'Are you a reporter?' ,
'Oh!' Alice gasped, falling back from him.
'Isn't Mr Grainger related to Daniel Randall?' the young man asked, ignoring Lindsay's question and keeping his eyes on Alice, obviously deciding she was the softest target.
'Out!' snapped Lindsay, advancing on him and pushing him back through the front door. 'Go on, get out, we have nothing to say to you.' Mention of Daniel was a red rag to a bull, she was flushed and very angry.
'All I want to do is help you find your husband,' the reporter protested.
Lindsay shut the front door in his face. Turning to look quickly at her sister-in-law, she found Aston in the hall, watching her with a wry smile.
'You're a tough little lady, aren't you?' he mocked. 'I thought for a minute you were going to hit him.'
'So did I,' Lindsay muttered through her teeth. 'What a nerve, trying to talk his way in here!'
'You haven't got red hair for nothing, I suppose,' Aston commented.
Lindsay put her arm round Alice. 'Come and sit down. Have you eaten tonight? Are you hungry?'
'No,' Alice whispered. 'How did that man know Stephen was missing? Who could have told him?'
'He probably picked it up at the police station, reporters always have a contact in the police,' Aston said. 'And I'm hungry, Lindsay.' He gave her a plaintive little smile and she laughed.
'Okay, you talk to Alice, I'll get us a meal.'
'I'm not hungry,' said Alice.
'Nobody's going to force you to eat if you don't want to,' Lindsay said, giving Aston a secret look. He steered Alice back into the sitting-room and Lindsay went into the kitchen to see what she could find.
She was no more hungry than Alice was, but she felt it would do them all good to have something to occupy their minds while they waited for news. No doubt Alice hadn't touched food all day, she looked hollow. While Lindsay scrambled eggs and grilled tomatoes, made toast and more coffee, she was trying to think of some place Stephen might head for if he was in trouble. As small children they had always had holidays in Cornwall, might he go there? She mentally made a list of their relatives, but their family had never been very close and Stephen had often told her how much he resented the total indifference of their aunt in Yorkshire, their uncle in
Scotland, when their parents died. Nobody had come to help Stephen then, they had appeared at the funeral, drunk some sherry and made soothing noises then departed without making any offer to help. Stephen would be very unlikely to look for help from any of them now.
She carried a loaded tray into the sitting-room and practically force-fed Alice, who was still reluctant to eat but managed to get down some of the scrambled egg and a half slice of toast. While Aston and Lindsay drank the last of the coffee, Alice wandered over to the window and stood, the curtain drawn back, her nose pressed against the glass like a hopeful child, waiting.
Lindsay collected together the plates and cups. Aston took the tray from her and carried it out into the kitchen. 'Are you staying here tonight?' he asked, and she nodded.
'Of course. You'd better go now, Aston. I'm very grateful for your help, you've been very kind.'
'Sure you wouldn't like me to stay tonight?'
'We'll be okay. I'll to get her to go to bed soon, she looks worn out. I've got some sleeping pills in my handbag, I'll give her one of those.'
'Do you need to take sleeping pills?' Aston asked, frowning and eyeing her in surprise.
'Not often, but I had insomnia after my marriage broke up and now and then it comes back.' She flushed as she met his eyes. All that was behind her now, she preferred not to remember the anguish Daniel had put her through, the black nights when she lay awake and ached for him, the long-delayed dawns which brought no hope of any end to her pain. When you are trapped in bitter, hopeless feeling you always think there can be no escape from it, but Lindsay had freed herself at last. She had begun to sleep regularly, without dreaming of Daniel; she had woken up without that dead sense of depression.
Aston's face gave no hint of his reaction, he merely nodded. 'I see.' He looked at his watch. 'I'd better be on my way, then. If you need me, give me a ring, don't hesitate to ask. You know I'll do anything I can.'
She smiled at him and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. 'I know—thanks.'
He put his head round the door of the sitting-room to say goodnight to Alice, who looked at him in startled surprise.. 'Oh, yes, goodnight, thank you for…' Her voice trailed off and Aston smiled at her.
'Try to get some sleep, remember your children will need you tomorrow.'
Tears came into her eyes again and Lindsay pushed Aston down the hall. 'Sorry, said the wrong thing,' he whispered, and she shook her head, then opened the front door.
'Of course not, don't be an idiot. She's just off balance.'