She pulled on her cigarette hard and, blowing out the smoke, dropped her biggest bombshell of the afternoon, although she didn’t realise that until the words were out of her mouth and she saw her husband’s stunned reaction to them. ” ‘Now, Georgio, what’s happening in Sri Lanka?’
Chapter Thirty-Three
Donna watched in shocked silence as her husband’s face drained of colour and his thick fingers flew to his chest like an old fishwife who’d had her worst suspicion confirmed.
‘What do you mean exactly?’
Georgio’s voice was strained, heavy with emphasis. Donna realised that she needed to know not only what was going on in Sri Lanka, but also what was going on inside her husband’s head.
There had been too many things left unsaid over the years, too many questions unasked. Before, maybe, she wouldn’t have wanted to know the answers; now, however, she knew enough to want to fill in the gaps.
Donna smiled at him nonchalantly. ‘What I say. Exactly what is going on in Sri Lanka? Namely, the Bay View Hotel.’
‘Nothing that I know of.’
Donna pushed the point. ‘But there is a Bay View Hotel? It has been built? Only we had a fax about it a few days ago and I’d like to know when it got built, who owns it, and whether or not we can get Lewis off our back with it. After all, it’s through the hotels that you fell out with him, isn’t it?’
Georgio nodded, scraping about to find a viable excuse to give to his wife.
‘It should be built by now, anyway,’ he said hastily. ‘It’s a beautiful place, Don Don. Really upmarket. We’ll make a small fortune out of it.’
Donna lit a cigarette and said calmly. ‘How can we manage that? Once you’re out of here, how are we supposed to run the businesses?’
Georgio was happier now, they were on ground he knew he could cover.
‘That’s easy, darlin’. What I’ll do is put the lot into Stephen’s name. He’ll sort it out from there, don’t worry.’
She stared into his eyes, all the while smoking, and Georgio carried on talking.
‘It was going to be a surprise for you, like. That is where I wanted
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us to go, for a while anyway. Imagine it, Donna, owning your own hotel. It’s a real luxury place, all marble floors and colonial decor. That was where I eventually wanted us to end up, see? I wanted to surprise you with it.’
His voice was soft, and as Donna listened to him, the words he spoke were like music to her ears.
‘But what about Lewis, Georgio?’ she persevered.
He grinned. ‘If it’s all up and running, then we can sort him out, can’t we? All right he might have lost out in Bangkok, but at least the Sri Lankan deal is still sound.’
Donna sighed heavily.
That fax, Georgio, the one that came a few nights ago. It said there was trouble, government trouble, and that they need help. It was signed “Candy”.’
Georgio refused to let her down him. He needed her to think there were great things happening, and he would make sure she thought it if it was the last thing he ever did.
‘Look, the only trouble they can have with the government now the hotel is built is trouble with backhanders.’ He smiled. ‘Oh, don’t go all moral on me again, that’s the way of the world out there, love. Everything comes down to who knows who and who can pay the most. Come to think of it, it’s pretty much the same as here, eh?’
Donna smiled with her husband. ‘But I thought it had all fallen out of bed …’
Georgio sat up straight in his chair and said seriously, ‘Fallen out of bed? That’s a Coxism if I ever heard one.’ He laughed then, a harsh sound. ‘You’re turning into a Cockney, girl. I’ll have to knock that out of you once we’re on the outside.’
Donna didn’t laugh at Georgio’s quip and he grabbed her hand tightly. ‘I was only joking, love.’
‘I should think so as well. You ever raise your hand to me, Georgio, and you’ll get the shock of your life. Go on - you ask Alan Cox what I’m like these days. I threw a glass of water in his face!’
She was gratified to see Georgio’s jaw drop several inches in amazement.
‘You what?’
Donna grinned. ‘Honestly, we had an argument. Oh Georgio, he can be the most obnoxious man! Anyway, I lost my rag and chucked a glass of water in his face. We were in a restaurant in Scotland; he was soaked.’
Georgio shook his head in amazement. ‘My God, if anyone said you would ever do anything like that to me, I’d refuse to believe it. But to Alan Cox! What did he do?’
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them Donna bit on her lip for a few seconds before answering, ‘I thought he was going to hit me, to be honest.’ She decided not to tell Georgio that he had threatened to put the glass into her face.
Tucking hell, Donna, what’s come over you?’
She stubbed out her cigarette in the tiny foil ashtray and shrugged.
