit Graham...”

“You’ve never seen the PI’s report? Penny was taken in by it after that engagement party, and that’s why she didn’t contact Graham. Mother showed them to me after you left, and I believed what I saw and severed contact with Graham...”

“No, Graham proved they were fakes, and once he’d shown us, we couldn’t believe we’d been taken in...”

“Daddy, he didn’t cheat on Penny either...”

“Daddy, he was so good. He showed us that the dates on the photos were wrong, and then he forgave me for doing what Penny did.”

More talking from Geoff.

“Really Daddy? Are you sure?”

More talking.

“OK, Dad, if your mind’s made up. She ruined Penny’s life with Graham and was trying to ruin mine. We don’t want anything to do with her...”

“OK, Bye Daddy,”

She put the phone down and we went into the living room.

“He said he’s had enough.” Connie said. “I suppose he meant he was leaving her.”

We sat looking at each other. There were mixed emotions – a marriage break-up is painful and uncomfortable for all the members of a family. After a moment or two Connie sat up and changed the subject.

“Graham,” she said, “that’s not all Penny and I were talking about.”

“No?”

“No. It really is time now for me to be looking for a job. I feel terrible about living off you and I want to pay my way. I know what you’re going to say – I keep house and cook, but really that’s not enough for me. So I want to get a job so I can give you something back.”

She stopped and looked at me expectantly.

Now the first thing that came to mind was an image of her fucking me senseless in the bed we now shared. I dismissed that as an argument: she had been forced to pay for lodging on her back too many times. I certainly didn’t want to fall into the same category as those bastards who had used her.

The second thing was more realistic. She did not need a dead end job; she was too intelligent and could do better. Perhaps...

“Connie, my sweet, you are highly intelligent. If you go looking for work you’ll end up with a job that pays peanuts. Why not get some courses under your belt first and that’ll open doors to better jobs?”

“But that means–”

“You would be working towards getting a job which pays well, rather the one at the bottom of the barrel,” I pointed out. “Really, Connie, I’d feel better if you went that route.”

She gave in reluctantly, and expressed her agreement by taking me to bed. She was good at agreeing in various styles, and I was grateful for all of them. Mind you, I was sure she had an element of self-interest, judging by her determination to reach orgasmic bliss as often as possible before I surrendered to mine.

The next day she was at the library researching courses she could take. Then at night her father called her again and they had a long conversation.

“Dad says he’ll make some enquiries about courses for me,” she said eagerly when she returned to the living room. “Apparently he has ‘connections’,” and she giggled. Then became serious.

“He’s tried talking with Mum, but she’s obdurate that she’s done the right thing. It’s so sad: they’ve been together for nearly thirty years.”

“Did he actually say he was leaving?” I asked.

“Well, no,” she said, “but he said he didn’t know if he could live with her after this.”

She was so keen and I felt warm all over, and it got me thinking the unthinkable. We were so compatible: we were always touching, patting, stroking each other. We would kiss any time we passed each other, then kiss again. I wanted her and it was clear she wanted me.

I awoke to a fine clear day though cold, we ran our miles together, had breakfast after a joint shower smiling at each other, and everything in life was just fine.

When I got to work I was completely distracted by thoughts of Connie. We were so happy and more to the point, contented with each other that I thought it might be time to commit more fully to her, even though really it was so soon after we had met – two months and a bit – but it just seemed right somehow.

Then there were the problems we’d had thanks to her conniving mother. The spectre of my previous engagement still loomed large in my consciousness, and something in me wanted to leave things as they were, perhaps until well after Easter. Connie seemed happy enough as we were, and really, so was I; why tempt fate?

I needed to talk to someone and that someone had to be Zena.

I talked it over with Zena on the way home from work. Of course she had no problem with the idea.

“Look Graham, you’ve lived with her all the time apart from that silly break in January, which is more than you ever did with Penny. You say yourself that this relationship is completely relaxed, unlike that with Penny. It just isn’t the same situation. There really is no risk here. I think it could only make your relationship deeper and even happier. I’d go for it. Ask her!”

Well, that was positive enough and I could see she was right: we were secure with each other and very happy. Anyway, she could always say no! I could propose on the Valentine’s Weekend.

Then I had a thought, more a memory of the last Valentine’s weekend and a similar proposal to a Roasburie woman. Suddenly I felt an irrational fear about repeating the exercise with another of the same family. No, I’d do it next weekend, before Valentines.

“Connie darling, Valentine’s is a week on Sunday.” I began.

“Yes, I know.”

“Well, last year I proposed to Penny on Valentine’s weekend. I feel it’s cast a shadow over that romantic weekend, so how about we do the romantic dinner for two this Friday, and make a weekend of it this weekend at home?” I asked.

She got all dewey eyed at that, and reached round my neck, pulling me in for a kiss and pressing herself against me. “That sounds just fine,” she said throatily. “I’m different from my sister, but I see your point.”

That settled, it meant I would be able to get a ring – definitely no watches this time round!

I decided on Orchards, and booked a table for Friday, which, though fully booked for the following weekend, had plenty of tables for the week before.

The restaurant held no significance for Connie who had missed the drama of Penny’s second engagement party, and I was damned if I was going to be put off the place that had been my favourite for years and where I was known.

I ‘stole’ the dress ring that Harriet had bought her for Christmas to get the size right, and took the lunch hour to select and buy a ring, with the option of returning it if Connie didn’t like it. It was a simple solitaire diamond on a gold band.

I had no sooner arrived back at my desk when my phone rang.

It was Geoff. Could we meet for lunch the next day, as he had something to discuss with me. The two sisters had heard a lot more from Geoff, who seemed to have rediscovered his family. He didn’t disappear on business trips as often, and we suspected, perhaps unfairly, that he didn’t feel the need to escape the dragon any more.

“Penny told me something and it’s given me an idea,” he began after we had ordered and before the food arrived. I nodded by way of encouraging him to continue.