Charlie Muffin watched alone in his echoing apartment, smiling at the sight-repeated after the president’s identification-of John Kayley for the first time in a freshly pressed suit and laundered shirt. There was, inevitably, a cigar.
Charlie had turned to CNN for their quickly assembled documentary on the entire investigation-dominated once more by the gantry fight between Bendall and Sakov-when the telephone rang. His stomach hollowed at Natalia’s voice.
“You?” she anticipated at once.
“Yes.”
“Why did you give it away to the Americans?”
“That’s the way it worked.”
“And now that Filitov’s been arrested you know I wasn’t the leak.”
“I said I was sorry. I’m glad you’ve called.” He could persuade her. Not easily, perhaps, but now they were talking he could convince her to call the whole nonsense off.
“There are some things I need to collect.”
“Come back, Natalia. Please.” He’d let her have her pride.
“Clothes. And some stuff of Sasha’s.”
“How is she?”
“Fine. She asks after you.”
“I miss her and I’m lost without you and I want you both to come back.”
“Can I come by tomorrow, to pick them up.”
That’s when it would be best, when they were in the same room together. “What time?”
“About now?”
“I’ll be waiting.”
He was.
He opened Volnay but left it in the refrigerator to stay chilled and abandoned the idea of canapes because it would be trying toohard. He did put cornflowers in a vase, though, because they were her favorite and it was quite normal for him to buy them for her. He poured himself scotch, which he would normally have done at that time but left it untouched on the low table. Illogically he had expected her to ring, from the street, and started at the sound of her key in the lock, only just getting to his feet as she entered. She had a case in either hand!
Charlie went towards her but looked beyond, for their daughter. “You’re back! Where’s Sasha?”
Seeing his look and realizing his misunderstanding, Natalia easily lifted both empty cases and said, “To carry what I’ve come to collect.”
Charlie stopped, uncertain whether to go on to try to kiss her. Not a good idea, he decided. “I’ve opened some wine.”
“No thanks. I’ve got to get on.” She couldn’t let him talk her round.
“You got my note at the hotel?”
“Of course.”
“I went again but you’d moved out?”
“I’ve got a temporary ministry apartment, until I can find something.”
“I want you to come back here.”
“You said.” It would be so easy to say yes but she really wasn’t sure if she wanted to, not totally.
“I made mistakes. Let’s not make any more.”
“It’s too claustrophobic. We’re not happy together.” He had to agree with that!
“We can be! Not all the time but most of it. People aren’t, not all the time. Let’s learn from this, not suffer from it.”
“I don’t feel I’m suffering. I need space, to breathe.” Which was what she felt she’d been doing, breathing. Feeling free.
“Sit down. Please. Let’s talk.”
“I need to pack. Sasha’s staying at Marina’s again but I said I wouldn’t be long.”
“You sure about this?”
“Yes.”
“Now you’re making the mistake.”
Natalia walked around him and disappeared into their bedroom, saying nothing.
Charlie went to follow but stopped again. It would be wrong to crowd her. I need space. Leave her alone: let her see-feet-what it was she was abandoning. He stayed standing but sipped for the first time at the neglected drink. Natalia crossed from their bedroom into Sasha’s without looking sideways along the corridor towards him. When she emerged with the two cases he said, “Do you need help with them?”
“No.”
“I want to be able to see Sasha.”
“Yes.”
“So I need an address.”
“I’ll let you have it, when I get one.”
“What about now?”
“It’ll only be a few days.” Stay strong, she told herself, don’t give in.
“Don’t do this!”
“Keep safe, Charlie.”
He remained standing after the door closed behind her, quietly again, the drink forgotten in his hand. He put it down abruptly, angrily, spilling it, and at once wondered why-for whose benefithe was performing like someone in a B movie. He went into their bedroom, seeing that this time Natalia had cleared everything from her closets. He thought at first she’d only left one thing in Sasha’s room, the doll he’d brought back from London. Then he saw, beside it, the diamond bar brooch he’d also bought there for Natalia.
Plots, true or false, are necessary things,
To raise up commonwealths and ruin kings
John Dryden, Absalom and Achitophel
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Kings of Many Castles cm-13 Page 38