The Single Wife : 'Liane Moriarty meets Elin Hilderbrand in an addictive summer read'

by Ella Grey

  She tensed, immediately sensing that she had said the wrong thing. “No, of course not. I merely meant that it would be nice for us all to get to know one another and have a bit of a chat in peace.”

  “So, Ellie can be a bit disruptive …” Catherine said, spooning cheesy potato gratin onto her plate.

  “Well no, it’s just – as I’m sure you know yourself, kids are kids…”

  “We don’t let Adam away with any nonsense do we, Matt?”

  “Certainly not.” Eyes wide, he shook his head. “Adam’s generally very well-behaved, but he knows full well that he’d get a tap on the behind if he started acting up in front of either of us.”

  Olivia didn’t know what to say. “Ellie knows that too of course, but you know when kids get together …” She trailed off as she poured the dregs of the wine bottle into her glass. For a moment there was a strained silence, and then Matt stood up from the table and went to the fridge. Great, Olivia thought, mentally kicking herself for taking the last of the wine. Now I look like a bloody lush.

  “I really can’t understand why some parents feel it’s wrong to give a child a smack if they step out of line,” Catherine said, smiling appreciatively at Matt as he opened the bottle. “Although I suppose, in your case,” she went on, “it must be difficult to find a balance, what with being on your own and all that.”

  “I’m sure I’m not the only parent who finds it difficult to find a balance, but of course I have no problem at all with disciplining Ellie when she’s bold. Having said that, I don’t need to do it very often because she is a good kid and – ”

  “I suppose television is great for keeping her quiet all the same,” Catherine interjected as if Ellie was only good because of this.

  “Yes she does watch quite a lot of telly, doesn’t she?” Matt was helping himself to some of Catherine’s immaculately prepared roast lamb.

  “Not really – it’s just the few times you’ve called – ”

  “I really feel exercise at a young age is so important for a child,” Catherine interjected, as if Olivia hadn’t spoken. “I take Adam for a good walk in the park most days – time much better spent than sitting on his backside in front of the box. It’s habit-forming and hopefully he’ll grow up a much healthier child as a result.”

  Matt smiled. “She’s an out-and-out gym bunny, aren’t you?”

  “I love a good stint at the gym and I know I’m certainly not going to stay a size eight by sitting on my ass watching Eastenders.” She laughed. “And at our age, we have to make the effort to look after ourselves, don’t you think, Olivia?”

  She tried to tell herself that this wasn’t a pointed jibe at the fact that her size-eight days were truly long gone. Yet, her rounded figure never seemed to bother Matt before so …

  “Of course, but I get enough exercise running around after Ellie – not to mention all the housework and cleaning up after her.” She rolled her eyes fondly.

  “You’re right, she does sound quite disruptive,” Catherine said, shaking her head. “And if you don’t nip it in the bud now, things will only get worse.”

  Just then Adam burst into the room, his face red and wet with tears. “Daddy, Ellie won’t gimme back my Tweenie!”

  Catherine stood up immediately. “Darling, come here,” she said, opening her arms. For someone who was such an advocate of hard discipline, Olivia thought, she seemed all too eager to plamause the child.

  She stood up too. “I’m sure Ellie will give you back your toy – where is she?”

  Adam pointed towards the room down the hallway, and Olivia made her way to Adam’s playroom.

  Her eyes widened as she took in the mayhem. The floor was littered with toys – popular, expensive toys, the television blared noisily in the background, and poor Ellie was sitting in the corner crying her little heart out.

  “He hit me on the head, Mommy,” she wailed. “I wanted to play with the Tweenie and he hit me with a Tommy-Truck!”

  “Adam, come here, please,” Matt called sternly down the hallway.

  “Ellie, are you sure you two weren’t just playing?” Olivia was only too well aware of how kids could exaggerate a situation to their own advantage when adults were involved, and she didn’t want to get Adam in any trouble. Though a quick examination of Ellie’s forehead revealed a red mark and a throbbing bump.

