Jessie Keane: Lawless

‘Who?’ he asked. ‘Bianca? Is she here?’

‘No, I mean the slut… that slut who took my boy…’

Kit left her sitting there and searched the house, top to bottom.

No Bianca.

After that he drove down to Dante’s, but the place was boarded up, the car park empty except for a few desolate fliers swirling along the ground in the fresh sea breeze.

In the end, he gave up, admitted to himself that this was it; she was gone for good. He had killed Tito, and owned up to it; here was his punishment. He’d lost the love of his life.

Ruby thought that it was all past. None of it mattered any more. All done – like poor Joe, like Betsy, like her friendship with Vi.

Time to let it go.

She had her son back now, truly back, and her daughter, and the twins. There was the question of what would become of Nadine and Billy, Joe and Betsy’s orphaned children. She had already stepped in, conferred with the boarding school they attended so that their schooling went on without interruption. She’d had them with her in Marlow during the summer holidays, and kept in regular contact with them over the autumn term. Now she was determined to see to Christmas for them, to make sure they were cared for.

And there was Thomas, of course. She had lost a friend but gained a lover. Life could be good again. It would be. She was determined about that. And finally she was ready to voice what she had been thinking about for the past few weeks.

‘I’m considering selling the business,’ she said.

Kit looked at her in surprise. ‘Really?’

Ruby nodded. ‘I reckon it’s time for a new challenge,’ she said. ‘I’d hoped Daisy might follow me into it, take it over one day, but that was just wishful thinking. I’ve no idea what she’ll do, but it’s certainly not that.’

‘Maybe she’ll marry Rob,’ said Kit with a faint smile.

‘That would be wonderful. I love Rob.’

Kit shrugged. ‘It’s a good business. A big business. You sure you’d want to give it all up?’

‘I could do something different,’ she said.

‘Such as?’

‘Sail the world. Hike across the Pyrenees. Anything.’

‘You hate boats. And hiking?’ He looked down at her elegant court shoes. ‘I don’t think so, Mum.’

Mum , thought Ruby. The sweetest word in the whole English language. She smiled up at him. Her son, who’d come through for her when she was sure he would not. She loved him so much.

‘I’ll see,’ she said, thinking that the world held all sorts of possibilities now that she had her family united once more.

‘Let’s get on home,’ said Kit, and together they turned and walked back to the gate as the darkness of the winter’s afternoon gathered around them.

Life went on.

Kit carried on running his firm, with Rob at his side, watching his back. Traders, shopkeepers, restaurant owners, paid him to keep them safe from thugs, and he did. His boys collected on loans, broke a leg or two on the late-payers – this was after all a business, not a fucking charity.

Time went on.

General Franco died, and so did Graham Hill the famous racing driver, in a light aircraft he was piloting. The Australian Prime Minister was sacked and the Queen opened the North Sea oil pipeline.

Winter deepened and hardened its grip, and soon it was December: Christmas Eve. Kit had presents to buy for Daisy and Ruby and the kids. Along with most of the rest of the population of London, he’d been up and down Oxford Street, which was twinkling with a million festive lights.

Finished at last, knackered after jostling through the crowds, he drove back home, parked up, got the presents out of the boot and locked the Bentley. He was halfway across the pavement in the rain when he saw someone sitting on the steps leading up to his front door. He stopped walking and stood, immobile, staring up at the small white shape huddled there. His heart was in his mouth.

‘Bianca?’ he said.

It couldn’t be her. He’d lost her, she’d vanished from his life, and he had come to terms with that. He wasn’t going to get her back. The shock of all he’d told her had been too much for her. But now…

She was here.

Her head lifted. Their eyes met and held. Slowly she stood up, walked down a step or two. He dropped the bags and she almost fell into his arms.

‘Jesus, Bianca…’ he moaned, and kissed her over and over again. Feverishly, she responded. Nothing was said for long moments, then Kit eased her away from him. ‘Where have you been?’ he demanded.

‘Oh – here and there,’ she said, with a small sad smile.

‘You just left. Vanished without a fucking word.’

‘I had to think. I had to be alone for a while.’

‘Are you all right, you crazy cow?’

‘I’m fine. I needed to think about everything. I was… confused.’

Kit nodded slowly. Of course the poor little bitch had been confused. Her world had been thrown into chaos.

‘I thought I might have some real family out there, somewhere,’ she said. ‘That I might be able to find them. But I can’t remember them. I’ve tried, so hard. But I can’t. How am I ever going to know if I can’t remember anything?’

‘You haven’t been to see…’ He’d been about to say your mother. But Bella Danieri wasn’t Bianca’s mother. As for her real family – who knew?

‘I haven’t seen her ,’ said Bianca.

Kit was silent.

‘I hate her,’ said Bianca. ‘I hate them all. They snatched my past away. Robbed me of everything. Lied to me.’

‘Even Tito?’ asked Kit.

‘Yes. Even him.’ Her eyes were hard. ‘Him more than any of them. You know Fabio’s in charge now?’

It was cold out here and the drizzle was starting to turn to sleet.

‘Now Vittore’s out of the way? Yeah. I know. What will you do?’ he asked her.

‘Tito taught me to be camorristi,’ said Bianca. ‘That’s what I am. Fabio’s going to hear about it.’

Kit stared at her. ‘I’ll help. If you want.’

Bianca’s eyes softened as they looked into his. ‘I want that very much,’ she said, and they kissed again, standing there in the pouring rain, neither one of them caring in the least that they were getting wet.

Ruby was crossing the hall at the Marlow house when the newspaper came through the front door. She went over and picked it up, and took it through to the kitchen. Pouring coffee from the cafetière into a mug, aware of happy chattering coming from upstairs where Daisy and Jody were getting the twins up and ready for the day, she thumbed through, glancing at the headlines, not paying anything very close attention. And then she saw it.

Tragic Accident

The bodies of Lord Anthony and Lady Violet Albermarle were discovered yesterday evening in the lake at Albermarle House. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. It is believed that they were fishing from a small boat and that it overturned and both sadly drowned.

Ruby sat there for a long time, her heart pounding as she stared at the newspaper.

Oh, Kit, you had to make someone pay, didn’t you , she thought.

Then she heard Daisy, a gurgling baby in her arms, coming down the stairs. She closed the paper and slipped it quickly into the bin. She’d lost her oldest and dearest friend, but she knew that she wouldn’t be shedding any tears.

Not now.

Not ever.

To all those who have helped me along the way to this book, thank you. Special mentions go to Steve and Lynne Ottaway, Sue Kemish, Louise Marley and Karen and Paul, all good friends and supporters.