Prologue part 2 of 2

See Prologue Part 1 of 2 for Disclaimer, Spoiler and Author's Note

Things had gone from bad to worse rather rapidly and no one, Foyle included, had been able to help the couple. The stress and strain proved too much, they tried a separation thinking space would help but it had not worked. Adam returned home on their second wedding anniversary in January of 1948 but moved into a hotel permanently after only two days home.

They had married in January of 1946 and legally would not be permitted to petition for divorce until they had been married three years; January of 1949. It was coming on to spring 1948 and Sam's life was falling apart around her. Sam had moved out of their house after deciding she did not want to stay in the home they had shared together; even though Adam said he would cover the expenses until they could divorce. She returned to work with Mr. Foyle at the Home Office, and found a small flat to rent.

Sam had a great deal of difficulty coming to terms with the fact she would be divorced. Of primary concern was the worry over what her father and uncles would have to say. It was going to be difficult enough to face the social stigma and judgment of being a divorced woman. However, that paled in comparison to having to live with the disappointment and shame she would bring to her family. Eventually, she came to the decision that moving out was the best way for them to obtain the divorce. Sam felt it was primarily her fault it had come to that final breaking point because she was unwilling to discuss or consider attempting to have more children. Although she knew she had not caused the loss of her pregnancies; she was unwavering in her conviction that she would not try again, certain the results would be the same. That stance, to her way of thinking, betrayed the life plans she and Adam had made. He wasn't happy around her anymore, she could see it even when he didn't say or do anything hurtful; she could still tell. It was up to her to let him free so he could marry and have children with someone else. She knew there were great restrictions on remarrying but thought with Adam being an MP and if she were the one to blame for leaving the marriage, maybe he would be granted permission to remarry. With that thought in mind, Sam was willing to wait out the required 3 years for a desertion charge and carry the weight of the shame associated with being the deserting party.

She made her decision clear to her father when he had come to visit; specifically to talk her into working on her marriage. As soon as she had received word to expect her father, Sam talked with Foyle. He agreed to meet her and her father, Iain, at his hotel for tea soon after his arrival.

Iain had been sorely disappointed in not being able to talk his daughter into changing her mind and working on her marriage. Nor was he at all pleased with Foyle's 'resolutely neutral posture toward Samantha's situation' or his deference to her decisions; essentially, Foyle's failure to take the vicar's side.

Sam continually addressed Foyle as Christopher and her father voice objection to that as well. She tried to explain that Christopher was to have been the baby's godfather and used Foyle's quip: 'It wouldn't do to have the child call him Uncle Sir, would it?'

When her attempt at levity fell flat, Foyle interjected that although that had been the catalyst for the shift to a familiar form of address in personal settings; there was still a formal address employed by both while at work. That seemed to assuage her father's indignation; if only on that singular point.

Sam's Uncle Aubrey, on the other hand, had been more understanding of Sam and Adam's situation and especially accepting of Foyle's stance on the matter. In fact, Foyle had the distinct impression Aubrey's subsequent visit was a perfunctory act to appease his brother's desire to try and curry favor with his daughter by sending her most favored uncle. However his visit came about, it was by far, the more pleasant of the two encounters.

Foyle had asked Sam to return to work with him, after Adam had left and she had moved into her flat. However, he had implemented a strict list of rules for them to follow if she continued working with him. To impress upon Sam just how serious he was about the 'new rules' he had typed them up, made Sam read and sign them; with the understanding that she must absolutely abide by them under threat of being fired if she breached them. He knew how heart wrenching the impending divorce was for Sam and took special pains to ensure there was no possible way the time they spent together, at work or outside of work, could be misconstrued as anything untoward. There was no way he was going to risk causing her more pain or giving Adam any additional legal grounds against her. If the younger man wanted to force the issue of divorce it was not going to be by sullying Sam's reputation with rumor or innuendo.

It took a bit of getting used to for both of them: addressing each other as 'Mr. Foyle' and 'Mrs. Wainwright', keeping the office door open whenever they were in the room together, not standing close to each other, should they need to be looking at the same photo or document, it was to be done from either side of a desk, hardly ever traveled in the car together; on the rare occasion they needed to for business reasons, he made sure they could have their arrival and departure times verified by others. Usually, it was one or the other using the car, Sam for errands, Foyle to meetings or interviews. If they walked anywhere together they kept a significant distance between them at all times. They did have breakfast or tea together once in a while, always in a public place and always arriving and leaving separately. In the rare event they had dinner together it was only with others associated with work. Nothing private, nothing among only friends and nothing that could be, in any way, misconstrued or cause Sam's fidelity to fall under scrutiny. Adam had already made several comments that called the nature of their relationship into question, made, what Foyle considered, veiled threats and references to adultery being appropriate grounds for the divorce petition. He knew it would take more than the younger man simply making unfounded accusations for such a petition to be given leave. However, Foyle was loathed to allow any action on his or Sam's part to aid Adam in pressing for grounds of adultery against Sam.