  “Adam wouldn’t do something like that unless he was provoked,” she heard Catherine say from the doorway. “He’s a very gentle child, and even at playschool has never had any problems with the other children.”

  “It’s fine, I’m sure they were just being kids.”

  “Maybe should take her to a specialist or something,” Catherine went on. “She obviously has some anger issues.”

  Olivia tensed. “With all due respect,” she said, glancing sideways at Matt for his reaction “There are two of them in it and knowing kids of their age, I doubt either are completely blameless.”

  “You don’t honestly believe that Adam hit her for no reason,” said Catherine. She kissed Adam’s temple. “Poor baby.”

  Olivia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. And even worse, what she wasn’t – from Matt. Catherine was being downright rude and totally unreasonable – wasn’t he going to say anything? Not that Olivia would expect him to take sides, but she was doing her best to be sensible and objective about her child’s involvement in this.

  Matt shook his head uncertainly. “She must have done something … Adam does seem very upset.”

  At this Olivia stood up, a tearful Ellie in her arms. “We don’t know what’s happened here, so there’s little point in our fighting about it.” She went to pass Catherine in the doorway. “Thanks for dinner, I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to finish it.” She tried her best to sound cordial, but inwardly she was raging.

  The other woman gave her a winning smile. “Some other time maybe, perhaps when Ellie has better reined in her behaviour.”

  “Olivia …” Matt called after her. “I’ll phone you tomorrow?” he said, following her to the front door.

  “Sure.”

  “Bye, Matt, bye, Adam,” Ellie said, waving tearfully over her mother’s shoulder, upset that she and her new friend were fighting.

  Olivia closed the gate behind her. “Come on, pet, we’ll go home and have some of that nice ice cream Mummy got in the shops yesterday – what do you think?”

  “Yay!”

  Embarrassed by what had happened, and stung at the fact that Matt wasn’t prepared to help defuse the situation, Olivia walked slowly back across the green.

  So much for neighbourly relations.

  34

  “She sounds like a right old wagon.” Leah gave the house across the way one of her famous laser stares.

  It was the following afternoon, and Olivia was telling her all about her not-so-cosy dinner.

  “It was very strange,” she said. It had really hurt that Matt hadn’t come to her defence. She could have understood it if Adam had been injured, but Ellie was the one with the sore forehead. “You should have heard the way they talked about how they discipline Adam, and how Catherine loves cooking for him. I was supposed to be there as Matt’s guest but I felt like a complete outsider.”

  Leah wrinkled her nose. “Well, I don’t think it’s strange at all. In fact, I think it’s pretty obvious that Catherine fancies him, has probably always fancied him, and now she doesn’t like it that he’s taken up with you. She’s threatened by you.”

  “I don’t think so. They’ve been friends for a long time – though Matt did say before that she could be a bit possessive. Anyway, if Catherine does fancy him, I don’t know why he isn’t with her. You saw her – she’s absolutely gorgeous and she puts the like of me to shame with her slim figure and her glossy hair.” Since comforting – no, gorging – herself last night with a big bowl of Ben & Jerry’s upon her return from Catherine’s, Olivia had decided to go on a serious diet.

  “Don’t be silly – you look just
as good as she does, and don’t you dare think otherwise,” Leah said. “Not every man thinks stick-insects are attractive, you know.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Well, if she’s so gorgeous and wonderful and such a good cook, why isn’t he with her then?”

  “I really don’t know. But up until a couple of weeks ago I was sure they were married, and now I think I understand why.” She bit her lip. “It’s just typical, isn’t it? The first guy to come along in years that I actually like, and now it seems as though it’s over before it’s even begun.”

  “Over? Why?”

  Olivia explained how Matt had barely even tried to prevent her leaving, and how she hadn’t heard from him since.

  And that was what hurt the most, Olivia thought. She had really believed that he was different, that there was something special between them, and she had been willing to give herself up to the possibility that they could have a future together. But after his behaviour last night, it was hard to see how.

