Deranged Marriage (27 page)

‘I’ve got a hospital appointment later this week, but if I take my mum and we get a cab then that should be all right.’

‘Some photographers might start following you, although I can’t imagine they will,’ Freddie warned.

‘I should go home now, shouldn’t I?’ I asked.

‘Yes, and Holly...’

‘Um?’

‘Don’t have any more bright ideas. Check them with me first.’

‘Right boss. I was going to ask if you thought I should call George.’

‘Do you think that you can get through to him? Better than Cordelia?’ Freddie asked.

‘I might. I thought that maybe if I told him how hurt I am by the press coverage, I might be able to appeal to his better nature.’

‘OK, but let’s draft what you’re going to say, then you can call him from the office while we’re there.’ I had the feeling that they already knew it would go horribly wrong, but were humouring me. At least if it did go wrong, this time they’d be there to catch me when I fell.

I paced Francesca’s office as Freddie went to instruct Sarah on the press release. I could see that everyone in the office was giving me sympathetic glances. I smiled. They must think that I am on my way out, but they still seemed to care.

Francesca drafted what I would say to George; we all knew how good he was at twisting my words. However, I was taking him by surprise, which was a very sound war tactic.

Francesca dialled the number and handed the phone to me. I hoped it wasn’t his answerphone. It wasn’t.

‘George Conway.’ The voice was even more arrogant than last time.

‘George, it’s Holly.’ Pause to let that information sink in.

‘Holly, what a surprise. I’m not sure I should be talking to you.’ I had anticipated that, or Francesca had.

‘I know you probably think I should go through Cordelia, and I tried that, but George we share a lot of good history.’

‘True.’

‘Have you seen the papers today?’

‘I have.’

‘And are you happy about it? The fact that I have been having sex with you all our lives practically. That I used and abused you but promised to marry you. George, it’s all lies.’

‘That’s one way of looking at it.’

‘And the other is?’ I raised my eyebrows at Francesca and shook my head.

‘That I have to do whatever it takes to get you to realise that your rightful place is by my side.’

‘George has it not occurred to you that by telling these lies about me it’ll just make me hate you?’

‘Yes, but you won’t hate me forever. Believe me this is totally necessary.’ Again, Francesca had anticipated this response.

‘I could sue you for defamation.’

‘I’m a lawyer Holly, I know what you can and can’t do. Sue me if you want but you won’t win. In the end you’ll realise that I love you and you love me. If it takes a bit of disruption in your life then I’m sorry but you could always just admit to how you feel.’

‘George, I feel like my best friend is stabbing me in the heart. I feel like the one person who would never hurt me has hurt me. I feel as if there is no way I will ever be able to love you, not in the way you want me to. This crusade of yours is fruitless, and it’s hurting me. Surely you don’t want to hurt me.’

‘Of course not, but if it’s necessary...Holly please, just agree to marry me and we can put all this behind us.’

‘I can’t do that.’

‘Then I have to go.’ He hung up.

Francesca looked at me.

‘The problem is that he absolutely believes he is doing the right thing. I can’t understand it, but he does.’ I put my face in my hands in total despair, and Francesca, at a loss of what else to do, held me.

Chapter Twenty-four

Human
Interest

I put down the phone and felt wretched. Why couldn’t she understand that I didn’t want to hurt her? That hurting her was tearing me apart. It had been hard ever since I had agreed to work with Cordelia. Sometimes, like now, I questioned my actions. I just wanted to issue a nationwide appeal to Holly, so she could realise her life was with me. That was all.

At first I thought Cordelia had been wrong. The story hardly set the world alight, and it seemed poised to die before it even got anywhere. I began to think that my quest was fruitless. Then Cordelia suggested that we spice up the details. It had all the makings of a great human interest story, but it needed a bit more of a kick to it. That was what she said. I know about the law and she knows about the media. We worked together.

