His American Fling (19 page)

I can’t describe the horrible nausea that washed through me. I froze up against the wall, unable to go forward or backwards. I was so out of my league. These were first rate bitches I was up against. I peeked around the staircase and saw that they had gone back into the room.  I snuck across the foyer and disappeared into the library. Sitting in the dark on the arm of a sofa, I was stunned. The only light in the room was from the large fireplace.  It was then that I saw the bottle of whiskey.

I grabbed a tumbler and poured myself several fingers full into the glass. I could tell it was expensive whiskey, because it went down very smoothly. I poured another one. Just as I was finishing it up, the door opened and the silhouette of a woman fell across the floor. I felt my whole body tense.

Her voice rang out accusingly, “
There you are!”

I almost cried with relief. “Fiona!  Is Henry looking for me?”

“Campbell sent me after you.”

My head snapped back, “Campbell?”

She started chuckling, as she walked over and sat in the chair next to the sofa. “Maggie, what are you doing in here?”

I almost started crying, “I just needed to get away.”

She shook her head. “Campbell’s worried that Gemma said something to you.”

“She didn’t say it to me.”

Fiona leaned forward, “You overheard Gemma saying something derogatory about you?”

“I’m apparently sloppy seconds. Just a piece of flotsam for Campbell to use and then pass on to Henry.”  I took another drink and sat
back with my head on the leather couch.

She snickered, “Gemma better keep her eye on Campbell. He was more worried about his piece of flotsam than about making sure she’s comfortable tonight. Gemma obviously doesn’t have his complete attention.”
 

“Fiona, I’m so out of my league here.”

“Nonsense. Maggie, they all eat, drink and pee like you. You can’t let them get to you.  How much have you had to drink?”

I realized that I had just consumed what, for me, was a large quantity of alcohol in a short period of time.  I whispered, “Two large glasses of whiskey in the last ten minutes.”

Fiona grabbed my glass. “Wonderful, just wonderful. You’re going to be two sheets to the wind in a few minutes. I need to sit you at the table between people who love you. I have to find Robert. You stay here.” She stood up and exited the room as fast as possible, leaving me to ponder my stupidity.

I was just about to nod off when the door flew open and in walked Fiona. “It’s arranged, we’ve settled you. Now come on, dinner is being served.”

I stood up and immediately fell back onto the couch giggling. My head was swirling and my mind was going a mile a minute. I knew I was in trouble.

Chapter 10

In the Soup

              Fiona hadn’t said anything to Henry or Campbell; she had simply made the arrangements with Robert. Maggie had been originally seated next to Lord Wentworth, but now was being escorted to a seat between Fiona and Campbell. There were numerous protocols of seating, two of which were that you never sat next to the same sex unless there was an odd number of the gender and you were never seated next to the person who accompanied you to the event. The genders were even at the dinner table, but Fiona wasn’t going to risk putting Maggie in foreign territory, so a breach in protocol was arranged.

Campbell was standing next to his chair talking with Charles, who was seated across from him. He glanced down and saw that the name card next to his was Maggie’s. His palms went cold and clammy.  He didn’t understand why Henry would do this?  You never put ex’s next to each other unless their relationship was well in the past. Campbell swallowed hard and looked down to the head of the table where Henry sat, trying to catch his eye to bring the problem to his attention. He saw Henry
carrying on a conversation with Gemma and not paying any mind to Campbell’s furtive looks.

Fiona, holding up a somewhat clumsy Maggie, managed to make her way to the table.  No one had been seated and wouldn’t sit until Henry offered the ladies their seats.  Campbell turned to Fiona.

“What’s the meaning of this?  Why did Henry sit Maggie next to me?”

“Because your bloody date managed to call her a whore and she hit the sauce to ease the blow. Now you and I get to babysit her.”

Campbell looked over at Maggie who was smiling broadly back at him.  He turned away, embarrassed. 

Henry raised a hand and motioned, “Ladies, please be seated.”

The men assisted the ladies into their seats, Campbell taking care to help Maggie sit down.  Taking his seat, he looked down the table to see a furious Gemma, her eyes narrowed, jaw taught. She had just noticed the seating arrangements. Leaning forward to say something to Henry, she gave him an earful as Henry quickly looked down the table, then motioned Robert over. Robert said something in his ear and Henry nodded and said something back to Gemma who wasn’t happy, but apparently appeased.

Campbell leaned in and angrily whispered at Fiona, “You didn’t tell Henry why she’s next to me?”

“No time darling.  Besides, I’d have to tell him what a twit your girlfriend is. For God’s sakes Campbell, how can you really consider getting back together with Gemma?”

Maggie stared back and forth between the two of them as they whispered around her.  She looked into Campbell’s eyes which were fixed on Fiona. Putting her head between them, Maggie, her head wavering, wagged a finger at Campbell. “Yeah, why would any man take back a woman more interested in his title than his soul?”

