“Where’s Dad? I tried to contact him the other day, but I was told that he wasn’t at work,” her son asked.
“Ah, there’s been a problem,” she said, as Jon took the cases from the boot of the car.
“Problem?” asked Jon.
“Come into the warmth. It’s a little tricky to explain,” she said, as we followed her into the hall.
It was a very ‘country’ house. Pictures of hunting scenes and horses featured in most rooms, along with antique furniture and chintzy furnishings. The formal drawing room was like something out of ‘To the Manor Born’, as was the dining room and main hall. A faintly disapproving gentleman in tweed plus fours, holding a brace of pheasants, looked down at the world from his portrait in the hall. The very large kitchen, however, obviously was where most of the activity went on. There was a plasma TV on one wall, and a long wooden table with eight chairs set around it to one side. It was a thoroughly modern kitchen, somehow out of keeping with the rest of the house. It was also the warmest room in the house.
“Cup of something warm and wet?” she asked.
“Tea would be lovely, thanks,” I said, taking off my jacket and fluffing up my too short hair. She glanced at me, frowning slightly. I went over to Jon, took his hand and sat next to him, still holding hands. Sarah filled the kettle, and then switched it on.
“This is very strange for me, as Jon has never really had a girlfriend before, certainly, he’s never brought one back. How did you meet?”
“I was in Paris, having a weekend break, and met Jon at a café near the computer show. He asked me for a meal and things sort of went from there.”
At this, Sarah looked at her son with more than a little surprise on her face.
“Jon asked you out for a meal? My Jon?”
“Yes, I did. What’s so strange with that?”
“Nothing, I never realised you’d grown up so much. I’m pleased. Was it a nice meal?”
“Lovely,” I said, smiling innocently at Jon, who went bright red.
“I understand you were in an accident?”
“Oh, it was awful!” I said, pulling out all the stops. “They said the driver fell asleep at the wheel, so the coach left the road, slid down an embankment and rolled over. I was stabbed by a jagged piece of metal that almost got my kidneys.”
“How terrible, I saw it on the news. Was anyone killed?”
“I don’t think so, but a couple are still in hospital.”
“How did you manage to get back?”
“By air ambulance, it was quite exciting.”
She smiled, but not with her eyes. “So, what do you do for a living, Rebecca?”
“I’m temping at the moment, just until I work out what I want to do.”
“Rebecca comes from Hong Kong. Her father was in the civil service out there before the Chinese took it back. He died some time ago, but Becca’s Mum died in a car crash last year, so Becca has only been here for a short time.”
“Hong Kong? Did you go to school there as well?”
“Yup, ’fraid so. They say it was more British than the British schools.”
“I can imagine. So, do you have any family here at all?”
“My uncle and aunt. They live in Berkshire and he works in London. I’ve been staying with them for a while, before I get my own flat.”
“Ma, where is Dad?” Jon asked, to get away from me as a subject.
“Ah, good question, Jon. To be honest I don’t know.”
“How come? He was working on some hush-hush government project, last I heard.”
“Yes, he was, but the government pulled the plug and withdrew funding, so I think your father has gone to find an alternate source of funds.”
Jon frowned. I don’t think he expected her to be quite so honest. He glanced at me.
“If this is private, I can go up and unpack,” I said.
Sarah sighed deeply and sat down. Suddenly, she didn’t seem so strong, as a great weariness seemed to emanate from her.
“No dear, it’s not really private, more bloody embarrassing. You see, my husband is a very intelligent and gifted physicist, who has a poor grasp on reality. The bloody government is so tight with money that his project foundered. He stupidly approached the Americans to see if they’d help his project, but they dithered and objected to the price. So that left him in the middle of nowhere.”
“Gosh, it sounds all James Bondish.”
“It’s pretty pathetic, really. I blame the government, when it all comes down to it.”
“Surely some big company would leap at the chance of a good project like that? I’m no expert, but the big money is with large corporations with thousands of shareholders, isn’t it?”
Sarah looked at me with a new expression that almost looked like respect.
“Exactly! God, why can’t they leave this sort of thing to us women? Actually, I found an alternate source in big business and put them on the case, but it seems that some unknown party has approached him and persuaded him to go and work for them.”
“Gosh, does that mean he’s been kidnapped?” I said, trying to sound like a young woman with no experience in such matters. It was quite hard, as I wanted to ask about her source.
“God knows, but possibly. I know the Americans and our own security services are probably after him, so it’s all terribly embarrassing and nasty.”
“I’m so sorry, if I’d known, I would have never come down to give you extra worries,” I said.
Sarah shook her head. “It’s all right, Becca, it’s quite refreshing to have someone else around. So, Jonny, how’s university?”
Jon and his mother talked about his course and studies, while I sat and watched her. She gave the impression of being the confused and abandoned wife, but something bothered me. She wasn’t worrying quite enough as I’d expect her to, considering her husband was missing. She never mentioned her particular distrust and dislike of the Americans, so I was sure she knew something she wasn’t sharing.
I made an excuse and went to the loo. On the way back, I checked a few rooms to see what I could find. Nothing immediately shone out, but I saw a PC on a desk in the study. I’d have to come and check it out in the small hours.
I arrived back to be asked a question.
“So, are you two sleeping together?” she asked.
Jon looked embarrassed, so I nodded, trying to go red. I think I succeeded.
“Well, you can have the spare room. It has twin beds, but I can’t be bothered to make up any others just now. I don’t think I really ever expected you to bring home a woman, Jon, so forgive me if I’m a bit old fashioned about things.”
We took the cases up to the room, while Jon was desperately trying to catch my eye. When we were finally alone, he turned to me.
“Why did you say that?”
“I need you close. Besides, any objections to sleeping in the same room as me?”
“No, but my mother thinks we’re, you know,…..”
“Fucking?”
He nodded, going red again.
“Let me tell you a secret, I’m still a virgin, and hope to remain so for a little while longer, so don’t get any ideas.”
His mouth opened and closed a few times.
“I know, you’ve seen me kill people, but that doesn’t mean I’m an easy lay.”
I walked out of the room and returned downstairs. He followed me, shaking his head and trying to apologise. He saw my grin and smiled in relief.
“Do you ride, Rebecca?” Sarah asked me during supper.
Jon and I had gone for a walk with the dogs in the afternoon, attempting to appear like two young people in love. We held hands and I tried to look adoringly into his eyes, but made us both get the giggles. We’d returned and helped Sarah prepare the evening meal, and then sat down to enjoy it.
“I have done, but not for ages.”
“In Hong Kong?”
“I have ridden there,” I admitted, smiling at the memory of my last experience over there. Gnasher Willis and I had ‘borrowed’ a pair of donkeys and raced down a short length of motorway at 3 o’clock in the morning. I can’t recall who won, but we both woke up in the cells of the local nick, to be sprung by Howard the next morning.