You must want it as much as I do; it must be a joint thing/Aspiring candidates are judged on their wives as much as on their own merits.'
'But what if I'm pregnant? What if you want another baby?' was all Lucie could think of to say. Seton laughed. 'Even MPs are capable of fathering children. If you'd like a demonstration...'
He reached to pull her down to kiss her, but for the first time since their marriage she pushed him away. 'You really want this, don't you?'
'Yes. Very much. What do you say?'
She switched off the light, not wanting him to see the worry hi her eyes. ‘I’ll think about it.'
But that wasn't what she thought about as she heard him fall asleep beside her. Seton had seldom asked anything of her; it had always been he who had given her everything she wanted. But now he was asking for this great commitment from her, asking her to back him in something that he really wanted. And such a career would be exactly right for him; he would make a hard-working, dedicated MP. But who would want him if they knew that she had been to prison? If she told Seton tonight, he would immediately back down, withdraw his name. He would lose his one chance to achieve the ambition of a lifetime—and all because she had let him down. Lucie put off giving him a decision for as long as she could. Seton was very patient but the local party wasn't and demanded an answer. There was only one she could give; Lucie had known that all along. Maybe she had been waiting for a miracle, for the party or Seton to change his mind, but life was short on miracles. She agreed that he should go ahead, that he should try to fulfill his ambition.
Only a short time later, when Seton had been selected to contest the next election, the phone rang while Lucie was doing the housework one afternoon. 'Hello?'
'Mrs Lucie Wallace?' It was a man's voice, stiff, formal.
'Yes. Who's calling?'
The voice changed, became silky, the London accent showing as the man said, 'Why, Lucie, darlin', don't you remember me?'
And she knew that Rick Ravena had found her.
CHAPTER THREE
LUCIE stood completely frozen, numb with shock. But then Rick started to speak again and she immediately slammed down the phone. All the strength seemed to have gone from her legs and Lucie staggered out of the kitchen, her arms held out before her, like a blind person groping her way. Reaching the downstairs cloakroom, she leaned against the wall, fighting sickness, her breath coming in agonised gasps of terror and despair. Dimly she heard the phone start to ring again and then stop as the answering machine cut in. Panic seized her. She mustn't let him leave a message. She had to stop him. Half running, half falling, Lucie went into Seton's study, crashed down onto her knees and yanked the plug of the answering machine from its socket. Then, with hands that were shaking uncontrollably, she scrabbled at the machine, sobbing in frustration when she couldn't open it at first, but at last took out the cassette. Still on her knees, she crawled back into the kitchen, pulled things haphazardly out of a cupboard until she found a large saucepan. Her breath still coming in moaning sobs, Lucie tore the endless snake of tape loose from the cassette, put it in the saucepan and somehow managed to find the matches and set light to it.
Leaning back against a cupboard, she watched the tape flame, tears running down her face and choked by sobs. She put her head in her hands, knowing that her peace was broken, her happiness gone. For about half an hour Lucie just sat there, crouched into herself, but then she heard the clock in the hall strike four and knew that Sam, who was at Anna's house playing with her son, Adam, would be brought home soon.
She mustn't let him see her like this, mustn't let Anna realise that anything was wrong. Hauling herself to her feet, Lucie picked up the saucepan and took the remains of the cassette out to the dustbin, burying it deep. The saucepan went into the dishwasher
'But what if I'm pregnant? What if you want another baby?' was all Lucie could think of to say. Seton laughed. 'Even MPs are capable of fathering children. If you'd like a demonstration...'
He reached to pull her down to kiss her, but for the first time since their marriage she pushed him away. 'You really want this, don't you?'
'Yes. Very much. What do you say?'
She switched off the light, not wanting him to see the worry hi her eyes. ‘I’ll think about it.'
But that wasn't what she thought about as she heard him fall asleep beside her. Seton had seldom asked anything of her; it had always been he who had given her everything she wanted. But now he was asking for this great commitment from her, asking her to back him in something that he really wanted. And such a career would be exactly right for him; he would make a hard-working, dedicated MP. But who would want him if they knew that she had been to prison? If she told Seton tonight, he would immediately back down, withdraw his name. He would lose his one chance to achieve the ambition of a lifetime—and all because she had let him down. Lucie put off giving him a decision for as long as she could. Seton was very patient but the local party wasn't and demanded an answer. There was only one she could give; Lucie had known that all along. Maybe she had been waiting for a miracle, for the party or Seton to change his mind, but life was short on miracles. She agreed that he should go ahead, that he should try to fulfill his ambition.
Only a short time later, when Seton had been selected to contest the next election, the phone rang while Lucie was doing the housework one afternoon. 'Hello?'
'Mrs Lucie Wallace?' It was a man's voice, stiff, formal.
'Yes. Who's calling?'
The voice changed, became silky, the London accent showing as the man said, 'Why, Lucie, darlin', don't you remember me?'
And she knew that Rick Ravena had found her.
CHAPTER THREE
LUCIE stood completely frozen, numb with shock. But then Rick started to speak again and she immediately slammed down the phone. All the strength seemed to have gone from her legs and Lucie staggered out of the kitchen, her arms held out before her, like a blind person groping her way. Reaching the downstairs cloakroom, she leaned against the wall, fighting sickness, her breath coming in agonised gasps of terror and despair. Dimly she heard the phone start to ring again and then stop as the answering machine cut in. Panic seized her. She mustn't let him leave a message. She had to stop him. Half running, half falling, Lucie went into Seton's study, crashed down onto her knees and yanked the plug of the answering machine from its socket. Then, with hands that were shaking uncontrollably, she scrabbled at the machine, sobbing in frustration when she couldn't open it at first, but at last took out the cassette. Still on her knees, she crawled back into the kitchen, pulled things haphazardly out of a cupboard until she found a large saucepan. Her breath still coming in moaning sobs, Lucie tore the endless snake of tape loose from the cassette, put it in the saucepan and somehow managed to find the matches and set light to it.
Leaning back against a cupboard, she watched the tape flame, tears running down her face and choked by sobs. She put her head in her hands, knowing that her peace was broken, her happiness gone. For about half an hour Lucie just sat there, crouched into herself, but then she heard the clock in the hall strike four and knew that Sam, who was at Anna's house playing with her son, Adam, would be brought home soon.
She mustn't let him see her like this, mustn't let Anna realise that anything was wrong. Hauling herself to her feet, Lucie picked up the saucepan and took the remains of the cassette out to the dustbin, burying it deep. The saucepan went into the dishwasher
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