‘When did you last see your children, Jed?’ Robert slipped his briefcase under his leather-topped desk, removed his jacket and was reminded briefly of Louisa as he felt the weight of his phone in his pocket. He would get rid of Bowman and call her again.
‘Weeks ago. She won’t let me near them.’ Jed removed a packet of cigarettes from his dirty shirt pocket.
‘It’s a non-smoking office. This won’t take long. Can you wait?’
Jed grimaced. ‘If I have to. I just want to get me kids out of that house. She’s got a man there now with a poncy car and proper job.’
‘You know for sure?’
‘That’s what me neighbours said. Me old neighbours,’ he corrected.
Robert was surprised at the way Jed Bowman’s face began to slide off the jutting bones beneath. Folds of hair-spattered, sunburnt skin slumped around his forehead and neck, giving him the appearance of an ageing bulldog that had lost its fight.
‘I loved her, you know. Truly I did.’
Robert, compelled by a feeling he couldn’t quite put a label on, opened a cupboard in his desk and removed a cut-glass ashtray that hadn’t been used since he quit the habit himself when he’d married Erin. He couldn’t understand why his need for nicotine hadn’t returned tenfold after the weekend’s events, and seeing Jed’s face regain some elasticity as he spotted the ashtray almost made Robert reach out and cadge one off his client.
Or was it because of Louisa’s voice? Still the same clear bell.
Robert went through the file with his client although he wasn’t sure that Jed completely understood the implications if he lost. His witnesses at best were unreliable and all but one had histories of alcohol abuse and drug addiction. Proving that Mary Bowman was an unfit mother for Jed’s two children while their father himself associated with similarly socially challenged individuals would really test his persuasive skills as a lawyer.
At best, the children would be taken into care. At worst, well, Robert’s gut told him it would be a life with their father, although he hadn’t met Mary Bowman to measure how her parenting skills stacked up. So far he’d only had Jed’s word maligning the woman.
‘Nice suit and a bit of a shave, then. Nine o’clock sharp.’ Robert stood, leaned over his desk through a haze of blue smoke and was about to offer his hand – more out of habit than anything else – but withdrew when he saw the filth on his client’s fingers and nails.
‘I’ll have to borrow one.’ And Jed left Mason & Knight obviously disgruntled by the prospect of procuring a suit.
Robert got in the way of his compulsion to pick up the phone again by talking through some files with Tanya until she reminded him that they had already taken care of these matters last week. Then he interrupted a telephone conference in Den’s office. Finally, he returned to his own smoke-tainted office and poured himself a coffee. He switched on his mobile phone and it alerted him to one new voicemail.
‘Robert, I can’t believe it! Your number came up although I think reception must have been bad because I couldn’t hear you. Anyway, how are you? It’s been too long. Did you know that I’m back in England for a while? Look, call me back and we should arrange something. That is, if you want to. Maybe you don’t, or can’t or wouldn’t anyway even if you could. You know. Hey, just call me.’
That was Louisa. Crystal clear.
He pressed a button to return the call and burnt his lips on his coffee just as she answered.
‘Rob?’
‘It is,’ he said, unable to help the grin despite his stinging lip. ‘That wouldn’t be Miss Forrest, would it?’ Then he realised his mistake.
‘Uh-uh. Wrong number, I’m afraid.’
‘How is married life then, Mrs . . .’ he swallowed, not wanting to say the name. ‘Mrs van Holten?’
‘Oh, well, since you ask, my dear Mr Knight, married life is simply wonderful.’ Then the giggle, bringing back a thousand years of memories. Not the giggle of a silly teen or frivolous female in her twenties, but the gentle, persuasive laugh of a woman who knew what she wanted in life. Whether she’d got it or not, Robert wasn’t sure. ‘And might I ask the same question of you?’
‘My life is simply wonderful, also, Mrs van . . . van Holten. Just as you promised it would be.’ Robert recalled a skim of pain on Louisa’s face, hidden skilfully under a perfect smile, when he’d introduced her to Erin.
‘Really? I’m so thrilled, Rob. You deserve it. After everything. ’ A virtually inaudible sigh, perhaps even static on the line.
