The Diamond Dad

CHAPTER NINE

At last it was time for the children to return from Cornwall. After that first delight, Faye was relieved to have their laughter filling the house. The cheerful sound covered the spaces between herself and Garth.

Their passionate lovemaking, so intense and shattering at the time, seemed to have slipped past without leaving any impression on him. Instead of growing closer to her, he'd seemed determined to keep his distance.

The morning afterwards he had been able to speak only of his broken promise. But he'd mentioned that while they had lain together and she'd put his mind at rest. She couldn't recall her own words exactly, but she knew she'd said that she wasn't angry about the promise. His obsession with it next day had made no sense, unless he had been using it as an excuse.

As the days went by she realized that this was the answer. There was a constraint in Garth's manner that hadn't been there before, and he was seldom at home. When they spoke it was usually to discuss the anniversary celebrations that were nearly on them.

One evening he said, 'I'm going to Newcastle tomorrow and I have to leave at seven in the morning. There's no need for you to get up then.'

'All right,' she said quietly. It was obvious that he didn't want her. 'How long will you be away?'

'I might stay overnight. Word's already getting around about the Diamond Range and I'm meeting a consortium that may put in a big order. It'll be a great coup if 1 bring it off before the range is even launched.'

'That's wonderful,' she said politely. 'Will you be going in the plane?'

'No, someone's driving me up. I can make calls in the back of the car without being disturbed.'

She was awake before Garth left next morning and lay listening to him moving about downstairs, until the front door closed and she heard him drive away.

Sunk in her own thoughts she barely heard the children chattering over breakfast, but at last the word 'zoo' reached her.

'What, darling?' she asked Cindy.

'Daddy said he's taking us to the zoo on Saturday. He will be back by then, won't he, Mummy?'

'I'm sure he will, pet. He's due back tomorrow.'

But she wondered if Garth had remembered the zoo. He'd mentioned staying over for one night, but that might stretch to a second. It would be wise to send him a reminder. Mary, his secretary, would be in Newcastle with him, but she had an office junior whom Faye could telephone.

But when she called his headquarters, she found herself talking to Mary herself. She was friendly, and one of the few people in the office whom Faye found congenial.

'I thought you'd have gone away with Garth,' Faye said.

'I was supposed to but I've got family problems at the moment,' Mary told her. 'I'd rather not be away overnight. Luckily Lysandra came to my rescue.'

'You mean-Lysandra has gone with him?'

'Yes, wasn't that kind of her?'

'Very kind,' Faye murmured.

She gave her message, which Mary promised to deliver, and hung up, trying to silence the disquiet in her breast. She'd settled with herself that she wasn't jealous of Lysandra, so what did it matter? After the divorce, Garth could marry anyone he liked.

'Oh, no, he can't!' she said suddenly, aloud. 'I'm not having that woman become stepmother to my children.'

It was a relief to know the reason for her disturbance.

It was good to have the children home and she was determined to make the most of their company. A shopping trip in town turned into a spending spree and they returned with new trainers and sweaters with zoo animals printed on them. They immediately put them on and headed for the garden.

'Hey, save those sweaters for the zoo,' Faye called. 'You'll get them dirty out there.'

'We won't, Mummy, honestly,' Adrian called, but even as he spoke he was tussling with Barker for the ball. He finally got it out of the dog's mouth, and rubbed his hand over the elephant's head on his chest.

'Never mind,' Faye grinned. 'I can always wash them before Saturday.'

Barker was like a child himself, bouncing and rolling about, chasing after every ball and uttering deafening barks of delight. The trust and understanding between the three of them was lovely to see.

'Tea in fifteen minutes,' Faye called, and went into the kitchen. She reached up for Barker's dry biscuits, for she knew he couldn't bear to be left out of a meal. He was especially fond of the red ones, so she took two red ones apart. Always afterwards it was imprinted in her memory how she'd smiled as she'd set the biscuits by the kettle in the last split second before the world was turned upside down.

At first she hardly registered that Barker had suddenly made a different sound. But then it was followed by a dreadful scream from Cindy and the little girl came flying into the kitchen.

'Mummy, Mummy! Come quickly/'

Barker was lying on his side, heaving, his eyes full of pain. 'He was running and he just stopped and fell over,' Adrian cried.

Til call the vet,' Faye said urgently and raced back to the house. Adrian came with her but Cindy stayed with Barker, holding his head in her arms and murmuring comfort.

'They're sending an ambulance for him,' she told Adrian. 'It'll be here any moment. They'll make him better.'

She tried to sound convinced, but she knew what had happened, and how it would probably end. But she would protect her children until the last moment.

Then Adrian said, 'Someone at school saw his grandfather have a heart attack and he told us what happened.'

Their eyes met and she saw how grown up her son was. 'Yes,' she said. 'I think Barker's had a heart attack. He's quite old.'

Adrian's eyes were wet and he closed them for a moment while his hand groped for Faye's. When he opened them he said, 'We mustn't tell Cindy yet. She's just a child.'

'The vet's very good,' Faye said. 'Barker might come through it.'

The ambulance arrived and two attendants moved the dog gently onto a stretcher. Cindy walked beside him, stroking his head and fighting back her tears in case he should see them and be dismayed. She never doubted that he understood human reactions.

'I'm going with him,' she said, preparing to climb into the ambulance.

'No, darling, they've got things to do for him in there,' Faye said. 'We'll follow right behind in the car.'

On the journey Cindy's tears flowed unrestrained. Faye saw Adrian put his arms around her. His own face was pale and set.

'You did this!' Faye said to Garth in her mind. 'You broke their hearts and I'll never forgive you for it.'

At the hospital the intensive care room was all ready for them. Miss McGeorge examined Barker carefully, listening to his chest, pulling back the lids of his eyes, which had closed.

'X-ray his chest,' she told Andy, her assistant. 'As soon as that's done give him an injection of painkiller, and put him on a drip.'

'Is he going to be all right?' Adrian asked tensely.

Miss McGeorge hesitated. 'He's old,' she said, 'and I think it's bad. We'll do our best, but…'

It seemed an age while they waited for the results of Barker's X-rays. The children were unusually quiet, but their tight grip on their mother's hand revealed their distress and their need of her.

At last Miss McGeorge emerged and her heavy face told the whole story. 'I'm afraid it was a massive heart attack,' she said. 'There's really no chance for him. It might be kinder to put him to sleep now.'

'No!' Cindy's cry of agony was like a sword cutting through the words. 'He's got to stay alive. He's got to.'

'Darling-' Faye put her arms about the child '-he's suffering now-'

'But he wouldn't if they made him well,' she sobbed. 'I love him, Mummy. He can't die, not if I love him. Make them save him.'

'I don't know how,' she said helplessly.

'But Daddy will.' The tears were still rolling down Cindy's face, but suddenly it was illuminated by hope. 'Daddy will know what to do, because he gave me Barker. Please, Mummy, call him.'