‘I don’t know, Georgio. I’ve changed. I think it’s all this - it’s bound to have an effect, eh?’
He nodded. ‘Don’t worry, darlin’, I’ll be home soon and I’ll take over the reins again. As for what you did to Alan, I wish I could have been there, I really do.’
They laughed together then, an easy laughter.
‘As for the hotel in Sri Lanka, just tell Davey to deal with it. He knows the score. Now then, how about I get us another cuppa and then you can tell me exactly what the score is on the jump?’
As he stood up a small girl came over to their table and grinned at them.
‘Hello, Donna.’
She held out her arms. ‘Hello, Chivonne. Where’s Micky?’
Chivonne settled on to Donna’s lap. ‘He’s with me mum and dad. Is this your dad?’
She looked up at Georgio while Donna laughed at her words. ‘Where’s your little boy gone?’
Georgio licked his lips and frowned. ‘You’ve got the wrong bloke, little girl. Whose kid’s this, Donna?’
‘This is my friend Caroline’s daughter,’ she said. ‘You go and get that tea and I’ll take her back to her mum.’
Georgio went off and Donna walked Chivonne back to Caroline and her husband. She laughed as she said hello and told Caroline that Chivonne had thought Georgio was her dadf
‘Oh sorry, Donna, I thought she was in the wendy house.’
‘Where’s that man’s little boy gone, Mum?’
Donna frowned. ‘She just said that to Georgio. What’s she on about?’
Caroline shrugged. ‘I dunno. Look, your old man’s back with your tea. Don’t waste your visit. I’ll see you outside, OK?’
‘All right, then.’ Smiling her goodbyes, she walked back to Georgio.
‘What a weird little kid!’ he said. ‘How did you say you know them?’
‘Oh her mum is the ice cream’s wife - remember? I give her a lift now and then. They’re gorgeous children, not weird at all. I wonder why she thought you had a little boy?’
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Georgio shrugged. Sipping his tea, he said, ‘So what’s the rest of the news on the jump then?’
Donna sucked deeply on her cigarette and said, ‘Once the jump’s over with, you’re going to be moved to the North of England. You’ll be overnight in Liverpool, and then moved on to Scotland. There’s a safe house there if we need it, but we’re hoping you can be out of the country within thirty-six hours. You’re going to Southern Ireland from there, and then on to wherever you want to go. I told Alan it would be somewhere hot.’
Georgio grinned at her, his handsome face shining in anticipation.
‘You know me so well, darlin’, and now you also know me secret. Me and you will be off to Sri Lanka. After this dump I could do with a bit of currant bun.’
Donna nodded. ‘Well, you don’t have to make up your mind just yet, there’s provision for up to six weeks in Eire. You’re to be kept on a smallholding, and it’s as safe as houses according to Eric and Alan.’ She smiled once more. ‘Then we can make up our minds where we’re going. After all, I’ve got to live there too, haven’t I?’
Georgio nodded. ‘Anything you want, Donna, you’ve got.’ He grasped her small hand in his and kissed the long cool fingers. ‘I can’t wait to get out and give you something I’ve been dreaming about for months, girl.’
He leered at her and Donna felt once more the old longings and stirrings he always created inside her when he touched her. But something had happened to them, and although Donna felt she had won something, she also had a terrible feeling she had lost something as well.
Donna dropped Caroline, Micky and ‘Vonne outside their block of flats and helped Caroline inside with the pushchair and the carrier bags. Inside the flat Donna put the kettle on and made the coffee while Caroline settled the children in front of the TV.
‘So how’s everything really?’
Caroline asked the question she always asked when ‘Vonne was out of earshot. Chivonne, like most little girls, could repeat back a conversation word for word and it was best not to say too much in front of her.
Donna shrugged. The same. Can I ask you something, Caroline? Do you think you’ve changed at all, since Wayne’s been away? Do you feel any different at all?’
Caroline sipped her coffee, her peachy young face breaking into a smile.
“I’ll say! When he gets home here, things are going to be different.
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them I have had to son meself out for so long, I don’t think I could handle him coming in here like the big I Am and taking it all over. I even like sleeping on me own now. I hated it at first, but now I like to stretch out in the bed and really relax.’
Donna laughed with her.
Caroline grinned impishly. Shutting the kitchen door, she murmured, ‘I’ve had a bloke and all. Bet you wouldn’t have thought that, eh? Met him down the Bingo. Picking up his mum he was, and offered us a life home. Next thing I knew he was round here, only as a friend, like. Anyway, to cut a long story short, me and him had a bottle of wine one night, watched Basic Instinct on the old video, and Bob’s your uncle.’ She looked half-excited and half-ashamed.
