By
Jan
Chapter 6
The following morning Nikki arose early and packed an
overnight case. She had a business meeting in the afternoon then tickets for
the theatre in the evening. The tickets had been a surprise for Marcia and since
she didn’t know whom else to take and the American had really wanted to see the
show she had given in and called her.
As she reached the front door she heard Helen speak
her name behind her.
“Miss Wade.”
Nikki smiled at Helen’s formality. She turned, her
heart pounding and looked at the lovely Scot questioningly.
“You’re off then?” Helen smiled nervously.
Nikki nodded. “I’ll be gone a couple of days. Get in
touch with me if you need anything. Anything at all.”
“I think we’ll be OK.” Helen looked around her,
wanting to delay Nikki’s departure but not knowing how. She couldn’t believe
the alien feelings Nikki was stirring inside her and she knew once the woman
had gone through the front door a sense of desolation would fill her. “Are you
doing anything nice this evening?”
“I’m taking Marcia to the theatre,” Nikki told her.
“Oh, I see,” Helen muttered stiffly then added as an
afterthought. “Hope you enjoy it.” But she didn’t hope they enjoyed it. She
hoped they would have as miserable a time as she was going to have imagining
them together.
“Thanks, I’m sure we will,” Nikki replied, blissfully
unaware of Helen’s feelings. “She’s been waiting to see it long enough.”
“Well, you’d better not keep her waiting any longer then,”
Came the sarcastic reply.
Nikki frowned. “Is something wrong?”
Helen shook her head. “I’d better go and check on
Emma.” She turned away and started to
go upstairs but Nikki’s voice stopped her.
“Does my taking Marcia out upset you in some way?”
Nikki asked hopefully.
“Of course not. Why on earth should it?” Helen snapped
as she looked at her and tried to stop herself from blushing.
“No reason. I’d better go or I’ll be late for my
meeting,” Nikki replied abruptly. With that she picked up her bag, opened the
door and was gone.
Helen lowered herself onto the stairs and held her
hand up in front of her face. She was shaking and she didn’t know why. She
clasped her hands together and held them to her chest trying to stop the
turmoil of emotions coursing through her body. No one in her life before had
had the effect on her Nikki Wade was having now. She had never looked at
another woman, not in that way at any rate. She knew Nikki was interested in
her but what sort of life could she give the children, bringing them up in a
relationship with another woman? She rose slowly from the stairs. She had to do
what was right for the children and find another job quickly and put as much
distance as possible between herself and the woman who was beginning to fill
all her thoughts.
“Thank you, Nikki. That was the most wonderful
evening! ” Marcia gushed as they emerged from the theatre.
“My pleasure. Good show, wasn’t it?” Nikki agreed.
The American linked arms with her and held onto her
possessively as they walked along. “Play your cards right and it could be your
pleasure,” she replied suggestively.
Nikki stopped walking and took a deep breath. She had
to tell Marcia now and not keep her dangling. “I’m sorry, Marcia,” she began
hesitantly. “There’s someone else.”
Marcia released her hold on Nikki’s arm and turned on
her angrily. “You’ve been seeing someone behind my back?” she demanded.
Nikki laughed incredulously. “Hardly behind you’re
back. You and I split up, remember?”
“I know we’ve been going through a bad patch…”
“It was more than a bad patch, Marcia,” Nikki
interrupted quickly. “It was never going to work between us. I like you as a
friend but that’s it.”
“Who is she?” the American spat angrily.
“It’s Helen,” Nikki replied with a sheepish smile.
“Helen?” Marcia repeated with a frown then her face
cleared. “You mean that mousy little thing who takes care of your grandmother?”
Nikki pursed her lips, stifling an angry retort. Helen
was anything but mousy. She was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
“You are crazy to get mixed up with her!” Marcia
exclaimed.
“Leave it, Marcia!” Nikki hissed warningly.
“She doesn’t care about you,” Marcia continued,
relentless. “You’ll just be a meal ticket for her and her three brats!”