  “And I can’t believe the nerve of the woman implying that you’re a bad parent,” Leah fumed. “If only she knew. I’m sure Matt will come to his senses and if he doesn’t, then he wasn’t worth it in the first place and –”

  The sharp shrill of the doorbell cut off the remainder of her sentence, and Olivia jumped up to answer it.

  Matt stood at the doorway, his face drawn.

  “Can I come in?” he asked sheepishly.

  “If you like,” Olivia stepped back to let him pass. “Leah’s here,” she added and he visibly tensed.

  Leah jumped up from the sofa. “I’d better get back – I’m going out on the town with Kate tonight.” She picked up her bag and gave Matt a curt nod. “I’ll talk to you later hon.”

  When the two of them were alone, Matt tentatively took one of Olivia’s hands in his.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said, and almost instantly she melted. “You must have had a terrible impression of us.”

  Us? Olivia repeated silently. The way he was talking, you’d swear that he Catherine and Adam were a package.

  “It wasn’t what I had expected, that was for sure.”

  “How’s Ellie? I feel so bad. In fact, I was so shocked at Adam’s behaviour I couldn’t think straight. The poor thing must have been in an awful state.”

  “She was upset, not so much about the bump, but more so about the fact that she and Adam were fighting.”

  Then he sat down and ran a hand through his hair. “Whatever I was saying before about discipline, I do think that sometimes I can be too soft on him. But he’s all I have left now.” He looked at her sadly. “You can understand that surely?”

  “Of course I do,” Olivia said, sitting down beside him. “And I understand too that kids will be kids. Parents shouldn’t really take sides in these situations, Matt, not when they don’t know the facts. Otherwise we’d all end up at each others’ throats, and what kind of example is that to be setting?”

  “You’re so understanding,” he said, shaking his head. “I told Catherine that you’d understand but she was sure you’d tell me to go to hell.”

  “I don’t think Catherine liked me very much,” she said cautiously, not willing to add that the feeling was very definitely mutual.

  Matt shook his head. “No, no, it’s not like that all. I know she wasn’t overly friendly last night but … look, you have to understand that Catherine and I are very close - sometimes, to our detriment. I know she’s started seeing some guy now and while I’m delighted – because I worry that with all she does for Adam and me that life is passing her by. I’m suppose I’m a bit protective of her in the same way a big brother would worry about his sister. Catherine is exactly the same with me, possibly more so because of Natasha. She knows what I’ve been through and she doesn’t want me to get hurt.”

  Olivia considered this and decided that, yes, there was certainly a possibility that Catherine would be suspicious of her. A while ago, he didn’t know Olivia from Adam (she groaned inwardly at the unintended pun) and then all of a sudden he was involved with her and her daughter.

  It was only natural that a good friend would be concerned, wasn’t it? Still, thinking back on Catherine’s behaviour last night, she couldn’t get past the sneaking suspicion that Leah was right. Maybe Catherine and Matt were unusually close, but wasn’t it also possible that in the other woman Olivia could have a serious rival for his affections?

  She hoped not, because she really didn’t think she could cope with something like that.

  Not again.

  35

  Leah turned into Kate’s driveway a little bit faster than she realised and jerked to a stop right behind Michael’s black BMW.

  Whew … Michael certainly wouldn’t appreciate her slamming into that with her little Fiesta. And really, her car had more than enough dents on it already.

  She mentally reminded herself to apply once more for her driving test now that she had a little bit more time on her hands. Although, she thought with a sigh, it would undoubtedly be another complete waste of time.

  Only the other day, she’d been trying to maneuver out of a tight spot near the shop, and in order to reverse out, had no option but to scratch the paintwork of the jeep parked alongside her. Leah had left a note on the owner’s windscreen, and later had endured a barrage of abuse, which she supposed was justified.

  She’d have to pass her test soon, otherwise her insurance company would just flat out refuse to cover her and her now scratched and sorrowful-looking Fiesta. And that certainly wouldn’t do.

  Getting out of the car, and having to choose her steps extra carefully on Kate’s cobble-lock driveway in her heels clingy chiffon skirt, Leah approached the front door.

