At her flat Ellena thanked George very much. ‘It’s not heavy,’ she smiled when it seemed he would carry her bag indoors for her.
Once she was in her flat, Ellena raced around finding the address she needed, and was again on her way. She could, she realised, have left Violette with Pamela and Russell Langford for the duration Justine had contracted with them. But fear that Gideon Langford would take pre-emptive action spurred her on. Should it come to a court hearing, she wanted it established that Violette—a healthy, happy Violette—lived with her.
Ellena stopped briefly on her way to buy a baby car seat and a few other essential purchases for Violette, and was soon speeding on again. She did wonder if she should ring the Langfords to let them know she was coming. She decided against it. Gideon might ring Russell at any time to tell him the latest concerning Austria. She didn’t want Russell revealing that she’d phoned. She didn’t want Gideon knowing anything until after her visit.
She arrived at the address she was seeking, a very smart house in its own grounds, with hope in her heart that her own neighbours would bear with her when she brought a baby home to her flat. There was a very sleek and expensive car on the drive of the Langfords’ home which hinted that, for all they were accepting payment for looking after Russell’s niece, they weren’t too badly off.
Ellena rang the doorbell, with her thoughts on the early possibility of maybe renting somewhere where children were allowed; only on a short lease while she got somewhere more permanent arranged.
The door was opened almost at once. ‘Good...’ she began as part of her greeting, but the rest didn’t get said. The sleek and expensive car didn’t belong to Russell Langford, she swiftly realised. It belonged to his brother, Gideon! Gideon Langford, having changed the chauffeur-driven vehicle for his own car, had got there before her!
‘Traffic’s a nightmare at this time of day, isn’t it?’ he murmured blandly.
It wasn’t funny! The fact that he had beaten her to it wasn’t funny at all so why did she find his remark amusing? Not that she’d let him see, of course.
‘What are you doing here?’ she demanded.
He looked ready to put her in her place for trying to demand anything. But, to her surprise, instead he clipped out the words, ‘Just leaving!’
He was still there, though, when a man, not so tall as Gideon by a couple of inches, and fair haired, with the same features as Kit, came along the hall with a sharp-looking auburn-haired woman in tow. The woman looked hostile before they even started. ‘Yes?’ she challenged irritably.
Ellena opened her mouth but, to her surprise, heard Gideon Langford say pleasantly; ‘Ellena, I don’t think you know my brother, Russell, and his wife, do you?’ Smoothly, he introduced them, and, while Ellena was seriously wishing that he would just clear off, he stayed to hear her business.
Russell Langford invited her into the sitting room—of the baby and her temporary nanny there was no sign. Gideon returned to the sitting room with them. Ellena tossed him an Afraid-of-missing-something? kind of look. He smiled back, though it was an insincere smile.
‘G-Gideon will have told you the news concerning Austria,’ she began.
‘Bad do,’ Russell replied, the way he had when she had telephoned him. Was it only last night? It seemed weeks ago!
‘The thing is that while I c-can’t believe...’ she took a shaky breath ‘...that we’ll never see Justine and Kit again,’ she gained control to continue, ‘I feel, with your permission, of course, that they would want me to look after Violette until they get back.’
‘Now isn’t that strange? That’s more or less exactly what Gideon said!’ Pamela Langford answered for her husband waspishly.
Ellena guessed she should have expected, from what he’d said on the plane, that Gideon would not drag his heels in taking some action. What was unexpected, though, was that Pamela Langford would look at her with such blatant hostility. Then it was that Ellena recalled Gideon saying something about Pamela being a money-grubbing bitch, and, although she was wishing that Gideon would just get to his car and go, there seemed nothing for it but to conduct her business in front of him.
‘I’m sorry,’ she apologised as pleasantly as she was able. ‘I know there are some—er—money matters outstanding.’ She knew nothing of the sort, but realised that if Justine hadn’t paid Pamela in advance, then outstanding the matter of money must be. ‘Naturally I’ll settle what Justine owes y—’
‘That child was left in our charge!’ Pamela Langford cut in loudly, coldly. ‘And in our charge is where she’ll stay!’
Oh, heavens! Ellena felt tremendously taken aback. She hadn’t expected this sort of reception! ‘I appreciate that you want to do what’s right,’ she began, forcing herself to be placatory—she had not the smallest intention of leaving her niece with this cold, unfeeling woman. ‘But...’
‘But nothing. The child stays here,’ Pamela Langford cut in sourly. Ellena looked from her to Russell—he was looking anywhere but at her or his brother—no use appealing to him! Not that she wanted to set husband and wife against each other. And, given he wanted the same as she wanted, she couldn’t expect any help from Gideon. Which was just as well, because, while silently absorbing everything that was taking place, Gideon Langford was not offering her any help. ‘I’ll show you out,’ Pamela stated frostily.
‘I’d like to see Violette if I may.’ Ellena refused to budge.
‘She’s upstairs asleep. I’m not going to have her disturbed again; it will take hours for her nanny to shut her up.’
Ellena was aware that Violette’s needs were nothing in this alien household, and felt a desperate need to check that the little mite was being properly cared for. ‘I won’t disturb her,’ she stated, still refusing to budge.
‘That’s right, you won’t,’ Pamela Langford answered nastily.
Ellena felt frustrated beyond bearing by the woman’s attitude. She couldn’t leave without seeing the baby, she couldn’t. Then, just as she was about to insist that she must see her, Gideon Langford chipped in, to tell her quietly, ‘I’ve seen the baby, Ellena; she seems well looked after and healthy.’
Ellena turned to him swiftly, not knowing why she trusted him when she didn’t feel she-could trust his sister-in-law. ‘She’s all right?’ she asked urgently. ‘She looks happy?’
He gave her a slightly sardonic smile as though to say, What do I know about four-month-old babies? ‘She wasn’t crying,’ he said.
Ellena turned back to Pamela Langford. ‘Perhaps you’d tell me when it would be convenient for me to spend some time with my niece.’
‘We’ll arrange visiting rights through the courts,’ was the vinegary reply—and as the import of those words took root, Ellena didn’t trust herself to answer.
She went to the door. Pamela Langford, as though she didn’t trust her not to dart up the stairs, went with her. Ellena was forced to accept then that she was not going to see Violette that day, and took what solace she could from the fact that Gideon had seen the baby and, albeit that his knowledge of infants was limited, he thought she seemed well looked after and healthy.
She half expected him to follow her out. After all he had been about to leave when she’d arrived. But he was obviously staying behind to have a word more with his brother.
Ellena drove home in a very upset frame of mind. Over the last few hours she had received one shock after another. Last night she had learned that Justine and Kit were missing; earlier today she had learned that Gideon was prepared to go to court over the guardianship of their child. And now, here was Pamela Langford—a woman she had found it impossible to warm to—talking