Chapter 23

Saturday 6th to Sunday 14th February 1971

I did not fully realise how efficient, thorough, wealthy and influential Geoff Roasburie was, but I soon found out. From late Saturday morning (we slept in after a longer and more intense than usual carnal celebration of our engagement the night before), when Connie phoned her father to accept his generous offer, it was only two hours before he was back.

He asked could she attend with him for an interview at the university first thing on Monday morning followed by a briefing to discuss whether to re-sit the exams in May, or wait for the re-sits at the end of August. Then they would do some flat hunting before returning that night.

How did he manage all that planning on a Saturday? Or had he arranged it all before talking to me? That was thought-provoking.

Connie was also rather taken aback at the speed of things.

“What do you think?” she asked me. “Should I go?”

“You’ve made the decision to go back. Of course you should go. You need all the time you can get to catch up, so the sooner you get started the better.”

It then struck me that I had never asked her what she had been studying at university when she dropped out, though I had a vague memory she had told me, something about Social History?

“I never asked, or I’ve forgotten,” I said penitently. “What were you doing at Keele?”

“I was doing English and Social History,” she said. “I did OK in course work until Easter, but I failed the first year exams. I just didn’t revise. My fault. Partying.”

That night Connie burrowed into my chest wanting cuddles.

“I’m afraid,” she said, quite plaintively, stroking my chest. She gazed into my eyes and she was right, she was frightened.

“Connie,” I assured her quietly, “you are highly intelligent. You handled all your coursework well and you weren’t even trying the last time. You only fell at the exams. This time you’ve got a strong incentive to succeed, and after last time and what followed you’ll make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. Listen to what they offer, you can’t lose really.”

“Hmm,” she muttered, unconvinced, but settled in my arms and fell asleep, leaving me awake and wondering what the future held for us.

We were up early and forwent our run on Monday, so as to be ready for Geoff, ate a cereal breakfast and were ready when he arrived at seven. Connie was still uncertain and fearful. We hugged and I stroked her hair.

“Trust me,” I whispered to her while Geoff looked on uncertainly. “Everything will turn out fine. This is your big chance. Go for it!”

She smiled kissed me fervently, and went with her father, who nodded at me with a glance at her: he understood. I nodded back and I could not read his smile. A little niggle about what he true motives might be. After all, he was a Roasburie.

I went to work, and to my surprise was able to concentrate, which was a relief after my poor performance the previous week. At lunchtime, taken this time ‘on the hoof’ as I sought to make the progress I lacked previously, all three of my ladies visited me to the envy of every male on that floor.

“Well?” asked Colette.

I raised an eyebrow, “Well what?”

“Did you?”

“Did I–”

“You know, come on Graham.”

“Connie and I are engaged.”

She squealed, loudly, hugged me and left.

Then Harriet: “Hi Graham!”

“Yes, we are!”

She was puzzled for a moment then broke into a grin. “I’m so pleased,” she said and kissed me. Hard. “Good!” she said, and left.

I abandoned work in favour of a sandwich and a coffee, waiting for Zena.

“Great, just great!” she said with a broad smile on arrival, “You’re just right for each other.” Then, “The other matter? Any news on that?”

“She’s gone to Keele with her father for an interview.”

Her face fell, but recovered quickly, and I understood her feelings, since they reflected my own. Zena and I thought alike on many things, which is why we got on so well together. We were like brother and sister.

“I think on balance things will be different with her,” she said, and it wasn’t just to encourage me. “She knows this is her main chance – with you as well as the degree.”

“I think and hope so too,” I replied, shrugged, and took another bite from my sandwich.

She ruffled my hair and left me to my lunch with no further comment.

However, it was clear the girls had been talking, for mid afternoon Colette burst in again.

“No!” she cried, “Graham, you can’t let her go – it’s a recipe for disaster. She’ll find someone–”

“Colette, calm down. Look, she’s not her sister; she needs this chance. If she finds someone else, that’s life; I can’t stop her taking this opportunity, now can I?”

“No,” she said on reflection, “I suppose not, but I don’t see this ending well for you.”

“As I said, that’s life. Que sera, etc.”

She wandered off, subdued, leaving me to try to concentrate on my own work. While I might have sounded resigned, phlegmatic and unworried, I felt anything but. I could see a real prospect of history repeating itself in some way and it depressed me.

Zena made no further comment on the way home, which if anything made things worse. She could have said there was little likelihood of Connie drifting away or finding someone else, but she didn’t, and so I was feeling depressed and pessimistic by the time I was seated at home with a mug of tea.

My feelings were not helped by a little subterfuge I perpetrated at lunchtime that day. I went to ‘Burns Investigations’ and showing my clerk’s ID from the practice, asked if they had another copy of the investigation into Graham Proctor. Yes, they had two more copies, with the photo’s. I paid cash and took one of the documents and the photo’s.