When I was with Cordelia I felt relaxed. She was reassuring, she was patient, and she listened. All I wanted was to marry Holly and I knew, knew without a shadow of a doubt that that was what should happen. My family weren’t speaking to me, Holly wasn’t speaking to me, but I would prove them all wrong because they
were
all wrong. I was right. If I had to use dirty tricks to get Holly, so be it, because the main purpose of the story, unknown to Cordelia, was to split up Holly and Joe. Once he was off the scene then there would be no one standing in my way.

Cordelia was impressed by my suggestions and, as I knew they were legally sound, we went ahead. I was amazed how quickly the story broke. I’d spoken to her in the afternoon and by morning we were in the papers. Cordelia was pushing me but that wasn’t it. I was pushing myself just as much. I knew that this was perhaps my big chance and I wasn’t going to blow it.

At first I was nervous about talking to journalists but by the fourth interview I did that day, I got used to it. And the photographs. I have never been that keen on having my photo taken but when you have a professional photographer and they are telling you how great you are, then you begin to believe it. I began to understand how Holly’s old flatmate, Lisa, got so vain. She was a model and had people pandering to her all the time. Holly and I used to take the mickey out of her something rotten. I wondered if she still did. So, I had five photographs taken, four interviews with national dailies, and one interview with a weekly gossip magazine. I was beginning to feel like a bit of a celebrity. I smiled to myself that we’d come so far, so quickly, and I knew there was only one person I had to thank for that. I vowed, as I set off to meet with her in her office that I would tell her so.

‘Cordelia, I am gratified by the way things are going.’

‘I’m pretty pleased myself.’

‘So, what next?’

‘Well, I have had offers from some television shows. Now, we need to be careful not to choose the wrong ones. I am recommending
Wake
Up
Britain!
That’s broadcast really early but has a very high viewer rating.
This
Afternoon
with Nancy Witter will be good for you as she’s really friendly. Then I think we’ll try
Michael
Martin
Discusses
, it’s a Jerry Springer-type show, it might be a bit boisterous, do you think Holly would agree to appear?’

‘Definitely not.’

‘Good, then you can get your views across without any difficulty. Then we’ve also had an offer for you to go on Keith Northam’s show, you know...the gay comic. It’s a very funny and highly popular show. He might take the piss a bit but I think you can handle him. Also that show has an evening slot, so by the time we’re finished everyone in the country will know who you are.’

‘Wow, I can’t believe it!’

‘This is only the tip of the iceberg, George. By the time I’ve finished, Holly will be crawling on her hands and knees to you begging you to take her back.’

‘But we were never together in the first place.’

‘You were, George, remember, for the purposes of this campaign you were. Now we are going to cram all this in pretty quickly. You’ll do two shows the day after tomorrow, then next Monday you do Michael and you’re doing Keith next Thursday evening. I think you can cope.’

‘So this is already arranged?’ I wasn’t sure that I liked her agreeing things without my say so.

‘Only provisionally, we don’t have time to mess around George, I’ve told you that enough times.’

‘Sorry. This is great. I’m certainly impressed.’

‘I’ll send Holly a schedule of your TV interviews. I’m toying with the idea of you doing some radio but we’ll see how the TV goes first.’

‘You’re the boss.’

‘George, have a good restful day tomorrow because you’re going to be busy. Busy, busy, busy.’

‘I will.’ I kissed Cordelia on the cheek and left to go home. Holly would soon be putty in my hands.

At home I read through the papers again, and for a fleeting moment felt bad. But then I pulled myself together. I was doing what I had to do. It had become my mantra.
Doing
what
I
had
to
do
.

I made some notes for my forthcoming television appearances and I also looked up the shows on the Internet. I wanted to be prepared. Then I turned to the question of wardrobe. I didn’t want to look too flashy, I wanted to look smart and serious. My court suit would be perfect. I decided to address my television appearances the way I would address my court appearances. When I went to court, I always wore the same outfit. I had five identical suits, I had countless white shirts, and I used the same tie. Consistency. If you looked the same dependable you, other people unwittingly began to trust you. Not quite subliminal, more amateur psychology. So that would be what I would do on TV. I smiled as I realised that I could be very good at this.

