by Frances Pye
twenty-nine
Mara had had a bad feeling about Lily’s dinner party. When she saw the seating arrangements, she knew why. She was next to Sean. On his other side was Jenny, one of the costars of Lily’s sitcom. Mara had talked to her only once but she remembered her perfectly; she was possibly the world’s most self-absorbed person and refused to pay the slightest bit of attention to anyone unless they were likely to help with her career. Sean was certain not to fit that bill, but just in case Jenny might have been tempted to talk to the builder, Lily had put her next to Danny, a film producer who had just signed a big deal with a major studio. And who would be irresistible to an ambitious, determined actress.
It was a setup. Mara was supposed to sit with Sean, talk to him, be charmed by him. And then give in. Her friends still couldn’t accept the fact that she didn’t want anything to do with their scheme. She made a face at Lily, who grinned and shrugged as she took her place at the opposite end of the long, oval table. Jules, who was three people around from Mara, leaned over and smiled encouragement. Terry, diagonally opposite, mouthed, “Go for it.” Why wouldn’t they leave her alone? What she’d longed to do that evening was stay at home and get a good night’s sleep, in preparation for tomorrow, when she was going to meet with a family lawyer that one of the women she cleaned for had recommended. But of course her friends knew nothing about that, and she wasn’t going to tell them. So here she was, stuck for what she imagined would turn out to be a long, long evening.
To begin with, Mara shrugged off all of Sean’s attempts to start a conversation. But when she saw how isolated this left him as the laughter and noise swirled around them both, she took pity on him. After all, it wasn’t his fault.
Two hours later, she was sitting back, sipping her glass of very expensive claret, toying with some mouth-numbingly strong cheese, and smiling at Sean, who was listening openmouthed to Jenny’s increasingly desperate attempts to convince Danny she was a massive talent just waiting to be discovered. Mara had found it impossible not to like the builder. He was friendly and kind and was almost the only man she’d met—apart from Jake—who listened. Who didn’t just wait through her part of the conversation for the moment he could jump in and start talking again. More than that, he saw through her face. Treated her as a person, not a trophy to be won or a body to be chased. Often, men made her feel uncomfortable. They stared so. But sitting with Sean, for once she was able to forget the way she looked. In short, she liked him a lot.
Having failed to persuade Danny by personality alone, Jenny had apparently decided to take another tack and had started trying to seduce him. She was leaning on his arm, her hand caressing his neck, her breasts pressed against the table to accentuate her pushed-up cleavage. Sean turned back to Mara. “God, I feel sorry for that guy. I think he’s going to have to kill her to get away. Is there anything she won’t do, do you think?”
“Lily told me she’s notorious for it.” She looked over at Jenny, who was now whispering in Danny’s ear. “A real career woman. Think what I could do with even a tenth of her drive.”
“No ambition?”
“Just to see my girls happy and well.”
Sean smiled at Mara. When he’d first met her, he’d seen her as arrogant and reserved, one of those women who believe that their incredible beauty gives them a right to behave as they wish. The drab clothes, the lack of makeup, even tonight at Lily’s dinner party, all seemed to confirm this belief; she was so sure of her attractions, she didn’t even bother to dress up. Instead, he’d found she was quiet and rather shy. And very warm once you got beyond her reserve. “Nothing for yourself?”
“If Moo and Tilly are fine, so am I.”
“And are they?” Sean couldn’t help being drawn to Mara’s maternal instincts. God, if only Isobel had felt a bit like that.
“They’re great. Everything a mother could want in her daughters. Good at school—Tilly’s even joined the choir—fun at home, understanding when I can’t quite manage to buy them what they’d like. And so beautiful, both of them. I just wish Jake could see them. He…he…” Mara’s voice trailed off into silence.
Sean was quiet for a moment, giving her some room. Then: “I know how saying the words somehow makes it more real.”
Mara looked up at Sean in surprise. People usually didn’t get that. He must have lost someone he loved. “Even now I have trouble. If I have to, I can manage things like ‘I lost him’ or ‘He had an accident,’ but I still can’t say it straight. Silly, I know.”
“Not silly at all. You must have loved him a great deal.”
“I do.”
Sean looked at the tear snaking its way down Mara’s beautiful face and cast around for something else to talk about. Something to distract her from her grief. “Lily said you’re having problems with your roof?”
“Did she?”
“Does it need replacing? Have you had some quotes done?”
“No. I’m afraid I…It’s fine. Just a leak or two, a few tiles need replacing. Nothing major.”
“Lily thought I might be able to help.”
Mara said nothing, just stared at Sean. Why couldn’t Lily keep her mouth shut?
“I could come round some weekend, take a look, see what needs doing. If it’s just a small leak or two, it’d only take me a couple of hours.”
“Thanks. That’s very nice of you. But I can manage.”
“Are you sure?” Sean had seen too many experienced men fall off roofs not to be concerned by the idea of Mara trying to mend hers herself. “It can be dangerous. You will be careful?”