Foyle was never quite clear on how Adam had arranged for the divorce petition to be submitted ahead of the three year restriction; although, he had suspected it had something to do with the man's connections in government. The divorce was still not given leave or filed officially until the day after their third wedding anniversary. Nonetheless, that was still considerably ahead of the customary time frame allowed by law.

They had finally had acceptable grounds for divorce, ahead of waiting out the three year desertion period, when Adam was 'caught' with another woman and bore the brunt of the scandal. Thus freeing them both from the sad, embittered and abrasive daily pain and torture they endured. Adam had purposely been unabashed in his open pursuit of the lady in question; racking up numerous witnesses and evidence for Sam to prove a charge of adultery to the court.

In addition to the accelerated time frame, Foyle couldn't help but wonder about Adam's hand in the unusual processing of the divorce petition itself. The younger man had notified Sam of his ongoing relationship and informed her he had secured a solicitor for her who would let her know what was needed from her and when. Unorthodox, to say the least, and it set Foyle's suspicions to work.

As ever, it took little for Foyle to get Sam to open up. She was confused and concerned by what was going on with Adam and the divorce. During their discussion over tea one afternoon Foyle was able to deduce that Adam had pulled in favors from a multitude of friends to have their divorce tailored to receive the court's leave and secure an expedited decree. Technically, it would satisfy the letter of the law and, if Adam's sources could execute the petition as planned, it should yield equally binding results. There was a dispensation issued by the court, how Foyle could only guess and didn't want to. It allowed for 'Mrs. Wainwright, upon proof of identity, may submit her testimony and proof of grounds in written form; once completed and validated, she will not be required to present herself to the court'. The dispensation cause given was 'due to the emotional hardship it would place on her following the emotional and physical toll of the loss of two pregnancies in late term within the past year'. Foyle couldn't help but be a bit nervous the more he heard about the way Adam was handling the petition and all the potential points in which it could be called into question. He expressed his concerns to Sam, who had agreed but said she was willing to take the risk. Her reasoning was if it didn't work they would just have to wait; Adam could file a petition against her for desertion, in three years' time, as she had originally planned.

By the middle of February 1949, everything surrounding the divorce was said and done; decree issued and Adam and Sam had parted ways for the last time.

Sam had had so much to do leading up to the divorce; Foyle had tried to get her to take some time off to focus her efforts on her personal matters. When that failed, he had agreed to an assignment in January that would take him out of London for a week; possibly two, he had been told. If Sam would not willing take the time off, Foyle knew he could get her to do so while he was gone and there was nothing for her to help with at the office. His planned worked, with one exception; his one week possibly two, had ended up being nearly month. By the time he returned, Sam's divorce was final and she had cleared out most of her flat in preparation for moving; she gave many items away and boxed the things she wanted to keep.

They were both moving out of London. Foyle had made a few trips back to Hastings, in the weeks prior to his extended assignment, to ready his home for full-time residence again. Sam had asked if he would mind to store a few boxes for her, at his home in Hastings, until she had found a place to live.

Sam had been dreading facing her father and uncles; vicars one and all, save for her uncle the Reverend Bishop Stewart. The Stewart men were gathering for the weekend at her Uncle Aubrey's and Sam had been more summoned than invited by her father. She and Foyle had discussed her apprehension and he suggested she arrange for a visit with Aubrey a few days ahead of the others arriving for the weekend. He felt she would benefit from some one on one time with the man who was so fond of her and had shown genuine sympathy and understanding when they had last met in London. Once her early arrival had been warmly welcomed, Aubrey extended an invitation, through her, inviting Foyle for the weekend as well. Initially, he was reluctant to accept. Then Sam explained it was not a family gathering in the sense of a reunion but rather a sort of family conference regarding her divorce. When she had gone on to say she was sure it would not be as bad as the Inquisition; but, it would certainly feel like. He capitulated and agreed to drive to Aubrey's on Friday and stay the weekend. By the time he had taken Sam to the train on Tuesday, he had already packed and loaded his car with the last of his clothes and the few remaining personal items from his office and hotel room.