by Janey Fraser
Was it too late to ring the agency? Matthew’s hand hovered over the phone. Yes. No. Marie-France had been taken away by the police, hadn’t she? It was surely an emergency!
The phone rang several times but just when he was about to put it down, a polite but tired voice answered. Briefly, Matthew explained the problem, apologising to the man for bothering him.
‘I’m afraid that my wife is out.’ There was a slight pause before the voice continued, in a rather more animated way. ‘But actually, this happens to be my field. Did you know I worked in insurance?’
Embarrassed, in case Jilly’s husband had thought he was after a free piece of advice, Matthew assured him that he hadn’t known.
‘That’s all right. Happy to help. Informally, of course. You’d need to get it checked out. But my understanding is that if someone who isn’t a family member willingly opens a house to a stranger, there may be a problem with the claim.’
Aha! Something was clicking into place now! ‘So Phillip might have told her not to tell the police what she had done?’
‘Exactly! Poor kid. Look, maybe both you and I ought to go down to the station and see if she needs some help.’
But Lottie! He couldn’t leave Lottie. Matthew’s hand hovered over the phone. Unless Karen, who didn’t live far away, could possibly come round …
*
When he and David got to the police station, they found a very distressed Marie-France with a red nose and mascara-streaked eyes, waiting to go home. ‘I tell the truth,’ she protested. ‘I tell them I let man in.’ She blew her nose. ‘I also remember that Dawn and Phillip were going to have guests round to dinner that night. But there is change of plan and they go out instead.’
‘How very convenient for the burglars,’ remarked David heavily.
Matthew threw him a look.
‘Then Phillip returns early,’ continued Marie-France. ‘But the buggers, they go then so he releases us.’
‘Buggers?’ repeated David, raising his eyebrows at Matthew. ‘Interesting that Phillip comes back unexpectedly to release the children. Don’t you think?’
‘There is something else too.’ Marie-France began to cry. ‘About the argument with another girl in the pub tonight. It was about a private matter but the police, they are not going to press charges.’ Her eyes appealed to Matthew. ‘I am very sorry.’
Great! What did she expect him to do now? Forget all about it?
David leaped up. ‘Can you both wait there for a minute? I just want a word with the duty officer.’
Ten minutes later, he came out again. ‘What did you say?’ asked Matthew curiously while Marie-France got into the back of the car.
‘I simply suggested that they might care to check the state of Phillip’s bank balance,’ said David quietly. ‘These burglars – although I rather like the other name for them – threw Marie-France and the children into her bedroom which happened to have a lock on the outside. Phillip had only put the lock there a few weeks earlier to give her privacy. Suspicious, don’t you think?’
‘The police told you all this?’
‘No.’ David glanced in his driving mirror. ‘Marie-France confided in my wife when it happened. I thought it was odd at the time although I’ve come across all kinds of people who’ve done things to claim on their insurance.’ He jerked his head towards the back of the car where Marie-France had fallen asleep. ‘I feel sorry for her. If you ask me, she’s the pawn in all this.’
David’s kindness made Matthew feel guilty. Their new French au pair might have let them down tonight but she got on so well with Lottie that he didn’t want to lose her. Besides, he hadn’t taken to Phillip with the dark shades. Hadn’t taken to him at all.
‘Lottie’s still fast asleep,’ Karen assured him when he got back. She glanced sharply at his subdued au pair. ‘How did it go?’
He nodded. ‘Getting sorted, I think. Marie-France, this is Karen who works for me. Karen, this is Marie-France.’
The two women nodded at each other but he detected a hint of coolness in Karen’s face. ‘I go to bed,’ said Marie-France quietly. ‘I regret the problems I have caused.’
‘It’s all right.’ He touched her arm lightly in reassurance. ‘Will you be able to take Lottie to school in the morning?’
Her eyes widened. ‘You still desire me to work for you?’
‘Of course! Lottie has only just started to learn the guitar. How can I put an end to her lessons now?’