As I suspected, Burns’s report had not been altered by them, and the dates all related to the spring and summer. The photo’s were undated but referenced to the document. The changes had been made after the report had been received. It had been professionally typed and had followed Burns’s style, and I concluded that either the Dragon had commissioned an experienced typist, or it had been done by Kieran Walsh and his loyal secretary. It remained to check the machine Walsh’s secretary used against the copy that Penny had.

I would keep my knowledge to myself until I needed it.

Connie phoned me from a phone box but only had time to say she’d be late, before the pips went. She did sign off with her love. I felt better just for hearing her voice.

I defrosted a stew, made some dumplings and settled to some work I’d brought home to catch up after my unproductive day. It was ten o’clock when I heard the key in the lock, and she bustled in, shouting she was home.

I emerged. She was carrying a box, and Geoff was behind her with another.

“Hi, Graham!” he grinned. “I must be off. She’ll tell you all the news. Bye!”

I returned the farewell, and moved to the kitchen to heat her food.

“Dad and I had dinner on the way home,” she said, coming into the kitchen. I turned the gas off.

“Oh,” I said flatly.

“You didn’t wait for... ? Oh you did! I’m so sorry, darling.” She came to me and hugged and kissed me softly on my lips. Go and sit down, I’ll get you your dinner.”

“Don’t do the stew,” I said dully, “there’s too much for one. It’ll keep till tomorrow. I’ll make a sandwich. Go and unpack whatever it is you’ve brought home.”

I saw her deflate. She had been full of her news when she arrived now she looked disappointed and wandered off. I made a stilton and salad sandwich and opened a bottle of Shiraz, and sat to eat it at the kitchen table.

She came back in, her face creased with worry. I picked the bottle up as an invitation and she nodded. I poured her a glass and she sat down opposite me.

“Graham I’m sorry,” she pleaded. “I didn’t think you’d wait.”

“It’s OK,” I said patiently. “So, are you going to tell me how it went?”

She glanced at my face before she began, much of her eagerness had evaporated: now she looked uncertain.

“I didn’t realise how much influence Daddy has at Keele, it seems he was heavily involved with the whole planning and building of the new university buildings, and the alteration of the older ones, or rather his company was – though since it’s his company...”

She tailed off, than gained new energy.

“I’m reinstated on the same course and all my previous marks and assessments stand, though if I do any assessments before May and the marks are better, they’ll supersede my old ones. Most of the books and material are still the same, though there are a few changes. I’m going to sit first year exams in May/June with the option to re-sit in August if I fail any elements. They understand there’s a lot to do before May.

“I’ve been assigned to a pastoral tutor, Desmond Franks, who is going to supervise me. He’s a PhD, I think he’s in the Maths department. I was surprised at how young he was: he’s about your age. Nice man, I have to see him weekly since I’m in a different position from the rest of the students.”

She paused and looked uncertain again.

“Graham,” she said earnestly, and then stopped, looking uncertainly at me.

I nodded an encouragement.

“Well, I don’t know how to say this, but Desmond said I should start immediately.”

It was like a bolt of lightning. I’d suspected it in a theoretical way, but now it was real. I’d thought we had a few months together before she left, but those hopes were now dashed. My face gave me away for she immediately looked distressed.

“I don’t have to...” she faltered, “If you want...”

I knew what I had to say, though it was with a feeling of dread. “So when are you going?”

“Next weekend. Daddy wants to take me, but would you? I mean I’d prefer it to be you.”

I started to get the feeling that ‘Daddy’ wanted to take over her life from me, and I wondered whether, like his wife, he thought she could do better for herself than shack up with me. I asked the question.

“Did you tell him about us – our engagement?”

“Yes.” She said no more but her face showed my suspicions were right. This was the second time he’d taken her away.

“That bad eh?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know what he’s thinking, but he wasn’t ... enthusiastic. He said something about university might change my mind.”

“And you said?”

“I said I wasn’t changing. You were all I’d ever want in a husband, friend and companion. He didn’t say anything to that.”

I decided to move on. “Where are you staying?”

“They’ve just built new student accommodation on campus, and some of them are individual flats. There were some just finished that will be offered in September, so they are vacant, and I’ve got one. Daddy’s paid up till the end of the academic year, and if I still like it I’ve got the option for next year.

“Daddy said one of the rules was that visitors were not allowed to stay overnight in the flats, so I said we’d have to look elsewhere because you would be staying over most weekends. He went and made a phone call and came back to say that married couples had an exemption, but since we were engaged, you could stay.”

I privately wondered if that was a fiction, and my suspicions about Geoff’s motives deepened. Unlike his wife he kept his feelings in, and perhaps then he worked to get things done the way he wanted. I resolved it would pay to be more watchful around him. He was more clever than his wife.

“The boxes?” I inquired.

“Books!” she cried. “Lots of books, and stationery. Daddy bought me a typewriter, but I left that in the flat. There’s course stuff from the English and History departments I’ve got to read.”

She was so excited! Then she calmed.

“I’m just beginning to realise how much work there is to do to get on track. I don’t think I’m going to be very good company until June. There’s so much to remember: thank goodness Daddy saved my work when Mother wanted to throw it all away. He brought it with him this morning.”