were returned.
They did not always go out as a threesome. When Natasha started to put in some extra practice for a violin exam she was about to take, Keith and Mallon went out more and more as a twosome.
Even now as she lay wide awake in Harris Quillian’s bed Mallon felt sick in her stomach as she recalled how, only three months ago, their feelings for each other starting to take over, she had been on the brink of committing herself to a very intimate relationship with Keith Morgan.
It had started on a Saturday when Natasha had been busy with her music and Mallon and Keith had been to the cinema. Keith had been kissing Mallon goodnight when he’d suddenly begged her to go away with him. ‘I want to go to bed with you—you must want the same,’ he urged. Oh, help—it was such a big step! ‘You know you want me as much as I want you.’
She said no, but week after week for the next two months he again and again urged her to go away with him. Then one Saturday he told her he loved her. It was what she needed to hear.
She agreed, albeit, it was with a rather shaky ‘Y-yes,’ that she answered.
Keith didn’t waste any time and told her on Monday that he had arranged their romantic tryst for the coming weekend, and would pick her up from her home on Saturday morning.
Why couldn’t she tell her mother? Her mother had met both Keith and Natasha and would have understood. Mallon later wondered—could it be that at heart she had known that something was not quite right? But just then she managed to convince herself that, after the dreadful years her mother had endured, and with everything going so right for her just now—she seemed to be spending more and more time with John Frost—she did not want to give her parent the smallest cause to worry about her.
Mallon made her way home from work on Friday and made up her mind to tell her mother that night. For heaven’s sake, Keith would be calling for her in the morning!
Her mother wasn’t in but had left a note saying that John had phoned and had particularly wanted to discuss something with her, so could she meet him later that afternoon? She didn’t think she would be late back.
Mallon hoped not. She was on edge, and knew that feeling wouldn’t go away until she had told her mother her plans. When each hour ticked away and her mother didn’t appear, Mallon guessed that John had taken her mother to dinner.
Which proved correct when, just after ten, John Frost brought her mother home. ‘Um—we’ve got something to tell you,’ Evelyn Jenkins said, but didn’t have to—Mallon could see the joy they shared with each other.
‘We’re going to be married,’ John could hardly wait to tell her. ‘Is that all right with you, Mallon?’
She hadn’t seen her mother looking so happy in years. ‘You know it is!’ Mallon beamed, and forgot all about Keith Morgan when she went over and the threesome embraced.
John had brought some champagne in with him and they talked for an age as the newly engaged couple shared with Mallon that they had steadily got to know each other over the years, and saw not one single reason to wait. They would marry next month and Mallon would give up the flat.
‘Give up the flat?’
‘Your mother will be moving into my home, Mallon,’ John answered. ‘It’s my wish that you move into my home too.’
‘Thank you,’ she answered, not wanting to blight this happy time for them. But she somehow knew, much as she liked John and much as she would miss her mother dreadfully, that her place was not in her mother’s new home. This, after all she’d been through, was a special time for her mother.
‘That’s settled, then.’ John smiled, and went on to outline how he’d telephoned his married daughter in Scotland and she was flying down tomorrow for a family celebration dinner.
‘Oh!’ Mallon exclaimed. Oh, grief, she had forgotten all about Keith Morgan!
‘Don’t say you can’t make it, darling. Did you have some other arrangement?’
‘Keith—er…’
‘I’m sure he’ll understand. This is a family occasion, after all.’ Evelyn Jenkins beamed.
‘Of course. I’ll give him a ring,’ Mallon said with a smile and realised, perhaps because of her mother’s lovely news, that she didn’t feel unduly upset that her weekend with Keith was off.
He did not understand when she rang him. Instead, he was furious. ‘I’ve booked the hotel!’ he protested angrily. ‘Your mother’s been married before—what’s so special now?’ If he couldn’t see, Mallon wasn’t about to try and explain.
‘I’m sorry,’ she apologised. ‘I’ll see you on Monday.’
The celebratory dinner went wonderfully well. John’s daughter, Isobel, was as thrilled as Mallon that the two had finally decided to marry.
By Monday, feeling uncomfortable that she had let Keith down, Mallon went to seek him out to apologise again and to try and make him see how important it had been to her mother that she had been there.
‘Keith,’ she began, going over to his desk.
‘Mallon, I…’ he said at the same time, for no reason she could think of, looking almost sheepish.
“Morning, Keith!’ They both turned to see Natasha standing there, looking more animated than Mallon had ever seen her. Natasha grinned at them both but addressed Keith when she said, ‘I thought you’d like to know I didn’t get into trouble when I got in last night.’
Mallon stared at her, and then smiled. What was more natural? She had let Keith down and Natasha was an old chum. ‘You were out with Keith last night?’ she commented, still feeling a touch uncomfortable, but glad that Keith hadn’t had a totally dull weekend. Though…Suddenly some instinct in Mallon started to quiver. She knew she was feeling uncomfortable, but what the Dickens was Keith looking so uncomfortable about? ‘You’ve been out with Keith on a Sunday before,’ Mallon commented slowly. ‘What was so different about last night?’
Keith found his shoes worthy of inspection, while Natasha answered, ‘Only the fact that I didn’t go home at all on Saturday night.’
Something inside Mallon froze. ‘Now that is different.’ Somehow she managed to make her tone light. ‘You went away with Keith?’ she asked, a very personal question she knew, but she needed some answers here.
Natasha’s eyes sparkled. ‘It was wonderful, wasn’t it, Keith?’ He didn’t answer.
There was only one other question which, in normal times, Mallon would not have dreamed of asking. ‘Did you sleep together?’ she asked, her light tone gone.
Natasha looked a shade put out but, possibly because of their past friendship, answered honestly, if a shade coolly, ‘We did. That was rather the whole point of going.’
Mallon looked at Keith. He did not deny it. ‘We’d better get on with some work.’ She left them and went to her desk. She was deaf to Keith Morgan’s entreaties when he explained he had been so very angry with her for letting him down, but that it was her, Mallon, that he loved.
Mallon knew then that
