GHOST LOVE

CHAPTER FOUR

Joan spoke highly of her and said that despite Vanessa's buoyancy and apparent resilience, she was still vulnerable in the same way that all children were vulnerable when they were missing the love of at least one parent.

"I don't think there's really anything much wrong," the speaker remarked. The Matron reassured Mrs. Good as she looked at her with a warm smile. It's possible that "a few days in bed and some spoiling" will do wonders for your health.

A few days spent lounging around in bed! Joan let out a groan as she attempted to contain her shock. This meant that two more precious days would have to be taken away from her vacation time. Smith would be beside himself with rage. She was able to make arrangements with a neighbor who lived close to her who was willing to look after the twins for her during the school holidays, but this year she was unable to do so because she was away visiting her parents, and Joan had her doubts that Frank, in his current state of mind, would allow anyone other than herself to care for the children.

The matron proclaimed, "Some country air, that will bring the roses back to his cheeks."

"Mummy, is it possible for us to go to the countryside?" On the way back to the house, Frank begged. Even though he had perked up when he saw her, he continued to look uninterested, which made Joan's heart strike her. A poor little scrap, his illness was very real despite the fact that it was primarily caused by emotional rather than physical unwellness.

She conceded defeat and said, "All right, but remember that Lisa might have changed her mind."

Vanessa made the point, using reasoning that could not be refuted, that "She said we could," and that "People should always do things when they say they will."

Another sigh was kept in check by Joan. As of right now, she did not feel capable of explaining to her daughter the ethics that govern adult behavior, and her mood sank even further when she arrived at home and discovered that Smith had parked his car outside.

When he saw her pull up, he ran over to the Mini Cooper and greeted her.

"Well, how is the injured soldier doing?" He asked Frank's question in a friendly manner, but with his eyes narrowed and a certain grimness that triggered Joan's defense mechanisms.

His calm statement that "You fuss too much," which he said as she unlocked the front door and hurried the twins into the kitchen, confirmed her impressions of him. "He seems to be on the level to me," I said.

Frank shared some pertinent information with Smith by stating, "Matron said I was to have two days at home." "Mummy is going to spend the night with me, and then we are going to spend the weekend in the country," I told her.

"Are you at this time? Is that what you say it is, "Mummy?" Smith demanded in an angry tone. "Funny, but I had the clear impression that you and I had a date for this weekend," you might say.

Smith was reminded by Joan that she had never made a promise that she would show up. She acted childishly behind her back by crossing her fingers and saying, "As it happens, we've been invited away for the weekend," and she continued by saying, "And in light of Frank's illness, I feel that it would do them both good to get away from Germany."

‘Really?’ Anger kindled in his eyes. ‘Now isn’t that just a dandy get-out? Well, let me lay it on the line for you, Joan. I want you and you damn well know it. I’m not prepared to play games either.’

Joan felt sick. Here came the crunch; the inevitable catastrophe she had been trying to avoid for weeks.

‘Meaning?’ she forced herself to say.

‘You know what I mean,’ Smith replied in a low voice.

‘And if I don’t agree?’

His answer was simply to glower at her before flinging the door open and striding angrily through it.

She had known it had to come, and Smith ’s attitude had only reinforced all her own doubts about the feasibility of her continuing to work for him, but she could not deny that giving up her job at this particular minute in time was something she simply could not afford to do.

‘Why are you looking like that, Mummy?’ Frank demanded suddenly. "Does your stomach feel funny too?" the doctor asked.

"Kind of," she agreed with a wry smile. If you aren't feeling well, you should probably go lay down somewhere, so get on with it.

When she finally made up her mind to accept Lisa's invitation for the weekend, it was well into the evening before she called her. Joan came to the conclusion that they had nothing to lose by going, and moreover, she felt completely incapable of coping with the twins' disappointment if she were to refuse to go.

When Lisa thanked her for the invitation and then accepted it, she seemed overjoyed at the prospect.

Joan cautioned her, saying, "You'll have to give me directions on how to find the place," which meant that she would need specific instructions. "Which location did you say it was in?"

Lisa informed her with a light tone that they were in the Cotswolds. "But you shouldn't be concerned about how to get there. If you could just let me know when it would be most convenient for you to be picked up and give me your address, I'll have someone come get you.

When Joan was on the verge of saying no, she recalled the expensive BMW that she had seen parked in front of the school and thought about how luxurious it would be to be driven in a car like that. Lisa had mentioned her chauffeur, so it was almost certain that he would be responsible for this responsibility.

They talked for a few minutes, and when Joan finally brought up her job, Lisa's reaction was clear: she was very impressed. She uttered the name with awe in her voice, "Smith Saunders?" 'You lucky thing! He has a very alluring presence, don't you think? Although I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him in person, I am familiar with his work.

Who hasn't done it? Dryly, Joan nodded in agreement. A lot of people were interested in reading about Smith and his current female companion in the gossip columns.