  Unusually, the house looked unkempt from the outside: the flowers hung limply in their hanging baskets, and the front lawn looked as though it hadn’t been touched in months.

  And shock horror, Leah spotted greasy handprints on the sliding doors of the porch. She smiled to herself.

  The arrival of her newborn had obviously affected Kate’s normally fastidious housekeeping. Her friend was famous for her compulsive cleaning – a fact that used to annoy Leah no end when the two shared a flat together throughout university.

  A harassed-looking Michael appeared in the doorway.

  “Hello,” She reached forward and greeted Kate’s husband with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She hadn’t seen him in the few weeks since the baby was born, and with his unshaven jaw and the tired, ravaged look in his eyes, he looked equally as unkempt as the house.

  “Hi, Leah,” He returned her greeting with considerably less enthusiasm. “Kate was trying to call you …” He trailed off and by his tone Leah knew immediately that their planned girlie night out had hit a snag.

  “Let me guess, she’s still getting ready …” Leah said with a conspiratorial smile. Despite her apparent devil-may-care attitude, Kate was as fastidious with her appearance as she was with her housekeeping, and she knew from experience that it could take her an age to get dolled up for a night out. Post-pregnancy, especially.

  “It’s not that,” Michael replied wearily, directing her through to the living-room.

  A wrecked-looking Kate was sitting on the couch with new baby Dylan in her arms. Leah had never seen her friend looking so dishevelled. She knew that babies could be disrupting, but because Kate was normally so calm and in control, Leah hadn’t expected the chaotic sight that greeted her.

  Apart from the baby essentials – nappies, creams and toys that were scattered all over – the room looked as though it hadn’t been tidied in years. There were half-empty coffee cups on the floor around the sofa, glasses on the mantelpiece, empty takeaway cartons … in all honesty, it looked to Leah like on of their old dingy student flats.

  This was so out of character for Kate that she felt rather unsettled and instantly guilty. She hadn’t seen her friend since that time in the hospital. Thinking that the new parents would need time to enjoy this m
uch-wanted new baby, she had consciously kept out of Kate’s hair – not to mention the fact that she too had been up to her eyes at work. She had made all the usual offers to help and ‘call me if you need anything’ platitudes, but thinking of it now she wondered if she shouldn’t have insisted.

  “Hey,” she said, sitting down alongside her friend on the couch and forcing a smile so as not to betray her unease, “how are you?”

  “OK,” Kate whispered and immediately, seeming to take his mother’s shifting attention as some form of rejection, Dylan screwed up his tiny face and cried – roared – even louder.

  “Ssshh, ssshh, it’s OK love, Mummy’s here, Mummy’s here,” Kate soothed, holding him close and rubbing his back in a comforting gesture. “I’m sorry,” she said wearily, “but I think we’ll have to call off our night out.”

  Oh. Leah hadn’t expected that. She thought there might be a bit of a delay and that they’d be late getting to the restaurant but …

  “Oh, dear, is he unwell?” she asked, realising. “Does he have …” She racked her brain for the common baby-sickness that Ellie had when she was a baby. “Group or something? The poor little thing.” She reached across and touched the baby in a sympathetic gesture.

  “I don’t know … Michael?” Kate’s eyes widened with alarm and she looked to her husband for assistance. “Could Leah be right? Could there be something wrong with him?”

  “I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with him.” He gave Leah a look that conveyed blatant irritation, before continuing, “He’s just tired, that’s all.”

  “But what if there is something wrong with him?” Kate’s tone hinged on hysterical. “How am I supposed to know? He can’t tell me, can he? What if there is something wrong with him, and he needs to go to the hospital or –”

  “Love, he’s fine. Babies cry, you know that. It’s just that this particular one happens to cry more than most,” he added, almost under his breath.

  Leah began to feel more than a little uncomfortable and out of place in this family scene. She knew now that her hoped-for pleasant night out catching up with Kate, wasn’t going to happen. She knew that newborns could be tough going, but Kate had said herself that she was dying to let her hair down.