Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(39)

Mickey had known a number of people (including himself, on occasion), who had been in bust-ups at pubs and footie matches. He’d even seen himself in the mirror when a fist had hit his face more than once, looking exactly like the woman who walked out of the hospital.

He’d also seen his own mother looking like her.

Mickey turned his attention to the man with her.

He was lean, tall and handsome, with light brown hair and blue eyes.

His name, Mickey knew, was Calvin Cole.

He was once, Mickey knew, married to Belle Abbot, The Tiny Dynamo.

Mickey, who was a freelance investigative journalist putting together an article for whoever would buy it, knew Cole had abused his first wife rather viciously for four years.

Mickey, whose own mother suffered at the hands of Mickey’s father in much the same way, knew Cole would pay for what he did to the women in his life.

The public would eat him alive at the very thought of his lifting his hand to Belle “The Tiny Dynamo” Abbot.

Much less him doing it repeatedly for four years.

And no woman in her right mind would ever get near him again.

Mickey would make absolutely certain of that.

This thought made Mickey smile to himself as he started his car to follow them.

Chapter Eight

All an Act

Jack

Jack strode swiftly up the path to the stables where Rachel had told him Belle was with her grandmother.

It was fair to say Jack was not very happy.

Indeed, one could even say he was incensed.

Three weeks ago Belle had, as she’d agreed, arranged for Jack to attend an appointment with her at her obstetrician.

This was not what made him angry.

Her obstetrician was quite qualified (Jack had checked) and seemed confident, knowledgeable and self-assured.

She had also told Jack that Belle’s continuing morning sickness, weight loss, pallor and head pain were all quite natural.

Jack didn’t believe her.

Two weeks ago, Belle had travelled all the way up to London with his mother in order that she could accompany him to a second opinion appointment with an eminent obstetrician in Harley Street.

During the second opinion with the eminent Harley Street obstetrician, Jack was told the precise same thing.

Jack didn’t like it but he believed him.

This, as well, was not what made him angry.

One week ago, Belle, her mother and her grandmother had, as promised, moved into his home.

Upon her arrival, he was pleased both to note and be told by Rachel that Belle was feeling much better. The head pain was gone as was the morning sickness.

Jack saw with his own eyes that the colour had come back to her face. She’d even seemed to gain weight and was beginning to form a small baby bump.

However, since she’d moved in, even though she was living under the same roof as him, Jack had barely seen her. Furthermore, the two weeks prior, he’d found it difficult to contact her.

Although he owned and ran two large conglomerates that necessitated him having a personal assistant, a personal secretary and a four-person administrative pool at his command, Belle was busier than he.

If she was not at her shop in St. Ives, she was in the workshop above her shop in St. Ives.

If she was not in her shop or workshop, she was off having coffee or shopping with her mother, grandmother or his mother or a combination of the three or, indeed, the whole lot of them.

If she was not in her shop or workshop or with any of the women, she was out on a walk and over the past week, she took Baron and Gretl.

Belle, Jack noted, walked a good deal.

If she was not in her shop, workshop, with the women or walking with his dogs, he could often see her from countless windows in the house sitting on one of the rocks by the sea surrounding The Point. She did not read. She did not write. She did not sew. She just sat, staring out to sea like not only could it speak to her but it was explaining the meaning of life and she was serenely accepting this knowledge as if it was her due.

If she was not in any of those places, she was asleep.

Belle, Jack noted as well in the last three weeks, slept a good deal.

So much so, yesterday, he’d phoned Dr. Flanagan with no small concern and asked why on earth that was happening.

He was assured this was entirely natural.

Then he’d called the eminent obstetrician in Harley Street who also assured Jack this was entirely natural.

Pregnant women, apparently, slept.

Quite a bit.

Therefore, Jack’s goal of spending time with her while his child was developing in her womb was not coming to fruition.

This made Jack angry.

For he knew, without doubt, regardless of how much pregnant women slept, she was avoiding him on purpose.

That made Jack incensed.

And he would not allow it.

Not for another day.

Therefore, he and his dogs were walking to the stables to confront Belle.

Both of his dogs, incidentally, had defected to Belle without the least indication of the years of loyalty they’d offered Jack.

Jack had even caught Baron being shooed out of Belle’s room last night.

He’d been walking to his own room and seen her door open. She’d actually had to scoot the dog out with her hands on his rump, so resistant was Baron to her efforts to remove him from her room.

Then she’d caught sight of Jack, her cheeks went pink, she’d given him a barely there wave, called goodnight and closed her door before he’d had a chance to open his mouth.