“Careful? You didn’t think I was going to do it myself? No, no, there’s a local handyman, he’s done my neighbor’s.” Mara stumbled through the unaccustomed falsehood. Her friends would have seen through it in a minute, but Sean didn’t know her well and maybe he wouldn’t realize she was lying.
Sean did notice but ignored it. He wasn’t about to start accusing her of telling porkies. Ultimately, the roof and what she did with it was her business. “Okay. Whatever you say. Just call if you change your mind.”
“Thank you. But honestly, I’m fine. Lily worries about me too much.”
“She’s a good friend. I can see how much she cares about you all.” Sean beamed up at Lily, who was leaning over Jenny, pouring out some more wine. “She’s so happy about me helping you guys. Terry with Paul. Jules with…well, you know. Now you. I think it’s wonderful that she wants to share whatever she has like that.”
Mara was surprised. Lily had said that Sean wasn’t aware of the friends’ arrangement, but he seemed to know exactly what was going on. “You don’t mind?”
“What’s to mind?”
“Nothing, I suppose.” Was she the only person in the world who thought sharing a man among women was a bad idea? No, a wrong idea?
“I sense a ‘but’ in there.”
“Not really. No ‘but.’ Only…”
“Only what?”
Mara couldn’t keep quiet any longer. She just had to know. Maybe Sean could explain it all to her so she’d be able to accept it. “You don’t think it’s wrong?”
“No. Course not. Why would I?”
“I just think there are some things shouldn’t be shared.”
“Like what?”
“Like…like men.”
“Not even if it helps everyone?”
Mara was confused. Maybe she was the one who was wrong. It seemed as if everyone else thought so. “But don’t you mind them dividing you up between the three of them like that?” she blurted out, anxious to understand.
“Dividing me up?”
“Yes. You know. Like a presliced pie. One serving for you, one for me. According to how much they want.”
“Presliced? What do you mean, presliced?” Sean’s normally easy voice was sharp, urgent, testy.
“Um, well…” Mara stammered. Oh, no. She’d made a mistake. He didn’t know.
“What did you mean?” Sean’s face was intent.
“Nothing. Nothing, I promise. Just a figure of speech. You know.” Oh, why, why had she said that? Yes, she believed Lily, Terry, and Jules ought to have been honest with Sean about their scheme, but in the end, that was their business, and she certainly didn’t want to betray them.
“Exactly how am I being divided up?”
“Just…you know, like…like you are with Jules and Terry and…” What could she say?
“She means the way you do stuff for the girls,” Lily said, leaping in. “Here, finish this.” She poured the last of the bottle of wine into Sean’s glass. “You know, helping my friends.” She looked along the table. “And me. Could you bear to go to the cellar? We’re out of red. And I’ve got to get the dessert. Come on.” Lily led Sean out of the dining room. In the corridor outside, once out of sight of the door, she backed Sean up against the wall and kissed him hard and long. Then she tilted her head to look up at him.
He was staring down at her, his face immobile, his expression severe. “Couldn’t wait?” he asked sarcastically. He might have left school at sixteen, but he was not stupid, he knew when he was being deliberately distracted.
“No. I couldn’t. You’re irresistible.” Lily reached up for him and tried to pull his lips down to hers again. But he resisted.
“What’s all this about slicing pies?”
“Pies? What pies?”
“Mara says you girls have some kind of deal. To divide me up between the three of you.”
“It’s nothing. You know Mara. She’s not in this world all the time. Like she said, a figure of speech.” Lily peeked up at Sean, who was not convinced. His mouth was grim, his eyes stern.
“Have I been set up?”
“Set up how?”
“Me, you, your mates.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You said they could give me what you couldn’t. Fill holes you couldn’t.”
“When did I say that?” Lily was beginning to panic. She was just batting his questions back at him while she flailed around trying to think of some way to convince him he was wrong.
“When we first got back together. Did you and your friends manipulate me into this? Set up your own agenda and get me to agree?” Sean had images of the four of them, sitting around, laughing at his expense, planning to make a fool of him.
“Hush,” Lily said. Sean’s voice was getting louder and louder. “Come here.” She took hold of his hand, dragged him into her study, and tried to put her arms around him, but he pulled himself away from her.
“I need answers, Lily. Did you and your pals set me up? Get together and plot to use me?”
“Of course not.” All she could do was deny it. And do her best to convince him. “Sean, listen to what you’re suggesting. It’s madness. Sure, I want you to help the girls if you can, but to think that’s a plot against you? That we all got together and conspired to use you? That’s paranoia, pure and simple.”
Sean forced himself to look at things as dispassionately as possible and he couldn’t help but see the force of Lily’s argument. After all, why would they plot against him? Okay, Lily had encouraged him to help her friends, but that was far from being a conspiracy. She’d done it from the best of motives. And looking back to the night when he’d offered to help Terry and Jules, there’d been no hint from either of them that they’d expected him to put himself forward. Their surprise and delight had looked completely unfeigned. He thought of Jules leaping on top of him, raining kisses on his face. He couldn’t imagine even Bette Davis in her prime carrying that one off if she’d known what was going to happen in advance. His face lightened somewhat but he was still wary. “Then why did you pull me out of there so quick?”
