While Adrian regarded her with a kind of awe, she listened to the ringing tone from the other end.
'Blow your nose,' Adrian advised, holding out his own, clean handkerchief. 'You don't want them to think you're just a little kid.'
She gave him a look of gratitude and did so, just before someone answered.
'My name is Cindy Clayton,' she said with dignity. 'And I want to talk to Daddy.'
'Just one moment.' The operator sounded confused.
A moment later Cindy heard another voice on the line. It was softly implacable and she hated it on instinct. 'I'm afraid Mr Clayton is too busy to talk now.'
'But it's Cindy. I know he'll talk to me.'
'I'm sorry, he has some very important men to see. I've given him your message and he says he's sure you'll understand why he can't talk to you now.'
Cindy began to tremble. 'But it's Barker,' she said in a stammering voice.
'I'm sure it is, and he'll call you just as soon as he's free. But he really can't spare the time just now.'
Faye returned from the machine with her hands full to find Cindy staring ahead, her face a ghastly colour.
'It's Daddy,' Adrian said in a hard voice. 'She called him. He wouldn't even talk to her.'
Cindy's tears had dried now. The father in whom she'd pinned her faith had simply brushed her aside. There were no tears for such a devastating betrayal. Only silent despair.
'He said-' she choked at last'-that-he was sure- I'd understand wh-why he couldn't talk to me.'
'Oh, did he?' Faye said ominously. 'Well, I don't understand and I'm going to tell him so.'
She called again, hoping against hope that she might be answered by someone other than Lysandra. But the fates were against her.
'I wish to be put through to my husband, at once,' she said firmly.
Lysandra's voice was equally firm. 'I'm very sorry, but Mr Clayton's orders were explicit. He's engaged in serious negotiations and must not be disturbed.'
'Tell him it's an emergency and I have to speak to him. Do it right now.'
'Mrs Clayton, I'm sorry but you force me to be blunt. I take my orders from Garth, not from you.' The phone went dead.
The children were watching her anxiously, but their faces had changed. Instead of the blind trust that had been there only a short time ago, now they looked ready to endure even more disappointment. How much more of this could they take? she wondered.
'All right,' she said with sudden determination. 'Time to take the gloves off.'
They watched her, puzzled, as she called Mary. 'I need to get to Newcastle as fast as possible, and that means by plane. How can I reach Garth's pilot?'
She heard the little gasp before Mary assumed her well-trained voice. 'Bill should be at home. Garth gave him a few days off.'
'I'd like his number, please.'
'You're going to ask him to fly you there? But Bill only takes orders from Garth himself. Wouldn't it be better if I called Garth-?'
'Fine! If you can get through to him, get him to call me,' Faye said, suddenly hopeful.
But in two minutes Mary was back on the line, seething.
'That woman,' she said in tones of deep loathing. 'She said she'd get him to call me back, 'when he could spare a moment'. Garth's never refused to talk to me before. OK. Here's Bill's mobile number. And good luck.'
'Thanks. I'm going to need it.'
Bill was a good-natured, lazy young man who preferred sleeping to any other activity except flying. Faye roused him from a nap, but when he heard what she wanted he was fully alert.
'I can't take the plane out unless Garth orders me,' he said aghast.
Faye took a deep breath and crossed her fingers before saying, 'But he has ordered you. I'm acting with his blessing. He wants you to fly me there at once. I can't tell you details, but it's a real emergency. Believe me, if Garth misses out on this, and then finds it was because you disobeyed his orders to help me, well-I just don't know what he'll do.'
It was barefaced blackmail, the sort of action that once she would never have dared, and her heart was beating hard at her own temerity. But all that mattered now was that Garth should put Cindy and Adrian first. If he couldn't save Barker, at least he could save his children's faith in him.
Bill was nervous. 'Couldn't you get Garth to confirm-?'
'No, I couldn't,' she said firmly. 'This is a matter of life and death and I've no time to waste.'
'All right, Mrs Clayton, but you won't mind if I call him first-'
'You won't get through. He's not talking to anyone. Besides,' she added with a casualness she was far from feeling, 'I just wish I could be a fly on the wall if you manage to haul him out of a big meeting to ask him if his wife's a liar.' She even managed a laugh. 'Still, it's your head on the block.'
'Yes, it is,' he said thoughtfully. 'Oh, well, I suppose if you tell me it's all right-'
'I do. The responsibility is all mine. I'll be there in half an hour. Please have the engine running.' She hung up and leaned against the wall, drained and shaking from tension. That had been her speaking, gauche, shy Faye who'd once looked out at the world from under Garth's shadow. Now that seemed a very long time ago.
A suggestion that the children should go home was instantly vetoed. Neither of them would leave their friend. Faye called Nancy and told her to come to the surgery.
'It's not Daddy's fault,' she told the children. 'There's been a misunderstanding and I'm going up there to sort it out.'
She only wished she felt as confident as she sounded.
She left the moment Nancy arrived and began the drive to the airport. Her stomach was churning with nerves. She had no idea what was waiting for her in Newcastle. Garth had tried to block out his family again, and when she gatecrashed his meeting he would be furious. If only she didn't fail! If only she could keep her nerve long enough to confront him!
An efficient machine took over as soon as she arrived. Someone took her car to park it. Someone else told her Bill was ready to leave at once. The engine was running just as she'd said, and in a few minutes they were airborne.
'There'll be a car waiting the moment we land,' Bill said.
'Thank you, Bill. You're very efficient.'
'That's what Mr Clayton says,' Bill said gloomily. 'What he'll say to me after today I don't like to think.'
'But I told you this was with his blessing.'
'That's right, you did,' he said in a voice of deep gloom.
'You just stick to it that you believed me. I'll take the flak.'
As he'd promised, the car was there and in a few moments she was delivered at the headquarters of Garth's clients. A man on the front desk politely enquired her business.
'I have to see Mr Clayton. I'm his wife, and it's extremely urgent.'
The confident way she spoke had its effect. The man showed her the lift and said, 'Top floor, madam.'
One hurdle over.
On the top floor there was a young woman at a reception desk who rose and tried to block her way.
'I'm sorry, but my instructions are to let nobody through,' she said, smiling but implacable.
Faye also smiled. 'If you don't let me through I shall scream the place down,' she said.
'Then I should have to call Security,' the receptionist said.
'Do so,' Faye said almost amiably. She felt cool and in control. To call anyone, the receptionist would have to move out of her way.
Too late the young woman realized this and for a split second she hesitated between the desk and Faye. That instant was enough. Faye moved her aside and swept on. Over her shoulder she could hear the receptionist telephoning someone and hurried lest security guards should appear.
But it was Lysandra who came out and stood in her path. She was holding a file across her chest, as though in defence, and she looked very much in command. But then Faye's heightened senses made her acutely aware of the other woman's pallor and unease. Suddenly Lysandra wasn't confident any more. Her knuckles were white where they grasped the file and she was angry and afraid.
