Jackal's Dance by Beverley Harper

‘Look at me, Thea.’
    She did so. Reluctantly.
    â€˜You have to tell him.’
    Thea bit her lip. ‘It’s the last thing he wants right now.’
    Sean felt a rush of anger towards the lodge manager. He’d always assumed, as had the others, that Billy’s cold and distant personality was something reserved for other employees, not his wife. But here was Thea in a terrible state over something about which she should have been happy and excited. ‘Are you sure he’ll be angry, Thea? A lot of men say they don’t want children but, faced with the prospect, they invariably do an about-face.’
    â€˜Billy . . . he’s . . . it’s not that he doesn’t want them.’
    I’ll bet it isn’t. With his wife pregnant he might have to get off his backside and actually do something.
    â€˜It’s just that . . . well, the way it’s happened.He’s had no say in it, no control. You know Billy.’
    Yeah! Control freak. Has to be in charge.
Sean’s hands dropped to his sides. ‘You didn’t get pregnant on your own, you know.’
    A tiny smile touched her lips.
    â€˜That’s better.’ His voice held no trace of the deep and bitter disappointment he suddenly felt. ‘You can’t keep it hidden from him, Thea. He has to be told.’
    She looked up at him, apprehension clear on her face. ‘I know. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. I just needed to . . .’
    â€˜I understand,’ Sean said gently.
    â€˜You’re right. Of course I must tell him. It’ll be okay, I’m sure it will.’ She gave a little self-conscious laugh. ‘Thanks for listening.’
    With a final look towards the generator, Thea turned and walked away.
    He watched her go, realising once she was out of sight that his fists were clenched. From the moment Billy and Thea arrived, Sean had been aware that he’d met the woman he always dreamed of loving. There had been girlfriends, a couple of serious relationships, but never such a physical and emotional pull towards any of them as was instantly felt with Thea. He tried to keep his distance but, with so few of them living at the lodge, it had not been easy. Thea, with no inkling of Sean’s feelings for her, often sought out his company.
    Today, when he put his hands on her arms, was the first time he’d ever touched her. Sean could still feel the electric tingle of her skin under his fingers.It had taken every ounce of willpower not to fold her into him, kiss her hair, smooth away the worried frown. But he knew if he ever got that close he’d never want to let go. She was someone else’s wife and while he, more than once, had entertained the fantasy that Thea and Billy would, might, please-God-let-it-happen divorce, allowing him to declare his true feelings, now she was pregnant and tied that much closer to her bloody bone-idle husband.
    Sean had too much honour in him to try and come between a man and his wife, irrespective of how happy or unhappy that union might have been, or the depth of his own desires. From what he had observed of Thea and Billy’s marriage, love appeared a decidedly one-sided thing. Thea only spoke well of Billy and was always quick to his defence if she sensed anything accusing from the others. Billy, on the other hand, openly criticised Thea, hardly ever acknowledged her hard work, never showed affection and, with a few drinks inside, could lose his temper completely and call her every hurtful name under the sun. Thea never complained. She simply doubled her efforts to please him.
    The generator missed a beat, bringing Sean back to the present. After adjusting the recalcitrant idle speed setting, he gave the machine a pat, sighed and walked over to his modified Land Rover where it was waiting in the workshop to have a broken spring replaced. Billy had told him to help the vet. Well, Billy could go to hell.