It was meant to be a joke but the girl just nodded sadly and went up the stairs. Karen meanwhile showed no signs of going and remained sitting on the sofa, so he had no option but to take the chair opposite.
Only now did he notice that she was wearing a slightly transparent blouse and had doused herself with perfume, the kind that made his nose tickle. ‘Thank you so much for stepping in at short notice, Karen.’
She flushed. ‘I enjoyed it, Matt. Really enjoyed it.’ Then her eyes followed Marie-France as she went up the stairs. ‘She’s very pretty, isn’t she, your French girl? It must be rather weird sharing a house with a woman whom you don’t really know.’
‘It is, but to be honest, I’m getting used to it. Marie-France is very easy to have around.’
‘Even when she’s hauled off to the police station?’
‘Point taken.’ He sighed. ‘Still, it won’t be that long until I’ve worked out my notice.’
She nodded. ‘I’ll miss you, Matt.’ Suddenly she leaned across and kissed his cheek. ‘Goodnight. See you tomorrow . And don’t worry – I’ll see myself out.’ She laughed gaily. ‘I’m getting used to your house now.’
Had he been incredibly naive? Did Karen fancy him? And – this was the bad bit – why was it that at times it felt frighteningly easy to go one stage further? It was so nice to be looked after. So comforting to be admired. Even though she wasn’t his type, whatever that was. And even though he wasn’t really ready for another relationship.
Matthew spent the next few days in the office trying to keep a low profile and ignoring all the little signs that his PA gave, such as brushing against him when she walked past his desk or asking if he was sure he wouldn’t like a ‘quick bite at lunchtime’ because there was this ‘lovely little café which had opened up round the corner’ and served great mozzarella and tomato paninis?
Looking on the bright side, Marie-France hadn’t had any more visits from the police as far as he knew and – thank goodness – she and Lottie seemed to be getting on really well.
Meanwhile, he had his ‘date’ with Christina! Of course it wasn’t a proper date. Just a Saturday morning coffee in town when Lottie was at her gym class. But he was looking forward to it! Christina was such an easy person to talk to, especially now he knew that she had been through the same thing he had and was a single parent herself. Perhaps that was why, the following weekend, he found himself telling her about his evening at the police station.
‘It’s not easy for these girls,’ she said, stirring her cappuccino. She’d arrived at the coffee shop looking rather chic. Her hair was shorter and cut in one of those styles which seemed to graduate down the back. It suited her, as did those long silver earrings. ‘They arrive, these poor things, expecting a year’s holiday, and then find themselves thrown into situations that many of us would struggle to cope with.’
‘I’m struggling with something myself at the moment,’ he found himself confessing. ‘Remember me telling you about a woman at work who seemed rather friendly?’
Her eyes took on a bemused but wary look. ‘Yes, I do.’
‘Well, I’m concerned that I may have encouraged her to think that I might be interested.’ He was aware of blushing furiously as he spoke.
‘And are you?’
‘No. But it’s like being a teenager again. I was never good at dumping girls. I didn’t like hurting them.’
She laughed but in a kind way. ‘I can imagine that. It’s because you’re a nice man.’ Then her expression changed. ‘The thing is,
Matthew – and I’m speaking as a friend here – that it’s not fair to allow someone to get the wrong idea. Don’t you think?’
She was right! For the rest of the weekend, Matthew kept going over what he needed to say to Karen to get himself out of this sticky situation. By Monday morning, he’d decided. As soon as he got in, he’d have a frank, open discussion with Karen. He’d tell her that he was very grateful to her for stepping in but—
‘Heard about Karen?’ asked one of the other secretaries excitedly before he’d even hung up his jacket.
‘No.’ Apprehension shot through him. She’d had a car crash. She’d had a heart attack. She—
‘She slipped on the frost in her garden at the weekend when she was feeding the birds! Broken her arm in two places, apparently – our Karen never does things by halves, does she? So she won’t be in for at least four weeks.’
‘That’s awful.’ To his shame, Matthew found himself feeling a flood of relief that she wouldn’t be around for a bit. ‘We must send her some flowers.’