‘You too.’ Robert was suddenly aware that their brief conversation was in danger of becoming maudlin, which might have the effect of bringing it to a premature close. ‘Are you in London?’ He held his breath, knowing the odds were slim.
‘Sadly, no, otherwise I’d be knocking on your door and taking you out for lunch.’
Robert closed his eyes for a beat, thankful Louisa couldn’t see.
‘I’m in Somerset at the weekend for a cousin’s wedding and then another few days travelling the country catching up with ageing relatives.’ She sounded weary, he thought. Tired of something.
‘When are you going back to Amsterdam?’ Den had already told Robert she was in England for several weeks at least. Apparently he’d heard through an associate who’d used her on occasion, or was currently using her. Robert wasn’t sure. He’d drunk five pints, after all.
‘You know me. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to pick up on a bit of work while I was here. I’ve a couple of jobs to do for a Dutch agency so, who knows, it might be a week but could be four.’
‘We should catch up.’ Robert held his breath, thought of Erin, wished he’d never called.
‘Of course we should. What are you doing this weekend?’
Robert didn’t reply immediately. Louisa had already said she was attending a wedding in Somerset. Was she inviting him along? Erin and Ruby too? He smiled at the thought. A few days away could be just what they all needed.
‘Nothing much although that depends largely on Erin. She’s quite likely to organise a dinner party on a whim.’ Robert laughed to add substance to his lie. Erin was currently far too preoccupied to play hostess. ‘What did you have in mind?’
‘Why don’t you bundle your family into the car and come up to the country for the weekend? Willem’s flying over for the wedding so we could all, well, meet.’
‘And stuff,’ Robert added, knowing that Louisa was thinking it too.
The idea was left hanging on Robert’s promise to call back once he had spoken to Erin. He hoped his wife would go for the idea. She’d only met Louisa once before their wedding, before Louisa left the country to marry a Dutchman. True, he’d been close to Louisa, she to him, but old flame was not on the list. Besides, the trip filled a needy gap – a break in the country could be the surprise he had promised Ruby and might also sweeten the news that he had to deliver to Erin – that he had taken Ruby to Greywood College.
Erin came downstairs, having showered and changed, and breezed into the kitchen like a fresh bloom. Despite her bright appearance she was shattered and made a point of regaling Robert with tales of her exhausting day at the shop. Robert handed her a glass of chilled white. The evening was muggy and airless, unusually so for early June.
‘And she didn’t turn up until eleven today. I told her, I bloody told her, you’re fired, young lady.’ Erin took her drink and grinned at Robert. ‘You’re wonderful,’ she said. ‘What’s all this for?’ She eyed the array of ingredients on the worktop, breathed in heavily as unusual smells permeated the kitchen.
‘No special occasion. I just fancied cooking.’ Robert wrapped his arms around her, drank in the perfume of her shampoo and crushed her clean body against his day-old shirt. True, he hardly ever cooked and it was a riskily flagrant attempt at getting in her good books before he broke the news. Risky also in that it might not turn out right. He’d got Tanya to search for a recipe on the internet and sent her out to buy the ingredients.
‘Ruby seems unusually chirpy. And thanks for letting her come back to your office after school. It makes a change from hanging about at my shop.’
‘No bother,’ Robert replied, staring at Erin briefly, wondering if this was the moment to tell her. He chucked a pile of chopped chicken into a searing wok and filled the kitchen with smoke.
‘She’s doing her homework, can you believe.’ Erin pulled away from Robert and noticed the crease on his brow. ‘Is something wrong? You don’t seem very pleased that Ruby didn’t get bullied today.’
‘Of course I am.’ Robert placed the spatula on the counter, turned down the gas and faced his wife. He planted heavy hands on her shoulders, thought how frail she seemed, and opened his mouth to speak. ‘There’s something—’
‘Dad, I need help on a project. The other girls have been doing it for weeks and Miss Draper says I should try to catch up before the end of term and—’
‘Your mother and I were just talking, Ruby. I’ll come upstairs and help you in a minute.’
Ruby looked at her mother then at Robert. It dawned slowly, and her cheeks reddened. ‘Oh,’ she said and retreated from the room.
‘Who’s Miss Draper?’ Erin slipped out of her husband’s grip. ‘And what project does Ruby have to catch up on?’ She took a large sip of wine. ‘Rob?’
