‘Oh!’ she said, as if disappointed, her voice hardening. ‘You’re married?’
‘Yes. To be brief, my wife and I married to please our parents when we were young, and put under great obligation. Neither of us wanted the marriage and we have both regretted it.’
Peggy nodded. ‘Children?’
Giles looked directly into her eyes. This wasn’t a subject for discussion. ‘No.’
She sighed. ‘Delia won’t get hurt, will she?’
‘Not by me, Mrs Robinson.’
The scullery door crashed open and Jack rushed in; he looked at all three. ‘A woman’s body’s been found washed up near Sunk Island.’ He took a breath. ‘Rumour is that it’s Mrs Deakin.’
Peggy got up and clasped her hands together. ‘Oh, dear God, no.’
‘There’s been nobody else reported missing. Police are asking for somebody to identify her.’
‘Not Delia.’ Giles stood up too. ‘We don’t know where she is, do we?’ he said pointedly.
‘No, course we don’t,’ Peggy agreed. ‘But anybody down at ’village shop would be able to – or Aaron or me, for that matter.’
‘We’ll wait till we’re asked,’ Aaron said sensibly. ‘There’s no rush.’
From the Hull railway station, Giles walked to the theatre and hoped to find Delia there. He wondered how to break the news about her parents and decided to ask her to come to the Maritime Hotel when she was free. They could speak privately there.
He found her in the small room behind the box office with a pile of papers on the table in front of her. She looked up as he arrived and greeted him with a huge smile; she seemed really happy and he would be sorry to give her sad tidings.
‘How are you managing, Miss Under-Manager?’ he asked. ‘And where’s Rogers?’
She laughed and stretched back in her chair. Her hair, which she had fastened loosely behind her neck with a ribbon, hung down her back. ‘I’ve sent him home! He was getting in a state about telling me where everything was and what to do; he was exhausted, poor man. I told him I’d sort out as much as I could and what I couldn’t I’d ask him about tomorrow.’
‘Good,’ he said enthusiastically. ‘You are a woman of many parts. Are you almost finished? Can you break off for a cup of tea at the Maritime?’
She hesitated. ‘Half an hour? Then I’m finished until this evening.’
‘Fine. I’ll slip back to Mrs Benson’s and get out of my country clothes and into my town ones.’ He assumed a serious expression. ‘Are you not going to ask me if I lost your son on the way there?’
‘Oh!’ she gasped. ‘How could I forget to ask?’
‘What sort of mother are you?’ he admonished. ‘Peggy took him straight off to school with a parcel of bread and beef, as seemingly everyone was waiting to hear about his adventures in the big house. I’d bet he’ll tell them a fine tale.’
She sighed. ‘Thank you, Giles.’
He headed to the door. ‘I’ll be back in half an hour.’
Delia finished what she was doing and locked everything away in the huge safe and put the keys safely in her purse. Then she looked in at the auditorium to make sure there was no one in there and called out that she was locking up. There hadn’t been anyone in all afternoon, as the joiner had finished the repairs to the stage and the cleaner had finished clearing up. The whole place had been her domain. She fastened the swing doors, and then went to the staff cloakroom to wash her hands and brush and pin up her hair, and as she glanced in the mirror she saw her reflection and smiled back at it. ‘I think I’m happy,’ she murmured. ‘If this is what happiness feels like.’
Giles was waiting outside the front doors of the theatre, as she’d locked them after he’d left. He gazed at her. ‘You look nice,’ he said. ‘Content.’
‘I am,’ she said. ‘I feel as if my life is on an even keel, after being shipwrecked and drowning for so long.’
He nodded, although it was an unfortunate phrase in view of what he had to tell her, and offered his arm after she had locked the double doors behind her. She smiled and went on, ‘Even being trusted to do such a simple thing as locking doors is wonderful. I’ve been in charge of the theatre for most of the day. My son is happy and I have a good friend who is offering his arm to me.’
She flushed as she spoke and hoped he didn’t think she was presuming too much, but he smiled and his blue eyes crinkled and she wished for more.
The dining room at the hotel was only partly occupied as it was still quite early; Giles ordered a pot of tea and a plate of sandwiches for them both. When they were brought, she poured the tea and he raised his cup to her. ‘Here’s to your new career, Miss Delamour. But please don’t ever give up singing.’
‘I won’t,’ she said huskily. ‘I feel as if I have more to sing about now than I ever had before and it will make a difference to the way I sing, even though this position might only be temporary until Mr Rogers finds someone else.’
They talked of general things as they ate, and Giles told her that he had just opened a letter from his parents telling him that they had received a distraught letter from his wife’s parents that they could barely understand.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Delia commiserated. ‘They must all be very unhappy about the situation.’
‘I’m sure they are,’ he agreed. ‘But I wonder if they’ve ever thought about how unhappy we’ve been for so many years simply because we obeyed them, honoured our fathers and mothers? Now at last Marion and I have a chance of some happiness in our own lives.’
‘Yes.’ She drew in a breath and felt suddenly fearful that he might have plans that didn’t include her.
‘Delia,’ he said, leaning towards her. ‘I want to tell you something;