Fiona and Campbell immediately fixed on Maggie who had said it loud enough for the people in the general vicinity to hear. Across the table Charles started to snicker and cough to keep from laughing.  Campbell quickly gave him a cutting look that shut him up.

Fiona was also having a hard time trying to keep from saying, “Here, here.”

“Maggie, it’s none of your business.” Campbell reproached her.

Maggie sat back and nodded. “You’re right. Why should I care? It’s none of my business that you’re a pompous ass who let
the best thing in his life get away — and it wasn’t Gemma.”

Fiona let a snicker escape.

Campbell stared at Maggie, his eyes wide and his jaw set. He turned to Fiona, “This is going to be a long dinner.”

             
“I don’t know about that. I’m finding it quite entertaining.” Fiona said out of the corner of her mouth.

They turned to eat their starters, but Maggie just gazed intently at the avocado on her plate, a longing and sympathetic look that only the truly drunk could lavish on an avocado. Campbell and Fiona both noticed that she wasn’t eating. 

“Maggie?” Fiona asked with trepidation.

She started to get a little weepy, “I miss Guacamole. I miss California. I miss people who know how to enjoy life.”

Campbell rolled his eyes. “Maggie, just put a sock in it and finish your starter.”

She turned viciously towards Campbell. “Fuck you! Oh, wait, I did that. What was it that Gemma said? I was just a bit of amusement before you handed me off to Henry.”

Fiona looked over at Campbell, who had a look of complete devastation on his face. He tried to regroup, but his downturned eyes went soft. Maggie had hit a nerve with her painful barb.

Maggie threw her hand in the air. “She said something about Henry getting your
handoffs
.”

Campbell swallowed, his voice choking, “Enough Mags. Enough.”

Something broke through her alcoholic enhanced courage. She shut up and looked over at him, puzzled. Why was he so upset?  Even though she said nothing more, he still seemed disturbed, morose. Fiona and Maggie were stunned into complete silence. They didn’t dare move, afraid that Campbell would suddenly shatter into pieces.

Campbell looked down the table towards Henry, Gemma and the others, who all seemed oblivious to what was going on with Maggie. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood up, simply saying to the rest of the table, “Excuse me,” as he walked briskly out of the dining room.

Henry immediately looked down to Fiona for some non-verbal feedback. She simply shrugged her shoulders to let him know she didn’t have a clue what was going on with Campbell. Henry, being the host, was forced to ignore it and continue to entertain his guests.

Fiona looked at a sullen Maggie, “Does Henry know that you’re in love with Campbell?”

Maggie lifted her head and said defiantly, “I’m not in love with Campbell. I am, however, really, really pissed at him.”

Fiona laughed, “No darling Mags, you’re just really, really pissed,” a reference to being drunk.

Maggie made it most of the way through the dinner, her sobriety slowly coming back and her head starting to implode. “Fiona, I can’t eat anymore and I have a horrible headache.  Am I allowed to leave and go somewhere to lie down?”

Fiona sighed, “Of course, we aren’t going to strap you into your chair and force feed you. Go
ahead; I’ll make your excuses.”

Maggie got up, pulling the table cloth slightly and causing the glassware to tinkle.  Everyone halted their conversations to look in her direction.  She smiled briefly and then walked slowly out of the room, slightly weaving.

Fiona looked at Henry, “Horrible headache, some nausea. I’m afraid something didn’t agree with her.”

Everyone nodded and went back to their conversations.

*********************

Maggie was quickly met in the foyer by Robert. “Is there something wrong Madam?”

“Oh! Robert, boy you’re quick on your feet.  Did Henry send you after me?”

“No Madam, we were concerned when you didn’t stay to finish your meal. Do you need anything?” Robert was dressed in coat and tails, looking rather dapper for a man in his late fifties.

“I’m going to go lay down in the library.  Could you please bring me some
Exedrin…
I think you call it,
Paracetomol
?”

“Yes Madam.” He gave her a look of disapproval without being too blatant. 

As Robert disappeared into the kitchen, Maggie made her way into the library. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust, but she could tell right away that she had made a mistake.  She could see the back of Campbell, who was sitting in the library holding a drink and staring into the fireplace. If she hadn’t expected Robert to return with the medicine for her headache, she would have left. It dawned on her that fate had sent her into the library, because she owed Campbell an apology.

Maggie, still a little tipsy, made her way over to the couch. She stood in front of Campbell who looked up, shook his head and closed his eyes as if he could make the vision go away. Maggie went over and sat several feet away from him on the sofa.

“Campbell. I’m not sure why you’re the one upset, but I’m sorry for ruining your evening.”