Robert turned off the gas completely, accepting that the chicken would ruin, and pulled out a chair for Erin at the kitchen table. She sat, not taking her eyes off him, and he sat too, avoiding her gaze, focusing instead on her slim fingers fidgeting nervously.
‘I took Ruby to Greywood College today, Erin. There was no way she could go back to her old school.’ Finally, he looked up. He saw the thin thread of mistrust strung between them, that familiar web of doubt, sparkling tantalisingly. Only this time he was the one who had shot out the yarn.
‘You did what?’ Erin stood and went to lean on the sink, staring out at their small patch of garden, at the willow tree under which they’d once made love and been excited by the risk of being seen.
‘I know Ruby’s technically your daughter but when we married you automatically passed some parental responsibility onto me. We’re a family now and what I think is best for Ruby—’
‘So what you say goes, right?’ Erin spun round. Her eyes hardened and became paler, if that was possible, and her usually full lips tightened into a thin line. ‘Without a thought about what really matters.’
‘What matters is Ruby’s happiness. When I picked her up earlier, she was glowing.’ Robert didn’t particularly want to cook and didn’t feel much like eating, but to curtail a major outburst, he returned to the chicken, lit the gas and added the sauce he’d prepared. He doubted if anyone apart from Ruby would eat now.
Erin left the room just as Ruby returned. She looked at Robert questioningly.
‘Your mother’s not very happy about it, love,’ Robert said and offered a little of the sauce for Ruby to taste.
‘Hot but good,’ she said flatly. ‘Will I have to go back to my old school?’
‘Not a chance. Don’t you worry about that.’ Robert stared out of the window briefly, as if to catch sight of his wife’s previous thoughts. The willow tree made his heart skittle as he remembered Erin’s willing body, how eager she was. All he wanted was to be allowed to love her like the pounding in his chest told him. ‘Anyway, I have a surprise for you both.’
Ruby immediately brightened and ran to fetch her mother.
The chicken was passable although rather spicy for such a muggy evening. A plain salad would have been better. Hungry from an exhilarating day, Ruby ate everything but Erin pushed her food around the plate, spreading it out like a child would to make it look as if she’d tried.
Conversation was limited and when Ruby mentioned her new school, Robert shot her a look that told her to save it for later. Erin was still tetchy about her bad day at work and grumbled briefly about untrustworthy employees. She was building up the business; the previous owner had not had a clue about running a florist’s shop. Robert had bought the place as a wedding present for Erin, convinced that she could make a go of it. She was driven, knew everything there was to know about the flower trade, and the shop, although small, was in a prime high street location.
‘I told her a thousand times but she obviously didn’t want to work.’ Erin was thinking out loud. ‘I’ll have to advertise for someone else.’ She leaned forward, head in hands. ‘I can’t believe I fired her.’
Robert reached across to rub her shoulders. ‘Maybe you should call her and ask her to come back. At least just for this Saturday.’ He looked at Ruby. ‘I reckon your mum needs a break.’
‘What on earth are you talking about, Robert?’ Erin stood up, still mad from being overruled, and began to clear the plates but Robert stopped her.
‘Sit. How about a weekend in a romantic country hotel? There’s a pool and spa, riding, golf, tennis and after all that you can indulge in massages and all sorts of other beauty stuff.’ Louisa had given Robert the name of the hotel where the wedding was taking place and he’d already looked at their website and called to check availability. ‘And I promised Ruby a surprise earlier. I thought a weekend away would be good for us all.’
Erin’s face revealed little emotion as she absorbed the news. The way she sat, perfectly still, hands clasped on the table, gave away nothing of what she was thinking. Ruby lunged for Robert and hugged him. At least he knew he had scored a hit with one member of his family.
‘Can I go riding, Dad?’
She had said
Dad
again. It warmed him from the inside out. Robert nodded and squeezed Ruby’s hand, noticing how icy cold it was, despite the lingering heat of the day.
‘Why don’t you run and get those letters from school. You said some were important.’
Ruby nodded and went to fetch her school bag.
‘I’m not happy with it, Rob.’ Erin stared into her husband’s eyes. ‘Not happy at all.’
The eye contact was a start, he thought. A breakthrough. ‘It’s only a weekend away.’