Part 18 (2/2)

'It was meant to be a compliment, sweetheart,' Nick said gently.

Kathy held her ground as he walked purposefully towards her, his eyes sultry with desire. Cupping her face he touched his lips gently to hers, stroked her cheek with one long finger. 'You tell him then, as soon as you can, and we'll go out next Wednesday, after we've got Ruby and her kids settled in with Matilda.' He paused, looking tormented by indecision. 'I'm going now but I'll see you at one o'clock Wednesday,' he said huskily, putting her firmly away from him. 'Then later at dinner I'll tell you all about myself ... warts 'n' all.'

Kathy darted to press her lips to his mouth, surprising him. Just as quickly she'd skittered back against the table before he could get a firm grip on her. It was her way of thanking him for Ruby and letting him know she was looking forward to getting to know him better.

'It's good to see you, David. You look well.'

'Nice to see you too.' David gave his past love a smile. Rachel seemed keen to be friendly so he stopped to have a chat. He avoided looking at the little b.u.mp of her pregnancy beneath her dress. He sipped bitter, hoping that he appeared blase about this meeting.

'Where's Sam got to?' David glanced around. He'd not seen his cousin amidst the folk crowding his aunt and uncle's front room for about half an hour.

'Probably talking politics with some of the other men.' Rachel sourly mentioned her husband's pet interest. 'Sam told me that you ran into one another a while ago at a Mosley rally.'

'We did ...' David thought it best not to elaborate.

'If I tell you something will you promise not to breathe a word to anybody?' Rachel suddenly whispered.

David darted her a questioning look. Her solemn dark eyes were pinned to his face.

'Oh ... it's not a romantic declaration, David.' Rachel's lips twisted in melancholy amus.e.m.e.nt. 'Don't look so scared.'

David swirled the ale at the bottom of his gla.s.s to avoid her eyes.

'Sam's worrying me,' Rachel stated bluntly.

David frowned, wondering if Sam's political conviction had forced him the wrong side of the law. If so, he'd sooner remain in blissful ignorance of any crime he'd committed.

'It's nothing illegal.' Rachel had read his mind, adding bitterly, 'It's worse than that. He's going off to Spain, and nothing I say will make him change his mind.' Her eyes filled with tears. 'Will you talk to him for me? Please tell him how mean and stupid he's being.'

'Spain?' David echoed, looking mystified. 'What in G.o.d's name for?'

A second later, David blew out his lips in a shocked sigh of enlightenment. Civil War had started recently in Spain, and was stirring up people in Britain who despised Fascist ideology. Sir Oswald Mosley might preach his venom in England but he had his counterparts in Italy and Spain in Mussolini and Franco.

David put a hand on her arm to comfort her, feeling the tremble beneath her sleeve. 'I think he's acting like a fool to even consider it. I'll speak to him, but if he won't listen to you I doubt he'll pay a blind bit of notice to anything I say.'

'Thank you ... that's kind ...' She forced a smile. 'I'll move away now in case people think it's you who's upsetting me. If only they knew the truth ...'

David managed to get Sam alone outside on the garden terrace so they wouldn't be overheard. But his cousin wasn't hiding his irritation at this interference.

'I don't know what you think you're playing at ... your wife's pregnant.' David gestured amazement.

'I'm not ”playing” at anything. It's not a f.u.c.king game, is it?' Sam spat, tipping ale down his throat, then swiping the back of his hand over his mouth. 'You wouldn't understand. I bet you're mired up to your neck in corruption every f.u.c.king day, doing what you're told, like the rest of them, for a quiet life.'

'Now hang on a minute-' David started indignantly.

'No, you hang on a minute. We're Jews so should understand and condemn oppression wherever it's found.' Sam glanced at his family celebrating close by. 'I'm asking you to keep quiet for Rachel's sake 'cos I need some breathing s.p.a.ce to get my affairs in order for her, just in case ...' Sam stared at David, daring him to blab and ruin things.

David gestured defeat. 'I've nothing more to say. I heard you loud and clear: you want to be a martyr.'

'You can hear this too,' Sam snarled. 'You could have kept Rachel if you'd fought a bit harder. It was always you she wanted. Letting me have her was your way of being a martyr, was it?'