He looked over and met her eyes briefly, said nothing and took another sip.  He stared again into the fire. They sat on the sofa suffocating in the quiet until Campbell finally spoke, not taking his eyes off the fire, “I’m not upset with you. I’m upset with Gemma for her callousness. She isn’t always so cruel. I don’t know why, but you bring it out in her. Then there’s Fiona. She’s never approved of Gemma and makes it clear every time we’re all together. Not to mention my disappointment in Henry, I don’t understand why he felt the need to date you.”

Maggie snapped her head around to look at him.  She stammered, “Wha...wha...what does it matter?  Don’t you think I’m good enough for him?”

Campbell chuckled to himself, “Mags, it isn’t that. It’s just that you’re a reminder that I’m a complete failure at relationships.”

“What do you mean?  Your darling Gemma came back, didn’t she?”

He shook his head slightly, “We’re trying it on. Tonight was our first go. I was so excited by it all…so over the moon about her coming back.  But I don’t know now, I’m not sure she’s over the bloke she was with. I don’t know if I’m
over the woman I was with. I don’t know why I feel so empty…” His voice trailed off and he took a drink.  “Damn, I should stay off the whiskey, it makes me too mawkish.”              

Maggie felt strange. Somewhere inside, beyond the alcoholic blur, she felt sorrow.   Reaching over, she touched his hand, her voice soft and caring, “Campbell, I really do hope you’re happy with her. I just realized while I was sitting here that I don’t want you to be sad. I only want you to be happy. If Gemma makes you happy, then you go for it. You deserve to be happy.”

Maggie was leaning over her hand still caressing his, their eyes locked. He was going to say something back, but the door opened and Robert walked in with a tray. Maggie sat back up as Robert brought the tray over and put it down on the coffee table.

“Madam, your Paracetamol and a glass of water.”

Maggie smiled, “Thank you Robert.”

“Lord Adair, I took the liberty of bringing you a cheese butty.”

Campbell nodded at Robert, “Thank you Robert.”

Robert turned and left. Campbell took the cheese
butty; a simple sandwich made of two slices of bread, buttered, with a piece of cheese slapped between them, and began to eat it.              Maggie took her medicine and watched Campbell devour the sandwich in four bites.

“Maggie.” Campbell said after he swallowed the last bite, “I really am sorry. I think you should know that I had a lot of fun with you. More fun than I had in donkey ages.”

“Well, you should keep trying to have fun. Life isn’t supposed to be so serious Campbell. That’s why we were given the physical ability to smile and laugh.”  She looked into the fire and sighed. The feelings swirling inside of her were so mixed, so confusing.  If he had touched her at that moment, she would have melted into his arms and done, or been, anything he wanted. 

Campbell wanted to touch Maggie’s hand, smell her, hear her laugh, feel her touch him again. He wanted to see in her eyes the desire they’d shared. Hesitating in his self-doubt, Campbell finally turned to say something to her. He saw her profile in the light of the fire and thought how soft and petite she looked. Maggie felt him looking at her. She turned towards him and tilted her head, evoking a smile from him.

A voice came booming from behind them, “Darling, there you are! Come along, we’re back in the drawing room.” Gemma walked over, leaned down and kissed Campbell’s ear. “Oh my, I see it’s our American cousin.” She started laughing, “What? Did you come in here in a pathetic attempt to woo Campbell? Oh do grow up, dear, he’s an Earl, you’re a …an American. Stick with Henry; he doesn’t mind getting muck on his shoes.”

Campbell turned to Gemma. “Gemma that was uncalled for…” He heard the side door close. Looking around, he saw that Maggie was gone. Campbell stood up and faced Gemma.

Gemma gave him a look of staged remorse, “Darling. I’m sorry; maybe I was a little harsh. I promise I’ll make it up to her.  Come along now, they’re asking for you.”

Campbell looked towards the side door, paused and then followed Gemma through to the drawing room. Henry walked over to Campbell. “How are you doing old man?”

“Fine. I just needed some air.”

Fiona walked up to them and addressed Campbell, “You look pale darling.”

“Have you seen Maggie?” Henry asked.

Campbell looked around the room. “She was in the library, but she left a few minutes ago. I’m not sure where—”

Gemma grabbed Campbell’s arm as if she was claiming territory. “Henry, you really need to keep your American on a leash. She was trying to cozy up to Campbell in the library.”

Henry was unfazed by Gemma, observing her with amusement and disbelief.  Campbell exchanged a look with Henry, rolled his eyes and shook his head. 

Henry leaned in, “Well Gemma, you know those Yanks, they don’t have any manners. I’ve tried putting her on a leash. She just keeps getting loose. But I can see English bitches still know how to bite.  Ah, and there’s the delicious wench herself.”  Henry smiled over Gemma’s shoulder at Maggie. He held out a welcoming arm and gathered Maggie in it. “Hello darling, Fiona told me you had a little too much to drink. Are you feeling better?”