‘Already done.’ The girl beamed at him. ‘I’m going to be her replacement. James said so. He wants to see you now, by the way.’
Really? James had been virtually ignoring him since their last conversation, clearly pissed off by what he saw as Matthew’s ‘lack of commitment’ to the partnership. He ought to try being a single dad. No, that wasn’t fair. Poor James, not being able to have kids. Lottie made up for everything. Even Sally.
Not sure what to expect, he knocked on James’s door. His friend looked up with a cool face. ‘Ah, Matthew. There you are. May I introduce Duncan Greathew?’ He gesticulated towards a short, zappily dressed man with a keen expression who jumped up immediately from his chair and pumped his hand.
‘Duncan is a designer for a children’s bedroom company. He is very keen to work with us but—’
‘But I need someone who has children,’ the man interrupted him. He spoke with a soft, chummy American accent. ‘I was surprised to find that no one else in this company has kids apart from you, Matthew.’
‘That’s exactly why I’m leaving. James has told you that, hasn’t he?’ He gave his partner a pointed look. ‘I’m a single parent and, as I’m finding out, it’s not easy doing both.’
‘That’s a shame.’ Duncan did indeed look disappointed. ‘In that case, I’m afraid that I’m going to have to look elsewhere.’
‘Unless’ – James cut in swiftly – ‘Matthew would like to reconsider his decision?’
Hadn’t his friend understood anything he’d just been saying about Lottie?
Duncan looked awkward. ‘Look, I don’t want to cause any trouble between you two but I’ve heard great things about your work, Matthew. If you change your mind, please give me a ring.’
He shook his head. ‘Sorry, but my mind’s made up. I’ve got to put my daughter first.’
Duncan nodded. ‘I appreciate that.’ He held out his hand. ‘Good to meet someone with integrity in today’s world. Don’t you think, James?’
HOW TO GET YOUR AU PAIR TO DO WHAT YOU WANT
Having an au pair is a bit like suddenly having a teenager in the house. You need to use emotional intelligence!
Try using the ‘I’ word if you are criticising her, so you don’t give offence.
For example, instead of saying, ‘You haven’t washed that cup up properly,’ use the following phrase: ‘I feel that the cup needs to be washed again.’
Extract from How To Cope With Help by
Maggie Giveup
Chapter 28
HOW MANY FALSE alarms could a pregnant Turkish au pair have? When Fatima had announced she needed the loo, Jilly had thought her waters had broken. But no. She’d simply peed herself!
‘When you’re a little bit big,’ the nurse had said delicately at the hospital, ‘there’s rather a lot of pressure on the bladder. Yes, you’re fine to go home now. But take it easy, dear, won’t you?’
No fear about that!
‘What you need is proper help,’ said her mother crisply. They were sitting side by side at their respective laptops at the kitchen table. Next door, Fat Eema was squatting on the carpet, doing the twins’ maths homework while the boys were watching television. Sometimes it was easier to give in.
‘You can’t carry on a proper business unless you have someone who can run the house or help with your work.’ Her mother allowed herself a rueful smile. ‘It would certainly ease things between you and David. Don’t think I haven’t noticed! The two of you are hardly speaking.’
Jilly looked up from an email which had just popped into her inbox, confirming another placement with a German au pair just north of Corrywood. Great! ‘What kind of help do you suggest?’
‘Someone like me, of course, darling.’
Uh-oh. ‘Mum, you know you’re welcome to stay as long as you like but—’
‘Thank you, darling.’ Her mother bent her head graciously as though receiving a round of applause. ‘I was hoping you might say that.’
‘But what about Dad?’
‘What about your father, dear?’
‘Look, you know he’s got this big party planned for your anniversary that you’re pretending not to know about.’
Her mother shrugged like a petulant small child.
‘Please don’t say you’re going to boycott it?’
‘Of course not, darling.’ Her mother gave a slow smile. ‘I’ve even bought the most gorgeous aquamarine outfit from one of your little shops down the road.’
Thank goodness for that!