Sam strode past into the house, leaving David alone on the terrace.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX.

'I'm glad we can still be friends, David.'

Despite his gruff rea.s.surance that there were no hard feelings, Kathy had glimpsed shock and sadness in David's eyes when she'd told him it was over. It had brought a lump to her throat so she enclosed him in a spontaneous hug rather than comforting him with words. She'd not thought her news would come as a surprise or that he'd take it so badly.

'Any reason to give me?' David asked as they broke apart. He shoved a couple of fingers along the bridge of his nose, waiting for an answer.

'Apart from our families, you mean?' Kathy remarked ruefully. 'They were never going to approve of us settling down together, were they? You'd made out to your folks that we'd already parted, hadn't you?'

David had the grace to appear shamefaced at Kathy's mild accusation.

She moved away a couple of paces, staring sightlessly at the billboard advertising the film. They'd arranged to meet, as they usually did, by the cinema, but she knew neither of them now wanted to go inside for a final time, and sit together side by side in the dark for over an hour.

'Have your parents made you stop seeing me?' Kathy had mentioned that her father in particular had an aversion to policemen, but so did most working-cla.s.s men. As a wealthy merchant's son, David had felt confident his prospects would overrule any objections the Finches had to him because of his faith. The Goldsteins were non-Orthodox Jews who'd put down roots in England centuries ago. He wouldn't have proposed to Kathy and risked a rift with his parents, but his ego was bruised by her rejection; he'd imagined them carrying on as they were for the foreseeable future.

'I haven't seen Mum and Dad recently so they don't yet know we're breaking up,' Kathy answered. 'It's not just about our different upbringings and religions, is it?' Kathy gently pointed out. 'There was a spark between us but it's fizzled out. In fact, I've been wondering if you might have had your eye on another girl.'

A guilty look flitted over David's features, proof enough for Kathy that he had been playing around; it explained his moodiness over past months. Kathy had experienced similar inner conflict when trying to banish Nick Raven from her mind. Now she welcomed thoughts of him, accepting that he was the man she wanted.

'It doesn't matter ... honestly,' Kathy stressed. 'I don't mind if you've got someone else. Actually, I'm glad and wish you both well.'

'You don't know what you're saying, Kathy. If you did, you'd d.a.m.n me to h.e.l.l-' David broke off, frowning into the distance. At first, he'd feared Jennifer might blab to Kathy about their affair out of spite. He'd soon realised the s.l.u.t wouldn't risk losing the regular benefit of her sister's support, or his money. Besides, Jennifer enjoyed the thrill of their filthy sessions as much as he did and wouldn't want them to end because Kathy had discovered they were fornicating behind her back.

Kathy tilted her face, gazing into his eyes. She wouldn't miss his odd cryptic comments, and wondered whether to suggest he buck his ideas up because at times he reminded her of her maudlin sister. 'I'm sorry if I've upset you but things weren't right between us. I'm sure we can both still be happy-'

'Take no notice of me,' David interrupted, shooting her a speculative look. 'Are you keen on another fellow?'

'Somebody has asked me to have dinner with him,' Kathy immediately owned up. 'I'm going out with him next week but I wanted to tell you first rather than do it behind your back.'

A silence developed between them. Kathy realised everything that needed to be said had been said, so changed the subject to something more pleasant. 'Did the Bar Mitzvah go off well?'

David nodded. 'What did you get up to that evening? Did you stay in?'

Kathy knew he was probing to discover if she'd enjoyed herself without him. In fact, she had spent a dismal hour or so that evening with Jennifer, listening to her self-pity. Her sister had hinted she'd find a backstreet butcher to get rid of the baby as she'd had no luck bringing on a miscarriage. Mother Nature seemed unwilling to lend a hand, she'd moaned, and as n.o.body else had offered ... Kathy had received a hateful stare and had left in disgust once she'd reminded Jennifer she wasn't an abortionist.

'Did you stay in after all?' David repeated.

'I wish I had.' Kathy slowly surfaced from her miserable memory. 'I visited Jennifer but soon wished I'd not bothered.'

<script>