‘So this is the young lady you’ve brought to meet us,’ he beamed down at Helen. ‘She’s lovely, Leon. Lovely.’ He smiled at Helen again and she couldn’t help smiling back, her eyes twinkling as he winked at her. ‘When are you going to make an honest man of my son, then, hm?’
Her face blushed scarlet and she looked desperately at Leon for help. ‘I—We—’
Charles Masters lifted her left hand, frowning as he saw the gold band she still wore on the third finger, mainly as a deterrent against any man who became interested in her than for any sentimental reasons. She wished now that she had thought to take it off, it could only lead to embarrassing questions being asked.
‘Unless of course you’ve already done so,’ Leon’s father probed, obviously misunderstanding the reason for the ring.
‘It isn’t my ring, Dad,’ Leon came to her rescue. ‘And no, I haven’t resorted to taking out married women. Helen is a widow.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry, my dear,’ Charles Masters gruffly apologised to her. ‘I didn’t realise.’
‘It isn’t recent, Dad,’ Leon said abruptly. ‘What time is lunch?’ he changed the subject.
‘As soon as your father has changed his clothes,’ his mother answered him.
‘I’m just going,’ her husband grinned. ‘She’s still a bully, son,’ he teased.
Leon grinned back. ‘And you love every minute of it!’
‘Of course he does,’ his mother replied. ‘Come along, Charles, you go and change and I’ll go and make sure lunch is ready.’
Helen glanced nervously at Leon once they were alone, noting the tautness about his mouth.
‘Take it off!’ he ordered harshly.
‘What—?’ She looked startled.
‘Get that damned ring off your finger!’ he snapped.
‘But I—’
‘Get it off, Helen!’ he repeated tautly. ‘I won’t have you wearing his ring when you’re with me.’
‘I’m sorry your father noticed it,’ she said. ‘I realise it made things awkward for you.’
‘I couldn’t give a damn about that, I just don’t like you we
aring his ring as if you still belong to him. So take it off!’
She did so, slipping it inside her handbag. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said shakily.
‘And never wear it again when you’re with me!’ Leon was obviously still very angry.
If his parents noted the sudden disappearance of her wedding ring they made no comment on it, but chatted easily and lightly through the traditional Sunday lunch of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with accompanying vegetables, followed by apple pie and cream. Helen ate little, still aware of Leon’s anger towards her. He added little to the conversation, and whenever Helen happened to look at him it was to find him watching her with brooding eyes.
His mother took her down to the bottom of the long garden after lunch to see the foals and their mothers, leaving the two men in the house to chat.
Catherine Masters smiled at her apologetically as they watched the foals’ antics. ‘I hope my husband didn’t embarrass you earlier. Leon didn’t mention that you were a widow, my husband would never have done such a thing if he had known.’
‘It’s perfectly all right, Mrs Masters,’ Helen told her shyly. ‘As Leon said, it isn’t recent.’
‘My son seems to be annoyed about it,’ Catherine Masters said thoughtfully. ‘Have you known each other long?’
‘A few weeks,’ Helen answered vaguely. It might only be a few weeks, but in that short time Leon had completely upset the ordered pattern of her life, was making his fire and drive a necessary part of her life.
‘He’s never mentioned you before today,’ his mother mused.
‘I don’t suppose he thought me important enough.’