‘But I’m not telling your father I’m going and nor are you. I want to keep him on his toes.’ She stroked the side of Jilly’s face in a rare tender moment. ‘Now shall we go upstairs and I’ll show you my dress?’
It was afterwards, on her way to meet Paula for coffee in town, that Jilly had another idea. Why not ring Marie-France and ask if she’d like to come with them to the anniversary party! She could keep an eye on the boys while she, Jilly, helped entertain with Mum and Dad.
‘I also wondered if you’d like to earn a little bit of extra pocket money by coming in every now and then to help with agency admin work,’ she suggested.
‘Mais oui!’ Marie-France declared enthusiastically on the phone.
Great! One more thing she could tick off on her Done spreadsheet! Jilly felt a wave of satisfaction. If it wasn’t for David, things would really be looking up.
‘Heard about Dawn and Phillip?’ asked her friend excitedly before she’d even had a chance to order a latte. ‘She’s chucked him out of the house!’
‘No! Why?’
Paula bore the look of someone who was enjoying being the deliverer of juicy gossip. ‘Surprised you don’t know. It involves your girl, that French one. Marie what-not.’
‘Marie-France? I’ve just asked her to help me out, part-time.’ Jilly thought back to the coffee shop when Marie-France had taken the dog for a walk and all the other occasions when she had been so pleasant. ‘She seems like one of the most reliable au pairs around.’
‘You might want to reconsider that.’ Paula’s eyes sparkled. ‘Apparently Dawn caught your Marie-France and Phillip having a snog in the car a few weeks ago. And one of the neighbours saw them from his balcony.’
‘No!’ Jilly felt seriously let down. Marie-France had sworn she hadn’t had an affair with Phillip!
‘Mind you,’ chirped Paula. ‘I can’t really see Dawn as a single mum for long, can you? She’ll be looking for husband number four soon. Certainly doesn’t have any problem finding them. Suppose it’s because of her money. She inherited it, you know, from her father. He built up a massive building company.’
Jilly was so troubled by the conversation that she mentioned it to David over Saturday breakfast the next day. After all, he’d been surprisingly good at helping Marie-France when she’d nearly been arrested.
‘Sounds fishy, I agree. Still at least—’ He broke off at the thunder of trainers down the stairs.
‘M
UM, DAD, HE’S HIT ME.’
‘NO I DIDN’T. ALFIE HIT ME!’
Uh-oh. They were rowing in capital letters again. David gave a rueful smile. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll sort it out. Want me to take them out for the day? It would give you a chance to catch up with all your paperwork.’
Jilly stared at him disbelievingly. ‘Has Mum had a word with you?’
‘What about?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Look, Jilly, I’m only trying to help.’ He got up from the table abruptly. ‘You might at least be gracious about it.’
Peace at last! True to his promise, David had taken the twins out and Nick was – she hoped – doing an essay in the local library.
‘I need some space, Mum,’ said her son as though she was the difficult one in the house.
‘You mean you want to try your luck with some girl,’ snorted his grandmother. ‘I’m just nipping into town myself to see if I can find some shoes for your father’s party if I decide to go. I’m having second thoughts, to be honest.’
Sometimes her mother drove her mad!
While they were all out, Jilly forced herself to update the monthly accounts on the spreadsheet. Then, just as she was getting into it, the phone rang. Again!
‘’Ello? My name is Madame Dubonne. My daughter Marie-France, she is one of your girls.’
Over the last few months, Jilly had become accustomed to all kinds of strange au pair accents. Occasionally she received overseas calls from a parent wanting to know more about her agency before their daughter signed up. As a mother herself, Jilly could understand it.
But now she felt a flush of foreboding. ‘Of course,’ she replied. Had Marie-France’s mother heard about her daughter and Phillip already? Some au pairs’ parents could be very controlling. Only last week, she’d had a phone call from a German father complaining because his daughter’s English family hadn’t taken her away for a weekend. She’d had to explain that the weekend in question had in fact been the couple’s wedding anniversary and that they had asked the au pair to stay at home to look after the children. Some families expected far too much!