Chapter 2

Wendy Waters was excited. She had been appalled that her son had killed an innocent woman and, she assumed, caused grief to her husband. Even though she had long ago given up trying to influence let alone control Rick he was her flesh and blood. She somehow felt responsible and wanted to do something to help. She had thought long and hard and had eventually come up with the idea of offering her services as housekeeper to Mr Richards. After that she had to overcome her shyness but in the end she had plucked up the courage to write to him. She was pretty sure that he would not bother to reply but he had and she was thrilled. On the other hand she was nervous as well. It might just be that all he wanted to do was tear her off a strip but she felt he would hardly invite her to lunch to do that. He could have done it over the phone. Instead he had sounded friendly.

Then another thought struck her. What if that friendliness had just been put on to lure her to his house and then he would imprison her and take his revenge on Rick through her. She laughed at herself but the thought continued to nag her all the next day. She decided that she would ask to see the house and her accommodation before accepting. If he wanted to take her back to see it after lunch she would say she had to go back to work but that she would be free the following afternoon and would ask to bring a friend.

Tim got to the Penny Whistler early and ordering a pint of bitter found a table from which he could watch the door. Shortly after quarter to one a small dark-haired woman came in and looked uncertainly around. Tim went over to her.

"Ms Waters?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes," she replied shyly.

Tim, still smiling, held his hand out. "Tim Richards," he said. "Well, at least we've managed to find each other.

She smiled back and shook his hand.

"Can I get you something to drink?" he asked.

"Could I have a coke?" She was still shy.

"Of course you can. Look. Why don't you sit down over there and guard my beer while I get it and pick up a menu at the same time?"

She smiled gratefully at him and did as he suggested. He joined her a couple of minutes later.

"Well, I must say, your letter was a complete surprise. You must have given it a lot of thought."

She nodded and gave the hint of the smile. "It was quite a surprise to me. It took a long time to pluck up the courage to write it. I-I thought it might upset you."

"It didn't although I must admit my first reaction was to bin it but it intrigued me. I talked about it to my daughter and son and they both said the same: "Meet her and see if you think it might work. So, being a good obedient father I did. I wondered whether you'd have written it if you weren't ashamed of your son."

She shook her head. "Probably not. I..."she looked down, took a deep breath and then looked resolutely at him. "I think it might have been revenge as well as shame. As I said in my letter, by the time he was twelve I couldn't handle him and later, when he was fifteen and bigger and stronger than me, he started to slap me around if I disagreed or tried to tell him to do something. I-I hated him in the end."

Richard was horrified. "You poor thing," he said gently. "That's awful."

Wendy shrugged. "Single mum. No dad to do the discipline."

Richard shook his head. He was out of his depth. It was the sort of thing you read about in the papers and tut-tutted about but might have been in another world. He felt slightly humbled and had to pull himself together.

"What are you going to eat?" he asked. "I'm going to have a bacon and Stilton baguette but if you want fish and chips or something go ahead. It's just that I'm not a big eater in the middle of the day."

Wendy took her time studying the menu largely to regain her composure. She was not sure she had not overdone things with that outburst. In fact it had done just the opposite.

"Poor girl!" thought Tim. "She needs to get away from her house with all its ghastly memories and do something more than just punching a cash register."

He studied her more closely as she pored over the menu. Small and dark he had registered when he had met her. She had liquid brown eyes and they showed everything: shyness, anger and even a little laughter. She was painfully thin as was her face. It was not lined as such but showed strain and deprivation. He wanted to help her.

She looked up at him shyly again. "Would it be all right if I had the burger and chips?"

"Of course it would. If you don't mind me saying so, you look as though you could do with several burgers and chips."

That remark, following on from his sympathy moments earlier, relaxed her and she answered with a smile, "No. I need to watch the cholesterol levels or something."

Richard laughed, a mixture of relief and amusement.

"I'll go and order," he said. "Another coke? I'm going to have another half."

"Yes please."

He smiled and went up to the bar.

"Now then," he said with a smile as he came back to their table, "we need to get down to brass tacks. I'm sure you know how to keep a house clean and tidy. What about cooking?"

Wendy grimaced. "I can do the basics but I've never done specials because I've never had the money. I mean I've never grilled a steak but I'm sure I could.

"I'd make sure you could," grinned Richard.

She smiled back. "I couldn't do anything à la this and that but I'm sure I can learn. I enjoy cooking."

"Can you drive?"

She shook her head. "Couldn't afford the lessons. Couldn't afford a car for that matter."

Tim nodded understandingly.

Their food arrived and both tucked in. Tim noticed that Wendy was little short of ravenous. He found he had taken a liking to this young woman. She seemed honest, straightforward, intelligent and amusing. He was clear that she was not on the make. Her offer had been genuine. If she was willing he'd take her on for a three month trial period.

"Would you like a pudding?" he asked when she had finished which was not long after he had finished his much smaller baguette.

Her eyes lit up but then, feeling that she might be seen as taking advantage of him, she shook her head.

"No thanks," she replied.

"Rubbish!" he grinned. "Your eyes gave you away. Go on. What would you like?" He handed her the menu. "Sticky toffee pudding, I bet."

She looked down for a moment then back up, her eyes sparkling. "It's one of my favourites."

"Then have it."

They waited until their plates were cleared and then Tim asked for one sticky toffee pudding.

"Now then," he said. "It's all been one-sided so far. It's your turn to ask me. I think you also ought to come out and see the house before you make a decision."

"Uh oh!" thought Wendy. "This was where I thought things might go wrong."

She plucked up her courage. "You'd want me to cook, clean and do the washing and ironing?"

"Possibly a bit of gardening if you're interested."

Wendy nodded. "Um, would you, um, want me to sleep with you?"