Lily felt her hard, tense stomach muscles unclench. Thank God. He was going to go for it. He just needed one more push. “It’s…well…I hate to admit it…I love Mara, but she’s so beautiful and you were so intent on her….” Please may he take the bait. Men usually responded well to a suggestion of jealousy.
And Sean was no exception. Jealousy he understood. The hard, cautious look left his face. “You have nothing to worry about,” he said as he leaned down and kissed her. Then he lifted his head up, looked into her flushed face, and grinned. “I suppose you want to nip up to bed for a quickie?”
Lily breathed a metaphorical sigh of relief. That had been close. She looked longingly toward the stairs before a shout of laughter from the dining room made her remember her guests. She shook her head. “Better wait and take our time later. They can’t stay forever.”
thirty
“This seems quite straightforward.” Robin Heath, a well-groomed, beautifully dressed man, his hair in perfect place, his clothes immaculate, put down the letter from the Moores. “Unless there is something else to come out.”
“Something else?”
“Yes. About your past, er, experiences?”
Mara blushed at this reference to her history. It had been the most difficult thing about the meeting so far, letting a complete stranger in on her most closely guarded secret. “No. Nothing.”
“Or your present situation, your relationship with the children in question…?”
“The Moores know everything there is to know.”
“No trouble at school?”
“No.”
“No…discipline problems?”
“They’re the best girls. They never give me a moment’s worry.”
“No, of course not. But if they were to be badly behaved, shall we say, what might you do?”
Mara looked at the lawyer, confused by this constant questioning. What was he getting at? “I don’t know. Stop them playing their video games for a day, perhaps?”
“Nothing physical?”
So that was it. “Mr. Heath, I can assure you that I have never, ever hit either of my daughters.”
“In that case, their position is not a strong one. Courts nowadays are very reluctant to separate children from their mothers if they can find nothing incorrect in the situation.”
“My past doesn’t matter?”
“Mothers have done many worse things than you, Mrs. Moore, and been allowed to keep their children.”
“And the house?”
“Again, there are any number of children living in far worse conditions.”
“Then…then I’m safe. They can’t get my girls.” Mara had to stop herself from jumping up and embracing the man on the other side of the desk. “They can’t get my girls.”
The lawyer held up a lightly tanned, perfectly manicured hand. “Of course, there is no guarantee. If your parents-in-law are determined to pursue this further, there is nothing to stop them. And once a case has reached court, no one can say for sure what will happen. There is always a chance that the judgment will go against you.”
Moments ago, Mara had been ecstatic, thinking it was all over, that she could go back to living her life without the threat of losing Moo and Tilly hanging over her head. But her relief had been fleeting. The threat was back. And somehow redoubled in strength now that her own lawyer had confirmed it was there. “So…so what do I do?”
“Let me see. Do you have family of your own?”
“Yes. I mean no. Not that I’ve seen in twenty years almost.”
“Get in touch with them. Make some kind of rapprochement. There’s nothing the courts approve of like a large, close family. Grandparents, aunts, cousins, that kind of thing.”
Mara swallowed hard at the daunting idea of seeing her father again. “Anything…anything else?”
“Put your house in order. Mend the roof. Repair the central heating. Redeem any debts you might have. Or at least make arrangements to pay them off gradually. Perhaps some extracurricular activities. Gymnastics. Ballet. Music. Things like that. Show the courts you are serious about looking after your children. That you understand the responsibilities.”
“But…but…I don’t have…I can’t…” Mara’s voice was getting higher and weaker as panic took hold. She couldn�
�t do one of those things, let alone all of them. It would take thousands and thousands of pounds. And once she’d paid the lawyer’s bill, she’d have only a hundred pounds left of Amy’s gift. Which might pay for a course of ballet lessons for the girls, she supposed. That was if she could persuade either of her pop-music-listening, break-dancing daughters to be interested in anything as traditional as ballet.
The lawyer ignored Mara’s rising panic, got to his feet, and held out his hand. “Very nice to have met you, Mrs. Moore. I’ll send you a copy of my response to the Moores’ letter. Hopefully that will deal with the issue. I’ll be in touch. I’ll be in touch.”
thirty-one
“It’s happened.” Jules couldn’t hide her excitement. Ever since the pink blush had appeared on the dipstick at five-thirty that morning, she’d hardly been able to contain herself.
“Jules, that’s great.”
“Yes, after all the waiting. I’d almost given up. I was terrified I’d skipped a month. And then there it was. I’m fertile.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Now all I need is Sean. I’ve left a message at his office, but he’s out at his site. I hope he’s not busy.”
“You want him tonight?” Lily’s voice sounded tight.
“Well, yes. Today. Tonight. As soon as possible.”
“But we’ve got plans. We’re going to the Comedy Awards. He’s my escort. I’ve been nominated, remember?”
“Oh, Lily. You can find someone else, surely?”
“I can, I suppose….” But Lily couldn’t see why the hell she should.
“You’re a star. I knew you’d understand.”
“What happens if you wait until tomorrow?”
“Very funny. Waiting for the test to be positive has almost killed me. Any longer and I’ll go mad.”