The journalists I’d faced so far had all been so sympathetic that I wasn’t worried about the TV hosts. One female journalist had hit on me, I was sure of it. She said it was a crime for a man like me to be on my own and then she winked at me. Another said Holly must be crazy to turn me down. The male journalists sympathised as well. We guys must stick together. I was being encouraged and that reinforced my feelings that I was doing the right thing.

I ran my fingers through my hair and thought about getting it cut. But then I decided against it. I didn’t want to look too well-groomed, too clean-cut. Wearing a sharp suit and having my hair slightly messy would convey that I was upset by the situation; and I was.

OK, so there was an amount of calculation and a certain manipulation of public sympathy, but at the same time I was working for the greater good.

My mobile rang as I was contemplating my opening lines. ‘George Conway.’

‘George, it’s Clive.’

‘Clive, I’ve been meaning to call you to thank you for putting Cordelia in touch with me.’

‘I see by the tabloids that it’s working out.’

‘Well it seems to be. Of course Holly hasn’t capitulated yet but she will soon.’

‘George, be careful won’t you.’

‘Clive you are one of the most cautious bastards I know. Too long in the British legal system.’

‘I know, but Cordelia can be dangerous.’

‘What, in a mad axe-wielding sort of way?’

‘No, but I’ve dated her and believe me she’s got a ruthless streak.’

‘I’m sure, but she has to in her line of work. Anyway, why would she be doing this for me, for not much money, if she was so ruthless.’

‘I don’t know, but that’s what worries me.’

‘Clive, you’re not bitter because you broke up are you?’

‘We’re not all like you, George. I just want you to be careful.’

‘I appreciate your concern but I can look after myself.’

‘Bye.’ He hung up.

Clive wasn’t someone I was interested in now, he was way too cautious, but I was grateful to him for getting me and Cordelia together, even if he regretted it. It was hard to understand the feelings and motives of other people. No one but Cordelia was supporting me at the start, but now, the press were behind me. Clive could go to hell.

Straight away my mobile rang again, it was Cordelia.

‘George I’ve confirmed all those interviews and I’m biking round details as we speak. Also I’ve spoken to the papers, they’ve had very positive feedback so far, apparently the public have been sending e-mails in support of your plight. We’re winning.’

‘That’s all I need to hear.’ Clive was a fool, Cordelia was doing her absolute best. I had to trust her because she was all I had.

Chapter Twenty-five

My first appearance was on
Wake
Up
Britain!
which meant I had to get up in the middle of the night and travel to the studio in east London. There I was met by a lovely young lady called Sally and taken to make-up. I was a little taken aback but they said it was normal ‘so my nose didn’t shine under the studio lights’. I felt nervous, as I sipped at a coffee and waited for my turn on the sofa with Anton Harvey and Felicity Long, but I didn’t have long to wait.

‘Our second guest this morning is a man with an unusual story to tell. He actually took his childhood sweetheart to court to try to get her to marry him. Ladies and Gentleman...George Conway.’

My legs wobbled as I walked on to the set but I faced the camera, gave them a smile, shook hands with Anton and Felicity and sat down.

‘George, welcome,’ Felicity said, smiling brightly.

‘Thank you,’ I replied.

‘So, George, a bit weird to say the least, suing someone to get them to marry you,’ Anton said. My first reaction was to punch him; his voice was so mocking. But I was here to win sympathy.

‘It might sound strange but I felt I had no other option,’ I replied, again, with a slight smile.

‘Why is that?’ Felicity asked. I wondered how long they had been working as a double act. They were probably screwing each other which would have explained a lot.

‘I have been in love with Holly for as long as I can remember. We’ve been pretty inseparable since we were twelve. But of course, growing up it’s not healthy to have only one relationship, we both agreed on that. However, we always said we’d be together. I was ready before Holly, that was it really. At twenty I told her I was ready to commit to her but she wasn’t to me. Although we were sleeping together constantly, she was still seeing other men. So she agreed to sign a pact, actually it was her idea—’