“If you’re going to insult her, I think we’d better
part here and now and you can get a cab back to your hotel!” Nikki retorted. As
if to add weight to her words she flagged down a passing taxi.
Marcia got into the taxi without a word but glared at
Nikki as she slammed the door. As the taxi sped away she sank back into the
upholstery, a faint smile touching her lips. Nikki would soon get tired of her
little Scottish mouse but if she didn’t…well, there was more than one way to
get rid of a mouse!
With Nikki gone the house seemed strangely empty and,
although it had only been overnight, Helen was missing her more than she
thought possible.
Colin had telephoned and asked her out. An invitation
she had impulsively accepted when Maddy had thoughtfully offered to look after
the children for her. When she’d had time to think about it she wished she had
refused. She couldn’t stand another evening like the last one they had had
together.
She was in the
kitchen preparing Emma’s afternoon tea tray. The old lady’s ankle was out of
plaster but she was still a little unsteady on her feet so she didn’t feel
confident enough to venture downstairs just yet.
“Missed me then?”
Helen stiffened at the sound of Nikki’s voice, wondering
what the woman would say if she turned round and told her the truth…that she
had missed her more than anything.
“Don’t I always miss you?”
She heard Maddy’s voice and realised that it was she
who Nikki had been speaking to.
“Hi, Helen.”
Helen flushed with pleasure at the sound of her own
name and turned round a smile upon her lips in time to see the two women
hugging. Her eyes met Nikki’s over Maddy’s shoulder causing her to blush and
turn away.
“I wondered if
you fancied taking the kids to the pictures tonight,” Nikki asked as she came
and stood beside Helen. “That new cartoon is showing in town. I wouldn’t mind
seeing it but it looks funny if you go on your own.”
Helen smiled at her confession. “I’d love too but I
have a date tonight,” she said apologetically.
“OK then,” Nikki replied trying to hide her
disappointment. “It was just a thought.”
“Some other time perhaps?” Helen looked at her
hopefully.
“Perhaps,” Nikki’s voice was cold. “But I’m not too
sure when I’m free again.” She turned to Maddy. “I won’t be in for dinner. I’ll
get something in town.”
Helen watched as Nikki went out of the kitchen then as
she turned her attention back to Emma’s tray her eyes met Maddy’s.
The older woman smiled. “She’ll come round,” she said
confidently.
Helen returned
her smile. She didn’t know if she wanted Nikki to ‘come round’. Maybe the only
way she could deal with it was to hold the woman at arm’s length.
When Helen took
Emma’s tea tray up to her bedroom the old lady was sitting in her armchair,
strategically placed so she could look out of the window onto the garden below.
“Have you and Nikki had a tiff?” Emma asked as Helen
placed the tray on the small table beside her chair.
“Whatever gave
you that idea?” Helen asked innocently.
“Well, I heard
her mumbling something about ‘bloody Helen Stewart’ so I did wonder,” Emma
replied with a mischievous look on her face.
Helen sighed.
“It was nothing. She wanted to take the children to the cinema tonight but I
have a date. There wasn’t an argument as such.”
“Well, I’m sure
you could take the children to the cinema another night,” Emma suggested.
“That’s what I
thought but Nikki didn’t seem interested.”
Emma was just taking a sip of tea and almost choked
when she heard Helen’s words. Not interested! The Scot obviously hadn’t
realised why Nikki had been like a bear with a sore head these last few weeks.
“Are you alright?” Helen asked solicitously as she
took Emma’s teacup from her and placed it on the table.
Emma nodded and wiped her streaming eyes. “I’m
alright,” she managed to get out eventually. “It just went down the wrong way.”
She patted Helen’s arm. “You go and fetch the children from school.” She
watched as Helen left the room. Things obviously weren’t going right between
her granddaughter and her nurse even though she had seen the way they looked at
each other. Maybe it was time she took a hand in the proceedings!