‘You didn’t! How did it feel?’
Caroline shrugged her slim shoulders as if thinking deeply. ‘Funny at first, strange. You know, you get used to one bloke, don’t you? Then it felt good, really good, because there was no love in it. Nothing but the need of what I was doing, and it sort of got me going somehow. After all this time without the nudger I was ready for something to happen, I suppose. I just never thought about it until the opportunity presented itself. And did it present itself!’
Donna laughed with her and they both felt Caroline’s embarrassment and also her need to tell someone what she had done.
‘It’s funny you know, Donna. We stay faithful, like, but at the end of the day all I had done is scratch an itch. That’s all. After being used to a regular sexlife I felt the loss of it deeply. Also I think contact with another person helps you. I like being in bed on me own as I said before, but it’s nice to know I can have it warmed up by a tasty bloke with a nice body and a good sense of humour, if I want him. That’s the real bonus. It’s all up to me. He rings me sometimes and I say, no thanks, not tonight, and I put the phone down and forget about him. Another time I think to meself, “Yes please, Boysie, get your arse round here!” I’m in charge, see? It’s all up to me and no one else.’
Donna listened to the younger woman in delight. She was envying her for finding out what life was really all about at such a young age, an age when she could enjoy the discovery and know she still had years to enjoy it.
‘I know what you’re saying, Caroline. After all those years of living for Wayne and around Wayne, now you’re doing things just for you. For no one but yourself. I’m beginning to feel like that too.’
Caroline grasped Donna’s hand across the rickety kitchen table and said earnestly, ‘I found out that my Wayne was knocking off some bird in Plaistow. It really threw me. Was your old man ever unfaithful to you?’
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Donna threw back her head and laughed, a deep belly laugh. ‘From day one, Caroline. Only for years I didn’t let it take root inside me. If I ever mentioned .it to him, it would have split us up because once I admitted it to him, I knew I’d have to lose him. In fact there were times over the years when, if I was really honest, I think he wanted me to say something. When he blatantly had affairs. I think on reflection, he wanted me to punish him for them. But being the kind of person I was, I just let him have his head. I wanted him more than I wanted to be without him. I couldn’t imagine being without him.’
Caroline smiled and shook Donna’s hand gently. ‘And now?’
‘Now?’ Donna closed her eyes and looked deep inside herself for the answer. ‘Now, I think I just want to please myself as well. I have done things lately that I would never have dreamed of even a year ago, and though they are bad, they have been good for me. Does that make sense? The years of deeply buried resentment are over and I am finding it hard to carry on as if nothing has happened. I realise that I am the only one in my marriage who gave anything emotionally. Georgio only ever gave me things. In twenty odd years together he never once gave me even a small part of himself.’
She opened her eyes and looked into the shining eyes of her young friend.
‘I could never have talked to anyone like this before today. Funny, isn’t it, really? I always kept everything inside. Because that’s what Georgio wanted me to do, and being a right stupid cow I did whatever he wanted. And that included giving up the real me. Yet, even saying all that, I still want him. I still love him. But on my terms now. I want him on my terms.’
Chivonne walked into the room clutching a teddy bear. ‘Night, Donna.’
Donna kissed the child’s soft cheek. ‘Goodnight, ‘Vonne.’
‘Hang en, Donna. Put the kettle on again and I’ll settle the kids down.’
Ten minutes later they were both drinking fresh coffee, ,and smoking fresh cigarettes.
‘I wonder what made her think Georgio had a little boy?’ Donna mused.
Caroline shrugged. ‘I’ve got no idea. Kids get strange notions all the time.’
‘She seemed so sure, though. The way she was looking at him.’
Caroline pulled deeply on her cigarette and smiled. ‘How did your visit go? Wayne was his usual scintillating self!’
Donna laughed with her. ‘Not bad. He was like the old Georgio
today, the man I fell in love with. I think what you said earlier was right. It does change you, being out on your own. I want more now than before. I want something for me.’
Caroline shrugged her slim shoulders expressively.
‘Don’t we all?’
Alan looked over the Ordnance Survey map again and retraced the route with his finger. If everything went to plan the jump could be over in under seven minutes and Georgio could be well on his way to Liverpool before the road blocks were even in place. He grinned to himself.